Historic context :

Despite their relative failure to deliver guns to their own country before the war start, the Schneider company had acquired a very strong reputation for the export of modern Artillery materials, particularly since its participation to the modernization of the Russia artillery for which it developed new concepts used later in its other production.

Among the weapons available in the rich catalog of the company were found heavy field howitzers that could be adapted ton the exact requirements of the interested nations. Indeed, a 1912 variant ('OC 150') of the 6 inches M 1910 heavy howitzer (that will later give birth to the famous French 155C M15 and M17 heavy field howitzers) was bought at the calibre 150 mm by Serbia (2 batteries), Bulgaria and Rumania (6 batteries) before the war.

One could find in this design the typical characteristics of teh guns from the Schneider design with the hydro-pneumatic recoil recuperating system, the absence of balance compensation springs thanks to the position of the trunnions and the unusual long rear cradle, the quick action Schneider breech, etc...

In August 1914, the guns produced for Rumania were retained in Le Creusot plants, and 12 of them were bought by Belgium on August 24 and sent to Antwerp. They entred in action with a lot of success during the second Antwerp counter-offensive on September 9 1914. The 3 batteries of these 'Ob 150 S' escaped from Antwerp with the whole Belgian Army to the Yser. They constituted in September 1915 the IIe Groupe du Régiment d'Artillerie Lourde. They were used throughout the WW1.

Technical data :

• Complete description : 150mm M 1912 howitzer Schneider
• Design year : 1912
• Calibre : 150.00 mm
• Weight in firing position : 2335 kg
• Weight for transportation : 2752 kg
• Tube length in calibres : 12.00
• Grooves : 0 unknown
• Projectile weight : 36.25 kg (explosif en acier) à 41.6 kg (explosif fonte aciérée)
• Initial speed : 330 m/s
• Fire rate : 3 rounds / minute
• Range : 7800 m
• Elevation range : 0 to +45 degrees
• Direction range : 5 degrees total range

• L'Artillerie Légère de Campagne Belge de 1900 à 1940 - Tome I           Colonel Roger Lothaire                   Editions du Patrimoine Militaire   2011  
• L'Artillerie Légère de Campagne Belge de 1900 à 1940 - Tome II       Colonel Roger Lothaire                   Editions du Patrimoine Militaire   2012