Nomenclature :
'155 mm short gun, modele 1917 Schneider'Origin :
Nomenclature : '155 mm short gun, modele 1917 Schneider' |
Origin :
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Approached as early as 1911 by the French Army, where some officers were more and more aware of the possible insufficience of the all-mighty 75 against entranchments, and of the relative obsolescence of the existing 155 mm materials (de Bange, Canet and Rimailho), the French private industrials presented in August 1914 the weapons that they had designed for foreign armies.
The Etablissements Saint Chamond saw their 155 C Mle 1915 gun adopted by the French Army in June 1915. The Etablissements Schneider, unprepared, accelerated the transformation of a 6 inches mortar 'bas' (low) developped for the Russian Army, and produced since several years under licence by Putilov. That new gun, named Canon de 155 Court modele 1915 Schneider (155 mm short gun, modele 1917 Schneider), is adopted by the French Army after its presentation in September 1915, and the first orders are signed directly.
From the very first tests in battery in April 1916 (46 such guns were delivered in August 1916), this gun showed escellent performances both in the high angle and direct fire. Its range over 10 km allowed it to perform counter-artillery missions, in addition to its planned role of entranchment destruction weapon. The early M1905 model is very soon transformed into a M1917 (Canon de 155 C Mle 1917 Schneider), to shoot rounds with powder bags instead of cartidges (for economical and logistic reasons).
The Schneider guns arrived to the front sooner than its St Chamond competitors, despite the fact they were presented after them. This good industrial performance, in addition to the higher maximum range (2000 m more than St Chamond material), induced the French Army to finally prefer the Schneider material. During the war, it was even required from Saint Chamond to produce some Schneider material !
This very modern gun, powerful and mobile (transportable in a single load), will equip the French troops (more than 1500 such guns inventoried in November 1918) as well as the US forces. It will survive to the WWElle survivra dans ces armées jusque dans les and will stay in service in numerous armies until the 1950's ...
Main characteristics :