M1917 GPF (M3)

M1917 GPF (M3). . The Grande Puissance Filloux is translated "gun of great power, designed by Filloux”. It saw use from both French and American armed forces during the First World War. Manufactured by the Saint-Chamond Company, the GPF was boasted as the only Allied gun capable of returning counter battery fire on German 150 millimeter guns. After the First World War, the US Army decided to continue using the gun with a few modifications. Due to its ability to fire an armor-piercing projectile accurately over extremely long distances, the Coast Artillery Corps employed the improved M3., Because the First World War was declared to be the "War to End All Wars" the idea that the United States could isolate itself from the rest of the world through a policy of neutrality took hold in American politics. This translated into a need to defend only U.S. territories and domestic coastlines. For this purpose, in the hands of Coast Artillerymen, the M3 could engage surface vessels well before any invading troops reached land., Captions , (Photo #1) GPF on “Panama Mount” designed for use in the canal zone , Vehicle Specifications , Armament: 155 mm M1918A3 (modernized) howitzer , Projectile weight: 100 lbs , Minimum time to emplace: 1 hour , Maximum rate of fire: 1 round per minute , Crew: 11 , Weight: 12.95 tons , Maximum speed in tow: 20 mph , Maximurn effective weapons range: 21,000 yards , Production: unknown , Year entering US service: 1917