Battle of Honey Springs

The Mortier de 220 mm Tir Rapide modèle 1915/1916 Schneider or 220 mm TR mle 1915/1916 was a French howitzer designed and produced during the First World War. A number were still on hand during the Second World War and served in Belgian, French and German service.

History

Before the First World War, the doctrine of the French Army was geared towards a war of rapid maneuver. Consequently, attention was focused on light mobile field guns such as the Canon de 75 modèle 1897 with little consideration given to heavy artillery. As the Western Front settled into trench warfare, the light field guns that the combatants went to war with were beginning to show their limitations when facing an enemy who was now dug into prepared positions. Indirect fire, interdiction, and counter-battery fire emphasized the importance of long-range heavy artillery.

The 43 kg (95 lb) projectiles from the heaviest howitzer available the 155 mm CTR Mle 1904, were found to be ineffective against deeply dug in German positions. The heaviest pieces available were the de Bange 220 mm mle 1880/1891 mortars. However, these lacked mobility, had a range of only 7 km (4.3 mi) and a slow rate of fire (1 round every three minutes) and required large crews to dig positions and erect wooden firing platforms before use.^[1]

Design

In 1909 Schneider had produced a 228.6 mm (9 in) mortar given the designations Mortier Schneider de 9" de seige, Mortier de 9" Belgique, Mortier de 9" Russie in Schneider catalogs for Belgium and Russia. The Belgian/Russian mortar was similar in design to the mle 1915/1916 but was lighter, had a shorter barrel, had shorter range, and fired heavier projectiles. Schneider also decided to develop a 220 mm version in order to use existing stocks of de Bange ammunition. These projectiles weighed about 100 kg (220 lb) which made shell handling an issue. The solution was a set folding rails which went from the breech to end of the box trail. Between shots, the barrel was lowered and the projectile was slid on a stretcher up the rails to the breech for ramming home.^[3]

The first order for 40 howitzers was issued in October 1915, with the first deliveries beginning in 1916. The new howitzer designated the Mortier de 220 mm Tir Rapide Modèle 1915 surpassed the de Bange mortars performance with twice the rate of fire and a range of 10.8 km (6.7 mi). The howitzer's weight 7,455 kg (16,435 lb) was beyond the horse teams' towing capability, so it was designed to be broken down and transported in two loads. However, the axle of the new carriage was fragile and had to be towed at low speeds.^[3]

Service

Battlefield experience suggested several enhancements to improve mobility: the installation of a sprung suspension, replacement of the curved axle with a straight axle, use of 14 spoke instead of 12 spoke wheels and solid rubber tires. The majority of these changes were incorporated in the new mle 1916, with the exception of a straight axle. The problem of low towing speed, which did not exceed a walking pace, remained unresolved throughout the life of the gun and represented its greatest shortcoming. The increasing availability of artillery tractors later in the war meant that the gun was often transported in one load, with the barrel withdrawn from battery and fastened to the box trail, a wheeled limber was then placed beneath the box trail.^[3]

The mle 1915/1916 was considered a successful design until the later stages of the First World War when battlefield mobility was restored and its slow towing speed limited its usefulness. With the armistice, the French army had 272 mle 1915/1916s in its inventory. During the inter-war years the mle 1915/1916 was placed in reserve and Belgium bought eight.^[4] At the beginning of Second World War, the French army deployed 376 mle 1915/16s of the 462 still available.^[5] When France signed an armistice in 1940, the German army used surviving pieces under the designation 22 cm Mörser 530(b) and 22 cm Mörser 531(f). The Spanish Blue Division used 7 captured French pieces at the Siege of Leningrad.

The 220 mortar returned to service with the French army after the liberation of France. In March 1945, twelve were in service.^[6]

Gallery

Mle 1915/1916s at the Le Havre factory.
Abandoned French mle 1915/1916 May of 1940
An mle 1915/1916 ready to be loaded.
An mle 1915/1916 barrel being transported.
An mle 1915/1916 carriage being transported.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Touzin, Pierre (2009). Les canons de la victoire, 1914-1918. I, L'artillerie de campagne pièces légères et pièces lourdes. Vol. 1. Vauvillier, François. Paris: Histoire et collections. pp. 38–39. ISBN 978-2352501060. OCLC 690586837.
^ "AFB/187AQ588-01". Catalogue des matériels d'artillerie Schneider et Compagnie mis en service sur les fronts alliés en 1914-1917. Retrieved 2021-04-16 – via pandor.u-bourgogne.fr.
^ ^a ^b ^c Clelland, Charlie. "220 mm Schneider M16". www.landships.info. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
^ Kosar, Franz (2004). Artillerie im 20. Jahrhundert. Bonn: Bernard und Graefe. p. 131. ISBN 3763762493. OCLC 76522674.
^ "Новости.TRELI.ru — новости, политика, экономика, культура. Избранное обо всем". vif2ne.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2017-10-19.
^ Weiss, Stéphane (2014-05-12). "Recréer une artillerie française en 1945 : la part belle à la récupération". Revue historique des armées (in French) (274): 95–107. ISSN 0035-3299.

[:0-1] Touzin, Pierre (2009). Les canons de la victoire, 1914-1918. I, L'artillerie de campagne pièces légères et pièces lourdes. Vol. 1. Vauvillier, François. Paris: Histoire et collections. pp. 38–39. ISBN 978-2352501060. OCLC 690586837.

[2] "AFB/187AQ588-01". Catalogue des matériels d'artillerie Schneider et Compagnie mis en service sur les fronts alliés en 1914-1917. Retrieved 2021-04-16 – via pandor.u-bourgogne.fr.

[:1-3] Clelland, Charlie. "220 mm Schneider M16". www.landships.info. Retrieved 18 October 2017.

[4] Kosar, Franz (2004). Artillerie im 20. Jahrhundert. Bonn: Bernard und Graefe. p. 131. ISBN 3763762493. OCLC 76522674.

[5] "Новости.TRELI.ru — новости, политика, экономика, культура. Избранное обо всем". vif2ne.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2017-10-19.

[6] Weiss, Stéphane (2014-05-12). "Recréer une artillerie française en 1945 : la part belle à la récupération". Revue historique des armées (in French) (274): 95–107. ISSN 0035-3299.

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French artillery of World War I
Anti-aircraft guns	Canon de 75 antiaérien mle 1913-1917
Coastal artillery	Canon de 100 mm Modèle 1891 Canon de 19 C modèle 1870/93 Canon de 19 C modèle 1875 Canon de 24 C modèle 1876 Canon de 240 L Mle 1884 Mortier de 270 mm modèle 1889
Field artillery	Canon de 75 modèle 1897 Canon de 75 modèle 1912 Schneider Canon de 75 modèle 1914 Schneider De Bange 90 mm cannon Obusier de 120 mm C modèle 1890 Obusier de 120 mm mle 15TR
Infantry guns	Canon d'Infanterie de 37 modèle 1916 TRP
Medium and heavy artillery	Canon de 105 mle 1913 Schneider Canon de 155 court modèle 1904 Rimailho Canon de 120 mm modèle 1878 Canon de 145 L modele 1916 Saint-Chamond Obusier de 155 mm C modèle 1881 Obusier de 155 mm C modèle 1890 Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider Canon de 155 C modèle 1915 St. Chamond Canon de 155 L modèle 1877/14 Schneider Canon de 155 L Modele 1917 Schneider Canon de 155 L modèle 1918 Schneider Canon de 155 mm GPF De Bange 155 mm cannon Canon de 220 L mle 1917 Mortier de 220 modèle 1915/1916 Schneider
Mortars	Cellerier Mortar Mortier de 58 T N°1 Mortier de 58 T N°1 bis Mortier de 58 mm type 2 Mortier de 75 modèle 1915 Schneider Mortier de 150 mm T Mle 1917 Fabry Mortier de 240 mm Mortier de 270 mm modèle 1885 Mortier de 270 mm modèle 1889
Mountain artillery	Canon de 65 M modele 1906 75 mm Schneider-Danglis 06/09 Canon Court de 105 M modele 1909 Schneider
Railway artillery	Canon de 120 L mle 1878 sur affût-truc Peigné-Canet-Schneider mle 1897 Canon de 140 sur affut-truc mle 1884 Obusier de 155 C mle 1881 sur affût-truc Peigné-Canet-Schneider mle 1897 Materiel de 155 sur affut-truc Schneider Canon de 164 modèle 1893/96 TAZ Canon de 19 C modèle 1875 Canon de 19 modèle 1870/93 TAZ Obusier de 200 "Pérou" sur affût-truck TAZ Schneider 24 cm Canon G modèle 1916 Canon de 240 L Mle 1884 Canon de 240 modèle 93/96 TAZ Canon de 274 modèle 93/96 Berceau Canon de 274 modèle 87/93 Glissement Canon de 305 modèle 93/96 TAZ Canon de 305 modèle 1893/96 à berceau Canon de 305 modèle 1893/96 à glissement Canon de 32 modèle 1870/81 à glissement Canon de 32 modèle 1870/84 à glissement Canon de 32 modèle 1870/93 à glissement Canon de 340 modèle 1893 à glissement Canon de 340 modèle 1912 à berceau Canon de 340 modèle 1912 à glissement Obusier de 370 modèle 1915 à berceau Canon de 370 modèle 75/79 Glissement Obusier de 400 Modèle 1915/1916 Obusier de 520 modèle 1916
Siege artillery	Obusier de 120 mm C modèle 1890 Canon de 120 mm modèle 1878 Obusier de 155 mm C modèle 1881 Obusier de 155 mm C modèle 1890 Mortier de 220 mm modèle 1880 Canon de 240 L Mle 1884 Canon de 240 TR Mle 1903 Mortier de 270 mm modèle 1885 Mortier de 270 mm modèle 1889 Mortier de 280 modèle 1914 Schneider Mortier de 293 Danois sur affut-truck modèle 1914 Mortier de 370 modèle 1914 Filloux
Self propelled artillery	Canon de 194 GPF Canon de 220mm L Mle1917 Schneider (FAHM) Mortier 280 mm TR de Schneider sur affût-chenilles St Chamond
Armoured vehicle guns	Puteaux 37 mm SA 18 Canon de 75 modèle 1897

French artillery of World War II
Anti-aircraft guns	Mitrailleuse de 25 mm CA mle 39 Canon de 75 antiaérien mle 1913-1917 Canon de 75 CA modèle 1940 Schneider
Anti-tank guns	25 mm Hotchkiss anti-tank gun 25 mm APX modèle 1937 AC 37 anti-tank gun AC 47 anti-tank gun 47 mm APX anti-tank gun
Coastal artillery	Canon de 100 mm Modèle 1891 Canon de 19 C modèle 1870/93 Canon de 240 L Mle 1884 Mortier de 270 mm modèle 1889
Field artillery	Canon de 75 modèle 1897
Infantry guns	Canon d'Infanterie de 37 modèle 1916 TRP
Medium and Heavy artillery	Canon de 105 court mle 1934 Schneider Canon de 105 court mle 1935 B Canon de 105 L mle 1936 Schneider Canon de 105 mle 1913 Schneider Canon de 145/155 L modele 1916 Saint-Chamond Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider Canon de 155 L modèle 1877/14 Schneider Canon de 155 L Modele 1917 Schneider Canon de 155 L modèle 1918 Schneider Canon de 155mm GPF Canon de 194 GPF Canon de 220 L mle 1917 Mortier de 220 modèle 1915/1916 Schneider Mortier 280 mm TR de Schneider-St Chamond
Mortars	Mortier de 150 mm T Mle 1917 Fabry
Mountain artillery	Canon de 65 M modele 1906 Canon de 75 M modele 1919 Schneider Canon de 75 M modele 1928 Canon Court de 105 M modele 1909 Schneider Canon Court de 105 M modèle 1919 Schneider
Railroad artillery	Canon de 164 modèle 1893/96 TAZ Canon de 19 modèle 1870/93 TAZ Canon de 240 modèle 93/96 TAZ Canon de 305 modèle 1906/10 à glissement Canon de 32 modèle 1870/84 à glissement Canon de 32 modèle 1870/93 à glissement Canon de 320 modèle 1917 à glissement Canon de 340 modèle 1893 à glissement Canon de 340 modèle 1912 à berceau Canon de 340 modèle 1912 à glissement Obusier de 370 modèle 1915 Canon de 370 modèle 75/79 Glissement Obusier de 400 Modèle 1915/1916 Obusier de 520 modèle 1916
Siege artillery	Canon de 240 L Mle 1884 Mortier de 280 modèle 1914 Schneider Mortier de 293 Danois sur affut-truck modèle 1914 Mortier de 370 modèle 1914 Filloux
Tank guns	37 mm SA 18 37 mm SA mle 1938 47mm SA mle 1935 75 mm ABS mle 1929