15 cm hrubá houfnice vz. 25

15 cm hrubá houfnice vz. 25
Type	Howitzer
Place of origin	Czechoslovakia
Service history
In service	1930-1945
Used by	Czechoslovakia Nazi Germany Slovakia
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designer	Škoda
Manufacturer	Škoda
Produced	1924-34
Specifications
Weight	3,800 kilograms (8,400 lb)
Barrel length	2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) L/18
Caliber	149.1 mm (5.87 in)
Carriage	box trail
Elevation	-5° to +70°
Traverse	7°
Rate of fire	1-2 rpm
Muzzle velocity	450 m/s (1,476 ft/s)
Maximum firing range	11,800 metres (12,900 yd)

The 15 cm hrubá houfnice vz. 25 (Heavy howitzer model 25) was a Czech heavy howitzer used in the Second World War. It was taken into Wehrmacht service as the 15 cm sFH 25(t). Slovakia had 126 in inventory.

Design & History

Intended to replace the various Austro-Hungarian heavy howitzer that the Czechs had inherited, they began a program to develop a new howitzer shortly after achieving independence in 1919. It didn't reflect many of the lessons of World War I as it retained a box trail and wooden wheels suitable only for horse traction. Its carriage broke down into two loads for transport. It fired a 42 kilograms (93 lb) shell.

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
• Kliment, Charles K. and Nakládal, Bretislav. Germany's First Ally: Armed Forces of the Slovak State 1939-1945. Atglen, PA: Schiffer, 1997 ISBN 0-7643-0589-1