Landships II

MooreTanks · Lieutenant-Colonel

Schneider 15 cm SPG

CharlieC · Legend

It isn't a gun but a mortar - specifically a Mortier de 150 Mle 1917 Fabry so you're looking at a mortar carrier rather than an SPG.

I agree that the chassis looks like a cut down Schneider CA1 tank chassis.

I have a vague memory this was a post-WW1 experimental vehicle but I'm not certain.

Perhaps our colleagues over at http://pages14-18.mesdiscussions.net/ know more about this vehicle.

Charlie

James H · Legend

The pic appears in Jeudy.

"A number of worn-out Schneiders had their armour removed so as to be used for transporting support materiel (in this case a Fabry 150 trench mortar) or to carry a broken down FT."

Nothing more.

CharlieC · Legend

Here's another Schneider CA chassis - this one is fitted with a winch.

Charlie

MooreTanks · Lieutenant-Colonel

Thanks Charlie

James H · Legend

You're welcome. Here's a cleaner print of the Schneider thing. It makes a brief appearance in a 1963 French documentary film called La memoire courte, but I haven't been able to find the film anywhere so far. What's going on in the picture, I have no idea. Is that a railway carriage in the background?

MooreTanks · Lieutenant-Colonel

That is great. It puts it in context with the men standing next to it.

Pzkpfw-e · Commander in Chief

Looks to me like it's involved in demolishing bomb damaged buildings, the winch being used to pull them down.

There's a DVD released in 2005 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0196778/combined

http://www.renechateauvideo.com/dvd-7271-memoire-courte--la-4--44.html

Bingo! Who's Google-fu is strong eh?

argonne64 · Captain

Hello
This might be interesting for you.
www.maquetland.com/upload/phototeque/images/7385/schneider_cd2_montpellier_avant_gauche_cabine.JPG
As far as I know it has been recovered from the scrap yard .
Best regards
Olivier

CharlieC · Legend

The CD has been restored - it was at Retromobile 2017 in Paris. It runs and is driveable.

The winch looks very similar to that on the Schneider CA chassis. I've seen the suggestion this sort of winch was

used for plowing very soft ground.

Charlie

argonne64 · Captain

Hello
The CD was at Berry au Bac last week .
Have a look at the end of the topic : pages14-18.mesdiscussions.net/pages1418/Pages-d-Histoire-Artillerie/Artillerie-Speciale-chars-d-assaut/schneider-cd-sujet_2731_1.htm

Best Regards
Olivier

CharlieC · Legend

The set of images is very useful. I've updated the Schneider CD article on Landships - it will appear when I get ftp access

back (don't know what the problem is). I think the restorer needs a GPF to tow around - there aren't any in France but there

are a fair number in the US just sitting around as memorials.

Regards,

Charlie