US Army Howitzer 75mm

US Army Howitzer 75mm. SN: 20543 , Recoil # M1897A5 , Barrel# M1897A4. , This Howitzer was manufactured at the French government armory in Bourges, France in 1918. Designed by: Albert Deport, Etienne Sainte-Claire Deville and Emile Rimailho. ,

Designed: 1891-1896 , Number built: 21,000+ , Width: 6 ft 7 Inches , Crew: 6 Breech: Nordenfelt eccentric screw Rate of Fire: 15-30 rpm burst Max firing range: 12,000 yards , Manufacturer: Bourges in 1918 , Barrel Length: 8 ft 10 Inches , Height: 4 ft 7 inches , Caliber: 75mm , Recoil: Hydraulic , Carriage: 6 Horse team

, The French artillery piece Canon de 75 model 1887 was well renowned from its service in World War I the artillery field, namely, the hydro-pneumatic recoil mechanism and a rapid fire capability. The recoil mechanism gave the gun a very smooth and fast recoil, only 2 seconds after firing it can be reloaded and fired again. The rapid fire capability comes from the ability to stay in target after the first shot. After World War I, the gun became obsolete with the development of newer and better artillery designs, but the huge quantities available kept it in service in France and other countries such as Britain and Poland. France attempted to modernize the canon by giving it the ability to act as an anti-tank gun. These were in turn captured by the Germans after the Battle of France in 1940 and captured as the 7.5 cm Pak 97/38, but the gun was still limited in effectiveness as it was put against the heavier T-34 and KV-1 tanks in the Soviet Union, during Operation Barbarossa. Most of the guns were then relegated to second-line artillery or coastal defense guns. In 1941 these guns became surplus when replaced by the 105 mm M101 split-trail Howitzer and were removed from their towed carriages and installed on the M3 Half-Track as the (M3 GMG), M3 GMCS were used in the Pacific theater during the Battle for the Philippines and by Marine Regimental Gun Companies until 1944.