Kupp 150mm heavy gun on wheeled carriage

 

 

 

 

Bulgarian designation :

150-мм оръдие Д-40 германско

German designation :

schwere 15cm Kanone

15cm S.K.L/40 i.R.L.

Calibre :

149.1mm L/40

Weight of the barrel :

4820 kg

Weight of the carriage :

7000 kg

Weight in action :

11820 kg

Weight in marching order :

12130 kg + 9150 kg (Bettungwagen)

Weight of the platform :

7450 kg

Barrel length :

5.96 m

Length of the bore :

4.715 m

Number of barrel grooves :

44

Cartridge

size :

153 x 577 x 175

weight :

5.5 kg

charge :

9.2 kg (full charge)

5 kg (reduced charge)

15cm Spgr. L/3,6

40 kg - charge : 4.4 kg / 4.5 kg / 4.8 kg Trotyl

15cm Spgr. L/5 (Haube)

44 kg - charge : 4.8 kg Trotyl

44 kg - charge : 4.8 kg Fp 60/40 + Di 65/35

15cm Spgr. L/3 (Haube)

45 kg – 1.62 kg Picric acid

Muzzle velocity :

750 m/s (full charge)

562 m/s (reduced charge)

Max. range :

13700 m (full charge - time)

18700 m (full charge - percussion)

11400 m (reduced charge - percussion)

Elevation :

+ 32° / - 8°

Traversing angle :

60°

Transport :

It was transported on the road dismantled in three loads, that could be moved by either tractor or horse.

Remarks :

Naval gun mounted on wheeled road-carriage (in Räderlafette). It was built in two version : the more common SKL (Schnellladungskanone or fast-loading cannon) L/40 and the longer L/45. They were obsolete guns used by pre-Dreadnoughts as secondary armament. The gun could not traverse on the mount and had to be placed on a firing platform that weighed 7,450 kg to give it 60° traverse. In Varna Naval Museum there are two of these guns, one L/40 and one L/45.

A little number of them was used by German units in Macedonia. In August 1917 there were four batteries: schw.15cm KnBt. 11, 16, 20 and 24 . They remained in Macedonia until the end of the war, schw.15cm KnBt. 16 and 20 as part of the German Army, while the other two were ceded to the Bulgarian Army: schw.15cm KnBt. 11 became 18th battery of 2nd heavy artillery regiment, schw.15cm KnBt. 24 became 12th battery of 3rd heavy artillery regiment.

 

 

 

0K150mmL40

0K150mmL40_1

0K150mmL40_3

 

More pictures from Sofia Military History Museum