10.5cm leFH 16 Geschutzpanzer

History

By May 1940, the Axis Powers had pushed the Allies into the English Channel, resulting in the Battle of Dunkirk lasting from 26 May to 4 June 1940. Various naval ships were called to rescue the battered off the coast of France and bring them back to the relative safety of England for another day.

After the battle, thousands of vital military vehicles, artillery and small arms remained - their departure so hasty.

Among the newly captured vehicles was a batch of British light tank Mark VI systems, a light fighter built in the second half of the 1930s. These light tanks had a crew of 3, were armed with machine guns, and were powered by a Meadows 6-cylinder 68 hp gasoline engine. As demonstrated by the Germans during WWII, these tanks were chosen to be converted into self-propelled howitzers (SPH), an artillery carrier for indirect fire on soft targets and target areas.

This form of the Mark VI became the "10.5 cm leFH 16 Geschutzpanzer", and at least six tanks were converted to this.

The rebuilding process was relatively easy as much of the original chassis, landing gear and fuselage structure remained intact. The remaining German 10.5 cm (105 mm) leFH 16 field howitzers, now obsolete, were mounted on brackets, and these complete systems were mounted on the rear of the Mark VI tank hull. An open-air structure was then added to protect the working area of ??the riflemen - although they were still exposed to the elements and dangers of the battlefield.

The operator, including the driver in the fuselage, has a total of four people, only the driver is located in the front of the fuselage, so they can enjoy all-round protection. Foot Spr. installed a German radio for communication. A ground shovel was added to the rear of the hull, which should be lowered before launching the vehicle - to deflect some of the howitzer's violent recoil.

Since the gun is in a fixed structure, the entire vehicle must be turned in the direction of fire. The car was not equipped with a self-defense machine gun - the crew instead relied on personal weapons for protection.

These changes resulted in an increase in weight from 5 tonnes to 6.5 tonnes, but dimensions remained largely the same, reportedly measuring 4m in length, 2.2m in width and 2m in height. The armor protection on the sides is 15mm and the front fairing is 22mm.

The Meadows engine was retained and powered the sprocket assembly. The armored personnel carrier is capable of traveling at 31 miles per hour on the road and has a range of up to 174 miles. Off-road range is reduced to 112 miles.

This fleet of six gunboats was commissioned in October 1941 and proved to be a viable gunboat conversion, providing enough space for three artillery crews to work. Although the leFH 16 howitzer is nearing the end of its useful life, it is still powerful enough to fire high-explosive (HE) shells at unprotected targets. Compact vehicles are low-risk and cost-effective, making them a sound investment at this time of war.

Their speed is also good, and the battlefield is rapidly mechanized in a short period of time.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Not available.

Changes