Best Artillery of WWII ?

Nice picture of a nice looking gun..looking good!
Best REgards!

 

I thing that Germany had the best atrilery(Flank 88 is clasic-the master peice of Germany)

 

But the Flak 88mm isn't artillery, it was used either as anti-aircraft gun or as anti-tank gun. Its use as a light artillery piece is debatable. Generally, the Germans were using artillery guns that were no longer state of the art compared to American, British and even Russian artillery.

 

In certain cases, but it did not compare with US artillery in fire control, nor in range-for that matter most Russian guns outranged the FH 18 10,cm and 15cm, which was a shocker to the Wehrmacht ..

 

The british. There , said it

 

Hello,

According to several field testimonies and battle reports, the French artillery was very efficient in 1940 and it seems to have been often superior to the German artillery : quick reacting, with a high rate of fire and very accurate. On the German side, the logistics and sometimes the mobility were probably better organized. The German artillery has also the advantage of the air superiority, enabling the use of Fi-156 and Hs-126 spotting planes. Nevertheless, the good French troops were skilled in camouflage tactics and the Germans were often too self-confident and caught on their positions by French counter-battery fire. Of course the quick advance of the German troops explains sometimes the lack of the German artillery if the attack was not well prepared. In the French infantry division there are more field guns / howitzers than in a German infantry divisions but the Germans have far more infantry guns and mortars.
The power of the French infantry / artillery couple as opposed to the German tanks / aviation couple is well illustrated by the Gembloux battle were many assaults were defeated thanks to artillery concentrations. See for example the article by Jeffery Gunsburg about this battle :
"The battle of Gembloux, 14-15 May 1940 : the 'Blitzkrieg' checked" (Jeffery A. Gunsburg, the journal of military history 64 (January 2000), 97-140)

Regards,

David

 

i think the red army used artillery to the greatest effect, as stalin said it was the "god of war".

More tonnes of shells were fired on berlin in the battle for the city in apr-may 1945 than the raf and usaaf dropped in bombs on berlin throughtout the whole war.

the sheered volume of artillery peices used by the red army dwarfed any other of the combat nations in ww2.

 

French artillery in WW 2 was a mix-of old St Chammonds (many still unconverted with their old iron rim wooden wheels),various marks of 155 hows (the best of which was the Schneider mod. 1917) the old (but still excellent) GFf (Grand Puissance, Filloux) 155 mm, a much better piece that its Schneider counterpart-and one which the Germans were glad to have. The oitchkiss 25 mm AT gun was virtually useless, whereas the 47 mm AT gun packed a powerful punch-There were handy 75 mm Schneider 75 mm mod. 1928 mountain guns, (roughly in the same category as the US M1A1 pack howitzer, which had slightly inferior performance when compared to the Schneider model)-There were some interesting mod 1962 220 mm L.11 hows,with a performance equivalent to the German 210 mm deployed in WW1 with great effect...In my opinion, there were, too many models of the same caliber, particularly among the 155 hows, and among the 75 mm A.A. guns derived from the mod. 1897-Had the war lasted another year, many of these defects would have been corrected and newer types would have reached front line units. the French debacle of 1940 was not so much a question of weapons, but rather of tactics...

 

by the end

the last year of the war the US was the most advanced and had the best fire control. they also were about the only ones trying new ideas. the time on target and the pepperpot were both developed to try to maxamise the shock of fires. the first time a pepperpot was tried the defenders were shocked into silence. the USSR had by far the largest number of tubes and some of them were quite good. however their tactics and fire control were crude.

 

Hi Lynn1212, time for you to bust my ignorance -

What is the 'Pepperpot' barrage you refer to?
I know Time on Target barrages - weren't they developed in WW1?

 

pepperpot

a pepperpot was a massive TOT but used everything that would shoot down to 40mm AA. if it made a bang when it hit it was used. the idea was to overwhelm the defenders with a huge number of shells going off in a very short time, an end of the world effect if you like. as far as i know it was only tried a few times[2 or 3 maybe] but it was very effective. it would shock the ones on the wrond end into almost a freeze that remeved them from the ranks of defenders. and yes the TOT had been tried before but mostly given up or used poorly. the US army figured out how to do it right with several scattered batteries and the pepperpot was the next step.

 

Thanks!

 

The best arty of Ww2 is defently the german Hummel

 

Artillery in WW2

In the first world war Britain started out with only direct fire artillery whereas the Germans led the way with howitzers using indirect fire with spotters. British artillery was very good and caused thousands of German casualties but despite their professionalism the way ahead lay with the howitzer and we were forced to copy the German lead.

In the second world war the British army had excellent howitzers, 25pdrs and 5.5" (hellish crack) and the American 'Long-Tom's'. The Germans however did not have nearly as good artillery for indirect fire but in a strange reversal of fortunes, their best artillery piece was the 88mm Flak 43 - a direct fire weapon primarily.

 

small correction

the 155 long tom was a gun not a howitzer. the US howitzers were 105, 8", and the 75 pack.

 

INFANTRY GUNS

Canon de 37mm L/21 Mle1916 TR
This infantry gun was first used during WW1, TR means "Tir Rapide" or "rapid fire". The USA adopted it and it was designated 37mm M1916. However, by 1941 most of them had been put into storage but it was used against the Japanese. The Japanese Type 11 gun was based on this French design. For transport this weapon could be broken down into 3 sections. In addition, wheels could be attached for towing. These guns were sometimes equipped with an armored shield. In German service it was known as the 3.7cm IG 152(f).
1036 of these guns are still in service in 1940 in the French army (mostly in second line infantry divisions) to fulfill the infantry gun and AT gun tasks since there are not enough of the new 25mm AT guns in service in the infantry units. It was very accurate and had a high rate of fire. Each 37mm infantry gun had 120 Mle1916 HE and 80 Mle1892M AP shells available in a French 1940 infantry regiment.
Caliber : 37mm
Crew : 1 NCO + 6 men
Length : 3.50m
Width : 1.05m
Barrel length : 790 mm
Weight in action : 108 kg
Weight in travel : 160 kg (with the wheels)
Protection : the shield is 6.5mm thick
Rate of fire : 15-30 rpm
Traverse : 35°
Elevation : -8° to +17°
Telescopic sight : 2x (L.698 sight, field of view 7.88°, + reticle, adjustable drum up to 1800m)
Muzzle velocity : 367-600 m/s (HE and AP shell)
Max Range : 2400m
Practical range : 400m against light armored vehicles and 1500m against soft targets
Penetration : 21mm /35° at 400m with the AP shell


ANTI-TANK GUNS

In a classical French infantry division there are theoretically up to 61-64x AT guns :

• 12x 25mm SA34/SA37 AT guns in each of the 3 infantry regiments :
--o 2 in each of the 3 infantry battalions
--o 6 in the regimental heavy company
• 12x 25mm SA34/SA37 AT guns in the divisional AT company (CDAC)
• 2x 25mm SA34/SA37 AT guns in the divisional training centre (CID)
• 3-6x 25mm SA34/SA37 AT guns in the reconnaissance battalion (GRDI)
• 8x 47mm Mle1937 or 75mm Mle1897/33 AT guns in the BDAC (AT divisional battery)

Many divisions had no CDAC or CID and many had not the theoretical numbers of AT guns, some had only a dozen. Several divisions had also no 25mm AT guns but used instead the 37mm TR16 infantry gun in AT role.

Canon de 25mm SA Mle1934 (Hotchkiss) and SA-L Mle1937 (Puteaux) L/72
Caliber : 25x194R mm
Crew : 1 NCO + 5 men (+ 1 driver)
Weight : 480kg (SA34 carriage) or 300kg (SA37 carriage, L = light)
Length : 3.71m
Width : 1.05m
Height : 1.10m (at the shield)
Protection : the shield is 7mm thick
Barrel length : 1.80m
Rate of fire : 25 rpm against fixed target and 15 rpm against moving target
Traverse : 60°
Elevation : -5° to +15°
Telescopic sight : 4x (L.711 telescopic sight, with a 3450m range drum, field of view 10.13°, V reticle)
V° : 920 m/s
Practical range : 800m (heavy armored vehicles), 1000m (medium armored vehicles) and 1500m (light armoured vehicles and softskins)
Penetration : 40mm/0° at 500m; 32mm/35° at 200m
Accuracy : at 800m H+L = 80+80 = 160cm

The French 25mm AT guns were very modern in 1934. About 4500 of these guns were in service in May 1940. They were especially known as being very discreet, the flash hider used on them made them difficult to spot according to both French and German AARs. They proved to be very accurate guns, and able to destroy all the German tanks up to 800m if the impact angle was good enough. Only the PzIV Ausf.D at long range was tricky to be engaged by the 25mm AT gun in May/June 1940 if not at close range. In the first 500m the penetration efficiency was equal to the penetration of the 3.7cm L/45 PaK and at longer range the KE felt slightly more rapidly due to the lightweight projectile. The Germans captured such guns in large numbers in 1940 and used them in secondary roles as coastal defence and in some garrisons. Finland used also about 240 of these AT guns.
There were theoretically 12 of these AT guns in each French infantry regiment in 1940 but several regiments had only 4 or no AT gun at all. For example the 55th infantry B series division at Sedan had no AT guns in its infantry regiments, 12 AT guns in divisional AT company, a total of 12 AT guns for the whole division (20-25% of the number of the paper). For the 71st infantry division the situation was even worse with only 8 AT guns in the same conditions. These units were also deployed on an overstretched front of 20-30 km whereas a division should defend a 5-7 km wide front. The 37mm TR infantry gun was often still in service even in AT role. The 25mm AT gun was lacking HE shells to neutralize human/soft targets and therefore the 37mm TR infantry gun was still liked since it could fire HE shells. About 220 25mm AT guns were also given to the British Expeditionnary Force (BEF) to increase its firepower, in exchange the British gave the French some Boys AT rifles which were not efficient and had a weaker penetrating power than the Hotchkiss 13.2mm HMG. The two ‘infanterie de l’air’ companies and several reconnaissance groups used some of these AT rifles. Each 25mm AT gun crew had 72 AP/APT shells immediately available and a total of 156 AP/APT shells per AT gun in a French 1940 infantry regiment. In typical infantry or cavalry units the 25mm AT guns were generally towed behind a Mle1937 infantry or cavalry trailer with horses. On the front the Renault UE tractor generally towed them. In motorized infantry regiments the towing vehicle was also often the Renault UE tractor and for long-range movements various halftracks and trucks were used. The AT guns could also be directly transported on a truck or towed on additional "wheels" (train rouleur). In the divisional AT company/squadron of motorized units the official towing vehicle could be the Laffly V15T in cavalry units or the Latil M7 T1 in infantry units. The Unic TU1 was also used for that task.
Quoted from the German brigade general Kühne : "The accuracy of the 25mm SA34/37 is very good. The front hull armor of the Panzer III has been easily penetrated by the excellent French 25mm SA34/37 gun. Trials with booty guns proved that the French 25mm AT gun is superior to the German 3.7cm PaK. This 25mm AT gun is very hard to spot because the flash is invisible (flash hider)."

Canon de 47mm Mle1937 L/53 (SA37 APX)
Caliber : 47x380R mm
Weight : 1070kg
Length : 4.10m
Width : 1.62m
Height : 1.10m
Barrel length : 2497mm (2350mm rifling)
Rate of fire : 15-20 rpm
Traverse : 68°
Elevation : -13° to +16.50°
Telescopic sight : 4x (field of view 10.13°, + reticle, adjustable drum up to 3500m)
V° : 855 m/s
Practical AT range : 1000m
Penetration : 110mm/0° at 0m, 106mm/0° at 100m, 89mm /0° at 500m, 72mm /0° at 1000m with 1936 APCBC shell

This AT gun was the best AT gun on the battlefield in 1940, after the 8.8cm Flak18 used in AT role and perhaps the best one before the arrival of the 5.0cm Pak38. It exceeded widely the German 3.7cm PaK in terms of penetration and was also superior to the Czech made 4.7cm AT gun. The French army had about 1200 of them in service in May 1940, they were depending from the artillery regiments and not all came into service. Initially a BDAC should have included 12 47mm AT guns but due to the lack of guns this number was reduced to 6 or 8. The Citroën-Kégresse P17, Unic P107, Laffly S15T or Laffly W15T generally towed the 47mm Mle1937 AT gun.
An example of report concerning the 47mm Mle1937 AT gun : the French 18th infantry division on the Aisne river on 9-10th June 1940 faced the 10.ID, 26.ID, the SS "Polizei" and elements of the 6.PzD. First they stopped all the German assaults in part thanks to their good supporting artillery and took about 800 German POWs, then they had to pull back because of the collapse of the 2nd infantry division facing two Panzerdivisionen more west. During the retreat, one 47mm SA37 gun destroyed successively 3 moving German tanks at 1500m. Of course that gives not much info in terms of penetration, these tanks could be PzIs as well as PzIVs but the gunsight, accuracy and crew of this gun seem to be rather good ones.
About 823 4.7cm Pak181/182(f) (captured on the front or in factories / repaired / newly built) were used after the campaign of France by the Germans. The Germans produced also a dedicated 4.7cm APCR shell for this gun. But already in May/June 1940 some of the captured guns were immediately used against French tanks, especially the dreaded Renault B1bis. The German reports indicate that 1226 shells were fired with these booty guns furing the battle of France. General Heinz Guderian himself in his memories ("Achtung Panzer !") indicates that he led the fire of a captured French 47mm AT gun against a Renault B1bis.

Canon de 75mm L/36.3 Mle1897/33
Caliber : 75x350R mm
Length : 4.98m
Barrel length : 2721 mm (2229 mm rifling)
Width : 1.51m
Weight in action : 1500 kg
Weight in travel : 1550 kg
Elevation : -6° to +50°
Traverse : 58°
Practical AT range : 800m (maximum range 11100m)
Rate of fire : up to 28 rpm (10-12 rpm in sustained fire)
Crew : 1 NCO + 6 men
Penetration : 50mm /30° at 400m with obus de rupture Mle1910M (APHE) (V° = 580 m/s)

The 75mm Mle1897/33 had a new split-trail carriage and entered in service around 1935. It was present in the BDAC (= Batterie Divisionaire anti-char = AT divisional battery) for the protection of the light artillery regiment. Initially there should have been 12 guns in the BDAC but only batteries with 8 guns were constituted. All the 75mm Mle1897/33 guns were intended to be replaced by the better 47mm Mle1937 gun but not enough were available and in May / June 1940 several BDAC were still equipped with 75mm Mle1897/33 AT guns. Standard 75mm Mle1897 field guns were also used in AT tank role, either when integrated in defensive positions or simply to defend the artillery battery being overrun. Large numbers were sold from Army stocks to Brazil but enough remained for the Germans to take over in 1940. From 1935 on these guns had indeed DS Michelin low-pressure tyres.
The standard 75mm Mle1897 guns were also used in AT role and sometimes on Arbel platforms to have a 360° traverse.

Canon de 75mm L/53 Mle1939 (Schneider)
Caliber : 75x518R mm
Barrel length : 4000 mm (3250 mm rifling)
Battle-station weight : 2090 kg
Rate of fire : 20 rpm
Muzzle velocity : 700 m/s (more with the planned sub-calibrated 75/57mm shells and introduction of HEAT shells)
Traverse : 360°
Elevation : 40°
Maximum range : 13000 m

The 75mm Mle1939 had a new 3-trails carriage for all around firing and should have replaced all the 75mm AT guns (75mm Mle1897 and Mle1897/33 used in AT role, 75x350R mm) (and part of the 47mm AT guns) at the divisional level but it did not enter in service before the armistice.


FIELD ARTILLERY

In 1940 the French had about 10,000 field artillery pieces in combat units.

• Divisional artillery regiments (75, 105 and 155mm) : 40 (13 motorized)
• Mountain artillery regiments (75 and 105 mm) : 3
• Non-divisional artillery regiments (75, 105, 155, 194, 220, 240, 280mm) : 21 (13 motorized)
• Independent artillery companies : 2
• Rail guns heavy artillery regiment : 1

Here is an approximate listing of all kinds of artillery pieces available in the French army in 1940 :

Field artillery (75mm, 105mm C and 105mm L and 155mm C) mobilized in May 1940 :
75mm Mle1897 : 4500
105mm C (various models) : 376
105mm L (various models) : 1002
155mm C (various models) : 1827
65mm M Mle 1906 (mountain gun) : 70
75mm M Mle 1928 (mountain gun) : 156
105mm M Mle1928 (mountain gun) : 24
75mm T Mle1915 (trench mortar) : probably 21 (294 available)
TOTAL 1 : 7,976 guns mobilized

Heavy field artillery mobilized in May 1940 :
120mm L Mle1878 and 1916 : only few mobilized to reinforce fortified areas (600 available)
145/155mm L Mle1916 : 68 (168 available)
150mm T Mle1917 Fabry (tranch mortar) : about 866, at least 360 during the Phoney War (1159 available)
155mm L Mle1877 : 743
155mm L Mle1877/14 : 480
155mm L Mle1918 : 120
155mm L Mle1917 : 407 (535 available)
155mm GPF : 352 (449 available)
155mm GPFT : 24
194mm GPF (tracked SPA) : 26 (49 available)
220mm C Mle1916 (heavy mortar) : 376 (462 available)
220mm L Mle1917 : 56 (68 available)
240mm LT Mle1916 (heavy trench mortar) : 12 (410 available)
270mm M (coastal heavy mortar) : 24 available, probably none mobilized
280mm C PF (heavy mortar) : 100 (PF = plateforme = plateform) (109 available)
280mm C Ch (tracked SPA) : 26 (Ch = chenille = tracked)
370mm M Fillioux : 4 (12 available)
TOTAL 2 : 3,684 guns mobilized

Rail road artillery mobilized in May 1940 :
164mm : 4 (8 available)
194mm : 24 (32 available)
240mm : 16
274mm : 16
293mm : 5 available but not mobilized
305mm : 6
320mm : 16
340mm : 8 (10 available)
370mm : 13 available, none mobilized
400mm : 10
520mm : 1 available, not mobilized
TOTAL 3 : 100 guns

TOTAL 1+2+3 : 11,760 guns mobilized


Characteristics of several artillery pieces :

Canon de 75mm (L/36.3) Mle1897
Type : field gun
Crew : 1 NCO + 6 men
Caliber : 75x350R mm
Length : 4.45m
Barrel length : 2721 mm (2229 mm rifling)
Width : 1.51m
Weight in action : 1140 kg
Weight in travel : 1970 kg
Elevation : -11° to +18°
Traverse : 6°
Ready to fire in 5 minutes
Rate of fire : up to 28 rpm (10-12 rpm in sustained fire)
HE Shell
Maximum range : 11100 m
Projectile weight : 5.550 to 6.500 kg depending from different HE shells
V° : 575 m/s

This is the famous "75". This French gun developed for WW1 was the first field gun equipped with modern recoil system and first field gun fitting to quick-fire concept. Used by 18 countries including the US (until 1941), UK (1939-40 in small numbers), Poland (75mm armata polowa wz. 97), Portugal, Ireland, Greece, Romania, Finland (48, 12 of which arrived in time for the Winter War), Lithuania and Spain. France had 4500 in service in June 1940, most of which ended in German hands as FK97(f), 231(f) and 232(f) used for 2nd line troops and fortifications. The FK 97(f) has wheels and is the basic model. The modernized version (with pneumatics) is called FK 231(f) in German service. The FK 232(f) is the 75mm Mle97/33 AT gun version with a new split-trail carriage. Large numbers of Mle97/33 guns were sold from Army stocks to Brazil but enough remained for the Germans to take over in 1940.

In 1941, the Germans facing the T34 tanks in Russia converted in hurry about 800 75mm Mle1897 guns for anti-tank use (on the Pak38 carriage and with a muzzle break). It was called 7.5cm Pak 97/38. Later there were also several 7.5cm Pak 97/40 (Pak40 carriage) but they are much more rare guns. At first, ammunitions captured from France and Poland was used. With the German Gr 38/97 HL/B (f) and Gr 38/97 HL/C (f) HEAT shells, 96mm and 128mm thick armor could be penetrated at any distance. The Germans converted also some T26 in tank-destroyers armed with the Pak 97/38. These vehicles were called 7,5cm Pak 97/38 (f) auf Fahrgestel Panzerkampfwagen T26 (r). Only 10 of these vehicles were built during 1943 and issued to the 3rd company of the Pz. Jäg. Abt. 563. They were still all operational on 1st March 1944 when Marders replaced them.
Finland used also 46 Pak 97/38 AT guns. Compared to other Finnish AT guns these were very good so they were issued to units located all over the frontline. During the battles of summer 1944 seven guns of this type were lost. After WW2 the remaining 39 guns were kept warehoused until being sold to museums and collectors in 1986. During WW2 Rumania used also the 7.5cm PaK 97/38, probably equipments given by Germany when they replaced their guns.

When the USA had to make a choice of field gun to equip its army in view of its participation in WW1, they took the best candidate available at the time: the French 75mm Model 1897. Pressed into service by the thousands, there were still many of them in 1941 and, like their French colleagues, their career continued during WW2.
There is some confusion among the US models of the 75. You must distinguish the gun itself from its carriage. In US designation system, the carriage had designation independent from the gun fitted upon it. The same carriage may be used for several guns and one gun be fitted on several different carriages. Basically, there were four type of 75mm field guns, according to the US terminology : the 75 modèle 1897 was the French gun, built in France and given to the US Army. The M1897 was the US exact copy, built in the USA, while the 75mm M1897A2 and the 75mm M1897 A4 were US redesigns, both built solely in the USA.
The carriages were initially designated with a name starting with "M1897" followed by a letter and a digit. Later, it became "M2A1", "M2A2", ... The carriages changed more than the gun itself in the inter-war period, the most conspicuous change being the replacement of wooden spoke wheels by pneumatic ones.
In 1940, the British bought a batch of those guns and assigned them to their home defense units. They were renamed "Ordnance QF 75mm Mark I" and declared obsolete on March 8, 1945.
The M1897A4 is almost the only variant still extant when the USA entered the war in 1941. Since the appearance of the 105mm howitzer, the 75mm field gun had become obsolete but the needs were such that it was sent overseas in the Pacific as well as in North Africa, where it fought until late 1942. They were used as field guns bot also for example on the 75mm Gun Motor Carriage M3 and 75mm Gun Motor Carriage M3A1 halftracks.

Mortier de 75mm T Mle1915
Type : trench mortar
Crew : 1 NCO + 4 men
Caliber : 75mm
Barrel length : 770mm
Weight in action : 234 kg
Weight in travel : 304 kg
Elevation : 0° to +80°
Traverse : 40°
Rate of fire : 4 rpm
HE Shell
Maximum range : 1700 m
Projectile weight : 5.3 kg
V° : 130 m/s

Canon de 105mm C (L/17) Mle1935 Bourges
Type : howitzer
Crew : 1 NCO + 6 men
Caliber : 105mm
Barrel length : 1760 mm
Weight in action : 1627 kg
Elevation : -5° to +45°
Traverse : 52°
Ready to fire in 5 minutes
Rate of fire : 15 rpm
HE Shell
Maximum range : 10500 m
Projectile weight : 15.6 kg
V° : 465 m/s
Used by Germans under the name 10.5cm leFH 325 (f)

Canon de 105mm C (L/20) Mle1934 Schneider
Type : howitzer
Crew : 1 NCO + 6 men
Caliber : 105mm
Barrel length : 2090 mm
Weight in action : 1722 kg
Elevation : -7° to +38.7°
Traverse : 39.6°
Ready to fire in 5 minutes
Rate of fire : 15 rpm
HE Shell
Maximum range : 10500 m
Projectile weight : 15.6 kg
V° : 465 m/s
Used by Germans under the name 10.5cm leFH324 (f)

Canon de 105mm L (L/28) Mle1913 Schneider
Type : field gun
Crew : 1 NCO + 6 men
Caliber : 105 mm
Barrel length : 2980 mm (2350 mm rifling)
Weight in action : 2300 kg
Elevation : -5° to +37°
Traverse : 6°
Ready to fire in 5 minutes
Rate of fire : 6-8 rpm
Ammunition
Maximum range : 11800 m (Mle1914 HE) - 12100 m (Mle1916 canister)
Projectile weight : 15.4kg (Mle1914 HE) - 16.9 kg (Mle1916 canister)
V° : 570 m/s (Mle1914 HE) - 553 m/s (Mle1916 canister)
About 857 guns are in service in France in 1940. Also used by the Germans under the name 10.5 cm FK331 (f) (for example as coastal defense in Norway or France). Other countries using this gun included Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Estonia and a dozen of these guns were used in Finland during WW2 (105 K/13). The gun was also manufactured under license in Italy, Poland and Yugoslavia.

Canon de 105mm L (L/41.5) Mle1936 Schneider
Type : field gun
Crew : 1 NCO + 6 men
Caliber : 105mm
Barrel length : 4369 mm (3087 mm rifling)
Weight in action : 4110 kg
Elevation : 0° to +43°
Traverse : 49°
Ready to fire in 3-5 minutes
Rate of fire : 5 rpm
HE Shell
Maximum range : 16400 m
Projectile weight : 15.7 kg
V° : 725 m/s
Used by Germans under the name 10.5cm FK332 (f) (primarily as a coastal gun in Norway and the Channel Islands).

Mortier de 150mm T Mle1917 Fabry
Type : trench mortar
Caliber : 150mm
Length : 2100mm
Barrel length : 1240mm
Weight in action : 615 kg
Elevation : +42° to +72°
Traverse : 30°
Rate of fire : 2 rpm
HE Shell
Maximum range : 2000 m
Projectile weight : 17 kg (5.4 kg explosive)
V° : 156 m/s

Canon de 155mm C (L/15) Mle1917 Schneider
Type : howitzer
Crew : 1 NCO + 7 men
Caliber : 155mm
Barrel length : 2330 mm (1730 mm rifling)
Weight in action : 3300 kg
Elevation : 0° to +43°
Traverse : 6°
Ready to fire in 5 minutes
Rate of fire : 2 rpm during 10 minutes or 0.7 rpm in sustained fire
HE Shell
Maximum range : 11900 m
Projectile weight : 43 kg
V° : 450 m/s
It was a good gun, pretty light, shooting a 43kg shell at a maximum range of some 11900m - there were five different types of shells for this gun, including HE, shrapnel and smoke shells. The soundness of the design was soon proved by the fact the Americans adapted it, to equip it's Expeditionary Army in Europe - their copies were called M1917 and M1918. It was still in both French and American service at the outset of the Second World War. It was also used by a number of other countries, including Finland (which employed the piece with good effect during the Winter War) and Poland. The last US M1918A3 version like the last French version of 1940 (only several of them in 1940) used a modernized carriage with pneumatics.

Canon de 155 mm C (L/16) Mle1915 Saint-Chamond
Type : howitzer
Crew : 1 NCO + 9 men
Caliber : 155mm
Barrel length : 2510 mm (2250 mm rifling)
Weight in action : 2860 kg
Elevation : 0° to +40°
Traverse : 6°
Ready to fire in 20 minutes
Rate of fire : 2 rpm during 10 minutes or 0.7 rpm in sustained fire
HE Shell
Maximum range : 9800 m
Projectile weight : 43 kg
V° : 335 m/s

Canon de 145/155mm (L/42) Mle1916 Saint-Chamond
Type : field gun
Caliber : 145mm or 155mm
Weight in action : 12500 kg
Elevation : 0° to +38°
Traverse : 6°
Ready to fire in 3 hours
Rate of fire : 1-2 rpm
HE Shell
Maximum range : 18000 m
Projectile weight : 43 kg
V° : 790 m/s

Canon de 155mm L (L/32) Mle1917 Schneider
Type : field gun
Crew : 10 men
Caliber : 155mm
Weight in action : 8800 kg
Elevation : 1° to +43°
Traverse : 6°
Ready to fire in 20 minutes
Rate of fire : 2-3 rpm
HE Shell
Maximum range : 17000 m
Projectile weight : 43.7 kg
V° : 561 m/s
This gun was used by the Germans under the name 15.5cm K416(f).

Canon de 155 mm GPF (L/38) (Grande Puissance FILLIOUX)
Type : field gun
Crew : 10 men
Caliber : 155mm
Weight in action : 11200 kg
Elevation : 0° to +36°
Traverse : 60°
Ready to fire in 30 minutes
Rate of fire : 2 rpm
HE Shell
Maximum range : 18600-19300 m
Projectile weight : 43 kg
V° : 735 m/s

Canon de 155 mm GPFT (L/38) (Grande Puissance FILLIOUX – Touzard carriage)
Type : field gun
Crew : 10 men
Caliber : 155mm
Weight in action : 12200 kg
Elevation : 0° to +39°
Traverse : 60°
Rate of fire : 2 rpm
HE Shell
Maximum range : 21000 m
Projectile weight : 43 - 45 kg
V° : 735 m/s

The 155mm GPF was adopted by the US Army as the 155mm M1917/1918 and it is the direct ancestor of the 155mm gun M1 'Long Tom'. It was also the gun used to design the 155mm GMC M12 self-propelled gun. The Germans used it under the name 15.5cm K418/419(f).
The Original 155mm GPF was rather slow to move generally about 8 km/h using Latil TAR or Latil TARH2 trucks in France in 1940. These guns were mostly present in the ALCA (artillerie lourde de corps d'armée = army corps heavy artillery) and in the general reserves with 352 guns mobilised in May 1940.
The 155mpm GPFT (Touzard carriage = version with 4 pneumatics) was one of the more modern French gun in 1940 with the 105mm L Schneider Mle1936. This gun was towed at 25 km/h by the Laffly S35T truck. The Germans, for example in the Afrika Korps, also used the GPFT.

Canon de 194 mm GPF (L/33.5) (Grande Puissance FILLIOUX)
Type : Tracked field gun (can easily fire at 360°)
Speed : 8-10 km/h (Panhard SUK4 M2 engine, 120 hp)
Crew : - men
Caliber : 194mm
Weight in action : 29600 kg
Elevation : 0° to +37°
Traverse : 360°
Rate of fire : 1-2 rpm
HE Shell
Maximum range : 20800 - 22500 m
Projectile weight : 44.9 kg
V° : 725 m/s
The companion ammunition tractor carried 60 shells. Only 50 pieces of this tracked SPA were in service in the French army in 1940. Several of these self-propelled guns were captured and used by German forces as the 19.4cm Kanone 485 (f) auf Selbstfahrlafette. There were for example 3 such guns in the Heer Artillerie Regiment 84 in 1942 (Army Group North in Russia).

Mortier de 220mm C (L/10.3) Mle1916
Type : heavy mortar/howitzer
Caliber : 220mm
Weight in action : 5800 kg
Elevation : 10° to +65°
Traverse : 6°6'
Ready to fire in 6 hours
Rate of fire : 1 rpm
HE Shell
Maximum range : 10800 m
Projectile weight : 100.5 kg
V° : 415 m/s

Canon de 220mm L (L/35) Mle1917 Schneider
Type : field gun
Caliber : 220mm
Weight in action : 23000 kg
Elevation : 0° to +37°
Traverse : 20°
Ready to fire in 6 hours
Rate of fire : 1 rpm
HE Shell
Maximum range : 22800 m
Projectile weight : 105.5 kg
V° : 770 m/s

Canon de 240mm (L/22.3) Mle1884/1917 Saint-Chamond
Type : field gun
Caliber : 240mm
Weight in action : 31000 kg
Elevation : 0° to +38°
Traverse : 10°
Ready to fire in 24hours
Rate of fire : 1-2 shell every 2 minutes
HE Shell
Maximum range : 18000 m
Projectile weight : 164 kg
V° : 640 m/s

Mortier de 240mm LT Mle1916
Type : heavy trench mortar/siege mortar
Caliber : 240mm
Barrel length : 2450mm
Weight in action : 3500 kg
Elevation : +45° to +75°
Traverse : 36°
Rate of fire : 1 shell every 6 minutes
HE Shell
Maximum range : 2150 m
Projectile weight : 83-89 kg (42.4 - 45 kg explosive)
V° : 145 m/s

Mortier de 280mm C (L/12) Mle1914 Schneider PF
Type : heavy mortar/howitzer
Caliber : 280mm
Barrel length : 3352mm (2642mm rifling)
Weight in action : 16220 kg
Elevation : +10° to +60°
Traverse : 44°60'
Rate of fire : 4 shell every 5 minutes
HE Shell
Maximum range : 10950 m
Projectile weight : 205 kg (275 kg)
V° : 418 m/s
Used by the 6th battery of the 154e RAP (Régiment d'Artillerie de Position) against the Italian fort of Chaberton in the Alps.

Mortier de 280mm C (L/12) Mle1914 Schneider PF and Ch
Type : heavy mortar/howitzer
Caliber : 280mm
Barrel length : 3352mm (2642mm rifling)
Weight in action : 26000 kg with 30 shells (+ 29000 kg for the companion ammunition tractor)
Elevation : +10° to +60°
Traverse : 360°
Rate of fire : 4 shell every 5 minutes
HE Shell
Maximum range : 10950 m
Projectile weight : 205 kg (275 kg)
V° : 418 m/s

Mortier de 370mm (L/8) Fillioux
Type : heavy mortar/siege howitzer
Caliber : 370mm
Weight in action : 28615 kg
Elevation : -8° to +60°
Traverse : 44°60'
Ready to fire in 36 hours
Rate of fire : 1-2 shell every 5 minutes
HE Shell
Maximum range : 10500 m (7800 m)
Projectile weight : 375 kg (540 kg)
V° : 375 m/s

NOTE : Length of the barrel in caliber (L/xx)
Such a value can vary from one country to an other, which explains sometimes the discrepancies from one source to an other. The USA and the UK measure the length of the gun barrel from the mouth of the chamber to the end of the barrel (without the muzzle brake). That is the bore length = the rifling + the length of the chamber. Most continental European countries (France, Germany, Italy etc.) measure the length of the barre from the rear of the breech to the muzzle, in that case the considered length is bigger and close to the overall length.



MOUNTAIN ARTILLERY

Canon de 65M Mle1906
Caliber : 65x167R mm
Barrel length : 1313 mm (1032 mm rifling)
Weight in action : 400kg
Elevation : -10° to +35°
Traverse : 6°
Rate of fire : 18 rpm
Max Range : 6500 m (4.5kg schrapnel / cannister shell and 3.8kg HE shell)
V° : 330 m/s
100 of these guns were in service in the French alpine troops. Also used by Greece and Poland. In German service it was known as the 6.5cm GebK 221(f) and issued to mountain troops.

Canon de 75M Mle1928 Schneider
Caliber : 75x190R mm
Barrel length : 1480 mm (1060 mm rifling)
Weight in action : 660kg
Elevation : -11° to +40°
Traverse : 10°
Rate of fire : up to 28 rpm
Max Range : 9000 m
Crew : 1 NCO + 6 men
156 of these guns were in service in the French alpine troops. Also used by Greeks, Poles and in German hands it became the 7.5cm GebK 237(f).

Canon de 105M Mle1928 Schneider
Barrel length : 1260 mm (988 mm rifling)
Weight in action : 745kg
Elevation : 0° to +40°
Traverse : 10°
Rate of fire : 8 rpm
Max Range : 8000 m
Crew : 1 NCO + 6 men
24 of these guns were in service in the French alpine troops.



AA ARTILLERY

AA Machineguns
Many FM 24/29 LMGs, Saint-Etienne Mle1907, Hotchkiss Mle1914 and MAC Mle1931 were used as AAMGs in single and twin mounts on the battlefield. They were often the single AA protection for motorized columns. The 25mm SPAA guns were not very common.

Bitube de 13.2mm Mle1930 (13.2mm twin AA gun)
Caliber : 13.2x99 mm
Barrel length : 1670 mm (1000 mm rifling)
Battle-station weight : 375 kg
Rate of fire : 900 rpm (450 rpm for the single mount)
Muzzle velocity : 800 m/s
Magazine : 2x 30 rounds magazines
Traverse : 360°
Elevation: 0°, +90°
Practical range : 2500m against ground targets, 1500m - 3500m against aircrafts at 400 km/h - 300 km/h
Penetration : 20mm /0° at 400m
Could also be found also on quadruple mounts (navy)
Crew of 1 NCO and 8 men.
The aiming device (correcteur L.P.R. Le Prieur-Ricordel) consists in a 12x magnification telemeter and a 1x magnification sight with big a field of view.

Canon de 20mm HS404 (Hispano Suiza)
Caliber : 20x110 mm
Battle-station weight : 280 kg
Rate of fire : 600 rpm
Muzzle velocity : 850-880 m/s
Magazine : 60 rounds magazine
Traverse : 360°
Elevation: -10°, +75°
Practical range : 1200 m in AA fire (maximum range about 5500 m)
This AA gun is most commonly found in the French aircrafts (MS.406, D.520, MB.152) but also used on wheeled ground mounts for the defence of the airfields.

Canon de 20mm Mle1939 Oerlikon
Caliber : 20x100RB mm
Barrel length : 140 cm
Battle-station weight : 300 kg
Rate of fire : 460 rpm
Muzzle velocity : 840 m/s
Magazine : 20 rounds magazine
Traverse : 360°
Elevation: -10°, +75°
Practical range : 1200 m (maximum range about 5500 m)
In theory, each infantry regiment was to have 12x 20mm CA Mle39 (Oerlikon), in 3 platoons of 4 guns. In a normal infantry regiment, one AA platoon with four 20mm CA Mle39 (Oerlikon) AA guns was part of each of the 3 battalion support companies (CAB), as one of its 4x MG platoons, normally armed with 8mm Hotchkiss Mle1914 MGs, but specialized in AA protection was armed with the 20mm AA guns. In a motorized infantry regiment, all three 20mm AA platoons were INSTEAD assigned to the regimental MG and weapons company (CRME).
But even this moderate level of weapons allocation was far from achieved by May 1940. Ferrard reports a total delivery of only 237x 20mm CA Mle39 by 10th May 1940.

Canon de 25mm Mle1938 Hotchkiss - 2.5 cm Flak Hotchkiss 38 (f)
Caliber : 25x163 mm
Barrel length : 3000 mm (1500 mm rifling)
Battle-station weight : 900 kg
Weight traveling : 1100 kg
Rate of fire : 250 rpm
Muzzle velocity : 900 m/s (HE and HET) and 875 m/s (AP)
Magazine : 15 rounds magazine
Traverse : 360°
Elevation: -7°, +90°
Maximum range : 7500 m, vertical effective range 2500 m
Ammunition types : HE (250g projectile), AP (300g projectile), Phosphorous (rare)
Penetration : 35mm/0° at 500m
Crew of 1 NCO and 8 men.
During the 1930s Hotchkiss developed a 25mm AA gun that was adopted by France, Japan (25mm type 96 and mainly in the navy), Russia and Romania. 574 in service in the French Army in May 1940 (+147 Mle1940 mainly in the French air force for the protection of the airfields, fixed mounts). In single and/or twin barrel versions. This weapon was intended to have a dual purpose role and AP rounds for anti-tank use were issued (penetration of about 35mm at 500m). Captured guns were used by the Germans as 2.5cm FlaK Hotchkiss 38 and 39. The shell is 25x163mm it is not the same that the shell used in the 25 mm AT guns, which is 25x194R and used for 2.5 cm L/72 Puteaux PaK 112 (f) and Hotchkiss PaK 113 (f). Very stable and accurate, the 25mm Hotchkiss AA guns remained in service until the beginning of the 50's in France.

Canon de 25mm Mle1939 Hotchkiss - 2.5 cm Flak Hotchkiss 39 (f)
Caliber : 25x163 mm
Barrel length : 3000 mm (1500 mm rifling)
Battle-station weight : 850 kg
Weight traveling : 1150 kg
Rate of fire : 250-300 rpm
Muzzle velocity : 900 m/s (HE and HET) and 875 m/s (AP)
Magazine : 15 rounds magazine
Traverse : 360°
Elevation: -3°, +110°
Maximum range : 7500 m, vertical effective range 2500 m
Ammunition types : HE (250g projectile), AP (300g projectile), Phosphorous (rare)
Penetration : 35mm/0° at 500m
Crew of 1 NCO and 8 men.

Canon de 25mm Mle1940 Hotchkiss (fixed mounts on airfields)
Caliber : 25x163 mm
Barrel length : 2220 mm (1500 mm rifling)
Battle-station weight : 699 kg
Rate of fire : 350-400 rpm
Muzzle velocity : 900 m/s (HE and HET) and 875 m/s (AP)
Magazine : 15 rounds magazine
Traverse : 360°
Elevation: -5°, +90°
Maximum range : 7500 m, vertical effective range 2500 m
Ammunition types : HE (250g projectile), AP (300g projectile), Phosphorous (rare)
Penetration : 35mm/0° at 500m

Canon de 25mm Mle1940J Hotchkiss (25mm twin AA gun)
Caliber : 25x163 mm
Barrel length : 2 barrels of 2200 mm (1500 mm rifling)
Battle-station weight : 1400 kg
Weight traveling : 1800 kg
Rate of fire : 560-600 rpm
Muzzle velocity : 900 m/s (HE and HET) and 875 m/s (AP)
Magazine : 2x 15 rounds magazines
Traverse : 360°
Elevation: -5°, +100°
Maximum range : 7500 m, vertical effective range 2500 m
Ammunition types : HE (250g projectile), AP (300g projectile), Phosphorus (rare)
Penetration : 35mm/0° at 500m

Canon de 37mm L/50 Mle1925 (single) and Mle1933 (twin) (Hotchkiss)
Caliber : 37x278R mm
Rate of fire : 30-42 rpm per gun (only semi-automatic and manually loaded, therefore inadequate)
Muzzle velocity : 850 m/s (HE projectile of 725g or HET projectile of 738g, with about 230g explosive)
Traverse : 360°
Only used by the French navy.

Canon de 37mm L/48 Mle1935 (twin or quadruple) (Hotchkiss)
Caliber : 37x219R mm
Rate of fire : 330 rpm (twin) or 660 rpm (quadruple)
Muzzle velocity : 825 m/s (HE/HET projectile of 831g with 210g explosive)
Magazine : 6 rounds clip
Traverse : 360° (mounting electrically powered for training but not for elevation)
Elevation: +10° to 85°
Range : 8000m
Only used by the French navy.

Canon de 37mm Mle1930 (twin or single) (Schneider)
Caliber : 37x278R mm or perhaps 37x300R prototype ammunition
Battle-station weight : 1340 kg (single ground mount)
Rate of fire : 175 rpm (350 rpm for the twin version)
Muzzle velocity : 800-850 m/s
Magazine : 8 rounds clip
Traverse : 360°
Elevation: 0° to +80° (single ground mount)
Range : vertical effective range 3000 m
Only 20 delivered on 10th May 1940. These guns were all used by the army and deployed in 5 batteries of 4 guns to defend the area of Paris in May/June 1940.

Canon de 40mm Bofors Mle1938/1939
Victor Hammar and Emanuel Jansson designed this excellent AA-gun for Bofors factory and T. Wennerstrom designed ammunition for it. Story of this legendary weapon started from request made by Swedish Navy at 1925 for Bofors to develop 20-mm automatic-cannon for shipboard use. At 1928 doubts about sufficiency of 20-mm caliber surfaced (The basic idea was that single hit had to be capable reliably destroying aircraft), so development goal changed as 40-mm automatic gun. Its first prototypes were finished at 1930 and first gun was delivered to Swedish Navy at 1932 (and called M/32). That same year developing country based towed version started, that version named M/34 had two-axle carriage with 4 wheels. The weapon was recoil-action cannon with vertical breech combined to loading done with 4-round clips. As clips could be feed in one after another constant fire low firing-rate could be maintained. The gun could fire both single-shots and semiautomatic fire, in automatic-mode the gun kept firing as long as foot-pedal was hold down and ammunition was fed in.
M/32 already had been sold to four navies and M/34 to three armies, but it was slightly improvised version of M/34 called M/36 that really hit the jackpot. Bofors M/36 buying countries of 1930’s included: Argentina, Belgium, China, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Norway, Latvia, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, UK, Thailand and Yugoslavia. As production line of Bofors factory clearly was unable to satisfy such demand the company made deals for license production with Belgium, Finland, France, Hungary, Norway, Poland, UK and USA. During WW2 both Germany and Japan used captured 40-mm Bofors AA-guns and Soviet 37-mm AA-gun M/39 was clearly based to Bofors design. Over 100,000 40-mm Bofors AA-guns were manufactured world- wide by end of WW2. During it Bofors M/36 and its versions become the legendary classic weapon from which the company is internationally known. The gun was not only ahead of its time in some areas, but it appeared in right place at the right time – there was a gap between effective range and firepower of 20-mm automatic guns and heavy AA-guns in 1930’s. 40-mm Bofors was just the weapon needed for filling that gap. The guns (especially M/36 variations) have remained in use at many countries to this day and variations of newer L/70 gun are still produced today.

Caliber : 40x311R mm
Length of weapon : Traveling 625 cm - In firing position 518 cm
Barrel length : 2500 mm (1930 mm rifling)
Battle-station weight : 1920 kg
Rate of fire : 140 rpm
Muzzle velocity : 850 m/s
Magazine : 4 or 8 rounds clip
Traverse : 360°
Elevation : -5°, +90°
Maximum range : Horizontal range 9000 m, Vertical range 5000 m
Sight system : Various sight arrangements
Ammunition types : HE-tracer, AP, AP-tracer (projectile 0.995 kg)

Canon CA 75mm PF Mle1915 (fixed on plateform) - 7.5 cm Flak M15(f) -
Calibre : 75x350R mm
Barrel length : 2720 mm (2230 mm rifling)
Battle-station weight : 2219 kg
Rate of fire : 12 rpm
Muzzle velocity : 580 m/s (projectile of 6 kg)
Traverse : 360°
Elevation : 0° to +75°
Maximum range : 6500 m

Autocanon de 75mm Mle1913/34 (self-propelled)
Calibre : 75x350R mm
Barrel length : 2720 mm (2230 mm rifling)
Weight : 5880 kg
Rate of fire : 12 rpm
Muzzle velocity : 580 m/s (projectile of 6 kg)
Traverse : 237°
Elevation : 0° to +70°
Maximum range : 6500 m
In 1940 57 AA batteries were using the Autocanon de 75mm Mle1913/1934 ... A total of 236 of these SPAAs were used on 10th May 1940. The Germans captured many and still used 45 of them in May 1944.

Canon CA 75mm Mle1917/34 (Schneider) - 7.5 cm Flak M17/34(f) -
Caliber : 75x518R mm
Barrel length : 4000 mm (3250 mm rifling)
Battle-station weight : 4800 kg
Weight traveling : 4940 kg
Rate of fire : 20 rpm
Muzzle velocity : 700 m/s
Traverse : 360°
Elevation : 0° to +70°
Maximum range : 8000 m

Canon CA 75mm Mle1930 - 7.5 cm Flak M30(f) -
Calibre : 75x518R mm
Barrel length : 4000 mm (3250 mm rifling)
Battle-station weight : 3800 kg
Weight traveling : 4200 kg
Rate of fire : 20 rpm
Muzzle velocity : 700 m/s
Traverse : 360°
Elevation : -1° to +70°
Maximum range : 8000 m

Canon CA 75mm Mle1932 - 7.5 cm Flak M32(f) -
Caliber : 75x518R mm
Barrel length : 4050 mm (3250 mm rifling)
Battle-station weight : 3800 kg
Weight traveling : 5300 kg
Rate of fire : 25 rpm
Muzzle velocity : 700 m/s
Traverse : 360°
Elevation : -5° to +70°
Maximum range : 8000 m
Also adopted by Belgium under the name "75 mm ABS/FRC modèle 1936"

Canon CA 75mm Mle1933 - 7.5 cm Flak M33(f) -
Caliber : 75x518R mm
Barrel length : 4000 mm (3250 mm rifling)
Battle-station weight : 3730 kg
Weight traveling : 4200 kg
Rate of fire : 20 rpm
Muzzle velocity : 700 m/s
Traverse : 360°
Elevation : 0° to +75°
Maximum range : 8000 m

Canon CA 75mm Mle1939 (Schneider)
Caliber : 75x518R mm
Barrel length : 4000 mm (3250 mm rifling)
Battle-station weight : 3250 kg
Rate of fire : 20 rpm
Muzzle velocity : 700 m/s
Traverse : 360°
Elevation : 0° to +90°
Maximum range : 8000 m

Canon CA 90 mm Mle1939 (Schneider) – 9.0 cm Flak M39(f) -
Caliber : 90x673R mm
Barrel length : 4500 mm (3780 mm rifling)
Battle-station weight : 5760 kg
Rate of fire : 15 rpm
Muzzle velocity : 810 m/s (projectile of 9.5kg)
Traverse : 360°
Elevation : -4° to 80°
Maximum range : 11000 m
Used on the ground but mainly by the French navy, in single and twin mount. Five mobile batteries were deployed around Paris and had shells enabling them to be used in direct AT fire. Some were used in direct AT fire in North Africa initially against the landing US troops in November 1942.

Canon de 94 mm Vickers
Caliber : 94x672 mm
Barrel length : 4960 mm 4690 mm rifling)
Battle-station weight : 8900 kg
Rate of fire : 10 rpm
Muzzle velocity : 792 m/s
Traverse : 360°
Elevation : -5° to 80°
Maximum range : 9500 m

Canon de 105 mm CA Mle1917 and Mle1917/34 PF (fixed on plateform)
Caliber : 105 mm
Barrel length : 2980 mm (2350 mm rifling)
Battle-station weight : 5000 kg
Rate of fire : 8 rpm
Muzzle velocity : 555 m/s
Traverse : 360°
Elevation : 15° to 84°
Maximum range : 12500 m (6000m vertical)

Canon de 130 mm Mle1935
Caliber : 130 mm
Barrel length : 5850 mm
Rate of fire : 14 rpm
Muzzle velocity : 800 m/s (projectile of 32 kg)
Maximum range : 12000 m
Only used on the ships of the French navy, intended to be developed for ground units but it could not be done before the armistice.

Canon de 152 mm Mle1930/1936
Caliber : 152 mm
Barrel length : 8250 mm
Rate of fire : 4 rpm (8-12 rpm because 2-3 guns are installed in each turret)
Muzzle velocity : 870 m/s (projectile of 55 kg)
Maximum range : 21000 m (vertical range of 7000 m)
Only used on the ships of the French navy, could fire on ships but it was also intended for AA fire with an elevation up to 60°.


In 1940, the French army France had 20x 94mm Vickers AA guns beside about 40x Schneider 90mm AA guns (Mle1926/1930 and 1939) and about 135x 105mm Mle1915/1934 AA guns.
From the 1695x 75mm AA guns listed, 876x are based on the 75mm Mle1897 gun and fire the 75x350R shell (75mm Mle1913/34, Mle1915/34 and Mle1915). The other 819x 75mm AA guns are based on the 75mm Mle1928 Schneider gun and fire the 75x837R shell (75mm Mle1917/34, Mle1930, Mle1932, Mle1933 and Mle1928/39). That makes a total of 1890 potentially available heavy AA guns. In comparison at the same time, the Germans had more than 2500 8.8cm and 10.5cm AA guns.
The French army had only about 270 light AA guns (13.2mm) and 1331 medium AA guns (20-40mm) available in May 1940. Further deliveries led to about 1900 medium AA guns available. In comparison, the Wehrmacht on 10th May 1940 had about 6500 2.0cm and 3.7cm AA guns covering the troops advancing in France. These AA guns caused the main losses in the French air force while the Luftwaffe encountered much less AA fire.

David

 

AWESOME post David. Thank you.

 

gotta be the longest post in history!

needless to say i was 2 lazy to read all of it..sorry

 

Old guns in 1940?

It is mentioned that in the French army was "old" guns:
120mm L Mle1878 and 1916 : ~600
155mm L Mle1877: 743
270mm M (coastal heavy mortar): 24 available, probably none mobilized

But except for these guns were still:
Canon de 80 mle 1877
Canon de 90 mle 1877
Canon de 120 C mle 1877
Canon de 120 C mle 1890
Canon de 155 C mle 1881
Canon de 155 C mle 1904 Rimailho
Mortier de 220 mm Mle 1880
There can be I not all have listed
These guns none mobilized, but there can be somebody knows their number

French fortress artillery?

In fortress tpoops there was a following artillery:
in CASEMATES and in retractable TURRETS
Mortier de 50mm mle 1935-?
Mortier de 81mm mle 1932-?
Canon de 25mm Mle 1934 RF-?
Canon de 37mm Mle 1934 RF-?
Canon de 47mm Mle 1934 RF-?
Canon de 75mm mle 1905-?
Canon de 75mm mle 1933 - ~30
Mortar de 75mm Mle 1931-?
Canon de 75mm mle 1932-?
Canon de 75mm mle 1933 - ~25
Canon de 75mm mle 1935-?
Mortier de 135mm mle 1932 - ~ 43
Canon de 155mm L Mle 1877 - ~2 (in the Alpes)
10cm gun (German) - 36
15cm mortar (?) German - some pieces
Canon de 47mm Mle 1885 L/40-?
Canon de 47mm Mle 1902-?
Canon de 65mm Mle 1888/91-?
Canon de 65mm Mle 1902 L/50-?
Canon Lahitolle 95mm Mle 1888

It was used in fortress tpoops and field artillery:
Older guns/howitzers/mortar
Canon De Bange 120mm L Mle 1878 and Mle 1878/1916-?
Canon De Bange 155mm L Mle 1877/1914-?
Canon De Bange 155mm L Mle 1918-?
Canon De Bange 155mm C Mle 1881-?
Mortier De Bange 270mm Mle 1885-?
Mortier de 75mm T. - 21
Mortier de 150mm T Mle 1917 Fabry - 866?
Mortier de 240mm LT Mle 1916 - 12

and modern
Canon de 75 mle 1897 Schneider
Canon de 155 C mle 1917 Schneider
Canon de 155 GPF
Canon de 145 L mle 1916 St. Chamond
Canon de 155 L mle 1916 St. Chamond

It is possible, that this list not full

Unfortunately, here it is more "?", than number of guns. Whether somebody knows number of gun opposite to which stands "?".
Whether there is an information on number and to type guns/howitzers/mortar all types in structure SD, SF, DIF etc.

 

HMS Rodney's 16" (!) gunnery was described as "uncanny" during Normandy as the shells "pursued" the Germans;
A bit off topic, but just imagine! 16"!
As for a single army artillery weapon, I would venture to say the British 5.5" gun, as it was of good size calibre (140mm) but rather small size, only 2 wheels, not massive like the American 155 Long Tom. They were used to great effect along with the trusty 25pdr for many well-planned bombardments.