15 cm sIG 33

The 15 cm sIG 33 (schweres Infanterie Geschütz 33, lit. "heavy infantry gun") was the standard German heavy infantry gun used in the Second World War. It was the largest weapon ever classified as an infantry gun by any nation.

15 cm sIG 33
A sIG 33 at the Belgrade Military Museum, Serbia
TypeHeavy infantry gun
Place of originWeimar Republic
Service history
In service1927-1945
Used byNazi Germany
WarsWorld War II
Production history
DesignerRheinmetall
Designed1927–33
ManufacturerRheinmetall, AEG-Fabriken, Bohemisch Waffenfabrik
Produced1936–1945
No. builtaround 4,600
VariantssIG 33/1
Specifications
Mass1,800 kg (4,000 lb)
Length4.42 m (14 ft 6 in)
Barrel length1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) L/11
Width2.06 m (6 ft 9 in)

Shellcased separate-loading (6 charges)
Caliber149.1 mm (5.87 in)
Breechhorizontal sliding-block
Recoilhydro-pneumatic
Carriagebox trail
Elevation0° to +73° or -4° to +75°
Traverse11.5°
Rate of fire2-3 rounds per minute
Muzzle velocity240 m/s (790 ft/s) (HE)
Effective firing range4,700 m (5,100 yd)
SightsRblf36

Its weight made it difficult to use in the field, and the gun was increasingly adapted to various ad hoc mobile mountings. These were generically referred to as the SIG 33.

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