World War II Database

Country of Origin	France
Type	Field Gun
Caliber	155.000 mm
Barrel Length	2.176 m
Weight	3300.000 kg
Ammunition Weight	43.61 kg
Rate of Fire	3 rounds/min
Range	11.300 km
Muzzle Velocity	450 m/s

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider howitzers were designed by the French firm Schneider-Creusot (forerunner of the modern-day firm Schneider Electric) between 1915 and 1917; Schneider would also manufacture these guns between 1916 and about 1918. The design was based on the Canon de 155 C modèle 1915 Schneider predecessor with a breech that used bagged propellant (which reduced the cost of the usage of these weapons). They were designed to be towed by eight horses, although they could also be towed by a tractor, albeit at a very slow speed. They were used by the forces of France, Italy, Russia, Belgium, Portugal, and the United States during WW1. Of the 3,020 examples built during WW1 and the inter-war years, and with the 1915 models upgraded to 1917 specifications, a great many of them remained in use during the WW2 era. Just prior to WW2, both sides of the Spanish Civil War used them heavily. When the European War began in Sep 1939, 2,043 Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider field guns were still in front line service with the French Army; after the conquest of France, many of them were pressed into German service (generally assigned to defensive units in France later in the war) under the designation of 15.5 cm sFH 414(f). 8 French guns captured by the Italians were pressed into service under the designation of Obice da 155/14 PB. Poland purchased a number of them after WW1 and acquired a license to build additional examples; about 340 of the Haubica 155mm wz. 1917 howitzers were in Polish service at the start of the European War, some of which were captured by Germany and redesignated 15.5 cm sFH 17(p). A number of Belgium's Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider field guns also fell under German control; they were redesignated 15.5 cm sFH 413(b) in German service. A small number of guns of this design in Soviet service were captured by the Germans; the Germans designated them as 15.5 cm sFH 449(r). Finland, which purchased these guns from Schneider in the 1920s and from Germany in the 1940s, operated them under the designation of 152 H/17; rebarrled to 152-millimeter caliber, 152 H/17 guns served with Finnish Army Heavy Artillery Battalion 3 during the Winter War and with Heavy Artillery Battalion 24, Heavy Artillery Battalion 25, Field Artillery Regiment 3, and other units during the Continuation War. Greece had 96 examples of Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider howitzers in service when the Italians invaded in Oct 1940; survivors of the Axis invasion were pressed into Italian service under the designation of Obice da 155/14 PB (same as those given to captured French examples). The Americans upgraded their Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider field guns during the inter-war years with air brakes, new metal wheels, and pneumatic tires; several US Army and US Marine Corps units saw combat with these WW1-era howitzers in WW2. Finally, when Italy signed the armistice with the Allies in 1943, Germany captured many of the Italian howitzers of this French design; they were designated 15.5 cm sFH 414(i) by Germany.

Source: Wikipedia

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Last Major Revision: May 2014

Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider Field Gun Interactive Map

Photographs

See all 17 photographs of Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider Field Gun

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