7.62 cm FlaK L/30

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7.62 cm FlaK L/30
Russian AA 76.2cm Model 1902-1907, Gunfire museum Brasschaat pic1.jpg
A Krupp 7.62 cm FlaK L/30 AA gun at the Gunfire Museum Brasschaat.
Type Anti-aircraft gun
Place of originFlag of Russia.svg  Russian Empire
Service history
In service1914–1918
Used byFlag of the German Empire.svg  German Empire
Wars World War I
Production history
Designer Putilov
Designed1902
Manufacturer Krupp
Produced1914
No. built120
Specifications
MassTravel: 2,440 kg (5,380 lb)
Combat: 1,350 kg (2,980 lb)
Barrel  length2.28 m (7 ft 6 in) L/30 [1]

Shell Fixed QF 76.2 x 385mm R [2]
Shell weight7.5 kg (16 lb 9 oz)
Caliber 76.2 mm (3.00 in)
Breech Interrupted screw
Recoil Hydro-pneumatic
Carriage Box trail
Elevation +12° to +70° [1]
Traverse 360°
Rate of fire 12 rpm
Muzzle velocity 588 m/s (1,930 ft/s)
Effective firing rangeHorizontal: 8.5 km (5.3 mi)
Vertical: 5,600 m (18,400 ft) [1]

The 7.62 cm FlaK L/30 was a German 76.2 mm anti-aircraft gun produced by Krupp during the First World War.

Contents

History

The origins of the 7.62 cm FlaK L/30 go back to the Russian 76 mm divisional gun M1902 field gun which was captured in large numbers during the first two years of World War I. A combination of factors led the Germans to issue M1902's to their troops as replacements.

These included:

Once adequate numbers of new field guns such as the 7.7 cm FK 16 were being produced obsolete types such as the 9 cm Kanone C/73 and captured guns such as the M1902 and Canon de 75 modèle 1897 were withdrawn from front-line service and issued to anti-aircraft units. At first, all of the combatants employed field guns on improvised anti-aircraft mounts, which were typically earthen embankments or scaffolds to get the muzzle pointed skyward. Later in the war, specialized anti-aircraft mounts were developed. [1]

Design

The 7.62 cm FlaK L/30 was a conversion of captured M1902's that were placed on high-angle mounts for the anti-aircraft role. Unlike the 7.7 cm FlaK L/35, which was bored out to fire German ammunition the 7.62 cm FlaK L/30 could fire Russian or German made ammunition. The reason why the M1902 was not converted was that the steel it was made from was brittle and didn't take well to reboring. The conversion was mainly focused on modifying the M1902's carriage to accommodate a pedestal mount which allowed up to 70° of elevation and a travel lock on the recoil mechanism. In the field, the guns were anchored to a firing ring to allow 360° of traverse. At least 120 guns were converted by Krupp during World War I. [1]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Fleischer, Wolfgang (February 2015). German Artillery:1914-1918. Barnsley. pp. 18 & 89–90. ISBN   9781473823983. OCLC   893163385.
  2. "77-77 MM CALIBRE CARTRIDGES". www.quarryhs.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2015-01-17. Retrieved 2017-09-05.