German 7,7 cm. leichte Feld Kanone (l.F.K.) 1896 Limber (Protze)

Above and Below:  A view of the 7,7cm lFK 1896 n/A with the limber

Below:  An elevated view of the limber and gun together

Below:  The German/Prussian Field Artillery Saddle 1873, Prussian horse collars, horse shoe cases, saber frogs, and field artillery/trains sabers from Prussia and Saxony used with both the 10,5cm howitzer and 7,7cm gun limber types from 1896-1918. For more on this see http://www.lovettartillery.com/Field%20Artillery%20Saddle%20and%20Harness.html

Below:  The Zeltsack for the German Field Artillery Limbers, pictured on the 10,5cm limber.  This one is likely from WW2 service.  The Zeltsack should be fastened to the seat back by four fittings.  I have not made the four reproduction fittings yet.  This will be a future project  

 

Below:  A view of the assembled 7,7cm lFK 1896 n/A Limber

Below:  A view of the 7,7cm lFK 1896 n/A hooked to the limber

Below:  The German 10,5cm lFH 1898/09 Limber to the left and the German 7,7cm lFK 1896 n/A to the right.  Looking at the two in this photo you can see there is an obvious size difference, especially noticeable when comparing the boxes and length of the arm rest.  The differences in the foot rest are obscured by the wheels 

Below:  A front view of the 7,7cm lFK 96 Limber.  The footboards are different from those on the 10,5cm lFH 98 Limber.  New oak boards were cut out and bolted in place for the foot boards and the back rest

Below:  This is an interior view of the 7,7cm lFK 96 n/A limber box.  The interior differs from the 10,5cm lFH 98/09 Limber box.  Also, notice the sliding box on mounted on rails from the top of the limber

Below:  In this view you can see the limber frame and axel with the original wheels as well as the limber box with the armrest.  The new wooden slates are bolted into the box interior.  The box is almost ready to be fitted onto the frame

Below:  New oak foot boards bolted onto the 7,7cm lFK 96 Limber frame and trace hooks 

Below:  The nearest four or five inches of the limber frame is new metal.  The original was corroded away, so the new metal has blisters pressed into each side and shaped just as the original.  The trace hooks are visible under the foot rest on the right and left.  The bars going up to the bottom of the foot board are new.  The curved iron running from the frame, under the foot boards and curving at the top are new.  I followed the pattern from the only other original 7,7cm lFK 96 limber known in Belgium, to duplicate these parts

Below:  Starting work on the iron mounts for the foot boards

Below:  Cutting the holes for the vertical bolts in the limber frame 

Below:  In this photo, I have made a pattern for the holes in the new sheet metal for the top of the limber box.  In this way the new sheet metal lines up with the original interior parts 

 

Below:  Looking down on the sliding box/tray for the limber.  The box is from Christian Duebbers in Germany and the rail to the left is new.  It was patterned off of the existing one to the right

Below:  Confirming that the new oak slates line up with the slates on the 7,7cm lFK 96 wicker ammunition baskets

Below:  The new oak slates with counter sunk holes, bolted in place

Below:  Marking the interior of the limber box for the new oak slates 

Below:  Marking the interior of the limber box for the new oak slates 

Below:  The limber pole hook.  This end piece was recovered from Russia and the wooden pole was found in eastern Germany

Below:  A view of the 7,7cm lFK 96 Limber box interior with the sliding rail for the metal box straightened out.  I covered the interior with Ospho and red oxide primer 

Below:  A view of interior of the limber box with new wooden slates bolted in place.  These wooden slates were based on a few remaining originals

Below:  In this photo you can see the bottom of the limber.  The imprint of the limber frame and mounts for the axel are visible in this view.  The holes in the sheet metal appear to be from fragmentation.  I made the decision not to patch or alter these holes because they are likely tied to the wartime history of the limber

Below:  The 7,7cm lFK 96 Limber box, has been sandblasted and in this photo the jagged remains of the sheet metal top and right side are being removed

 

Above:  This is a German 7,7cm lFK 1896 Limber (Protze).  The box and arm rest/seat section was found in Eastern Europe.  The underframe, axel, limber pole, wheels, and foot board/trace chain hooks are from Germany.  I am missing the pintle hitch and some sheet metal on the box will have to be replaced

Above:  The 7,7cm lFK 96 Limber is similar in appearance to the 10,5cm lFH 98 Limber and do share some parts, such as the axel and underframe, but the box is smaller and the foot boards are different.  For more detail see this link:
http://www.lovettartillery.com/MAT_7,7cm_lFK_96_nA_LIMBER_Detail.html

Above:  The limber wheels are original and have depot mark and 1915 date.  The hub and lynch pin are newly cast by Matt Switlik.  In this photo you can see that sheet metal is missing on one side of the limber box

Above:  Front view of the 7,7cm lFK 96 Limber.  The foot boards/trace chain hooks are held in place in this photo by wire.  As I restore the piece, mounts on the frame connected to wooden foot boards will hold them in place

Above:  A side view of the 7,7cm lFK 96 Limber.  Again, these are newly made hubs and lynch pins.  The wheels are completely original

Above:  A view from the back of the 7,7cm lFK 96 limber.  This is where the ammunition will be stored.  The back lid is missing.  I will base a reproduction on the somewhat larger 10,5cm lFH 98 original lid

Above:  A side view of the 7,7cm lFK 96 Limber without wheels.  The foot board mounts/trace chain hooks are more easily visible in this photo. These differ from the type used on the 10,5cm lFH 98 Limber and are an easy way to tell the two apart

Above:  A front view of the 7,7cm lFK 96 Limber without wheels.  These parts were sand blasted after these photos were taken

Above:  Front view of the 7,7cm lFK 96 Limber   

Above:  Side view of the 7,7cm lFK 96 Limber.  Notice the pintel hitch is missing on this one

Above:  Front view of the 7,7cm lFK 96 Limber with the shovel mount on the floor in front of the box.  This mount was missing from the 10,5cm lFH 98 limber so I will use it as a pattern to complete this detail on that limber as well

Above:  Frame with mounting brackets along with the box turned on its back.  What I believe are shell fragmentation holes are in the bottom of the box.  I will likely leave these unaltered

Above:  Top view of the 7,7cm lFK 96 frame, foot board/trace chain hooks, and axel 

Above:  A close up of the shovel mount

Above:  One of the 7,7cm lFK 96 field guns with the 7,7cm Limber in the background

Above:  Drawing of the 7,7cm lFK 96 Limber in German Field Artillery service

German WW1 Era Field Artillery Harness and Saddle page

German 7,7cm lFK 1896 n/A field gun (1896 dated)

German 7,7cm lFK 1896 n/A field gun (1917 dated)

German 7,7cm lFK 1916 field gun

German 7,7cm lFK 96 & 16 Ammunition

 

Back to Main

All images, research, and text are sole property of Ralph Lovett.