German 100mm Gun, M1917

The K 17 was a long-range weapon of the German Foot (Heavy) Artillery in World War I and an extremely long-ranged corps artillery piece that entered service with German and Austrian forces in 1917. Its ammunition was carried in a conventional caisson and limber towed by six horses, and the 10cm Kanone 17 traveled in two loads with each load pulled by six horses. Near the firing point on level ground, the tube transporter was driven onto special channels on the trail, which guided the tube onto the carriage and lined it up with the recoil system; the tube was then winched into the in-battery position and locked in place, although the 10cm K 17 could also be moved to the firing position in one piece. Its ammunition consisted of separate-loading projectiles for both shell and shrapnel rounds. Known as the "Simpson Gun," this particular gun was placed on top of Signal Mountain at Fort Sill in 1929 at the suggestion of Mr. Morris S. Simpson, a local merchant. It served as a memorial to the Fort Sill soldiers who died in World War I. In 1989 it was removed from the mountain after a direct artillery hit and renovated.

Lawton, Oklahoma · United States