Obice da 305/17

Last updated
Obice da 305/17
Ce que Joffre a vu en Carnia, canon de gros calibre, 305, tirant sur Malborghetto - Mediatheque de l'architecture et du patrimoine - AP62T019220.jpg
A 305/17 on a Garrone coastal mount.
Place of origin Kingdom of Italy
Service history
In service1914–1959
Used by Kingdom of Italy
Nationalist Spain
Wars World War I
Spanish Civil War
World War II
Production history
DesignerArmstrong-Pozzuoli
Designed1908
ManufacturerArmstrong-Pozzuoli
Vickers-Terni
Produced1914-1917
No. built30-44
Specifications
MassCombat: 33.7 t (33.2 long tons)
Barrel  length5.8 m (19 ft) L/17
Crew10 [1]

Shell Separate loading bagged charge and projectile
Shell weight295–442 kg (650–974 lb)
Caliber 305 mm (12 in)
Breech Interrupted screw
Recoil Hydro-pneumatic
Carriage Box trail
Elevation -20° to +65°
Traverse 360° [1]
Rate of fire Maximum: 1 round every 5 minutes
Sustained: 1 round every 12 minutes
Muzzle velocity 545 m/s (1,790 ft/s)
Maximum firing range17.6 km (11 mi) [1]

Obice da 305/17 was an Italian howitzer (sometimes classified as mortar) used during World War I. Produced by the Armstrong works in Italy between 1914 and 1917, approximately 30-44 were built. Originally the Obice da 305/17 Modello 15 was a stationary coastal defense gun but was later adapted to a mobile siege artillery role. [2] A number also served during World War II.

Contents

History

In 1908 the Italian coastal artillery analyzed reports from the Russo-Japanese War of the performance of their Armstrong 280 mm (11 in) howitzers that they had supplied to Japan and found them unsatisfactory. They then turned to the companies Armstrong, Krupp, Schneider, St Chamond and Vickers-Terni for proposals for a 305 mm (12 in) howitzer. The Inspector General of Artillery chose the design from Armstrong-Pozzuoli, with modifications to the ammunition, and loading system. [3]

Design

A 305/17 showing its box trail carriage, screw breech, traverse wheels and loading tray. Obice 305-17 culatta.jpg
A 305/17 showing its box trail carriage, screw breech, traverse wheels and loading tray.

The 5.8 m (19 ft) long barrel of the 305/17 was made of steel and was rifled with 60 left-hand constant twist grooves. Although the overall length of the barrel and breech was 19 calibers, the Italians designated their artillery by the length of the barrel only which was 17 calibers. The barrel was then inserted into a ring cradle which housed two cylinders of the hydraulic recoil mechanism and the pneumatic recuperator cylinder located above the barrel. The barrel was mounted on trunnions towards the middle and the wedge-shaped box trail carriage had a large open space behind the breech to allow for recoil, high angles of elevation and reloading. [1] The weight of the barrel and breech was 12.79 t (12.59 long tons). The 305/17 had an interrupted screw breech and used separate loading bagged charges and projectiles. [4]

Variants

  • Obice da 305/17 G Modello 1915 - The initial model was a stationary coastal defense gun which rested on a metal platform designed by General Garrone which allowed for 360° of traverse. The G in the guns designation stood for Garrone. For traverse the carriage pivoted in the center and there were four castor wheels at the edges of the carriage.
  • Obice da 305/17 G Modello 1916 - The Modello 1916 was a modified version which was lightened and simplified to allow the gun to be broken down into multiple loads and reassembled in the field to act as a mobile siege gun. For transport, it was broken down into the barrel, recoil system and ring cradle, top carriage and gun platform. Once onsite a pit could be dug for the pyramid-shaped earth anchor and then assembled with winches and ramps in 24 hours. [1]
  • Obice da 305/17 G Modello 1917 - The Modello 1917 was also a mobile version designed to disassembled and used in a siege artillery role. A gun battery consisted of two howitzers with 8 wagons, 2 machine guns for defense, a utility wagon, and 5 artillery tractors. The wagons could be towed at 6–8 km/h (4–5 mph) and set up time remained 24 hours. [4]
  • Obice da 305/17 D.S. - These guns were mounted on the same "De Stefano" carriage for land use and the resulting guns were classified by their size in millimeters 305, their length in calibers 17 and lastly by their carriage type DS which stood for De Stefano. The De Stefano carriage was a clever, but strange looking monstrosity which looked something like a child's 4-wheeled toy-horse when the gun barrel was elevated. The carriage was a large 4-wheeled box-trail design with two non-steerable wheels on the front and two castering wheels at the rear. The wheels were fitted with detachable grousers designed by major Crispino Bonagente for traction on soft ground and were towed in one piece by a Pavesi-Tolotti artillery tractor. [2] When not on the move the grousers were removed and the steel wheels rode on an inclined set of steel rails when in firing position. The steel rails were mounted on a firing platform made of wooden beams which allowed the gun 360°of traverse. When the gun fired recoil which was not absorbed by the recoil mechanism was transmitted to the wheels and the carriage rolled up the inclined rails and then rolled back into firing position. The box trail carriage was tall and wide enough that the breech of the gun was accessible at high angles of elevation without a pit being dug and the gun crew had a bucket and hoist for ammunition handling. [2]

Service

World War I

Although the majority of combatants had heavy field artillery prior to the outbreak of the First World War, none had adequate numbers of heavy guns in service, nor had they foreseen the growing importance of heavy artillery once the Italian Front stagnated and trench warfare set in. Fortresses, armories, coastal fortifications, and museums were scoured for heavy artillery and sent to the front. Suitable field and rail carriages were built for these guns in an effort to give their forces the heavy field artillery needed to overcome trenches and hardened concrete fortifications. Indirect fire, interdiction and counter-battery fire emphasized the importance of long-range heavy artillery. [5] In order to address the Italian Army's lack of long-range heavy artillery 254B, 254/40, 305/17, 305/40, and 305/46 Naval Guns were converted to land use. [2]

The first howitzers entered service with units of the coastal artillery in 1914, with 12 at La Spezia, 4 at La Maddalena and 4 at Messina. [3] In October 1917, 38 pieces were available in the three versions. A number of guns were disassembled and redeployed to the Alpine front to act as siege artillery. After the loss of 9 guns following the Battle of Caporetto, another 18 were produced between 1 July 1918 and 30 June 1919, thus reaching the total of 44 guns, of which 8 were in reserve. [3]

Spanish Civil War

In 1937, 5 pieces were delivered to the Nationalists during the Spanish Civil War. [6]

World War II

In 1939, 10 Modello 16 and 17 Modello 17's were in service. These armed the 540th battery of the 22nd Artillery Group of the Guardia alla Frontiera (G.a.F.), a battery of the XXIX and one of the XXXI Group of the 24th artillery Regiment G.a.F. and the 4th Army Army Artillery Grouping. [3] These were used in the French Campaign, the defense of Naples and in the defense of the Sicilian coast. [3] Another 16 guns on a shielded coastal mount were supplied to 4 coastal batteries of the Regia Marina, manned by MILMART personnel. [3] Some guns remained in service in the post-war period and were retired in 1959. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6-inch siege gun M1877</span> Fortress Gun

The 6-inch siege gun model 1877 was a Russian 152.4 mm (6 in) fortress gun, siege gun and coastal defense gun. It was used in the Russo-Japanese War, World War I, and the Russian Civil War. The successor states of the Russian Empire also inherited a number of M1877 guns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannone da 152/45</span> Naval gun

The Cannone da 152/45 modello 1911 was an Italian naval gun built by the Ansaldo company. It formed the secondary armament of the two Andrea Doria-class dreadnought battleships built during World War I. A number of guns were also converted to siege artillery and coastal artillery roles and served during both world wars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mortaio da 210/8 D.S.</span> Siege howitzer

The Mortaio da 210/8 was a siege howitzer which served with Italy during World War I and World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EOC 10 inch 40 caliber</span> Naval gun

The EOC 10 inch 40 caliber guns were a family of related guns designed by the Elswick Ordnance Company and produced by Armstrong Whitworth in the 1890s for export customers. EOC 10 inch 40 caliber guns were the primary armament of armored cruisers, ironclads and pre-dreadnought battleships built or refit during the 1890s. These guns and their licensed derivatives armed ships of the Argentine Navy, Imperial Japanese Navy, Regia Marina and Spanish Navy. They served in the Russo-Japanese War, Italo-Turkish War and World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">EOC 8 inch 45 caliber</span> Naval gun

The EOC 8 inch 45 caliber were a family of related 8-inch (203 mm) 45 caliber naval guns designed by the Elswick Ordnance Company and manufactured by Armstrong for export customers before World War I. In addition to being produced in the United Kingdom licensed variants were produced in Italy and in Japan. Users of this family of gun included the navies of Argentina, Chile, China, Italy, Japan and Spain. This family of guns saw action in the Spanish–American War, Boxer Rebellion, Russo-Japanese War, Italo-Turkish War, World War I and World War II. In addition to its naval role it was later used as coastal artillery and siege artillery after the ships it served on were decommissioned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canon de 120 mm modèle 1878</span> Siege gun

The Canon de 120 mm L modèle 1878 was a French piece of siege and field artillery which was widely used during the First World War and despite its obsolescence, it was still in use by some nations during the Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mortaio da 260/9 Modello 16</span> Heavy mortar

The Mortaio da 260/9 Modello 16 - was an Italian Heavy mortar and Siege Gun designed by the French Schneider Company and produced under license in Italy by Ansaldo and Vickers-Terni for the Italian Army. It was used by the Italian Army during both the First World War and Second World War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obice da 149/12</span> Howitzer

The Obice da 149/12 was an Italian howitzer produced under license in Italy by Ansaldo and Vickers-Terni which was used during World War I and World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Obice da 280</span> Coastal artillery

The Obice da 280 was an Italian coastal defense and siege howitzer designed in 1884 by the British Armstrong firm and produced under license by the Ansaldo company during the late 1800s. It was used during both the First and Second World Wars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannone da 149/23</span> Italian siege gun of WW1

The Cannone da 149 G later known as the Cannone da 149/23 was an Italian fortress gun and siege gun which served with Italy during the Italo-Turkish War and World War I. Captured guns may have been used by Austria-Hungary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">8-inch mortar M1877</span> Coastal artillery

The 8-inch mortar M1877 was a Russian 203 mm (8 in) coastal, fortress and siege mortar that was used in the Russo-Japanese War and World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">9-inch mortar M1877</span> Coastal artillery

The 9-inch mortar M1877 was a Russian 229 mm (9 in) coastal, fortress and siege mortar that was used in the Russo-Japanese War and World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">15 cm Ring Kanone C/92</span> German siege gun

The 15 cm Ring Kanone C/92 was a fortress and siege gun developed in the 1880s that saw service in the Italo-Turkish War, Balkan Wars, and World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">15 cm Ring Kanone L/30</span> German coastal artillery

The 15 cm Ring Kanone L/30 was a naval gun and coastal artillery piece that was used by the German Navy before the First World War that was converted to a siege gun for the German Army during the First World War when the ships that carried it were decommissioned.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">21 cm Versuchmörser 06</span> German howitzer

The 21 cm Versuchmörser 06 was an experimental German howitzer which served in limited numbers during World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">28 cm Haubitze L/14 i.R.</span> German howitzer

The 28 cm Haubitze L/14 in Räderlafette was a prototype German siege howitzer which served during World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Type 7 30 cm howitzer</span> Coastal artillery

The Type 7 30 cm howitzer was a howitzer used by the Imperial Japanese Army in the Second Sino-Japanese War, Soviet–Japanese border conflicts and during the Pacific Campaign in World War II. The designation Type 7 indicates its year of introduction, the seventh year of the reign of Emperor Taishō, or 1918 according to the Gregorian calendar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">120 mm Armata wz. 78/09/31</span> Field gun

The 120 mm Armata wz. 78/09/31 and 120 mm Armata wz. 78/10/31 were field guns produced and used by Poland during World War II and Finland during the Continuation War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">10.5 cm Kanone C/85</span> Fortress gun

The 10.5 cm Festungs und Belagerungs Kanone C/85 was a fortress and siege gun produced in Germany and used by Romania during the Second Balkan War and World War I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mortaio da 210/9 modello 1914</span> Heavy Mortar

The Mortaio da 210/9 modello 1914 was an Italian Heavy Mortar designed by the French Schneider Company and produced under license in Italy by Ansaldo for the Italian Army and used during the First World War.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Hogg, Ian (2000). Twentieth-century artillery . New York: Barnes & Noble Books. pp.  90. ISBN   0760719942. OCLC   44779672.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Obice 305/17 modello 16 su affusto De Stefano: Italy (ITA)". forum.valka.cz. Retrieved 2018-06-14.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Batterie Costiere in Italia. Volume Di Carlo Alfredo Clerici". Scribd. Retrieved 2018-07-04.
  4. 1 2 "Regio Esercito - Materiale bellico - Mortaio da 305/17 Mod. 1917". www.regioesercito.it. Retrieved 2018-07-04.
  5. Hogg, Ian (2004). Allied artillery of World War One. Ramsbury: Crowood. pp. 129–134. ISBN   1861267126. OCLC   56655115.
  6. "Italian howitzer 305/17 G. Model 1917". perso.wanadoo.es. Archived from the original on 2015-04-12. Retrieved 2018-07-04.
  7. "Obice of 305 G (305/17) mod. 16". www.modellismopiu.it. Retrieved 2018-07-04.