| 12 cm Kanone M 80 | |
|---|---|
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| Type | Siege gun |
| Place of origin | Austria-Hungary |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1881-1918 |
| Used by | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Austria-Hungary |
| Wars | World War I |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 1,700 kilograms (3,700 lb) (barrel only) |
| Barrel length | 3.2 metres (130 in) L/26.6 |
| Shell | 19.8 kilograms (44 lb) |
| Caliber | 120 mm |
| Breech | Horizontal wedge |
| Recoil | none |
| Carriage | Box trail |
| Maximum firing range | 7,900 metres (8,600 yd) |
The 12 cm Kanone M 80 was a light siege gun used by Austria-Hungary during World War I. Designed to replace the M 61 series of siege guns the M 80 family of siege guns offered greater range and armor penetration than the older guns.
The steel-bronze (see Franz von Uchatius) was considered inferior to steel as early as 1870s, but due to the lack of steel industry in Austria it was used for the barrel, and the iron carriage lacked any system to absorb recoil other than the traditional recoil wedges placed underneath and behind the wheels of the carriage. These wedges helped to absorb the recoil force and encouraged the wheels to run forward to bring the gun back into battery. Generally a wooden firing platform was constructed for these guns in action to provide a level and smooth surface. Shortly after these guns were adopted a hydraulic recoil cylinder was adapted to absorb the recoil forces. It was attached to the underside of the carriage and the firing platform. For transport the barrel was removed from the carriage by a crane and carried separately.
While designed to penetrate the walls of fortifications the 12 cm siege gun was no longer useful against modern armored fortresses by the outbreak of World War I and its combination of long-range and light weight saw many in the field to fill the need for long-range artillery.
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