Canon de 155 C modèle 1915 St. Chamond
Encyclopedia
The Canon de 155 C modèle 1915 St. Chamond was a French
howitzer
used during World War I
. Used only by France during the war it was superseded in service by the Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider
, although they remained in service into the beginning of World War II. Finland bought twenty-four during the Winter War
, but they weren't delivered until it was almost over and they saw no action until the Continuation War
. The Germans captured the remaining French stocks after the Battle of France
and used them on coast defense duties as the 15.5 cm sFH 415 (f).
. The box carriage had wooden wheels so it was unsuitable for towing by truck. It had a semi-automatic vertical sliding block breech that ejected the cartridge case after firing. A loading tray was attached to the carriage on a swinging mount. It fired a 43.5 kilograms (95.9 lb) high-explosive shell to a range of 10600 metres (11,592.3 yd).
. Seized weapons were used by the Germans for their units based in France.
The twenty-four howitzers bought from France arrived in Finland at the beginning of March 1940 and were issued to Heavy Artillery Battery 8, but the war ended before the unit reached the front. They served with Heavy Artillery Battalions 27 and 29 during the Continuation War
.
in Orimattila
, Finland
, free entry, in woods Artillery Museum of Finland
in Hämeenlinna
, Finland
Salpa Line museum
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
howitzer
Howitzer
A howitzer is a type of artillery piece characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small propellant charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
used during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Used only by France during the war it was superseded in service by the Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider
Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider
The Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider, often abbreviated as the C17S, was a French howitzer designed by Schneider et Cie. 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...
, although they remained in service into the beginning of World War II. Finland bought twenty-four during the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
, but they weren't delivered until it was almost over and they saw no action until the Continuation War
Continuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
. The Germans captured the remaining French stocks after the Battle of France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
and used them on coast defense duties as the 15.5 cm sFH 415 (f).
Description
The Canon de 155 C modèle 1915 St. Chamond was a howitzer of relatively advanced design for its time. It used a hydro-spring recoil system mounted below the barrel and had a small gun shieldGun shield
thumb|A [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine]] manning an [[M240 machine gun]] equipped with a gun shieldA gun shield is a flat piece or section of armor designed to be mounted on a crew-served weapon such as a machine gun or artillery piece, or, more rarely, to be used with an assault rifle...
. The box carriage had wooden wheels so it was unsuitable for towing by truck. It had a semi-automatic vertical sliding block breech that ejected the cartridge case after firing. A loading tray was attached to the carriage on a swinging mount. It fired a 43.5 kilograms (95.9 lb) high-explosive shell to a range of 10600 metres (11,592.3 yd).
Operational use
The French weapons fought throughout World War I and were still in the inventory at the beginning of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Seized weapons were used by the Germans for their units based in France.
The twenty-four howitzers bought from France arrived in Finland at the beginning of March 1940 and were issued to Heavy Artillery Battery 8, but the war ended before the unit reached the front. They served with Heavy Artillery Battalions 27 and 29 during the Continuation War
Continuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
.
Museum exhibits
Vuorenmaa of ArtjärviArtjärvi
Artjärvi is a former municipality of Finland. It was consolidated with the town of Orimattila on January 1, 2011.The municipality was located in the Päijänne Tavastia region. It had a population of 1,412 and covered a land area of . The population density was .The municipality was unilingually...
in Orimattila
Orimattila
Orimattila is a town and municipality of Finland.It is located in the Päijänne Tavastia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is .The municipality is unilingually Finnish....
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, free entry, in woods Artillery Museum of Finland
The Artillery Museum of Finland
The Artillery Museum of Finland is a special military museum dedicated to the history of the artillery from the 15th century to the present day. It was located in Niinisalo from 1977 to 1997...
in Hämeenlinna
Hämeenlinna
Hämeenlinna is a city and municipality of about inhabitants in the heart of the historical province of Häme in the south of Finland and is the birthplace of composer Jean Sibelius. Today, it belongs to the region of Tavastia Proper, and until 2010 it was the residence city for the Governor of the...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
Salpa Line museum