Canon de 164 mm Modèle 1893 The Canon de 164 mm Modèle 1893 was a medium - caliber naval gun used as the secondary armament of a number of French pre - dreadnoughts and armoured cruisers during World War I . It was used as railway artillery in both World Wars and as coastal artillery in World War II . Description . The 45 caliber Canon de 164 mm Modèle 1893 gun was a typical built - up French heavy gun of its period . It used a Welin interrrupted - screw breech and bagged propellant with a de Bange obdurator to get a good gas seal during firing . It was replaced by the Mle 1893 / 96 gun which used a plastic seal for the obdurator , differed in the construction of the gun , had a slightly longer barrel of 46 . 6 calibers and the newer gun was able to fire a new HE shell further than that used by the older gun . Naval mounts . The Mle 1893 and 1893 / 96 guns were mounted in casemate d pivot mounts with the ability to depress to - 10° and elevate to + 25° . The guns fired shells at a muzzle velocity of to a maximum range of . The guns were also installed in single and twin - gun turrets , although data for the turrets is unavailable . The guns were mounted on the armoured cruisers " Ernest Renan " , " Jules Michelet " , " Gloire " , " Suffren " and the cruiser " Brennus " . The casemate version was mounted on the " Ernest Renan " , " Jules Michelet " , " République " , " Léon Gambetta " , " Gloire " , " Suffren " , " Gueydon " , " Iéna " , " Brennus " and " Dupuy de Lôme " . The twin turret version was used on " République " , " Léon Gambetta " and " Dupleix " . Railroad gun . The French placed a number of spare Mle 1893 guns on four - axle railroad carriages in 1915 to use as mobile heavy artillery . The mount with its gun weighed and was long . It could traverse a full 360° if its outriggers , two per side , were deployed . Photographic evidence shows that some mounts had built - up cargo compartments at both ends of the mount , which limited the gun ' s firing arc to approximately 90° on each side . It had a circular platform for the crew that had to be folded up for travel . Some guns were fitted with gun shield s . It shared its railroad carriage with the 164 mm Mle 1893 / 96 M and the Canon de 194 mm 1870 / 93 . The gun could elevate to a maximum of 36° , but the minimum firing angle was 10° . It could fire a high - explosive shell at a velocity of to a range of or a armour - piercing shell at a velocity of to a range of . A number of Mle 1893 / 96 M guns were fitted to the same railroad carriage as the older model in 1917 , although it only weighed . The gun could elevate between + 3° and 40° , but retained the same minimum firing elevation of 10° . It could use the same ammunition as the older guns , but could also fire a new high - explosive shell fitted with a ballistic cap at a velocity of to a range of . Eight of these railroad guns remained in French service after the end of World War I and at least four were captured by the Germans and given the designation " 16 cm Kanone ( E . ) 453 ( f ) " although what use was made of them , if any , is unknown . Coastal gun . The Germans used 32 of the Mle 1893 / 96 in coast defence batteries in France as the " KM 93 / 96 ( f ) " , as well as 18 of the " Mle 1893 " with the designation of SKL / 45 ( f ) , although it is unknown how many , if any , were simply taken over from existing French coast defence positions or were newly emplaced by them .