At the beginning of the twentieth century, the French concern "Schneider and K." acquired the assets of the Russian Putilov Arms Plant, including the plant itself in St. Petersburg. At the factory, the Schneider representatives found a fairly large and superbly executed cannon, designed for the standard Russian 107mm projectile.

Subsequent calculations showed that this gun was capable of firing at a great distance, and the company decided to offer this gun to the French army. Soon the gun was transported to France and modified for the French 105-mm projectile, in addition, a number of changes were required.
Unfortunately for Schneider & Sieu, the French army was not interested in this proposal. It was already armed with a large number of 75 mm guns, and according to the French strategy, nothing more powerful was required, although the 105 mm gun was offered as a medium-caliber support weapon. It required the Axis to make a lot of efforts to lobby for the purchase of at least a small batch of guns by the French army in 1913. As a result, the gun entered service under the designation 105-mm gun of the Schneider concern mod. 1913, but in the army it was better known as L13S.
Despite the purchase of the first batch of guns, the French army remained indifferent. After the confrontation of the fronts during the First World War and the transition to trench warfare, the shortcomings of the 75-mm gun showed themselves to the full: the mass of the projectile was insufficient, and the destructive effect on field fortifications, including the trenches, left much to be desired.
As for the L135, they were able to fire heavier rounds that did much more damage to such fortifications, which soon led to an increased demand for these guns. Of course, the firing trajectory of this gun, which had a high initial velocity of the projectile, was flatter compared to the howitzer and did not allow the projectile to accurately hit the trenches, but the effectiveness of the gun manifested itself in the counter-battery war. Shortly thereafter, the Schneider concern tried to speed up mass production of the L13S.

In combat position, the L135 was much more bulky compared to the compact 75mm gun. The long box frame was heavier, but it stabilized the gun during prolonged firing. The bolt with a piston with rifled and smooth sectors worked easily, but a lot of time was spent on a tray of 15.74-kg shells, especially during prolonged hostilities.
A team of eight horses was required to tow the gun into position. During the battle, the calculation of the gun should have consisted, at least. of eight people, most of whom were busy with a tray of shells.
During the First World War, many L135 guns were transferred to the Belgian army, which used them in the battles on the River Lees. After 1918, the guns - L135 were partially transferred, and partially sold to Italy and Yugoslavia, some copies ended up in the new Polish army.

Most of these World War I guns found their way into use in 1939. After 1940 most of French guns L135 was captured by the Germans, they could soon be seen in the Coast Guard artillery on the Atlantic Wall under the designation 105-mm K 333 (f).

The original version in the Belgrade Military Museum

105 mm Schneider gun model 1913(fr. Canon de 105 mle 1913 Schneider listen)) is a French gun used during the First World War. After its completion, it was exported to Belgium, Poland, Yugoslavia and Italy, where it was also produced under license and used by these countries during World War II, as well as by Germany, which uses them as captured guns.

Story

At the beginning of the 20th century, the French company Schneider gained control of the Russian Putilov factory. Among the projects that were being created at the plant at that time was the project of a 107-mm field gun. At that time, it was an unusually large caliber with huge development prospects. It was assumed that the gun would have a much greater range than the then existing similar guns and Schneider's engineers happily set about fine-tuning the project for Russian army. The resulting gun entered service with the Russian army under the name “42-line gun of the 1910 model of the year”, and the French engineers, with the consent of the customer, decided to offer the gun to the French army, while undertaking to reduce the caliber to 105 mm.

The French military initially reacted rather coolly to the proposal, since they believed that, having 75-mm guns, they did not need heavier guns. However, Schneider still managed to sell his invention, and in 1913 the Russian development entered service with the French army under the index Canon de 105 modele 1913 Schneider, however, the gun became more widely known under the index L 13 S.

Compared to its Russian counterpart, the gun had a stronger (and heavier) carriage, gun shield, a barrel consisting of a pipe and a casing, and a piston valve. (English) Russian . The recoil devices, mounted on a single-beam carriage, included a hydraulic recoil brake and a hydropneumatic knurler, independent of each other. Shooting was carried out with unitary cartridges weighing 15.74 kg at a distance of up to 12,000 meters. The rate of fire of the gun was about 4 rounds per minute. The gun was equipped with wooden wheels with steel hoops and was intended to be towed by horses at a speed of 10 km/h. The front end was attached to the gun, placing 14 shots.

World War I

With the outbreak of the First World War, the gun fully proved its effectiveness, especially in contrast to the fact that 75-mm guns could not fully fulfill their combat missions and completely destroy targets. In this regard, during the war years, the mass production of the gun began, with a gradual bias towards a larger side compared to competitive systems of a smaller caliber. In total, during the war, the French armed forces used about 1300 guns.

Export

After the end of the First World War, the gun began to be widely exported. It was supplied to Belgium, Poland, Yugoslavia and Italy.

Poland

In service with Poland, which soon acquired a license for production, the gun came under the name Armata 105mm wz. 13 Schneider, and in 1930 the Poles produced a modernized version of the Armata 105 mm wz. 29 Schneider by equipping it with sliding beds, which made it possible to increase the angle of horizontal guidance. The guns of both models took part in World War II.

Italy

In Italy, the gun was also put into production, turning into an Italian gun Cannone da 105/28 modello 1913, later shortened to just Cannone da 105/28 (Italian) Russian and remained one of the main Italian field guns until September 1943, when Italy withdrew from the war.

Finland

By the beginning of the Winter War, French guns were also delivered to Finland, where they received the name 105K/13. In total, Finland managed to buy 12 guns and 20,000 shells for them. They arrived in February 1940 and were sent to the 9th Heavy Artillery Battalion 9, where they were used in the last weeks of the war.

In the Continuation War, the guns were sent to the 28th Heavy Artillery Battalion 28. Among the Finnish soldiers, the gun gained a reputation for being good and reliable.

The Second World War

In France itself, guns also remained in service by the beginning of World War II, by May 1940, when the Germans invaded France, there were 854 of them. Most of them (about 700 pieces), after the end of the campaign, they fell into the hands of the Germans.

In addition to the French, guns from other countries previously exported, as well as produced outside France, fell into the hands of the Germans. In the Wehrmacht, they received the names:

• 10.5 cm K 331(f)- French guns
• 10.5 cm K 333(b)- guns captured from Belgium
• 10.5cm K 338(i)- guns captured from Italy
• 10.5cm K 338(j)- guns captured from Yugoslavia
• 10.5 cm K 13(p)- Polish non-modernized guns
• 10.5cm K29(p)- polish modernized guns

As a result, having received almost a thousand 105-mm guns and a huge amount of ammunition for them, the Germans installed these guns on the positions of the Atlantic Wall to defend the northern coast of France. The Germans removed the 105-mm guns from the carriages and installed them on turntables with armored shields to protect the servants. In concrete bunkers on the coast of France and neighboring countries, numerous

105 mm M2A1 howitzer

Tactical and technical data
Designation М2А1
Type light howitzer
Caliber, mm: 105
Barrel length, mm: 2574
Weight in firing position, kg: 1934
Angle GN, hail: 46
Angle VN, deg: -5; +65
Muzzle velocity, m/s: 472
Max. firing range, m: 11430
Projectile weight, kg: 14.97

Entering the First world war The United States did not have its own artillery systems, but they learned a lot from their allies England and France. The French 75-mm gun of the 1897 model made a particularly strong impression on the US military. Assuming mass production of guns with the same rate of fire, the US military issued an order in 1919 for the development of a 105-mm howitzer. Due to the lack of experience of the designers, the work was greatly delayed, and mass production of the gun under the designation M2A1 began only in 1939, when war had already broken out in Europe. The howitzer entered the units of the American army in 1942 and then was widely used in all theaters of military operations in Europe and the Pacific. As a field weapon for direct infantry support, the howitzer had a fairly large range of projectiles - from high-explosive to those filled with tear gas. The design of the gun was distinguished by simplicity and reliability due to the original carriage, which required a minimum of effort from the calculation to bring the howitzer into combat position. Therefore, in the full designation of 105-mm guns, the carriage code - M2A2 - is often indicated. The lower carriage machine was equipped with sliding beds, uniaxial travel - with automobile-type wheels. The howitzer was towed by a truck or tracked tractor.

After the end of the war, the M2A1 gun continued to be in service with the US Army for more than 30 years and served as a role model in many other countries of the world. In total, until 1953, American factories produced about 10,200 M2A1 howitzers.

90 mm anti-aircraft gun M2

air defense of military facilities and the country's territory. The gun was developed in the USA in 1942 and was supplied to the USSR under Lend-Lease during the war years. Thanks to its high combat qualities, consisting in a significant rate of fire, a large reach in height and range, and also thanks to a powerful projectile, the 90-mm gun was able to effectively deal with almost all German aircraft. The design of the gun made it possible to use it also for firing at ground moving and stationary targets.

The gun has a monoblock barrel with an autofretted tube and a screw-on breech. The connection of the breech with the pipe is carried out with the help of cutting, located on four sectors, alternating with smooth sectors. To guide the movement of the barrel, there are two skids (right and left) attached to the barrel with screws. The shutter is semi-automatic, wedge, moving in a vertical plane.

Semi-automatic - copier type. The copier is fixed on the left inner side of the cradle. By turning the handle, the copier can be set to automatic or manual shutter opening.

Semi-automatic provides automatic execution of the following operations: opening the shutter, extracting the sleeve, holding the shutter in the open position and closing the shutter. The shutter opens when the barrel rolls. The shutter is closed when the cartridge is loaded under the action of a spring placed in a cylinder mounted on the right side of the breech. The drummer is cocked when the bolt is opened, but can be cocked without opening it by turning the handle on the right side of the breech. The upper machine gun is a welded structure and mainly consists of two jaws and a plate. On the upper machine there are: the oscillating part of the gun, lifting, rotary, balancing mechanisms, mechanical fuse installer, receiving devices with synchronous transmission cable wiring from POISO, hydraulic regulator with an electric motor. The lifting mechanism is sectoral, located on the right side of the upper machine. Swivel mechanism of pedestal type; it provides unlimited rotation of the upper machine around the pin of the leveling mechanism. The lifting and turning mechanisms have two aiming speeds (for the carriage M1).

The lower machine is also welded with four beds. In a combat position, he lays down directly on the ground. The base of the machine (cross) has vertical ribs at the bottom for connection with the ground. The ribs act as coulters, keeping the system from moving when fired. To improve the stability of the gun when fired, driven coulters can be used. On the hike, three beds (rear and side) are folded and attached to the upper machine, and the fourth is connected to the tractor with its coupling device.

The fire control of the battery of 90-mm guns was carried out using the POISO-M7, which generates the azimuth, elevation angle and fuse setting. The data generated by PUAZO-M7 are synchronously reported to the receiving devices of the battery guns. By rotating the flywheels of the aiming mechanisms until the mechanical indices on the receiving devices coincide with the electrical ones, the gun is guided to a preemptive point.

In systems with M1A1 carriages, the aiming mechanisms have power drives. Power drives are controlled by PUAZO-M7 synchronously. This achieves automatic aiming of the gun (without the participation of gunners), which increases the accuracy of aiming and facilitates the work of the gun crew.

For direct fire at ground targets, the gun is equipped with the simplest optical sights- one telescope for aiming in azimuth, and the other for aiming in elevation. For firing at anti-aircraft targets, shots with fragmentation grenades M71 (weight 9.55 kg) and M58 (weight 10.63 kg) equipped with mechanical remote fuses were used. The same grenades, but with percussion fuses, were used to fire at ground targets. Especially for firing at armored targets, there were shots with M77 armor-piercing tracer (solid).

For transporting the guns, a single-axle trolley with two double wheels was used. A suspension mechanism is placed on the bogie frame in three cylinders, consisting of two compensators located at the edges, and a bogie buffer located in the middle. Helical coil springs are placed in all cylinders. Compensators, in addition to suspension, are used to facilitate the transfer of the system to the combat and stowed positions.

The trolley buffer softens the shocks on the hike and limits the rotation of the axle and the lowering of the trolley. When translated into the stowed position, the trolley is coupled to the lower machine with hooks and bolts, after which the system rises for stowed movement with the help of compensators.

Wheels with pneumatic tires are equipped with brakes with electric and manual drives. There is a device for automatic start brakes when the gun is separated from the tractor. Mechanical traction - a truck with a carrying capacity of 3 tons and more (for satisfactory roads), or a caterpillar tractor. The speed of movement on a good highway is up to 55 km / h.

Wehrmacht
Artillery 4-gun battery 10 cm. cannons on a mechanical traction of a tank division
State number 457 of 11/1/1941
(Batterie 10cm. Kanone (zu 4 Geschutzen) (mot.Z.) einer Panzerdivision))
(K.St.N.457 v. 1.11.1941)

In 1941, in addition to tank and motorized rifle regiments, the Wehrmacht tank divisions included a motorized artillery regiment(Artillerie-Regiment (mot.)), which included a reconnaissance battery (Beobachtungs-Batterie) two light motorized artillery battalions (leichte Artillerieabteilung (mot)) and one heavy motorized artillery battalion (schwere Artillerie-Abteilung (mot)) .

In this heavy artillery battalion, in addition to two heavy mechanically traction howitzer batteries (schw. Feld-Haubitz-Bttr. (mot. Z.)) there was also a 105 mm battery. cannons on mechanical traction (Kanonen-Batterie (mot.Z.)).

In this article, we will analyze in detail the state of this very cannon battery.

From the author. More than once I had to hear surprised questions about how I could fight tank division, which lost all its tanks. People who are not experienced in military affairs usually believe that a tank division is only tanks. Lots of tanks. Like, no tanks, no divisions.

Not at all. There are not so many tanks in a tank division. One and a half to two hundred. One regiment out of four. Of course, tanks are the main striking force of a division, and without them, it loses its advantages over an infantry or motorized infantry division. But two motorized rifle regiments and an artillery regiment remain, not to mention combat support units. A tank division without tanks can hold the defense pretty well. Yes, it can come too. The infantry divisions were advancing. Only senior commanders can no longer assign the tasks that the division could perform when it had tanks.

And one more note. In German military terminology, it is customary to designate the calibers of guns in centimeters, while discarding the fractional part. It is customary for us to designate calibers in mm. Hence, the guns of the described battery are designated by the Germans as 10cm Kanone, while their caliber is 105mm. Sometimes this misleads historians and they believe that the Germans had 100mm. guns, and 105mm. guns.

Well, it’s completely indecent for artillerymen and historians not to know that the Soviet 82-mm. mortar and German 81mm. mortar had exactly the same inner diameter of the barrel - 81.4 mm. Why ours rounded the number in one direction, and the Germans in the other, God knows them, but both of them could shoot with other people's mines. So the widely held assertion that ours deliberately made the mortar caliber larger so that the Germans could not fire our ammunition from their mortars is no more than a legend.

So, 4-gun battery 105 mm. heavy guns has 5 officers, 23 non-commissioned officers and 112 soldiers. Only 140 people.

Note. The ranks in the battery are cavalry.

The main armament of the battery is 4 heavy guns s.K.18 (for information on the characteristics of the gun, see the end of the article). Some batteries, instead of s.K.18, could be armed with Czech captured 105 mm cannons, which received the designation s.K.35 (t) in the Wehrmacht. Traction guns half-track tractors Sd.Kfz.7.

Structurally, the battery consists of the following divisions:

* Control group (Gruppe Fuehrer), which includes the battery commander with his driver and the battery compartment
(Batterietrupp).
* Communication team (Nachrichtenstaffel), which, in addition to the commander and several radio operators on car radios, also includes
motorized middle telephone compartment type b (mittlerer Fernsprechtrupp b (mot)) and
motorized compartment of knapsack radios type f (Tornisterfunktrupp f (mot)).
* Combat battery (Gefechtsbatterie), broken into
gun team (Geschutzstaffel) and
ammunition team (Munitionsstaffel).
* 1st rear command (Tross I), which, in addition to supply service personnel, also includes
repair department (Kfz.Instandsetzungstrupp).
* 2nd rear team ((Tross II).
* Stowage compartment (Gepaecktross).

Control Group (Gruppe Fuehrer)

The control group is intended for the general management of the battery, battery fire control, the organization of artillery reconnaissance by observation, and the transmission of data for firing into a combat battery.
It contains personnel- 21 people
of which officers -3, non-commissioned officers -6, soldiers -12.
Armament:
- pistols -10
- submachine gun -1 (onboard weapon of an armored personnel carrier)
- carbines -11
Technics:
- motorcycles without sidecars -3
-cars -4
-light armored personnel carriers -1.

From the author. It was very strange and unusual for me, as a Soviet officer, to find out that the battery commander (like company commanders in other branches of the military) in the Wehrmacht had absolutely nothing to do with the economic side of the life of the company, was not at all interested in it and did not bear any responsibility for it. responsibility. His main duty was to manage the combat operation of the battery in combat. Naturally, he was responsible for the readiness of the battery for firing, i.e. behind technical condition guns, vehicles, means of communication, availability of ammunition. But the questions - whether the soldiers are dressed, whether they are fed, how they are placed for the night, whether they are healthy, this did not concern him at all. The gaputwachtmeister (foreman of the battery in our opinion) was entirely responsible for this. This most senior non-commissioned officer in the battery was actually independent of the battery commander, who could only set him general tasks, orient him in the situation, and listen to reports. But he could not interfere in the field of activity of the guard.
Is this not the origin of the fact that the Wehrmacht soldiers were without warm uniforms by the beginning of the Russian winter? The foreman is not a very significant figure in the higher authorities to seek the supply of warm clothes. Combat commanders of higher authorities also did not burden themselves too much with worries about the economic part. Well, all the way to the top.

Very curious lines from the memoirs of Field Marshal of Aviation A. Kesselring, who at the beginning of the Russian campaign of 1941 led aviation on the Eastern Front:

And in the Ground Forces, the commanders did not take care of the winter. And then they all had Hitler to blame. As if it were the business of the head of the country to think about overcoats, footcloths and underpants.

Communications Command (Nachrichtenstaffel)
The main task of this unit was to organize and maintain radio and telephone communications with the command of the artillery battalion, the division headquarters, supported by tank and motorized rifle regiments. To do this, she had both mobile radio stations on special vehicles and portable radio stations. In addition, this team deployed a telephone switchboard, providing telephone communication within the battery.

There are 20 people in the team of all personnel, of which -4 non-commissioned officers, -16 soldiers
Armament: pistols -1, submachine guns -1, carbines -18
Technics:
- vehicles for telephone communication Kfz.15 -1
- telephone line monitoring vehicles Kfz.76 -1
- Radiation vehicles Kfz.2 -1
- Radiation vehicles Kfz.15 -1
- Radiation vehicles Kfz.17/1-1

From the author. There is nothing to say. Excellent organization of communication with a high saturation of radio facilities. It is not surprising that the German command was able to maintain control of its units in all types of combat and in any situation, easily and quickly redirect artillery strikes against newly identified targets. And this ensured the high efficiency of artillery fire with a relatively small number of guns.

In our army, communication has always been the bottleneck and sore spot. In practice, during the war years, at the level of battalions and companies, the only type of communication, apart from foot messengers, was only telephone.

Combat battery (Gefechtsbatterie)
The main, central division of the battery. Why the Germans in the state use the term "battery" in two meanings (1 meaning - the entire artillery unit considered in the article, 2 meaning - the main part of the artillery unit under consideration), the author does not know about that.

The combat battery is divided into two teams:
1. Gun team.
2. Ammunition team.

The gun team, in turn, is divided into two platoons, 2 guns per platoon.

Total in the gun team:
Personnel - 61 people, of which officers -1, non-commissioned officers -8, soldiers -52.
Armament:
- pistols -12,
-submachine gun -2,
- light machine guns -2,
-carbines -47,
-105.mm. guns s.K.18 -4
Technics:
-motorcycles without a sidecar -1
- passenger cars for anti-aircraft gun mounts Kfz.4 -1
-cars Kfz.15 -2
-half-tracked 8-ton tractors Sd.Kfz.7 -5 /

Total ammo team:
Personnel: 22 people, of which officers -1, non-commissioned officers -1, soldiers -20
Armament:
- pistols -4
- carbines -18
Technics:
-cars -1
-medium trucks-all-terrain vehicles -4

From the author. AT Soviet army passenger cars have always been seen as the privilege of senior commanders. Even in the eighties, only one UAZ relied on the entire regiment, and even then as a personal vehicle of the regiment commander. At the headquarters of the division, UAZs relied only on the division commander and his deputies. Well, the Volga as a representative car of the division commander.
Below the regiment about cars, no one even stuttered. But the regiment needs a lot of small shipments every day. Well, the officer on duty in the guard regiment drives around in a huge KAMAZ truck, the foreman of the company carries four bales of bed linen to the laundry in Ural-4320, the ensign delivers two boxes of cartridges on the Zil-131 to the shooting range, the chief finance officer carries a briefcase full of money for a soldier's salary on a huge rocket carrier.
And no one here thought about what this notorious savings on cars cost the country. Probably, the big ranks seemed terribly insulting and unfair if the regimental doctor would take two sick soldiers to the hospital in an UAZ, and not in a GAZ-66.
The Germans, it seems, acted much more rationally, giving a light car that was cheap and did not consume so much precious fuel, or even just a motorcycle, to everyone who needed to wander around in different directions during the day. Yes, it's better for business.

Rear Command I (Tross I)

The main tasks of this unit are the supply of fuel for vehicles, cooking for personnel and repair of vehicles.

It has 9 personnel, including:
- non-commissioned officers -2
-soldier -7
Armament:
-pistols -1
- carbines -8
Technics
-motorcycles with a sidecar -1
- light repair vehicles Kfz.2/10 -1
-medium trucks -2
- field kitchens Hf.11 or Hf.13 - 1

Rear Command II (Tross II)

The main task of this unit is the maintenance and service, transportation of auxiliary artillery equipment (observation devices, compasses, theodolites, stationery, artboards, kits for cleaning and maintaining guns, entrenching tools, etc.)

It has 2 personnel, including:
- non-commissioned officers -1
-soldier -1
Armament:
-carbines -2
Technics
-light trucks -1

Stowage compartment (Gepaecktross)

The main task of this unit is the maintenance, transportation and repair of shoes and uniforms that do not correspond to the season, as well as the repair of seasonal uniforms, leather equipment and shoes.

It has 5 personnel, including:
- non-commissioned officers -1
-soldier -4
Armament:
-carbines -5
Technics
-medium trucks -1

From the author. And again, one has to be surprised at the huge number of support personnel, as we see in the examples of a tank company, a reconnaissance company, and a motorized rifle company. For four guns 140 people. Of these, the guns themselves have 11 people per gun, i.e. 44 people.

I already wrote that this is both good and bad. Obviously, the Germans put at the forefront the maximum use of each unit of weapons - a tank, a cannon, an aircraft. The combat crew, the calculation should not have been distracted by secondary, secondary concerns. But after all, with the loss, failure of each unit of weapons, more people fall out of combat operations, who have nothing else to do in battle, but who clutter up the near rear, remain eaters, etc.

Is this not one of the reasons for the constant moaning of German memoirists about the "innumerable manpower reserves of the Reds"? Maybe the organization of Soviet combat units was more rational and from the same number of personnel we could form more combat units, where the vast majority of the soldiers were combat, and not support staff?

Summary table of personnel, vehicles and weapons of the battery:

Structural scheme of the company

The numbers under the headings indicate the number of personnel in this unit (officers / non-commissioned officers / soldiers = total). If a given subdivision consists of several smaller subdivisions, then they are inscribed in the rectangle of the larger subdivision.

For example, the calculation of the 1st gun consists of 1 non-commissioned officer and 10 soldiers. A total of 11 people. Two guns make up a platoon. In a platoon, in addition to two crews, there is 1 non-commissioned officer and 2 soldiers. This is, so to speak, platoon control, but they are like separate division are not highlighted. Their number is shown on the left above the rectangle of the first gun. Thus, there are 3 non-commissioned officers and 22 soldiers in a platoon. Only 25 people. Two platoons make up a gun team, in which, in addition to these two platoons, there is 1 officer, 2 non-commissioned officers and 8 soldiers. In total, therefore, in the gun team 1 officer, 8 non-commissioned officers and 52 soldiers. The gun team and the ammunition team together make up a battle battery, in which there are 2 officers, 9 non-commissioned officers and 72 soldiers. Well, etc.

Reference.

105 mm. heavy gun model 18 (schwere 10 cm. Kanone 18 (s.K.18))

Developed in 1931. Produced by Rheinmetall and Krupp. Had several modifications. Modifications can be distinguished by a mark indicating the year of modification (for example, s.K.18/40). A total of 2215 guns were manufactured.
It was in service with the artillery units of the RGC, artillery regiments of tank and infantry motorized divisions.
Intended for:
a) for destruction shooting at walls and concrete structures;
b) for the shelling of rear structures;
c) to fight enemy artillery;
d) for the destruction of wire fences;
e) to destroy tanks and armored vehicles;
e) to destroy infantry fire weapons;
g) to defeat manpower located in open areas and behind shelters.

Caliber - 105 mm.
Firing range - up to 19.075 km. (according to other sources -21.2 km.)
Barrel length - 52 caliber.
Stem elevation angles - 0 - 45 degrees.
The angles of rotation of the barrel without moving the beds to the left and to the right from the zero direction are 30 degrees each.
Loading - separately-sleeve.
Rate of fire - 6 rounds per minute.
Weight in the stowed position (when transported unassembled) - 6.4 tons.
Weight in the stowed position (when transported disassembled into two parts) 4+ 4 tons.
Transport speed:
- on mechanical traction in disassembled form - up to 60 km / h,
- on mechanical traction in unassembled form - up to 40 km / h,
- horse-drawn in disassembled form (two carry-aways of 8 horses) - up to 8 km / h.
The time for transferring an unassembled gun to a combat position from a marching one is 3-4 minutes.
The time for transferring the disassembled gun to the combat position from the marching one is 5-7 minutes.
Calculation of the gun (with mechanical traction) - 11 people.

Projectiles used:
- High-explosive fragmentation grenade 10cm.Gr.19. Weight 15.14 kg, speed 550-832 m/s (depending on powder charge). Fuzes AZ.23(0.25), AZ.23(0.15), Dopp.Z.S./60s.
- Armor-piercing tracer 10cm.Pzgr.rot. Weight 15.6 kg, speed 550-832 m/s (depending on powder charge). Fuse Bd.Z.f.10cm.Pzgr. Armor penetration at 1500 meters 100-138 mm.

From the author. This cannon is another evidence of either the dense military-technical illiteracy of Mr. Viktor Suvorov (V.B. Rezun), or his conscious deceit and desire to better deceive his reader. He, in his book "Suicide", proving that Germany attacked the USSR completely unprepared, claims as one of the evidence that not a single new type of field artillery has been developed in Germany since the First World War.

But the fact is that the number contained in the designation of German guns usually indicates the year of development, but .... with the exception of guns with the number 18 in the designation. These guns were developed between 1919 and 1935. In order to disguise new developments from the gentlemen of the allied Control Committee, all guns of this period were given the designation "18". Here is the modern 105-mm for the start of the war. gun developed in 1931 received the designation s.K.18. And this is far from the only example of guns created in Germany during the period of the Treaty of Versailles.

Well, the iron wheels of this cannon, as evidence according to Rezun of the glaring backwardness of the German artillery, did not interfere with towing this cannon at a speed of 40-60 km / h. In my opinion, even the most modern trailed implements on inflatable rubber wheels do not tow faster. Note that the Soviet heavy guns in those days, they were towed by caterpillar tractors STZ-3, STZ-5, Komintern, Stalinets-6, Stalinets-65 at a speed of no more than 10-15 km / h.

Medium 8-ton half-track tractor Sd.Kfz.7 (mittlerer Zugkraftwagen 8t (Sd.Kfz.7))
The army designation Sd.Kfz.7 was assigned to half-track artillery tractors designed to tow heavy s.K.18 guns. There are four samples of tractors of this type, produced by Kraus-Maffay. These are KM m.8 (1934-35), KM m.9 (1936), KM m.10 (1936-37) and KM m.11 (1937-45).

Outwardly, these models are difficult to distinguish and differ from each other in engine power and design improvements. At latest model longer tracks. Below is the model KM m.11

Total weight machines - 9.5 tons.
The weight of the transported cargo is 1.8 tons.
The mass of the towed cargo is up to 8 tons.
Number of seats for people (including crew) - 11.
Crew - 2 people.
Max speed on the highway - 50 km / h. (with 8 ton trailer)
Fuel range:
-on the way to- 250 km.
- off-road - 120 km.

Fuel tank capacity - 213 liters (gasoline).
Gasoline carburetor engine "Maybach" HL 62 TUK.
Engine power - 140 hp at 2500 rpm.
Machine dimensions:
- length -6.85m.,
-width -2.35m.
- height (on an awning) - 2.62 m.
Track track - 2 m.
Wheel track - 1.8m.
Turning radius - 16m.
The depth of the ford is 65 cm.
Specific ground pressure -0.59 kg/sq.cm.

From the author. And here we catch the German memoirists by the tongue, who claimed that the Russian tanks, due to the greater width of the tracks, had significantly higher throughput through the mud than the German ones. Like, this greatly interfered with the successful actions of German tanks against Soviet ones. And all the rest of the Wehrmacht equipment stopped in the mud. But in reality, the width of the tracks is determined not by the good wishes of the designers, but by the weight of the tanks. More weight, more track width. The main thing is to keep within the optimal limit of the specific pressure of the tracks on the ground. And it lies within 0.72-0.85 kg/sq.cm.

Thus, having a specific pressure of only 0.59 kg/sq.cm. The German artillery tractor Sd.Kfz.7, with a very powerful engine and a very high speed, had outstanding off-road capability. It can be said that where a German half-track tractor "sat on its belly", there obviously no other German or Soviet tracked vehicle could move.

If we compare the specific pressure on the ground of German and Soviet tanks, then it turns out to be approximately the same for all categories of tanks, excluding heavy ones. So the permeability was the same. Let's compare the main German medium tank of 1941 Pz.Kpfw. IV (0.75) and Soviet T-34 (0.74). Equally. But when the year 1942 comes, the impassability of which the Germans no longer mention, the modification of the Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf N has a specific pressure of 0.95. Paradox - they complained about the poor cross-country ability of the old modification, but the new car is made even more poorly crossed.

And what is interesting is that the Tiger tank was the record holder in terms of specific pressure (1.04 kg / sq. cm), This car really was inclined to get stuck on soft soils. But German memoirists speak of the Tiger with enthusiasm and not a word is said about its low cross.

Doesn't fit. So maybe it was not the width of the tracks and not the Russian off-road that stopped Guderian's tanks and guns in the fall of 1941, but something else?

Sources and literature

1. Kriegsstarkenachweisung 457 (K.St.N.457) von 1.11.1941.Batterie 10cm Kanone (zu 4 Geschutzen) (motZ) einer Panzerdivision.
2.TM-E 30-451 Hanbook on German Military Forces. War Department. March 15, 1945
3. Website "World War II day by day" (chrit.users1.50megs.com)
4.V.Oswald. Complete catalog of German military vehicles and tanks 1900-1982. AST. Astrel. Moscow. 2003
5.Militaerfaerfahrzeuge of the Wehrmaht. Ryton Publications. Bellingham.
6.K.Shishkin. Armed forces of Germany. 1939-1945 years. Directory. St. Petersburg. 2003
7. G. Biderman. In mortal combat. Memoirs of an anti-tank crew commander. 1941-1945. Centerpolygraph. Moscow. 2005
8. Directory of German artillery. Military publishing house of NPO USSR. Moscow. 1946
9.V.Suvorov. Suicide. Why did Hitler attack the Soviet Union? AST. Moscow. 2000
10. A. Ivanov. Artillery of Germany in World War II. Neva. St. Petersburg. 2003
11. Yegers E.V., Tereshchenko D.G. Artillery of the Wehrmacht. TORNADO. Riga. 1998
12. I.P. Shmelev. Armored vehicles Third Reich. Arsenal-Press. Moscow. 1996
13. A. Kesselring. Luftwaffe: Triumph and defeat. Memoirs of a Field Marshal of the Third Reich. 1933-1947. Centerpolygraph. Moscow. 2003

US Army paratroopers firing from a 105-mm M119AZ howitzer at Fort Bragg

For decades, the light artillery system has remained one of the main combat assets of the rapid reaction forces of many armies of the world. It is time for the defense industry to make overdue improvements to meet today's operational requirements.

Light artillery - based on the 105mm cannon - is a niche option that is often relegated to the background in larger 155mm caliber systems. Although valued for its mobility, the 105mm has two significant drawbacks - short range and power. In this it differs from the 155-mm systems, which have long been the preferred artillery armament of NATO and most of the ground forces, who prefer Western-style weapons.

Only 11 out of 28 NATO countries continue to operate 105 mm artillery, usually as part of their rapid reaction forces, possibly due to a lack of funds to replace them with more powerful systems. France, Germany and Italy have long standardized their muzzle artillery by switching to 155mm and use 120mm heavy mortars when lighter indirect fire weapons are needed to support expeditionary and other forces.

Aging

Many 105 mm light artillery systems are now obsolete. For example, the venerable M101 towed howitzer was developed for the US Army by the Rock Island Arsenal back in the 1930s and became the most widely used artillery system in the US Army during World War II. The M101 was used by the armed forces of at least 55 countries, but was withdrawn from service with the US Army and Marine Corps in the 80s, although many ground forces left the M101 / M101A1 howitzers either for combat training or due to the fact that cannot afford to replace them with more modern systems.

The Canadian Army uses the M101 for training purposes in an upgraded version of the SZ. For combat use, it has 28 Nexter LG1 Mk II towed light 105 mm/30 cal guns and 33 larger BAE Systems M777A1 light towed 155 mm/37 cal howitzers. In order not to use more expensive 155-mm ammunition for training, the army decided in the mid-90s to leave the M101A1 howitzers (under the designation C2) in service with reserve regiments. RDM Technology, now defunct, upgraded 98 C2 guns to the C3 standard, which is more long barrel 33 caliber, muzzle brake, reinforced guides and no protective shutters. The maximum range of the M101 / 33 is 19.5 km when firing a high-explosive fragmentation projectile with a bottom notch. Facing current financial constraints, the Army is currently considering extending the service life of its SZ howitzers for another 10 years.

Dominant light guns

The modern 105 mm artillery market has long been dominated by two towed systems - BAE Systems' 105 mm Light Gun and Nexter's LG1. The first was developed in 1965-1974 by the British Armaments Research Establishment to meet the British Army's need for a reliable weapon light enough to be transported in the cockpit of a medium-sized CH-47 Chinook helicopter and capable of firing standard US and NATO M1 ammunition. , as well as a British extended-range projectile.

Since the two types of projectiles are not interchangeable, the decision was made to replace the barrels: in the L118 configuration, the gun fires a British separate-loading projectile; in the L119 configuration, it fires semi-unitary loading M1 ammunition. The former can reach a range of 17,500 meters with a British projectile, which increases to 21,000 meters when fired with rocket-propelled projectiles, while the latter fires a standard M1 shell at a range of 11,600 meters and a rocket-propelled shell at a range of 19,500 meters.

BAE Systems (then Royal Ordnance Nottingham) began mass production of the L118 gun for the British Army in 1975. With the closure of the Nottingham plant, production and technical support were moved to the BAE Systems Weapon Systems plant in Barrow-in-Furness. The L118 first saw combat during the Falklands War in 1982, when 30 deployed guns fired up to 400 rounds per gun per day, mostly with Super Charge to achieve maximum range. Later, the L118 gun was used to support operations in Afghanistan, where it was the only artillery system deployed by the army, Iraq and former Yugoslavia. The L118 guns of the British Army have undergone a number of upgrades: since 1999, they began to install the LINAPS (Laser INertial Automatic Pointing System) laser automatic target designation system from Selex and from 2011, the LDCU (Layers Display and Control Unit) display unit from Selex.

The L118 gun is currently in service with four artillery regiments, including the 7th paratrooper regiment and the 29th sabotage and reconnaissance regiment, which support two rapid reaction units - the 16th army airborne brigade and the 3rd sabotage and reconnaissance brigade of the marines, respectively.

close support

As part of the Army 2020 Refine restructuring announced in December 2016, the 3rd and 4th regiments, armed with light guns Light Gun, will change their combat assignment to provide close artillery support for two new medium "shock" guns from 2019 brigades that will be armed with Ajax tracked armored vehicles from General Dynamics UK (currently being developed) and an 8x8 infantry armored personnel carrier of the Mechanized Infantry Vehiclee project (not yet selected). In order to develop the organizational structure and doctrine for these two new brigades, the army will form an experimental strike group SEG (Strike Experimentation Group), which in 2017 will include three artillery regiments.

The two regiments will initially consist of a headquarters battalion, two light battalions with Light Guns, and three battalions tactical groups who will perform the tasks of forward fire support teams. The work of SEG will have an impact on the development of the army's requirements for a new medium wheeled gun, which is scheduled to enter service by 2025. Industry sources suggest that it will most likely be a 155 mm/52 cal gun, such as the Nexter CAESAR, mounted on the chassis of a Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles HX 8x8 truck, which is already in operation with the British Army.

Under the A2020R, the Light Gun will also be adopted by three Reserve Close Support Regiments, whose main task is to reinforce regular artillery regiments.

Over 1600 light 105mm Light Guns (including local production) have been manufactured for customers in 19 countries including Australia (local designation Hamel), Bahrain, Botswana, Brazil, Ireland, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, New Zealand(Hamel), Oman, Portugal, Spain, UAE, USA and UK.

After the Australian Army replaced its L119 Hamel guns with M777 155mm howitzers in 2010-2015, BAE Systems bought 92 Hamel units and refreshed them to offer new customers. At the Eurosatory 2016 exhibition, company representatives said that this gun will arouse the interest of the armies of Latin America and the Middle East, seeking to get a proven and inexpensive 105-mm artillery system.

New Zealand intends to keep the Hamel guns, which are armed with two divisions of the 16th Regiment, for a while longer. The government's defense plan, released in November 2016, states: "Lightweight 105mm guns will be replaced by a system that can work with current radios and radios that will be supplied through the Army's Network Enabled Army digitization program."

Seeing the potential

Impressed by the performance of the British Army's light guns during the Falklands War, in particular the ability to be transported by helicopters, the US Army bought several L119 guns to evaluate and possibly replace the locally produced 105 mm M102 howitzers in service with light battalions, including 82- 101st and 101st Airborne Divisions. Subsequently, the army purchased 147 guns directly from BAE Systems, and in 1987 licensed production began at Rock Island Arsenal and Watervliet Arsenal.

Designated M119A1, the American gun features several features, including a knurler for cold climates that allows operation at temperatures down to -45 ° C and requires minimal maintenance, a stronger sight and improved brakes that allow the gun to be towed by an HMMWV armored car. The first system was completed in December 1989.

The M119 gun was widely used in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the production of the M119A2 variant with an improved sight was resumed in 2007 in order to replace the M102 howitzers remaining in service with the National Guard units. More than 800 M119 guns were made for the American army and some more for foreign customers, including Morocco and Saudi Arabia. Currently, the M119 is in service with the army and IBCT infantry combat brigades, including the 10th mountain division, the 82nd and 101st airborne divisions, and the 173rd airborne brigade group.

In 2013, the army reorganized artillery battalions into IBCT brigades. Two batteries of eight M119 guns in three batteries: two batteries of six M119 guns and a third battery of six M777A2 guns. M777A2 guns must provide precision fire when firing a high-precision guided 155-mm M982 Excalibur projectile from BAE Systems / Raytheon and standard ammo, equipped with high-precision guidance kits ATK M1156 Precision Guidance Kit developed by Orbital.

The army has not allocated funding for the development of a high-precision projectile for the M119 gun, but continues to modernize the system itself. In April 2015, the 3rd Battalion of the 82nd Division became the first active unit to receive the new M119AZ digital guns, which have a GPS / inertial guidance unit; approximately 90% of the software for it was taken from the M777A2 gun. The Army plans to upgrade all of its M119A2 guns to the A3 standard.

The upgrade also includes a new IVI20 breech and a new recoil system designed to make the howitzer safer, simpler and more reliable and reduce the cost of the entire system.

“Several reports from Afghanistan regarding the high maintenance volumes of the M119A2 recoil system forced the towed artillery systems program department to begin modernization,” said the head of the department at Picatinny Arsenal. - With the participation of the Research Center for Armaments, the Armored Directorate and the Center for Joint Production and Technologies, the department began work to eliminate the shortcomings described in these reports. As a result, our soldiers received a safer and more reliable howitzer.

The M119A2 recoil system consists of 124 parts and costs about $60,000, while the $40,000 modified recoil system consists of only 75 parts - 47 from the existing system and 28 new components.

Light gun HAWKEYE

AM General began marketing the 105mm Hawkeye Mobile Weapon System (105MWS) in 2016, showing the system for the first time at AUSA in October of that year. AM General describes the Hawkeye 105MWS as "the lightest and most maneuverable self-propelled howitzer in the world".

Artillery unit with low recoil forces Hawkeye Weapon System, developed by Mandus Group, is mounted on the HMMWV M1152A1w/B2 4x4 chassis. For the Hawkeye, the same 105-mm / 33 cal M20 gun was taken as the current M119 howitzer, and installed on a light cradle. Four hydraulic stabilizers, two at the front and two at the rear of the platform, keep the platform stable. The horizontal guidance drive allows the gun to be rotated 90 degrees to the left and right at vertical guidance angles from -5° to +72°. In addition to optical sighting systems for direct and indirect fire, the 105MWS gun is equipped with the MG9000 digital fire control and guidance system, which includes the Northrop Grumman LN-270 inertial navigation system, GPS, measurement radar initial speed Weibul Scientific and gunner display unit from Mandus.

The 105MWS gun can fire all types of 105-mm ammunition in service with the US Army, including M1 and M760 shells, M60 / M60A2 smoke, M193 high-explosive fragmentation (HE), M314 illumination and M1130A1 HE with ready-made striking elements. The 105MWS is operated by a crew of four, although two people can handle it in extreme situations. A rate of fire of up to eight rounds per minute can be achieved.

Hawkeye offers potential customers a combination of strategic deployment and tactical mobility, which, in combination with a digital FCS, allows Hawkeye to quickly change positions in order to avoid counter-battery fire.

Next step

Unlike the 105mm Light Gun, which was developed to meet national needs, Nexter developed the LG1 105mm howitzer specifically for the export market and the obvious needs of rapidly deployable units.

LG1 can be towed by any light all-terrain vehicle or transported by a light helicopter, four cannons can be transported by a C-130 military transport aircraft. Singapore became the launch customer for the LG1 Mk I gun in 1990, ordering 37 systems after a comparative evaluation of the LG1 and the Light Gun. An improved version of the LG1 Mk II was bought by Belgium (14 guns), Canada (28), Indonesia (20) and Thailand (24 armies and 30 marines). The Singapore Army retired its LG1 guns after purchasing the Light Weight Howitzer 155mm light howitzer from ST Kinetics Pegasus in 2005.

The current serial version of the LG1 Mk III standard is fully digital, equipped with a ballistic computer and can be integrated with various artillery operational control systems. The gun has a 30-caliber 105 mm barrel that fires Nexter ERG3 ammunition at a range of more than 17,000 meters and is compatible with standard M1 ammunition. Columbia became the launch customer for the LG1 Mk III gun, receiving 20 systems in 2009-2010. In December 2015, the army began a project to install the LG1 Mk III on the M923A2 6x6 truck in order to provide the army with the first self-propelled artillery system. The demand declared to date is only six systems to equip one battery.

Long-range 105 mm

On the this moment Denel Land Systems (DLS) is the only company that has begun work to improve the range and firepower of existing 105mm artillery weapons. Using a systematic approach, DLS in 1995 began the development of a light experimental 105-mm / 58 artillery piece LEO (Light Experimental Ordnance) and related projectiles and charges. The company took up this work in anticipation of a demand from the South African Army for a 105 mm cannon that could match the range and firepower of light towed 155 mm guns, such as the M777 and Pegasus (at that time still in development).

The first 105mm LEO prototype was built in 2001 and has since undergone extensive testing. It can fire standard ammunition at a range of 24.6 km, which increases to 29.3 km with a projectile with a bottom notch or 36 km when firing VLRAP (Velocity-enhanced Long-Range Artillery Projectile - long-range artillery rocket with increased speed) from Rheinmetall Denel Munition. First prototype The LEO weighed in at 3,800kg, although Denel is confident they can drop the weight down to 2,500kg and even offer an ultra-light variant weighing around 2,000kg.

In order to increase the market attractiveness of the 105-mm LEO gun, DLS developed the T7 light turret system for installation on the LAV III 8x8 armored vehicle manufactured by General Dynamics Land Systems. The American company hoped that the US Army would be willing to equip its Stryker brigades with a self-propelled howitzer mounted on the LAV Ill / Stryker chassis, but the Army chose the M777 gun to equip the brigades. Denel has developed a new concept 105mm turret, an updated version of the T7 system, which will be mounted on 25-ton platforms such as the Patria AMV 8x8, a modified version of which Denel is currently producing for the South African Army.

Denel continues to market its G7 howitzer as the towed version of the 105mm LEO is now well known. A company spokesman said: “The development and promotion of the 105mm artillery system is a very difficult endeavor these days due to financial constraints and design priorities. Denel is currently looking for a financial sponsor and we will certainly respond to the South African military's demand for a new field gun."

New Turkish gun

Turkey is one of the few countries and the only NATO member producing the new 105mm artillery system. The state enterprise MKEK (Makina ve Kimya Endustrisi Kurumu), together with Aselsan, developed the Boran cannon to meet the needs of the Turkish armed forces in an airborne light towed howitzer, which should replace the approximately 75 M101A1 howitzers still in service.

MKEK developed two different 105mm Bogan prototypes, one for Turkish requirements and one for the export market; both were shown for the first time at IDEF 2015 in Istanbul. Both versions have a 30-caliber gun, a vertically falling breech, a hydropneumatic recoil system, and a three-chamber muzzle brake. The design for the Turkish army features a bow-shaped carriage similar to the 105 mm Light Gun, while the export version has a more common sliding bed trunk like the M101 and LG1 guns.

The 105-mm Vogan is equipped with a fire control system HTNSO (Havadan Ta§mabilir Hafif Cekili Obus) developed by Aselsan, which includes seven main components: a fire control computer; block of control and video images; inertial navigation system Ataletsel; initial speed measurement radar; laser rangefinder; power plant; and digital radio. The system is optimized for airlift. When firing the MKEK projectile with a bottom notch, the Bogan gun can reach a maximum range of 17,000 meters - an increase of more than 50% compared to the range of the M101 gun firing the standard M1 HE projectile. An experienced crew can achieve a rate of fire of six rounds per minute.

Testing and qualification of the 105 mm Bogan was completed in August 2016, and serial production of 106 systems will begin in 2017.

More mobility

The South Korean army is armed with 1,700 towed 105-mm howitzers, which are a mixture of American M101 guns and modernized KH178 local production. The upgraded KN178 developed by the South Korean company WIA has replaced the original 105-mm barrel with a longer CN78 38-caliber barrel with a two-chamber muzzle brake, as well as a new RM78 recoil mechanism and a new fire control system. The beds on the CG78 carriage were also reinforced. The KN178 cannon can fire M1 HE shells at a range of 14,700 meters when using the M200 propellant charge and at a range of 18,000 meters with an M548 active-rocket projectile. The mass of the KN178 cannon is about the same as that of the M101, 2650 kg, and, as a rule, it is towed by a 2.5 ton 6x6 truck.

Production of the gun began in 1984, but neither the company nor the army disclose the number of M101 guns converted to the KH178 configuration. WIA has reportedly sold enough KH178 guns to Indonesia to arm three artillery battalions (each with 18 guns), as well as a battery of guns in Chile, and continues to promote its KH178 today.

Due to the high cost of replacing 105-mm artillery systems and large stockpiles of ammunition, the South Korean army intends to keep the M101 / KH178 in service for many more years, although it plans to increase combat effectiveness these systems.

To meet the need for increased mobility, Hanwha Techwin has developed the EVO-105 Evolved Wheeled Self-Propelled Howitzer, first shown as a demo in early 2014. In fact, this is an M101 artillery unit mounted on the chassis of a five-ton KM500 6x6 truck. The M101 gun with modified guidance drives is mounted on a turntable at the rear of the truck. The EVO-105 howitzer is equipped with a computerized control system (based on the control system installed on the tracked 155-mm / 52 cal K9 howitzer also manufactured by Hanwha Techwin), connected to an automatic gun guidance system.

The joystick allows the gunner to direct the gun with the help of electric drives, while the possibility of manual guidance is provided. The turntable allows the gun to be rotated 90° to the right and left, the vertical guidance angles range from -5° to +65°.

The South Korean army expects to order up to 800 systems, although serial copies are likely to be installed on a more modern chassis. Hanwha Techwin, with an eye to the export market and its own army, proposed a number of potential upgrades, including the installation of the KH178 artillery unit on a new 6x6 chassis, which would allow the installation of an armored cab to protect the crew on the move. The company also proposed mounting larger weapons, such as its own 155mm KN179 or Soviet-era towed 130mm M46 howitzers, on an 8x8 chassis.

Purchases of the Philippines

The Philippine army, armed with about 204 105-mm towed howitzers (of which about 140 M101), but does not have self-propelled artillery, is reportedly interested in the new EVO-105 howitzer. For the army, always constrained in funds, such a project has an obvious appeal. In 1997, Nexter upgraded 12 Philippine systems to the M101 / 30 configuration, replacing the original barrels with the barrel that was previously installed in the LG1 Mk II guns.

The artillery systems fleet of the Jordanian army consists of 54 American M102 howitzers. At SOFEX 2014, the Jordanian company King Abdullah II Design and Development Bureau (KADDB) presented its 105 Mounted Gun Platform (105 MGP) for the first time. The gun part of the M102 on a turntable was installed on a DAF 4440 4x4 truck, which was equipped with electro-hydraulic supports to stabilize the platform.

The gun can rotate to the right and to the left by 45° along the rear arc, the vertical guidance angles are -5°/+75°. Immediately behind the unprotected cabin is a stack of 36 shots. Although the US Army M2 was served by a crew of 8, KADDB says that a crew of three, including the driver, will be able to serve the 105 MGP howitzer. It is possible that this weapon system is designed to meet the Jordanian special forces' longstanding need for a 105mm howitzer on a truck chassis.

Materials used:
www.shephardmedia.com
www.nextergroup.fr
www.baesystems.com
www.generaldynamics.uk.com
www.amgeneral.com
www.denellandsystems.co.za
www.mkek.gov.tr
www.hanwhatechwin.com
www.caddb.com
www.wikipedia.org
en.wikipedia.org

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