The Bofors 12 cm M. 14 was a howitzer used by the Netherlands in World War II as the Lichte Houwitzer 12 cm L 14. Captured guns were given a German designation after the Battle of the Netherlands as the 12 cm leFH 373(h) although it is not certain that they were actually used by German forces.
| Bofors 12 cm M. 14 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Howitzer |
| Place of origin | Sweden |
| Service history | |
| Used by |  Norway Netherlands Nazi Germany |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Bofors |
| Manufacturer | Bofors |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 1,610 kilograms (3,550 lb) |
| Barrel length | 1.725 metres (5.66 ft) L/14 |
| Crew | 7 |
| Shell | 16.5 kilograms (36 lb) |
| Caliber | 120 mm (4.72 in) |
| Carriage | Box trail |
| Elevation | -4° 48' to +43° |
| Traverse | 6° |
| Rate of fire | 3 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity | 317 m/s (1,040 ft/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 6,050 metres (6,620 yd) |
To supplement their existing 12 cm L/12 Krupp howitzers during WW1 the Netherlands ordered a total of 24 12 cm L/14 howitzers from Bofors in Sweden, the order consisted of 8 complete guns and part kits for another 16 guns to be constructed in the Netherlands. The contract was made in 1915 and the order was delivered in 1917. After the war more pieces of the type were built in the Netherlands at the arsenal in Hembrug.
Norway ordered 4 pieces.
Further reading
edit- Gander, Terry and Chamberlain, Peter. Weapons of the Third Reich: An Encyclopedic Survey of All Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the German Land Forces 1939-1945. New York: Doubleday, 1979 ISBN 0-385-15090-3
- Chamberlain, Peter & Gander, Terry. Heavy Artillery. New York: Arco, 1975 ISBN 0-668-03898-5
External links
edit- Dutch Artillery in May 1940 on War over Holland
- Dutch howitzers in May 1940 on War over Holland Note that this page reverses the quantities purchased of Krupp and Bofors 12 cm howitzers.
- Norwegian artillery on Norway 1940
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