10 cm houfnice vz. 30 explained

10 cm houfnice vz. 30
Origin:Czechoslovakia
Type:Howitzer
Is Explosive:yes
Is Artillery:yes
Service:1930–1945
Used By:

Romania
Slovak Republic[1]
Wars:World War II
Designer:Skoda
Design Date:1928–1930
Manufacturer:Skoda
Production Date:1932–39
Weight:Combat: 1766kg (3,893lb)
Travel: 3077kg (6,784lb)
Part Length:2.5m (08.2feet) L/25[2]
Cartridge Weight:16kg (35lb)
Caliber:100 mm (3.94 in)
Rate:6–8 rpm
Velocity:430 m/s (1,411 ft/s)
Max Range:10.6km (06.6miles)
Carriage:box trail
Elevation:-8° to +80°
Traverse:

The 10 cm houfnice vz. 30 (howitzer model 30) was a Czechoslovak howitzer used in the Second World War. The 158 weapons captured after the German invasion of Czechoslovakia in March 1939 were taken into Wehrmacht service as the 10 cm leFH 30(t). It was used by a variety of German units during World War II, including II. and III./SS-Artillerie-Abteilung 3 between 1939 and 1940[3] and SS-Artillerie-Abteilung 51 during 1941.[4] 30 served with the Slovak Army.[5]

Design and history

It was modified from an earlier Skoda design, the 10 cm houfnice vz. 28, that attempted to combine the field and mountain gun roles into one weapon. The Czechoslovak army decided to adopt it to replace their plethora of aged Austro-Hungarian field guns. They replaced the wheels with modern rubber-tired wheels, but curiously chose to retain the crewman's seat on the gun shield. It used the same carriage as the 8 cm kanon vz. 30 that could break down into three pieces for transport. It fired a 16kg (35lb) shell.

Notes

  1. Web site: ztráty slovenské armády v letech 1939 - 1944 – Druhá světová válka – druhasvetova.com . druhasvetova.com . 7 August 2024 . Czech.
  2. Book: Chamberlain, Peter. Light and medium field artillery. 1975. Arco. Gander, Terry. 12. 0668038209. New York. 2067331.
  3. Niehorster, Leo W. G. German World War II Organizational Series, Vol. 2/II: Mechanized GHQ units and Waffen-SS Formations (10 May 1940), 1990
  4. Niehorster, Leo W. G. German World War II Organizational Series, Vol. 3/II: Mechanized GHQ units and Waffen-SS Formations (22 June 1941), 1992
  5. Kliment and Nakládal, p. 122

References

External links