Historic context :

This Austro-Hungarian weapon was part of a mortars system of the same 1880 year, including 9, 15 and 21cm calibres, initially designed for siege operations on non-wheeled carriage. The short 15cm bronze barrel, equipped with a sliding wedge breech block and that was heped with an hydraulic wedge when firing on its siege carriage at low angles, was also adapted on a mobile wheeled carriage to make a heavy field mortar, the '15cm M80 FH'.

This obsolete weapon, with mean performances (including a poor range) was replaced by the M 94 15cm, and later by the more modern M 14 15cm. It was nevertheless probably used in WW1 in operations with reserve trrops or for training.

Technical data :

• Complete description : 15 cm heavy field howitzer M 1880
• Design year : 1880
• Calibre : 149.00 mm
• Weight in firing position : unknown
• Weight for transportation :
• Tube length in calibres : 8.00 calibres (1200 mm)
• Grooves : 36
• Projectile weight : 31.6 kg / 36.9 kg
• Initial speed : unknown
• Fire rate :
• Range : 3500 m
• Elevation range : 65 degrees max
• Direction range :