10.5 cm leFH 16

10.5 cm leFH 16
Country	German Empire – Nazi Germany
Role	Field howitzer
In service	1916–45
Built	Unknow

The 10.5 cm leichte Feldhaubitze 16 (10.5 cm leFH 16) was a field howitzer used by Germany in World War I and World War II. The 10.5 cm leichte Feldhaubitze 16 was introduced in 1916 as a successor to 10.5 cm Feldhaubitze 98/09, featuring a longer barrel and hence longer range. It had the same carriage as the 7.7 cm FK 16.

Source: 10.5 cm leFH 16on Wikipedia

German 10.5 cm leFH 16 Field Howitzer Walk Around
Photographer	Vladimir Yakubov
Localisation	South Carolina Military Museum
Photos	63

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The Imperial German Workhorse Howitzer of the Western Front

The 10.5 cm leichte Feldhaubitze 16 (10.5 cm leFH 16) was a standard German light field howitzer introduced in 1916 by Rheinmetall to replace the earlier 10.5 cm leFH 98/09 during World War I. Engineered to meet the brutal demands of trench warfare, the leFH 16 featured a longer barrel, improved range, and a hydro-pneumatic recoil system designed to out-range Allied field artillery on the Western Front. Renowned for its reliability and devastating high-explosive capabilities, it served as the backbone of Imperial German field artillery batteries through the end of the Great War. Despite post-war treaty restrictions, hundreds of surplus howitzers were retained, modernized, and pressed back into active frontline and second-line service by the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht during World War II.

Attribute	Technical Specification (10.5 cm leFH 16 / Modernized leFH 16 n.A.)
Role	Light Field Howitzer / Direct & Indirect Infantry Support Artillery
Crew	5 to 7 Artillerymen (Gun Commander, Gunner, Loader, Shell Handlers)
Caliber & Barrel Length	105 mm (4.13 in) \| 22-caliber barrel length (L/22, ~2.31 m barrel)
Maximum Firing Range	9,225 m (10,088 yards / 5.7 miles) with standard high-explosive projectile
Rate of Fire	4 to 5 rounds per minute (sustained) \| Up to 8 rounds per minute (maximum)
Combat Weight	1,525 kg (3,362 lbs) in firing position \| 2,245 kg (4,949 lbs) transport weight with limber
Carriage Type	Box-trail carriage with integrated steel gun shield and spoked wooden/steel wheels
Elevation / Traverse	Elevation: -10° to +40° \| Traverse: 4° total carriage traverse (2° left/right)
Towing / Transport Options	Horse-drawn 6-horse team with limber; later modified for motorized towing with rubberized wheels
Production Total	~3,000+ units produced between 1916 and 1918 by Rheinmetall and Krupp

Design Engineering: Barrel Elongation, Hydro-Pneumatic Recoil, and Separate-Loading Ammunition

Extended L/22 Barrel Design: Developed as an urgent wartime upgrade to counter the French 75 mm and British 18-pounder quick-firing guns, the leFH 16 lengthened the barrel from 16.2 calibers (on the older leFH 98/09) to 22 calibers. This increased muzzle velocity to 395 m/s and extended maximum engagement range by nearly two kilometers.
Hydro-Pneumatic Recoil System: Placed beneath the barrel inside the cradle, the hydro-pneumatic recoil mechanism absorbed the heavy shock of 105 mm firing. This allowed the gun to stay anchored in position between shots without requiring the crew to relevel the carriage after every round.
Separate-Loading Variable Charges: The howitzer utilized separate-loading cased ammunition consisting of a high-explosive, shrapnel, or gas shell paired with a brass cartridge casing holding variable powder bags (Charges 1 through 5). This allowed battery commanders to adjust trajectory angles over high ridge lines and deep enemy trench lines.
Box-Trail Carriage and Protective Shield: Built on a rigid steel box-trail carriage, the gun incorporated a curved steel shield to protect the crew from small-arms fire and shell splinters. A spade embedded at the end of the trail dug into the ground to anchor the weapon against recoil forces.

Operational History: Spring Offensives, Interwar Survival, and WWII Coast Defenses

World War I Western Front Debuts (1916–1918): Introduced during the Battle of the Somme, the leFH 16 provided crucial rolling barrages for German infantry units. During the 1918 Spring Offensive (Kaiserschlacht), it served as the main mobile artillery piece supporting stormtrooper tactics.
Interwar Reichswehr Inventory & Modernization: Following the Treaty of Versailles, the Weimar Republic was allowed to retain a limited quantity of leFH 16 howitzers. During the 1930s, many were modernized as the leFH 16 n.A. (neue Art), swapping the original barrel onto the carriage of the newer 10.5 cm leFH 18.
World War II Second-Line and Coastal Service: As the Wehrmacht adopted the modern leFH 18, surviving leFH 16s were reassigned to reserve divisions, training units, and coastal defense fortifications along the Atlantic Wall in occupied France and the Channel Islands.
Self-Propelled Conversions (Gw leFH 16): Following the Fall of France in 1940, German forces captured hundreds of French FCM 36 and Geschützwagen 39H(f) light tank chassis. German engineers mounted surplus leFH 16 howitzers onto these tracked hulls to create improvised self-propelled artillery pieces (Panzerjäger/Artillerie-Selbstfahrlafette) used in Normandy in 1944.