PG-105 Type 75 howitzer
| Type 75 105mm howitzer (PG-105 Type 75) | |
|---|---|
| Type | Howitzer |
| Place of origin | Menghe |
| Service history | |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | Polvokian Civil War Ummayan Civil War Innominadan Crisis Innominadan Uprising |
| Production history | |
| Produced | 1975-present |
| Specifications | |
| Barrel length | 4.09 m (161 in) (39 calibers) |
| Crew | 5 (minimum) 8 (full crew) |
| Breech | Vertical sliding block |
| Carriage | Split trail |
| Elevation | -5° to +70° |
| Traverse | ±20° without repositioning 360° on baseplate |
| Rate of fire | 12 rounds/min (maximum) 3 rounds/min (sustained) |
| Maximum firing range | 17,900 m (standard ammunition) 20,400 m (base bleed ammunition) |
| Sights | Telescopic sight |
The PG-105 Type 75 howitzer (formal designation: 75식 105밀리메테르 곡사포, chil-o-sik baek-o millimeterŭ goksapo, "Type 75 105-millimeter howitzer"; short designation: 곡포-105/75 Gokpo baego-chiro) is a type of light howitzer designed in the Democratic People's Republic of Menghe during the 1970s. It fires 105mm semi-fixed ammunition and is compatible with the 105mm howitzer ammunition used by the Hallian, Glasic, and Dayashinese militaries, among others.
During the 1980s and 1990s, the PG-105 Type 75 was the standard regimental howitzer of the Menghean Army, complementing 150mm guns at the divisional level. It serves as the basis for the P105G2P Bŏdŭl-po artillery system, also a regimental weapon. Since the 2005 Menghean military reforms, however, the Menghean Army has shifted to using 150mm guns at both the divisional and regimental levels, with 120mm gun-mortars replacing the PG-105 Type 75 in airborne and light infantry formations. Even so, the weapon remains in widespread use.
Development
During the Menghean War of Liberation, the Republic of Menghe Army purchased and operated a large number of OTO Melara Mod 56 pack howitzers. Anglia and Lechernt, the Republic of Menghe's main ally and arms supplier, had already adopted the Mod 56 as the "L5 pack howitzer with L10 ordnance," after reports that its existing 105mm howitzers were too heavy to pursue General Yang Tae-sŏng's army into the Chŏnsan Mountains. Though the Mod 56's range and durability left much to be desired, it could be broken down into multiple light loads with ease, making it ideal for the RoMA's campaigns in mountainous areas with poor infrastructure and a supply line heavy on pack animals.
During its mid-war raids and southern advance, the Menghean Liberation Army acquired a large number of Mod 56 pack howitzers, with an even larger number captured in 1964 with the surrender of the Republican forces. Rather than scrap the weapons in favor of a new, licensed caliber, the newly formed Ministry of National Defense decided to adopt the 105mm caliber for light artillery and reverse-engineer the OTO Melara Mod 56 as the PG-105 Type 64.
The Type 64 howitzer carried on the Mod 56's main advantage: it could be easily broken up and transported by pack animals and infantry, making it ideal for an infantry-centric army with a focus on guerrilla warfare. But as the reorganized Menghean People's Army shifted to a focus on mechanizing and modernizing its forces with a focus on the conventional fight, the MoND determined that the OTO Melara Mod 56 had inadequate range and an inadequate rate of fire. This led to the development of a new howitzer.
Under the MoND's requirements, the new howitzer would have to be compatible with the same range of 105mm semi-fixed ammunition used by the Mod 56, to preserve ammunition commonality and ease the transition to the new weapon. Yet it would have to reach a maximum range of 17.5 kilometers, compared to 10.5 for the Mod 56. Easy disassembly for pack transport was no longer a requirement; the gun would instead be towed behind a medium utility lorry. It would, however, require a fast transition from towed to combat-ready status. A weapon meeting these requirements was adopted for service in 1975.
Description
In terms of its capabilities, the PG-105 Type 75 has some resemblance to the Anglian L118 light gun, which was also developed as a successor to the OTO Melara Mod 56. This resemblance, however, appears to be largely coincidental or at least co-evolutionary, as Menghe is not known to have captured any L118 guns prior to 1975. The layout of the recuperator and cradle also give the Type 75 a closer resemblance to the Hallian M101 howitzer or the later GIAT LG1 of Sieuxerr, and, along with the longer barrel, contribute to its heavier weight.
The gun carriage is of a conventional split trail design, typical on prewar and wartime Menghean artillery. Once the gun is deployed, the gun crew can traverse the gun 20 degrees left or right of center without moving the trails. For greater traverse angles, the gun can be raised on a small baseplate and rotated through 360 degrees. It is possible to fire the gun while it is raised on the baseplate, but rotating it requires the crew to dig out and re-set the spades, which can take time if the gun is not firing from a pre-dug position.
As with many manually-loaded weapons, the exact rate of fire depends on the state of the crew and limits imposed by training regulations. Menghean Army manuals state that a rate of fire of 12 rounds per minute is possible in short barrages lasting under two minutes, but recommend a rate of fire of 4 rounds per minute when conducting a sustained bombardment in order to avoid damaging the barrel or wearing out the crew.
Crew size also varies with regulations. The minimum crew is five personnel, but a typical Menghean gun crew has eight personnel including the driver of the artillery truck. The additional crew members help bring the gun into position and supply it with ammunition.
When using standard 105mm high explosive shells, the PG-105 Type 75 howitzer can hit targets out to a range of 17,900 meters, slightly over the Menghean Army's 17.5 km requirement. This rises to 20,400 meters when using base bleed ammunition to extend the weapon's range. All shell types use semi-fixed charges which can be loaded with varying propellant loads to adjust range.
Ammunition
Because it was designed to use existing stocks of 105mm artillery ammunition, the PG-105 Type 75 retains full compatibility with other 105mm artillery ammunition originally designed for the M101 howitzer. Additionally, the following ammunition types are in production in Menghe:
- PT-105GP - High-explosive conventional shell.
- PT-105GPH - High-explosive shell with base bleed component to reduce drag and extend range. Has a maximum range of 20,400 meters.
- PT-105SJ - High-explosive anti-tank shell with a copper lining for direct fire against enemy armored vehicles. Penetration is officially cited as 350mm RHAe.
- PT-105YŏB - White phosphorus shell which generates a visual and infrared smokescreen.
- PT-105JM - Illumination shell.
- PT-105HM - Chemical weapon shell loaded with sarin gas. All stocks were safely disposed of in the early 1990s.
Variants
- Type 75G - Original model introduced in 1975.
- Type 75N - Improved model introduced in 1991. Features an improved fire control system and periscope sight. Also features a modified saddle which allows the gun to rotate 180 degrees when one wheel is removed. This allows for faster and safer towing with the gun stowed over the trail assembly.
- Type 75D - Improved model introduced in 2011. Features a CSNS positioning unit, a digital fire-control computer, and a radar antenna to measure the velocity of departing shells.
See also
- 122 mm howitzer 2A18 (D-30) (Letnia)
- GIAT LG1 (Sieuxerr)
- L118 light gun (Anglia and Lechernt)
- M119 howitzer (Hallia)
- OTO Melara Mod 56 (Serenoro)