The '8 staal' was hastily brought back into service on the eve of World War II.

After the Franco-Prussian War the Dutch government bought a 8.4 cm Feldkanone Ord 1871 in Switzerland.

In the Summer of 1876 a Dutch artillery committee held comparative trials between their 8 cm A.

[5] On the budget for 1880 an extraordinary demand was made of 700,000 guilders for 60 steel bronze guns.

[6] In 1880 the Dutch trial with steel bronze guns for the army failed unexpectedly.

[7] Later in 1880, the defense minister then decided to buy a 84 mm gun from Krupp.

The 8 cm staal became obsolete with the introduction of the Canon de 75 modèle 1897 in 1897.

[1] This makes the front part of the barrel significantly smaller than the wider rear, and enables easy distinction between the 8 cm A. bronze and the 8 staal.

It had 24 grooves of 1.25 mm deep, progressing from 1.48 to 5.58 degrees at 25 cm before the muzzle, where the rotation became constant.

The limber had a steel axle, and Thonet system wheels, the rest of the structure and the disselboom were made of wood.

The differences in accuracy and effect between the 8 cm A. bronze and the 8 staal can be compared as follows:[1][15] The 8 staal fired a grenade or ring shell (ringgranaat, Ringgranate, obus à anneaux) of cylindro-ogival form.

[1] This shell was very similar to the one fired by the Swiss 8.4 cm Feldgeschütz Ord 1879.

The head was of cast iron, the cylindrical portion and base were made of steel.

It held 166 lead tin bullets of 14.1 mm diameter, weighing 16 gram each.

Its explosive charge at the base weighed 70 g. This shrapnel shell was detonated with a time fuze, which could be set from 300 to 3,700 m.[1] The canister shot (kartets)for close defense was made of sheet metal.

[1] After the introduction of the 7 veld as field gun, the 8 cm staal was transferred to the fortification artillery.

[16] Therefore, the post 1927 organization of the field artillery had four regiments of 36 8 cm staal each.

[17] On the eve of World War II, the Dutch government formed some new artillery units armed with about 100 8 cm staal guns.

Furthermore, it could not withstand the high explosive pressures of more modern guns, meaning it had a far shorter range.

It also provided a high and visible target that lacked an armored shield to protect its crew.

[18] Near Mill in North Brabant German troops crossed the lines in an armored train on 10 May.

Between Zeeland and Mill, they ran into 9 pieces of 8 cm staal, which had recently arrived.