Princeton Heights in St. Louis, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Light Field Gun, 75mm, M1897A7
Photographed By Thomas Smith, April 21, 2021
1. Light Field Gun, 75mm, M1897A7 Marker
This light field gun was built in 1919 at the Rock Island Arsenal. It is a revision of the highly mobile 1897 French 75 which used a hydro-pneumatic recoil mechanism making it very accurate during repeated firing. The original wooden wheels were replaced in the 1930's with robber tires. There were 1050 guns built, only 143 were shipped to France for use in World War I.
This gun number 228, was acquired by Post 37 in the 1960's as a demilitarized trophy. Due to the numerous demonstrations by those opposing the Vietnam War and the military . This gun was held in storage for over 30 years. It's has been on display since 2003 and remains a symbol of the same power and resolve that is represented by the U.S. Flag.
Weight: 3404 lbs.
Barrel size: 75mm.
Muzzle Velocity: 1600 ft./sec.
Firepower: 15-20 rounds per minute
Crew: 6
Barrel Length: 8'10"
Max Range: 7500 yards/4.26 miles
Carriage: Split Trail M2A3
Erected by Artillery Sentinel, South St. Louis Memorial, Post 37.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, World I. A significant historical year for this entry is 1919.
Location. 38° 34.608′ N, 90° 16.567′
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. River des Peres (approx. 1.2 miles away); Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, St. Louis, Missouri (approx. 1.9 miles away); Carondelet Boat Yards (approx. 2.1 miles away); Carondelet Drum Corps (approx. 2.1 miles away); Milkweeds for Monarchs: The St. Louis Butterfly Project (approx. 2.1 miles away); Carondelet (approx. 2.1 miles away); Carondelet Hotel (approx. 2.2 miles away); Susan Blow (approx. 2.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Louis.
Photographed By Thomas Smith, April 21, 2021
2. Light Field Gun, 75mm, M1897A7 Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 22, 2021, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. This page has been viewed 162 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 22, 2021, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
