The following brief report on the German 17-cm Kanone 18 was originally printed in Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 22, April 8, 1943. [DISCLAIMER: The following text is taken from the U.S. War Department publication Tactical and Technical Trends. As with all wartime intelligence information, data may be incomplete or inaccurate. No attempt has been made to update or correct the text. Any views or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the website.]

GERMAN LONG-RANGE 172-MM GUN From the Middle East, unconfirmed details are reported of a 50-caliber, 172-mm (6.7 in) gun with a range of over 30,000 yards, as follows: Caliber      172.5 mm (6.79 in) Length of bore 50 calibers (approx) Muzzle velocity 1,970 - 2,300 f/s Maximum range 30,520 yds Traverse - on platform  360° Traverse - on carriage  16° Elevation 70° Weight of shell 140 lbs (approx) Ammunition Percussion, or time fuze Rate of fire 1 rpm Gun detachment 12 Weight in action 16 1/2 tons Normally the gun and carriage are separated for transport, but they have been towed complete by an 18-ton half-track vehicle.

Back to Articles by Subject | Intel Bulletin by Issue | T&TT by Issue | Home Page