Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 p

Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 p
Gun 155 C modèle 1917 on the Western Front
General Information
Military designation:	Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 p
Manufacturer country:	France
Developer / Manufacturer:	Schneider et Cie
Development year:	1917
Start of production:	1917
Weapon Category:	Heavy field artillery
Technical specifications
Pipe length:	2,325 m
Caliber :	155 mm
Caliber length :	L 15
Cadence :	3 rounds / min
Elevation range:	0–42 ° degrees
Side straightening area:	6 °
Furnishing
Ammunition supply:	Manually

The heavy field howitzer Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 S (short name: C17S ) was a gun of the French field artillery, which was developed and built by the Schneider et Cie company during the First World War . It was exported to several countries.

history

Developed as a private initiative by the Schneider company, the gun was initially ordered by the Russian army . Immediately after the model was presented in September 1915, the French artillery claimed it for themselves and delivered it from April 1916. In August, 46 guns were put into service.

This modern howitzer became the main equipment of the French heavy artillery during the First World War. The 1915 model still used brass cartridges for the propellant charge. The 1917 model had an improved closure that made it possible to use cloth bags for the propellant charge, which were cheaper and easier to transport.

With a weight of 3230 to 3300 kg in the firing position, the gun was relatively light for its class. The maximum range with a shell of 43.45 kg was 11,200 meters. There were five types of ammunition are fired: explosive shells , grapeshot , shrapnel , smoke grenades / gas grenades and light grenades . The elevation range was 0 to 42 degrees and the side range of the pipe was 6 degrees.

The howitzer showed excellent firing properties and a satisfactory effect. The effective range of 10 kilometers made it possible to fight the enemy batteries at a respectable distance, and it was also very effective in fighting or destroying entrenchments.

It was also used by the American Expeditionary Forces under the designation M1917A1 . At the end of the war in 1918, there were more than 1,500 copies, a number of which were still in use by the French army in 1940.

The guns captured by the German Wehrmacht were used under the designation 15.5 cm sFH 414 (f) , while the captured Belgian specimens were given the designation 15.5 cm sFH 414 (b) .

SOMUA MCG

One of the towing vehicles during the western campaign in 1940 was the SOMUA MCG half-chain tractor , but a large number were still hauled by horse.

A drawn gun consisted of:

• a Maréchal des logis as gun leader
• two brigadiers as gunmen
• eight gunners
• seven riders on saddle horses
• one or two drivers
• 17 horses (including 3 riding horses)
• a limber
• a car

The gun was pulled by eight horses, the wagon by six horses. 28 grenades, three containers with cartridge pouches and the necessary tools were carried in this. The howitzer and the ammunition wagon were steered by saddle horses .

Modernizations mainly concerned the gear train. Here the iron-tyred wooden spoke wheels were replaced by single or twin pneumatic tires.

• 

  Single pneumatic tires

• 

  Twin pneumatic tires (Finland)

The limber was omitted in the motor train.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Bernard Plumier: 155 mm M1917 Howitzer. In: Passion & Compassion 1914–1918 , June 3, 2010.
2. ↑ Terry Gander, Peter Chamberlain: Weapons of the Third Reich. An Encyclopedic Survey of All Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the German Land Forces 1939-1945. Doubleday, New York 1979, ISBN 0-385-15090-3 .
3. ↑ Le 287e Régiment d'Artillerie Lourde Divisionnaire sur l'Ailette, May – June 1940. In: 18e RTA 1940 - 11 November 2013 Quierzy (PDF; 69 kB).

literature

• Règlement provisoire de manœuvre de l'artillerie lourde. Dispositions spéciales aux batteries armées de canons de 155 court, modèles 1915 S et 1917 S. Imprimerie nationale, Paris 1922 ( digitized on Gallica ).