Sgt_Miller
ACCESS: Restricted
- Joined
- 17 November 2019
- Messages
- 47
- Reaction score
- 61
As we all may know, the French were developing land-based heavy AA guns in the 1920s and 30s to counter the next-generation bombers of that time. They designed and tinkered a lot with 75 mm guns, then decided to up-gun it to 90 mm caliber. The 90 mm gun, or known as the Canon de 90 mm Modèle 1926 was originally a ship-based dual-purpose gun that was adapted for land use. For all the records, the production of the gun was abysmal with only seventeen examples available and one modified with Modèle 1939 mounting by September 1939, according to Ian V. Hogg. After the armistice, the Germans used them and redesignated them as 9 cm Flak M39 (f), which some photos of them repositioned to the Atlantic Wall can be found.
While that is generally known, a guy in this forum made an intriguing comment on French heavy AA guns. He said that a 130 mm AA gun was planned by the French but ultimately never saw the light of day. A bit of reading reveals that the gun he referred to was the ship-based dual-purpose Canon de 130 mm Modèle 1932. Considering the case of the 90 mm gun, the idea doesn't sound too weird. By the mid to late-1930s, other countries such as Britain and German were also developing heavy AA guns of above 90 mm, such as the 4.5-inch QF Mk.II (113 mm) which was also adapted from a naval gun by the same name. The larger naval 5.25-inch QF gun (133 mm) was adapted later during the war.
I was trying to get more information about this 130 mm AA gun plan, but so far I found nothing to back up the comment. I wonder if the Canon de 100 mm Modèle 1930 was also considered to be adapted for land use, albeit technically it won't give many advantages over the 90 mm gun.
While that is generally known, a guy in this forum made an intriguing comment on French heavy AA guns. He said that a 130 mm AA gun was planned by the French but ultimately never saw the light of day. A bit of reading reveals that the gun he referred to was the ship-based dual-purpose Canon de 130 mm Modèle 1932. Considering the case of the 90 mm gun, the idea doesn't sound too weird. By the mid to late-1930s, other countries such as Britain and German were also developing heavy AA guns of above 90 mm, such as the 4.5-inch QF Mk.II (113 mm) which was also adapted from a naval gun by the same name. The larger naval 5.25-inch QF gun (133 mm) was adapted later during the war.
I was trying to get more information about this 130 mm AA gun plan, but so far I found nothing to back up the comment. I wonder if the Canon de 100 mm Modèle 1930 was also considered to be adapted for land use, albeit technically it won't give many advantages over the 90 mm gun.
