10.5 cm leFH 18

10.5 cm leFH 18
LeFH 18 in camouflage at the Museum of the Polish Army in Warsaw
TypeHowitzer
Place of originGermany
Service history
In service1935–45 (Germany)
1939–82 (Sweden)
Used byGermany
See Operators
WarsWorld War II
Slovak–Hungarian War
Portuguese Colonial War
Syrian Civil War[1]
Production history
DesignerRheinmetall
Designed1927–30
ManufacturerRheinmetall
Krupp
Unit cost16,400 RM (1943)
Produced1935–45
No. built11,848 (original variant)[2]
10,265 (10.5 cm leFH 18/40)[2]
VariantsleFH 18M, leFH 18/40
Specifications
MassTravel: 3,490 kg (7,690 lb)
Combat: 1,985 kg (4,376 lb)
Length6.100 m (20 ft 0.2 in)
Barrel length2.941 m (9 ft 8 in) (28 calibers)
Width1.977 m (6 ft 5.8 in)
Height1.880 m (6 ft 2.0 in)
Crew6

Shellcased separate-loading (6 charges) 105 x 155mm R
[3]
Shell weight14.81 kg (32.7 lb) (HE)
Caliber105 mm (4.13 in)
Breechhorizontal sliding-block
Recoilhydro-pneumatic
Carriagesplit trail
Elevation-5° to +42°
Traverse56°
Rate of fire6-8 rpm
Muzzle velocity470 m/s (1,500 ft/s)
Maximum firing range10,675 m (11,674 yd)
SightsModel 34 Sighting Mechanism
FillingTNT
Filling weight1.845 kg (4.07 lb)

The 10.5 cm leFH 18 (German: leichte Feldhaubitze "light field howitzer") is a German light howitzer used in World War II and the standard artillery piece of the Wehrmacht, adopted for service in 1935 and used by all divisions and artillery battalions. From 1935 to the end of the war, 11,848 were produced, along with 10,265 of the leFH 18/40 variant.

Designed in the late 1920s, it represented a major advance on its predecessor the 10.5 cm leFH 16. It was superior in caliber to its early opponents in the war, with adequate range and firepower, but the modern split trail gun carriage that provided it with more stability and traverse also rendered it overly heavy for a mobile role in the largely horse-drawn artillery battalions of the German army, particularly in the mud and snow of the Eastern Front.

The leFH 18 was further developed as the leFH 18M and leFH 18/40. Beginning in 1942, self-propelled versions were created by fitting the howitzer on a Panzer II, H35, Char B1 or 37L chassis. It was also used to equip German allies and neutral countries in Europe prior to and during the war.

  1. ^ "Syrian rebels show off Nazi howitzer in video - The Local". 21 May 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Haubitzen und Mörser". www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
  3. ^ "101". www.quarryhs.co.uk. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2017.

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