15 cm sFH 13

15 cm sFH 13
Country	Germany
Type	Heavy field howitzer
In service	1913–1945
Built	3400+

The 15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze 13 (15 cm sFH 13), was a heavy field howitzer used by Germany in World War I and the beginning of World War II.

Source: 15 cm sFH 13 on Wikipedia

Howitzer 15cm sFH13 Walk Around
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Photos	16

Howitzer 15cm sFH13 01

Howitzer 15cm sFH13 02

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Howitzer 15cm sFH13 09

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General Characteristics

The 15 cm sFH 13 (German for “15 cm heavy field howitzer, model 13”) was a heavy field howitzer that served as the primary heavy artillery piece for the German Army during World War I and was still in use at the start of World War II.

Property	Value (Original sFH 13 / kurz)
Role	Heavy Field Howitzer
Designer	Krupp, with Rheinmetall contributions
Entered Service	1913
Caliber	149.7 mm (5.89 in)
Mass (In Action)	~2,200 kg (~4,850 lb)
Carriage	Box trail
Rate of Fire	3 to 4 rounds per minute (rpm)

Performance and Variants

Shell Weight: The standard High Explosive (HE) shell weighed approximately 42 kilograms (93 lb).
Muzzle Velocity: ~365 m/s (1,200 ft/s) for the original L/14 version.
Maximum Range:
- Original sFH 13 (L/14, “kurz”): ~8,500 meters (9,300 yd).
- lg. sFH 13 (L/17, “lange”): ~8,800 to 8,900 meters.
Elevation: 0 to +45 (for the original model).
Traverse: 5 total. The limited traverse was typical for field artillery of that era.
Key Feature: It featured a long-barrel recoil mechanism and a protective gun shield for the crew, both improvements over its predecessor, the sFH 02.

History and Legacy

World War I: The sFH 13 became the principal gun of battle for German heavy field artillery, proving its effectiveness in trench warfare by delivering high-angle fire against fortifications.
Main Variants:
- sFH 13 (“kurz”): Original short-barrel version (L/14).
- lg. sFH 13 (“lange”): Long-barrel version (L/17) introduced in 1916 with increased range.
- lg. sFH 13/02: A conversion combining the new long barrel with the older sFH 02 carriage.
World War II Use: Despite being obsolete, the sFH 13 was still utilized by the German Wehrmacht in WWII, often for coastal defense (Atlantic Wall) or mounted on captured French Lorraine 37L armored chassis to create the Marder I self-propelled anti-tank gun (though this utilized the barrel, not the complete carriage).