Rheinmetall 105mm field howitzer M. 1916

 

 

 

 

Bulgarian designation :

105-мм гаубица Д-22 “Рейнска”

German designation :

10.5cm lFH 16

Calibre :

105mm L/22

Weight of gun :

442 kg

Weight of breech mechanism :

42 kg

Weight in action :

1400 kg

Weight of the limber :

480 kg (empty) – 950 kg (loaded)

Weight in marching order :

2350 kg

Weight of the platform :

152 kg

Weight of the ammo wagon :

560 kg (empty) – 1110 kg (loaded)

Length of the whole howitzer :

5.000 m

Barrel length :

2.310 m

Barrel grooves

number :

32

depth :

1.25 mm

width :

6.8 mm

Rifling :

twist :

progressive : 1 turn in 45 to 1 turn in 18 calibres

inclination :

3° 59’ 34” to 9° 53’ 48”

Height of the line of fire :

1032 mm

Shield

height:

1.77 m

thickness :

3 mm

Shell

 

H.Gr. 14

weight :

15.5 kg – charge : 300 g Fp. 60/40

H.Gr. 15

weight :

15.7 kg – charge : 1.4 kg Fp. 40/60

H.Schr. 16

weight :

15.89 kg – 448 steel bullets x 11 g x 13.8 mm

charge : 170 g / 190 g of black powder

lg.F.H.Gr.

weight :

15.5 kg / 15.8 kg

charge :

2 kg Fp. 60/40

850 g Fp. 60/40 and 1150 g dinitrobenzol

Muzzle velocity :

2nd charge : 191 m/s

3rd charge : 202 m/s

4th charge : 218 m/s

5th charge : 240 m/s

6th charge : 261 m/s

7th charge : 302 m/s

9th charge : 403 m/s

Max. range :

3100 m (with the 2nd charge)

6000 m (time)

8400 m (percussion)

C-Geschoss

weight :

15.5 kg / 15.63 kg

charge :

1.45 kg / 1.5 kg Fp. 60/40

muzzle velocity :

427 m/s

max. range :

9700 m

Elevation :

+ 40° / - 10°

Traversing angle :

4°

Transport :

drawn by six horses

Ammunition :

limber : 24 rounds, wagon body : 28 rounds

Remarks :

Quick firing light field howitzer, with hydro-spring recoil system, single-motion wedge breech mechanism, traverse on pivot. It fired the same ammunition of light Field Howitzer M 1898/1909, but in 1917 a new shell was introduced, the aerodynamic  C-shell. In order to facilitate the production, this howitzer and the 77mm M. 1916 received in optics, laying mechanism and so on, as many identical parts as possible.

The howitzer could fire with 9 different charges. It could fire also an incendiary shell (10,5cm Brandgranate) and a 12.5 kg star shell (Leuchtgeschoss L/3,3). It was introduced into the German Army in fall 1916 and manufactured both by Rheinmetall and Krupp.

The howitzer was equipped with a platform employed to keep the wheels from sinking in a soft or marshy ground during the fire and to make easier the lateral shifting of the trail. It was carried on the body of one the ammunition wagon.

The official designation of the howitzer according with the Description published by the War Ministry in 1929 was 10.5-см Д/22 полска гаубица "Круп" обр. 1916 год., probably because the howitzers delivered by Germany had been manufactured by Krupp.

German light field howitzers comparison