During the Second World War, 105-

During the Second World War, 105-mm howitzers were the basis of the firepower of the German divisional artillery. Le.FH18 guns of various modifications were used by the

 German troops from the first to the last days of the war. In the post-war period, German-made 105-mm howitzers were operated in a number of countries until the mid-1980s. They were also the standard and role model for the creation of their own 105-mm guns in Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia.

105 mm light field howitzer 10,5 cm le.FH16

Until the second half of the 1930s, the main 105 mm howitzer in the German armed forces was the 10,5 cm le.FH16 (German 10,5 cm leichte Feldhaubitze 16), which was put into service in 1916. For its time, it was a very good artillery system. Its weight in the firing position was 1525 kg, the maximum firing range was 9200 m, and the combat rate of fire was up to 5 rds / min.

In 1918, the German imperial army had a little more than 3000 le.FH16 howitzers. After the signing of the Versailles Treaty, the production of these guns was discontinued. And their number in the Reichswehr was severely limited. In 1933, the production of an improved version of the 10,5 cm le.FH16 nA (German neuer Art - a new sample) was launched. By 1937, 980 howitzers had been produced.

After the new 105mm le.FH18 howitzer went into production, most of the existing le.FH.16 were sent to training units and units of the second line.

Due to the relatively small number and the availability of more advanced models, the le.FH.16 guns were used very limitedly on the Eastern Front.

A significant number of obsolete howitzers were placed in fortifications on the Atlantic coast in 1941, where they were destroyed or captured by American and British forces in 1944.

105 mm light field howitzer 10,5 cm le.FH18

In 1935, Rheinmetall-Borsig AG launched mass production of the 105 mm 10,5 cm le.FH18 howitzer. For its time, it was a very successful weapon, which combined the low cost and labor intensity of manufacturing with sufficiently high combat and service and operational characteristics.

The mass of the artillery system in the combat position was 1985 kg, in the stowed position - 3265 kg. Compared to the le.FH.16, the new gun is significantly heavier. And ideally it should have been transported by tractors. But due to the lack of mechanical traction means, the first serial le.FH.18 were intended for towing by six horses and were equipped with wooden wheels.

Subsequently, the wooden wheels were replaced with light alloy cast ones. The wheels of howitzers towed by horse traction had a steel rim, over which rubber bands were sometimes worn. For batteries on mechanical traction, wheels with solid rubber tires were used.

The standard means of booking 105-mm howitzers in the Wehrmacht were the 3-ton Sd.Kfz.11 semi-tracked tractors and the 5-ton Sd.Kfz.6 tractors.

It is noteworthy that a mechanized howitzer battery in two hours could cover the distance that a battery with horse-drawn teams covered in a whole day.