By Lasse Jensen

Last updated 18 Marts 2002

Cannone da 75/18 modello 1935 & 1937
 

General


Designer


75/18 modello 1935
Original Manufacture Ansaldo, Italy
Original Manufacture name
Is this a license build gun? no
License Manufacture ~
Customer Aim Domestic military
Prototype naming
Indented country naming Italy, 75/18 modello 1935
Naming variants Germany -'7.5cm FK 255(i)'
reversion models 75/18 modello 1937
Licenses build variants
Export variants
Nature of weapon Field gun
Introduction date 1935
First action date
Production time
Production number
Crew

Gun dimension

Caliber, bore 75mm

Caliber, length/bore L/18
Muzzle brake
Recoil system
Breech mechanism
Barrel length (all) 
Barrel length (ex breech)
Barrel weight (all)
Weight (firing position) 1052kg
Weight (traveling order)
Length (firing position)
Length (traveling order)
Width (firing position)
Width (traveling order)
Height (firing position)
Height (traveling order)
Ground Clearance (towing)

Gun performers

    

Traverse Right
Traverse Left
Elevation +45°
Depression -10°
Ammunition types 6.4kg -HE
Maximum Range 9326m ~ 9560m -HE
Muzzle velocity 430m/s ~ 441m/s -HE
Rate of Fire - 30s ~
Rate of Fire - 4m ~
Rate of Fire - 10m ~
Rate of Fire - 1h, sustained ~

Carriage

    

Name
Variants
Shield yes
Weight
Wheels (if any) yes
Tyres (if any) yes, unknown type

Towing vehicle

    

Primary type
Trailer

 

History
By the 1930’s much of the Italian mountain artillery material was obsolescent and overdue for replacement.
The Italian firm of Ansaldo undertook to produce a new mountain howitzer design. By 1934 this had emerged as the Obice da 75/18 modello 34, a sound and thoroughly useful little howitzer that was intended for the mountain role and could thus be broken down into eight loads for transport. In the interest of standardization and logistics it was decided that the 75/18 modello 34 was just what was required as the light howitzer component of the normal field batteries. Thus the 75/18 modello 34 was ordered for them as well, but using a more orthodox carriage with no provision for being broken down into loads. This field version became known as the Obice da 75/18 modello 35. The modello 35 was ordered into production, but could not be produced in the numbers required. This was despite the fact that the carriage used had many features in common with the later modello 37 gun, and the same barrel and recoil mechanism that was used for the mountain howitzer was also used on the modello 35.

The supply situation was not eased in any way by the need for the Italians to sell the modello 35 abroad in order to obtain foreign currency. In 1940 a sizeable batch was sold to Portugal, and more went to South American countries in exchange for raw materials. More production capacity was diverted to the production of versions for use on various forms of Semovante self-propelled guns, but very few of these ever reached the troops. Those that did proved to be very efficient as any of the comparable German assault guns. After 1943, the Germans took the modello 35 under their control as quickly as they took over the rest of the available Italian guns and used the modello 35 as the 7.5cm leFh 255(i).

~~ Jeffrey Goldstein
More Pictures
71/18 M.1935        
       
unknown location        

References:

Jeffrey Goldstein - which quote these sources;
Ian Hogg, Twentieth Century Artillery, Amber Books Ltd, 2000
Chris Bishop (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Barnes & Noble, 1998

 Additional web resources.
Various web notes.

All pages and Graphic on Builders Paradise are copyrighted (c) by LHJWORLD (TM) 2002