15 cm Kanone 18

The 15 cm Kanone 18 (15 cm K 18) was a German heavy gun used in the Second World War.

Design and history

In 1933 Rheinmetall began development of a new artillery piece to fulfil a German Army requirement for a replacement of the aged 15 cm Kanone 16, with the first production units received in 1938. There was not much of an improvement over the older gun as it weighed two tons more than the K 16, but only had 2,290 metres (2,500 yd) more range. The army was happy with the range, but not with the carriage. There was a special transport carriage for just the gun when traveling long distances. Putting it on its turntable took even more time to assemble.

Around a hundred were built between 1939 and 1943. It was not popular in service as it was regarded as too much gun for too little shell. This caused its production to be terminated in August 1943. Many were used in coastal installations.

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  K 18 firing in Russia

See also

• 152 mm gun M1935 (Br-2) - Soviet World War II equivalent
• 155 mm Long Tom - American World War II equivalent

References

* 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

Media related to 15 cm Kanone 18 at Wikimedia Commons

German artillery of World War II
Tank guns	2 cm KwK 30 3.7 cm KwK 36 3.7 cm KwK 38(t) 5 cm KwK 38 5 cm KwK 39 7.5 cm KwK 37 7.5 cm KwK 40 7.5 cm KwK 42 8.8 cm KwK 36 8.8 cm KwK 43
Anti-tank guns	2.8 cm sPzB 41 3.7 cm Pak 36 4.2 cm Pak 41 4.7 cm Pak 38(t) 4.7 cm Pak 181(f) 5 cm Pak 38 7.5 cm Pak 97/38 7.5 cm Pak 39 7.5 cm Pak 40 7.5 cm Pak 41 7.5 cm Pak 42 7.62 cm Pak 36(r) 8 cm PAW 600 8.8 cm Pak 43 12.8 cm Pak 44
Infantry and mountain guns	7.5 cm leIG 18 7.5 cm IG 37 7.5 cm IG 42 7.5 cm GebH 34 7.5 cm GebG 36 10.5 cm GebH 40 15 cm sIG 33
Recoilless guns	7.5 cm LG 40 10.5 cm LG 40 10.5 cm LG 42
Heavy mortars	10 cm NbW 35 10 cm NbW 40 12 cm GrW 42 20 cm leLdgW 21 cm GrW 69 38 cm schwerer Ladungswerfer
Rocket artillery	7.3 cm Föhn-Gerät 7.3 cm Propagandawerfer 41 8 cm Raketen-Vielfachwerfer 8.8 cm Raketenwerfer 43 15 cm Do-Gerät 15 cm NbW 41 21 cm NbW 42 28/32 cm NbW 41 30 cm NbW 42 30 cm Raketenwerfer 56 Wurfrahmen 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 cm K 17 10 cm sK 18 10.5 cm leFH 16 10.5 cm leFH 18 10.5 cm leFH 18M 10.5 cm leFH 18/40 10.5 cm sK 18/40 15 cm sFH 13 15 cm sFH 18 15 cm K 16 15 cm K 18 15 cm K 39 15 cm SK C/28 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 Kanone L/46 24 cm K 3 28 cm H L/12 35.5 cm Haubitze M1 42 cm Gamma Mörser Karl-Gerät 80 cm K (E) Gustav
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) 24 cm ThBr K (E) 28 cm kzBr K (E) 28 cm lgBr K (E) 28 cm sBr K (E) 28 cm Br NK (E) 28 cm K 5 (E) 38 cm Siegfried K (E) 80 cm K (E) Gustav
Anti-aircraft guns	2 cm Flak 30/38/Flakvierling 2 cm Gebirgsflak 38 3.7 cm Flak 18/36/37/43 5 cm Flak 41 8.8 cm Flak 18/36/37/41 10.5 cm FlaK 38 12.8 cm FlaK 40