| Cannone da 70/15 | |
| Type: | Mountain gun |
| Is Ranged: | y |
| Is Explosive: | y |
| Is Artillery: | yes |
| Service: | 1903–1943 |
| Used By: | Italy |
| Wars: | Italo-Turkish War World War I Second Italo-Ethiopian War World War II |
| Designer: | Captain Regazzi |
| Design Date: | 1902 |
| Manufacturer: | Vickers-Terni |
| Production Date: | 1902–1914 |
| Weight: | 387kg (853lb) |
| Part Length: | 1.15m (03.77feet) L/16.4 |
| Cartridge: | 70 x 86 mm R[1] |
| Cartridge Weight: | 4.84kg (10.67lb) |
| Caliber: | 70mm |
| Rate: | 8 rpm |
| Velocity: | 353 m/s (1,158 ft/s) |
| Max Range: | 6.6km (04.1miles) |
| Breech: | Interrupted screw |
| Recoil: | None |
| Carriage: | Box trail |
| Elevation: | -12° to 21° |
| Traverse: | 0° |
The Cannone da 70/15 was a mountain gun was used by Italy during World War I. By World War II it had been relegated to the infantry gun role in units assigned to Italian East Africa.[2]
The 70/15 was designed in 1902 by Italian artillery Captain Regazzi to replace the Canonne da 7 BR Ret. Mont. that was first introduced in 1881. The 70/15 was technically obsolescent when it went into service in 1904 but it took the Italians almost a decade to field its replacement the Cannone da 65/17 modello 08/13.
The 70/15 was a breech-loaded mountain gun with an interrupted screw breech, a box trail carriage, two wooden-spoked steel-rimmed wheels, and two seats on the axles for the gunners. There was no recoil mechanism, no gun shield, no traversing mechanism, and elevation was controlled by a jackscrew beneath the breech. It could be broken down into four mule loads for transport or hooked to a limber for towing.
The 70/15 was first used during the Italo-Turkish War by the 3rd Mountain Artillery Regiment. The 70/15 was still in service during World War One due to insufficient numbers of more modern replacements. Due to its light, simple, inexpensive, and rugged construction Vickers-Terni built 710 70/15s from 1914-1919, and it remained in colonial service throughout World War II. It was gradually phased out of the mountain role and given a new role as an infantry support gun.[3]
After World War One most were transferred to the Italian Border Guard. At the outbreak of World War Two, 92 guns were still in service with the I Group/1° GaF Artillery, the VII Group/2° GaF Artillery, and IIbis Group/3° GaF Artillery in Albania.[4] In Italian East Africa, the 70/15 was used by the XCI Colonial Artillery Group/XCI Colonial Brigade, the XCII Colonial Artillery Group/XCII Colonial Brigade, and the CI Colonial Artillery Group.[5]