German K-18 15cm Cannon

Rheinmetall began developing the German K-18 15cm cannon in 1933 to replace the aging 15cm Kanone 16. It entered service in 1938 as the German Army's standard heavy gun, weighing two tons more than its predecessor while offering only 2,500 yards greater range. The K18 fired a 95 lb. shell 26,800 yards, and ramps carried on top of the box trail were used in assembling the gun. It was expensive to manufacture, and production was slow, with only 101 built by August 1943, when production ended. Transport was also cumbersome because the barrel had to be removed and carried on a separate carriage for all but short moves, a process that was time consuming and unpopular with crews. It was generally considered too much gun for too little shell. Even so, the K18 remained in service with divisional artillery units until the end of the war and proved most useful as a coast artillery gun on the Atlantic Wall.

Lawton, Oklahoma · United States