The 8 cm Feldkanone M.5 was a field gun used by Austria-Hungary during World War I. It was a conventional design, with its most notable feature being its obsolescent autofrettaged bronze barrel, necessary because Austria-Hungary still had trouble making steel of the proper quality. Its development was quite prolonged as the Austrians took years to decide on the proper recoil system and type of breech. Even then production difficulties prevented its introduction into service until 1907.
Users
In addition to being used by Austria-Hungary during World War I the M.5/8 was widely used by its successor statesafter the war. Guns captured by Italy were used in both World War I and World War IIas the Cannone da 77/28 modello 5/8 and Cannone da 77/28 CA. Weapons captured by Nazi Germany were used under the designations 7.65 cm FK 5/8, 7.65 cm FK 5/8, 7.65 cm FK 5/8 or 7.65 cm FK 300, 7.65 cm FK and 7.65 cm Flak 268/1.
Variants
The M.5 was adapted for use in narrow mountain paths as the M.5/8 and could be disassembled into 3 loads. The base of the barrel was given lifting grips to speed its removal from the carriage and the carriage itself was modified to allow it to be disassembled. It is also worth noting that later M.5/8 barrels were made out of steel and full length axles of cast steel were available for use in its field gun configuration as found on an example rescued from a Dutch barn. This gun was also fitted with German army standard wooden wheels the differ from Austrianmilitary standard through the lack of metal lugs on the spoke ends. In addition to its field gun and mountain gun roles the M.5/8 was also adapted to an anti-aircraft role by placing the gun on a high-angle pedestal mount with 360 ° traverse and called the 8 cm Luftfahrzeugabwehr-Kanone M 5/8 MP. The Italians also had an anti-aircraft version of the M 05/08 called the Cannone da 77/28 CA. Despite its obsolescence it was deployed by Italian home guard units during World War II for static anti-aircraft defense and those captured by Germany after the Italian armistice in 1943 were given the designation7.65 cm Flak 268/1. There were also anti-aircraft versions of the M.5/8 in use with Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia.
