Historic context :

The exact identification of this gun that can still be found surviving in small numbers stays unclear and subject to debates. Therefore, the information below is quite unprecise, including the denomination.

Manufactured by Krupp, this '12 cm L/35 1879' (L/35 = 35 calibres) gun was very similar to the 12 cm sRK 79 more widely used whose tube was shorter (23 calibres). Both these guns were mounted on light and high place carriages typical of the old fortress artillery making the gun able to fire over the earth and bricks remparts of the old fortresses batteries at open air. They could also be associated with stronger but still high carriages in their siege version, this time to be able to aim over the earth and wood entranchments. It was a 'RingKanone', meaning this gun was built by jacketting steel tubes and rings of different diameters diametres.

Compared to the newer material available in 1914, these guns without recoil recuperating system were obsolete. It seems though they have been used as heavy field guns on several WW1 fronts, or on the Belgian seashore, to participate to the heavy artillery weapons shortage issue.

Their Bellgian denomination (after capure ?) was 'Krupp 12c sur affût de place exhaussé Mod 1878'

Technical data :

• Complete description : 12cm L/35 Ring Kanone M 1879
• Design year : 1879
• Calibre : 120.00 mm
• Weight in firing position : 3000 kg
• Weight for transportation :
• Tube length in calibres : 35.00
• Grooves : 30
• Projectile weight : 16.5 kg
• Initial speed :
• Fire rate :
• Range : 7600 m
• Elevation range :
• Direction range :

• Artillery           Curt Johnson                   Octopus   1975  
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