The canon de 194 GPF was a heavy artillery piece used by the French Army and also by the Wehrmacht during World War II. Developed from the canon de 155 mm GPF, it was manufactured by firms Saint-Chamond and Puteaux. This 194-mm gun was in service with the French Army between 1920 and 1940. After the German invasion of France, the Wehrmacht seized 15 pieces, some of which were fielded by the Germans on the Eastern Front.
The canon de 194 GPF was a self-propelled 194-mm gun, which was mounted on a tracked vehicle (sur chenilles). This vehicle was powered by a 120-HP electric motor. It fired 80.86-kg shell to a maximum distance of 18.3 km (11 miles). When the weapon had to be moved to change position, the gun barrel was displaced backward to the rear of chassis. However, not only the motor vehicle was slow, but also the gun rate of fire was slow. It was not efficient for a lightning war as ordinary field artillery towed by trucks moved much faster when they had move to a different location.
Specifications
Type: self-propelled heavy artillery
Weight: 29.6 tons (65,300 pounds)
Caliber: 194mm
Shell: 80.86 kg (200 pounds)
Barrel Length: 6.57 m (21 feet, 7 inches); L/42.2
Elevation: +0 to +40 degrees
Traverse: 55 degrees
Muzzle Velocity: 700 m/s
Power Plant: one 120 HP, Panhard SUK4 M2
Maximum Speed: 8 km/h (5 mph)
Below, the Canon de 194 GPF sur chenilles on the Eastern Front being used by the German Army.
The self-propelled 194mm gun (historical video)
The French 194 GPF on exhibition in a park in Paris.
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