German Field Artillery of World War II

An illustrated study of the big guns of Hitler's army - the Wehrmacht's field artillery, its capabilities and its role in German fighting units of World War II. Often overshadowed in military history by the tanks and aircraft of Blitzkrieg, Germany's artillery was key to its methods of waging war throughout World War II. Field artillery remained the primary killer on the battlefield, often responsible for three-quarters of combat casualties inflicted. Redressing the balance, this book surveys the major Wehrmacht guns of the war, and the basic organizational structure of the German field artillery. Its primary focus is on the divisional field guns, especially the lFH 18 10.5cm field howitzer and the 15cm sFH 18 field howitzer that formed the backbone of German artillery. A brief survey is also made of the infantry guns used at the regimental level, and of corps-level heavy artillery. The issue of the use of"Beutewaffen," captured war-booty field guns, is also looked at, as is the Nebelwerfer and schwere Wurfgerät rocket artillery. With archive photos and meticulously detailed new illustrations, this book provides a concise study of the German Army's big guns of World War II, how they were organized and how they were used, both on the Eastern and Western fronts.

Steven J. Zaloga is a senior analyst for Teal Group Corp., an aerospace consulting firm, where he covers missile and drone technology as well as international arms transfers for clients in the aerospace industry and the government. He served for more than two decades as an adjunct staff member with the Strategy, Forces, and Resources division of the Institute for Defense Analyses, a federal think-tank, retiring in 2021. He is the author of numerous books on military technology and history, including NVG 294 Allied Tanks in Normandy 1944 and NVG 283 American Guided Missiles of World War II. He currently lives in Maryland, USA.

Introduction Artillery organization Infantry guns Light infantry guns Heavy infantry guns Divisional artillery Old and eccentric: the 7.5cm field gun Backbone of the artillery: the 10.5cm light field howitzer 10.5cm gun battery organization 10.5cm leFH 18 operation The 10.5cm mountain howitzer The 15cm heavy field howitzer GHQ artillery 10cm gun 12.8cm K 81 gun 15cm guns 17cm gun K 18 in Mörserlafette 21cm Mörser 18 21cm Kanone Beutegeschütze Rocket artillery 15cm Nebelwerfer 41 21cm Nebelwerfer 42 28/32cm schwere Wurfgerät Artillery in combat Artillery on the Eastern Front 1941-45 Artillery on the Western Front 1944-45 Further reading Index