Ehrhardt 7.5 cm Model 1901
Encyclopedia
The Ehrhardt 7.5 cm Model 1901 was a field gun
designed by the German company Rheinische Metallwaren- und Maschinenfabrik
and sold to Norway
in 1901. It remained the main field artillery
gun of the Norwegian Army until the German invasion
of Norway in 1940. The Germans impressed the surviving guns and used them in Norway for the duration of the Second World War
. They equipped German units in Norway and were used as coastal artillery
guns; a number were even modified for use as anti-tank guns. A dozen guns were transferred by the Norwegian government to Finland during the Winter War
and were used by them during the Continuation War
as well. The Model 1901 guns were obsolescent already during the inter-war period
and were retired from use by the Norwegians shortly after the end of the Second World War.
field gun, a Swedish-Norwegian
artillery committee was established in 1899. The committee was to facilitate the procurement of new artillery for the Swedish and Norwegian armed forces. The new weapon was to solve the old time-consuming problem of the gun being pushed out of position by recoil with each shot. The committee consisted of six officers, three Swedish and three Norwegian. One of the Norwegian officers was Captain Georg Stang, the future Norwegian Minister of Defence
in 1900–1902 and 1902–1903.
The Swedish-Norwegian committee reached only a single conclusion; that the calibre of the new weapon was to be 7.5 centimetres, based on tests with a French Schneider-Canet Model 1898
field gun. Four Schneider-Canet had been delivered to Norway at that time, and 16 more were on order. While the Swedish members of the committee wished for a conclusion to be reached in the shortest possible time, the Norwegians wished to bide their time and study the issue to the fullest. The reason for the Norwegians' lack of haste was probably that breech-loaded
rifled guns had been introduced to the Norwegian Army
only in 1887, and with the last of the Krupp 8.4 cm Model 1887s delivered in 1896 the Norwegian guns were still comparatively new. The Swedes on the other hand had replaced their rifled muzzle-loaders already in 1883 and were more ready for a replacement.
in Germany
. After extensive testing under varied conditions, both summer and winter, during the years 1899-1901, and modifications of the artillery pieces to Norwegian specifications, the Ehrhardt 7.5 cm Model 1901 was chosen. The Norwegian Ministry of Defence
, now under the leadership of Georg Stang, chose the artillery system over protests from the opposition Conservative Party of Norway
, which demanded that a new system from Krupp
be tested before the new gun could be chosen. This criticism was brushed aside by the Ministry of Defence, stating that the military assessment had found the Model 1901 to be the best gun. Before the Ministry of Defence had reached its decision it tested a battery of Model 1901s against a battery of 7.5 cm Schneider-Canet guns. After further testing the Model 1901 was still considered the best choice, although it was decided that further changes to the design were needed.
pushing for the creation of new jobs for the work force. The Ehrhardt Model 1901 was designated 7,5cm feltkanon M/1901 in Norwegian military service. The purchase of modern artillery for the Norwegian Army was motivated by the military build-up leading to the dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905.
eccentric screw and hydraulic brake
s with a spring system for returning the tube to position. This made the Model 1901 Norway's first quick-firing gun. The gun's range was 10000 metres (10,936.1 yd). The Model 1901 was 2.235 metre long, with a barrel length of 2.167 metre. The gun shields of the Model 1901 were detachable.
. New aiming systems were only introduced in 1911, when the field guns were modified at Kongsberg Armaments Factory
and fitted with Goerz
panoramic telescopes. This, together with other technical advances and the introduction of forward artillery observer
s, allowed effective indirect fire
to be carried out.
and the high explosive case shot. A high explosive artillery shell with significantly longer range was introduced in 1921, but not put into regular use. A gas shell
was also designed and approved in 1921, although never put into production.
On 9 April 1940 Nazi Germany
invaded Norway, capturing ports along the Norwegian coast from Oslo
to Narvik
. The main field artillery piece of the Norwegian Army that faced the invasion forces was the Ehrhardt Model 1901. During the two months of fighting in the Norwegian Campaign
that followed the Norwegian field artillery arm suffered greatly from organizational difficulties. The difficulties originated in part from the fact that very few artillery pieces had been mobilized during the seven months of neutrality that preceded the invasion. The units that had been activated to guard Norwegian neutrality had been equipped mainly with rifles
and light
and heavy machine guns. In the confusion and chaos that followed the German invasion most Norwegian units were only mobilized on an improvised basis, with limited supplies and little time to get properly organized before going into battle with the Germans. Only in Northern and Western Norway did the units (the 6th Division in Northern Norway and the 4th Brigade in Western Norway) have time to mobilize in an orderly fashion. Due to the complete lack of dedicated anti-tank guns
in the Norwegian Army, Model 1901s were pressed into service in an improvised anti-tank role during the fighting in Eastern Norway. The field guns were used in direct fire mode at close range against German Panzers
. All 12 of the Model 1901 field guns that had been converted to motorized transport were deployed to Northern Norway at the outbreak of war, with four in Troms
County and eight in the eastern parts of Finnmark
. Seven of these guns saw action on the Narvik front
, supporting the Norwegian offensive against Eduard Dietl
's Gebirgsjäger
s.
during the 1939-1940 Winter War
, the Norwegian government donated a field artillery battalion to the Finnish Army
in February 1940. The guns were taken from stocks of artillery that had become surplus to requirement after large-scale cuts to the Norwegian military during the interwar period
. The artillery pieces were delivered in response to a request for arms supplies from the Finnish foreign minister Väinö Tanner
on 8 December 1939. In addition to artillery the Finns had also requested various types of ammunition, fighter aircraft and hand grenades, weapons that Norway could not provide. The secret transfer of the Model 1901 guns to Finland was a clear violation of the rules of neutrality on behalf of the Norwegian government. The 12 guns were delivered with 7,166 shells via the Swedish Bofors
armaments company. In Finland the guns were given the designation 75 K 01. Eleven of the guns saw service in the Winter War with Field Artillery Regiment 9, firing some 36,400 shells during the conflict. More ammunition for the guns were later procured by the Finnish Army from Norwegian ammunition stocks captured by the Germans in 1940. During the Continuation War
the guns were first issued to the fortification artillery, from 1942 being transferred to the coastal artillery
arm.
the Germans rebuilt at least 17 Model 1901s as anti-tank guns.
training area
. Following the type's retirement from active duty the Model 1901 has continued into the 21st century as a saluting
gun at many Norwegian fortresses. The gun had a central role in the 2005 celebration of the 100th anniversary of the dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905.
Field gun
A field gun is an artillery piece. Originally the term referred to smaller guns that could accompany a field army on the march and when in combat could be moved about the battlefield in response to changing circumstances, as to opposed guns installed in a fort, or to siege cannon or mortars which...
designed by the German company Rheinische Metallwaren- und Maschinenfabrik
Rheinmetall
Rheinmetall AG is a German automotive and defence company with factories in Düsseldorf, Kassel and Unterlüß. The company has a long tradition of making guns and artillery pieces...
and sold to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
in 1901. It remained the main field artillery
Field artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, long range, short range and extremely long range target engagement....
gun of the Norwegian Army until the German invasion
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
of Norway in 1940. The Germans impressed the surviving guns and used them in Norway for the duration of the Second World War
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...
. They equipped German units in Norway and were used as coastal artillery
Coastal artillery
Coastal artillery is the branch of armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications....
guns; a number were even modified for use as anti-tank guns. A dozen guns were transferred by the Norwegian government to Finland during the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
and were used by them during the Continuation War
Continuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
as well. The Model 1901 guns were obsolescent already during the inter-war period
Interwar period
Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....
and were retired from use by the Norwegians shortly after the end of the Second World War.
Swedish-Norwegian artillery committee
With the background of the rapid development of the artillery arm in the late 19th century and the invention of the quick-firingQuick-firing gun
A quick-firing gun is an artillery piece, typically a gun or howitzer, which has several characteristics which taken together mean the weapon can fire at a fast rate...
field gun, a Swedish-Norwegian
Union between Sweden and Norway
The Union between Sweden and Norway , officially the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway, consisted of present-day Sweden and Norway between 1814 and 1905, when they were united under one monarch in a personal union....
artillery committee was established in 1899. The committee was to facilitate the procurement of new artillery for the Swedish and Norwegian armed forces. The new weapon was to solve the old time-consuming problem of the gun being pushed out of position by recoil with each shot. The committee consisted of six officers, three Swedish and three Norwegian. One of the Norwegian officers was Captain Georg Stang, the future Norwegian Minister of Defence
Minister of Defence (Norway)
The Norwegian Minister of Defence is a Councillor of the Council of State and Chief of the Norwegian Ministry of Defence, the position has existed since the Secretary of the Army and Secretary of the Navy was combined into the Minister of Defence...
in 1900–1902 and 1902–1903.
The Swedish-Norwegian committee reached only a single conclusion; that the calibre of the new weapon was to be 7.5 centimetres, based on tests with a French Schneider-Canet Model 1898
Canet guns
The Canet guns were a series of weapon systems developed by the French engineer Gustave Canet , who was design engineer for Schneider et Cie of Le Creusot.-320 mm naval guns:...
field gun. Four Schneider-Canet had been delivered to Norway at that time, and 16 more were on order. While the Swedish members of the committee wished for a conclusion to be reached in the shortest possible time, the Norwegians wished to bide their time and study the issue to the fullest. The reason for the Norwegians' lack of haste was probably that breech-loaded
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....
rifled guns had been introduced to the Norwegian Army
Norwegian Army
Norway achieved full independence in 1905, and in the first century of its short life has contributed to two major conflicts, the Cold War and the War on Terror. The Norwegian Army currently operates in the north of Norway and in Afghanistan as well as in Eastern Europe. The Army is the oldest of...
only in 1887, and with the last of the Krupp 8.4 cm Model 1887s delivered in 1896 the Norwegian guns were still comparatively new. The Swedes on the other hand had replaced their rifled muzzle-loaders already in 1883 and were more ready for a replacement.
Trials and choice of gun
In the end nine different artillery systems were considered by the Norwegians, and eight bought or loaned for testing. Two guns were found to be within requirements, one 7.5 cm gun from Schneider-Canet and one of the same calibre from Rheinische Metallwaren- und MaschinenfabrikRheinmetall
Rheinmetall AG is a German automotive and defence company with factories in Düsseldorf, Kassel and Unterlüß. The company has a long tradition of making guns and artillery pieces...
in Germany
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
. After extensive testing under varied conditions, both summer and winter, during the years 1899-1901, and modifications of the artillery pieces to Norwegian specifications, the Ehrhardt 7.5 cm Model 1901 was chosen. The Norwegian Ministry of Defence
Norwegian Ministry of Defence
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Defence is a Norwegian government ministry in charge of the formation and implementation of national security and defence policy, and for the overall management and control of the activities of subordinate agencies. The ministry is located at Glacisgata 1, Oslo,...
, now under the leadership of Georg Stang, chose the artillery system over protests from the opposition Conservative Party of Norway
Conservative Party of Norway
The Conservative Party is a Norwegian political party. The current leader is Erna Solberg. The party was since the 1920s consistently the second largest party in Norway, but has been surpassed by the growth of the Progress Party in the late 1990s and 2000s...
, which demanded that a new system from Krupp
Krupp
The Krupp family , a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, have become famous for their steel production and for their manufacture of ammunition and armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp, was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th...
be tested before the new gun could be chosen. This criticism was brushed aside by the Ministry of Defence, stating that the military assessment had found the Model 1901 to be the best gun. Before the Ministry of Defence had reached its decision it tested a battery of Model 1901s against a battery of 7.5 cm Schneider-Canet guns. After further testing the Model 1901 was still considered the best choice, although it was decided that further changes to the design were needed.
Procurement of the Model 1901
In all 138 Ehrhardt 7.5 cm Model 1901s were manufactured, the type being delivered only to Norway. The Norwegian experience with the new system for quick-firing led to the major arms factories in Europe all adopting the same type of recoil system for their own artillery systems. Norwegian companies also modified the Armed Forces' older guns with the new recoil system so they could remain in service longer. Components that could be manufactured in Norway was produced under licence at Norwegian factories, with Norwegian labour organizationsTrade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
pushing for the creation of new jobs for the work force. The Ehrhardt Model 1901 was designated 7,5cm feltkanon M/1901 in Norwegian military service. The purchase of modern artillery for the Norwegian Army was motivated by the military build-up leading to the dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905.
General characteristics
The new artillery pieces consisted of a core tube and mantlet with a mechanism retainer, 28 rifles, NordenfeltThorsten Nordenfelt
Thorsten Nordenfelt , was a Swedish inventor and industrialist.Nordenfelt was born in Örby outside Kinna, Sweden, the son of a colonel. The surname was and is often spelt Nordenfeldt, though Thorsten and his brothers always spelt it Nordenfelt, and the 1881 Census shows it as Nordenfelt...
eccentric screw and hydraulic brake
Hydraulic brake
The hydraulic brake is an arrangement of braking mechanism which uses brake fluid, typically containing ethylene glycol, to transfer pressure from the controlling unit, which is usually near the operator of the vehicle, to the actual brake mechanism, which is usually at or near the wheel of the...
s with a spring system for returning the tube to position. This made the Model 1901 Norway's first quick-firing gun. The gun's range was 10000 metres (10,936.1 yd). The Model 1901 was 2.235 metre long, with a barrel length of 2.167 metre. The gun shields of the Model 1901 were detachable.
Further development in Norway
In the first years after 1901 the Model 1901's full potential could not be exploited due to a lack of effective aiming systems. The artillery pieces were delivered with open sights and could only be used for direct fireDirect fire
Direct fire refers to the launching of a projectile directly at a target on a relatively flat trajectory. The firing weapon must have a sighting device and an unobstructed line of sight to the target, which means no objects or friendly units can be between it and the target...
. New aiming systems were only introduced in 1911, when the field guns were modified at Kongsberg Armaments Factory
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace , one of two operating companies of Kongsberg Gruppen of Norway, is a supplier of defence and space related systems and products, mainly anti-ship missiles, military communications, and command and weapons control systems for naval vessels and air-defence applications...
and fitted with Goerz
Goerz (company)
C. P. Goerz was founded in 1886 by Carl Paul Goerz. Originally, it made geometrical drawing instruments for schools. From 1888 it made cameras and lenses. During the First World War, Goerz's main production was for the German and Austrian military. Goerz is known primarily for Anschuetz...
panoramic telescopes. This, together with other technical advances and the introduction of forward artillery observer
Artillery observer
A military artillery observer or spotter is responsible for directing artillery fire and close air support onto enemy positions. Because artillery is an indirect fire weapon system, the guns are rarely in line-of-sight of their target, often located tens of miles away...
s, allowed effective indirect fire
Indirect fire
Indirect fire means aiming and firing a projectile in a high trajectory without relying on a direct line of sight between the gun and its target, as in the case of direct fire...
to be carried out.
Ammunition
Up until 1921 the ammunition used by the Norwegian artillery was the black-powder case shotCanister shot
Canister shot is a kind of anti-personnel ammunition used in cannons. It was similar to the naval grapeshot, but fired smaller and more numerous balls, which did not have to punch through the wooden hull of a ship...
and the high explosive case shot. A high explosive artillery shell with significantly longer range was introduced in 1921, but not put into regular use. A gas shell
Chemical warfare
Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of chemical substances as weapons. This type of warfare is distinct from Nuclear warfare and Biological warfare, which together make up NBC, the military acronym for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical...
was also designed and approved in 1921, although never put into production.
Modifications
During the 1920s complaints about the performance of the gun started coming in to the authorities. Wear and tear was beginning to have an effect on the guns, and soon people were suggesting that the type should be replaced with a new field gun model. The demands for a new artillery system was rejected, and instead the old guns were sent to a full maintenance overhaul. The maintenance solved the problems with the Model 1901, some guns also being fitted with rubber tires and rebuilt for motor transport during the 1930s. By 1940 at least 12 artillery pieces had been modified for motor transport. Until the 9 April 1940 German invasion of Norway the gun remained the main field gun of the Norwegian Army.Norwegian Campaign
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
invaded Norway, capturing ports along the Norwegian coast from Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
to Narvik
Narvik
is the third largest city and municipality in Nordland county, Norway by population. Narvik is located on the shores of the Narvik Fjord . The municipality is part of the Ofoten traditional region of North Norway, inside the arctic circle...
. The main field artillery piece of the Norwegian Army that faced the invasion forces was the Ehrhardt Model 1901. During the two months of fighting in the Norwegian Campaign
Norwegian Campaign
The Norwegian Campaign was a military campaign that was fought in Norway during the Second World War between the Allies and Germany, after the latter's invasion of the country. In April 1940, the United Kingdom and France came to Norway's aid with an expeditionary force...
that followed the Norwegian field artillery arm suffered greatly from organizational difficulties. The difficulties originated in part from the fact that very few artillery pieces had been mobilized during the seven months of neutrality that preceded the invasion. The units that had been activated to guard Norwegian neutrality had been equipped mainly with rifles
Krag-Jørgensen
The Krag-Jørgensen is a repeating bolt action rifle designed by the Norwegians Ole Herman Johannes Krag and Erik Jørgensen in the late 19th century. It was adopted as a standard arm by Denmark, the United States of America and Norway...
and light
Madsen machine gun
The Madsen was a light machine gun developed by Julius A. Rasmussen and Theodor Schoubue and proposed for adoption by Captain Vilhelm Herman Oluf Madsen, the Danish Minister of War and adopted by the Danish Army in 1902...
and heavy machine guns. In the confusion and chaos that followed the German invasion most Norwegian units were only mobilized on an improvised basis, with limited supplies and little time to get properly organized before going into battle with the Germans. Only in Northern and Western Norway did the units (the 6th Division in Northern Norway and the 4th Brigade in Western Norway) have time to mobilize in an orderly fashion. Due to the complete lack of dedicated anti-tank guns
Anti-tank warfare
Anti-tank warfare was created by the need to seek technology and tactics to destroy tanks and their supporting infantry during the First World War...
in the Norwegian Army, Model 1901s were pressed into service in an improvised anti-tank role during the fighting in Eastern Norway. The field guns were used in direct fire mode at close range against German Panzers
German tanks in World War II
Nazi Germany had several tank designs during World War II. In addition to these domestic designs, Germany also made use of various captured and foreign-built tanks.- Development and uses :...
. All 12 of the Model 1901 field guns that had been converted to motorized transport were deployed to Northern Norway at the outbreak of war, with four in Troms
Troms
or Romsa is a county in North Norway, bordering Finnmark to the northeast and Nordland in the southwest. To the south is Norrbotten Län in Sweden and further southeast is a shorter border with Lapland Province in Finland. To the west is the Norwegian Sea...
County and eight in the eastern parts of Finnmark
Finnmark
or Finnmárku is a county in the extreme northeast of Norway. By land it borders Troms county to the west, Finland to the south and Russia to the east, and by water, the Norwegian Sea to the northwest, and the Barents Sea to the north and northeast.The county was formerly known as Finmarkens...
. Seven of these guns saw action on the Narvik front
Battles of Narvik
The Battles of Narvik were fought from 9 April-8 June 1940 as a naval battle in the Ofotfjord and as a land battle in the mountains surrounding the north Norwegian city of Narvik as part of the Norwegian Campaign of the Second World War....
, supporting the Norwegian offensive against Eduard Dietl
Eduard Dietl
Eduard Dietl was a German general of World War II. He was born in Bad Aibling, Bavaria. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
's Gebirgsjäger
Gebirgsjäger
Gebirgsjäger, in English Mountain Riflemen, is the German designation for mountain infantry. The word Jäger is the traditional German term for rifleman...
s.
In Finnish service
As part of its covert support for FinlandForeign support in the Winter War
The foreign support in the Winter War contained materiel, men and moral support to the Finnish struggle against the Soviet Union in the Winter War. World opinion at large supported the Finnish cause...
during the 1939-1940 Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
, the Norwegian government donated a field artillery battalion to the Finnish Army
Finnish Army
The Finnish Army is the land forces branch of the Finnish Defence Forces.Today's Army is divided into six branches: the infantry , field artillery, anti-aircraft artillery, engineers, signals, and materiel troops.-History of the Finnish Army:Between 1809 and 1917 Finland was an autonomous part of...
in February 1940. The guns were taken from stocks of artillery that had become surplus to requirement after large-scale cuts to the Norwegian military during the interwar period
Interwar period
Interwar period can refer to any period between two wars. The Interbellum is understood to be the period between the end of the Great War or First World War and the beginning of the Second World War in Europe....
. The artillery pieces were delivered in response to a request for arms supplies from the Finnish foreign minister Väinö Tanner
Väinö Tanner
Väinö Tanner was a pioneer and leader in the cooperative movement in Finland, and Prime Minister of Finland from 1926 to 1927....
on 8 December 1939. In addition to artillery the Finns had also requested various types of ammunition, fighter aircraft and hand grenades, weapons that Norway could not provide. The secret transfer of the Model 1901 guns to Finland was a clear violation of the rules of neutrality on behalf of the Norwegian government. The 12 guns were delivered with 7,166 shells via the Swedish Bofors
Bofors
The name Bofors has been associated with the iron industry for more than 350 years.Located in Karlskoga, Sweden, the company originates from the hammer mill "Boofors" founded 1646. The modern corporate structure was created in 1873 with the foundation of Aktiebolaget Bofors-Gullspång...
armaments company. In Finland the guns were given the designation 75 K 01. Eleven of the guns saw service in the Winter War with Field Artillery Regiment 9, firing some 36,400 shells during the conflict. More ammunition for the guns were later procured by the Finnish Army from Norwegian ammunition stocks captured by the Germans in 1940. During the Continuation War
Continuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
the guns were first issued to the fortification artillery, from 1942 being transferred to the coastal artillery
Coastal artillery
Coastal artillery is the branch of armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications....
arm.
In German service
When Nazi Germany conquered Norway in the two-month long Norwegian Campaign in 1940 they captured many examples of the Norwegian 7,5cm feltkanon M/1901 and re-designated them 7,5 cm FK 246(n). The guns remained in German service in Norway until the end of the war, amongst other uses deployed in coastal artillery fortifications. During their 1940-1945 occupation of NorwayOccupation of Norway by Nazi Germany
The occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany started with the German invasion of Norway on April 9, 1940, and ended on May 8, 1945, after the capitulation of German forces in Europe. Throughout this period, Norway was continuously occupied by the Wehrmacht...
the Germans rebuilt at least 17 Model 1901s as anti-tank guns.
Post-war use
After the end of the Second World War the 7,5cm feltkanon M/1901 was quickly replaced with more modern types in the Norwegian Army. The last time the artillery system was used for sharpshooting exercises was with the concluding exercise of the Field Artillery's Officer School in August 1947 at HjerkinnHjerkinn
Hjerkinn is a village in Dovre, Oppland, Norway. It is one of the driest places in the country, with only 222 mm annual precipitation.The railway station Hjerkinn Station is located on Dovrebanen, at 1017 metres above mean sea level. The highway E6 also passes through the village. It is also...
training area
Proving ground
A proving ground is the US name for a military installation or reservation where weapons or other military technology are experimented or tested, or where military tactics are tested...
. Following the type's retirement from active duty the Model 1901 has continued into the 21st century as a saluting
Salute
A salute is a gesture or other action used to display respect. Salutes are primarily associated with armed forces, but other organizations and civil people also use salutes.-Military salutes:...
gun at many Norwegian fortresses. The gun had a central role in the 2005 celebration of the 100th anniversary of the dissolution of the union between Norway and Sweden in 1905.
Additional resources
- 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