The Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider, often abbreviated as the ''C17S'', was a French
howitzer
A howitzer () is a long- ranged weapon, falling between a cannon (also known as an artillery gun in the United States), which fires shells at flat trajectories, and a mortar, which fires at high angles of ascent and descent. Howitzers, like ot ...
designed by
Schneider. It was essentially the ''Canon de 155 C modèle 1915 Schneider'' fitted with a different breech to use bagged propellant rather than the cartridge cases used by the older howitzer. It was used by France,
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
, Belgium, Romania, and the United States from 1917 during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
and was widely exported after the war. Surviving weapons were in service with France, Poland, Greece, Italy, Belgium, the United States, and Finland during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. Captured weapons were used by the
Germans
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3,322,405
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for their 2nd-line artillery and coast defense units.
Development and description
Canon de 155 C modèle 1915 Schneider
The ''Canon de 155 C modèle 1915'' was based on Schneider's
M1910 howitzer that had been sold to the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
. Schneider later used the M1910 carriage for their long-range
Canon de 105 modèle 1913,
Canon de 155 L modèle 1877/1914 and
Canon de 155 L modèle 1917 guns, so it was relatively simple to mount a new barrel on the carriage and recoil system of the gun. Production began in 1915.
The ''Mle 1915'' was a conventional design with a
hydro-pneumatic recoil system
A hydraulic recoil mechanism is a way of limiting the effects of recoil and adding to the accuracy and firepower of an artillery piece.
Description
The usual recoil system in modern quick-firing gun
A quick-firing or rapid-firing gun is a ...
mounted under the barrel, a gun shield to protect the crew and a box carriage with wooden wheels. It used an interrupted-screw
breech
Breech may refer to:
* Breech (firearms), the opening at the rear of a gun barrel where the cartridge is inserted in a breech-loading weapon
* breech, the lower part of a pulley block
* breech, the penetration of a boiler where exhaust gases leav ...
with separate-loading ammunition; the shell being loaded first followed by the proper amount of propellant in a brass cartridge case. A loading tray was hinged to the left side of the cradle. It was swung into position after the breech had opened to hold the shell before it was pushed into the chamber, which had a catch to hold the shell in place until it could be rammed, but had to be moved out of the way before the breech could be closed for firing. It could be towed by a team of eight horses if a two-wheeled
limber was placed under the trail and the barrel pulled back along the trail to move the center of gravity towards the limber. For (slow) motor-traction no limber was necessary and the trail was hooked directly to the tractor.
[Hogg, p. 95-6]
The longer barrel and higher muzzle velocity gave the ''Mle 1915'' an extra of range at the high cost of over of extra weight over the M1910 Schneider sold to Russia.
Gallery
File:Howitzer 155 mm mle 1917 Saumur img 2313.jpg
File:Howitzer 155 mm mle 1917 Saumur img 2310.jpg
File:Howitzer 155 mm mle 1917 Saumur img 2312.jpg
File:Kanon 155C-1917 Halen 18-08-2019 13-11-36.jpg
Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider
The French Army preferred
bagged charges for its ammunition because the brass cartridge cases used by the ''Mle 1915'' were expensive to produce, both in money and in the amount of brass required. This became a real problem during the war given the vast number of shells expended and Schneider was asked to redesign the gun to use a de Bange obturator and allow it to use bagged powder. Schneider agreed and adapted the breech of the ''
Canon de 155mm GPF
The Canon de 155 Grande Puissance Filloux (GPF) modèle 1917 was a WWI-era French-designed 155 mm gun used by the French Army and the United States Army during the first half of the 20th century in towed and self-propelled mountings.
Hist ...
'' to fit the barrel of the ''Mle 1915'', but this took quite a bit of time due to the press of existing work and the new ''Mle 1917'' howitzer didn't enter service until late 1916. The main difference between the ''Mle 1915'' and ''1917'' was in the breech. Many guns had their loading trays removed because it slowed down the rate of fire; a portable shell tray was used instead by the loaders.
Some three thousand were built. Additionally, many of the ''Mle 1915''s were refitted with the new breech.
[Hogg, p. 95-6]
Operators and service
France
During World War I it became the standard heavy howitzer of the French Army during the later stages of the war. 1,943 were still in service with France in 1939. The Germans designated guns that fell into their hands as the ''15.5 cm sFH 414(f)''.
[Gander and Chamberlain, p. 218]
Argentina
![Obús 155](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/69/Ob%C3%BAs_155.jpg)
The
Argentine Army
The Argentine Army ( es, Ejército Argentino, EA) is the land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of Argentina. Under the Argentine Constitution, the president of Argentina is the commander- ...
used an updated variant of this howitzer with
split-trail
A gun carriage is a frame and mount that supports the gun barrel of an artillery piece, allowing it to be maneuvered and fired. These platforms often had wheels so that the artillery pieces could be moved more easily. Gun carriages are also use ...
carriage, locally called ''Obús Schneider L.15.05 modelo 1928calibre 155 mm''. Some of them were still used for training in the 1980s at the
Colegio Militar de la Nación
The National Military College ( es, Colegio Militar de la Nación) is the institution in charge of the undergraduate education of officers of the Argentine Army. It is located at El Palomar, Buenos Aires.
Established on October 11, 1869, by Pres ...
. Some were donated to neighboring countries.
Australia
![M1918 Schneider Tarcutta NSW](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/M1918_Schneider_Tarcutta_NSW.JPG)
Eighteen American guns were issued to the 2/
1st Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery in the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
during December 1941. All were brought back to Australia when the regiment returned in 1942. Three guns are believed to be in various displays and memorials.
Belgium
Belgium received 134 howitzers from France during World War I. Weapons captured after Belgium's surrender in 1940 received the designation of ''15.5 cm sFH 413(b)'' by the Germans.
Bolivia
The
Bolivian Army
The Bolivian Army ( es, Ejército Boliviano) is the land force branch of the Armed Forces of Bolivia.
Figures on the size and composition of the Bolivian army vary considerably, with little official data available. It is estimated that the arm ...
received in 1976 a donation of 16 howitzers from the
Argentine Army
The Argentine Army ( es, Ejército Argentino, EA) is the land force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of Argentina. Under the Argentine Constitution, the president of Argentina is the commander- ...
. Corresponding to both models used in Argentina and known as ''Obús Schneider L.15.05 modelo 1928calibre 155 mm'' and ''Obús Schneider L.30.05 modelo 1928 calibre 155 mm''. The shipment consisted of 2 batteries (each with 4 pieces) from each model. The guns are still in service in the artillery regiments ReA-2 "BOLÍVAR" (1st MECHANIZED BRIGADE) and RA-3 "PISAGUA" (3rd ARMY DIVISION).
Finland
![155H17](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/155H17.jpg)
Schneider sold four ''C15S'' and eight ''C17S'' howitzers to Finland during the 1920s, known in Finland as the ''152 H/15'' and ''155 H/17''. These were rebarreled in Finland's standard 152 mm although they retained their original breeches, which meant that the ''H/15'' used Russian-style cartridge cases and the ''H/17'' used bagged powder. The ''H/15'' had steel-rimmed wooden wheels that were suitable only for horse-traction, but these were later replaced by wheels with sponge rubber tires more suitable for motor traction. They were used for training during peacetime. During the
Winter War
The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...
the ''H/15s'' served with the ''3rd Separate Heavy Artillery Battery'' while the ''H/17s'' were assigned to ''Heavy Artillery Battalion 3''. During the
Continuation War
The Continuation War, also known as the Second Soviet-Finnish War, was a conflict fought by Finland and Nazi Germany against the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1944, as part of World War II.; sv, fortsättningskriget; german: Fortsetzungskrieg. A ...
they saw combat with ''Heavy Artillery Battalions 24'' and ''25'' as well as ''Field Artillery Regiment 3''. They were retired after the end of World War II.
Germany sold a total of 166 captured howitzers to Finland, the first batch of 15 arriving in October 1940 and 147 arriving over the course of 1941. The last four arrived in 1944. They were heavily used during the Continuation War, serving with five heavy artillery battalions and eight field artillery battalions. Only 14 were lost to the Soviets in 1944. The remaining howitzers were used for live-fire training and warehoused for future use. New twin pneumatic wheels were fitted during the 1960s, and the guns were retained through the 1980s for live-fire training.
[
]
Germany
Exactly how many howitzers were captured by Germany in the early years of World War II is not known, but Germany sold a number to Finland, reinforced the Atlantic Wall
The Atlantic Wall (german: link=no, Atlantikwall) was an extensive system of coastal defences and fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the coast of continental Europe and Scandinavia as a defence against an anticip ...
with 100, and equipped second-line infantry and static divisions based in France such as the 331st, 709th, 711th, and the 716th.
Greece
Greece had a total of 96 howitzers when the Greco-Italian War began in October 1940. They were assigned to the corps-level heavy artillery battalions. Italy seized them after Greece surrendered in May 1941.
Italy
Italy captured 8 during the Battle of France
The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...
and 96 from Greece during the Balkan Campaign and placed them into service as the ''Obice da 155/14 PB''. Howitzer seized by Germany after Italy's surrender in 1943 were placed into service as the ''15.5 cm sFH 414(i)''.
Philippines
At the time of the American entry into World War II
Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor took place on December 7, 1941. The U.S. military suffered 18 ships damaged or sunk, and 2,400 people were killed. Its most significant consequence was the entrance of the United States into World War II. The US had ...
resulting from Japanese attacks in December 1941, the Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
was an American colony and its military was armed by the US. The colonial army's heavy field artillery unit, the 301st FA Regiment which fought in Bataan
Bataan (), officially the Province of Bataan ( fil, Lalawigan ng Bataan ), is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the entir ...
, was equipped with GPFs and two 155 mm howitzers—which were reportedly fitted with wooden wheels. These American-made French-designed artillery pieces arrived in the Philippines on 14 October 1941, along with fifty halftracks
A half-track is a civilian or military vehicle with regular wheels at the front for steering and continuous tracks at the back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the load. The purpose of this combination is to produce a vehicle with the c ...
fitted with 75 mm guns. Although the Japanese are confirmed to have used captured GPFs against the Americans when they returned to the Philippines, their use of captured 155 mm howitzers remains unconfirmed. One howitzer, which is fitted with a modified straight shield and a non-standard barrel, survived the war and is on permanent static display at the Philippine Military Academy
The Philippine Military Academy ( fil, Akademiyang Militar ng Pilipinas / es, Academia Militar de Filipinas) also referred to by its acronym PMA is the premier military academy for Filipinos aspiring for a commission as a military officer of ...
.
Poland
C17S howitzers were used by the Polish allied ''Blue Army'' in France, which returned to Poland after the end of World War I. Poland acquired a number of howitzers from France then, and it became Polish main heavy howitzer during the Polish–Soviet War
The Polish–Soviet War (Polish–Bolshevik War, Polish–Soviet War, Polish–Russian War 1919–1921)
* russian: Советско-польская война (''Sovetsko-polskaya voyna'', Soviet-Polish War), Польский фронт (' ...
1919–1921. They designated it as the ''155 mm haubica wz. 1917'' (howitzer 1917 pattern). In October 1920 there were 206 of them.[ Other orders followed, and Poland bought a license as well. Some 44 were manufactured in late 1930s in Zakłady Starachowickie in Starachowice.][ 340 were in service in September 1939 when the Germans invaded.][Konstankiewicz, Andrzej (2003). ''Broń strzelecka i sprzęt artyleryjski formacji polskich i Wojska Polskiego w latach 1914-1939'', Lublin. pp. 45, 81, 131, 250-266. . ] It was the only heavy howitzer in Polish Army in 1939. Each of 30 Polish active infantry divisions had a horse-drawn heavy artillery detachment with three 155 mm howitzers and three 105 mm guns (they were absent in reserve divisions).[ There were also twelve heavy artillery detachments of C-in-C reserve, each with twelve howitzers in three four-gun batteries.][ The rest were in reserve. Captured Polish howitzers were taken into German service as the ''15.5 cm sFH 17(p)''.] None were used in Poland after the war.
Portugal
Portugal acquired a battery of 4 pieces in the World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
integrated in the Portuguese Expeditionary Corps
The Portuguese Expeditionary Corps (CEP, Portuguese: ''Corpo Expedicionário Português'') was the main military force from Portugal that fought in the Western Front, during World War I. Portuguese neutrality ended in 1916 after the Portuguese ...
. They were retired in 1945.
Romania
12 were received in 1917 and an unknown number were received from German captured in World War 2 and equipped a heavy artillery motorized regiment.
Imperial Russia/USSR
Some were sold to Russia during World War I, but nothing is known of their numbers or use. Apparently the Soviets rebarreled surviving howitzers to use their standard 152 mm cased ammunition, the Germans gave them the designation ''15.2 cm sFH 449(r)'', but none seemed to be on hand on 22 June 1941 at the start of Operation Barbarossa. According to some sources, the Soviets also captured 111 Polish 155 mm howitzers during the Soviet invasion of Poland
The Soviet invasion of Poland was a military operation by the Soviet Union without a formal declaration of war. On 17 September 1939, the Soviet Union invaded Poland from the east, 16 days after Nazi Germany invaded Poland from the west. Subse ...
in September 1939.
Spain
The first guns were procured in France in 1917, the weapon being declared standard for Army use in November 1922, although their first military use was in Africa in 1921 during the assault at Turiet Hamed. The gun was also built under license at Trubia and was used by the Regimientos de Artillería Pesados (Heavy Artillery Regiments). One was captured by revolutionaries in the Trubia factory during the Asturian miners' strike of 1934
The Asturian miners' strike of 1934 was a major strike action undertaken by regional miners against the 1933 Spanish general election, which redistributed political power from the leftists to conservatives in the Second Spanish Republic. The str ...
, although it was ineffective due to the lack of fuzing for their shells; the gun was damaged when a dynamite cartridge bundle used as substitute for fuzeless shells exploded inside. The gun was heavily used during the Spanish Civil War by both sides. During the SCW and World War II some guns were used as coastal defence weapons to improve Spanish coastal defences as nothing more suitable was available. It remained in service until the 1950s when they were replaced by more modern equipment. There are many surviving pieces, of Spanish and French construction, in museums and as monuments around Spain.
United Kingdom
About one hundred modernized M1918 howitzers were supplied to the United Kingdom under the Lend-Lease
Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (), was a policy under which the United States supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and other Allied nations with food, oil, ...
program. They began to arrive in the North African theater at the end of 1941 and equipped medium regiments of the Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
serving in the Eighth Army.
United States
World War I
Prior to 1917, the United States had used an indigenous 6-inch howitzer of a different design, but discarded it as unsatisfactory in favor of the French gun, which the US found had withstood the tests of war and had proven in every way to be superior to all other howitzers of the same or similar caliber.[Facts found by the US Court of Claims in the case Olsson v. United States, published at 25 F. Supp 495 (1938)] The general policy of the US Army in World War I was to initially acquire French weapons to simplify the supply system and allow their forces to enter combat as soon as possible. Although artillery weapons were manufactured in the United States with the intent to add them to the French-made weapons, quality problems resulted in few US-made weapons reaching France by the time of the Armistice
An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the La ...
. Many of the US-made weapons were copies of French or British designs. The United States purchased 1,503 examples of the ''Mle 1917'' from France and adopted it as the 155 mm Howitzer Carriage, Model of 1917 (Schneider), as the standard or regulation howitzer for the United States Army. The last American shot fired during the Great War was fired by a Schneider howitzer called "Calamity Jane
Martha Jane Cannary (May 1, 1852 – August 1, 1903), better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman, sharpshooter, and storyteller. In addition to many exploits she was known for being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok. Late ...
", of the 11th Field Artillery Regiment, which is preserved in the West Point
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...
museum.
The United States also paid $560,000 for non-exclusive rights to the design and working drawings. In addition to the 1,503 examples purchased in France and used there, 626 were manufactured by or for the US in the United States (stated to have been at a cost of more than $10,000,000). The Model 1918 built in the US differed somewhat from French models, with a straight rather than curved shield, rubber rather than steel tyres on wheels, a pivoting spade and a slightly different firing mechanism. US units were in action in France in 1918 with the 1,503 French-built guns. The first US regiment equipped with US-made guns was about to embark for France when World War I ended. The 1,503 weapons purchased from France were brought to the United States in 1919.
Interwar period and World War II
155 mm howitzers were initially not assigned to infantry divisions in the postwar reorganization of the early 1920s. After the war, a board headed by Brigadier General
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...
William I. Westervelt to analyze the Army's field artillery had recommended that 155 mm howitzers, because of their larger size and power and poorer mobility, be moved from infantry divisions to corps
Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...
and army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
artillery once a 105 mm howitzer was developed as the standard medium howitzer of the infantry division to replace the 75 mm gun (the replacement of the 75 mm gun was another recommendation of the board).
A lack of funding meant that the program to develop a 105 mm howitzer stalled, and almost no weapons were manufactured; two regiments of horse-drawn 75 mm guns remained the infantry division's artillery until the late 1920s. Beginning in 1929, a number of 155 mm howitzer regiments were reassigned from corps level to infantry divisions' artilleries to augment their firepower for lack of a 105 mm howitzer. As part of the Army Field Artillery branch's motorization program of the early 1930s, it was planned to modernize 75 percent of divisional artillery pieces as funds became available, switching 75 mm guns from horse traction to high-speed motor traction, and 155 mm howitzers from low to high-speed motor traction. The M1918M1 carriage that had air brakes, new metal wheels, and pneumatic rubber tires for high-speed motor traction was developed beginning in 1934 and was standardized in 1936. 599 of 2,971 M1917 and M1918 howitzers in the U.S. inventory had been converted by 1940.
The M1917 and M1918 howitzers remained the standard American heavy howitzers until superseded by the 155 mm howitzer M1 beginning in late 1942. They saw limited use with both U.S. Army and Marine artillery units in the early part of the war while shortages of the 155 mm howitzer M1 were resolved.
Yugoslavia
Thirty six ''C17S's'' were in Yugoslav service by the 1920s although it is unclear whether these were weapons furnished to Serbia during World War I or bought by Yugoslavia during the 1920s. The Germans designated guns that fell into their hands as the ''15.5cm H 427(j).''
Gallery
File:155mmHowitzerUS1918TravelingPosition.jpg, US Model 1918 attached to limber with barrel pulled back in traveling position
File:French155mmHowitzerFiringWWI.jpg, French gunners firing, circa 1918
File:155mm-howitzer-M1917-Camp-Carson-19430424-2.gif, Live-fire training
File:155mm-gun-varennes-WWI.jpg, An American battery position near Varennes in 1918.
File:Sgt. James B. Aets uses a quadrant to determine the elevation of the 155mm. Hawitzer, while Cpl. Charles J. Hines... - NARA - 196472.jpg, US Army example
File:16 18 050 M1918A3.jpg, US Model 1918 on display at Georgia Veterans Memorial State Park
See also
* United States home front during World War I
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
Weapons of comparable role, performance and era
* 6 inch 26 cwt howitzer
The Ordnance BL 6 inch 26cwt howitzer was a British howitzer used during World War I and World War II. The qualifier "26cwt" refers to the weight of the barrel and breech together which weighed .
History World War I
It was developed to r ...
British equivalent
* 15 cm sFH 13 German equivalent
Notes
References
*
*
*
*
Service handbook of the 155-mm howitzer matériel Model of 1918 (Schneider)
*
External links
Pics of a Schneider 155 millimeter howitzer in Albion Park in Albion, WI, USA
YouTube video of howitzers firing
Schneider Howitzers Mod.Arg.1928, displayed at Rosario, Argentina
(Spanish: Obuses Schneider de 155mm L.15 Modelo Argentino 1928 emplazados en Rosario en el monumento a la Bandera)
M1918
at U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum
* http://www.worldwar2.ro/arme/?article=339
* YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
C17S in Finnish service
(English subtitles)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Canon de 155 C modele 1917 Schneider
World War I artillery of the United States
World War I howitzers
World War I field artillery of France
World War II weapons of France
155 mm artillery
World War I artillery of France
Schneider Electric
Articles containing video clips
Weapons of the Philippine Army