7.5 cm FK 7M85

Infobox Weapon
name=7.5 cm Feldkanone 7M85


caption=
origin=Germany
type=field gun
is_ranged=
is_bladed=
is_explosive=
is_artillery=yes
is_vehicle=
is_UK=
service=1945
used_by=flag|Nazi Germany
wars=World War II
row 1, cell 3
designer=
design_date=1944-45
manufacturer=
production_date=1945
number=
variants=
weight=1,788 kg (3,942 lbs)
length=3.7 m (12 ft)
part_length=2.471 m (8 ft)
width=
height=
crew=
cartridge=fixed
caliber=75 mm (2.95 in)
action=
rate=12-15 rpm
velocity=550 m/s (1,804 ft/s)
range= 10,275 m (11,237 yds)
max_range=
feed=
sights=
breech=semi-automatic horizontal sliding block
recoil=
carriage=split trail
elevation=-5° to +42°
traverse=30° 30'
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 7.5 cm Feldkanone 7M85 (7.5 cm FK 7M85) was a field gun used by Germany in World War II.

Design

The FK 7M85 was designed to a requirement issued in 1944 for a dual-purpose anti-tank and artillery gun that could be produced quickly. The gun, cradle and recoil system from the 7.5 cm PaK 40 anti-tank gun was adapted to the 10.5 cm leFH 18/40 carriage. Interestingly the leFH 18/40 carriage was adapted from the PaK 40 so this design essentially returned the gun to its original carriage, albeit adapted with an extra 20° of elevation.

Nomenclature

In 1944-5 the Germans changed their system of artillery designations from the old "year" system. Each weapon was to have a number showing their caliber group, a letter denoting ammunition group, and the last two digits were from the weapon drawing number. In this case 7 denoted 75 mm caliber using the M group of ammunition. The shells were all to be designated as M with a 4 digit number, the first three were the drawing number and the last was the shell's category from the following list:

References

* 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

* Hogg, Ian V. "German Artillery of World War Two". 2nd corrected edition. Mechanicsville, PA: Stackpole Books, 1997 ISBN 1-85367-480-X