C'est une aerial mine, I believe. But does anybody have any more information on the mountain gun being used to propel it? How common was this set up; usual, or some local odd-ball concoction?
I've got quite a few copies of this pic in various guises. It is, allegedly, an 80mm mountain gun, circa 1878 or 1885, firing a 130lb charge, and looks to have been drastically modified, including the removal of the wheels.
It appears to have been used during the very early part on the War, when all sorts of stuff was being pressed into service, so I suspect it was a bit of improv. It could, supposedly, also fire a charge of amost twice the size - 236lb.
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"Sometimes things that are not true are included in Wikipedia. While at first glance that may appear like a very great problem for Wikipedia, in reality is it not. In fact, it's a good thing." - Wikipedia.
It is the "Canon de 80 mm de montagne aménagé en lance-mines Gatard". Gatard, "Ingénieur en chef de l'artillerie navale" is the inventor of this weapon in 1914. The gun is the old "canon de 80 mm de montagne modèle 1878", the wheels are removed, the mounting had several cuttings and two small wheels in cast iron are added for small displacement and also for counter-weight. The four models of mines of different weight used are very powerful but the range is small: -103 kg: 174 meters. - 78 kg: 224 meters. - 58 kg: 315 meters. - 40 kg: 480 meters. The weapon is used in 1915 only, mostly in Artois and in the woods of eastern France (Lorraine et Vosges mountains). Yours sincerely, Guy François.
