Krupp field gun 75mm / L30 Model 1910 Chilean Army
Hi
It is the best known of the Krupp that equipped the Chilean Army, and is the model that there are more references in non-Chilean documents.
Their purchase was also determined in response to the purchase of the Argentine 75mm Krupp Model 1909.
In Chile it is very common to find them in squares and monuments (this model and M / 94 – M / 98 too) and do not need to "call any contacts" to know what material was used by the Army. Just need to walk through the cities or visit its museums.
A particular case is the Museo de Cañones de Viña del Mar (Chilean Navy) where the guns are in a small square and on the sides of the Avenida Costera and is not fenced and access is completely free.
These Krupp They can be seen even today in military parades of the historic regiments
Tradición de Artillería Chilena- MrJohann1900
In Argentina there are also historical batteries with old guns.
But there are also historical documentation.
Tradición de Artillería Chilena- MrJohann1900
There is one of these guns currently in the Torreón de laBatería Santa Lucía (Castillo Hidalgo).
I had the chance to witness "El Tiro" (The Shot) shortly before the earthquake of 2010, and at that time a cartridge of salvo original reloaded by FAMAE (Fábricas y Maestranzas del Ejército de Chile ) was used (now is used a reduced load).
In the following pictures you can see a rail in U (red arrow in front of the cannon) that served to guide him when the shooting occurred. Shortly before to 12,00.am pushed the cannon until the muzzle was outside the enclosure. Then when the gun is fired, having no obstacles, recoiled and it is "save" himself.
Photo where you looks great Chilean National Emblem engraved on the barrel (after the cannon was restored, and take away the layers of old paint)
Or in the rotunda of the Av. Leon Bustos of the city of Linares
It is important to note that this howitzer was bought only a year after it was presented in Germany and commissioned two years after the German (in 1911)
It is evident that Krupp had two parallel production lines.
One for export, and one for the German Army.
At the same time, the export line produced the same type or model adapted to the requirements of each client , which makes to exist an enormous number of very similar but not identical designs
In this particular case, the 10.5cm howitzer purchased by Chile was directly the 10.5cm. Leichte Feld Haubitza (LFH) 1898/09 that was in service in the German Army.
The Brazilian 10.5cm howitzer was a much more particular design, and are not equal to the other Krupp manufactured to in those years (1905), at least those I know
It seemed much more to Krupp 10.5cm manufactured in 1912, although the same 1912 model have differences with each other (in photos of Mr. Massimo Foti can see at least two of them with some differences)
Since you mentioned them, here are some shots I took in Belgrade and Sofia.
Belgrade:
The gun in Sofia remains quite a mystery to me. I have the feeling the barrel length was increased at a later stage and the muzzle brake definitely looks like a late addition, yet I have no confirmed info about it: