Schneider-Canet 120mm field howitzer M. 1915

 

 

 

 

French designation :

Obusier de 120 mm modèle Schneider

Schneider designation :

Obusier de campagne à tir rapide de 120mm, type O.C. 120 N° 2

Serbian designation :

120 мм. пољски хаубица М. 1915 Шнаjдер

Calibre :

120mm L/13

Weight :

410 kg

Weight in action :

1416 kg

Weight of the limber :

812 kg

Weight in marching order :

2228 kg

Weight of the wagon limber :

781 kg

Weight of the wagon body :

1304 kg

Weight of the ammo wagon :

2085 kg

Barrel length :

1740 m

Number of barrel grooves :

36

Height of line of fire :

1160 mm

Shield thickness :

4 mm

Ammunition

 

Obus FA

weight :

19.7 kg - charge: 2.1 kg Trotyl

muzzle vel. :

350 m/s

max. range :

8300 m

Obus en acier :

weight :

21 kg – charge : 4.1 kg Trotyl

muzzle vel. :

330 m/s

max. range :

8100 m

Elevation :

+ 43° / - 3°

Traversing angle :

5°

Wheels :

height :

1330 mm

track :

1524 mm

Transport :

drawn by six horses

Ammunition :

limber – 10 shells, wagon body – 25 shells

Remarks :

Quick firing field howitzer, with hydro-pneumatic recoil system, swinging block breech mechanism, equipped with panorama telescope, and fitted for an independent line of sight.

After the Balkan Wars the Bulgarian Army ordered 11 batteries of this howitzers, but at the outbreak of World War I the French Army cancelled the contract, and in June 1915 seized the howitzers that were assigned to horse-drawn heavy artillery.

While 6 batteries were delivered to the Serbian Army, the remaining 5 batteries were assigned to 1er groupe of the 103e RAHL (1re, 2e, 3e batteries – depot at Vernon) from November 1915 to 1918, when they were replaced with the canon de 105 L modèle 1913 TR Schneider, and to the 3e groupe (4e, 5e batteries) of the same regiment on 5 January 1916. This second unit became on 1 April 1916 the 3e groupe of the 117e RAHL, but it kept its howitzers only till August 1916. Later some of them were assigned to the Armée d’Orient. Finally they were delivered to Serbian Army.

The data of the Bulgarian howitzer are slightly different, but it is the same howitzer, the difference coming only from a different way of determining the main features of it, and from some little improvements introduced by the French Army.

 

 

 

Howitzers Schneider

of the I/103e R.H.L.

Howitzers Schneider

of the III/103e R.H.L.

 

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