| 15 cm sFH 36 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Howitzer |
| Place of origin | Germany |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1938–1945 (Germany) |
| Used by | Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Rheinmetall |
| Designed | 1936 |
| Manufacturer | Rheinmetall |
| Produced | 1938-1942 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | Combat: 3,280 kg (7,230 lb) |
| Length | 10.42 m (34 ft 2 in) |
| Barrel length | 3.8 m (12 ft 6 in) L/25.5 |
| Width | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) |
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1] |
| Crew | 7 |
| Shell | 149 mm × 260 Rseparate loading cased charge and projectile |
| Shell weight | 43.52 kg (95.9 lb) (HE) |
| Caliber | 149 mm (5.9 in) |
| Breech | Horizontalsliding-block |
| Recoil | Hydro-pneumatic |
| Carriage | Split trail |
| Elevation | 0° to +45° |
| Traverse | 56°[2] |
| Rate of fire | 4 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity | 210–485 m/s (690–1,590 ft/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 12.3 km (7.6 mi)[2] |
The15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze 36 orsFH 36 (German: "heavy field howitzer, model 36"), was a shortened lightweight version of the earlier15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze 18 that was produced in limited numbers from 1938-1942 and used duringWorld War II.
In 1935 the army drafted a requirement for a lightened version of the 15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze 18 which could be towed by a single horse team in one piece. After testing in 1938 a design fromRheinmetall was selected to meet the requirement. The new design consisted of a shortened sFH 18 barrel with a prominentmuzzle brake with four rows of 13 baffles and asplit trail carriage made largely of light alloys.[2] The carriage had two pressed steel wheels with solid rubber tires and for travel the barrel could be disconnected from thehydro-pneumatic recoil system and pulled back to lie on top of the closed trails for towing. Alimber with a tow bar was provided for the horse team for towing. The sFH 36 used the sameseparate loading cased charges and projectile as the sFH 18 and it used the samesliding-block breech as the sFH 18.[2] However, the sFH 36 used up to 7 bagged charges to vary velocity and range, while the sFH 18 used up to 8. Production of the sFH 36 ceased in 1942 due to increased mechanization of the army, limited supplies of light alloys and the prioritization of their use for aircraft production.[2]
TheBundeswehr Museum of German Defense Technology inKoblenz has one of these cannons in its collection.
| Barrel Length | Weight | Muzzle Velocity | Range | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sFH 18 | 4.44 m (14 ft 7 in) L/29.5 | 5,512 kg (12,152 lb) | 210–520 m/s (690–1,710 ft/s) 8 charges max | 13.32 km (8.28 mi) |
| sFH 36 | 3.8 m (12 ft 6 in) L/25.5 | 3,280 kg (7,230 lb) | 210–485 m/s (690–1,590 ft/s) 7 charges max | 12.3 km (7.6 mi)[2] |