German World War II Era Wehrmacht Howitzer Used By Syrian Rebels On The Battlefield In Idlib

WarLeaks ^ | June 8, 2015 | Staff

[C19fan]

YouTube video of German World War II Era Wehrmacht Howitzer Used By Syrian Rebels On The Battlefield In Idlib

[C19fan]

Why watch old WW II footage when in Syria they are using a real WW II German 10.5 CM field howitzer although without the shield. I read the Syrians had German equipment, including Panzer IVs in the 6 Day War, they used against the Israelis. Got to luv the fine German engineering that has lasted 70 years. Where do they get the shells?

[Paladin2]

My first thought too. Cheap as Dirt?

[BenLurkin]

Where do they get the shells?

Dunno, but we should order some new 16" ordinance for when we sail the Iowa and the New Jersey out of mothballs.

[The KG9 Kid]

This is the Böhler 10.5 cm GebH 40 mountain howitzer, and not the 10.5 cm leFH 18 howitzer that some YouTube comments mention.

The reason this gun appears in Syria is because it was one of the best mountain howitzers ('Mountain Howitzer' meaning "lightweight, easily packed up, easily transportable") ever made. It weighed under two tons and could be broken down into four pieces and transported by small motorized vehicles or pack animals. It could be set up and ready to fire, or broken down and ready to transport in just a few moments with a well-trained crew.

It could fire a 32 pound 105mm shell about eight miles, which is fantastic performance for such a lightweight howitzer.

After WWII, the GebH 40 served in many European armies until they were sold off -- usually to Arab Peninsula nations.

[Vermont Lt]

I still have a war capture P38. Early war manufacture. It is a sweet little pistol.

[Charles Martel]

Where do they get the shells?

Gotta be the Old Western Scrounger.

[wbill]

I saw one of the Syrian Pz Mark IV’s at the AAF tank museum. Looked like it still could go nose to nose with about anything else in there.

Truly a well designed machine.

[Farmer Dean]

I’ve got a Mauser 98K,DOU 44 on the receiver.I don’t really care for the sights but it’s a powerful and accurate rifle.

[PAR35]

Chickens. Look how far away they stand from it to pull the lanyard. It’s probably less than 80 years old. What could go wrong?

[SunkenCiv]

Buncha reloaders, probably survivalists. /s

The WWII-era German howitzers found around Grand Rapids were all (of course) rendered non-firing, but I don’t think there is one of these.

[tumblindice]

Cheaper than dirt

Do the shells come sealed in a metal can and you have to take the can to a machinist to have the lid milled off, hoping he didn’t blow himself up?

Germans called their guns 10.5 and 8.8. We had the 105. Any redlegs here who might know why they had to have that extra half a centimeter?

I’ll betcha those barrels are about shot out, like an old AK that shoots bullets sideways: “spray & pray A-rab arty”?
(And I suspect targets most concerned are the ones they aren’t aiming at.)