15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze M. 15
Encyclopedia
The 15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze M. 15 was a heavy howitzer
used by Austria-Hungary
in World War I. Austrian and Czech guns were taken into Wehrmacht
service after the Anschluss
and the occupation of Czechoslovakia as the 15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze 15(t) or (ö).
The M. 15 was adapted from a fortress turret howitzer design to throw the same ammunition as the schwere Feldhaubitze M. 14 some 3.5 kilometres (3,827.6 yd) further. It didn't normally breakdown for transport, but could be disassembled into four loads for transport in mountainous areas.
The first five weapons were delivered in the first half of 1916. A total of 57 barrels and 56 carriages were completed by the end of the war.
The Finns purchased twenty weapons after the end of the Winter War
. They arrived on the SS Widor on 9 October 1940. They were initially issued to Heavy Artillery Battalions 21, 22 and 28. They were unpopular with the field artillery as they were thought to be too heavy and were withdrawn from field duty during the Continuation War
. Some went to equip the Maaselkä Fortification Artillery Battalions .
Howitzer
A howitzer is a type of artillery piece characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small propellant charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
used by Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
in World War I. Austrian and Czech guns were taken into Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
service after the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
and the occupation of Czechoslovakia as the 15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze 15(t) or (ö).
The M. 15 was adapted from a fortress turret howitzer design to throw the same ammunition as the schwere Feldhaubitze M. 14 some 3.5 kilometres (3,827.6 yd) further. It didn't normally breakdown for transport, but could be disassembled into four loads for transport in mountainous areas.
The first five weapons were delivered in the first half of 1916. A total of 57 barrels and 56 carriages were completed by the end of the war.
The Finns purchased twenty weapons after the end of the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
. They arrived on the SS Widor on 9 October 1940. They were initially issued to Heavy Artillery Battalions 21, 22 and 28. They were unpopular with the field artillery as they were thought to be too heavy and were withdrawn from field duty during the Continuation War
Continuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
. Some went to equip the Maaselkä Fortification Artillery Battalions .