Schneider-Canet 150mm heavy howitzer M. 1897/05

Bulgarian designation :150-мм нескорострелна гаубица Д-12Schneider designation :Obusier de 15 cm de campagne, type puissant sur affût à frein hydropneumatiqueCalibre :150mm L/12Weight of the barrel :777 kg (before the modernization : 760 kg)Weight of the breech-block :55 kgWeight of the carriage :1050 kgWeight in action :1965 kg (before the modernization : 1810 kg)Weight of the limber :393 kg (empty) – 641 kg (loaded)Weight in marching order :2600 kg (before the modernization : 2466 kg)Barrel length :1800 mBarrel groovesnumber :36depth :1.5 mmangle of twist :progressive, 3° to 6°Height of the line of fire :1150 mmBattering chargesOriginal Schneider charge :French 4 x 4 x 1 B.M. (pyroxylin flaked powder)1st charge : 180 g2nd charge :3rd charge : 450 g4th charge : 680 g5th charge : 825 gCharge adopted in 1912 :4 x 4 x 1 W.P. (nitroglycerine flaked powder)1st charge : 260 g2nd charge : 355 g3rd charge : 455 g4th charge : 560 g5th charge : 680 g+ 10 g of black powderVereinigte Köln-Rottweiler Pulverfabriken AGCharge adopted in 1914 :123 x 1 W.A.S. (nitroglycerine powder in tiles)1st charge : =2nd charge :360g3rd charge : 465 g4th charge : 580 g5th charge : 710 gVereinigte Rheinisch-Westfälische Pulverfabriken AGShellweight :40 kg – charge: 2.8 kgmax. range :6500 m (increased to 7800 m)Shrapnelweight :40 kg – 900 bullets x 20 gmax. range :5480 mMine shell weight :40 kg – charge : 8.785 kg SchneideriteMuzzle velocity :260 m/s (5th charge)230 m/s (4th charge)200 m/s (3rd charge)170 m/s (2nd charge)140 m/s (1st charge)Angle of descent :range1st charge2nd charge3rd charge100 m500 m1000 m1500 m2000 m2500 m3000 m3500 m4000 m5500 m2° 12’12° 19’29° 23’0° 32’4° 31’7° 27’12° 05’17° 06’23° 23’31° 18’=2° 11’4° 17’6° 42’9° 41’12° 52’16° 20’20° 20’24° 44’36° 38’Elevation :+ 45° / - 5°Recoil :510 mm / 535 mm(before the modernization : 450 mm)Height of the wheels :1.27 mTrack :1.30 mTransport :drawn by six horsesAmmunition :gun limber - 5, wagon limber - 8, wagon body - 1612 ammunition wagons for every batteryRemarks :Heavy howitzer à tir accéléré, i.e. howitzer modernized in 1904-05 (see H.BARBY, Brégalnitsa, p. 309 – some sources speak of them as “not quick-firing” and others as “quick-firing” howitzer) with hydro-pneumatic recoil system, swinging block breech mechanism, equipped with panoramic telescope (description). It was fitted for an independent line of sight.In 1897 twenty four howitzers were ordered. To make them more movable, major Kalin Najdenov designed a special field carriage. The innovative heavy howitzer that resulted from this conversion was presented to the Paris International Exhibition in 1900. Unfortunately the howitzers were delivered hastily and without appropriate test and soon showed major faults: after 4-5 shots the compressors broke down. In 1904 they were modernized on the basis of a Bulgarian project : the accessories were built in France, but they were assembled in the Sofia Arsenal.

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