Landships II

With the Christmas holiday, I got more time off work to make progress with the restoration of the German Field Artillery 10,5cm lFH 1898/09 Limber.  The armrest and foot boards/chain hooks are reproductions based on smaller originals for the 7,7cm lFK 96 n/A as well as technical drawings and photos. 

Despite the general belief that the 10,5cm lFH 98 and 7,7cm lFK 96 Limbers are the same, this restoration has proven that there are numerous differences. 

This is the link to my web page on the subject: 

http://lovettartillery.com/10.5cm_leichte_Feld_Haubitze_Limber.html

And the link for identification of differences between the 10,5cm lFH 98 Limber and 7,7cm lFK 96 Limber: 

http://lovettartillery.com/MAT_7,7cm_lFK_96_nA_LIMBER_Detail.html

http://lovettartillery.com/MAT_10,5cm_lFH_98_LIMBER_Detail.htm

I believe the only other compete and original example of a 10,5cm lFH 98 Limber is in Ataturk’s Mausoleum (Ankara, Turkey).  There is another restoration ongoing in Germany of a 10,5cm lFH 98 Limber, but this one is missing the original Limber Box, and will be finished as a WW2 variation with less rounded armrest.  There are the remains of two limbers of this type in Russia but have not been restored and are missing wheels and have lost their sheet metal due to rust.  There is a 7,7cm lFK 96 Limber at the Brasschaat Artillery Museum (Belgium).  This is a great example but was later modified by adding brakes and is significantly different from the 10,5cm Limber in most respects.  Let me know if you know of others.

Note that the gun in the background of the attached photo is not the 10,5cm lFH 16 but instead the 10cm Kanone 1917, which is a much larger Foot Artillery piece that uses a completely different limber. 

Hope this is of interest.

R/

Ralph Lovett