Light Field Gun 75mm M1897A7 with Caisson - Little Falls, MN - Military Ground Equipment Displays on Waymarking.com

Light field gun located on the grounds of Camp Ripley, near Little Falls, MN. This display is just part of the many many pieces of equipment on display outside of the Minnesota Military Museum. The museum has aircraft, tanks, weapons and more in their outdoor area. Inside are many displays of uniforms, artifacts, weapons and more covering all of the U.S. military history.

The information sign reads:

Light Field Gun, 75mm (M1897A7) with Caisson

This is actually the famous "French 75" with U.S. nomenclature. Designed in 1897 by the French, it was used widely by Allied forces in World War I. A weapon of unique mobility and accuracy, it could spit out 15-20 rounds per minute. Firing was by a spring hammer operated with a lanyard. It fired either a 16 pound shrapnel shell or a 12 pound high-explosive steel shell. Its large wooden wheels were replaced with pneumatic tires in the 1930s. Displayed also is the M1903 Caisson, which held up to 72 pounds of ammunition.

The 151st Field Artillery, the Minnesota National Guard, used this weapon with the 42nd "Rainbow" Division during World War I. At Chateau-Thierry, in a fiercely fought eight-day battle, the regiment fired a record 54,709 rounds with its French 75s. The gun displayed here served as Camp Ripley's salute cannon for more than 40 years, marking the raising and lowering of the flag each day during summer field training.

Data: Caliber 75mm; Lenght, 8.12 ft tube; Weight, 2,513 lbs; Range, 7.6 miles maximum (5.5 miles with the common 12 lb shell

Location restrictions: Outdoors at the Minnesota Military Museum on the grounds of Camp Ripley.

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