10 cm K 14

10 cm Kanone 14
A K 14 at the U.S. Army Field Artillery Museum, Ft. Sill, OK
Type	Field gun
Place of origin	German Empire
Service history
In service	1915–1918/191511945
Used by	German Empire Bulgaria
Wars	World War I
Production history
Designer	Krupp
Designed	1912-14
Manufacturer	Krupp
Produced	1915-18
No. built	724
Specifications
Mass	2,820 kg (6,217 lbs)
Barrel length	4.725 m (15 ft 6 in) L/35
Shell	separate-loading, cased charge
Caliber	105 mm (4.13 in)
Breech	semi-automatic horizontal sliding-wedge
Recoil	hydro-spring variable recoil
Carriage	box trail
Elevation	-5° to +45°
Traverse	6°
Effective firing range	12,085 m (13,092 yards)

The 10 cm Kanone 14 (10 cm K 14) was a field gun used by Germany and Bulgaria in World War I.

Design

The 10 cm Kanone 14 was designed by Krupp and was intended to replace the 10 cm K 04. It was essentially a heavily modified version of the gun it was intended to replace, but it was designed to be able engage targets on the ground and in the air. Its firing platform was intended to give it a fast 360° traverse. Its elevation was 15° greater than the 10 cm K 04, and due to recoil problems associated with firing at high angles, it was designed with a heavy and complicated variable recoil system. To improve its accuracy when employed in the anti-aircraft role, it was fitted with a double elevation sighting system.

Production

It was placed into production on the outbreak of World War I and the first guns had been delivered by May 1915. It was used as a field gun by both Germany and Bulgaria. It could be transported in one load by a team of six horses, with the baseplate carried on the trails. Two batteries worth were modified to be broken down for use in mountainous terrain. Despite the modifications for its intended dual role as an anti-aircraft gun, it proved to be a complete failure in that respect.

References

• Skaarup, Harold A. (2012). Shelldrake: Canadian Artillery Museums and Gun Monuments. Bloomington, Illinois: iUniverse. ISBN 978-1-4697-5000-2.