Canon de 305 mm Modèle 1893/96 gun

The 12-inch/40 calibre Canon de 305 mm Modèle 1893/96 gun was a typical built-up French heavy gun of its period. It used a Welin interrupted-screw breech and bagged propellant with a de Bange obturator to get a good gas seal during firing.[http://cgsc.cdmhost.com/u?/p4013coll9,216 "LECTURE ON HIGH-POWERED HEAVY ARTILLERY". Translated from French Army document and printed by US Army War College] It was mounted in twin-gun turrets which had a couple of unusual features. First, most of the turret's operating machinery was housed inside the turret, with only an armored tube to protect the ammunition hoists. This made little difference in the overall weight of the turret, but did raise the machinery higher in the ship than the turrets of other nations, which did have implications for stability. Secondly, they used a hydraulic pivot to lift the turret when it rotated; this was lowered onto a seating ring when the turret was in the proper position to fire. Each turret had a nominal 300° of traverse, although each ship had its own specific limitations.{{cite web|url=http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNFR_12-40_m1893.htm|title=French 305 mm/40 (12") Model 1893/1896 305 mm/45 (12") Model 1893 305 mm/40 (12") Model 1893 305 mm/45 (12") Model 1887|date=11 October 2007|access-date=2009-06-26}}

The 12-inch/40 calibre Canon de 305mm/40 Modèle 1893 gun was an earlier version of this design, mounted in single gun turrets in {{ship|French battleship|Masséna||2}}.

The 12-inch/45 calibre Canon de 305mm/45 Modèle 1893 gun was an experimental longer barrel version of this design, mounted in single gun turrets in Jauréguiberry and Bouvet.

During World War I surplus Modèle 1893/1896 guns were mounted on both rotating centre-pintle, cradle recoil, and sliding-carriage mountings on railway carriages to provide mobile firepower on the Western Front. They fired shells weighing from {{convert|321|-|351|kg|lb}} to a maximum range of {{convert|31130|m|yd}}. The railroad mounts had a maximum elevation of 40° which accounts for the extra range over the naval guns.

File:11-11-17. Mont Notre Dame. Pièce marine de 305. Berceau - Fonds Berthelé - 49Fi1177.jpg|A Canon de 305 modèle 1893/96 à berceau railway gun {{c.}} 1917.

File:FrenchRailwayGunWWIAWMH07934.jpeg|A Canon de 305 modèle 93/96 TAZ railway gun {{c.}} 1917.

File:French 305 mm sliding mount railway gun.jpeg|A Canon de 305 modèle 1893/96 à glissement railway gun {{c.}} 1918.

• APC (Armor Piercing Capped) - {{Convert|340|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
• CI (Cast iron) - {{Convert|292|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
• SAPC (Semi-Armor Piercing Capped) - {{Convert|340|kg|lb|abbr=on}}

• Armstrong Whitworth 12 inch /40 naval gun British equivalent naval gun
• BL 12-inch railway gun British equivalent railway gun
• Russian 12 inch 40 caliber naval gun Russian equivalent naval gun

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book|last=Caresse|first=Philippe|title=The Iéna Disaster, 1907|publisher=Conway|location=London|year=2007|series=Warship 2007|pages=121–138|isbn=978-1-84486-041-8}}
• {{cite book

| last = Friedman

| first = Norman

| year = 2011

| title = Naval Weapons of World War One

| publisher = Seaforth Publishing

| location = Barnsley, UK

| isbn = 978-1-84832-100-7

}}

{{Commons category|305mm/40 Modèle 1893-96 gun}}

• [http://le.fantasque.free.fr/php3/gun.php3?all=&page_size=H PIECES LOURDES : 240 et plus]
• [http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNFR_12-40_m1893.htm French 305 mm/40 (12") Model 1893/1896]

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}

{{WWIFrenchNavalWeapons}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Canon de 305 mm Modele 1893 96 gun}}

Category:Naval guns of France

Category:305 mm artillery