The Canonne da 75/27 was a French-designed mountain gun produced in Italy prior to World War I.
History
The Canonne da 75/27 was introduced in 1912, designed by Colonel Deport . It was taken into service by Italy for use with its Alpine troops going into World War I, and was built there in large numbers. The gun was designed with two notable features. It was the first artillery piece to introduce the split trail , as well as the last to utilize its novel dual-recoil system. The former became a very popular feature on artillery pieces through modern day. The later, while functional, did not get repeated. The dual-recoil system consisted of a small tubular recoil under the barrel which in turn travelled in a traditional rectangular cradle. This lessened heat transfer from the gun barrel to the recoil mechanism effectively, but was not necessary for the added complexity.
The gun served with Italy through the First World War, and remained on strength going into World War II. Most examples were modernized, and some even saw service with German forces fighting in Northern Italy in the later half of the war.
Specifications
See also