7 cm Gebirgsgeschütz M 99
Encyclopedia
The 7 cm Gebirgsgeschütz M 99 was a mountain gun used by Austria-Hungary
during World War I
. It was obsolete upon introduction as it had a bronze barrel and only a spring-loaded spade to absorb the recoil forces and it had to be relaid after every shot. Although, to be fair to the Austro-Hungarians, the high elevations required of mountain guns greatly complicated the provision of barrel recoil systems as the breech
could recoil right into the ground, and it would be some years before satisfactory systems were worked out. These would result in the 7 cm Gebirgsgeschütz M 8 and M 9 that used the same barrel and ammunition as the M 99, but had gun shields and proper recoil systems. These guns weighed 402 kilograms (886.3 lb) and 456 kilograms (1,005.3 lb) respectively, although the exact differences between them are unclear other than they broke down into four and five loads for transport respectively.
The Gebirgsgeschütz M 99 broke down into 3 loads for transport.
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
during 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...
. It was obsolete upon introduction as it had a bronze barrel and only a spring-loaded spade to absorb the recoil forces and it had to be relaid after every shot. Although, to be fair to the Austro-Hungarians, the high elevations required of mountain guns greatly complicated the provision of barrel recoil systems as the breech
Breech-loading weapon
A breech-loading weapon is a firearm in which the cartridge or shell is inserted or loaded into a chamber integral to the rear portion of a barrel....
could recoil right into the ground, and it would be some years before satisfactory systems were worked out. These would result in the 7 cm Gebirgsgeschütz M 8 and M 9 that used the same barrel and ammunition as the M 99, but had gun shields and proper recoil systems. These guns weighed 402 kilograms (886.3 lb) and 456 kilograms (1,005.3 lb) respectively, although the exact differences between them are unclear other than they broke down into four and five loads for transport respectively.
The Gebirgsgeschütz M 99 broke down into 3 loads for transport.