View source for 15 cm sFH 18

{{Infobox weapon
|name=15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze 18
| image=150mm sFH18 howitzer base borden 1.jpg
| image_size =300px
|caption=Preserved sFH 18 howitzer at [[CFB Borden]], Ontario, Canada
|origin=[[Weimar Republic|Germany]]
|type=[[Howitzer]]
<!-- Type selection -->
|is_ranged=
|is_bladed=
|is_explosive=
|is_artillery=yes
|is_vehicle=
|is_UK=
<!-- Service history -->
|service=1934–1945 (Germany)
|used_by=[[Nazi Germany|Germany]]<br/>See ''[[#Operators|Operators]]''
|wars=[[World War II]]<br>[[Second Sino-Japanese War]]<br>[[Portuguese Colonial War]]
<!-- Production history -->
|designer=[[Krupp]]<br/>[[Rheinmetall]]
|design_date=1926–1930
|manufacturer=Krupp, [[Rheinmetall]], Spreewerke, [[M.A.N.]] and [[Škoda Works|Skoda]]
|unit_cost=40,400 [[Reichsmark|RM]] (1944)
|production_date=1933–1945
|number=6,756<ref name=haubitzen/>
|variants=sFH 18M
<!-- General specifications -->
|weight=Travel: {{convert|6,304|kg|lb|abbr=on}}<br>Combat: {{convert|5,512|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
|length={{convert|7.849|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|part_length={{convert|4.440|m|ftin|abbr=on}} L/29.5
|width={{convert|2.225|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|height={{convert|1.707|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
|crew=7<ref>{{Cite book|title=Jane's pocket book of towed artillery|last=Foss|first=Christopher|date=1977|publisher=Collier|page=111|isbn=0020806000|location=New York|oclc=911907988}}</ref>
<!-- Ranged weapon specifications -->
|cartridge=149&nbsp;mm × 260&nbsp;R [[Shell_(projectile)#Separate loading cased charge|Separate loading cased charge]]
|cartridge_weight= {{convert|43.52|kg|lb|abbr=on}} ([[High-explosive shell|HE]])
|caliber={{convert|149|mm|in|abbr=on}}
|action=
|rate=4 rpm
|velocity={{convert|520|m/s|ft/s|abbr=on}}
|range=
|max_range={{convert|13,325|m|yd|abbr=on}}<br>[[rocket-assisted projectile|RAP]]: {{convert|18,200|m|yd|abbr=on}}
|feed=
|sights=Model 1934 Sighting Mechanism
<!-- Artillery specifications -->
|breech=horizontal [[Rifled breech loader#The sliding block|sliding-block]]
|recoil=[[Hydraulic recoil mechanism|hydro-pneumatic]]
|carriage=[[Gun_carriage#Modern gun carriages|split trail]]
|elevation=0° to +45°
|traverse=60°
}}

The '''15&nbsp;cm schwere Feldhaubitze 18''' or '''sFH 18''' (German: "heavy field howitzer, model 18"), nicknamed ''Immergrün'' ("[[Evergreen]]"),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.flamesofwar.com/Default.aspx?tabid=144&art_id=1060&kb_cat_id=63|title = Models}}</ref> was the basic German division-level heavy [[howitzer]] of 149mm during the [[Second World War]], serving alongside the smaller but more numerous [[10.5&nbsp;cm leFH 18]]. Its mobility and firing range and the effectiveness of its 44 [[kilogram]] shell made it the most important weapon of all German [[infantry]] divisions.{{sfn|Engelmann|1995|page=11}} A total of 6,756 examples were produced.<ref name=haubitzen/>

It replaced the earlier, [[First World War]]-era design of the [[15&nbsp;cm sFH 13]], which was judged by the [[Krupp]]-[[Rheinmetall]] designer team of the sFH 18 as completely inadequate.{{sfn|Engelmann|1995|page=11}} The sFH 18 was twice as heavy as its predecessor, had a [[muzzle velocity]] increase of forty percent, a maximum firing range 4.5 [[kilometer]]s greater, and a new split-trail gun carriage that increased the firing traverse twelvefold.{{sfn|Engelmann|1995|page=11}} The secret development from 1926–1930 allowed German industry to deliver a trouble-free design at the beginning of [[German re-armament]] in 1933.{{sfn|Engelmann|1995|page=11}} It was the first artillery weapon equipped with [[Rocket Assisted Projectile|rocket-assisted ammunition]] to increase range. The sFH 18 was also used in the self-propelled artillery piece ''schwere Panzerhaubitze'' 18/1 (more commonly known as ''[[Hummel (artillery)|Hummel]]'').

The sFH 18 was one of Germany's three main 15&nbsp;cm calibre weapons, the others being the [[15&nbsp;cm Kanone 18]], a [[corps]]-level heavy gun, and the [[15&nbsp;cm sIG 33]], a short-barreled [[infantry gun]].

==Design and development==
[[File:150mm sFH18 howitzer base borden 2.jpg|thumb|Rear of Preserved sFH 18 howitzer at [[CFB Borden]]]]
Development work on the sFH 18 began in 1926 and the gun was ready for production by 1933.{{sfn|Engelmann|1995|page=11}} The model year was an attempt at camouflage.{{sfn|Engelmann|1995|page=11}} The gun originated with a contest between [[Rheinmetall]] and [[Krupp]], both of whom entered several designs that were all considered unsatisfactory for one reason or another. In the end the army decided the solution was to combine the best features of both designs, using the Rheinmetall gun on a Krupp carriage.<ref name=factory>[http://www.militaryfactory.com/armor/detail.asp?armor_id=120 sFH 18]</ref>

The carriage was a relatively standard split-trail design with box legs. Spades were carried on the sides of the legs that could be mounted onto the ends for added stability. The carriage also saw use on the [[10 cm schwere Kanone 18]] gun. As the howitzer was designed for horse towing, it used an unsprung axle and hard rubber tires. A two-wheel bogie was introduced to allow it to be towed, but the lack of suspension made it unsuitable for towing at high speed.

The only remarkable feature of the sFH 18 was that it was the first weapon to make use of [[rocket-assisted projectile]]s (RAP), which in theory would give the howitzer a range equal or superior to the 10&nbsp;cm sK 18, replacing it and freeing up German production capacity for more important weapons; In practice, the RAP rounds were not entirely successful and were withdrawn from service shortly after being introduced in 1941. Army reports at the time "speak with awe of the voluminous and involved firing instructions that accompanied it," which did nothing to dispel the artillery crews suspicions that the RAP rounds were scarcely out of the experimental stage.{{sfn|Hogg|2002|page=64}}

The gun was officially introduced into service on 23 May 1935,<ref name=haubitzen>[http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Waffen/haubitzen-R.htm Haubitzen und Mörser] {{in lang|de}}</ref> and by the outbreak of war the [[Wehrmacht]] had about 1,353 of these guns in service. Production continued throughout the war, reaching a peak of 2,295 guns in 1944.<ref name=haubitzen/> In 1944, the howitzer cost 40,400 [[Reichsmark|RM]], 9 months and 5,500 man-hours to make.{{sfn|Engelmann|1995|page=13}}

===Variants===

Several other versions of the basic 15&nbsp;cm were produced:

*The '''[[15 cm sFH 36]]''' was a version with a greatly reduced {{convert|3450|kg|lb|abbr=on}} weight that was an attempt to improve mobility, but as it used various [[duralumin|light alloy]]s to achieve this saving it was considered too costly to continue production.
*The '''15&nbsp;cm sFH 40''' was another improved version, featuring a slightly longer barrel and a new carriage that was suitable for vehicle towing and allowed the barrel to have wider firing angles and thereby improve range up to 15,400 m. However this version was even heavier than the ''sFH 18'' (at {{convert|5680|kg|lb|abbr=on}}) and was found to be too difficult to use in the field.
*The '''15&nbsp;cm sFH 18/40''' was created by fitting the barrel of the ''15&nbsp;cm sFH 40'' to existing ''sFH 18'' carriages. Roughly 46 howitzers were created.
*A further modification was the '''15&nbsp;cm sFH 18/43''', which changed to a split breech that allowed for the use of [[Shell (projectile)#Separate loading bagged charge|bagged charge]]s instead of requiring the gunners to first put the charges into casings. 
*Two further attempts to introduce a newer 15&nbsp;cm piece followed, but neither the '''15&nbsp;cm sFH 43''' or '''15&nbsp;cm sFH 44''' progressed past the stage of wooden mock-ups.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lemairesoft.freehyperspace.com/weben/armes/artillerie/5397.html#116368 |title=LemaireSoft |access-date=28 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080106023348/http://www.lemairesoft.freehyperspace.com/weben/armes/artillerie/5397.html#116368#116368 |archive-date=6 January 2008 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Production of sFH 18, pcs.<ref name=haubitzen/>
! Year
! Pre-War
! 1939
! 1940
! 1941
! 1942
! 1943
! 1944
! 1945
! Total
|- 
! Produced, pcs.
| 1,353
| 190
| 580
| 516
| 636
| 785
| 2,295
| 401
! 6,756
|}

==Combat record==
[[File:German 150mm Howitzer 20181020.jpg|thumb|right|Rheinmetall FH-18 32/L in Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution]]
The first field combat for the 15&nbsp;cm sFH 18 was with the Chinese National Revolutionary Army in the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]]. The Chinese planned on purchasing a total of 240 pieces but only 24 were delivered by 1937 due the lack of funds.{{sfn|Lai|2017|pages=17−18}} The few 15&nbsp;cm sFH 18 units the Chinese did have hopelessly outclassed their Japanese counterparts which were mainly the [[Type 38 15&nbsp;cm howitzer]] and [[Type 4 15&nbsp;cm howitzer]], forcing the Japanese to introduce the [[Type 96 15&nbsp;cm Howitzer]]. Some earlier pieces (about 24) of sFH18 in China were designed specially with a 32/L barrel, known as sFH18 32/L; the maximum range was increased to 15&nbsp;km.

Against the Soviet Union, the sFH 18 lacked the range of the [[Red Army]] [[152 mm howitzer-gun M1937 (ML-20)|152&nbsp;mm ML-20 gun-howitzer]], its maximum range of {{convert|17.3|km|yd}} allowed it to fire [[counter-battery]] against the sFH 18 with a   {{convert|4|km|yd}} advantage. This led to numerous efforts to introduce new guns with even better performance than the ML-20, while various experiments were also carried out on the sFH&nbsp;18 to improve its range. These led to the 15&nbsp;cm sFH 18M version with a removable barrel liner and a [[muzzle brake]] that allowed a larger "special 7" or 8 charge to be used. The 18M increased range to {{convert|15100|m|yd}}, but it was found that the liners suffered increased wear and the recoil system could not handle the increased loads in spite of the brake. This led to the introduction of the 15&nbsp;cm R. Gr. 19 FES ammunition, which used a rocket-assisted round that could reach {{convert|18200|m|yd}} and give it some level of parity with the ML-20.

Several countries continued fielding the sFH 18 after the war in large numbers including [[Czechoslovakia]], Portugal and many [[South American]] and [[Central American]] countries. Finland bought 48 sFH&nbsp;18 howitzers from Germany in 1940 and designated them '''150 H/40'''. These guns were modernized in 1988 as the [[152 H 88]], and they were used by the Finnish Army until 2007.

==Versions==
{{more citations|section|date=April 2025}}
[[File:Svidnik war museum 05.jpg|thumbnail|152&nbsp;mm Howitzer M18/46 in Svidnik museum]]
*'''15&nbsp;cm sFH 18''' – standard version
*'''15 cm sFH 36''' - lightened version
*'''15&nbsp;cm sFH 18M''' – modification of sFH-18 with muzzle brake and replaceable barrel liner
*'''15&nbsp;cm sFH 18/40''' – sFH 40 barrels on sFH 18 carriages
*'''15&nbsp;cm sFH 18/43''' – a sFH 18 development to accept bag charge with sliding-block breech
*'''15&nbsp;cm sFH 18/32L''' – Chinese (Republic of China) version with longer barrel and longer range of 15&nbsp;km
*'''152&nbsp;mm Howitzer M18/46''' – Post-war Czechoslovak modification with a shorter barrel that was rebored to fire Soviet 152&nbsp;mm ammunition, a straight topped gun shield and a double-baffle muzzle brake{{sfn|Foss|1976|page=11}}
*'''[[152 H 88]]-40''' – Finnish modernization with a lengthened 152-mm barrel and a muzzle brake

==Operators==
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-078-3073-23A, Russland, Kursk, Artillerie.jpg|thumb|German forces with a 15 cm sFH 18 howitzer on the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]].]]
[[File:152H88-40.jpg|thumb|[[152 H 88]]-40. Finnish modernized version of 15 cm sFH 18.]]
*{{flaglist|Albania|1946}} – Post-war use{{sfn|Hogg|2002|page=64}}
*{{ARG}}{{sfn|Foss|1976|page=28}}
*{{AUT}} − sFH 18M{{sfn|Foss|1976|page=28}}
*{{flag|Bulgaria|1947}} – Post-war use{{sfn|Hogg|2002|page=64}}
*{{CHI}}{{sfn|Foss|1976|page=28}}
*{{flagicon|Republic of China}} [[Nationalist Government|Republic of China]] − 24 sFH 18/32L purchased in 1937{{sfn|Lai|2017|page=18}}
*{{flagicon|Czechoslovakia}} [[Czechoslovakia]] – Modified as the ''Howitzer M18/46''. Kept in reserve as late as 1976{{sfn|Foss|1976|page=11}}
*{{FIN}} – 48 pieces, known as ''150 H/40''
*{{flag|Nazi Germany}}
*{{ITA}} – Designated as the ''Obice 149/28''{{sfn|Hogg|2002|page=64}}
*{{POR}} – Post-war use{{sfn|Foss|1976|page=28}}
*{{SWE}} − Designated as ''Haub m/39''{{sfn|Foss|1976|page=28}}
*{{YUG}} – sFH 18 and sFH 18M{{sfn|Foss|1976|page=28}}

==See also==
*[[152 mm howitzer-gun M1937 (ML-20)]] – Soviet 152&nbsp;mm howitzer
*[[BL 5.5 inch Medium Gun]] – British gun of similar size
*[[10 cm schwere Kanone 18]]

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
{{refbegin}}

* {{cite book |last=Engelmann |first = J. |translator-last=Johnston |translator-first = D. |title = Deutsche Schwere Feldhaubitzen 1934-1945 |trans-title = German Heavy Field Artillery in World War II: 1934-1945 |year=1995 |publisher = Schiffer Publishing |location=[[Atglen, PA]] |isbn = 978-0887407598 }}
*{{cite book |last1=Foss |first1=Christopher F. |author1-link=Christopher F Foss |title=Artillery of the World (Revised edition) |date=1976 |publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons |location=New York |isbn=978-0-684-14787-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/artilleryofworld0000foss/mode/2up?view=theater |url-access=limited}}
*{{cite book |last1=Hogg |first1=Ian V. |author1-link=Ian V. Hogg |title=German Artillery of World War Two |date=2002 |publisher=Greenhill Books and Stackpole Books |location=London and Mechanicsburg, PA |isbn=978-1-85367-480-8 |url=https://archive.org/details/germanartilleryo0000hogg/ |url-access=limited}}
*{{cite book |last1=Lai |first1=Benjamin |title=Shanghai and Nanjing 1937: Massacre on the Yangtze |date=2017 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |isbn=978-1-4728-1751-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w8svDgAAQBAJ&pg=PA18 |language=en}}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
* {{Commons category-inline}}

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{{WWIIGermanGuns}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}

[[Category:150 mm artillery]]
[[Category:World War II field artillery]]
[[Category:World War II artillery of Germany]]
[[Category:World War II artillery of Italy]]
[[Category:World War II weapons of China]]
[[Category:Krupp]]
[[Category:Rheinmetall]]
[[Category:World War II howitzers]]
[[Category:Military equipment introduced in the 1930s]]