Shellfire and concrete
For centuries cannon, like infantry weapons, had used black powder. The cannon’s charge and projectile were rammed into its muzzle, and the weapon jumped back sharply when fired, a point often missed by Hollywood.
'... the French introduced a 75mm field gun that embodied the best of modern technology'
Just as infantry weapons became both rifled and breech-loading in the second half of the 19th century, so too did cannon, and they also made good use of the new smokeless powder. One particular gun pointed the way ahead.
In 1897, the French introduced a 75mm field gun that embodied the best of modern technology. It was a breech-loader, and used ‘fixed’ ammunition, with its explosive shell fitting into a brass shell-case containing a smokeless propellant.
The gun no longer leapt back on its wheels, because hydraulic buffers absorbed much of the recoil, so that while the barrel recoiled sharply the rest of the gun did not. This helped make the gun quicker to fire, because the layer, who aimed it, might have to make only a small adjustment before the next round was fired.
Published: 2005-03-01
