75 mm gun M1917

75 mm gun model of 1917
75 mm gun model of 1917
Type	Field gun
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	1918–1945
Used by	United States; United Kingdom; Finland; Greece; Philippine Commonwealth
Wars	World War II; Continuation War
Production history
Designed	1917
Produced	1917
Specifications
Mass	Gun & Breech: 995 lb (451 kg); Total: 2,890 lb (1,310 kg)
Barrel length	Bore: 7 ft (2.1 m) L/28; Total: 7 ft 4 in (2.24 m)
Shell	Fixed QF 75 x 350mm R
Shell weight	16 lb (7.3 kg) (Shrapnel); 12.3 lb (5.6 kg) (HE)
Calibre	75 mm (2.95 in)
Recoil	hydro-spring 45–49 inches
Carriage	wheeled, pole trail
Muzzle velocity	1,693 ft/s (516 m/s) (Shrapnel); 1,900 ft/s (580 m/s) (HE)
Effective firing range	6,494 yd (5,938 m) (Shrapnel); 8,100 yd (7,400 m); (HE short fuze); 7,450 yd (6,810 m); (HE long fuze)

The 75 mm gun model of 1917 was an interim measure, based on the British QF 18-pounder, produced by the United States in World War I after it had decided to switch from 3-inch (76 mm) to 75 mm calibre for its field guns.

History

The US decided early in World War I to switch from 3-inch (76 mm) to 75 mm calibre for its field guns. Its preferred gun for re-equipment was the French 75 mm Model of 1897, but early attempts to produce it in the US using US commercial mass-production techniques failed, partly due to delays in obtaining necessary French plans, and then their being incomplete or inaccurate, and partly because US industry was not equipped to work to metric measurements.^[2] By 1917 US firms had produced 851 QF 18-pounders for export to Britain. Hence production of a 75 mm version offered a simple interim solution, being basically a copy of the British QF 18-pounder rechambered for French 75 mm ammunition, utilizing existing production capacity.^[3] It remains very similar to the 18-pounder, the main visible difference being a shorter barrel with straight muzzle.

The gun was developed too late to see action in World War I.

Between World Wars

Although World War I had shown that direct fire, light field guns like the M1917 lacked adequate firepower to destroy an entrenched enemy, the majority of combatants had large numbers of them and had little impetus to replace them. With a limited peacetime budget, the US Army like other armies opted to modernize its artillery by switching from horse traction to motor traction.^[4]

In January, 1934, field conversion kits were collected at the Rock Island Arsenal and 48 were sent to Hawaii and 24 were sent to the Philippines. The kits included the same sprung axles, steel wheels, and pneumatic tires as the 75 mm M1897A4 that allow them to be towed at higher speeds. Of the 900 M1917s available roughly half were modernized to M1917A1 standards.^[4]

World War II

British service

Early in World War II Britain lost many of its field guns in France, and the US transferred 395 M1917s to Britain,^[4] where its similarity to the 18-pounder made it useful for British home defence and training needs. Its British designation was "Ordnance QF 75mm on Carriage, 75mm /18 pr Mark 1PA".

Finnish service

Finland purchased 200 old guns from the United States for its Winter War against the USSR in 1940. They arrived too late to be used in that war but were designated "75 K/17" and after necessary overhaul were used in the Continuation War from 1941, and many continued in use for training until the 1990s.^[5]

Greek service

The gun entered in Greek service during the Greco-Italian war of 1940–1941. Greece requested aid from the US and Britain, which in part came in the form of the British 75 mm field gun. A total of 24 by the US in March and 50 by Britain in January 1941 were offered. Of those, 24 were sent from Britain, but only 18 arrived in January 1941 to Greece. The rest of the offered guns were either sunk or never loaded on ships due to the fall of Greece in April 1941. The 18 that arrived to Greece were in need of maintenance before being pressed into service. Ultimately 4 guns saw service with the 19th Field Artillery Battalion, and 12 guns with the B3 Field Artillery Battalion.^[6]

United States and Philippine service

174 M1917s were sent to the US and Philippine Army and participated in the Philippines Campaign where all were lost. Another 48 were still at sea and diverted to Java and served in the Java Campaign where they were lost.^[4]

Surviving examples

"Minnie" at United States Army Ordnance Museum, Maryland

"Minnie" is displayed at the United States Army Ordnance Museum, Maryland
Imperial War Museum, Duxford, England
The Central Museum of The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, CFB Shilo, Manitoba, Canada
US Army Artillery Museum, Ft Sill, Oklahoma, USA
The Artillery Museum of Finland, Linnankasarmi, Hämeenlinna, Finland

References

^ "75–77 mm calibre cartridges". www.quarryhs.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2015-01-17. Retrieved 2017-09-05.
^ Brown 1920, pp. 50–56
^ "The model of 1917 (British) was ordered shortly after the declaration of war [April 1917] to expedite production, inasmuch as the Bethlehem Steel Co. had orders for this type of gun and carriage from the British Government, and was in a position to proceed with the manufacture according to drawings, specifications, and gauges already on hand" Wade, 1919, page 17
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Williford, G. (2016). American breechloading mobile artillery 1875-1953 : an illustrated identification guide. Thomas D. Batha. Atglen, PA. pp. 138–139. ISBN 978-0-7643-5049-8. OCLC 927401960.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ "Finnish Army 1918 - 1945: Artillery Part 3".
^ Εφοδιασμοί του Στρατού εις υλικά οπλισμού και πυρομαχικών Πυροβολικού και Πεζικού κατά τον πόλεμον 1940–41, Έκδοσις διευθύνσεως ιστορίας Στρατού, Αθήναι 1982, pages 49–50 and 67–68

Bibliography

"Handbook of Artillery". US Ordnance Department. Document No. 2033. July 1921
Sevellon Brown, The Story of Ordnance in the World War. Washington: James William Bryan Press, 1920
Herbert T Wade, United States Army Ordnance Dept, "Handbook of ordnance data". Washington, Government Printing Office, 1919

External links

Handbook of the 75-mm gun matériel, model of 1917 (British)
United States War Department Forms (of Ordnance, many guns manuals)

[1] "75–77 mm calibre cartridges". www.quarryhs.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2015-01-17. Retrieved 2017-09-05.

[2] Brown 1920, pp. 50–56

[3] "The model of 1917 (British) was ordered shortly after the declaration of war [April 1917] to expedite production, inasmuch as the Bethlehem Steel Co. had orders for this type of gun and carriage from the British Government, and was in a position to proceed with the manufacture according to drawings, specifications, and gauges already on hand" Wade, 1919, page 17

[:0-4] Williford, G. (2016). American breechloading mobile artillery 1875-1953 : an illustrated identification guide. Thomas D. Batha. Atglen, PA. pp. 138–139. ISBN 978-0-7643-5049-8. OCLC 927401960.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[5] "Finnish Army 1918 - 1945: Artillery Part 3".

[6] Εφοδιασμοί του Στρατού εις υλικά οπλισμού και πυρομαχικών Πυροβολικού και Πεζικού κατά τον πόλεμον 1940–41, Έκδοσις διευθύνσεως ιστορίας Στρατού, Αθήναι 1982, pages 49–50 and 67–68

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v t e United States artillery of World War I
Tank guns	Puteaux SA 18 QF 6-pounder 6 cwt Hotchkiss
Small and pack guns	Canon d'Infanterie de 37 modèle 1916 TRP 37 mm Infantry Gun Model 1917 QF 2.95-inch mountain gun
Field, medium and heavy guns	3-inch M1902 field gun 75 mm gun M1897 75 mm gun M1916 75 mm gun M1917 3.2-inch gun M1897 4.7-inch gun M1906 5-inch gun M1897 6-inch howitzer M1908 6-inch gun M1903 6-inch gun M1917 155 mm GPF M1918 155 mm howitzer M1917 BL 8-inch howitzer Mk VI – VIII BL 9.2-inch howitzer 240 mm trench mortar
Anti-aircraft guns	75 mm gun M1897 75 mm gun M1916 3-inch gun M1917 3-inch gun M1918
Coast artillery guns	3-inch gun M1903 4.72-inch Armstrong gun 5-inch gun M1897 6-inch Armstrong gun 6-inch gun M1897 8-inch gun M1888 10-inch gun M1895 12-inch gun M1895 12-inch coast defense mortar 14-inch gun M1907 16-inch gun M1895 16-inch gun M1919 155 mm gun M1918MI
Railway artillery	7"/45 caliber gun 8-inch gun M1888 10-inch gun M1895 12-inch coast defense mortar 12-inch gun M1895MIA1 14"/50 caliber railway gun

v t e British Commonwealth artillery of World War II
Tank guns	QF 2-pounder QF 3-pounder QF 6-pounder QF 75 mm QF 3-inch howitzer QF 17-pounder 77 mm HV QF 95 mm howitzer
Anti-tank guns	QF 2-pounder QF 6-pounder QF 17-pounder
Field guns and howitzers	75 mm Gun M1917 QF 18-pounder 25-pounder Gun-Howitzer 25-pounder Short QF 4.5-inch howitzer
Medium and heavy guns and howitzers	BL 4.5-inch medium field gun BL 60-pounder gun BL 5.5-inch medium gun BL 6-inch howitzer BL 6-inch gun Mk XIX 155 mm Long Tom BL 7.2-inch howitzer BL 8-inch howitzer BL 9.2-inch howitzer 240 mm howitzer M1
Mountain guns	75mm Pack howitzer M1 3.7-inch mountain howitzer
Mortars	SBML 2-inch mortar ML 3-inch mortar ML 4.2-inch mortar
Anti-aircraft weapons	Z Battery 20 mm Oerlikon 20 mm Polsten QF 1½-pounder Mk III QF 2-pounder naval gun Bofors 40 mm QF 3-inch QF 3.7-inch QF 4.5-inch Mk II QF 5.25-inch Mk II
Coast defence	QF 6-pounder 10 cwt QF 12-pounder QF 4.7-inch Mk I–IV BL 6-inch Mk VII & Mk XXIV BL 7.5-inch Mk VI BL 8-inch Mk VIII BL 9.2-inch Mk X BL 14-inch Mk VII BL 15-inch Mk I
Railway artillery	BL 9.2-inch Mk XIII railway gun BL 12-inch Mk V railway howitzer BL 13.5-inch Mk V railway gun BL 18-inch railway howitzer