Cannone da 65/17 modello 13

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

65 mm mountain gun
Canone 65/17 modello 13 on display at the US Army Ordnance Museum in Aberdeen, MD
TypeMountain artillery
Place of originItaly
Service history
In service1913-1940s
Used byItaly
Kingdom of Albania
Nazi Germany
Ecuador
WarsWorld War I
Spanish Civil War
World War II
Ecuadorian–Peruvian War
Production history
No. builtunknown, 719 units in service June 1940 [1]
Specifications
Mass560 kg (1,225 lb) Combat
Barrel length1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) L/17.7
Shell65 x 172 mm R[2]
Shell weight4.3 kilograms (9.5 lb)
Caliber65 mm (2.55 in)
CarriageHorse-drawn, two wheeled, box trail
Elevation-10° to +20°
Traverse8°
Muzzle velocity345 m/s (1,130 ft/s)
Effective firing range6.8 km (4.2 mi)

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.[3] A simple folding gun shield was also provided in 1935.

History
A Mountain artillery unit with a 65/17 modello 13 gun on Monte Padon firing at Austrian positions on the Sass di Mezdi
German Datasheet

The 65 mm gun was first accepted into service with Italian mountain troops in 1913, and it served with them throughout World War I. It was used in the Fiat 2000 heavy tank which saw action in Libya. 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 with Italian forces as a close support weapon. It was effective also mounted on truck, particularly on captured Morris CS8 in North Africa, as anti-tank artillery. Guns captured by the Germans after the Italian defeat were given the designation 6.5 cm GebK 246(i).[4]

Some were fielded by the Ecuadorian Army during the Ecuadorian–Peruvian War.[5]

Nationalist forces at the Battle of Guadalajara

See also

References
  1. "CANNONE DA 65/17 MODELLO 13 - Quartermaster Section". www.quartermastersection.com.
  2. "48-57 MM CALIBRE CARTRIDGES". www.quarryhs.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
  3. "Cannone da 65/17 modello 13" (in Italian). Regio Esercito. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  4. Chamberlain, Peter (1975). Infantry, mountain, and airborne guns. Gander, Terry. New York: Arco. p. 35. ISBN 0668038195. OCLC 2067391.
  5. Jowett, Philip (28 Jun 2018). Latin American Wars 1900–1941: "Banana Wars," Border Wars & Revolutions. Men-at-Arms 519. Osprey Publishing. p. 40. ISBN 9781472826282.

Sources
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cannone da 65/17 modello 13.
  • Hogg, Ian; 2000; Twentieth Century Artillery; Amber Books, Ltd.; ISBN 1-58663-299-X
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