15 cm Kanone 16

Heavy field gun

15 cm Kanone 16

A 15 cm Kanone 16 on display outside the Australian War Memorial in 2016

Type| Heavy field gun
Place of origin| German Empire
Service history
In service| 1917–45
Used by| German Empire
Belgium
Nazi Germany
Wars| World War I
World War II
Production history
Designer| Krupp
Designed| 1917
Manufacturer| Krupp
Produced| 1917–18
Variants| 15 cm K 16 im Mrs. Laf.
Specifications
Mass| 10,870 kilograms (23,960 lb)
Length| 6.81 metres (20 ft)
Barrel length| 6.41 metres (21 ft 0 in) L/43[1]

* * *

Shell| separate-loading, cased charge
Shell weight| 51.4 kilograms (113 lb) (HE)
Caliber| 149.3 mm (5.88 in)
Breech| horizontal sliding-block
Carriage| box trail
Elevation| -3° to +43°
Traverse| 8°[1]
Rate of fire| 3 rpm
Muzzle velocity| 757 metres per second (2,480 ft/s)
Maximum firing range| 22,000 metres (24,000 yd)[1]

The 15 cm Kanone 16 (15 cm K 16) was a heavy field gun used by Germany in World War I and World War II. Guns turned over to Belgium as reparations after World War I were taken into Wehrmacht service after the conquest of Belgium as the 15 cm K 429(b). It generally served on coast-defense duties during World War II.

## Design

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15 cm Kanone 16 in transport configuration. Photo taken in the Middle East.

The K 16 was a thoroughly conventional design for its day with a box trail, steel wheels for motor transport and a curved gunshield. The axle was suspended on a traverse leaf spring. For transport the barrel was generally detached from the recoil system and moved on its own trailer. In 1941 a small number of K 16 barrels were placed on 21 cm Mrs 18 carriages to become the 15 cm K 16 in Mrs Laf.

## Ammunition

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It fired 2 types of high-explosive shells, which differed only in which fuzes they could accept. It used a three part charge in its cartridge case. Charge 1 yielded a muzzle velocity of 555 metres per second (1,820 ft/s). Charge 2 replaced Charge 1 in the cartridge case and propelled the shell with a velocity of 696 metres per second (2,280 ft/s). Charge 3 was added to Charge 2 and raised the muzzle velocity to 757 metres per second (2,480 ft/s).[2]

## See also

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### Weapons of comparable role, performance and era

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* BL 6 inch Gun Mk XIX British equivalent
* Canon de 155mm GPF French equivalent

## References

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### Citations

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1. ^ a b c Chamberlain, Peter; Gander, Terry (1975). Heavy Artillery. New York: Arco. p. 23\. ISBN 0668038985. OCLC 2143869.
2. ^ Hogg, pp. 82-3

### Sources

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* Engelmann, Joachim and Scheibert, Horst. Deutsche Artillerie 1934-1945: Eine Dokumentation in Text, Skizzen und Bildern: Ausrüstung, Gliederung, Ausbildung, Führung, Einsatz. Limburg/Lahn, Germany: C. A. Starke, 1974.
* Gander, Terry and Chamberlain, Peter. Weapons of the Third Reich: An Encyclopedic Survey of All Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the German Land Forces 1939-1945. New York: Doubleday, 1979. ISBN 0-385-15090-3.
* Hogg, Ian V. German Artillery of World War Two. 2nd corrected edition. Mechanicsville, PA: Stackpole Books, 1997. ISBN 1-85367-480-X.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to 15 cm Kanone 16.

* the K 16 on Landships
* List and pictures of World War I surviving 15cm K 16 guns

* v
* t
* e

German artillery of World War I

Infantry and
mountain guns|

* 5.7 cm Maxim-Nordenfelt
* 6 cm S-Bts K L/21
* 7.5 cm GebirgsKanone 13
* 7.5 cm Gebirgskanone L/13 C/80
* Ehrhardt 7.5 cm Model 1904
* 7.62 cm Infanteriegeschütz L/16.5
* 7.7 cm Infanteriegeschütz L/20
* 7.7 cm Infanteriegeschütz L/27
* 10.5 cm Gebirgshaubitze L/12

Mortars|

* Granatenwerfer 16
* 7.58 cm leMW
* 9.15 cm leichtes Minenwerfer System Lanz
* 17 cm mMW
* 24 cm schwere FlügelMinenWerfer Albrecht
* 24 cm schwere Flügelminenwerfer IKO
* 24 cm schwerer LadungsWerfer Ehrhardt
* 25 cm sMW
* Albrecht mortar

Field, medium
and heavy guns|

* 5.3 cm Fahrpanzer
* Krupp 7.5 cm Model 1903
* 7.7 cm FK 16
* 7.7 cm FK 96
* 7.7 cm FK 96 n.A.
* 7.7 cm KiH
* 8 cm Kanone C/73
* 8 cm Kanone C/80
* 9 cm Kanone C/73
* 9 cm Kanone C/79
* 10.5 cm FH 98/09
* 10.5 cm leFH 16
* 10 cm K 04
* 10 cm K 14
* 10 cm K 17
* 12 cm Kanone C/80
* 13.5 cm K 09
* 15 cm Kanone 16
* 15 cm L/40 Feldkanone i.R.
* 15 cm Ring Kanone C/72
* 15 cm Ring Kanone C/92
* 15 cm Ring Kanone L/30
* 15 cm sFH 02
* 15 cm sFH 13
* 15 cm sFH 93
* 17 cm SK L/40 i.R.L.

Superheavy and
siege artillery|

* 21 cm Haubitze M1891
* 21 cm Mörser 10
* 21 cm Mörser 16
* 21 cm Mörser 99
* 21 cm Paris Gun
* 21 cm Versuchmörser 06
* 28 cm Haubitze L/12
* 28 cm Haubitze L/14 i.R.
* 38 cm Langer Max
* 42 cm Big Bertha
* 42 cm Gamma howitzer

Railroad artillery|

* 15 cm SK "Nathan"
* 17 cm SK L/40 "Samuel"
* 21 cm SK "Peter Adalbert"
* 24 cm SK L/30 "Theodor Otto"
* 24 cm SK L/40 "Theodor Karl"
* 28 cm K L/40 "Kurfürst"
* 28 cm SK L/40 "Bruno"
* 38 cm SK L/45 "Max"

Anti-aircraft artillery|

* 3.7 cm Maxim Flak M14
* 3.7 cm SockelFlak L/14.5
* 7.62 cm FlaK L/30
* 7.7 cm FlaK L/35
* 7.7 cm Leichte Kraftwagengeschütze M1914
* 8.8 cm Flak 16
* Flaming onion

Anti-tank guns|

* 3.7 cm TAK 1918
* MG 18 TuF

Tank guns|

* 5.7 cm Maxim-Nordenfelt

* v
* t
* e

German artillery of World War II

Tank/Vehicle
guns|

* 2 cm KwK 30
* KwK 38
* 3.7 cm KwK 36
* 3,7 cm KwK 34(t)
* KwK 38(t)
* 5 cm KwK 38
* KwK 39

* 7.5 cm KwK 37
* Stuk 37
* K 51
* 7.5 cm KwK 40
* 7.5 cm KwK 42

* 8.8 cm KwK 36
* 8.8 cm KwK 43
* 12.8 cm KwK 44

Anti-tank guns
(Pak)|

* 2.8 cm sPzB 41
* sPzB 41 leFl 41

* 3.7 cm Pak 36
* 3.7 cm Pak 37(t)
* 4.2 cm Pak 41
* 4.7 cm Pak 36(t)
* 4.7 cm Pak 181(f)
* 5 cm Pak 38

* 7.5 cm Pak 97/38
* Pak 50
* 7.5 cm Pak 39
* Pak 40
* Pak 41
* Pak 42

* 7.62 cm Pak 36(r)
* 7.62 cm Pak 39(r)

* 8 cm PAW 600
* 8.8 cm Pak 43
* 8.8 cm Pak 43/41

* 10 cm PAW 1000
* 12.8 cm PaK 40
* 12.8 cm Pak 44
* Pak 80

Infantry guns|

* 7.5 cm le.IG. 18
* 7.5 cm IG. 37
* 7.5 cm IG. 42

* 15 cm s.IG 33

Mountain guns|

* 7.5 cm le.Geb.IG. 18
* 7.5 cm Geb.H. 34
* 7.5 cm Geb.G. 36
* 10.5 cm Geb.H. 40

Recoilless guns|

* 7.5 cm LG 40
* 10.5 cm LG 40
* LG 42

Mortars|

* 5 cm leGrW 36
* 8 cm GrW 34
* kz 8 cm GrW 42

* 8.14 cm Reihenwerfer

Heavy mortars|

* 10 cm NbW 35
* NbW 40
* 12 cm GrW 42
* 21 cm GrW 69

* 20 cm le.LdgW
* 38 cm s.LdgW

Rocket artillery|

* 7.3 cm Föhn-Gerät
* 7.3 cm Propagandawerfer 41
* 8 cm Raketen-Vielfachwerfer
* 15 cm Do-Gerät

* 15 cm NbW 41
* 21 cm NbW 42
* 28/32 cm NbW 41
* 30 cm NbW 42
* RkW 56
* Wurf. 40

Field, medium
and heavy guns|

* 7.5 cm FK 16 nA
* 7.5 cm FK 18
* 7.5 cm FK 38
* 7.5 cm FK 7M85

* 10.5 cm leFH 16
* 10.5 cm le.FH. 18
* 18M
* 18/40

* 15 cm sFH 13
* 15 cm s.FH. 18
* 36
* 40
* 18/40

* 10 cm K 17
* 10 cm sK 18
* 10.5 cm sK 18/40

* 15 cm K 16
* K 18
* K 39
* 15 cm SK C/28 (Mrs.Laf)
* 17 cm K 18
* 21 cm Mrs 16
* 21 cm Mrs 18

Superheavy and
siege artillery|

* 21 cm K 38
* 21 cm K 39
* 24 cm H 39
* 24 cm K (t)
* 24 cm K L/46 [de]
* 24 cm K 3

* 28 cm H L/12
* 35.5 cm Haubitze M1
* 42 cm Gamma Mörser
* 42 cm H. (t)

* 54 cm Karl-Gerät 041
* 60 cm Karl-Gerät 040

Railroad artillery|

* 15 cm K (E)
* 17 cm K (E)

* 20.3 cm K (E)
* 21 cm K 12 (E)
* 24 cm Th K (E)
* ThBr K (E)

* 28 cm kzBr K (E)
* lgBr K (E)
* s. Br. K. (E)
* Br NK (E)
* K. 5 (E)

* 38 cm Siegfried K (E)
* 80 cm Gustav K (E)

Naval artillery|

* 8.8 cm SK L/45
* 8.8 cm SK C/30
* SK C/32
* SK C/35
* 10.5 cm SK C/32
* SK C/33
* 12.7 cm SK C/34

* 15 cm SK L/45
* 15 cm SK C/25
* SK C/28
* TbtsK C/36
* 20.3 cm SK C/34

* 28 cm SK L/40
* 28 cm SK C/28
* SK C/28
* 38 cm SK C/34
* 40.6 cm SK C/34

Anti-aircraft guns|

* 2 cm Flak 28
* Flak 29
* 2 cm Flak 30
* Flak 38
* Geb.Flak 38
* Flakvierling 38

* 3 cm FlaK 103/38
* 3 cm Flak MK 303 (Br)
* Flakzwilling MK 303 (Br)
* Flakzwilling M44

* 3.7 cm SK C/30
* 3.7 cm Flak 18
* Flak 36
* Flak 37
* 3.7 cm Flak 43
* Flakzwilling 43
* 3.7 cm Flak M42
* Flak M43

* 4 cm Flak 28
* 5 cm Flak 41

* 8.8 cm Flak 18
* Flak 36
* Flak 37
* Flak 41
* 10.5 cm Flak 38
* 12.8 cm Flak 40

Demolition
charges|

* Stielgranate 41
* Stielgranate 42

* Key: (t) \- Czech; (f) \- French

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