15.5 cm s.F.H. 414 (f)

[Sturm78]

Hi all,

An 155mm Schneider howitzer captured in North Africa. According to the wheels of this howitzer I would say an US howitzer supplied to the British Army in 1941, so technically not an 15.5cm sFH414(f)....

Image from Ebay
Sturm78

[na4222]

Thanks Sturm. Other photos in the same series show the gun being used by the Germans (at least the aiming sites are installed) so I’m guessing it’s a modernized French gun taken by the Germans to North Africa.

Best,
Nezar

[na4222]

Thanks Sturm. Other photos in the same series show the gun being used by the Germans (at least the aiming sites are installed) so I’m guessing it’s a modernized French gun taken by the Germans to North Africa.

Best,
Nezar

[T. A. Gardner]

According to Peter Chamberlin and Terry Gander in Heavy Artillery this sort of gun was used by the South Africans in North Africa and were originally M1918A3's.



Note the S. African style pith helmets on a couple of the crew in the photo.

[Alanmccoubrey]

Since British Medium Regiments used this in North Africa I'd say it was much more likely to have been captured there.

[Sturm78]

Nezar wrote
Thanks Sturm. Other photos in the same series show the gun being used by the Germans (at least the aiming sites are installed) so I’m guessing it’s a modernized French gun taken by the Germans to North Africa.

The wheels of the modernized French howitzers are the different pattern...so it is a US-built howitzer as T. A. Gardner said

T. A. Gardner wrote
According to Peter Chamberlin and Terry Gander in Heavy Artillery this sort of gun was used by the South Africans in North Africa and were originally M1918A3's.

Thanks for your reply, T. A. Gardner


Sturm78

[Urmel]

Nezar wrote
Thanks Sturm. Other photos in the same series show the gun being used by the Germans (at least the aiming sites are installed) so I’m guessing it’s a modernized French gun taken by the Germans to North Africa.

The wheels of the modernized French howitzers are the different pattern...so it is a US-built howitzer as T. A. Gardner said

T. A. Gardner wrote
According to Peter Chamberlin and Terry Gander in Heavy Artillery this sort of gun was used by the South Africans in North Africa and were originally M1918A3's.

Thanks for your reply, T. A. Gardner


Sturm78

You are completely correct. The German used guns purchased in Tunisia from the French army there. They were not shipped from Europe. These guns were not modernised, and had the old wooden wheels, as far as I can tell. They were drawn on a special carriage. More info here:

https://rommelsriposte.com/2009/07/22/c ... used-them/

and here

https://rommelsriposte.com/2011/02/23/f ... revisited/

The fact that these guns were captured with those of Italian 46 Regiment does not in my view confirm they were assigned to it. German medium artillery may have been assigned to reinforce it.

and here

https://rommelsriposte.com/2011/06/15/8 ... uary-1942/

The latter includes numbers sent to the Empire forces. The 155mm howitzer was used by Australian and British medium regiments.

[Manuferey]

Hi all,
An 155mm Schneider howitzer captured in North Africa. According to the wheels of this howitzer I would say an US howitzer supplied to the British Army in 1941, so technically not an 15.5cm sFH414(f)....
Image from Ebay
Sturm78

Here is another picture of the same ebay auction. Both pictures had the date “1. Nov. 1942” stamped in the back from what the auction showed. We clearly see the wheel, typical of the US built 155 mm M1917 and M1918, and different from the two types of French wheels.

155M1917Germans.jpg

According to Peter Chamberlin and Terry Gander in Heavy Artillery this sort of gun was used by the South Africans in North Africa and were originally M1918A3's.

If I’m not mistaken the M1918 Howitzer had a straight shield. The curved shield was for the M1917 Howitzer.

Here is another picture of an M1917 Howitzer with the same light color as the one inspected by the Germans above.
Interestingly, the caption indicates that the gun was captured by British troops at Mersa Matruh in November 1942. Maybe it was captured by the Germans on Nov. 1st and recaptured by the British afterwards. Or the caption is completely wrong, which by looking as the caliber of 210 mm, is quite possible.

Source: https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C14675

155AWM3920226.jpg

Emmanuel

[Urmel]

I think it is far more likely that the gun was captured by the Germans during the Gazala/Tobruk operations in Spring 1942, and then recaptured in November. I am not aware of 210mm guns being issued to Eighth Army. The 150mm went to the Australians as well.

https://crusaderproject.wordpress.com/2 ... uary-1942/

[Sturm78]

Hi all,

Some images from Ebay. According to photo caption, France 1940, so I am not sure if just captured French howitzers or ex-Polish howitzers

Sturm78

[na4222]

Probably captured ex polish howitzers. Super interesting to seem them in German service so early in the war.

Nezar

[schwarzermai]

Probably captured ex polish howitzers. Super interesting to seem them in German service so early in the war.

Nezar

Hello Nezar, i think only 4 Abteilungen had s.F.H 17 (p) and where in April 1940 kriegsgliederungsmäßig unterstellt to

IV./401(206. Inf.Div.), IV./402 (213. Inf.Div.), IV./403 (221. Inf.Div.), IV./404 (218. Inf.Div.)

uwe

[forttravel]

Here some links to Polish manuals:

description, service and ammo: http://zbrojownia.cbw.wp.mil.pl:8080/Co ... CZ_2_B.pdf

drill/action (I don't know exact English word, we have own one "działoczyny" ): http://zbrojownia.cbw.wp.mil.pl:8080/Co ... CZ_1_B.pdf

[na4222]

Thank you Uwe!

[Manuferey]

Probably captured ex polish howitzers. Super interesting to seem them in German service so early in the war.

Nezar

Hello Nezar, i think only 4 Abteilungen had s.F.H 17 (p) and where in April 1940 kriegsgliederungsmäßig unterstellt to

[...], IV./404 (218. Inf.Div.)

uwe

Thanks Uwe. It fits. A note on the ebay page mentions "Der Artillerist kämpfte bei der 11.Bat./Art.Regt.218 im Westfeldzug und war nach dem Sieg in Frankreich.

Emmanuel