Schneider ammunition wagon for howitzers

 

 

 

 

 

The Schneider ammunition wagon for 120mm howitzer

 

The ammunition wagon of the Schneider 120mm howitzer (O.C. 120 N° 2) was composed by the limber and the caisson. It was drawn by a team of six horses. Both the limber and the caisson were made entirely of steel, with the exception of wheels and poles. The gun and the wagon limbers were the same, but the compartments of limbers and caissons carrying with torpedo shells differed from those carrying shrapnel and were weightier.

The limber was composed by the chest, the kit holders, the axle with two wheels, the pole, the knapsack-rack with grid to carry the gunners luggage, and miscellaneous hardware, like stakes, picketing-ropes, etc.

The limber had both spring draught-loops and a spring limber hook. It was seated for three gunners. Beyond 10 rounds, it contained the charges, tools and spare parts.

The caisson was made like a tip-cart, so that it could be tilted into a vertical position beside the gun. This entailed carrying the ammunition vertically when travelling. The bottom of the wagon body was armoured and the bullets-proof doors opened outwards, giving a wide protected area for the three men who were employed in preparing and supplying ammunition. The steel has the same thickness as the gun-shield, namely 3.2 mm. An armoured observatory was carried on one of the ammunition wagons.

Each round was contained in a separate tube of bronze fixed in the ammunition box. In order to admit a quick handling, the ammunition was carried in a horizontal position. Beyond 24 rounds, it contained 8 cases containing 3 charges each, cartridges each, boxes, weapons, tools, and complements.

The howitzer adopted by the Serbian Army (O.C. 120 N° 6) was very similar, but was heavier, having a thicker shield (4 mm).

 

 

The Schneider ammunition wagon for 150mm howitzer

 

The ammunition wagon of the Schneider 150mm howitzer was composed by the limber and the caisson and was similar to the wagon used for the 120mm howitzer. But in order to reduce the weight of the howitzer in marching order, the gun limber had not the ammunition box, but was composed by a simple chassis with hook, balance, and shaft to join the howitzer.

Both the gun limber and the ammunition wagon were used by the Serbian and Romanian Army. In 1907 the Bulgarian Army bought 72 of these wagons for its 150mm howitzers, recently modernized. However the 150mm Schneider howitzers used by Bulgarian Army had a different gun limber, which carried 5 rounds. It weighted 393 kg empty and 641 kg loaded.

 

 

 

 

120 N° 2

120 N° 6

150 N° 5

shrapnel

H.E. shell

 

shrapnel

H.E. shell

gun limber

empty :

541 kg

 

572 kg

300 kg

ammunition :

239 kg

239 kg

 

 

loaded :

780 kg

811 kg

wagon limber

empty :

516 kg

541 kg

550 kg

590 kg

ammunition :

239 kg

239 kg

360 kg

360 kg

loaded :

755 kg

780 kg

910 kg

950 kg

wagon body

empty :

567 kg

597 kg

718 kg

720 kg

780 kg

ammunition :

573 kg

573 kg

573 kg

720 kg

720 kg

loaded :

1140 kg

1170 kg

1291 kg

1440 kg

1500 kg

wagon

empty :

1083 kg

1113 kg

1259 kg

1460 kg

1540 kg

ammunition :

812 kg

812 kg

812 kg

1080 kg

1080 kg

loaded :

1895 kg

1925 kg

2071 kg

2350 kg

2450 kg

armoured observatory :

34 kg

36 kg

 

armour

thickness :

3.2 mm

4 mm

4 mm

rounds

on the limber :

10

10

8

on the caisson :

24

24

16

 

 

 

 

 

 

120mm field howitzer ammunition wagon

gun limber

ammunition wagon