7.5 cm FK 18

The 7.5 cm Feldkanone 18 was a field gun used by Germany in World War II. It was designed to replace the 7.5 cm FK 16 nA, a World War I-era 7.7 cm FK 16 rebarreled in 75 mm during the early Thirties. The development of the FK 18 had a low priority, and it was not until 1938 that the gun was issued to the Heer.

Design

The FK 18 was significantly lighter than the older gun, but was otherwise an unimpressive weapon. It used a modern split trail carriage, with the rear section and spades folding upwards for travel. It used the typical German recoil system, where the hydraulic buffer was housed in the cradle underneath the barrel and the hydro-pneumatic recuperator in a cylinder above the barrel. For some reason, the FK 18 was unusually prone to bore damage from cartridge debris, and the barrel had to be inspected after every shot to ensure it was clear.