Historic context :

In 1914, the main weapons of the Belgian forts created by the brilliant General Brialmont for the defense of Antwerp, Liege and Namur were placed in under steel cupolas, or in bunkers. The building of the Meuse forts from 1887 to 1891 triggered a huge order of 619 tubes of different calibers from Krupp and Nordenfelt, and a little later from Cockerill - FRC, both for arming the cupolas of the 21 forts, but also on carriage for the defense of the intervals.

Despite the relative young age of these guns, they were already obsolete compared to the artillery science state of the art at the war outbreak, but Belgium, having no heavy field artillery units in 1914, could at least count on these numerous 12cm and 15cm heavy guns and howitzers designed and manufactured by Krupp, or inspired by it and built in Belgium at the 'Fonderies Royales de Canons' ('FRC') in Liège.

Most of these old guns and howitzers were captured by the German troops in 1914 in the fortified places of Liège, Namur and Antwerp, and will be used by this nation to add power to the heavy artillery units in the positions war operations.

I have little technical information on this 'Rifled 15c.A. M1887 (mantled) Krupp howitzer', that came just before the 15 c.A. 1890 (manchonné) made by Cockerill - FRC. None of these 15cm howitzers were adapted under cupolas on Belgian fortresses.

Technical data :

• Complete description : 15 cm Krupp rifled howitzer 1887 (mantled) on siege metallic carriage
• Design year : 1887
• Calibre : 149.10 mm
• Weight in firing position : 2350 kg on siege carriage
• Weight for transportation : 3265 kg on siege carriage
• Tube length in calibres : 0.00
• Grooves : 0
• Projectile weight :
• Initial speed :
• Fire rate :
• Range : 7000 m
• Elevation range :
• Direction range :

• Vesting - Vestingartillerie           Robert Gils                   Simon Stevin Vlaams Vestingbouwkundig Centrum   2010  
• Das Ehrenbuch der Schweren Artillerie (II. Band)       Major Franz Nikolaus Kaiser                   Vaterlandischer Verlag Berlin   1934