8 cm FK M. 5

8 cm Feldkanone M.5
8 cm Feldkanone M.5
	FK M. 5/8 in the South African National Museum of Military History
Type	Field gun
Place of origin	Austria-Hungary
Service history
In service	1907–45
Used by	Austria-Hungary; Austria; Czechoslovakia; Nazi Germany; Hungary; Italy; Yugoslavia
Wars	World War I; Second Italo-Ethiopian War; World War II
Production history
Designer	Skoda
Designed	1901–05
Manufacturer	Skoda
Produced	1907-1918?
Variants	M 5/08; M 5/8 MP
Specifications
Mass	1,065 kg (2,348 lb)
Barrel length	2.285 m (7 ft 6 in) L/30
Shell	Fixed QF 76.5 x 283mm R
Shell weight	6.68 kg (14 lb 12 oz)
Caliber	76.5 mm (3 in)
Breech	horizontal sliding-block
Recoil	hydro-spring
Carriage	Box trail
Elevation	M 5/8: -7° 30' to +18°; M 5/8 MP: -5° to +73°
Traverse	M 5/8: 7° 52'; M 5/8 MP: 360°
Rate of fire	8-10 rpm
Muzzle velocity	500 m/s (1,600 ft/s)
Effective firing range	M 05/08: 6.1 km (3.8 mi); M 5/8 MP: 3.9 km (13,000 ft) AA ceiling
Maximum firing range	7 km (4.3 mi)

The 8 cm Feldkanone M.5 was a field gun used by Austria-Hungary during World War I. It was a conventional design, with its most notable feature being its obsolescent autofrettaged bronze (so-called steel-bronze, see Franz von Uchatius) barrel, necessary because Austria-Hungary still had trouble making steel of the proper quality.

History

Austrians took years to decide on the proper recoil system of their new light field gun amid the so-called "quick-firing revolution", and the type of its breech. At the turn of the 20th century Austro-Hungarian light field artillery was armed with a slightly upgraded design from mid-1870s, the 9 cm Feldkanone M 75/96 (classified as "accelerated fire" at the time due to a spring-mounted spade brake reducing but not eliminating recoil of the carriage). German military was concerned that their closest ally may be outgunned, and after consulting with both Krupp and Ehrhardt Austrians bought the rights for the QF gun of the latter company.^[5] Even then production difficulties prevented its introduction into service until 1907.^[6]

Users

In addition to being used by Austria-Hungary during World War I the M.5/8 was widely used by its successor states after the war. Guns captured by Italy were used in both World War I and World War II as the Cannone da 77/28 modello 5/8 and the Cannone da 77/28 CA (from contraereo meaning anti-aircraft). Weapons captured by Nazi Germany were used under the designations 7.65 cm FK 5/8(ö), 7.65 cm FK 5/8(t), 7.65 cm FK 5/8(j) or 7.65 cm FK 300(j), 7.65 cm FK(i) and 7.65 cm Flak 268/1(i) depending on which country they were taken from eg Östereich = Austria, tschechisch from Czech^[1]

Variants

The M.5 was adapted for use in narrow mountain paths as the M.5/8 and could be disassembled into three loads. The base of the barrel was given lifting grips to speed its removal from the carriage and the carriage itself was modified to allow it to be disassembled. Later M.5/8 barrels were made out of steel and full length axles of cast steel were available for use in its field gun configuration as found on an example rescued from a Dutch barn. This gun was also fitted with German army standard wooden wheels that differ from Austrian military standard through the lack of metal lugs on the spoke ends.

In addition to its field gun and mountain gun roles the M.5/8 was also adapted to an anti-aircraft role by placing the gun on a high-angle pedestal mount with 360 ° traverse and firing shrapnel shell. In this form it was named "8 cm Luftfahrzeugabwehr-Kanone M 5/8 Mittelpivotlafette."^[7] The Italians also had an anti-aircraft version of the M 05/08 called the Cannone da 77/28 CA (contraereo). Despite its obsolescence it was deployed by Italian home guard units during World War II for static anti-aircraft defense and those captured by Germany after the Italian armistice in 1943 were given the designation 7.65 cm Flak 268/1(i).^[3] There were also anti-aircraft versions of the M.5/8 in use with Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia.^{[citation needed]}

Gallery

An 8 cm FK M5 cannon. Note the seats for the gunners.
Breech of an 8 cm FK M5 cannon.
Manufacturers stamp on an 8 cm FK M5 cannon.
8 cm anti-aircraft cannon M 5/8 MP, Heeresgeschichtliches Museum Wien.
On Anjou Bastion. Buda Castle Quarter, Budapest
A modified Italian Cannone 77/28 modello 5/8

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Chamberlain, Peter (1975). Light and medium field artillery. Gander, Terry. New York: Arco. p. 4. ISBN 0668038209. OCLC 2067331.
^ Williams, Anthony G. "77-77 mm Calibre Cartridges". Military Guns & Ammunition. Archived from the original on 2015-01-17. Retrieved 2017-09-02.
^ ^a ^b Chamberlain, Peter (1975). Anti-aircraft guns. Gander, Terry. New York: Arco Pub. Co. p. 31. ISBN 0668038187. OCLC 2000222.
^ "Digitální knihovna Kramerius".
^ "Stevenson, David (2018) The field artillery revolution and the European military balance, 1890-1914. International History Review. ISSN 0707-5332" (PDF). Eprints.lse.ac.uk. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
^ Ortner, p. 201-202
^ "8cm Anti-Aircraft M5". www.landships.info. September 9, 2017. Archived from the original on September 24, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2017.

References

Englemann, Joachim and Scheibert, Horst. Deutsche Artillerie 1934-1945: Eine Dokumentation in Text, Skizzen und Bildern: Ausrüstung, Gliderung, 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
Ortner, M. Christian. The Austro-Hungarian Artillery From 1867 to 1918: Technology, Organization, and Tactics. Vienna, Verlag Militaria, 2007 ISBN 978-3-902526-13-7
Chamberlain, Peter and Gander, Terry. Light and Medium Field Artillery. New York, Arco
Chamberlain, Peter and Gander, Terry. Anti-Aircraft Guns. New York, Arco

External links

M 05 on Landships

[:0-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Chamberlain, Peter (1975). Light and medium field artillery. Gander, Terry. New York: Arco. p. 4. ISBN 0668038209. OCLC 2067331.

[2] Williams, Anthony G. "77-77 mm Calibre Cartridges". Military Guns & Ammunition. Archived from the original on 2015-01-17. Retrieved 2017-09-02.

[:1-3] Chamberlain, Peter (1975). Anti-aircraft guns. Gander, Terry. New York: Arco Pub. Co. p. 31. ISBN 0668038187. OCLC 2000222.

[4] "Digitální knihovna Kramerius".

[5] "Stevenson, David (2018) The field artillery revolution and the European military balance, 1890-1914. International History Review. ISSN 0707-5332" (PDF). Eprints.lse.ac.uk. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.

[6] Ortner, p. 201-202

[7] "8cm Anti-Aircraft M5". www.landships.info. September 9, 2017. Archived from the original on September 24, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2017.

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v t e Austro-Hungarian artillery of World War I
Infantry and mountain	3.7 cm Infanteriegeschütz M.15 7 cm Gebirgsgeschütz M 75 7 cm Gebirgsgeschütz M 99 7.5 cm Gebirgsgeschütz 15 Škoda 7.5 cm d/29 Model 1911 10 cm Gebirgshaubitze M 99 10 cm Gebirgshaubitze M 8 10 cm Gebirgshaubitze M 16
Mortars	8 cm Luftminenwerfer M 15 9 cm Minenwerfer M 14 9.15 cm leichtes Minenwerfer System Lanz 9 cm Minenwerfer M 17 10.5 cm Luftminenwerfer M 15 12 cm Minenwerfer M 15 12 cm Luftminenwerfer M 16 14 cm Minenwerfer M 15 15 cm Luftminenwerfer M 15 M. E. 20 cm Luftminenwerfer M 16 22.5 cm Minenwerfer M 15 26 cm Minenwerfer M 17
Field, medium and heavy	8 cm FK M 99 8 cm FK M. 5 8 cm FK M. 17 8 cm FK M 18 9 cm FK M 75/96 10 cm FH M 99 10 cm Feldhaubitze M. 14 10.4 cm Feldkanone M. 15 15 cm sFH M 94 15 cm sFH M 14 15 cm sFH M.15 15 cm Autokanone M. 15/16
Superheavy and siege	12-cm Kanone M 80 15 cm Mörser M 80 15 cm Kanone M 80 18 cm kurze Kanone M 80 21 cm Mörser M. 16/18 24 cm Mörser M 98 24 cm Kanone M. 16 30.5 cm Mörser M. 11 30.5 cm Mörser M. 16 35 cm Marinekanone L/45 M. 16 38 cm Belagerungshaubitze M 16 42 cm Haubitze M. 14/16

v t e Italian artillery of World War I
Anti-aircraft guns	Cannone da 76/45 S 1911 Cannone da 75/27 A.V.
Field, Medium and Heavy guns	Cannone da 75/27 modello 06 Cannone da 75/27 modello 12 Cannone da 75/27 modello 11 8 cm FK M. 5 Obice da 100/17 modello 14 Obice da 105/14 Cannone da 105/28 Cannone da 105/32 Obice da 149/12 Cannone da 149/23 Cannone da 149/35 A Cannone da 152/45
Mortars	Bombarda da 58 A Bombarda da 58 B 15 cm Mörser M1881 Bombarda da 240 mm
Infantry and Mountain guns	Cannon 37F Cannone da 65/17 modello 13 Cannone da 76/17 S modello 12 Cannone da 70/15
Naval and coastal defense guns	Cannon 76/40 Model 1916 Cannone da 76/45 S 1911 Cannon 102/35 Model 1914 Cannon 102/45 Cannon 152/32 Model 1887 Cannone da 190/45 EOC 8 inch 45 caliber EOC 10 inch 40 caliber EOC 10-inch /45 naval gun Obice da 280 305 mm /46 Model 1909 100-ton gun BL 13.5 inch naval gun Mk I – IV Cannone navale da 381/40
Railroad artillery	Cannone da 381/40 AVS
Superheavy and Siege artillery	Mortaio da 210/8 D.S. Mortaio da 210/9 modello 14 Mortaio da 260/9 Modello 16 Obice da 280 Obice da 305/17

v t e Italian artillery of World War II
Tank guns	Breda Model 35 Cannone da 37/40 Cannone da 47/32 Cannone da 47/40 Cannone da 75/34
Anti-tank guns	Solothurn S-18/1000 Cannone da 47/32 Obice da 75/18 modello 35 Cannone da 75/46 C.A. modello 34 Cannone da 90/53 Cannone da 105/25
Infantry and Mountain guns	Cannone da 37/10 modello 15 Cannone da 47/32 Cannone da 65/17 modello 13 Cannone da 70/15 Obice da 75/18 modello 34
Field, Medium and Heavy guns	Cannone da 75/27 modello 06 Cannone da 75/27 modello 12 Cannone da 75/27 modello 11 Obice da 75/18 modello 35 Cannone da 75/32 modello 37 Cannone da 76/17 S modello 12 Obice da 100/17 modello 14 Obice da 105/14 Cannone da 105/28 Cannone da 105/32 Obice da 149/12 Cannone da 149/28 Cannone da 149/35 A Cannone da 149/40 modello 35 Obice da 149/19 modello 37 Cannone da 152/45 Obice da 210/22
Superheavy and Siege artillery	Mortaio da 210/8 D.S. Mortaio da 260/9 Modello 16 Obice da 280 Obice da 305/17
Railroad artillery	Cannone navale da 381/40
Anti-aircraft guns	Cannone-Mitragliera da 20/77 (Scotti) Breda Model 35 Cannone-Mitragliera da 37/54 (Breda) Cannone da 75/27 A.V. Cannone da 75/46 C.A. modello 34 Cannone da 75/49 Cannone da 90/53