Canon de 75 Mle GP III | |
---|---|
Type | field gun |
Place of origin | Belgium |
Service history | |
In service | 1919?-1945 |
Used by | Belgium Nazi Germany |
Wars | World War II |
Production history | |
Designer | Cockerill |
Manufacturer | Cockerill |
Specifications | |
Mass | 2,337 kg (5,152 lb) (travel) 1,390 kg (3,060 lb) (combat) [1] |
Barrel length | 2.8 metres (9 ft 2 in) L/37.3 [1] |
Shell | Fixed QF 75 x 150mm R |
Shell weight | 6.125 kilograms (13.50 lb) [2] |
Caliber | 75 mm (2.95 in) |
Carriage | Box trail |
Elevation | -8° to +35° |
Traverse | 8° |
Muzzle velocity | 579 m/s (1,899 ft/s) |
Maximum firing range | 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) |
The Canon de 75 mle GPIII was a field gun used by Belgium during World War II. Cockerill mounted a sleeve in the barrels of ex-German 7.7 cm FK 16 guns received as reparations after World War I to convert them to the standard Belgian 75mm ammunition. After 1940, the Wehrmacht designated captured guns as the 7.5 cm FK 236(b). This gun was nearly the equivalent of the German 7.5 cm FK 16 nA and apparently saw wider service than the other captured Belgian guns.
The Cannone da 75/27 modello 11 was a French-designed field gun produced in Italy prior to World War I. It was introduced in 1912, designed by Joseph-Albert Deport. It was taken into service by Italy for use with its Alpine and cavalry troops going into World War I, and was built there in large numbers. The gun was designed with two notable features. It was the first artillery piece to introduce the split trail, as well as the last to utilize its novel dual-recoil system. The former became a very popular feature on artillery pieces through to the modern day. The later, while functional, did not get repeated. The dual-recoil system consisted of a small tubular recoil under the barrel which in turn traveled in a traditional rectangular cradle. This lessened heat transfer from the gun barrel to the recoil mechanism effectively, but was not necessary for the added complexity.
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The Canon de 75 mle GP II was a field gun used by Belgium during World War II. Cockerill mounted lengthened Canon de 75 mle TR barrels on ex-German 7.7 cm FK 16 gun carriages received as reparations after World War I. After 1940, the Wehrmacht designated captured guns as the 7.5 cm FK 234(b) and used them to equip occupation units in Belgium.
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