Canon de 155mm L (L/55) Mle1932 Schneider
155 mm field gun/coastal gun
The Mle 1932 155mm L Schneider gun was mainly used by the French Navy for its great mobility. The gun was mounted on a special base that needed no special ground treatment. This base allowed the gun to be aimed 360°.
In 1939/1940, only 16 guns were in service, forming 4 batteries of 4 guns each.
- Battery n°1 was mobilized in Gabés (Tunis), then transferred in February 1940 to Sfax (Tunis), then to Bône on 25 June 1940 and finally in August 1940 to (Algiers) where it was until 8 November 1942. This battery never fought in North Africa.
- Battery n°2 (Capitaine de Corvette Hamelin and Second Lieutenant de Vaisseau Brenot) was first in Toulon.
- Battery n°3 (Lieutenant de Vaisseau Jabet) was first in Bizerte (Tunis).
- Battery n°4 was in Senegal .This battery in West Africa was never actually mobilized. The 4x 155mm Mle 1932 Schneider gun was stationed near Yof, close to Dakar. This battery was not under the navy but under the army. The gun crews were mostly residents from the colonies.
Batteries n°2 and n°3 took part in the campaign in France. They were first deployed in Montebourg (France) in August 1939 and then deployed together against the Wehrmacht during the campaign.
Only these two batteries were given Somua MCG 4 vehicles as tractors. 3 vehicles per gun were required for traction. So in total 24 MCG4 tractors. The gun was split into three parts
1) The 8600 kg barrel,
2) the barrel + cradle 8000 kg,
3) base with vehicle and 6000 kg with
( always total weight of vehicle + load)
In may 1940 n°2 was sent to Belgium , n°3 was also sent to the Netherlands. During the campaign, batteries n°2 and n°3 ended their combat during the retreat to the perimeter of Dunqerk, where they were very effective in defending the retreating troops.
Two guns from battery n°2 were destroyed near Gravelines on 24 May and one gun on the road between Grande - Synthe.
This gun was used by the Germans under the designation 15.5cm K424(f).
TTD:
Calibre: 155mm
Barrel length: L/55
Combat weight: 16,600 kg
Bearing : -8° to +45°
Aim: 360° with base
Rate of fire :
4-5 shots/min up to 25°) and above 25°: 3-4 shots/min
Mechanical loading of the gun
Ammunition:HE
Range : 26000 - 27500 m
Projectile weight : 50 kg (5.5 kg explosive)
V° : 900 m/s
Source:
Author archive
Chamberlain, Peter and Gander, Terry: Heavy Artillery; WW2 Fact Files, MACDONALD and JANE'S, London 1974,
155 mm field gun/coastal gun
The Mle 1932 155mm L Schneider gun was mainly used by the French Navy for its great mobility. The gun was mounted on a special base that needed no special ground treatment. This base allowed the gun to be aimed 360°.
In 1939/1940, only 16 guns were in service, forming 4 batteries of 4 guns each.
- Battery n°1 was mobilized in Gabés (Tunis), then transferred in February 1940 to Sfax (Tunis), then to Bône on 25 June 1940 and finally in August 1940 to (Algiers) where it was until 8 November 1942. This battery never fought in North Africa.
- Battery n°2 (Capitaine de Corvette Hamelin and Second Lieutenant de Vaisseau Brenot) was first in Toulon.
- Battery n°3 (Lieutenant de Vaisseau Jabet) was first in Bizerte (Tunis).
- Battery n°4 was in Senegal .This battery in West Africa was never actually mobilized. The 4x 155mm Mle 1932 Schneider gun was stationed near Yof, close to Dakar. This battery was not under the navy but under the army. The gun crews were mostly residents from the colonies.
Batteries n°2 and n°3 took part in the campaign in France. They were first deployed in Montebourg (France) in August 1939 and then deployed together against the Wehrmacht during the campaign.
Only these two batteries were given Somua MCG 4 vehicles as tractors. 3 vehicles per gun were required for traction. So in total 24 MCG4 tractors. The gun was split into three parts
1) The 8600 kg barrel,
2) the barrel + cradle 8000 kg,
3) base with vehicle and 6000 kg with
( always total weight of vehicle + load)
In may 1940 n°2 was sent to Belgium , n°3 was also sent to the Netherlands. During the campaign, batteries n°2 and n°3 ended their combat during the retreat to the perimeter of Dunqerk, where they were very effective in defending the retreating troops.
Two guns from battery n°2 were destroyed near Gravelines on 24 May and one gun on the road between Grande - Synthe.
This gun was used by the Germans under the designation 15.5cm K424(f).
TTD:
Calibre: 155mm
Barrel length: L/55
Combat weight: 16,600 kg
Bearing : -8° to +45°
Aim: 360° with base
Rate of fire :
4-5 shots/min up to 25°) and above 25°: 3-4 shots/min
Mechanical loading of the gun
Ammunition:HE
Range : 26000 - 27500 m
Projectile weight : 50 kg (5.5 kg explosive)
V° : 900 m/s
Source:
Author archive
Chamberlain, Peter and Gander, Terry: Heavy Artillery; WW2 Fact Files, MACDONALD and JANE'S, London 1974,