Figures included!
The famous 75 mm field gun modele 1897 was manufactured at the foundry und
arsenal at Bourges, capitol of the departement Cher. One important feature of the M. 1897 field gun was its hydropneumatic barrel brake
which absorbed most of the recoii und allowed the gun to be loaded, aimed und fired much more quickly than previous guns which had to be manhandled
back into their proper firing position after each shot. It was
used by France, United States, Poland, Belgium, Romania, Germany, Finiand Wars
Boxer Rebellion,World War l,Polish-BolshevikWar,World War II.
Thousands of these reliable guns were upgraded in French service in 1938 und
1940, und many of them ended up in the German Wehrmacht und other
Axis formations after the fall of France. The French 75 was a devastating anti-personnel
weapon against waves of infantry attacking in the open, as at the
Marné and Verdun. However its shells were comparatively light and lacked the
power to obliterate trench works, concrete bunkers and deeply buried shelters. Despite obsolescence brought on by new developments in artillery design
byWorId War II, large numbers of 75s were still in existence in 1939 (4,500
in the French army alone) and they eventually found their way into a number of
unlikely plces.
French conversion: 75 mm L.36.3 Field Gun - This version of the famous 75 mm
field gun has been converted to the MLE 1897/1940 specification. Pneumatic tires have been fitted in pláce of the spoked wooden wheels, the gun
shield has been cut down to reduce the weapon's silhouette, and a gun sight
has been added to allow more accurate anti-tank fire. The gun is said to have been used by French Foreign Legion troops of the Forces Francaises Libres
(FFL) defending the desert outpost of Bir Hacheim during the Battle of Gazala
26/27 May 1942. The defenders of Bir Hacheim repulsed several strong German and Italian attacks against this important flank position of the Gazala line
in front of Tobruk.
German conversions: German 7.5 cm L.36.3 PaK 97/38 (f), mounted on the carriage
of the PaK 38 and fitted with a T.R. Breech (tir rapide).
After the fall of France, many of these upgraded field guns ended up in the
German Wehrmacht and other Axis formations. They were used by the Wehrmacht in 1942 as an emergency weapon against the Soviet Union's T-34 and KV
tanks. Its relatively low velocity and a lack of updated armor piercing ammunition limited its effectiveness as an anti-tank weapon. When the German 7.5
cm PaK 40 became available in sufficient numbers, most remaining PAK
97/38 pieces (modified French 75's)were returned to France to reinforce the
Atlantic Wall defenses.
Technical data
Lenght: 4650 mm
Barrel length: 2721 mm (36 calibre (2.70 m, 106 inch)
Width: 1750 mm
Height: 1100 mm
Weight: 1190 kg
Crew: 6
Shell: High-explosive, shrapnel, anti-tank (5.97-7.25 kg)
Caliber: 75 mm / 2.95 in
Rateoffire: 15/min
Muzzle velocity: 529 m/s /1735 ft/s
Effective range: 7000 m with normál ammunition
Armor penetration at 100 m: 90 mm, depending on shell type
