10 cm K 17

Infobox Weapon
name=10 cm Kanone 17


caption=A K 17 at the U.S. Army Field Artillery Museum, Ft. Sill, OK
origin=Germany
type=field gun
is_ranged=
is_bladed=
is_explosive=
is_artillery=yes
is_vehicle=
is_UK=
service=1917-1945
used_by=flag|German Empire
flag|Sweden
flag|Romania
flag|Austria
flag|Nazi Germany
wars=World War I
World War II
designer=Krupp
design_date=1916
manufacturer=Krupp
production_date=1917-18
number=192
variants=10 cm Kanone 17/04
weight=3,300 kg (7,275 lbs)
length=4.725 m (15.5 ft)
part_length=2.036 m (6.67 ft) L/45
width=
height=
crew=
cartridge=separate-loading, cased charge
caliber=105 mm (4.13 in)
action=
rate=
velocity=650 m/s (2,132 ft/s)
range=
max_range=16,500 m (18,045 yds)
feed=
sights=
breech=horizontal sliding block
recoil=hydro-pneumatic or hydro-spring variable recoil
carriage=box trail
elevation=-2° to +45°
traverse=6°
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 10 cm Kanone 17 (10 cm K 17) was a field gun used by Germany in World War I and World War II. The range of the 10 cm K 14 was deemed insufficient in combat and Krupp designed at new, longer (L/45) barrel that mounted on the K 14's carriage. This made the gun too heavy to be transported in a single load and the barrel had to be removed and stowed on its own transport wagon. The ramps visible in the picture served to guide the barrel transport wagon into position to align the barrel with the recoil system to allow it to be winched into battery. These are fixed in place on this example, but were generally removable. The K 17 used either a hydro-pneumatic or hydro-spring recoil system, presumably depending on manufacturer.

Despite the recognition that the K 17 wouldn't have any anti-aircraft role most of the heavy and expensive features added to the K 14 in a failed bid to equip as an AA gun were retained. Presumably this was to hasten the switchover from production of the K 14 to the K 17. A simpler version of the K 17 was designed in 1917 that harkened back to the K 04 in many ways. The complex sighting system was dropped in favor in one based on the sights used on the 15 cm sFH 13, variable recoil was deleted and the gun couldn't be broken down for transport. This was called the K 17/04 and some thousand were ordered in August 1917.

Germany was forbidden these guns by the Versailles Treaty and was supposed to scrap or sell all existing weapons. Some were sold to Sweden and Romania after the war, but some were hidden and saw service in WW 2, mainly in the coast defense role.

External links

* [http://www.landships.freeservers.com/new_pages/10cm_kanone14-17_info.htm 10 cm K 17 on Landships]
* [http://www.lovettartillery.com/10cm_Kanone_1917.html K 17 on Lovett Artillery Collection]
* [http://www.lovettartillery.com/Development%20of%20the%2010cm%20Kanone.html Development of the 10 cm Kanone on Lovett Artillery Collection]

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
* Jäger, Herbert. "German Artillery of World War One". Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire: Crowood Press, 2001 ISBN 1-86126-403-8