The Cannone da 149/40 was a heavy gun which served with Italy during World War II. It was intended to replace the obsolete Cannone da 149/35 A, but the small numbers produced prevented that. By 1940 orders had been placed for 590, but only 51 were in service at the end of September 1941. Weapons captured by the Germans after the Italian surrender in 1943 were put into service as the 15 cm K 408(i). Ansaldo produced a batch of twelve for the Germans in April 1944.
| Cannone da 149/40 | |
|---|---|
 A battery of 149/40 guns. | |
| Type | Heavy Gun |
| Place of origin | Kingdom of Italy |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1940-1945 |
| Used by |  Kingdom of Italy Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Ansaldo |
| Manufacturer | Ansaldo |
| Produced | 1940-44 |
| No. built | 51 by 1941[1] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 11,340 kilograms (25,000 lb) |
| Barrel length | 6.036 metres (19 ft 10 in) L/40 |
| Shell | 45.96 kilograms (101.3 lb) |
| Caliber | 149.1 mm (5.87 in) |
| Carriage | Split trail |
| Elevation | 0° to +45° |
| Traverse | 60° |
| Rate of fire | 1-2 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity | 800 m/s (2,625 ft/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 23,700 metres (25,900 yd) |
It was a good design despite the odd decision to use trail spade plates that had to be pounded into the ground to anchor the gun in place. Normally it was broken down into two loads for transport, but it could be further broken down into four loads for mountainous terrain.
References edit
- Chamberlain, Peter; Gander, Terry (1975). Heavy Artillery. New York: Arco. ISBN 0-668-03898-5.
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