Puteaux 75mm field gun M. 1897

 

 

French_0P75mmQF

 

 

French designation :

Canon de campagne de 75 mm modèle 1897

Calibre :

75mm L/36

Weight of the barrel :

461 kg

Weight of the breech-block :

27 kg

Weight in action :

1140 kg

Weight of the limber :

774 kg with H.E. shells

830 kg with shrapnel

Weight in marching order :

1910 kg with H.E. shells

1970 kg with shrapnel

Weight of ammunition wagon :

1078 kg (empty)

1770 kg with H.E. shells

1960 kg with shrapnel

Length of the whole gun :

4.450 m

Barrel length :

2.720 m

Rifling

length :

2.230 m – 29.7 calibres

twist :

uniform, right-handed, 1 in 25 calibres

Barrel grooves

number :

24

depth :

0.5 mm

width :

8 mm

Height of the line of fire :

1020 mm 

Shield

height:

1.00 m (bouclier Mle. 1897)

1.30 m (bouclier Mle. 1909)

thickness :

5 mm

Ammunition

 

Cartridge

size :

75 x 350 x 90 R

weight :

1.2 kg

charge :

Poudre BM3 (French smokeless powder)

Obus Mle. 1897

weight :

5.5 kg - charge: 170 g of black powder

metal :

cast iron

muzzle vel. :

500 m/s

max. range :

8000 m

Obus explosif

Mle. 1900

weight :

5.5 kg - charge: 695 g of Melinite

metal :

steel

muzzle vel. :

550 m/s

max. range :

8000 m

Obus explosif

Mle. 1916

type AL

weight :

7.2 kg - charge: 285 of TNT

metal :

cast iron

muzzle vel. :

525 m/s

max. range :

9500 m

Obus explosif

Mle. 1917

weight :

6.125 kg - charge: Schneiderite and Melinite

metal :

steel

muzzle vel. :

577 m/s

max. range :

11000 m

Obus explosif

Mle. 1918

weight :

6.65 kg - charge: Schneiderite and Melinite

metal :

steel cast iron

muzzle vel. :

577 m/s

max. range :

11000 m

Obus à balles

Mle. 1897 M

weight :

7.24 kg - charge: 440 g of black powder

290 bullets x 12 g

metal :

steel

muzzle vel. :

535 m/s

max. range :

8500 m

Obus à balles

Mle. 1897 A

weight :

7.25 kg - charge: 110 g of black powder

263 bullets x 12 g

metal :

steel

muzzle vel. :

535 m/s

max. range :

8500 m

Elevation :

+ 18° / - 11°

Traversing angle :

6°

Recoil :

1140 mm / 1220 mm

Wheels

weight :

87 kg each

height :

1.33 m

track :

1.515 m

Transport :

drawn by six horses

Ammunition :

gun limber - 24 shells, wagon limber - 24 shells, wagon body - 72 shells

12 ammunition wagons for every battery

Remarks :

Quick firing field gun, with hydro-pneumatic recoil system, Nordenfelt eccentric screw block breech mechanism, traverse on axle. The gun was equipped with collimateur with aiming circle, and was fitted for an independent line of sight. Detailed description of this gun at : canonde75.free.fr

According with col. Rusi Ludogorov (“Охрана на ж.-п. линий и командантска служба по станциите…”, p. 39) in May 1917 two a/a artillery sections (8th and 15th) were armed with two 75mm QF “French” guns each. They might be some of the French guns captured in 1915 by the Bulgarian Army or A/A guns ceded by the German Army.

 

A lot of detailed pictures from London Imperial War Museum could be found here (gun) and here (limber).

 

 

 

French_0P75mmQF_Acropolis