The German 7.5 cm infantry gun (7.5 cm leichtes Infanteriegeschütz 18) was a light, short-barrelled, 75mm gun, which was fielded by the Wehrmacht during World War II. Designed in 1931, it entered service in 1932. It was massively produced, with more than 12,000 pieces made until 1945.
It was a light and very handy piece of artillery employed on every front of the war to provide front line troops with fire support. Each infantry regiment of the German Army had six 7.5 cm light infantry guns and two 15 cm guns. It came in handy in urban warfare.
Technical Characteristics
The 7.5 cm leichtes Infanteriegeschütz 18 barrel was carried in a square section casing. This casing was in another casing that had the fixed breech lock and firing mechanism. It was set up on a simple box trail gun carriage. It featured a steel shield, which was composed of five individual parts that could be folded. The crew was made up of a gun commander, gunner. loader, and three ammunition carriers. It was drawn to the battlefield by a team of horses or by military vehicles.
Specifications
Type: light infantry gun
Weight: 405 kg
Barrel Length: 88 cm (3 feet)
Shell: 6-kg
Breech: Top break
Elevation: -10 to +73 degrees
Traverse: 12 degrees
Recoil: hydro-pneumatic
Maximum Range: 3.6 km
Muzzle Velocity: 210/s
Below, the German 7.5 cm infantry gun in 1943 on the Eastern Front.
The breech of the 7.5 cm leichtes Infanteriegeschütz 18
