Original German WWII 15cm sFH 18 Heavy Field Howitzer Powder Crate with (4) Powder Canisters – All WWII Dated Original Items

 Original Item: Only One Available. Here we have a lovely German WWII wooden ammunition crate for the 15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze 18 (heavy field howitzer, model 18 or sFH18), complete with the original 4 plated steel explosives canisters it was designed to contain. The design used a “separate loading cased charge”, which meant that while it did use a shell casing, these were loaded on site from explosives canisters such as these.

The sFH 18 was the major field howitzer used by Germany for much of the early war, however it was outmatched by the Soviet 152 mm howitzer-gun M1937 in terms of range. This led to a “special” version that used larger “special 7” or 8 charges, which is exactly what this chest is for. The box is in good condition, and still has the original stencil label on the top:

Sonderkart. 7u. 8
s. F. H. 18

This indicates that the explosive charge inside the containers is the “Special Charge 7 & 8” for the sFH18. There is also a marking on the front of the chest, indicating that it is Army Ammunition, with a total weight of 27kg:

Heeres Munition
Gesamtgew. 27 kg

The crate measures 14 1/2″H x 15 1/2″W x 10 1/2″D, and the handles and the hinges and latch are fully functional, with the side handles still present. There are still multiple WWII dated labels on the interior and exterior, and the paint on the outside is in great shape. The only condition issue is that glue seams on the front and right side have let go, so that the top 4 inches or so are no longer attached to the box on those sides. This most likely could easily be remedied with some wood glue and clamps. 

The included charge canisters are all in very good condition, some showing some denting, and all have the original paper labels on the lids. Some even have additional labels on the interior, along with the original padding.

This would make a great addition to any German WWII Artillery Display!