Canon de 105 court mle 1935 B

Infobox Weapon
name=Canon de 105 court mle 1935 B


caption=
origin=France
type=howitzer
is_ranged=
is_bladed=
is_explosive=yes
is_artillery=yes
is_vehicle=
is_UK=
service=1936-1945
used_by=flag|France
flag|Nazi Germany
wars=World War II
designer=State Arsenal at Bourges
design_date=
manufacturer=Bourges
production_date=1936-1939
number=
variants=
weight=convert|1627|kg|lb
length=
part_length=convert|1.505|m|in L/16.7
width=
height=
crew=
cartridge=
caliber=105 mm (4.13 in)
action=
rate=5 rpm
velocity=442 m/s (1,450 ft/s)
range=
max_range=convert|10300|m|yd
feed=
sights=
breech=
recoil=
carriage=split trail
elevation=-6° to 50°
traverse=58°
blade_type=
hilt_type=
sheath_type=
head_type=
haft_type=
diameter=
filling=
filling_weight=
detonation=
yield=
armour=
primary_armament=
secondary_armament=
engine=
engine_power=
pw_ratio=
suspension=
vehicle_range=
speed=

The Canon de 105 court modèle 1935 B was a French howitzer used in World War II. Captured weapons were used by the German Heer as the 10.5 cm leFH 325(f). It was designed by the State Arsenal at Bourges to replace the World War I-era Canon de 105 court mle 1934 Schneider. Some 610 were originally ordered, although production was terminated in 1939 in favor of anti-tank guns. Only some 232 were in service when the German attacked in May 1940 [Bishop, p. 138] .

Design

It's most interesting feature was that the wheels, which were pressed steel with either solid rims or pneumatic tires, moved with the trail legs and "toed-in" when the gun was in action to provide more cover for the crew.

References

* Bishop, Chris, ed. "Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II". New York, Barnes and Noble, 1998 ISBN 0-7607-1022-8
* Englemann, Joachim and Scheibert, Horst. "Deutsche Artillerie 1934-1945: Eine Dokumentation in Text, Skizzen und Bildern: Ausrüstung, Gliderung, Ausbildung, Führung, Einsatz". Limburg/Lahn, Germany: C. A. Starke, 1974

* Gander, Terry and Chamberlain, Peter. "Weapons of the Third Reich: An Encyclopedic Survey of All Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the German Land Forces 1939-1945". New York: Doubleday, 1979 ISBN 0-385-15090-3

Notes