ID Serbian mountain gun-Krupp 70 mm.

[DreamPhotoFactory]

OK pals, any information about Krupp 70 mm mountain gun in armament of Serbian artillery in Salonika front is welcome !
I know that one division (12 gun?) Serbian receive from Frenchman in summer 1916. in Salonika
This gun is transported from Morocco !
So, do any know what model of this gun is? I have some photos of this guns.


Thank you !

[MCP]

In Joffre memoires about WW1 there is actually the information that, among other guns, some batteries of Krupp 70mm guns from Marocco was sent to the Serbian Army in 1916, when the Serbian Army was re-armed after its defeat.
The guns in picture look like the ordinary Krupp mountain guns of the beginning of 19th Century (they were very similar to the Bulgarian 75mm guns purchased in 1904). Now I'm not at home, but this evening I'll check my books to find some datas about these Serbian guns.

Best

[MCP]

Even if I was not able to find any evidence of it, I think that these mountain guns were war trophies taken to the Moroccan after 1908, when the French Army invaded the country. In fact Morocco had bought an unknown Krupp mountain guns already in 1884. Probably some more QF guns were purchased at the beginning of 20th century.
AFIK Krupp built three different model of 70mm mountain gun:

7,0cm Gebirgskanone L/14 mit Rhorrücklauf M. 1902
Calibre : 70mm L/14
Weight of the barrel : 105 kg
Weight in action : 365 kg
Barrel lenght : 980 mm
Shell weight : 5 kg
Muzzle velocity : 275 m/s
Max. range : 3150 m
Elevation : + 15° / -10°
Traversing angle : 4°
Transport : 4 loads (84 kg/120 kg)
Mountain gun without shield

7,0cm Gebirgskanone L/14 M. 1903
Calibre : 70mm L/14.3
Weight of the barrel : 95 kg
Weight in action : 365 kg
Barrel lenght : 1 m
Shell weight : 5 kg
Muzzle velocity : 320 m/s
Max. range : 4450 m
Elevation : + 15° (+ 20°) / -10°
Traversing angle : 4°
Transport : 4 loads
Mountain gun without shield.

7,0cm halbautomatische Gebirgskanone L/15 M. 1907
Calibre : 70mm L/15
Weight of the barrel : 95 kg
Weight in action : 494 kg
Barrel lenght : 1.05 m
Shell weight : 5 kg / 5.3 kg
Muzzle velocity : 300 m/s
Max. range : 4870 m (with 5 kg shell) / 4960 kg (with 5.3 kg shell)
Elevation : + 24 / - 8°
Traversing angle : 4°
Mountain gun with shield.

My two cents is that the guns used by the Serbian Army were the M. 1903. It is possible that the shield was added later.

[DreamPhotoFactory]

Thank you very much MPC !
Do you have some links for Krupp guns? Because I need good photographs of this gun.

Best regards,
Bane

[MCP]

The only picture I was able to find is a photo of the 7,0cm Gebirgskanone L/14 M. 1903. It is without shield and in fact looks like the guns in your pictures, even if the barrel seems shorter. BTW are you sure that they are the 70mm mnt. guns? May they be 75mm mnt. guns Krupp M. 1904 taken to the Turkish or the Bulgarian Army by the Serbs in 1912-13?

[DreamPhotoFactory]

MCP I check from diverse source, french and serbian, that this gun is Krupp 70 mm.
I put this question my self many times.
Only guns bring from Serbia and engaged in rearmed Serbian army is 8 Schneider M-1907 70mm. mnt. guns.
That fact exclude that Krupp gun is Bulgarian or Turks.
Joffre says that is guns from Marocco, whether is maroccian?

Regards,
Bane

[MCP]

I think they were Morocco's guns taken by the French Army. I have two pictures of some Krupp guns "taken to the rebels" at Mogador. They seem old not QF guns. But it is very likely that other guns were captured and stored by the French. On the contrary, I have never heard of Krupp mountain guns bought by the French, It is very unlikely that they accepted to buy guns from their best ennemy!

[DreamPhotoFactory]

I think that this gun is anyway captured. I found this in one serbien source:"Ratni album-Fotomonografija 1914-1918 Andra Popovic" - War album-Photomonography 1914-1918 by Andra Popovic.

Thank you for your effort MPC !
Regards,
Bane