Canon de 164 mm Modèle 1893
Encyclopedia
The Canon de 164 mm Modèle 1893 was a medium-caliber naval gun used as the secondary armament of a number of French
pre-dreadnoughts and armoured cruisers during World War I
. It was used as railway artillery in both World Wars and as coastal artillery in World War II
.
and bagged propellant with a de Bange obdurator to get a good gas seal during firing. It was replaced by the Mle 1893/96 gun which used a plastic seal for the obdurator, differed in the construction of the gun, had a slightly longer barrel of 46.6 calibers and the newer gun was able to fire a new HE
shell further than that used by the older gun.
d pivot mounts with the ability to depress to -10° and elevate to +25°. The guns fired 52 kilograms (114.6 lb) shells at a muzzle velocity of 865 metres per second (2,837.9 ft/s) to a maximum range of 9000 metres (9,842.5 yd). The guns were also installed in single and twin-gun turrets, although data for the turrets is unavailable.
The guns were mounted on the armoured cruisers Ernest Renan, Jules Michelet
, Gloire, Suffren and the cruiser Brennus. The casemate version was mounted on the Ernest Renan, Jules Michelet, République, Léon Gambetta, Gloire, Suffren, Gueydon, Iéna, Brennus and Dupuy de Lôme. The twin turret version was used on République, Léon Gambetta and Dupleix.
s. It shared its railroad carriage with the 164 mm Mle 1893/96 M and the Canon de 194 mm 1870/93.
The gun could elevate to a maximum of 36°, but the minimum firing angle was 10°. It could fire a 50.5 kilograms (111.3 lb) high-explosive shell at a velocity of 775 metres per second (2,542.7 ft/s) to a range of 18000 metres (19,685 yd) or a 52.6 kilograms (116 lb) armour-piercing
shell at a velocity of 770 metres per second (2,526.2 ft/s) to a range of 15400 metres (16,841.6 yd).
A number of Mle 1893/96 M guns were fitted to the same railroad carriage as the older model in 1917, although it only weighed 60 tonne. The gun could elevate between +3° and 40°, but retained the same minimum firing elevation of 10°. It could use the same ammunition as the older guns, but could also fire a new 49.8 kilograms (109.8 lb) high-explosive shell fitted with a ballistic cap
at a velocity of 830 metres per second (2,723.1 ft/s) to a range of 19200 metres (20,997.4 yd).
Eight of these railroad guns remained in French service after the end of World War I and at least four were captured by the Germans and given the designation 16 cm Kanone (E.) 453(f) although what use was made of them, if any, is unknown.
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
pre-dreadnoughts and armoured cruisers 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...
. It was used as railway artillery in both World Wars and as coastal artillery in World War II
World 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...
.
Description
The 45 caliber Canon de 164 mm Modèle 1893 gun was a typical built-up French heavy gun of its period. It used a Welin interrrupted-screw breechWelin breech block
The Welin breech block was a revolutionary stepped, interrupted thread design for locking artillery breeches, invented by Axel Welin in 1889 or 1890...
and bagged propellant with a de Bange obdurator to get a good gas seal during firing. It was replaced by the Mle 1893/96 gun which used a plastic seal for the obdurator, differed in the construction of the gun, had a slightly longer barrel of 46.6 calibers and the newer gun was able to fire a new HE
He
He is a third-person, singular personal pronoun in Modern English, as well as being a personal pronoun in Middle English.-Animals:...
shell further than that used by the older gun.
Naval mounts
The Mle 1893 and 1893/96 guns were mounted in casemateCasemate
A casemate, sometimes rendered casement, is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which guns are fired. originally a vaulted chamber in a fortress.-Origin of the term:...
d pivot mounts with the ability to depress to -10° and elevate to +25°. The guns fired 52 kilograms (114.6 lb) shells at a muzzle velocity of 865 metres per second (2,837.9 ft/s) to a maximum range of 9000 metres (9,842.5 yd). The guns were also installed in single and twin-gun turrets, although data for the turrets is unavailable.
The guns were mounted on the armoured cruisers Ernest Renan, Jules Michelet
French cruiser Jules Michelet
The Jules Michelet was an armoured cruiser of the French Navy, laid down in 1904 and completed in 1908. It was a development of the Léon Gambetta class of armoured cruisers, and was the sole representative of its type...
, Gloire, Suffren and the cruiser Brennus. The casemate version was mounted on the Ernest Renan, Jules Michelet, République, Léon Gambetta, Gloire, Suffren, Gueydon, Iéna, Brennus and Dupuy de Lôme. The twin turret version was used on République, Léon Gambetta and Dupleix.
Railroad gun
The French placed a number of spare Mle 1893 guns on four-axle railroad carriages in 1915 to use as mobile heavy artillery. The mount with its gun weighed 60 tonne and was 14.7 metres (48.2 ft) long. It could traverse a full 360° if its outriggers, two per side, were deployed. Photographic evidence shows that some mounts had built-up cargo compartments at both ends of the mount, which limited the gun's firing arc to approximately 90° on each side. It had a circular platform for the crew that had to be folded up for travel. Some guns were fitted with 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...
s. It shared its railroad carriage with the 164 mm Mle 1893/96 M and the Canon de 194 mm 1870/93.
The gun could elevate to a maximum of 36°, but the minimum firing angle was 10°. It could fire a 50.5 kilograms (111.3 lb) high-explosive shell at a velocity of 775 metres per second (2,542.7 ft/s) to a range of 18000 metres (19,685 yd) or a 52.6 kilograms (116 lb) armour-piercing
Armor-piercing shot and shell
An armor-piercing shell is a type of ammunition designed to penetrate armor. From the 1860s to 1950s, a major application of armor-piercing projectiles was to defeat the thick armor carried on many warships. From the 1920s onwards, armor-piercing weapons were required for anti-tank missions...
shell at a velocity of 770 metres per second (2,526.2 ft/s) to a range of 15400 metres (16,841.6 yd).
A number of Mle 1893/96 M guns were fitted to the same railroad carriage as the older model in 1917, although it only weighed 60 tonne. The gun could elevate between +3° and 40°, but retained the same minimum firing elevation of 10°. It could use the same ammunition as the older guns, but could also fire a new 49.8 kilograms (109.8 lb) high-explosive shell fitted with a ballistic cap
Shell (projectile)
A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used...
at a velocity of 830 metres per second (2,723.1 ft/s) to a range of 19200 metres (20,997.4 yd).
Eight of these railroad guns remained in French service after the end of World War I and at least four were captured by the Germans and given the designation 16 cm Kanone (E.) 453(f) although what use was made of them, if any, is unknown.