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65mm French projectiles

Burney Davis

Moderator
Premium Member
The picture below shows three French projectiles. The base fuzed projectile of the left is for the French 65mm Naval gun and fits the case length of 522/525mm dependant on model. The HE projectile in the middle was marked as being French naval when I got it and the Shrapnel projectile was actually in the 525cm length case. My questions are : would all three of these have been used with the 65mm naval gun? Would the HE and Shrapnel have been used with the model 65mm mountain gun (cases length 168mm)?

Thanks again.

DDSCN6201.jpg
 
Hello,

I'm really not an expert in guns but I'm not sure these 3 shells are used in the same gun.

-First : French Navy AP Mle 1888/89 for 65mm Navy QF Gun (various models)

-Second : French HE 65mm Mle 1910 for Mountain Gun M1906. I think this shell can be fired in a navy gun.

-Third : Looks like a French shell St Chamond. I don't know much about St Chamond guns but I think this shrapnel shell was used in a specific gun made for export. Belgian used St Chamond guns in 1914.
St Chamond made guns with different sizes (65mm, 70mm, 75mm, etc...)
 
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Hi
Sorry but the 65 mm Saint Chamond can't be fired here in the same french gun for the simple reason that the grooves are right on french gun and not left as you see on St chd shell
 
Minen/doctor

Thanks for your replies and sorry for not responding sooner, it has been a busy period for me. So if I am understanding you both correctly, the AP and HE can be fired from the Navy gun with the 525mm case length and the shrapnel cannot. If that is the situation, what shell case/gun would the shrapnel shell be used with?

Many thanks

D
 
65x167R  Mle1906 a  (with 65x172R).jpg65x167R  Mle1906.jpg65 x167R x75. Mle1906 mountain gun (Hotchkiss, I think) On left is 65x172R x75.9 the Italian Cannone da 65/17 mountain gun
 
...and HE can be fired from the Navy gun with the 525mm case length...

I think MINENAZ16 is on the wrong way here, the HE shells for the naval gun have the same driving band arrangement as the first shell. Your second HE shell can be used in french and italian mountain guns. They have right grooves in the french gun and left grooves in the italian gun (see Charleys foto of the case for Cannone da 65/17 gun)

The St. Chamond guns were used in many countries around the word but sadly only very few information is known about them. Countries like Romania, Bulgaria or Mexico had them too. I guess the cases look much like for the French 65 mm Mle.1906 mountain gun (with typical french "double rim"?)
 
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Hi
The Marine Shells have two driving bands
AP Marine shell have so base fuze and HE shell noze fuze N6 for example (typical Marine fuze)
Never see shrapnel Marine shells and i think don't exist
The central 65mm HE shell on the picture is for gun countries an the shrapnel shell is different that St Shamond shell on picture
I never seen the case for 65 mm St chamond and other St chamond shells...
 
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