Obusier de 520 modèle 1916
Encyclopedia
The Obusier de 520 modèle 1916 was a French
railroad gun that was built during World War I
, but did not see service before the war ended. One gun was captured by the Germans after France surrendered
in 1940 and used by them in the Siege of Leningrad
. Both weapons were destroyed by premature detonations of shells in their barrels.
, but development was protracted and the first weapon wasn't delivered until late 1917. They used a combination of cradle recoil and sliding recoil to handle the recoil forces generated by firing its enormous shells. A number of crossbeams mounted on the underside of the carriage were jacked down and clamped to the track to increase the friction when the carriage was forced backwards about a 1 metres (1.1 yd) from the recoil forces not absorbed by the hydraulic buffers on the gun cradle. The mount was then jacked up and then moved back into firing position by hand-crank or electric motor. The gun had to be loaded at 0° elevation and thus had to be re-aimed for every shot. A prominent overhead trolley system mounted behind the gun carried the ammunition to the breech
from the ammunition car. It fired shells weighing 1370 and 1654 kg (3,020.3 and 3,646.4 lb). Elevation and ammunition handling were electrically powered from a separate generator car connected by approximately 10 metres (10.9 yd) of cables.Hogg, p. 138
in July 1918 when a shell detonated prematurely in the barrel. The second gun was delivered in 1918, but didn't complete its firing trials before the war ended. It was placed in storage, but was not part of the French mobilization plans until after the war began so it needed to be renovated before it could be committed to battle. It was captured in the Schneider workshops before it could fire a single round in anger.
The Germans placed it into service as the 52 cm Haubitze (E) 871(f) (French railroad howitzer) and it was assigned to Railroad Artillery Battery (Artillerie-Batterie (E.)) 686. It didn't participate in the opening stages of Operation Barbarossa
, but arrived on the outskirts of Leningrad
on 21 November 1941. It was destroyed when a shell detonated in the barrel on 5 January 1942. The abandoned wreckage was captured by the Soviets during Operation Iskra in 1943.
Military of France
The French Armed Forces encompass the French Army, the French Navy, the French Air Force and the National Gendarmerie. The President of the Republic heads the armed forces, with the title "chef des armées" . The President is the supreme authority for military matters and is the sole official who...
railroad gun that was built during 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...
, but did not see service before the war ended. One gun was captured by the Germans after France surrendered
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...
in 1940 and used by them in the Siege of Leningrad
Siege of Leningrad
The Siege of Leningrad, also known as the Leningrad Blockade was a prolonged military operation resulting from the failure of the German Army Group North to capture Leningrad, now known as Saint Petersburg, in the Eastern Front theatre of World War II. It started on 8 September 1941, when the last...
. Both weapons were destroyed by premature detonations of shells in their barrels.
Design
These howitzers were ordered in 1916 from 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...
, but development was protracted and the first weapon wasn't delivered until late 1917. They used a combination of cradle recoil and sliding recoil to handle the recoil forces generated by firing its enormous shells. A number of crossbeams mounted on the underside of the carriage were jacked down and clamped to the track to increase the friction when the carriage was forced backwards about a 1 metres (1.1 yd) from the recoil forces not absorbed by the hydraulic buffers on the gun cradle. The mount was then jacked up and then moved back into firing position by hand-crank or electric motor. The gun had to be loaded at 0° elevation and thus had to be re-aimed for every shot. A prominent overhead trolley system mounted behind the gun carried the ammunition to the breech
Breech-loading weapon
A breech-loading weapon is a firearm in which the cartridge or shell is inserted or loaded into a chamber integral to the rear portion of a barrel....
from the ammunition car. It fired shells weighing 1370 and 1654 kg (3,020.3 and 3,646.4 lb). Elevation and ammunition handling were electrically powered from a separate generator car connected by approximately 10 metres (10.9 yd) of cables.Hogg, p. 138
Combat History
The first howitzer was destroyed during firing trials at the range in QuiberonQuiberon
Quiberon is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.It is situated on the southern part of the Quiberon peninsula, the northern part being the commune of Saint-Pierre-Quiberon...
in July 1918 when a shell detonated prematurely in the barrel. The second gun was delivered in 1918, but didn't complete its firing trials before the war ended. It was placed in storage, but was not part of the French mobilization plans until after the war began so it needed to be renovated before it could be committed to battle. It was captured in the Schneider workshops before it could fire a single round in anger.
The Germans placed it into service as the 52 cm Haubitze (E) 871(f) (French railroad howitzer) and it was assigned to Railroad Artillery Battery (Artillerie-Batterie (E.)) 686. It didn't participate in the opening stages of Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, but arrived on the outskirts of Leningrad
Siege of Leningrad
The Siege of Leningrad, also known as the Leningrad Blockade was a prolonged military operation resulting from the failure of the German Army Group North to capture Leningrad, now known as Saint Petersburg, in the Eastern Front theatre of World War II. It started on 8 September 1941, when the last...
on 21 November 1941. It was destroyed when a shell detonated in the barrel on 5 January 1942. The abandoned wreckage was captured by the Soviets during Operation Iskra in 1943.
Further reading
- Harry W Miller, United States Army Ordnance Department, Railway Artillery: A Report on the Characteristics, Scope of Utility, Etc., of Railway Artillery, Volume II. Pages 120-125. Washington : Government Print Office, 1921