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SURVIVING GUN FILE (# 1473)
Version française

Germany

10cm K - 10cm Kanone 99

Light artillery

Contributor :
Guy François     
Daniel Vauvillier     
DRAC Bourgogne     
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Location :
France
Môlay
Memorial
Coordinates : Lat : 47.73496 / Long : 3.93944
General comments on this surviving gun :


Identical items in the same location : 1
Items covered by this file : 1

Markings not received

The barrel has the Prussia arms engraved.

The gun is located next to the Memorial


Historic and technical information
Denomination :     10cm K 99 Origin :       ( Krupp)          

Historic context :

Considering the performances of the 12cm Kanone dated 1880 were becoming insufficient, the 'Kgl Preussische Artillerie Pruefungs Kommission' ('APK') required in 1893 the design of a new gun with improved rate of fire, a better precision, and using the 105mm caliber already in use in the German Navy.

Succeeding to the very first guns of this calibre dedicated to the fortress artillery such as the 10.5cm K.i.S.L.appeared as a precusrsor in 1897, Krupp's 10cm K99, met this specification thanks to a long steel barrel of 30 calibers (instead of 23.4 for the 12 cm gun), a vertical sliding block breech mechanism, and the use of fixed ammunitions. It was associated with a rigid high carriage from the same kind than the fortress artillery guns.

This gun was not well adapted to the field artillery needs because it needed the use of a platform (to wich the gun could be attached by means of a recoil brake piston), wood wedges under the wheels for the return to position, and also for its relative instability and overweight. But it was a real success considering the range improvement (over 10 km) and rate of fire, making it a good harassment and counter-battery weapon.

Despite its replacement by the more modern 10cm K 04 equipped with hydro-mechanical recuperator, this old gun was still in dotation in some units of the FussArtillerie or the FestungsArtillerie at the opening of the war, and used all along the conflict.

Technical data :

  • Complete description : 10cm gun M 1899
  • Design year : 1899
  • Calibre : 105.20 mm
  • Weight in firing position : 2640 kg
  • Weight for transportation : 3509 kg - one single load
  • Tube length in calibres : 30.00 (total tube length)
  • Grooves : 32
  • Projectile weight : 16.1 à 18.75 kg
  • Initial speed : 560 to 551 m/s
  • Fire rate :
  • Range : 10200 to 12700 m
  • Elevation range : -5 / +35 degrees
  • Direction range : none


Sources
  • German Artillery of World War One           Herbert Jager                   Crowood   2001  
  • http://www.lovettartillery.com/      Ralph Lovett                      
  • Das Geraet der Schweren Artillerie vor, in und nach der Weltkrieg       Herman Schirmer                   Bernard und Graefe, Berlin   1937