This article uses bare URLs, which are uninformative and vulnerable to link rot. Please consider converting them to full citations to ensure the article remains verifiable and maintains a consistent citation style. Several templates and tools are available to assist in formatting, such as reFill (documentation) and Citation bot (documentation). (September 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Obice da 149/12
A Modello 1914 in action during WWI.
Type	Howitzer
Place of origin	German Empire
Service history
In service	1914–1945
Used by	Kingdom of Italy Albania Bulgaria
Wars	World War I Second Italo-Ethiopian War Spanish Civil War World War II
Production history
Designer	Krupp
Designed	1913
Manufacturer	Ansaldo Vickers-Terni
Produced	1914–1918
No. built	1,500
Variants	149/12 Modello 1916 149/12 Modello 1918
Specifications
Mass	2,344 kg (5,168 lb)
Length	5.6 m (18 ft 4 in)
Barrel length	2.090 m (6 ft 10 in) L/12
Width	Modello 1914: 1.48 m (4 ft 10 in) Modello 1916: 1.23 m (4 ft) Modello 1918: 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in)

Shell	149.1 x 112. 5 mmR^[1] Separate-loading, cased charge (7 charges)
Shell weight	38.9–42.34 kg (86–93 lb)
Caliber	149.1 mm (5.89 in)
Breech	Horizontal sliding-block
Recoil	Hydro-spring variable recoil
Carriage	Box trail
Elevation	Modello 1914-1916: −5° to +45° Modello 1918: −5° to +65°
Traverse	5°
Rate of fire	3 rpm
Muzzle velocity	300 m/s (980 ft/s)
Effective firing range	6.9 km (4.3 mi)
Maximum firing range	8.8 km (5.5 mi)

The Obice da 149/12 was an Italian howitzer produced under license in Italy by Ansaldo and Vickers-Terni which was used during World War I and World War II.

History

After the independence and unification of Italy, the Italians were not self-sufficient in arms design and production. Foreign firms such as Armstrong, Krupp, Schneider, and Vickers all provided arms and helped establish local production of their designs under license.

One of the models that the Italian Army bought was the Krupp 15 cm sFH 13. With Italy's entry into the First World War in 1915 on the side of the Entente Powers Krupp only produced 112 pieces for the Italians. However, before the start of the war, Ansaldo and Vickers-Terni had acquired a production license for the 15 cm sFH 13 which was given Italian classification Obice da 149/12. Although the overall length of the barrel is 14 calibers in length the Italians classified it as 12 calibers because the Italian system does not count the gun's breech.^[2]

Design

The 149/12 was a conventional artillery piece of the era with spoked wooden wheels with steel rims, a steel box trail carriage, a horizontal sliding-block breech, hydro-spring recoil system, a gun shield and used cased separate-loading charges and projectiles. The carriage had an open space behind the breech to accommodate high angles of elevation while the separate-loading system could accept up to 7 bags of propellant to vary velocity and range. The main difference between the models is their carriages and shields. Otherwise, their barrels remained the same. 1,500 guns of all three variants were produced.^[3]

Variants

Obice da 149/12 Modello 1914 - This was the main production variant and is nearly identical to the 15 cm sFH 13.
Obice da 149/12 Modello 1916 - This version was considered a mountain gun with a narrower carriage 1.23 m (4 ft) and 1 m (3 ft 3 in) diameter wheels.^[4]
Obice da 149/12 Modello 1918 - This version's carriage was modified to allow the wheels to extend to allow extra clearance for the breech to recoil. This combined with a modified recoil mechanism and elevation mechanism allowed up to 65° of elevation. This model can be identified by the two seats for the gun crew on the tail of the carriage and the new curved gun shield.^[2]

Organization

A 149/12 battery consists of 4 howitzers, 4 Pavesi P4 tractors, 2 machine guns for close defense and 7 trucks. A 149/12 could be towed at 12–20 km/h (7.5–12.4 mph) and setup only took a few minutes.^[2]

World War I

All three models of the 149/12 were widely used by the Italians during the First World War and a number survived to be used in the Spanish Civil War and Second World War.

World War II

In addition to being used by Italy, the 149/12 was also exported to Albania and Bulgaria. It may have also been exported to Austria, Poland, and Spain. When Italy joined the Second World War in 1940, they had 580 Modello 1914 and 116 Modello 1918's in service, not having completed the replacement of this piece with the 149/13.^[2]

Ammunition

High-Explosive - Loaded with TNT or pentrite or picricum-tritol acid mixture (MAT) or binitrophenol-tritol mixture (MBT), 41.45 kg (91 lb 6 oz)
Shrapnel - This is the same shell from the earlier 149/35, 42.34 kg (93 lb 5 oz)
Common - This is the same shell from the earlier 149/35, cast iron and black powder.^[5]

Photo Gallery

A surviving Modello 1914 without its gun shield.
A battery of Modello 1916's.
A Modello 1918.

References

^ http://old.municion.org/15/149.htm
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Obice pesante da 149/12 mod.14". www.passioncompassion1418.com. Retrieved 2016-07-07.
^ "Regio Esercito - Materiale bellico - Obice da 149/12 Mod. 1914". www.regioesercito.it. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
^ "Regio Esercito - Materiale bellico - Obice da 149/12 Mod. 1916". www.regioesercito.it. Retrieved 2018-07-07.
^ Cappellano, Filippo (1998). Le artiglierie del Regio Esercito nella Seconda Guerra Mondiale. Parma: Albertelli. ISBN 8887372039. OCLC 48876309.

v t e Italian artillery of World War I
Anti-aircraft guns	Cannone da 76/45 S 1911 Cannone da 75/27 A.V.
Field, Medium and Heavy guns	Cannone da 75/27 modello 06 Cannone da 75/27 modello 12 Cannone da 75/27 modello 11 8 cm FK M. 5 Obice da 100/17 modello 14 Obice da 105/14 Cannone da 105/28 Cannone da 105/32 Obice da 149/12 Cannone da 149/23 Cannone da 149/35 A Cannone da 152/45
Mortars	Bombarda da 58 A Bombarda da 58 B 15 cm Mörser M1881 Bombarda da 240 mm
Infantry and Mountain guns	Cannon 37F Cannone da 65/17 modello 13 Cannone da 76/17 S modello 12 Cannone da 70/15
Naval and coastal defense guns	Cannon 76/40 Model 1916 Cannone da 76/45 S 1911 Cannon 102/35 Model 1914 Cannon 102/45 Cannon 152/32 Model 1887 Cannone da 190/45 EOC 8 inch 45 caliber EOC 10 inch 40 caliber EOC 10-inch /45 naval gun Obice da 280 305 mm /46 Model 1909 100-ton gun BL 13.5 inch naval gun Mk I – IV Cannone navale da 381/40
Railroad artillery	Cannone da 381/40 AVS
Superheavy and Siege artillery	Mortaio da 210/8 D.S. Mortaio da 210/9 modello 14 Mortaio da 260/9 Modello 16 Obice da 280 Obice da 305/17

v t e Italian artillery of World War II
Tank guns	Breda Model 35 Cannone da 37/40 Cannone da 47/32 Cannone da 47/40 Cannone da 75/34
Anti-tank guns	Solothurn S-18/1000 Cannone da 47/32 Obice da 75/18 modello 35 Cannone da 75/46 C.A. modello 34 Cannone da 90/53 Cannone da 105/25
Infantry and Mountain guns	Cannone da 37/10 modello 15 Cannone da 47/32 Cannone da 65/17 modello 13 Cannone da 70/15 Obice da 75/18 modello 34
Field, Medium and Heavy guns	Cannone da 75/27 modello 06 Cannone da 75/27 modello 12 Cannone da 75/27 modello 11 Obice da 75/18 modello 35 Cannone da 75/32 modello 37 Cannone da 76/17 S modello 12 Obice da 100/17 modello 14 Obice da 105/14 Cannone da 105/28 Cannone da 105/32 Obice da 149/12 Cannone da 149/28 Cannone da 149/35 A Cannone da 149/40 modello 35 Obice da 149/19 modello 37 Cannone da 152/45 Obice da 210/22
Superheavy and Siege artillery	Mortaio da 210/8 D.S. Mortaio da 260/9 Modello 16 Obice da 280 Obice da 305/17
Railroad artillery	Cannone navale da 381/40
Anti-aircraft guns	Cannone-Mitragliera da 20/77 (Scotti) Breda Model 35 Cannone-Mitragliera da 37/54 (Breda) Cannone da 75/27 A.V. Cannone da 75/46 C.A. modello 34 Cannone da 75/49 Cannone da 90/53