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The 10cm Kanone 14 was a more complex version of the 10cm Kanone 04, designed to be useable as an anti-aircraft gun as well as a normal field cannon.
Experiments in using the Kanone 04 as an anti-aircraft gun took place in 1909-10, and in 1911 the Artillery Testing Commission produced a specification for a new version of the weapon, to be useable as an anti-aircraft gun. Krupp and Rheinmetall both produced designs, and the Krupp version was accepted for service as the 10cm Kanone 14.
The 10cm Kanone 14 used the same basic layout as the Kanone 04, with a box trail, spoked wheels and the recoil system mounted on the cradle under the barrel. Barrel length was increased by 545mm, increasing maximum range by 500m. A number of new features were introduced. All Kanone 14 were built with a gun shield. It had a double elevation system to help in the anti-aircraft role, and a heavy and complex variable recoil system to cope with problems caused by firing at high angles. It also came with a base plate designed to allow for 360 degree traverse. This was a circular metal plate with a circular rail just narrower than the wheels, and a central anchor point for the gun. The gun could then pivot around the central point, with the rails keeping it in place. Maximum elevation was increased to 45 degrees. It could be transported in one piece by a six horse team.
The first battery, with four guns, became operational in May 1915. It was used by the foot artillery when it was first introduced, but later became a heavy artillery weapon. A total of 724 guns were introduced, and by October 1918 they equipped 92 gun batteries, with a total of 368 guns. It wasn't a success as an anti-aircraft weapon, but those features were retained on the next version of the gun, the longer barrelled 10cm Kanone 17, but later removed from the simplified 10 Kanone 17/04.
Name |
10cm Kanone 14/ 10cm K 14 |
Calibre |
105.2cm |
Barrel Length |
3,675mm (L/35) |
Weight for transport |
3,400kg |
Weight in action |
2,814kg |
Elevation |
-5 to 45 degrees |
Traverse |
6 degrees |
Shell Weight |
|
Muzzle Velocity |
560-585m/sec |
Maximum Range |
11,200-13,100m |
Rate of Fire |
10 rounds/ min |
German Artillery 1914-1918, Wolfgang Fleischer.
Covers over 100 guns used by the German Army and shore detachments of the Navy during the First World War, a conflict largely dominated by artillery. Each one gets a brief description, a set of technical stats and a good picture. Shows the wide range of gun types and sizes used by the Germans during the First World War, and the way in which they evolved to deal with the unexpected challenges of trench warfare. [read full review]
