Cannone da 65/17 modello 13

The cannone da 65/17 modello 13 was an artillery piece developed by Italy for use with its mountain and infantry units. The designation means 65 mm calibre gun, barrel length 17 calibres, which entered service in 1913. The designation is often shortened to cannone da 65/17.

65 mm mountain gun
Type	Mountain artillery
Place of origin	Italy
Service history
In service	1913-1940s
Used by	Italy Kingdom of Albania Nazi Germany Ecuador
Wars	World War I Spanish Civil War World War II Ecuadorian–Peruvian War
Production history
No. built	unknown, 719 units in service June 1940 [1]
Specifications
Mass	560 kg (1,225 lb) Combat
Barrel length	1.1 m (3 ft 7 in) L/17.7
Shell	65 x 172 mm R[2]
Shell weight	4.3 kilograms (9.5 lb)
Caliber	65 mm (2.55 in)
Carriage	Horse-drawn, two wheeled, box trail
Elevation	-10° to +20°
Traverse	8°
Muzzle velocity	345 m/s (1,130 ft/s)
Effective firing range	6.8 km (4.2 mi)

Description

A lightweight design, the 65 mm gun was designed for use in difficult terrain and extreme weather conditions. The barrel had a 17 calibre length, and was designed for firing low-trajectory shots. The carriage was likewise simple in nature, consisting of a single trailing arm and solid-rim spoked wheels for horse draft. The weapon could be broken-down into five loads for transport.^[3] A simple folding gun shield was also provided in 1935.

History

A Mountain artillery unit with a 65/17 modello 13 gun on Monte Padon firing at Austrian positions on the Sass di Mezdi

German Datasheet

The 65 mm gun was first accepted into service with Italian mountain troops in 1913, and it served with them throughout World War I. It was used in the Fiat 2000 heavy tank which saw action in Libya. Replacements arrived in the 1920s and the gun was transferred to the regular infantry. It was well liked by the infantry due to its minimal weight and high reliability in adverse conditions. Despite its light calibre, it served through World War II with Italian forces as a close support weapon. It was effective also mounted on truck, particularly on captured Morris CS8 in North Africa, as anti-tank artillery. Guns captured by the Germans after the Italian defeat were given the designation 6.5 cm GebK 246(i).^[4]

Some were fielded by the Ecuadorian Army during the Ecuadorian–Peruvian War.^[5]

Nationalist forces at the Battle of Guadalajara

See also

• List of mountain artillery
• Canon de 65 M(montagne) modele 1906, a French mountain artillery piece, also used by the Germans under the name "6.5 cm Gebirgskanone 221(f)"
• Fiat 2000

References

1. "CANNONE DA 65/17 MODELLO 13 - Quartermaster Section". www.quartermastersection.com.
2. "48-57 MM CALIBRE CARTRIDGES". www.quarryhs.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2017-10-11. Retrieved 2017-10-02.
3. "Cannone da 65/17 modello 13" (in Italian). Regio Esercito. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
4. Chamberlain, Peter (1975). Infantry, mountain, and airborne guns. Gander, Terry. New York: Arco. p. 35. ISBN 0668038195. OCLC 2067391.
5. Jowett, Philip (28 Jun 2018). Latin American Wars 1900–1941: "Banana Wars," Border Wars & Revolutions. Men-at-Arms 519. Osprey Publishing. p. 40. ISBN 9781472826282.

Sources

• Hogg, Ian; 2000; Twentieth Century Artillery; Amber Books, Ltd.; ISBN 1-58663-299-X

External links

• (1915) Servizio del Cannone da 65 Mont. (1915 dated manual which discusses the operation, deployment, and crew drill for the Italian Cannone da 65/17 Modello 13, a 65mm mountain gun)^{[permanent dead link]}