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Canon de 120mm L mle 1931 
Summary
The Canon de 12 cm L mle 1931 was a medium field gun made and used by Belgium in World War II. Captured guns were taken into Wehrmacht service after the surrender of Belgium in May 1940 as the 12 cm K 370(b) where it was generally used on coast defense duties.
| Canon de 12 cm L mle 1931 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | medium field gun |
| Place of origin | Belgium |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1934-~ 1950 |
| Used by |  Belgium Nazi Germany Norway |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Cockerill |
| Manufacturer | Cockerill |
| No. built | 48[1] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 5,450 kilograms (12,020 lb) |
| Barrel length | 4.426 metres (14.52 ft) L/37 |
| Shell | 21.93 kilograms (48.3 lb) |
| Caliber | 120 mm (4.72 in) |
| Carriage | Split trail |
| Elevation | 0° to +38° 30' |
| Traverse | 60° |
| Rate of fire | 1 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity | 760 m/s (2,493 ft/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 17,500 metres (19,100 yd) |
It was rather heavy for its size, but had a good range. The split trail had large spades that had to be pounded into the ground to anchor the weapon in place.
See also edit
References edit
- ^ Roger Lothaire, L’artillerie lourde de campagne belge 1914-1940, Éditions du Patrimoine Militaire, février 2013 (ISBN 978-2-9601058-8-9), p. 93.
Media related to Canon de 120 L mle 1931 at Wikimedia Commons
- Gander, Terry and Chamberlain, Peter. Weapons of the Third Reich: An Encyclopedic Survey of All Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the German Land Forces 1939-1945. New York: Doubleday, 1979 ISBN 0-385-15090-3
- Chamberlain, Peter & Gander, Terry. Heavy Artillery. New York: Arco, 1975 ISBN 0-668-03898-5
