Faced to the sudden obsolescence of its new but so conventionnal Krupp fieldgun 7.7cm FK 96 ('FK' = FeldKanone = Fieldgun) because of the appearance of the revolutionary new French 75 mle 1897 fieldgun, the German competitor Rheinmetall engineered a new quick-firing fieldgun, equipped (like its competitor) with a quick-acting breech (Ehrardt-Rheinmetall), a shield and a hydro-mechanic recuperator designed by Haussner (Rheinmetall).

It is ironic to notice that this brilliant engineer had this recoil system idea in 1888 when he was working for... Krupp (!), but failed to generate his quite conservative company's interest. That new gun was genuinely named '7.7 cm FK 96 n/A' ('n/A' = neue Art - new mark) in order to fool the ennemy spies... or to accomodate with the national pride ! The rare remaining guns that were not modernized were named '7.7 cm FK 96 a/A' ('a/A' = alte Art - ancient mark)

Manufactured since 1904 by Krupp and RheinMetall, that fieldgun was the backbone of the light artirrely of the German army, and this country entered in war in 1914 with 5068 guns of that type. 3744 fieldguns 77 FK 96 n/A were still in service at the armistice.

This is a modern and efficient gun, whose perfomances are comparable to the French "75", but for the maximum range (500m lower for the German gun with the initial shell type).

A whole generation of guns derivated from that concept were commercialized by the German indusrty before the Great War for exportation in various countries. During the war, IInd Reich allies such as Turkey and Bulgaria were dotated with the same guns.

Main characteristics :

• Weight in firing position : 925 kg
• Calibre : 77 mm
• Tube length : 27.3 calibres
• Number of grooves : 32
• Projectile weight : 6.85 kg
• Initial velocity : 465 m/s
• Maximum range : 7800 a 8300 m
• Elevation range : -13 / +15 degrees
• Direction range : 8 degrees total range