520 mm Schneder howitzer mod. 1916 ( French Obusier de 520 modèle 1916 ) - French railway howitzer of special power, developed during the First World War , but did not take part in hostilities until its end. It was built in two copies, one of which failed in 1918 during tests due to a shell explosion in the barrel channel, and the other was in service with the French army and was captured by the Germans during the French campaign of 1940 and used by them at the front near Leningrad .
| Obusier de 520 modèle 1916 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type of | Special- purpose railway howitzer |
| A country |  |
| Service History | |
| Years of operation | 1918–42 |
| Adopted | |
| In service |  |
| Wars and conflicts | The Second World War |
| Production history | |
| Constructor | Schneider et cie |
| Designed by | 1916-7 |
| Manufacturer | Schneider et cie |
| Years of production | 1917-18 |
| Total released | 2 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight kg | 263 tons |
| Length mm | 30.38 meters |
| Barrel length mm | 11.9 meters (15 calibres) |
| Projectile weight, kg | 1370 and 1654 kg |
| Caliber mm | 520 mm (20 in.) |
| Gate | piston lock |
| Recoil device | hydropneumatic |
| Carriage | 2 x 8-axis |
| Elevation angle | + 40 ° to + 60 ° |
| Angle of rotation | not |
| Rate of fire rounds / min | 1 shot in 5 minutes |
| starting speed projectile, m / s | 450-500 meters per second |
| Maximum range, m | 14600-17000 meters |
Development History
An order for two super-heavy 520 mm railway howitzers was issued by the commission for heavy railway artillery ( fr. Artillerie Lourde sur Voie Ferrée ) to Schneider et Cie on January 24, 1916, it took about a year to develop (the first howitzer was ready on November 11, 1917, the second - March 7, 1918).
In the presence of the Allied press, the first firing of both guns was carried out in February - March 1918. On July 27, 1918, the first released howitzers were tested on the Quiberon Peninsula . During the shot, the shell exploded in the barrel, and the gun was destroyed.
The second gun after test firing since 1919 was stored in Le Creusot , and then in the new arsenal of heavy railway artillery in Neuve Payoux . Also in storage consisted of two generating stations, spare trunks and shells.
After the outbreak of World War II, it was decided to return the gun to service. In 1939, the howitzer returned to Schneider’s workshops in Le Creusot for repairs and was scheduled to be ready by July 1940. As a result of this, the gun did not manage to take part in hostilities and was captured by German troops at the factory.
Design Description
The mass of the barrel was 44 tons, length - 11.9 m (15 klb, or L / 15). The angle of vertical guidance is from + 20 ° to + 60 °, there was no horizontal guidance. Guidance was carried out manually.
Anti-recoil devices - four hydraulic recoil brakes, two pneumatic knurls. The rollback length is 945 mm, the rollback is sliding and in the cradle.
The main frame was placed on the balancers on two paired four-axle wheeled trolleys.
When loading the gun barrel fell horizontally. The supply of shells was carried out from carts. The lifting of shells and loading had an electric drive, a separate electric generator was intended for power supply.
Ammunition
For firing, high-explosive grenades weighing 1370 and 1420 kg and a concrete-piercing shell weighing 1654 kg were used. The charge was separate, cap-shaped, with a variable charge.
Combat use
In the Wehrmacht, this gun was designated 52 cm Haubitze (E) 871 (f) and entered service with the newly formed single-armed 686th railway battery (Artillerie-Batterie (E.) 686). The gun arrived at the front on October 31, 1941; it fired at targets in the vicinity of Leningrad, but already on January 3, 1942 it failed due to detonation of the projectile in the barrel channel (like the first instance of the gun). The gun was not repairable and was captured by Soviet troops during the final lifting of the siege of Leningrad.
Sources
- based on a translation of an English Wikipedia article
- Shirokorad A. B. God of War of the Third Reich. - M .: AST, 2002 .-- 576 p.: 32 l. silt with. - ISBN 5-17-015302-3 . - with. 240.
- François, Guy. Eisenbahnartillerie: Histoire de l'artillerie lourd sur voie ferrée allemande des origines à 1945 . Paris: Editions Histoire et Fortifications, 2006
- Gander, Terry and Chamberlain, Peter. Weapons of the Third Reich: An Encyclopedic Survey of All Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the German Land Forces 1939-1945 . New York: Doubleday, 1979 ISBN 0-385-15090-3
- Hogg, Ian V. Allied Artillery of World War One . Ramsbury, Marlborough, Wiltshire: Crowood Press, 1998 ISBN 1-86126-104-7
- Kosar, Franz. Eisenbahngeschütz der Welt . Stuttgart: Motorbook, 1999 ISBN 3-613-01976-0
- 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