Obusier de 155 mm Modèle 50 was a French 155 mm 30 calibre howitzer introduced in 1952.[2] The first French artillery designed since World War II, it was manufactured in both France - 980 howitzers were produced (French army and export) - and under license in Sweden for the Swedish armed forces. The Model 50 was replaced in French service during the 1980s by the TRF1.[2] Reserve units were produced until the end of the 1990s.[3]
| Obusier de 155 mm Modèle 50 | |
|---|---|
 Obusier de 155 mm Modèle 50 in Beyt ha-Totchan Museum, Zikhron Ya'akov. | |
| Type | Field howitzer |
| Place of origin | France |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1952-1990s |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 8,100 kg (17,900 lb) |
| Length | 7.8 m (25 ft 7 in)[1] |
| Barrel length | 4.65 m (15 ft 3 in) L/30 |
| Width | 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)[1] |
| Height | 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)[1] |
| Crew | 11[1] |
| Shell | Separate loading charge and projectile[1] |
| Caliber | 155 mm (6.1 in) |
| Breech | interrupted screw |
| Recoil | Hydro-pneumatic[1] |
| Carriage | Split trail |
| Elevation | -4°/69° |
| Traverse | 80° |
| Rate of fire | 3-4 rpm[1] |
| Muzzle velocity | 650 m/s (2,100 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 18,000 m (20,000 yd) |
| Maximum firing range | 23,300 m (25,500 yd) |
Description
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The Model 50 has a split trail, large slotted muzzle-brake, four-wheeled bogie and a retractable firing pedestal beneath the axles.
Operators
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France: standard howitzer of the French Army, replaced in the late 1980s by the TRF1.[2]
Sweden: 170;[4] possibly more produced under license.[2]
Israel: 170; most of these were later mounted on an M4 Sherman tank chassis as self-propelled howitzers.[4]
Lebanon: 50[4]
Morocco: 18[5]
Senegal: 6[4]
Switzerland: 20[4]
Tunisia: 30[4]
See also
edit- M-50 155 mm - An M4 Sherman chassis based self-propelled artillery piece mounting the Obusier de 155 mm Modèle 50 155 mm L/30 howitzer in large enclosed superstructure.
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Foss, Christopher (1977). Jane's pocket book of towed artillery. New York: Collier. p. 121. ISBN 0-02-080600-0. OCLC 911907988.
- ^ a b c d Kinard, Jeff (28 March 2007). Artillery: An Illustrated History of Its Impact (2007 ed.). ABC-CLIO Publishers. pp. 301–303. ISBN 978-1-85109-561-2.
- ^ L’Obusier de 155 mm, modèle 1950/1963, Base documentaire des Artilleurs
- ^ a b c d e f "Trade Registers". Armstrade.sipri.org. Retrieved 2014-11-20.
- ^ Jane's Armour and Artillery, 2002, Volume 23 p. 727.
External links
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