Krupp 13.5 cm FK 1909

Krupp 13.5 cm FK 1909
Type	Field Gun
Place of origin	German Empire
Service history
In service	1909–1918
Used by	German Empire
Wars	World War I
Production history
Designer	Krupp
Designed	1909
Manufacturer	Krupp
Produced	1909 -1918
Specifications
Weight	6,730 kg (14,840 lb)
Barrel length	L/35
Shell	31.7 kg (70 lb)
Caliber	135 mm (5.3 in)
Recoil	hydro-spring
Elevation	-5° to +26°
Traverse	4°
Muzzle velocity	696 m/s (2,280 ft/s)
Maximum firing range	16,500 m (18,000 yd)

The Krupp 13.5 cm (5.31 in) FK 1909 was introduced into German service in 1909, however by 1914 only 16 had been built. Production was accelerated when war began, but in 1915 it was withdrawn from service and replaced with guns capable of higher angles of elevation and longer range. Later in the war the FK 1909 was brought back into service due to attrition and shortages. A sprung axle was fitted in order to improve its mobility and allowed the FK 109 to be towed by artillery tractors instead of horse teams. By the end of the war there were 200 in service, however the FK 1909 was not considered one of Krupp's better guns, due to its large size and small shell size.

References

• Hogg, Ian Twentieth-Century Artillery. New York: Barnes & Nobles, 2000 ISBN 0-7607-1994-2