15 cm sFH 13

Infobox Weapon
name=15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze 13


caption=15 cm sFH 13 L/14 howitzer displayed as a monument in Brantford, Ontario.
origin=Germany
type=heavy field howitzer
is_ranged=
is_bladed=
is_explosive=
is_artillery=yes
is_vehicle=
is_UK=
service=1914-1945
used_by=flag|German Empire
flag|Ottoman Empire
flag|Belgium
flag|Netherlands
flag|Nazi Germany
wars=World War I
World War II
designer=Krupp
design_date=1913
manufacturer=Krupp, Rheinmetall, Spandau
production_date=1913-1918
number=3409+
variants=kurz sFH 13
lg. sFH13
lg. sFH13/02
weight=2,250 kg (4,960 lbs)
length=2.54 m (8.33 ft)
part_length=2.096 m (6.87 ft) L/17
width=
height=
crew=
cartridge=separate-loading, cased charge (7 charges)
caliber=149.7 mm (5.89 in)
action=
rate=3 rpm
velocity=381 m/s (1,250 ft/s)
range= 8,600 m (9,405 yds)
max_range=
feed=
sights=
breech=horizontal sliding block
recoil=hydro-spring variable recoil
carriage=box trail
elevation=-4° to +45°
traverse=9°
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 15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze 13 (15 cm sFH 13) was a heavy field howitzer used by Germany in World War I and World War II. Guns turned over to Belgium and the Netherlands as reparations after World War I were taken into Wehrmacht service after the conquest of the Low Countries as the 15 cm sFH 409(b) and 406(h) respectively.

The British referred to these and their shells as "5 point 9"s or "5 9"s as the bore was 5.9 inches.

Variants were the original "kurz" (L/14 - 14 caliber short barrel version); later lg. sFH13 with a longer barrel; and lg. sFH13/02 with modifications to simplify wartime manufacture of the lg. sFH.

ee also

* 6 inch 26 cwt howitzer

In Literature

*Siegfried Sassoon expressed the British respect for this gun in his WWI poem

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

* 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

* Hogg, Ian V. "German Artillery of World War Two". 2nd corrected edition. Mechanicsville, PA: Stackpole Books, 1997 ISBN 1-85367-480-X
*Ralph Lovett, [http://www.lovettartillery.com/15cm_schwere_Feldhaubitze_1913.html 15cm. schwere Feld Haubitze 1913]
*Ralph Lovett, [http://www.lovettartillery.com/15cm_lang_schwere_Feldhaubitze_1913_02.html 15cm. lang schwere Feldhaubitze 1913/02]
*Ralph Lovett, [http://www.lovettartillery.com/Development_of_German_Heavy_Artillery.html Development of German Heavy Artillery]