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SURVIVING GUN FILE (# 1208)
Version française

Germany

15cm Ring Kanone 72

Heavy artillery

Contributor :
Romain Lapie     
     
     
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Location :
France
Péronnes (80)
Mémorial de la Grande Guerre
Coordinates : Lat : 49.92892 / Long : 2.93128
General comments on this surviving gun :


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

This tube has been found in the Somme river nearby. It comes from a gun sabotaged by the German

The breech explosion made all the markings vanish


Historic and technical information
Denomination :     15cm RK 72 Origin :       ( Krupp)          

Historic context :

The 15 cm RK 72 ('RK' = 'Ring Kanone') appeared in 1872 as a susbstitution of the old bronze guns 25 pdr and 15 cm K C/64. Krupp's mastering of the steel forged rings tubes allowed this company to propose a more perfroming alternative to the guns that dominated the French artillery in 1870, offering also a taller carriage.

Of course, this gun was obsolete in 1914, but it was used on the front by the FussArtillerie in order to fulld=fill the increasing needs of heavy Artilery by the positions war side to side with the modern materials. Its relative short range probably has been a handicap though in the fighting conditions met during WW1.

Technical data :

  • Complete description : 15c Ring Kanone M 72
  • Design year : 1872
  • Calibre : 149.10 mm
  • Weight in firing position : 4930 kg
  • Weight for transportation : 2 loads 4560 kg and 2780 kg
  • Tube length in calibres : 23.00 (total length - 16.2 grooved part)
  • Grooves : 24
  • Projectile weight : 35.53 à 42 kg
  • Initial speed : 396 m/s
  • Fire rate :
  • Range : 7900 à 8050 m
  • Elevation range : -5 to +29 degrees
  • Direction range : none


Sources
  • German Artillery of World War One           Herbert Jager                   Crowood   2001  
  • Das Geraet der Schweren Artillerie vor, in und nach der Weltkrieg       Herman Schirmer                   Bernard und Graefe, Berlin   1937