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7.7cm Feldkanone 96 (FK96)

History

Despite the advent of aircraft and "tanks" as viable weapons of war, artillery firepower still dominated the battlefields of World War I. The military industry is under enormous pressure to continually produce a wide variety of weapons of every useful caliber to match the types of ammunition available to each army. The Imperial German Army used a variety of field guns during the conflict, one of which became the 7.7cm Feldkanone 96 ("77mm field gun model of 1896").

As the name suggests, the type was first adopted in 1896 and used during World War I until the armistice in November 1918. Then a modernized form appeared in 1904 (7.7 cm FK 96 n.A.), while a completely new and improved gun replaced the line in 1916 (7.7 cm FK 16).

Field guns provide war planners with a great range to use direct or indirect fire against concentrated enemy forces or fortifications. As such, they can fire a variety of projectiles from high-explosive rounds to shrapnel.

By World War I, this gun was a breech-loading device (as opposed to muzzle-loading) with built-in recoil, allowing the gun assembly to remain in place after firing (the recoil is absorbed in various ways) . In this way, the weapon can continue to train in the target area without reorientation.

However, the FK 96 retains its 1896 origins, when a working recoil mechanism had not yet been manufactured. This was finally achieved by the French in 1897 with their excellent "Canon de 75 modele 1897" - just a year after the German introduction of the FK 96 - which basically made the recoilless system obsolete. The FK 96 instead used a crude shovel brake on the wake to deal with the violent recoil, but it wasn't enough - the guns actually stood on their butts when firing, limiting possible traverses . Overall, the design of the system was conventional for its time, including a 77mm barrel, a mounting system with a lift handle and solid multi-spoke wheels. The weapon is transported by animals and requires a crew of five to manage it effectively - from the commander to the ammunition handler to the gunner.

The historic German Krupp Group led the design and development of the FK 96 and many other German Army guns in both world wars.

Before World War I in 1904, the German Army had to update their FK 96 artillery inventory to keep up with French firepower. The existing system has been converted to a more modern standard, with only the barrels of the original unit remaining in the program. This move resulted in the new name "7.7 cm FK 96 n. A.", where "n.

A." positioned it as a "new species". As with the French design, a unique recoil mechanism was added under the barrel, and there was a bar track at the rear of the carriage for easy transport. The squat gun shield rounds out the list of improvements, providing some protection for the crew behind.

Not all weapons in stock have been updated, older, unaffected FK 96 weapons are designated "7.7 cm FK 96 a.A." to denote their "old model" status.

The FK 96 gun relies on separate ammunition components consisting of the projectile and the clipped charge section. The shells are housed in a 77 mm (3 in) chamber and pass through a wedge-shaped breech mechanism that slides horizontally. The recoil action of modern units is controlled by a hydraulic spring system. Elevation ranges from -12 to +15 degrees, while lateral is limited to 4 degrees in either direction.

Also, the rifle crew had to expend their power to turn the gun on wheels. A well-trained rifle crew can provide a rate of fire of 10 rounds per minute. The muzzle velocity of each bullet is 1,525 feet per second, the effective range is up to 6,000 yards, and the maximum attack range is up to 9,200 yards.

Each FK 96 system weighed 2,200 pounds and required a crew of five (two of whom had original metal seats behind the gun mantlet). The laying is carried out with a tangential line of sight. The gun is about 7 feet long and 5 feet wide.

The FK 96 system is designed to fire 15 pound high explosive (HE) grenades, 15 pound HE detonating fragmentation grenades, 15 pound fragmentation rounds, anti-tank shells, standard smoke shells, and one for night and low-altitude light operations Cleared flares and a gas bomb. As such, the weapon can be used to produce a variety of battlefield effects, including general attacks, defenses, gas attacks, night attack lighting, and smoke screens before major attacks.

Then, with the arrival of British tanks, the gun could be aimed at slow moving targets and used as a direct line of sight anti-tank gun. It is worth noting that many Allied tanks in the war lost their artillery and mechanical unreliability more than any other weapon on the battlefield.

Two versions of the FK 96 field gun were used during the First World War. Over time, however, decades of development have shown their limited usefulness (mainly range) in the presence of deeper battlefields resulting from the stalemate in trench warfare.

This led to the design, development and subsequent introduction of the greatly improved "7.7cm FK 16 of 1916", increasing the effective range to 10,000 yards.

The FK 96 served outside the German Army in the First World War. Operators include the Kingdom of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Germany's ally the Ottoman Empire.

During the Second Boer War from 1899 to 1902, Boer troops in South Africa purchased this model and used it against British and Commonwealth troops.

The FK 96 series guns were in use until 1918. Specimens captured by the British are on display at the Bovington Tank Museum, UK. The gun was nicknamed the "Grancourt Cannon", which fought against the 7th Panzer Corps near Glencourt.