German 77 mm Field Gun M.96 n.A. (Krupp)
At the beginning of World War One the 7.7 cm Feldkanone M.96 served in three of the four artillery units attached to an infantry division, in both batteries of each artillery reserve regiment, in both batteries attached to each Landwehr brigade, and in the horse battery of each of the eleven cavalry divisions. Battlefield losses in the artillery were replaced with improved guns and howitzers. In 1917, the infantry divisions had three artillery units, only one of which still deployed the 7.7 cm Feldkanone M.96. The other two artillery units were equipped with the improved 7.7 cm Feldkanone M.16 and the 10.5 cm Feldhaubitze M.98/06 or M.16.
Available Scale Model Kits
- 1:72 EMHAR 7204 (Feldkanone & Crew)
- 1:72 Fine Scale Factory WE4
- 20 mm Reviresco ART-1 (Feldkanone & Limber)
- 1:76 Tumbling Dice
Technical Specifications
- 7.7 cm L.23 Feldkanone M.96 neue Art (Krupp)
- Weight: 1750 kg on campaign
- Barrel Weight: 390 kg
- Limber Weight: 535 kg
- Calibre: 77 mm
- Barrel Length: 1771 mm (L.23)
- Shell Length: 3.75 Calibres
- Fuse: Doppelzünder 96, or delayed fuse
- Ammunition Supply:
- 32 Shells in Limber
- 52 Shells in Caison
- Rate of Fire: 5 Round per Minute
- Battery Rapid Fire with six Guns: 50 Rounds per Minute
- Muzzle Velocity: 465 m/s
- Range:
- 800–5000 m with delayed fuse
- 8000 m with impact fuse
- Shell Weight:
- Shrapnell with 300 Balls of 10 g each: 6,85 kg
- Shell with 170 g Granatfüllung 88: 6,85 kg
- Armour Penetration at 0-100 m:
- A.P.H.E. (1941) 53 mm
Bibliography
- Hogg, Ian: Twentieth-Century Artillery
Museum Pieces
- Wehrtechnisches Museum, Koblenz, Germany
- Royal Armouries Museum, Fort Nelson, Fareham, Hants., England
Historical Employment
- German Artillery 1914–1918
- Bulgarian Artillery 1914–1918
- Romanian Artillery 1916–1918
- Turkish Artillery 1914–1918
- Polish Artillery 1919 to ca. 1930
- Lithuanian Artillery 1919 to ca. 1930
- Estonian Artillery 1919 to ca. 1930
- Livonian Artillery 1919 to ca. 1930
At the beginning of World War One the 7.7 cm Feldkanone M.96 was the most common field gun in the German infantry and cavalry divisions. Many of the surviving 7.7 cm Feldkanone M.96 were taken into Polish, Lithuanian, Estonian and Livonian army after World War One, and they remained in service until replaced by more modern equipment in the 1930’s.