Canon de 75 CA modèle 1940 Schneider

Canon de 75 mm contre avion Schneider, modèle 1940
Canon de 75 mm contre avion Schneider, modèle 1940
	Canon anti-aérien de 75mm modèle 1938 at fort de Pré-Giroud.
Type	Anti-aircraft gun
Place of origin	France
Service history
Used by	France; Switzerland; Nazi Germany
Wars	Second World War
Production history
Designer	Schneider et Cie
Manufacturer	Schneider et Cie; K + W
No. built	192?
Specifications
Mass	Travel: 5,300 kg (11,700 lb); Combat: 3,800 kg (8,400 lb)
Length	Travel: 7 m (23 ft)
Barrel length	4 m (13 ft) L/53
Width	Travel: 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in)
Crew	9
Shell	75 x 561mm R; high-explosive, air-burst
Shell weight	6.4 kg (14 lb)
Caliber	75 mm (3 in)
Breech	vertical sliding-block
Recoil	Hydro-pneumatic, variable (500-580 mm)
Carriage	single axle with three outriggers
Elevation	0-70°
Traverse	360°
Rate of fire	20-30 rpm
Muzzle velocity	685–715 m/s (2,250–2,350 ft/s)
Effective firing range	8.2 km (27,000 ft)

The Canon de 75 contre avion modèle 1940 Schneider was a French 75 mm anti-aircraft gun designed and manufactured by Schneider et Cie at Le Creusot. These guns were used by the French Army during the Second World War.

History

The origins of the modèle 1940 go back to the Canon de 75 modèle 1897 field gun which was first employed on improvised anti-aircraft mounts during World War I. Later in the war specialized anti-aircraft mounts were developed.

These included:

Canon de 75 mm antiaérien mle 1913 - a self-propelled version, on the back of a De Dion-Bouton truck chassis.
Canon de 75 mm antiaérien mle 1915 - a pit mounted high-angle steel girder framework with 360° traverse. There was also a version with a rotating platform mounted on a concrete pedestal.
Canon de 75 mm contre aéronefs mle 1917 - a single-axle towed version with three outriggers. This had all fire-control equipment mounted on the carriage and was a Schneider design.^[1]

During the late 1920s it was realized that the Canon de 75 antiaérien mle 1913-1917 were outmoded as an anti-aircraft weapon and development of a new gun barrel was begun in 1928. The goals of the rearmament program were faster rate of fire, higher muzzle velocity, increased vertical range, modern fire control and greater mobility with new gun carriages. However the priority for armaments at that time was the construction of the Maginot Line fortifications and work progressed at a slow pace. This slow pace and lack of funds meant all three anti-aircraft versions of the mle 1897 were still in use in large numbers when World War II began in 1939. It is estimated that 913 un-modernized mle 1897 anti-aircraft guns were still in service in 1940.^[1]

Modernizations

Some of the first guns to be upgraded were the fixed emplacements around high priority targets such as Paris. These mle 1915s had their barrels replaced with new 53 caliber barrels built by Schneider. Likewise some mle 1913 self-propelled guns and towed mle 1917 guns had their barrels replaced to produce the Canon de 75 mm contre aéronefs mle 17/34.

New Models

In addition to the upgraded guns there were also newly built guns and carriages. These guns had a secondary anti-tank role when fitted with a 6X scope, despite a lack of armor-piercing ammunition. It is estimated that 192 new guns were in service in 1940.

Canon de 75 mm contre aéronefs mle 30 - similar to the mle 1917 carriage, except for modern fire-control equipment mounted off the gun carriage.
Canon de 75 mm contre aéronefs mle 32 - modern four wheeled carriage with two sprung axles that was capable of being towed at speeds of up to 40 km/h (25 mp/h).
Canon de 75 mm contre aéronefs mle 33 - two wheeled sprung single axle with cruciform folding outriggers and firing platform.^[2]
Canon de 75 mm contre aéronefs mle 36

German Use

Large numbers of 75 mm guns were captured by Germany after the French defeat in 1940. Guns in German service were given the designations:

7.5 cm FK 97(f) - These were un-modernized mle 1897 guns. Some were sold to Axis satellites,^[3] some were converted to 7.5 cm Pak 97/38 anti-tank guns and others were integrated into Atlantic Wall defenses.
7.5 cm Flak M.17/34(f) - These were modernized mle 17/34 guns that remained in German service as anti-aircraft guns.
7.5 cm Flak M.30(f) - These were mle 30 guns that remained in German service as anti-aircraft guns.
7.5 cm Flak M.32(f) - These were mle 32 guns that remained in German service as anti-aircraft guns.
7.5 cm Flak M.33(f) - These were mle 33 guns that remained in German service as anti-aircraft guns.
7.5 cm Flak M.36(f) - These were mle 36 guns that remained in German service as anti-aircraft guns.^[1]

Photo Gallery

Canon anti-aérien de 75mm modèle 1932.
Canon anti-aérien de 75mm modèle 1938 at fort de Pré-Giroud.
Canon anti-aérien de 75mm modèle 1939, on display at Saint-Maurice Castle.

Notes

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Bishop, Chris (1998). The encyclopedia of weapons of World War II. New York: Barnes & Noble Books. pp. 150–151. ISBN 0760710228. OCLC 40924461.
^ ^a ^b ^c Chamberlain, Peter (1975). Anti-aircraft guns. Gander, Terry. New York: Arco Pub. Co. p. 9. ISBN 0668038187. OCLC 2000222.
^ "FINNISH ARMY 1918 - 1945: ANTIAIRCRAFT GUNS PART 3". www.jaegerplatoon.net. Retrieved 2017-09-07.

External links

[:1-1] Bishop, Chris (1998). The encyclopedia of weapons of World War II. New York: Barnes & Noble Books. pp. 150–151. ISBN 0760710228. OCLC 40924461.

[:0-2] Chamberlain, Peter (1975). Anti-aircraft guns. Gander, Terry. New York: Arco Pub. Co. p. 9. ISBN 0668038187. OCLC 2000222.

[3] "FINNISH ARMY 1918 - 1945: ANTIAIRCRAFT GUNS PART 3". www.jaegerplatoon.net. Retrieved 2017-09-07.

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v t e French artillery of World War II
Anti-aircraft guns	Mitrailleuse de 25 mm CA mle 39 Canon de 75 antiaérien mle 1913-1917 Canon de 75 CA modèle 1940 Schneider
Anti-tank guns	25 mm Hotchkiss anti-tank gun 25 mm APX modèle 1937 AC 37 anti-tank gun AC 47 anti-tank gun 47 mm APX anti-tank gun
Coastal artillery	Canon de 100 mm Modèle 1891 Canon de 19 C modèle 1870/93 Canon de 240 L Mle 1884 Mortier de 270 mm modèle 1889
Field artillery	Canon de 75 modèle 1897
Infantry guns	Canon d'Infanterie de 37 modèle 1916 TRP
Medium and Heavy artillery	Canon de 105 court mle 1934 Schneider Canon de 105 court mle 1935 B Canon de 105 L mle 1936 Schneider Canon de 105 mle 1913 Schneider Canon de 145/155 L modele 1916 Saint-Chamond Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider Canon de 155 L modèle 1877/14 Schneider Canon de 155 L Modele 1917 Schneider Canon de 155 L modèle 1918 Schneider Canon de 155mm GPF Canon de 194 GPF Canon de 220 L mle 1917 Mortier de 220 modèle 1915/1916 Schneider Mortier 280 mm TR de Schneider-St Chamond
Mortars	Mortier de 150 mm T Mle 1917 Fabry
Mountain artillery	Canon de 65 M modele 1906 Canon de 75 M modele 1919 Schneider Canon de 75 M modele 1928 Canon Court de 105 M modele 1909 Schneider Canon Court de 105 M modèle 1919 Schneider
Railroad artillery	Canon de 164 modèle 1893/96 TAZ Canon de 19 modèle 1870/93 TAZ Canon de 240 modèle 93/96 TAZ Canon de 305 modèle 1906/10 à glissement Canon de 32 modèle 1870/84 à glissement Canon de 32 modèle 1870/93 à glissement Canon de 320 modèle 1917 à glissement Canon de 340 modèle 1893 à glissement Canon de 340 modèle 1912 à berceau Canon de 340 modèle 1912 à glissement Obusier de 370 modèle 1915 Canon de 370 modèle 75/79 Glissement Obusier de 400 Modèle 1915/1916 Obusier de 520 modèle 1916
Siege artillery	Canon de 240 L Mle 1884 Mortier de 280 modèle 1914 Schneider Mortier de 293 Danois sur affut-truck modèle 1914 Mortier de 370 modèle 1914 Filloux
Tank guns	37 mm SA 18 37 mm SA mle 1938 47mm SA mle 1935 75 mm ABS mle 1929