8 cm kanon vz. 30

8 cm kanon vz. 30

Parade of SS troops in Krakow, October 1940
Type Field gun
Place of origin Czechoslovakia
Service history
In service 1930-1945
Used by  Czechoslovakia
 Nazi Germany
Wars World War II
Production history
Designer Skoda
Designed 1928-1930
Manufacturer Skoda
Specifications
Weight 1,816 kilograms (4,004 lb)
Barrel length 3.06 metres (10 ft) L/40

Caliber 76.5 mm (3 in)
Carriage box trail
Elevation -8° to +80°
Traverse
Rate of fire 10-12 rpm
Muzzle velocity 600 m/s (1,968 ft/s)
Maximum firing range 13,500 metres (14,800 yd)

The 8 cm kanon vz. 30 (Cannon model 30) was a Czech field gun used in the Second World War. Guns captured after the German invasion of Czechoslovakia in March 1939 were taken into Wehrmacht service as the 8 cm FK 30(t). It was used by a variety of German units during World War II, including I./SS-Artillerie-Abteilung 3 between 1939 and 1940.[1]

Design & history

It was modified from an earlier Skoda design, the 7.5 cm kanon vz. 28, that attempted to combine the field, mountain and anti-aircraft roles into one weapon. It proved to be fairly successful at the first two, but was a failure at the third. It was ordered by the Romanian and Yugoslav armies, but hardly used for anti-aircraft duties. The Czechs decided to adopt it to replace their plethora of aged Austro-Hungarian field guns. They deleted the firing platform of the original design and modified it to use standard Czech 76.5 mm ammunition. It shared the same carriage that could break down into three pieces for transport as the 10 cm houfnice vz. 30.

References

Notes

  1. Niehorster, Leo W. G. German World War II Organizational Series, Vol. 2/II: Mechanized GHQ units and Waffen-SS Formations (10 May 1940), 1990

External links


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