15 cm Kanone 16

• Name — 15 cm Kanone 16 • Origin — German Empire • Type — Heavy field gun • Is Artillery — yes • Service — 1917–45 • Used By — German Empire Belgium Nazi Germany • Wars — World War I World War II • Designer — Krupp • Design Date — 1917 • Manufacturer — Krupp • Production Date — 1917–18 • Variants — 15 cm K 16 im Mrs. Laf. • Weight — 10870 kg • Part Length — 6.41 m L/43 • Cartridge — separate-loading, cased charge • Cartridge Weight — 51.4 kg (HE) • Caliber — 149.3 mm • Rate — 3 rpm • Velocity — 757 m/s • Max Range — 22000 m • Breech — horizontal sliding-block • Carriage — box trail • Elevation — -3° to +43° • Traverse — 8°

• Illustration — 15 cm Kanone 16 in transport configuration. Photo taken in the Middle East. The K 16 was a thoroughly conventional design for its day with a box trail, steel wheels for motor transport and a curved gunshield. The axle was suspended on a traverse leaf spring. For transport the barrel was generally detached from the recoil system and moved on its own trailer. In 1941 a small number of K 16 barrels were placed on 21 cm Mrs 18 carriages to become the 15 cm K 16 in Mrs Laf.

It fired 2 types of high-explosive shells, which differed only in which fuzes they could accept. It used a three part charge in its cartridge case. Charge 1 yielded a muzzle velocity of 555 m/s. Charge 2 replaced Charge 1 in the cartridge case and propelled the shell with a velocity of 696 m/s. Charge 3 was added to Charge 2 and raised the muzzle velocity to 757 m/s.

• BL 6 inch Gun Mk XIX British equivalent • Canon de 155mm GPF French equivalent