GERMAN LEFH18 10.5CM HOWITZER

The leFH 18 (German: leichte Feldhaubitze 18) is a German 105mm towed howitzer from the Second World War. The first prototypes of the guns were built in 1928, and series production began in 1935, ending with the production of about 10,500 howitzers of this type. The maximum range was 10,600 m, and the rate of fire - up to 8 rounds per minute. The leFH 18 was created as a result of analytical work carried out by the German army in the 1920s, which showed the legitimacy of replacing the 77 mm guns - remembering the years of World War I - with a completely new design, i.e. a 105 mm howitzer. Such a change would not significantly reduce the mobility of the German artillery, and, in return, the range would increase. In the course of serial production, two modernizations of the leFH 18 howitzer were made. The first, designated as leFH 18 (M), had a greater range (about 13,000 m) and a higher towing speed. Wheel tires were also used, which allowed the use of motor traction. The second (leFH 18/40) used components of the PaK 40 anti-tank gun to reduce its weight. The leFH 18 howitzer turned out to be a success and was used by the Wehrmacht throughout the entire period of World War II. It also found several foreign buyers, including Spain, Portugal and Hungary.