10.5 cm leFH 18M
The 10.5 cm leFH 18M (German: leichte Feldhaubitze "light field howitzer") was a German light howitzer used in the Second World War. The gun, less the carriage and shield, was also used as the armament of the Sd.Kfz. 124 Wespe self-propelled artillery vehicle.
Also recorded as 105mm leFH18(M)
10.5 cm leFH 18M
Grah · Bundesarchiv, Bild 101I-204-1727-09 / Grah / CC-BY-SA 3.0 · This image was provided to Wikimedia Commons by the German Federal Archive (Deutsches Bundesarchiv) as part of a cooperation project. The German Federal Archive guarantees an authentic representation · CC BY-SA 3.0 de
- Field
- field howitzer.
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- Nazi Germany and Germany.
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The 10.5 cm leFH 18M (German: leichte Feldhaubitze "light field howitzer") was a German light howitzer used in the Second World War. The gun, less the carriage and shield, was also used as the armament of the Sd.Kfz. 124 Wespe self-propelled artillery vehicle.
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wikidata · Q711585 · wikipedia · 10.5 cm leFH 18M
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History
History
It was an improved version of the 10.5cm leFH 18 howitzer that offered superior range.
The 10.5 cm leFH 18M superseded the 10.5 cm leFH 18 as the standard German divisional field howitzer used during the Second World War. It was designed and developed by Rheinmetall after the war broke out in an effort to get more range from the basic leFH 18 design. A muzzle brake was fitted and the recoil system adjusted to allow the use of a more powerful charge and new long-range shell. Generally it did not equip independent artillery battalions until after the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943. 53 were also exported to Finland, where they were known as 105 H 33. During the Syrian Civil War, some rebel groups such as the Islamic Front and Ahrar al-Sham seized some guns and ammunition from museums or Syrian Arab Army warehouses.
Operators
Operators
Nazi Germany Portugal – Supplied by Nazi Germany. Saw use during the Portuguese Colonial War Syria − Supplied by Czechoslovakia. Saw limited use during the Syrian Civil War Yugoslavia
Description
Many were converted from the 10.5 cm leFH 18 and retained their original wood-spoked or pressed steel wheels. The former were only suitable for horse traction. Initially, it was fitted with a single-baffle muzzle brake of relatively low efficiency. This was later improved by welding two protruding ears to the rear of the port. However this style of muzzle brake proved troublesome with the early designs of high velocity anti-tank shells and a new cage-type muzzle brake was designed and fitted. The new FH Gr Fern long-range shell was about 25 millimetres (0.98 in) longer than the normal shells used by the leFH 18 guns, but had a shorter streamlined section behind the driving band to accommodate the larger powder charge required. This fit in the standard cartridge case, but protruded about 50 millimetres (2.0 in) past its mouth. Ballistically, the 10.5 cm leFH 18M and the leFH 18/40 are identical.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.101. www.quarryhs.co.uk.
- 2.Bishop, Chris. The encyclopedia of weapons of world War II. Sterling Publishing Company, Inc., 2002, p.144
- 3.Taylor, Adam. New video shows Syrian rebels using a WWII-era Nazi howitzer. The Washington Post. 22 May 2015.
- 4.Mitzer, Stijn. World War II-Era German Howitzers Continue To See Use In The Syrian Civil War. Oryx. 21 May 2015.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 4
- 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
- Foss, Christopher F. Artillery of the world. Charles Scribner's Sons. 1981. 978-0-684-16722-0.
- 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
- Hogg, Ian V. German Artillery of World War Two. 2nd corrected edition. Mechanicsville, PA: Stackpole Books, 1997
References
Citations
References
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Militaria
6,095 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- 10.5 cm leFH 16Terminology
- 10.5 cm leFH 16 Geschutzwagen Mk VI 736 (e)Terminology
- 10.5 cm leFH 18Terminology
- 10.5 cm leFH 18/40Terminology
- 10.5 cm Leichtgeschütz 40Terminology
- 10.5 cm Leichtgeschütz 42Terminology
- 10.5 cm SK C/32 gunTerminology
- 10.5 cm SK L/40 gunTerminology
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