7.5 cm leichtes Infanteriegeschütz 18

7.5-cm-leichtes Infanteriegeschütz 18
7.5-cm-leichtes Infanteriegeschütz 18
Type	Infantry gun
Place of origin	Germany
Service history
In service	1932–1945
Used by	Nazi Germany
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designer	Rheinmetall
Designed	1927
Manufacturer	Rheinmetall
Produced	1932–1945
No. built	~ 12,000
Specifications
Mass	Travel: 1,560 kg (3,439 lb) Combat: 400 kg (882 lb)
Barrel length	88 cm (3 ft) L/11.2
Crew	5
Shell	75 x 89mm R Fixed QF
Shell weight	6 kg (13 lb 4 oz)
Caliber	75 mm (3.0 in)
Breech	Top break
Recoil	Hydro-pneumatic
Carriage	Box trail
Elevation	-10° to 73°
Traverse	12°
Rate of fire	8-12 rpm
Muzzle velocity	210 m/s (690 ft/s)
Maximum firing range	3,550 m (3,880 yd)

The 7.5 cm leichtes Infanteriegeschütz 18 (7.5 cm le.IG 18) was an infantry support gun of the German Wehrmacht used during World War II.

History

Development of the gun began in 1927, by Rheinmetall. The crew was protected by an armoured shield. There was a mountain gun variant, the 7.5 cm le.GebIG 18. For transport, the mountain variant could be broken down into six to ten packs, the heaviest weighing 74.9 kg. These were typically assigned at two to each mountain battalion. Six 7.5 cm le.IG 18F were manufactured in 1939. These were airborne guns, capable of being broken down into four 140 kg loads. The airborne variant had smaller wheels and no shield. There was also an infantry support gun, known as the 7.5 cm Infanteriegeschütz L/13 and designed as a replacement for the le.IG 18, which could be broken into four to six loads. However, though prototypes were tested, the German army felt that it did not improve on the existing design sufficiently to merit introduction and the army stayed with the earlier gun.