Landships II

Date: Sep 12, 2005

mystery large French guns

Date: Sep 12, 2005

I will get back to you. Think I know the identity of two of these guns, perhaps all three. But in a hurry right now!

/Peter K

Date: Sep 12, 2005

That fourth gun of yours, Jon...

...looks like it may be the right-hand one here:

From here: http://www.greatwardifferent.com/Great_War/French_Artillery/French_Artillery_03.htm

Date: Sep 12, 2005

1. The gun in pic 1, with the recuperators under the camo netting, is a St Chamond 240mm Cannon Mle03, originally a coastal defense gun, but made mobile on a railway carriage. It could also be transported over road. Max range 17.3km. Shell weight: 163kg.

2. The gun shown in pics 2 & 4 (gun Italy & french mortar) is a Schneider 293mm Mortier, also originally a coastal defense gun, but made mobile on a railway carriage. It could also be transported over road. Max range 12.3km. Shell weight: 300kg. It used the same carraige as the gun above.

3. The gun being dragged - the tube only - appears to be a Filloux 370mm Mortier mle13. Like the guns above it used a on a railway carriage but could also be transported over road. Max range 10.5km. Shell weight: 540kg. Ten were ordered in 1914, used in action fram 1915.

Hope this helps!
/Peter Kempf

Date: Sep 12, 2005

I want to thank Roger and Peter for their help. This encourages me to post more mystery guns.

It looks like we have a small debate going over the guns shown in photo 2 & 4; the additional image Roger found seems to show an identical gun identified as "Canon de 320", while Peter believes "Schneider 293 Mortier" is correct.

Here's what I think: the captions on the image that Roger found are reversed, and therefore Peter is right. Anyone else have an opinion?

Jon

Date: Sep 12, 2005

Jon Hornbostel wrote:

It looks like we have a small debate going over the guns shown in photo 2 & 4; the additional image Roger found seems to show an identical gun identified as "Canon de 320", while Peter believes "Schneider 293 Mortier" is correct. Here's what I think: the captions on the image that Roger found are reversed, and therefore Peter is right. Anyone else have an opinion? Jon

Yes! Of course you're right there, Jon - the captions must be reversed! Why I didn't notice, I don't know - d'oh!

The caption on the right ('Canon de 320 long sur voie ferr�e') reads, roughly, 'Cannon 320 on railway', which is clearly the gun on the left!

The lefthand caption, by the same token, refers to an 'obusier' - a howitzer. Well, that's not the railway gun, so it must be the righthand cannon, which looks far more howitzer (or mortar) like anyway, thus bearing out what Peter said! Very odd gun. The French built (and designed) some great stuff! Wonderful photos, Jon, please keep posting!

Date: Sep 29, 2005

Hello John,
I am looking informations on 340mm mortar Batignolle for a long time too. I found these information in french book about Crapouillots:

range 2 300m, weight of the projectile 195kg and weight of explosive 93kg. Construction of these trench mortar was a similar type as 240mm mortar but, It was necessary build concrete bed before instaling mortar.
I found finally two pictures of the mortar in a russian and french book and I attach it.

Pavel

Jonh, you can contact me please.
I collect images of WWI guns too and we can exchange pictures or informations, if you will want.
My e-mail is pavld@seznam.cz

Date: Oct 12, 2005

Jon, I've found your first gun:

...on this site (which is fascinating and chock-full of French artillery):

http://www.ecpad.fr/ecpa/PagesDyn/result.asp?dossierid=185&photo=&Npage=4&collectionid=

It's a photo of the same gun, but in a slightly different position with a few seconds difference (note the positions of the men on the right, and the subtly differing angles):

And the captions says:

Vienne-le-Ch�teau, dans la Marne. Un canon de 240 mm d'artillerie sur voie ferr�e est mis en batterie par les artilleurs. D'un poids de 90 tonnes, cette pi�ce de contrebatterie, employ�e dans la destruction des abris et des positions d'artillerie adverses, atteint d'une port�e de 19 kilom�tres. 25 juillet 1916

A bit of Babelfish fun reveals (roughly):

Vienne-le-Ch�teau, in the Marne. A railway gun of 240 mm is placed in battery by the artillerists. Of a weight of 90 tons, this was part of the counterbattery, employed in the destruction of the shelters and unfavourable artillery positions, and reached of a range of 19 kilometers. July 25, 1916

Date: Oct 12, 2005

Duh! I've just noticed that Peter answered your question about Gun No. 1 weeks ago!