Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider

Canon de 155 C modèle 1917
Canon de 155 C mle 1917, displayed in Hämeenlinna Artillery Museum.
Type	Heavy field howitzer
Place of origin	France
Service history
In service	1917–1945
Used by	France  United States  Finland  Poland  Nazi Germany  Spain  Greece  Italy  Kingdom of Yugoslavia  Philippines
Wars	World War I, Spanish Civil War, Winter War, World War II
Production history
Designer	Schneider et Cie
Designed	1915–1917
Manufacturer	Schneider et Cie
Produced	1916–1918?
Number built	3,020
Variants	M1918
Specifications
Weight	3,300 kg (7,300 lb)
Barrel length	2.176 m (7 ft 2 in)
Shell weight	43.61 kg (100 lb)
Caliber	155 millimetres (6.1 in)
Breech	interrupted screw
Recoil	hydro-pneumatic
Carriage	box trail
Elevation	0 to +42° 20'
Traverse	6°
Rate of fire	3 rpm
Muzzle velocity	450 m/s (1,500 ft/s)
Maximum firing range	11,300 m (12,400 yd)

The Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider, often abbreviated as the C17S, was a French howitzer designed by Schneider. It was essentially the Canon de 155 C modèle 1915 Schneider fitted with a different breech to use bagged propellant rather than the cartridge cases used by the older howitzer. It was used by France, Italy, Russian Empire, Belgium and the United States from 1917 during World War I and was widely exported after the war. Surviving weapons were in service with France, Poland, Greece, Italy, Belgium, the United States and Finland during World War II. Captured weapons were used by the Germans for their 2nd-line artillery and coast defense units.

The Canon de 155 C modèle 1915 was based on Schneider's 152 mm (6.0 in) howitzer that had been sold to the Russian Empire in 1910. Schneider had modified that howitzer's carriage for use with their long-range Canon de 105 mle 1913 Schneider gun so it was relatively simple to mount a new, longer 155 millimetres (6.1 in) barrel on the carriage and recoil system of the gun. Production began in 1915.

The Mle 1915 was a conventional design with a hydro-pneumatic recoil system mounted under the barrel, a gun shield to protect the crew and a box carriage with wooden wheels. It used an interrupted-screw breech with separate-loading ammunition; the shell being loaded first followed by the proper amount of propellant in a brass cartridge case. A loading tray was hinged to the left side of the cradle. It was swung into position after the breech had opened to hold the shell before it was pushed into the chamber, which had a catch to hold the shell in place until it could be rammed, but had to be moved out of the way before the breech could be closed for firing. It could be towed by a team of eight horses if a two-wheeled limber was placed under the trail and the barrel pulled back along the trail to move the center of gravity towards the limber. For (slow) motor-traction no limber was necessary and the trail was hooked directly to the tractor.