28 cm Haubitze L/12
| 28 cm Haubitze L/12 | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Type | Heavy Siege Howitzer |
| Place of origin | Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1900?–45 |
| Used by | German Empire Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War I, World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Krupp |
| Manufacturer | Krupp |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 50.3 tonnes (49.5 long tons; 55.4 short tons) |
| Barrel length | 3.39 m (11.1 ft) |
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| Shell | Bag charge |
| Shell weight | 350 kg (770 lb) |
| Caliber | 283 mm (11.1 in) |
| Breech | Horizontal sliding-block |
| Carriage | Box |
| Elevation | 0° to +65° (firing) |
| Traverse | 360° |
| Rate of fire | 1 round per 4 minutes |
| Muzzle velocity | 350 m/s (1,100 ft/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 10,400 m (11,400 yd) |
The 28 cm Haubitze L/12 was a German siege howitzer. It was developed by Krupp before World War I and saw service in both World War I and World War II. It may have seen action in the siege of Sevastopol.
Design and description
The 28 cm Haubitze L/12 in Mittelpivotlafette C/92 was a design of the late 19th century initially intended for coastal defence. Recoil forces were absorbed by a combination of the gun cradle moving up an inclined plane and two hydro-pneumatic or hydro-spring recuperator cylinders, one on each side of the carriage. It was mounted on a turntable which was fixed to a wooden firing platform. For transport it broke down into four loads, the barrel, cradle, turntable and firing platform, each carried by a three-axle trailer. It required three to four days to emplace for firing. An ammunition crane was fixed to the carriage for ease of loading.[1]
It fired a 350 kg (770 lb) high-explosive shell to a range of 10,400 metres (11,400 yd).[2]
Combat history
Supposedly it saw action in the assault on Sevastopol in 1942 under the command of 11th Army of Army Group South,[1] but this has not been confirmed.
Notes
References
- Engelmann, Joachim and Scheibert, Horst. Deutsche Artillerie 1934-1945: Eine Dokumentation in Text, Skizzen und Bildern: Ausrüstung, Gliederung, Ausbildung, Führung, Einsatz. Limburg/Lahn, Germany: C. A. Starke, 1974
- Gander, Terry and Chamberlain, Peter. Weapons of the Third Reich: An Encyclopedic Survey of All Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the German Land Forces 1939-1945. New York: Doubleday, 1979 ISBN 0-385-15090-3
- Hogg, Ian V. German Artillery of World War Two. 2nd corrected edition. Mechanicsville, PA: Stackpole Books, 1997 ISBN 1-85367-480-X
