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Obice da 210/22 modello 35

1938 COLD WAR WORLD WAR 2

Obice from 210/22 model 35 history

After the First World War (1914-1918), the Italian army hardly modernized its artillery inventory. By the time of World War II (1939-1945) there were few solutions and the army ended up going to war with many old parts of varying effectiveness. It wasn't until the late 1930s that the Army finally improved its artillery and adopted two rifled guns to play different roles on the battlefield - a direct-fire field gun and an indirect-fire howitzer.

The latter became the "Obice da 210/22 Modello 35" (also known as "Model 1935", "M1935" or "M35").

The design of the howitzer was carried out by a team of the Italian Army Servizio Tecnici Armi e Munizioni (STAM). A prototype was built in 1935, and although the weapon was not officially stocked until 1938, the name still shows its 1935 roots.

The Italian Army's initial order was for 346 units to replace the outgoing model, with serial production being handled by Ansaldo of Pozzuoili.

The most advanced Type 35 system ended up being the powerful artillery piece of the era. It has a listed caliber of 210 mm (8.3 in) and weighs 35,020 lbs when launched and 53,000 lbs disassembled for transport. Shipping is aided by reducing the unit to two main shipping parts that can be further broken down into four smaller parts for longer shipping. The howitzer fired a 223-pound shell at 16,800 yards at 1,800 feet per second.

Gun mounting hardware allows elevation angles ranging from 0 to +70 degrees and an inherent 75 degree traverse. Used as a transporter and weapons carrier, the split trailer incorporates four wheels (two on each side) in its design. The front wheels are raised from the ground and the base is lowered to support the gun (approximately aft). The split trailing arms unfold and dig into the ground with spikes to counteract recoil.

With the wheels raised and the support base lowered, the gun can rotate 360 ??degrees, a tactical advantage. The recoil mechanism (hydropneumatic) has also been integrated into the barrel function. The barrel is 16.4 feet long.

Despite the excellent characteristics of the Type 35 gun, the Italian industry was unable to complete the task of mass production of this product. When the Italians went to war, weapons were scarce, so again they relied on old stocks already in circulation in the army. By the fall of 1942, only 20 guns remained in Italy's stockpile of the original 24 guns it had been looking for from 1938, produced with the help of OTO's involvement.

A second order in 1939 called for an additional 66 guns, but it was reduced to 46 in 1941 and 34 in 1943.

German invasion of the USSR only worsened Model 35 usability. The Italians had already struck a deal with another Axis power - Hungary - to supply new guns in exchange for raw materials and other war supplies.

Therefore, once the guns are finished, they are shipped directly to Hungarian ownership by the Ansaldo line. Once in service with the Hungarian army, they adopted the designation 21cm 39M, 40M and 40Ma (also known as "40a.M") and fought against Soviet troops on the Eastern Front.

The differences between the models are minimal, the 39M is the original Italian model from 1940, the 40M has some Hungarian-style modifications to the car, and the 40Ma is the last production model introduced in 1943. Some local gun manufacturers in Hungary facilitate conversion and delivery to the army.

The weapon proved effective enough that it was captured by the Germans after the Italians surrendered to the Allies in September 1943. Even the OTO line was ordered by the German director to continue production for the Wehrmacht, and the guns were used efficiently as a defense against advancing Allied forces.

In the Bundeswehr's inventory, these guns are designated "21cm Howitzer 520(i)", although their design has hardly changed. These guns continued to fight - and remained in production - until the end of the European War in May 1945.

As the hostilities in Europe ended and the dust settled, Ansaldo tried to interest several foreign parties on his field trips. However, the howitzer proved to have little market due to the availability of large quantities of American war materials to almost all buyers, ultimately leading to its history.

Compared to wartime, it saw not many operators.

The Italian army continued to use this weapon in the decades following the war. By 1969, all Obice da 210/22 Modello 35 guns were discontinued and replaced by the American M115 (known as "Obice da 203/25").