Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary KuK Artillery WWI

[IrishGunner]

As the inimitable Chris B. wrote in another thread, "Them Austrians are confusing..."

I'm not familiar enough with KuK uniforms to be certain these are all artillerymen; however, the cards have artillery unit stempel on the reverse and that's good enough for my purposes. If anyone can confirm/identify the uniforms, it would be greatly appreciated.

This fellow I'm fairly certain is artillery. He's also wearing a medal that I believe is the Militär-Jubiläumskreuz 1908 (simply by it's shape, since all that can be seen is a side view). The reverse stempel is KuK Festungsartillerie Rgt. Nr. 1

The writing on the reverse appears to be Czech.

Edited November 27, 2013 by IrishGunner

[IrishGunner]

These next two cards were sent by the same guy to the same address in Wien; stempel is KuK GebirgsArtillerie Regt. No. 3; Haubitzbattr.Nr. 1

Writing is I believe Croatian.

However, the photos are not the same guy.

I believe #1 guy is an artilleryman with a Tapferkeitsmedaille

[IrishGunner]

#2 guy from KuK GebirgsArtillerie Regt. No. 3; Haubitzbattr.Nr. 1

Different uniform

[IrishGunner]

Feldpostkarte with stempel...no photos

KuK Artilleriebesatzungskommando

KuK Festungsartillerie Rgt. Nr. 5 (writing in Hungarian; sent to Budapest)

KuK Gebirgs Kanonen Bat. 6/2 (another one in Hungarian)

KuK Landsturm Art. Abteilung 7/1

Edited November 27, 2013 by IrishGunner

[IrishGunner]

Landwehr Feldhaubitz-Division Nr. 13

[IrishGunner]

Klagenfurter Kanonenregiment battling the Russians. Artist image of the Skoda Feldkanone 76,5mm M05/08, the main weapon of the Feldkanonenregiment at the beginning of WWI.

[Trooper_D]

#2 guy from KuK GebirgsArtillerie Regt. No. 3; Haubitzbattr.Nr. 1

Different uniform

Is the carbine diagnostic of artillery, Irish Gunner?

[IrishGunner]

Is the carbine diagnostic of artillery, Irish Gunner?

Trooper, I don't know if the carbine was with every KuK artillery unit, but I have seen photos of the carbine with KuK Gebirgsartillerie.

I don't think the uniform collar of the fellow in Post #3 however is artillery. I think the artillery uniform collar was like the one in Post #1 and Post #2.

Hopefully, some of our Austrian experts will check in and offer their opinions.

[IrishGunner]

A battery of Skoda 76.5mm (8cm) Feldkanone M05/08 on the march

[IrishGunner]

A battery of Skoda 15 cm M99/4 schwere Haubitze in position

[IrishGunner]

Another battery of Skoda 15 cm M99/4 schwere Haubitze

[IrishGunner]

Skoda 15cm Kanone M80

[IrishGunner]

18cm kurz Kanone M80

[IrishGunner]

KuK and German troops with a 30.5cm M11 Mörser outside Camp des Romains

[IrishGunner]

A better view of the 30.5cm M11 Mörser. By 1916, 58 of these beasts had been built and deployed. It was improved in 1916 and this version saw service into WWII. Skoda was well known for these and other heavy mortars...

[IrishGunner]

KuK Landsturm Art. Abteilung 2/14; Josef Ketlgruber; posted to Festung Przemysl; captured by Russians 23 Mar 1915; gestorben in Samarland 24 Dec 1915

[IrishGunner]

KuK Festungsartillerie Batln. Nr. 1; Johann Friedl

[IrishGunner]

KuK Gebirgs Kanon. Batt. i/g 14; Josef Eiselbrecht - Grosse Silberene Tapferkeitsmedaille

[IrishGunner]

KuK Feldhaubitzen-Regiment Nr. 8; Kanonier Josef Binder; killed in Romania

[Markgraf]

Trooper, I don't know if the carbine was with every KuK artillery unit, but I have seen photos of the carbine with KuK Gebirgsartillerie.

I don't think the uniform collar of the fellow in Post #3 however is artillery. I think the artillery uniform collar was like the one in Post #1 and Post #2.

Hopefully, some of our Austrian experts will check in and offer their opinions.

The guy in the Post #3 folded out his shirts collar to the tunics collar.

The mounted artillery had carabine (karabély). Short gun, the gun sling fixed to the side of the stock. Carried across the back, and fixed it to the belt with a special sling.

The unmounted artillery had kurtály. It is totally the same as the carabine, except that the gun sling fixed on the lower edge of the stock. Carried on the shoulder on the same way as the longer infantry rifle.

I hope I was understandable...

Edited November 29, 2013 by Markgraf

[Markgraf]

One of my favourite:

Artilleryman with a 7 cm Gebirgskanone M 1899 „Ortler-Geschütz“. The inscription on the backstage means "against alcohol". The publisher of the poster is the General Welfare Society Anti-Alcohol Section

Edited November 29, 2013 by Markgraf

[IrishGunner]

One of my favourite:

Artilleryman with a 7 cm Gebirgskanone M 1899 „Ortler-Geschütz“. The inscription on the backstage means "against alcohol". The publisher of the poster is the General Welfare Society Anti-Alcohol Section

Nice photo. And a good view of the bayonet - anyone know what type of bayonet this is?

[Markgraf]

Some Werndl model for enlisted. It was regular for the second line units.

Edited November 29, 2013 by Markgraf

[Markgraf]

15 cm Autokanone M. 15/16 without gun shield

[Trooper_D]

Irish Gunner has already posted some pictures of the 30.5cm M11 Mörser. For completeness, I am posting two more which give an indication of the effort required to move these gargantuas to where they could do their worst. The first is a famous photo but merits being seen again (even if it is captioned as a 320 mortar!). The second shows how the mortar was broken down for transport, with its recoil compensator placed on the middle trailer, the whole train being hauled by a Skoda-Daimler Road Tractor. Apparently the gun crew could deploy it from this configuration, ready for firing, in 50 minutes.

For those who haven't seen it before and want to know more, the following are interesting pages which gives an indication of the damage this weapon could do, particularly to the Italian forts on the Asiago Plateau in North East Italy:
http://www.moesslang.net/ww1_fortification_history.htm
http://www.moesslang.net/ww1_jim_haugh_seite2.htm