Canon de 105 mle 1913 Schneider
Encyclopedia
The Canon de 105 mle 1913 Schneider was a French
artillery
piece used in World War I
and World War II
by many Europe
an countries.
began a collaboration with the Russian company Putilov
. For this collaboration, it had developed a gun using the Russian 107 mm round, which was ordered by the Russian Army to be produced in Russia (though the initial batch of guns was made in France). Schneider then decided to modify the design for the French 105 mm round and offer it to France as well. Initially the French army were not interested in this weapon as they already had plenty of 75 mm field guns
. However in 1913 the french army purchased a small number under the designation Canon de 105 mle 1913 Schneider; it was also known by the service designation L 13 S.
The lighter 75 mm guns were of limited use against trenches, so once the western front in World War I had settled down to trench warfare
, the French army ordered large numbers of the L 13 S, which with its larger 15.74 kg (34.7 lb) shell was more effective against fortified positions.
After the end of World War I, France sold or gave many Schneider 105 mm guns to various other countries, including Belgium, Italy, Poland, and Yugoslavia.
Between the wars, Poland modified its guns to take a new split trail; this version was called the wz. 29.
The German conquests of Poland
, Belgium, France
and Yugoslavia
during World War II gave them large numbers of captured 105 mm Schneider guns. Many of these were installed in the Atlantic Wall
system of coastal defences.
Because the gun was used by a large number of countries, it had a large number of official designations.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
piece used in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
by many Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an countries.
History
In the early 1900s, the French company Schneider et CieSchneider Electric
Schneider Electric is a French global company. It was founded in 1836 by two brothers, Eugène and Adolphe Schneider.In the first part of the 20th century, Schneider et Cie associated itself with Westinghouse Systems, a major international electrical group at the time. The group began manufacturing...
began a collaboration with the Russian company Putilov
Kirov Plant
The Kirov Plant Kirov Factory or Leningrad Kirov Plant is a major Russian machine-building plant in St. Petersburg, Russia....
. For this collaboration, it had developed a gun using the Russian 107 mm round, which was ordered by the Russian Army to be produced in Russia (though the initial batch of guns was made in France). Schneider then decided to modify the design for the French 105 mm round and offer it to France as well. Initially the French army were not interested in this weapon as they already had plenty of 75 mm field guns
Canon de 75 modèle 1897
The French 75mm field gun was a quick-firing field artillery piece adopted in March 1898. Its official French designation was: Matériel de 75mm Mle 1897. It was commonly known as the French 75, simply the 75 and Soixante-Quinze .The French 75 is widely regarded as the first modern artillery piece...
. However in 1913 the french army purchased a small number under the designation Canon de 105 mle 1913 Schneider; it was also known by the service designation L 13 S.
The lighter 75 mm guns were of limited use against trenches, so once the western front in World War I had settled down to trench warfare
Trench warfare
Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...
, the French army ordered large numbers of the L 13 S, which with its larger 15.74 kg (34.7 lb) shell was more effective against fortified positions.
After the end of World War I, France sold or gave many Schneider 105 mm guns to various other countries, including Belgium, Italy, Poland, and Yugoslavia.
Between the wars, Poland modified its guns to take a new split trail; this version was called the wz. 29.
The German conquests of Poland
Invasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
, Belgium, France
Battle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
and Yugoslavia
Invasion of Yugoslavia
The Invasion of Yugoslavia , also known as the April War , was the Axis Powers' attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II...
during World War II gave them large numbers of captured 105 mm Schneider guns. Many of these were installed in the Atlantic Wall
Atlantic Wall
The Atlantic Wall was an extensive system of coastal fortifications built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944 along the western coast of Europe as a defense against an anticipated Allied invasion of the mainland continent from Great Britain.-History:On March 23, 1942 Führer Directive Number 40...
system of coastal defences.
Designations
- Canon de 105 mle 1913 Schneider - French designation
- L 13 S - designation by French army during World War I
- The Italian designation was Cannone da 105/28 modello 1913, often shortened to Cannone da 105/28
- Armata 105 mm wz. 13 Schneider and Armata 105 mm wz. 29 Schneider were Polish designations for the original gun and a modernised version respectively
- German designations include:
- 10.5 cm K 331(f) for guns captured from France
- 10.5 cm K 333(b) for guns captured from Belgium
- 10.5 cm K 338(i) for guns captured from Italy
- 10.5 cm K 338(j) for guns captured from Yugoslavia
- 10.5 cm K 13(p) and 10.5 cm K 29(p) for guns captured from Poland