7 replies to this topic

[RammyLad1]

Would the German artillery on the Passchendaele ridge be able to shell the British positions in the Ypres salient, or would that have been out of reach, even from their heaviest guns?

Duncan

[Robert Dunlop]

Yes, there was long range artillery that operated from behind Passchendaele ridge. Field guns didn't have the range to engage the salient from there until the British and Dominion forces had reached the limit of their advance.

Robert

[RammyLad1]

Thank you for confirming that Robert. When you say Long range artillery, Would these have been guns made by Krupps, that were transported on rail wagons?

Duncan

[Old Tom]

The German 5.9 (150mm) heavy artillery piece, not a rail mounted equipment, had the necessary range. As a rough guide Ieper (Ypres) to Paschendaele in about 6 miles and some 5.9's could reach nearly 13. I dont know in any were deployed there.

Old Tom

[RammyLad1]

Old Tom, Thank you for the details in regards of German heavy artillery range.

Duncan

[bob lembke]

Old Tom, on 09 February 2012 - 05:00 PM, said:

The German 5.9 (150mm) heavy artillery piece, not a rail mounted equipment, had the necessary range. As a rough guide Ieper (Ypres) to Paschendaele in about 6 miles and some 5.9's could reach nearly 13. I dont know in any were deployed there.

Old Tom

The 15 cm schweres Feld=Haubitze ("heavy field howitzer") was a common piece, not sure of its exact range, 13 miles is a lot. You are right, there were different models with different ranges, and late in the war the Germans started making some long-barreled "howitzers" (sounds like an oxymoron) called something like Kartouches. 15cm cannon (not howitzers) were rare and often naval cannon mounted on field carraiges. A more common long-range cannon were 10 cm Kanone, and the gun weighed more than the 15 cm howitzer. There were the occasional other calibers of cannon with long range, some older guns, the most common was the 12 cm Kanone, but there were the occasional 9 cm, 13 cm., and some batteries of captured cannon, especially Russian. Some of the older guns, some found with reserve formations (Landwehr, etc.), had limited range.  

Sorry, no clear answer there. There also were batteries of 21 cm howitzers, a corps-level weapon. 105 mm howitzers were common and were at divisional level field artillery regiment, but may not even had the range of the 77 mm field gun.

If exact ranges are required I have a resource some distance off.

Bob Lembke

[Cnock]

Hallo,

don't forget the 21 cm, 24 cm and 28 cm naval guns in Houthulst Forest that had a range of 20 kms and more.

Cnock

[bob lembke]

Cnock, on 13 February 2012 - 01:45 PM, said:

Hallo,

don't forget the 21 cm, 24 cm and 28 cm naval guns in Houthulst Forest that had a range of 20 kms and more.

Cnock

Yes, there was a variety of naval guns provided, at least some crewed by naval personnel, up to 38 cm guns with an astonishing range, not to mention the "Paris Gun", which largely was a naval project, the latter having a range of about 70 miles. Aiming was complicated as the earth (Paris) moved 40 miles while the shell was in the air.

Bob