Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider The Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider , often abbreviated as the " C17S " , was a French howitzer designed by Schneider . It was essentially the " Canon de 155 C modèle 1915 Schneider " fitted with a different breech to use bagged propellant rather than the cartridge cases used by the older howitzer . It was used by France , Italy , Russian Empire , Belgium and the United States from 1917 during World War I and was widely exported after the war . Surviving weapons were in service with France , Poland , Greece , Italy , Belgium , the United States and Finland during World War II . Captured weapons were used by the Germans for their 2nd - line artillery and coast defense units . Development and description . Canon de 155 C modèle 1915 Schneider . The " Canon de 155 C modèle 1915 " was based on Schneider ' s howitzer that had been sold to the Russian Empire in 1910 . Schneider had modified that howitzer ' s carriage for use with their long - range " Canon de 105 mle 1913 Schneider " gun so it was relatively simple to mount a new , longer barrel on the carriage and recoil system of the gun . Production began in 1915 . The " Mle 1915 " was a conventional design with a hydro - pneumatic recoil system mounted under the barrel , a gun shield to protect the crew and a box carriage with wooden wheels . It used an interrupted - screw breech with separate - loading ammunition ; the shell being loaded first followed by the proper amount of propellant in a brass cartridge case . A loading tray was hinged to the left side of the cradle . It was swung into position after the breech had opened to hold the shell before it was pushed into the chamber , which had a catch to hold the shell in place until it could be rammed , but had to be moved out of the way before the breech could be closed for firing . It could be towed by a team of eight horses if a two - wheeled limber was placed under the trail and the barrel pulled back along the trail to move the center of gravity towards the limber . For ( slow ) motor - traction no limber was necessary and the trail was hooked directly to the tractor . The longer barrel and higher muzzle velocity gave the " Mle 1915 " an extra of range at the high cost of over of extra weight over the M1910 Schneider sold to Russia . Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider . The French Army preferred bag charges for its ammunition because the brass cartridge cases used by the " Mle 1915 " were expensive to produce , both in money and in the amount of brass required . This became a real problem during the war given the vast number of shells expended and Schneider was asked to redesign the gun to use a deBange obdurator and allow it to use bagged powder . Schneider agreed and adapted the breech of the " Canon de 155mm GPF " to fit the barrel of the " Mle 1915 " , but this took quite a bit of time due to the press of existing work and the new " Mle 1917 " howitzer didn ' t enter service until late 1916 . The main difference between the " Mle 1915 " and " 1917 " was in the breech . Many guns had their loading trays removed because it slowed down the rate of fire ; a portable shell tray was used instead by the loaders . Some three thousand were built . Additionally , many of the " Mle 1915 " s were refitted with the new breech . Operators and service . France . During World War I it became the standard heavy howitzer of the French Army during the later stages of the war . 2043 were still in service with France in 1939 . The Germans designated guns that fell into their hands as the " 15 . 5 cm sFH 414 ( f ) " . United States . The United States adopted the " Mle 1917 " as the 155 mm Howitzer Carriage , Model of 1917 ( Schneider ) . The Model 1918 built in the US differed somewhat from French models , with a straight rather than curved shield , rubber rather than steel tyres on wheels , a pivoting spade and a slightly different firing mechanism . US units were in action in France in 1918 with French - built guns . The first US regiment equipped with US - made guns was about to embark for France when World War I ended . Both the M1917 and M1918 howitzers were upgraded with air brakes , new metal wheels and pneumatic tires during the interwar period and remained the standard American heavy howitzers until superseded by the M1 howitzer beginning in late 1942 . They saw combat with both U . S . Army and Marine artillery units throughout World War II . Imperial Russia . Some were sold to Russia during the war , but nothing is known of numbers or their use . Apparently the Soviets rebarreled surviving howitzers to use their standard 152 mm cased ammunition , but none seem to be on hand on 22 June 1941 at the start of Operation Barbarossa although the Germans captured some and gave them the designation of " 15 . 5 cm sFH 449 ( r ) " . Finland . Schneider sold four " C15S " and eight " C17S " howitzers to Finland during the 1920s , known in Finland as the " 152 H / 15 " and " 152 H / 17 " . These were rebarreled in Finland ' s standard 152 mm although they retained their original breeches , which meant that the " H / 15 " used Russian - style cartridge cases and the " H / 17 " used bagged powder . The " H / 15 " had steel - rimmed wooden wheels that were suitable only for horse - traction , but these were later replaced by wheels with sponge rubber tires more suitable for motor traction . They were used for training during peacetime . During the Winter War the " H / 15s " served with the " 3rd Separate Heavy Artillery Battery " while the " H / 17s " were assigned to " Heavy Artillery Battalion 3 " . During the Continuation War they saw combat with " Heavy Artillery Battalions 24 " and " 25 " as well as " Field Artillery Regiment 3 " . They were retired after the end of World War II . Germany sold a total of 166 captured howitzers to Finland , the first batch of 15 arriving in October 1940 and 147 arriving over the course of 1941 . The last four arrived in 1944 . They were heavily used during the Continuation War , serving with five heavy artillery battalions and eight field artillery battalions . Only 14 were lost to the Soviets in 1944 . The remaining howitzers were used for live - fire training and warehoused for future use . New twin pneumatic wheels were fitted during the 1960s , and the guns were retained through the 1980s for live - fire training . Poland . Poland acquired some " C17S " from France after the end of World War I and bought a license as well . They designated it as the " Haubica 155mm wz . 1917 " . Some 340 were in service in September 1939 when the Germans invaded . Each of 39 Polish active infantry divisions had a horse - drawn heavy artillery battalion with three 155 mm howitzers and three 105 mm guns ( they were absent in reserve divisions ) . There were also twelve heavy artillery battalions of C - in - C reserve , each with twelve howitzers . The rest were in reserve . Captured Polish howitzers were taken into German service as the " 15 . 5 cm sFH 17 ( p ) " . Argentina . The Argentine Army used two variants of this gun , locally called " Obús Schneider L . 15 . 05 modelo 1928calibre 155 mm " and " Obús Schneider L . 30 . 05 modelo 1928 calibre 155 mm " . Some of them were still used for training in the 1980s at the Colegio Militar de la Nación . Some were donated to neighnouring countries . Australia . 18 American guns were issued to the 2 / 1st Field Regiment , Royal Australian Artillery in the Middle East during December 1941 . All were brought back to Australia when the regiment returned in 1942 . Three guns are believed to be in various displays and memorials . Belgium . Belgium received some howitzers from France during World War I , but quantities are unknown . Weapons captured after Belgium ' s surrender in 1940 received the designation of " 15 . 5 cm sFH 413 ( b ) " by the Germans . Bolivia . The Bolivian Army received in 1976 a donation of 16 howitzers from the Argentine Army . Corresponding to both models used in Argentina and known as " Obús Schneider L . 15 . 05 modelo 1928calibre 155 mm " and " Obús Schneider L . 30 . 05 modelo 1928 calibre 155 mm " . The shipment Consisted of 2 batteries ( each with 4 pieces ) from each model . The guns are still in service in the artillery regiments ReA - 2 " BOLÍVAR " ( 1st MECHANIZED BRIGADE ) and RA - 3 " PISAGUA " ( 3rd ARMY DIVISION ) . Greece . Greece had a total of 96 howitzers when the Greco - Italian War began in October 1940 . They were assigned to the corps - level heavy artillery battalions . Italy seized them after Greece surrendered in May 1941 . Yugoslavia . Thirty - six " C17S ' s " were in Yugoslav service by the 1920s although it is unclear whether these were weapons furnished to Serbia during World War I or bought by Yugoslavia during the 1920s . Italy . Italy captured 8 during the Battle of France and 96 from Greece during the Balkan Campaign and placed them into service as the " Obice da 155 / 14 PB " . Howitzer seized by Germany after Italy ' s surrender in 1943 were placed into service as the " 15 . 5 cm sFH 414 ( i ) " . Germany . Exactly how many howitzers were captured by Germany in the early years of World War II is not known , but Germany sold a number to Finland , reinforced the Atlantic Wall with 100 and equipped second - line infantry and static divisions based in France such as the 331st , 709th , 711th , and the 716th . Spain . The first guns were procured in France in 1917 , the weapon being declared standard for Army use in November 1922 , although their first military use was in Africa in 1921 during the assault at Turiet Hamed . The gun was also built under license at Trubia and were used by the Regimientos de Artillería Pesados ( Heavy Artillery Regiments ) . One was captured by revolutionaries in the Trubia factory during the Asturian miners ' strike of 1934 , although it was ineffective due to the lack of fuzing for their shells ; the gun was damaged when a dynamite cartridge bundle used as substitute for fuzeless shells exploded inside . The gun was heavily used during the Spanish Civil War by both sides . During the SCW and World War II some guns were used as coastal defence weapons to try improve Spanish coastal defences as nothing more suitable was available . It remained in service until the 1950s when they were replaced by more modern equipment . There are many surviving pieces , of Spanish and French construction , in museums and as monuments around Spain .