Obice 105/14 mod.56 OTO Melara 105-mm howitzer
The OTO Melara Mod 56 is an Italian small howitzer that has a caliber of 105 mm and can shoot at a distance of up to 10600 meters. It is served by up to 7 people. It is the result of an Italian study which led to its construction by the Oto Melara company of La Spezia and its adoption in service in the Italian Army starting from 1957. Overall 2,300 examples of this howitzer were built, of which only the 15% for the Italian Army. This piece entered service not only in Italy, but also in many European, South American, African armies, with Canada and even with Australia and New Zealand.
The 105/14 was recently [2002] reintroduced into Italian service, capable of guaranteeing the characteristics of flexibility and handling typical of the Alpine Troops. By 2021, the Italian armed forces have a total of 188 towed howitzers including 25 105mm Oto Melara Mod 56 and 163 FH70 155mm towed howitzers. Only 90 of the FH70 would be in service with the Italian army.
The Obice da 105/14 modello 18 was a howitzer used by Italy during the Great War and World War II. The first version of this howitzer was designed by Schneider in 1906. It was chosen by the Italian Regio Esercito to serve as their new field gun, but licence production by Ansaldo was slow. It was originally designed to be towed by horses with wooden-spoked wheels. Some weapons may have been modernized for tractor-towing with steel-spoked wheels and pneumatic tires. For transport the box trail was supported by a small limber.
During the Great War a few hundred pieces were produced, purchased by the Royal Army , but never distributed to the departments due to lack of ammunition that gave sufficient performance (with the ammunition of the time the range was just over 6 km ). After the First World War, with the acquisition of the Škoda 10 cm Vz. 1914, of superior performance, the 105/14 was placed in reserve and stored at the Artillery Directorate of Venice.
When the Second World War approached the howitzers kept in storage were overhauled and some had their wooden wheels replaced with metal wheels for mechanical towing. Howitzers captured by the Germans after the Italian surrender in 1943 were given the designation of 10.5 cm leichte Feldhaubitze 326(i), although it is unknown to what extent they were actually used. Some references believe this gun was developed in the 1930s, but this seems unlikely given the designation as modello 18. The box trail would also be very old-fashioned for a gun designed that late.
After theSecond World War, the improved model currently in use was developed, featuring modern limbers, a pronounced muzzle brake, and improved recoil hydraulics. Designed by Gen. S. Fuscaldi of the Artillery Technical Service, the prototype was built by the Military Arsenal of Naples after three fully functional models of reduced cal. 20 mm. Production started at the mechanical workshops of Pozzuoli and later at Oto Melara, by 1983 more than 2,600 guns were built, of which 340 were made for the Italian Army which went on to equip the artillery regiments of the 5 Alpine brigades.
At the same time, in 1958, a battery was established within the then Military Parachuting Center (CMP) which was later transformed (1963) into the 185th Parachute Artillery Group, simultaneously with the transformation of the CMP into the Folgore Parachute Brigade. The Italian Army went to equip the artillery regiments of the 5 Alpine Brigades. At the same time, in 1958, a battery was established within the then Military Parachuting Center (CMP) which was later transformed (1963) into the 185th Parachute Artillery Group, simultaneously with the transformation of the CMP into the Folgore Parachute Brigade.
Other pieces were produced for Canada, the United Kingdom, Argentina and many other armies. Argentine artillery was used against the British, in one of the rare artillery fire actions in the Malvinas War. However, the British had already replaced them with the 105mm Light gun, which could not be transported and was heavier, but with a range of 17 km. The Chinese manufacturer NORINCO offers a version of the howitzer with the associated ammunition.
It has not exceptional performances (10.6 km of maximum range for 1250 kg of weight), but its basic characteristic is the possibility of being broken down into 12 different loads, thus allowing them to be loaded (the 12 mules had to carry a maximum weight of 132 kg).
The howitzer can be used for anti-tank taut shooting, lowering the carriage by means of the two arms integral with the central axle which connect the carriage itself to the wheels and the use of the two intermediate elements of the tails, the elevation is then reduced at -5°/+15°. In the "low knee" configuration it can be easily stowed even on pallets suitable for airdrop.
This howitzer has had no competitor in the West, despite the obvious need to replace the US M1 mountain howitzer, now outdated by 75mm. In fact, although it was necessary to replace the American weapon due to the poor range and insufficient caliber, only the Italian Army posed the problem (having to replace the outdated 75/13 artillery from the First World War).
The Oto Melara 105 mod.56 howitzer uses the same NATO ammunition as the 105 mm artillery, in turn derived from the American ammunition of the Second World War.
The howitzer uses a very short muzzle with a multi-deflector muzzle brake, hydropneumatic brake and helical recovery spring, vertically sliding wedge bolt. The carriage is of the type with split tails and the wheels are fitted with tires for high-speed towing. The Model 56 can be broken down into 11 loads for transport by donkeys in varied terrain, and in exercises the shield is removed to reduce weight. The howitzer can be towed by a Lince VTLM or it can be transported suspended from an AH 139 or NH90 medium helicopter.
The howitzer uses 21 kg HE shells with a maximum initial speed of 472 m/sec.; it can also employ 16.7 kg HEAT projectiles which can pierce 102 mm of armour. In the EI it had been replaced by French heavy 120mm mortars. Missions abroad have demonstrated the need to have an artillery piece with different ballistic and transport characteristics, such as those of the 105/14 mm Oto 56.
With its flexibility and the ability to be air-transported and air-dropped, the 105/14 howitzer represents an important tool available to mountain artillery departments. Thanks to the specific training cycles necessary to live and move in inaccessible environments and to the means and individual equipment they are equipped with, the Mountain Artillery Regiments are a fundamental component of the maneuvering units because they guarantee the fire support necessary for their direct support.
Employment in a mountain environment remains the responsibility of the Alpine Troops which are equipped with BV206 vehicles and individual equipment as well as the training necessary to live and move in inaccessible environments and where even the mountain artillery is able to operate with the same capabilities of the Alpini.
The instructors of the Training Group of the Artillery Command enable 48 mountain artillerymen on the use of the mechanical towed howitzer. The course on the use of the 105/14 mechanical towed howitzer carried out by a team of instructors of the Training Group of the Bracciano Artillery Command in favor of 48 active soldiers of the 1st and 3rd Mountain Land Artillery Regiment, stationed respectively in Fossano (CN) and Remanzacco (UD). The objective of the course, successfully passed by all the participants, was achieved upon completion of a training course which saw the mountain gunners acquire all the notions useful for the use of the 105/105 mechanical towed howitzer 14.
Contributing in a decisive way to the completion of the training and specialization of the Officers, NCOs and Volunteers belonging to the Artillery Arma, the Training Group of the Bracciano Artillery Command represents an excellence of the Italian Army.
In February 2020 the artillerymen of the 1st land artillery regiment of Fossano conducted training on the helicopter transport of the 105/14 howitzer supplied at the headquarters of the 34th Army Aviation Squadron Group "Toro". The activity saw the regiment's teams - equipped in full operational order - train in the complex and delicate helitransport procedures, coordinating and managing the approach of the aircraft and the subsequent docking and safe transport of the howitzer.
This type of operation is not new for the artillerymen of the "Taurinense" Alpine Brigade, who make use flexibility and deployment speed their strong point. In fact, the 1st regiment operates on three different artillery lines, two of which are helicopter-transportable. Alongside the FH70 howitzer, a long-range weapon system that can be used in contexts other than mountain ones, and the 120mm Thompson mortar, the 105/14 howitzer.
The necessary validation activity was developed in 2019 as a premise for the "LARAN 2019" exercise which will see the "Taurinense" Alpine Brigade and all its operational and logistic departments employed in the coming weeks. a team of the Training Regiment of the Bracciano Artillery Command has validated the personnel of the 1st Artillery Regiment for the use of the 105/14 howitzer. The validation activity, passed with full success, has come to complete a training and education process which has seen the mountain gunners re-acquire mastery and familiarity with the howitzer.
The Army Logistics Commander, Army Corps General Francesco Paolo Figliuolo, in February 2020 presided over the ceremony of rotation in the position of Technical Commander between Lieutenant General Paolo Giovannini, transferor, and Major General Angelo Gervasio, incoming. The fruits of the intense work carried out by General Giovannini as Technical Commander were numerous, including the coordination of the activities of restoration and reintroduction into service of the 105/14 howitzer, the development of a software capable of providing the logistical feasibility of an operational mission was real, the stipulation of scientific collaboration agreements with the "Sapienza" University of Rome and the contribution for the implementation of the new guidelines of the Armed Forces in the field of efficiency checks on Army ammunition.
Highly flexible, helicopter-transportable and air-dropable howitzer, the 105/14 represents the perfect synthesis of the operational tool in the hands of mountain artillery.
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