The Works Of Messrs. Schneider And Co.

SCHNEIDER-CANET FIELD GUN, 1898 PATTERN. 295 piston is jointed. The jäcket does not have to withstand any longitudinal effort ; both it and the cliase coils are made with guiding flanges which project on each side of the gun, and are not liable to sustain any damage. These guides extend over a length of 2 metres (78.74 in.), and during recoil they remain constantly engagée! in the cradle ; this reduces friction, and insures a regulär return of the gun, whatever be the firing angle. The carriage is in two parts : the larger, which is held on the axle, is fitted at the rear with a rigid trail- spade ; the smaller part carries the cradle on horizontal trunnions, and is made to pivot laterally on the larger part of the carriage. The cradle in which the gun slides is in one piece, and is made to contain the liquid and air cylinders of the hydro-pneumatic recoil system. The cradle is of temperet! gun-steel ; the grooves in which the flanges slide that guide the gun, are lined inside with brass. On the left-hand side of the cradle are placée! the scales and sights. The rear end of the guide is connected with the training mechanism. The liquid cylinder is placecl near the gun, and immediately below it. The i’ecoil piston is joined to the rear of the gun by an elastic joint, the bushos being made absolutely tight. When the gun recoils, the liquid is forced into the air cylinders at the sides, by raising loacled valves. It compresses the air, and this limits the recoil of the gun. When the recoil is spent, the compressée! air exerts a pressure on the liquid and forces it to return through small ports in the liquid cylinder, which causes the return of the gun in two or three seconds, and with equal smooth- ness, whatever be the firing angle. During the time taken by the gun to return, it is loaded and set, so that no time is lost in serving it. Besides the cylinder covers which limit the air space, diaphragma are provided, which separate the air from the liquid upon which it bears, and which is under an equal pressure. Escape of air cannot, therefore, take place. In exceptional cases, however, if there was such an escape, the joints are easily repaired or replacée!, and two men can re-charge the air cylinder in a few minutes, with the help of a small pump, which forms part of the accessories of a battery. The device for checking recoil requires no attention and runs no risk, unless —as would be the case for the gun itself—it liappened to be destroyed by the fire from the enemy. Repairing of the joints is quite an exceptional operation, but it is easily carried out from the stores süpplied with each gun, and does not require any special skili on the part of gunners. The smaller part of the carriage is of gun-metal, and it carries the cradle trunnions. It is held on the larger part by circular damps, and a pivot on which it is movable to correct deviations in training, but which holds it firm during firing ; it can easily be taken to pieces. The larger part of the mounting consists of two brackets with the edges brought clown, joined together by top and bottoin trail-plates and stay-bars ; in the rear is lixed a strong spade, the top part of which is bent horizontal, to prevent the trail from ploughing up the ground. Owing to this arrangement, the trail is always displaced easily. This part of the mounting is, moreover, fitted with the setting mechanism, varions other devices, and with the wheel drag. The axle is of tempered gun-steel ; it is held on top of the brackets, and the journals are lubricated through the centre, this rendering it unnecessary to remove the wheels. It is fitted with two seats suspended on springs. The right-hand seat is provided with a small auxiliary sight, which enables the gunner at the trail to set the carriage in a line with the target. The gun-training sector is in the plane of the carriage and turns on a pin at the rear of the axle ; it is driven by means of a crank, an endless screw, a helicoidal wheel, and a pinion. The endless screw and the helicoidal wheel are placed in a casing which protects them from dust and accidentai shocks. The helicoidal wheel is not keyed on the training shaf't, but drives it through a spiral spring ; this gives a certain elasticity to the system, and protects the mechanism against shocks caused by the firing and the jolting during transport. When it is required to shift the materiel, the gun is strapped to the carriage at the breech end, to insure the safety of the training mechanism. The top part of the sector is fitted with a dovetailed slide, made to travel laterally through an endless screw worked by a crank. The slide is joined to the cradle by means of a spherical head that moves in a groove ; it causes the lateral displacement of the cradle as well as its elevation. The cradle and gun being balanced when the gun is run out, the training is rapidly and smoothly effeeted. 75-Millimetre (2.952-In.) Gun, Long Type, on Car- riage with Hydro Pneumatic Recoil and Trail Spade, 1898 Pattern (Figs. 956 to 958).—This type may be taken to embody all the experience obtained by trials of previous models, and to represent the most advanced Schneider- Canet practice. It may be fairly claimed for it that it is the most efficient type of gun-mounting that has yet been produced The following are sonie particulars : Weight of gun... 365 kg. 804 Ib. ,, projectile ... Muzzle velocity 6.5 kg. 550 m. 141 Ib. 1804 ft. Height of axis of gun above ground level ... .855 m. 33.661 in. Elevation from — 5 deg. from — 5 deg. to + 14 deg. to + 14 deg. Training Diameter of wheels ... through 4 deg. 1220 m. through 4 deg. 48.030 in. Distance between wheels 1400 m. 55.118 in. Weight in battery Weight of fore-limber with 38 car- 1010 kg. 2226 Ib. 1702 Ib. tridges 772 kg. This type is characterised by an almost complété immobility of the carriage under firing, a condition which has been obtained without reducing in any way the power of the gun, the précision with which it is fired, or the ease with which the material can be carried from one place to anotber. The gun is joined to the carriage by a long- travel recoil mechanism, with constant résistance; the