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Obice da 75/18 modello 34/35

1934 WORLD WAR 2

Obice from 75/18 modello 34/35 History

Due to Italy's mountainous terrain, the national army has been looking to stockpile weapons focused on mountain warfare. This includes a range of relatively light mountain guns and howitzers capable of engaging targets beyond range at various operational altitudes.

As the 1930s progressed, the Army realized that its existing stockpile of such weapons was "aging", and Ansaldo of local concern was tasked with developing a modern weapon for mountain troops.

The final design (by Italian artillery officer Lieutenant Colonel Sergio Bellese) appeared in 1934 as the "Obice da 75/18 Modello 34", a more or less conventional looking howitzer system . A key element of the design is that the system can be broken down into eight main components for easy transport. The weapon pack system weighs 2,310 pounds when activated and 4,040 pounds in travel mode. A box rail frame unit is mounted below the barrel mounting hardware, and the usual handles and levers are integrated into the mounting section for lifting and threading the barrel. Elevation angles range from -10 to +45 degrees, moving 50 degrees to the right or left from the centerline.

Running wheels with rubber tires span the design, and those wheels come into play when the gun is moved by the loaded beast or power prime mover. The overall length of the gun reached 1.6 meters.

The Modello 34 howitzer fires a 14-pound, 75 mm (2.95 in) high-explosive (HE) projectile with a maximum range of 10,500 yards. The projectile exits the barrel at 1,400 feet per second.

In addition to being used by mountain troops, the Modello 34 attracted the attention of the regular army, and the Modello 35 field howitzer was quickly adopted. This variant doesn't have the fail-safe capabilities of its mountain gun brethren, but instead has a split trailer assembly. The new model is sold abroad to Italian allies in South America and Portugal. It is also used as the main weapon of the Italian Army's Semovente 75/18 self-propelled artillery vehicle (detailed elsewhere on this site).

During the Battle of Crete (May-June 1941, Axis victory), some form of British capture on Crete turned against the Axis.

After Italy surrendered to the Allies in September 1943, the Germans quickly took control of the existing Italian artillery stockpile and the Modello 34/35 series guns now available under the German Army designation '7. 5cm leFH 255(i)' during the war.