Schneider-Canet 120mm field howitzer M. 1909

Bulgarian designation :120-мм скорострелна полска гаубицаSchneider designation :Obusier de campagne à tir rapide de 120mm, type O.C. 120 N° 2French designation :Obusier de 120 mm modèle SchneiderCalibre :120mm L/13Weight of the barrel :417 kgWeight of the breech-block :32 kgWeight of the carriage :633 kgWeight in action :1370 kgWeight of the limber :468 kg (empty) – 780 kg (loaded)Weight in marching order :2150 kgWeight of the ammo wagon :1925 kg (with H.E. shell)1895 kg (with shrapnel)Barrel length :1.560 mNumber of barrel grooves :36Height of the line of fire :1160 mmShieldweight :90 kgthickness :3.2 mmFrench ammunitionCartridgeweight shelled :23 kgcharges :1st charge : 195 g French pyroxylin powder B.M.2nd charge : 330 g French pyroxylin powder B.M.²3rd charge : 465 g French pyroxylin powder B.M.²4th charge : 600 g French pyroxylin powder B.M.²5th charge : 700 g French pyroxylin powder B.M.²Mine Shell weight :20.65 kg - charge: 4.72 kg SchneideriteShrapnel weight :21 kg - 628 lead bullets x 15 gcharge : 270 g black powderGerman ammunitionCartridgeweight shelled :23 kgcharges :123 x 1 W.A.S. nitroglycerine powder1st charge : 195 g2nd charge : 330 g3rd charge : 465 g4th charge : 600 g5th charge : 700 gMine Shell weight :20.65 kg - charge: 4.1 kg TrotylShrapnel weight :20.65 kg – 550 lead bullets x 15 gcharge : 270 g black powder20.16 kg – 592 lead bullets x 15 gcharge : 270 g black powderH.E. Shrapnel weight :20.65 kg – charge: 2 kg Trotyl545 bullets x 15 gcharge : 270 g black powderH.E. Shell weight :20.5 kg – 2 kg of Füllpulver 60/40Muzzle velocity :330 m/s (full charge)300 m/s (4th charge)250 m/s (3rd charge)200 m/s (2nd charge)150 m/s (1st charge)Max. range :6939 m (afterwards increased to 8000 m )Quadrant angle at max. range :45°Height of the line of sight :1195 mmElevation :+ 43° / - 5°Traversing angle :6°Wheelsweight :160 kgheight :1330 mmwidth of tires :80 mmtrack :1524 mmTransport :drawn by six horsesAmmunition :gun limber - 10, wagon limber - 10, wagon body - 2412 ammunition wagons for every batteryRemarks :Quick firing field howitzer, with hydro-pneumatic recoil system, swinging block breech mechanism, traverse on axle. It was equipped with panorama telescope “Goerz-Schneider” and fitted for an independent line of sight. In 1912 it was considered an howitzer “de grande mobilité, très stable au tir”, able to carry out both the direct and the indirect fire (description).The shield was made of hardened Nickel steel and was composed by three parts. The upper part, attached to the carriage, was fixed. The mid part was composed by two plates attached right and left at the axle; they had to replace the upper shield when the howitzer was firing at extreme traversing angles. The lower part, attached at the carriage, was mobile and could be folded up backwards for travelling. An armoured observatory weighting 36 kg was carried on one of the ammunition wagons.After the Balkan Wars Bulgarian Army ordered further 11 batteries of this howitzers, but at the outbreak of World War I French Army canceled the contract and in 1915 seized the howitzers that later were assigned to the Armée d’Orient. The data of the French howitzer are slightly different, but it seems that it is the same howitzer, the difference coming only from a different way of determining the main features of it.

Drawings of 120 mm Schneider howitzer