The Gebirgshaubitze 40, or GebH 40, was a mountain gun that was used by Germany during World War II.
Description[]
The Gebrigshaubitze 40 could fire 105 mm shells at a distance of up to 7,000 meters. With a full crew that consisted of around three men, the Gebirgshaubitze 40 could easily achieve a rate of fire of around six rounds per minute.
The total length of the GebH 40 was around 5.6 meters long while its total weight was 1,660 kilograms. The weapon's muzzle velocity was 470 meters per second.[1]
The GebH 40's traverse range was 51 degrees and it could elevate from -5 to 71 degrees.[2] The GebH 40 also utilized a split trail carriage. The Gebirgshaubitze 40 had the great distinction of being the heaviest mountain gun ever created though in the field, this made it a very effective weapon. Its good reliability coupled with its heavy 14 kilogram shell made it the weapon of choice for the Gebirgsjäger. Even so, no variants were ever produced of the GebH 40 past the first production model.
History[]
The Gebirgshaubitze 40 was first developed in 1940 after the OKW had issued a specification for a new mountain gun to be issued to its troops. During the trials, the designs created by Böhler were carried into full-scale production. Production of the new gun was subsequently commenced in 1942.
From that point on, the gun saw service in various locations along the Eastern Front and fighting against the advancing Allies in the Italian mountains. Having the capability to be transported quickly by simple carriers allowed it to wreak havoc on Allied troops attempting to navigate the mountain passes. In total, around 420 examples of the GebH 40 were created during the war and it continued to see service with various different militaries after the war.
References[]
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