Krupp 120mm field howitzer M. 1892

 

 

 

 

Bulgarian designation :

120-мм нескорострелна полска гаубица

Krupp designation :

12cm Feldhaubitze L/11,6

Calibre :

120mm L/11.6

Weight of the barrel :

450 kg

Weight of the breech-block :

35 kg

Weight of the carriage :

650 kg

Weight in action :

1130 kg

Weight of the limber :

585 kg (empty) - 985 kg (loaded)

Weight in marching order :

2115 kg

Weight of the ammo wagon :

2555 kg

Length of the barrel :

1.400 m

Length of the bore :

1.200 m – 10 calibres

Rifling

length :

1015 mm – 8.5 calibres

twist :

increasing, from 1 in 50 to 1 in 30 calibres

Barrel grooves

number :

36

depth :

1.5 mm

width :

6.97 mm

Height of the line of fire :

910 mm

Battering charge :

0.6 kg / 0.9 kg / 1.5 kg of black powder

(Grobkφrniges Art.-Pulver)

185 g / 285 g / 470 g of Rotweil smokeless powder

(4 x 4 x 1 scaly nitroglycerine powder)

Cast iron shell

weight :

20 kg – charge : 1.5 kg of black powder

length :

3.3 calibres

max. range :

5420 m

Steel shell

weight :

20 kg – charge : 2.5 kg of black powder

length :

4 calibres

max. range :

5600 m

Shrapnel

weight :

20 kg – charge : 200 g of black powder

460 bullets x 16 g

length :

2.5 calibres

fuze :

time and percussion graduated up to 30’

max. range :

5200 m

Torpedo shell :

20.5 kg – charge : 4.27 kg Schneiderite

Muzzle velocity :

268 m/s (full charge)

193 m/s (2nd charge)

150 m/s (1st charge)

Angle of descent :

range

1st charge

2nd charge

3rd charge

100 m

500 m

1000 m

1500 m

2000 m

2500 m

3000 m

3500 m

4000 m

5500 m

1° 05’

6° 06’

13° 16’

23° 06’

40° 02’

 

 

0° 15’

3° 16’

8° 02’

13° 02’

18° 18’

26° 02’

37° 04’

 

 

0° 08’

2° 02’

4° 08’

7° 01’

10° 00’

13° 06’

17° 01’

21° 00’

25° 09’

36° 11’

Length of the line of sight  :

570 mm

Elevation :

+ 45° / - 5°

Track :

1.53 m

Transport :

drawn by six horses

Ammunition :

gun limber – 16 shells and 16 charges

wagon – 48 shells and 60 charges

12 ammunition wagons for every battery

Remarks :

Slow firing howitzer with single-motion wedge breech mechanism, and no shield. It was equipped with arc of sight with level. The arc of sight had three different graduations, commensurate with the three battering charge of the howitzer. In order to reduce the effect of the recoil, it was equipped with two different kinds of brakes (description). Originally it was designed field mortar (полска мортира). In 1892 thirty howitzers were assigned to the first battery of each artillery regiment. The Schneider torpedo shell was adopted in 1904.