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Post Info TOPIC: History - Information Krupp 150mm Howitzer
RSL


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History - Information Krupp 150mm Howitzer
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Hello

As I am a first time user I hope that I get this post correct.

I have read with interest the incredible details in the post https://landships.activeboard.com/t41162383/15-cm-german-howitzer/

The Tenterfield RSL Sub Branch NSW, is researching the history of a WW1 150mm Howitzer German Artillery gun which is displayed in Tenterfield as part of the 1914 - 1918 Allotment of War Trophies and ws originally ceded to Armidale in NSW. This gun was manufactured in 1916 by Friedrich Krupp AG in Essen, Germany. Bearing a stamped field number of Nr.1517 see attached photos.

 

As discussed we are seeking information on the following as the AWM does not seem to hold this information:

 

 1.            It would appear that it was captured by the 12th LH Regiment, would this be correct?

 

 2.            Is there information on a date it was captured?

 

 3.            Is there information on the location it was captured?

 

 4.            is there information on how it ended up in Tenterfield and when?

Would this gun have been provided to the Ottoman Turks and is there information available on this?

If it was provided to the Turks is there any information on the Turkish Unit it may have been issued to?

I note in previous posts that "CharlieC" has noted that there is a possibility of gaining in information from the Krupp Archive.  Is the a website or contact details for the Krupp Archive that you may be able to provide.

Regards RSL



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CharlieC


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The 15cm sFH13 #1517 was allocated to the 12th Light Horse at Armidale as a war trophy gun in Australia. There were three broad groups of allocated guns

in 1920-21: to towns/cities that applied for a gun as a war memorial; to units in the AIF (usually allocated to the depot of a unit); selected guns to museums.

The gun allocated to Armidale seems to have been one of the second category.

There's no indication in the AWM records of the guns that were returned to Australia where the gun was captured or which unit captured it. The lack of specific information

often means the gun was collected during cleanup of the battlefield and wound up in a gun park in Egypt before being sent to Australia.

The Ottomans were given a fair number of 15cm sFH13s during WW1. The story of German 15cm howitzers in Ottoman service is quite tangled being a succession of small orders

of 15cm Krupp export howitzers, some Krupp prototype howitzers, 15cm sFH model 1893, 15cm sFH13 short and long barrel as well as indigenous production of the 15cm Krupp export howitzer.

The Krupp archive was mostly destroyed in WW2 so there is only very limited information available. 

Perhaps the historical societies in Tenterfield or Armidale can help with the history of the howitzer. 

Regards,

Charlie 

 



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RSL


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Hello Charlie

Thank you very much for your prompt response.

Could you please respond to the following questions:

1.  15cm sFH13 - What is the meaning of sFH13?  As I thought this was a L14?  Is this number stamped on the gun somewhere?  13 or 14 - How is this determined?

2.  Is your response that it may have ended up in a gun park in Egypt, is your response based on the movements of the 12th Light Horse?

3.  Is there any way of confirming that #1517 was sent to the Ottomans by researching the orders and despatches from the Krupp factory?

4.  How would I be able to access the remaining Krupp archive?

5.  Would you or one of your members be a able to provide me with a Hi Res suitable copy of a photo of the same type of gun in action during WW1 as we wish to use it as the background for a good sized interpretative panel for display with the gun.  I attached some photos of what I believe reflect similar guns as #1517 from the internet.  Any advice on a suitable photo would be appreciated.  

I am currently researching further available archives from Tenterfield and Armidale and will provide you with any information that comes to hand.

Kind Regards Dave (aka RSL)



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nuyt


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I think your number 3 pic with the Turkish crew is not the sFH13 as in your first post.

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Pzkpfw-e


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sFH stands for  schwere Feldhaubitze - heavy field howitzer.

The 13 (1913)  is the year it was introduced into German army service.

L14 means lange (length) 14, so the rifled portion of the barrel is 14 calibres long, so 14x149.1mm = 2,087.4mm, so slightly over 2 metres.

They served on in WW2, as examples that had been transferred to Dutch & Belgian forces, as war reparations, were re-incorporated into Wermacht stocks & mounted on modified Lorraine Schleppers to produce the 15 cm sFH13/1 (Sf) auf Geschuetzwagen Lorraine Schlepper (f).



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CharlieC


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My comment on the 15cm ending up in a gun park in Egypt was based on that was the fate of many of the guns

collected in Palestine. I don't know where the 12th Light Horse was at the end of the war - the unit diary is on line

at the AWM website should be trivial to find out.

No way to confirm whether #1517 was sent to the Ottomans - the records don't exist in Germany any more and if there

are Turkish records they are in a sealed General Staff archive in Ankara.

The third image is of an Ottoman 10cm lFH 98/09

The first and second images are typical of field deployment of a 15cm sFH13 - you can see the projectiles in wicker baskets in the limber

on the right of the second image. 

Regards,

Charlie

 



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mkc2862


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Hi Dave,

Have you tried the Royal Australian Artillery Historical Company? Here's their home page - http://www.artilleryhistory.org/

Cheers,

Michael



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