The French 75mm was a technological innovation and the first modern artillery system.
The 75mm gun incorporated the first modern recoil system, a fixed round of ammunition (loaded in one step), and a quick-firing breech. It was capable of a high rate of fire and had a gun shield. It was the French Army’s primary field gun during WW1. The US Army adopted the 75mm in 1918.
The French used the gun until 1940. The Germans used captured examples as anti-tank guns in 1944. The Canadian Artillery in Britain issued 75mm guns with wooden wheels due to a shortage of modern equipment after the British Army was evacuated from Dunkirk in 1940.
Weight of Projectile: 7.25 kilograms (16 pounds)
Range: 8,500 meters (9,300 yards)
Detachment: Gun, towing vehicle and 6 Gunners