By the end of the war about 12,000 had been produced. Its firing rate could even reach close to 30 rounds per minute, albeit only for a very short time and with a highly experienced crew.Īt the opening of World War I, in 1914, the French Army had about 4,000 of these field guns in service. In typical use, the French 75 could deliver fifteen rounds per minute on its target, either shrapnel or melinite high-explosive, up to about 8,500 m (5.3 mi) away. Since it did not need to be re-aimed after each shot, the crew could reload and fire as soon as the barrel returned to its resting position. It was the first field gun to include a hydro-pneumatic recoil mechanism, which kept the gun's trail and wheels perfectly still during the firing sequence. The French 75 is widely regarded as the first modern artillery piece. Lieutenant-colonel Joseph Albert Deport, the developer of the 75 mm field gun Rifling of a 75 modèle 1897 Range setting device Government arsenals: Puteaux, Bourges, Tarbes, St Etienneġ5-30 rpm burst (dependent on crew training and fatigue)ģ-4 rpm sustained (dependent on rate of cooling) Canon de 75 Modèle 1897 on display in Les Invalidesġ898–present (still used as a saluting gun)Īlbert Deport, Etienne Sainte-Claire Deville and Emile Rimailho.

Canon de 75 modele 1897