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SURVIVING GUN FILE (# 528)
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Austro-Hungaria

8cm FeldKanone M 17

Light artillery

Contributor :
Bernard Plumier      http://www.passioncompassion1418.com
     
     
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Location :
France
Notre-Dame de Lorette (62)
Musée du plateau de Notre Dame de Lorette
Coordinates : Lat : 50.40240 / Long : 2.71630
General comments on this surviving gun :


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

The presence of this Austrian fieldgun on the French Artois old frontline is unexplained. The shield seems to have been modified

The gun is heavily rusted, by the way proving it is equipped with a steel barrel. Visible breech markings : '8cm M17 Feldkanone...'.


Historic and technical information
Denomination :     8cm M 17 FK Origin :       ( Skoda)          

Historic context :

In 1915 arose the idea of developping a new modern fieldgun better than the 8cm M05/08 FK. The performances of this latter gun type, particularly the 6000 to 7000 m range and 6.7 kg projectile power were found insufficient for the static warfare, and the wear or destroy losses were an opportunity to replace it with more modern equipments.

The specification was sent to Skoda works at the end of 1915. This company was already working on its own on a new fieldgun design. Several proptotypes were tested on the front during 1916 and allowed to refine the design. Although the use of 80 and 83.5 mm calibers barrels were envisaged and tested in order to further increase the projectile power, the gun that was finally adopted in 1917 was a 76.5 mm one, for ammunitions rationalization reasons : the '8cm M17 FeldKanone Skoda', ordered to 800 items, equipped with a steel barrel, a reinforced carriage and a highly increase vertical aiming amplitude, was distributed to the fighting units during the same year. 462 such guns were produced during WW1, and its production continued in Skoda until 1938.

The company Böhler, increasingly dangerous competitor of Skoda, proposed in 1917 a similar design that prooved better than the Skoda one, with an even longer barrel. It was adopted as the '8cm M18 FeldKanone Böhler', but only a little more of 100 suche guns were produced before the war end.

Technical data :

  • Complete description : 8 cm light fieldgun M 1917
  • Design year : 1917
  • Calibre : 76.50 mm
  • Weight in firing position : 1320 kg
  • Weight for transportation :
  • Tube length in calibres : 30.00
  • Grooves : 0 unknown
  • Projectile weight : 8.0 kg
  • Initial speed : 500 m/s
  • Fire rate : 10 to 15 rounds / min
  • Range : 9900 m
  • Elevation range : -10 to +45 degrees
  • Direction range : 8 degrees total range


Sources