WWI, French Siege Howitzer
The Mortier de 280 modele 1914 Schneider was a French siege howitzer, manufactured in small numbers by the Schneider et Cie company, used during WWI. It used a hydro-pneumatic system to absorb the recoil forces generated when firing. One unusual feature was the presence of two large steel pads mounted on swinging outriggers at the rear of the firing platform, possibly to reduce movement of the platform when firing at low angles. A pit needed to be dug underneath the breech for very high-angle firing. It had an interrupted-screw breech, probably with a deBange obturator, and used bagged propellant. Shells were loaded onto the ammunition trolley that ran on rails behind the breech using the on-board crane and the trolley was moved adjacent to the breech after it had been brought back to the proper angle for loading. It had a crew of 12 men and fired a 452 pound high-explosive shell to a range of 11, 980 yards. It was dismantled into four loads, barrel, cradle, carriage and firing platform, for transport and carried on 4 horse-drawn carts
