| Is Artillery: | yes |
| Canon de 75 mm contre avion Schneider, modèle 1940 | |
| Type: | Anti-aircraft gun |
| Origin: | France |
| Number: | 192? |
| Used By: | France Switzerland Nazi Germany |
| Wars: | Second World War |
| Designer: | Schneider et Cie |
| Manufacturer: | Schneider et Cie K + W |
| Weight: | Travel: 5300kg (11,700lb) Combat: 3800kg (8,400lb) |
| Length: | Travel: 7m (23feet) |
| Part Length: | 4m (13feet) L/53 |
| Width: | Travel: 1.5m (04.9feet)[1] |
| Caliber: | 75abbr=onNaNabbr=on |
| Cartridge: | 75 x 561mm R high-explosive, air-burst |
| Cartridge Weight: | 6.4kg (14.1lb) |
| Velocity: | NaNm/s |
| Range: | 8.2km (05.1miles) |
| Rate: | 20-30 rpm |
| Crew: | 9[2] |
| Breech: | vertical sliding-block |
| Recoil: | Hydro-pneumatic, variable (500-580 mm) |
| Carriage: | single axle with three outriggers |
| Elevation: | 0-70° |
| Traverse: | 360° |
The Canon de 75 contre avion modèle 1940 Schneider was a French 75 mm anti-aircraft gun designed and manufactured by Schneider et Cie at Le Creusot. These guns were used by the French Army during the Second World War.
The origins of the modèle 1940 go back to the Canon de 75 modèle 1897 field gun which was first employed on improvised anti-aircraft mounts during World War I. Later in the war specialized anti-aircraft mounts were developed.
These included:
During the late 1920s it was realized that the Canon de 75 antiaérien mle 1913-1917 were outmoded as an anti-aircraft weapon and development of a new gun barrel was begun in 1928. The goals of the rearmament program were faster rate of fire, higher muzzle velocity, increased vertical range, modern fire control and greater mobility with new gun carriages. However the priority for armaments at that time was the construction of the Maginot Line fortifications and work progressed at a slow pace. This slow pace and lack of funds meant all three anti-aircraft versions of the mle 1897 were still in use in large numbers when World War II began in 1939. It is estimated that 913 un-modernized mle 1897 anti-aircraft guns were still in service in 1940.
Some of the first guns to be upgraded were the fixed emplacements around high priority targets such as Paris. These mle 1915s had their barrels replaced with new 53 caliber barrels built by Schneider. Likewise some mle 1913 self-propelled guns and towed mle 1917 guns had their barrels replaced to produce the Canon de 75 mm contre aéronefs mle 17/34.
In addition to the upgraded guns there were also newly built guns and carriages. These guns had a secondary anti-tank role when fitted with a 6X scope, despite a lack of armor-piercing ammunition. It is estimated that 192 new guns were in service in 1940.
Large numbers of 75 mm guns were captured by Germany after the French defeat in 1940. Guns in German service were given the designations: