The cannone da 65/17 modello 13 was an artillery piece developed by Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 for use with its mountain and infantry units. The designation means 65 mm calibre gun, barrel length 17 calibres, which entered service in 1913. The designation is often shortened to cannone da 65/17.

Description

A lightweight design, the 65 mm gun was designed for use in difficult terrain and extreme weather conditions. The barrel had a 17 calibre length, and was designed for firing low-trajectory shots. The carriage was likewise simple in nature, consisting of a single trailing arm and solid-rim spoked wheels for horse draft.
The weapon could be broken-down into five loads for transport.
A simple folding gun shield was also provided.

History

The 65 mm gun was first accepted into service with Italian mountain troops in 1913, and it served with them throughout World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. Replacements arrived in the 1920s and the gun was transferred to the regular infantry. It was well liked by the infantry due to its minimal weight and high reliability in adverse conditions. Despite its light calibre, it served through World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 with Italian forces as a close support weapon. It was effective also mounted on truck, in North Africa, as anti-tank artillery

See also

• List of mountain artillery
• Canon de 65 M(montagne) modele 1906
  Canon de 65 M(montagne) modele 1906
  The Canon de 65 M modele 1906 or was a French mountain gun which entered service with the regiments d'artillerie de montagne in 1906 and was one of the first soft-recoil guns in service. The carriage of the mle 1906 was hinged and could be broken down into four mule loads for transport...
  
  , a French mountain artillery piece, also used by the Germans under the name "6.5 cm Gebirgskanone 221(f)"