Strange Skoda 105mm

[CharlieC]

Some images of an unusual Skoda 105mm.

The base gun seems to be a 10cm Skoda M14/19. The wheels look like 25 Pounder wheels, the traverse platform is also 25 Pounder. The muzzle brake looks like it came off a German 10cm LeFH 18.

The markings on the breech say (in Serbo-Croation):

Military Technical Institute
Kragujevac
Fabr. Nr. 1036

Is this a "one off" creation or did the Yugoslavs convert a number of old Skoda 14/19s? Any ideas when the conversion was done?

Regards,

Charlie

[Costas_TT]

The whole configuration is that of the Italian Obice da 105/22 Mod. 14/61. The Yugoslav markings can be easily explained.
To quote Massimo Foti:

It's name is 105/22 mod 1961 and it has a very long and interesting story.

During the WW I the austro-hungarians used a 10 cm M14 howitzer. After the war the italians captured many of them and used as 100/17 mod 1914 up to the WW II and even later.

Immediately after WW I, Skoda kept producing artillery pieces and evolved the design into a 100/22, the vz19 you can see in Brussels. At that time the austro-hungarian empire was already gone, so it was a czechoslovakian gun.

The gun was acquired, among others, by Poland and Yugoslavia.

In 1941 the italians captured a bunch of these from the yugoslavian army, and immediately put them into service, since they shared the same ammo with the 100/17. Italians also obtained more guns from the germans (captured from Czechoslovakia, Poland and Yugoslavia).

The most amazing thing is that after WW II the italian army updated these guns. They were rechambered to 105 mm (to use standard NATO ammo), got a muzzle brake, a Hogg Device (from 25 pdr) and entered service as 105/22 mod 1961.

and a link:
www.modellismopiu.it/m...mp;forum=7

I have seen guns of this type with the upper folding part of the shield being wider than the main part below it, but I guess it can be attributed to the varied origins of the weapons converted to the Mod. 14/61 standard.

[CharlieC]

Thank you - the howitzer certainly is consistent with the Obice da 105/22 Mod 14/61. I haven't seen an image of the breech ring which should have the Italian markings so the ident is provisional.

It's an impressive howitzer - recycled parts from 25 Pounders and a barrel/breech design which goes back to WW1. A cheap way to build a howitzer which outperformed the US M2A1.

Regards,

Charlie

[Costas_TT]

You are welcome. Glad I could help.