Canon de 194 mle GPF

Infobox Weapon
name=Canon de 194 mle GPF


caption=
origin=FRA
type=Self-propelled artillery
is_vehicle=yes
design_date=
production_date=
wars=WWI, WWII
length=
width=
height=
weight=29,600 kg
suspension=
speed=8-10 km/h
vehicle_range=
unit_cost=
primary_armament=194 mm gun
secondary_armament=
armour=
engine=Panhard SUK4 M2
crew=
engine_power=120 hp
pw_ratio=

Canon de 194 mle GPF ("Grand Puissance Filloux" - High-Power Filloux) - was the first French tracked self-propelled gun (SPG). Designed at the end of World War I, it was a pioneering weapon with many modern features.

The vehicle was designed in Schneider's Le Creusot works. Originally it was planned to arm it with a 155 mm gun but eventually 194 mm gun was chosen. A few examples of this SPG were armed with a modified 280 mm siege mortar, this version was known as M 280 sur chenilles (literally - "tracked M 280"). Both weapons used the same chassis and were powered by 120 hp Panhard SUK4 M2 engine. Comparing to its contemporary British SPG Gun Carrier Mark I, Canon de 194 was much more advanced, it was driven by only one person, had hydraulic brakes and the gun had automatically adjusting recoil mechanisms and pneumatic recuperators.

The 194 mm gun was 6.5 m long, had the maximum elevation of +37° and traverse of 55°. The muzzle velocity was 725 m/s, and maximum range was just under 21 km.

After the Great War all M 280 models were converted to take the 194 mm gun. Around 50 Canon de 194 units were still in use at the outbreak of World War II and some were used against the invading German forces. Surviving vehicles were pressed into Wehrmacht service as 19.4cm Kanone 485 (f) auf Selbstfahrlafette. At least 3 of them were used by Germans in Russia around 1942, while serving in 84th Regiment of Heer Artillery.

ources

*Chant, Chris (2005), "Artillery", Amber Books, ISBN 1904687415
* [http://maquetland.com/v2/index.php?page=vision&id=353 "La Heer et l'Héritage Francais I° partie les Blindés"] (in French)

External links

* [http://ww2photo.mimerswell.com/gun/fr/ha/194%20mle%20gpf.htm Pictures of Canon de 194 mle GPF]