10.5cm leichte Feldhaubitze 18/Gebirgs Haubitze 40
SS-Kanoniers from SS-Artillery Regiment 13 firing a 105mm Gebirgs Haubitze 40. 18 during operations in Bosnia, 1944.
This particular gun is the l.FH 18(M) modified for mountain use. The wheels have been removed on this one, most likely due to the situation at hand. The model “M” of the le.FH 18 featured a muzzle brake and a recoil system, increasing range and allowing the use of a more powerful charge. The muzzle brake was double baffle with side flanges. It increased the gun’s range by about 1,800 yards.
The breech mechanism is of the horizontal sliding block type. A hydraulic buffer is built into the cradle on which the barrel slides in recoil, and a hydro-pneumatic recuperator is mounted above the barrel.
Second SS-Kanonier from the left is looking through the sight and operating the traverse and elevating hand wheels.
There are two range drum scales: one in mils ranging from 0 to 1,250; the other in meters ranging from 0 to 1,500 for hollow charge ammunition and from 1,500 to 9,675 for high explosive shells, both with charge 6 in the lower register.
According to doctrine, it took five men to operate.
Specifications
Caliber 105 mm (4.14 ins.)
Weight 3,660 lb.
Length of piece 10 ft., 4 ins.
Length (firing position) 18 ft., 6 ins.
Height (firing position) 4 ft., 11 ins.
Width (overall) 4 ft., 6 ins.
Length of bore 9 ft., 5 ins.
No. of grooves 32
Muzzle velocity 1,870 f/s
Max. range (horizontal) 13,807 yds. (Chg. 7)
Rate of fire 5+ rounds per minute
Traverse 25°, 20′ left and right
Elevation 70°
Depression -4°, 47′
Length of recoil (variable) 19.7 ins. to 49.2 ins.
Ammunition
10.5 cm F.H. Gr. Al. (32 lb.)*
10.5 cm F.H. Gr. 38 Al.
10.5 cm F.H. Gr. Buntrauch (32 lb.)
10.5 cm 39 rot HL/A and HL/B (25.8 lb.)–Chg. 6 only.
10.5 cm 39 rot AL/C
This mountain version could be split into nine loads for mule transport. Eventough only 420 were made during the entire war, the GebH 40 earned a reputation for being the best mountain howitzer ever made, it saw continued service after the war and on into the 1960s.
Everything about it was conventional but it’s carriage is what made it uniquely innovative.
First, the light-alloy wheels with solid rubber tires, and their spring suspension, were fixed to the legs of the split-trail carriage and would "toe-in" when the legs were spread out in preparation for firing. Second, a firing pedestal was positioned underneath the front of the carriage so that the howitzer had three points of support when firing and to minimize the time needed to find a firing position by reducing the amount of level space required (three level spots being easier to find than four). Third, it could be towed fully assembled, broken down into four loads on single-axle trailers towed by Sd.Kfz. 2 Kettenkrad and halftracks, or be broken down into five pack-loads to be carried by mules.
The leFH 18 itself was also a proven and reliable gun, it supported the infantryman on all fronts and climates. It and it’s variants were the backbone of the 13th SS Artillery Regiment, and credited with helping win the day in many counter insurgency battles in Bosnia.
Many times before attacks on a dug in enemy, a forward observer would scout ahead, get as close as he could to the enemy line, noting every trench, number of occupants, MG and mortar nest…On his command, he would order up to three nearby batteries to open fire on concentrated points along the enemy’s front. As dust was settling, the infantry was already lobbing grenades into the trenches and overrunning the positions.
Such skillful use of artillery and other support weapons would result in overwhelming victories, often capturing many prisoners and weapons while only suffering a small number of wounded.
The Regiment itself had 36 guns divided up amongst 12 batteries, 4 guns a battery. Three batteries making up a battalion. These guns were howitzers and did not include PAKs or infantry guns which had a decent in-direct fire range and were sometimes used in such a manner by units they were attached to. Infantry guns, and even Flak guns would, however, be placed to protect the flanks of the artillery. This regiment also required at least 18 light machine guns for support. The SS-Kannonier was also trained and doubled as a rifleman.
15cm schwere Feldhaubitze 18 “Immergrün”
Backbone of the German medium artillery from the first day of the war till the end.
It proved psychologically effective to have heavy howitzers close to the front lines and the 150mm s.FH. 18 always outdone itself in such cases. Mobility was an issue, luckily the men of IV/AR 13 were supplied with prime movers to get the division’s heaviest guns into positions.
In a worst case scenario, they were also trained to man handle it (IV/AR 13, training in Germany)
The caliber of the HE shell was 149x260mm R, cased separate-loading ammunition, weighing in at 43.5 kilograms. Four could be fired in a minute.
Breech: horizontal sliding block
Recoil: hydropneumatic Carriage split trail
Elevation: −3° to +45° Traverse 64°
Muzzle Velocity: 495 metres per second (1,620 ft/s)
Maximum range: 13,250 metres (14,490 yd)
Himmler inspecting the 7th Battery of the SS-Artillery Regiment 13.
One battalion out of each regiment had heavy howitzers. Here, the 7th Battery with their schwere Feldhaubitze 18s. This particular battery would fight bitterly at the Battle of Lopare making the 16th Vojvodina Division bleed for every foot they took. At Lopare the I/28 Battalion was the buffer between the enemy division and the two artillery batteries supporting it from the rear. The guns were most likely positioned on the hills overlooking the road from Lopare to Priboj.
Picture above shows the positions of the two batteries, the I/28 infantry battalion and the hilly terrain in front of them. The enemy was now only kilometers away and the batteries had to make quick adjustments and focus their salvos directly into the ranks of the advancing enemy. Sauberzweig bragged that the enemy lost 3,000 men during the overall operation.