Skoda 75mm mountain gun M. 1915

 

 

 

 

Bulgarian designation :

75-мм планинско оръдие “Шкода”

Austrian designation :

7.5cm Gebirgskanone M 15

German designation :

7,5cm Skoda Geb. K. M. 15

Calibre :

75mm L/15.4

Weight of the barrel :

106 kg

Weight of the breech-block :

13.5 kg

Weight of the carriage :

507 kg

Weight in action :

613 kg

Length of the whole gun :

0.3 m

Barrel length :

1.155 m

Barrel grooves

number :

30

depth :

0.5 mm

width :

4.24 mm

Height of the line of fire :

706 mm

Shield

weight :

86 kg

height:

1.30 m

thickness :

4.2 mm

Cartridge

height:

125.5 mm

diameter :

77 mm / 78.5 mm

charge :

1st charge : 146 g

2nd charge : 170 g

3rd charge : 210 g

additional charge : 275 g

            Austrian Shells

 

7,5cm M.14/14a Granate :

6.19 kg

7,5cm M.15/15a Granate :

6.20 kg

7,5cm M.15/8a Schrapnell :

6.55 kg – 280 lead bullets

7,5cm M.15/8a Eisenkugel-Schrapnell :

5.53 kg – 160 steel, 10 lead-antimony bullets

7,5cm M.15 Granat-Schrapnell :

6.5 kg – 267 lead bullets

5.55 kg – 162 steel bullets

            German Shells

 

Deut. Gr. f. 7,5cm Geb. K. 15 (Skoda) :

6.230 kg / 6.250 kg

charge : 0.31 kg Fp. 60/40

7,5cm Schrapnellgranate :

6.165 kg – charge : 85 g of black powder

228 bullets x 11 g

            Bulgarian shells

 

H.E. shell 03

weight :

6.5 kg – charge : 360 g Trotyl

fuze :

percussion K.Z. 14 : 850 g

H.E. shell 03

weight :

6.25 kg – charge : 360 g Trotyl

fuze :

time & percussion K.Z. 11-50 or 11-72 : 700 g

Shrapnel 03

weight :

6.5 kg – charge : 90 g of black powder

280 lead bullets 

fuze :

time & percussion D.Z. 22-81 : 600 g

Shrapnel 03

weight :

6.15 kg – charge : 90 g of black powder

steel bullets

fuze :

time & percussion D.Z. 22-81 : 600 g

Muzzle velocity :

350 m/s

Max. range :

7000 m

Elevation :

+ 50° / - 9°

Traversing angle :

7°

Recoil :

0.39 m / 0.99 m

Wheels

weight :

25 kg each

height :

0.8 m

track :

0.9 m

Transport :

7 loads (weight including the pack saddle) : gun = 150.2 kg; gun shield = 143.3 kg; cradle 143.2 kg; wheels = 95 kg; carriage - front  = 146 kg; carriage - rear = 142.5 kg, ammunition shield and aiming apparatus = 142.4 kg.

Remarks :

Quick firing mountain light gun, with hydro-pneumatic recoil system, horizontal semi-automatic sliding wedge breech mechanism, traverse on pivot. The Bulgarian artillery ordered 31 batteries of this gun (124 pieces).

With “Bulgarian ammunition”, I refer to the projectiles listed in the Bulgarian firing table : Бризантна граната обр. 03 and Шрапнел обр. 03, both in two different models. Actually they were manufactured by Krupp or Skoda, and I think they may be identified with some of the German and Austrian projectiles listed above. It is possible that the ammunition manufactured for the Bulgarian artillery weighted uniformly 6.5 kg, to simplify the firing practice.