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Canon de 75 mle 1897

1897 SPANISH CIVIL WAR WORLD WAR 1 WORLD WAR 2

Canon de 75 mle 1897 History

One of the best artillery pieces of the time, and the first "true" modern artillery system adopted by the national army, was the Canon de 75 modele 1897 made in France. The initial development drew on several advances prior to 1897, including the use of a one-piece ammunition containing the shell and charge, as well as "smokeless" powder, a "rotating screw" type breech mechanism, and a short recoil hydropneumatic system, the latter allowing The guns remain in place after firing so there is no need for crews to "re-point" their guns. All of these advances came in time for French engineers to experiment with a 57mm prototype in 1891 using newly discovered technology. This work culminated into a 75mm design with a closely guarded long recoil mechanism - these are advanced environments around development. Field testing began in 1894, and with the exception of hydraulic system leaks, the results were excellent.

After the hydraulic system was perfected, the weapon system was adopted by the French Army in 1898 as the Material de 75 mm Mle 1897, and it was officially shown to the public in the summer of 1899. Production will come from government armouries in Puteaux, Bourges, Tarbes and St Etienne, of which more than 21,000 will eventually be produced between 1897 and 1940.

mle 1897 was an elegant instrument of war at the time. It weighed 3,400 pounds, had a barrel nearly 9 feet long, and had a 155mm caliber. The internal design of the barrel assembly features rifling to help the fired projectile achieve the desired flight stability. Like other modern towed artillery systems, the Model 1897 basically consists of a barrel, mount, shield, and mount.

The carriage consisted of two multi-spoke hoops attached to pole-type track assemblies, allowing the system to be towed by horses or mechanized movers (the latter being more typical in the early days). The recoil mechanism was placed under the barrel near the muzzle.

The weapon is breech loaded with a joystick, which opens the hollow breech for a new projectile. The weapon system is operated by a standard squad of six, each responsible for a specific task during firing. The weapon was further operated by six horses and their respective owners during transport.

Ammunition is supplied in a variety of ways.

The Type 75 is released to fire two basic projectiles, the typical high-explosive (HE) type and the shrapnel type. The high-explosive grenade weighs 12 pounds and detonates upon impact (after a very short delay fuze) in contact with solid ground (i.e. ground or reinforced structure).

The grenade grenade also has a short delay fuze, but this projectile fires nearly 300 buckshots in all directions for maximum lethality. Other types of grenades end up containing some rather nasty incendiary substances that cause further damage to the ground. Anti-tank grenades temporarily led to the weapon being used as a tank killer (this led to the modernized Canon de 75 mle 1897/33).

As with any modern bolt-loaded artillery system, when the bolt handle is operated, the spent 75mm round is ejected and the bolt is now ready to receive new 75mm rounds. The weapon has a muzzle velocity of 1,600 feet per second, has an effective range of up to 9,350 yards, and uses high-explosive ammunition (with less shrapnel).

The barrel has a six-degree traverse with an elevation range of -11 to +18 degrees.

The key to the Model 1897's success was its recoil system, which allowed the gun to stay on target/scope. In the past, the recoil effect nullified any tactical gains from the rifle set as the weapon system recoiled and temporarily lost its target. This forced the crew to reposition their cannons before firing another projectile. The hydropneumatic recoil system of the Model 1897 absorbs all recoil and keeps the gun - and more importantly the barrel - still aimed at the target/target area. As a result, rifle teams can now fire multiple rounds in a row, giving this weapon a technical and tactical advantage over more traditional foes.

Well-trained and battle-hardened crews can easily fire 10 to 15 consecutive rounds of 75mm ammunition, all with remarkably accurate results compared to their contemporaries. When deployed on a large scale, the Model 1897 can cover large areas of land and lower artillery fire when needed.

The Model 1897 was a state secret until the First World War. It wasn't until World War I hit Europe, especially France, in 1914 that the gun came into focus. As the world prepares for one of the bloodiest conflicts in human history, when France declares war on Germany, about 4,000 units are available. Wartime production across France increased, as did the supply of critical ammunition needed to fight the war.

The war quickly turned into a stalemate known as trench warfare, in which all parties were deeply involved for a long time, and the European landscape was in disarray. The Model 1897 proved itself when shelling the Germans, especially at the Battle of the Marne in 1914 and the Battle of Verdun in 1916. For the most part, artillery units were firing throughout the day to soften key positions and trap enemy forces. If there were any limitations to the gun's design, it was due to the rather limited performance of its 75mm shell and the poor quality of many early production models. The 75mm shell just didn't have the firepower needed to break through the German barrier net.

However, it was an excellent weapon for destroying suicidal German soldiers trying to attack Allied positions. The Americans bought hundreds of French guns and the British were forced to use them because they lost their own and also became important operators (named Ordnance, QF, 75mm Mk 1).

However, over time, the 1897 was simply unable to do significant damage at greater distances. Before the war, the French authorities were not too keen to expand their artillery systems beyond their large stockpile of modest 75mm guns. The war showed a clear need for larger caliber artillery systemsespecially in the 105mm and 155mm formsto compensate for the limitations of 75mm weapons. It wasn't until 1917 that the French Army finally managed to fortify the front with 155mm Schneider howitzers and 155mm GPF series guns.

To this end, the Type 1897 continued to be used until the end of the war and was used in the stocks of several other armies in the conflict. It also formed the main gun of the rather bulky St. Chamond tank.

After the war and in the 1920s and 1930s, the Model 1897 still constituted a large part of the French artillery inventory. In the 1930s, Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany, eventually securing the post of senior chancellor and raising an army to meet his needs.

World War I inevitably engulfed France again, and its unprepared army was thrown into battle, including some 4,500 surviving Model 1897 guns.

However, prior to World War II, the Model 1897 was modified in various ways. The armor-piercing round was introduced in 1933 for the production of the Canon de 75 mle 1897/33 brand. This version also spawned the use of a split car, allowing it to be towed by mechanized vehicles. Rubber tire wheels with steel rims now replace the outdated spoked wheels of the past.

The Americans chose the Model 1897 as the primary weapon for their new M3 Lee/Grant and M4 Sherman medium tanks. These guns are made locally in American factories. Poland became another prominent operator of the weapon, calling it Armata Polowa wz. 97/17, also converted to use a split trailer system.

The French field howitzer version was also derived from the 1919 Mountain Cannon and the 1928 model.

The

modele 1897 series is long overdue at this point in history. More modern designs now mask the inherently powerful qualities of French design, so that its rate of fire and range match or exceed competing systems.

In any case, France was at war and needed all the weapons at its disposal to stop the tide of the German military war machine - a machine that had surpassed Poland and the Netherlands. After conquering northern France and Paris, Germany restored hundreds (if not thousands) of Model 1897 guns to expand the stables of hundreds of captured Polish 75mm Wz. 97/17 weapons. The captured French guns were named after the German army's 7.5 cm FK 231(f) and were quickly issued to local defense units, while key army members were operating elsewhere. Large stocks were eventually placed along Hitler's vast "Atlantic Wall" in northern France and Norway to repel any Allied amphibious landing attempts.

After Hitler used his army to attack the Soviet Union, the German army was surprised by the arrival of the solid T-34 medium tank, which proved invincible against current German anti-tank weapons. As a result, dozens of French 75mm guns were put into service to fire specially made German anti-tank grenades.

These guns are equipped with PaK 38 series frames to deal with the modified recoil and are equipped with special muzzle brakes. These weapons were referred to by the Bundeswehr as 7.5 cm PaK 97/38 and proved adequate as an interim measure.

After the war, the Type 75 was largely obsolete, but production was so large that many national militaries were unwilling or unable to upgrade the model to remain in service. Some can even be found in inventory today and maintain the myth of the 1897 model line.

Many have survived as museum pieces for in-depth study. Overall, users of the weapon included France, Nazi Germany, the United States, Poland, Belgium, Serbia, Romania, Finland, Portugal and Spain, as well as French colonial interests at the time.

In addition to serving in World War I and World War II, the 1897 participated in the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901), the Polish-Bolshevik War (1919-1921), the Rif War (1920-1926) and Spain Combat War during the Civil War (1936-1939).