The 75 mm FRC M27 was a Belgian anti-aircraft gun built after the First World War and used during the Second World War.
| 75 mm FRC M27 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Anti-aircraft gun |
| Place of origin | Belgium |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1927-1945 |
| Used by | Belgium Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Krupp |
| Designed | 1913 |
| Manufacturer | Fonderie Royale des Canons (FRC) |
| Produced | 1927[1] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 7,930 kg (17,480 lb) |
| Barrel length | 3.9 m (12 ft 10 in) L/52[1] |
| Shell | Fixed QF |
| Shell weight | 6.4 kg (14 lb) |
| Caliber | 75 mm (3.0 in) |
| Breech | Vertical sliding-wedge |
| Carriage | Dual-axle flatbed road carriage or railroad flatcar. |
| Elevation | 0° to +70° |
| Traverse | 360°[1] |
| Muzzle velocity | 700 m/s (2,300 ft/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 7.5 km (25,000 ft) vertical ceiling[1] |
History
editThe origins of the FRC M27 lie in the German Krupp 8.8 cm SK L/45 naval gun of 1913. In addition to its role aboard warships of the Imperial German Navy, it was also used as a shore based anti-aircraft gun and coastal artillery during the First World War.[2] The Belgians obtained a number of these guns either when the Germans retreated or as reparations following Germany's defeat during the First World War.
The barrels were lined down to 75 mm by the Fonderie Royale des Canons (FRC) in 1927. The guns were given a muzzle brake and mounted on a shielded, high angle mount on either a dual-axle flatbed road carriage or on a railroad flatcar.[citation needed] Those weapons captured after the German occupation of Belgium in 1940 were taken into Wehrmacht service as the 7.5 cm Flak(b).[1]