Weapons of War - de Bange 90 mm cannon - Jumping Henry's

“No one knew what would happen when they rammed the artillery shot into the rear of the canon, locked it, and pulled the rope hanging from the back, but the challenge was too intriguing to resist.

The explosion was deafening as the cannon jumped nine feet backwards, leaving a big cloud of smoke handing in the air. Within a few minutes, the men got the gun back in the same position to repeat the process, but this time they assigned two observers: one to see where the shell landed and the other to see where the cannon went. The Finns enjoyed their Hyppy Heikki, Jumping Henry, even more when they learned that at least one large-sized Russian truck had been blown to bits.”

A 90 K/77 giving direct fire support during the Kiestinki battles in November 1941. Source: SA Kuva

Background

After the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, the French military decided to look at the reasons for their failure against the armies of the North German Confederation. One of the reasons pointed out by this self assessment was that the Prussian Krupp C64 steel, breech-loading 8cm cannon was vastly superior to their muzzle loading bronzed cannons. Not only did these cannons have a higher rate of fire (3 to 4 rounds per minute compared to the French’s 2), but they also out ranged them by a significant amount (with an effective range of 3.4 km compared to the French’s 1.6 km).

Director of the "Atelier-de-précision" (Paris arsenal's precision workshop), Colonel Charles Ragon de Bange, produced a prototype 90mm breechloading fieldgun based around his De Bange breech obturator system, in 1877 and presented it to the French artillery committee. Only two years previously the French military had adopted the Lahitolle 95 mm cannon as their official field gun, being all steel and breech loading, it was in line with the requirements of the French artillery. However, it was inferior to de Bange’s prototype in weight, rate of fire and range and so the military decided that it was to replace Lieutenant Colonel Henry Périer de Lahitolle’s gun.

A de Bange 90mm as part of Oulu barrack's momument. The black bit at the end of the barrel is a reinforcement that is common on French guns of the era. Source: Personal collection

The de Bange 90 mm cannon (Mle 1877) started to replace all other Field Guns in the French artillery and saw service in France’s overseas conflicts. However, it suffered from one fatal flaw that almost all guns of this era did, it had no recoil mechanism and as such it needed to be re-laid after every single shot, causing a loss in fire time. De Bange’s era of French artillery dominance ended on the 28th March 1898 when the Matériel de 75mm Mle 1897 was adopted for service. As the 75 was coming to artillery units, the De Bange 90mm was put in storage for emergencies that France hoped would never come.

The breech of the 90 K/77. Notice the hand crack on the carriage, this is for elevation adjustment. Source: Personal collection 

When France went to war again in August of 1914, it did so in a much better position than it did during the War of 1870. However by the end of the Battle of the Marne in early September, the French losses in material were of such devastation that those old artillery guns in storage had to be hastily cleaned up and deployed. By the end of 1914, around 100 batteries, mainly fortress artillery and other defensive units, were formed. As more and more modern guns were constructed, these old reliables were put back into storage but at almost 4,000 built and there usefulness, they still saw themselves in French reserves when war broke out again in 1939. 

Close up of the markings on the breech. Source: Personal collection

Finnish Service

When the Soviet Union crossed the Finnish border on the morning of the 30^th November 1939, the Finnish Artillery corps had only had 700 gun of various types, calibers and age. Against the initial invading Soviet force of 4 Army groups (23 Divisions) with around 2,800 artillery guns of various types, the Finns were hopelessly outclassed and scrambled to beg, borrow and buy anything that anyone would offer.

France had been a big initial supplier of the Finnish military during its opening days, providing Renault FT Tanks, military advisers and other military equipment during those early, turbulent times of Finland’s independence. As the Soviet troops took Finland land, Finnish diplomats turned to their French counterparts in order to see what France could offer in regards to support. France was reluctant to part with their more modern equipment, for they had only declared war upon Nazi Germany two months prior and was in the midst of mobilizing its military. However, they had vast stores of older, pre 20^th and turn of the century material, including the Mle 1877. France agreed to donate 100 of these old 90mm pieces, with 10,000 shots, but now stumbled across the issue of how to transport them to Finland.

As France and Nazi Germany were at war, the fastest route of overland to a Baltic port and shipped to southern Finland was not an option, also the Danish straits were now closed off due to mines from both Denmark and Germany and even if that wasn’t an issue, French shipping would be very vulnerable of attack by German shore and naval units. The only viable option left was the long ponderous journey to Narvik in Norway, from there the guns would be loaded onto trains and taken through Norway and Sweden to Finnish border of Haparanda/Tornio. Here the trains were unloaded and reloaded to Finnish trains due to a difference in the rail gauge and then they would be taken to depots for checking and distribution. Because of the circuitous route the majority of these much needed guns failed to arrive in time. However between 24 and 34 (the numbers vary according to sources) of the de Bange 90 mm cannon (Mle 1877), now redesignated 90 K/77, were issued to training and reservist artillery units before the armistice of the 13^th March 1940 came into affect.

Finnish artillerymen discussing the next target. Taken on the Finnish-Soviet border area of Virolahti , unknown date. Source: SA Kuva

Despite some seeing deployment on the Karelian Isthmus, one major issue prevented their full usage. The guns arrived stripped bare of many of the accompaniments an artillery guns needs in order to be fully utilized. The lack of any goniometers or clinometers meant that the standing orders were that the guns were for direct fire only but some enterprising tykkimiehet (artillery men) worked out how to use their military compasses to at least give some degree of accurate indirect fire support in those fateful final days of the Winter War.

As the war ended, many of these guns were still in transit to Finland but the French did not recall these gifts but some were still at various stages of transport when the Germans invaded Norway on the 9th of April 1940. However, the Germans allowed the rest of France’s military material to arrive in Finland during the Summer months of 1940, after negotiations with both Sweden and Finland.

With the Peace treaty with the Soviet Union, Finland had a new border, one that was longer and had less natural defences and so the Finland’s Commander-in-Chief Marshal Mannerheim ordered the construction of a new defence line stretching from Petsamo on the coast of the Barents Sea to the Gulf of Finland, near the new border. This defensive fortification, named Suomen Salpa (or more commonly Salpalinja), needed forces to man in and so the Suomen linnoitustykistö (Finnish Fortress Artillery) was formed. This new corps was part of the Artillery corps and similar to the Coastal Artillery (indeed some Coastal Artillery units were remade Fortress Artillery batteries). Ten Linnoituspatteristo (Fortress Artillery Battalions) were equipped with the 90 K/77 (No. 4, 5,6, Niemi, Maaselkä Fortress Artillery Battalion 1 & 2, River Syväri Fortress Artillery Battalion 1,2,3 & 4), the static nature of the line meant that the guns were able to be used more effectively.

A 90 K/77 braced on a ramp to help it return to its original position after firing, easing the laying process. This photo was taken during the static warfare around the Soviet base at Hanko in September 1941. Source: SA Kuva

When Finland marched once again to war in the end of June 1941, because of the quick offensive and Soviet retreat, older guns like the 90 K/77 were left behind. When the Finns settled to a defensive posture in December 1941 and a 3 year period, known as the Trench War, came into being, several 90 K/77s were brought up to the defensive lines at Syväri and Maaselkä. Here, these guns, alongside others, would be used to help support the troops in holding back the Soviet forces. When the tides turned in favour of the Soviets afters the German failures in Stalingrad and Kursk, it was only a matter of time before Soviet forces launched an offensive against the Finns in Eastern Karelia. In June 1944, the Soviets launched their Summer Offensive against the Finns using overwhelming numbers. The sheer numbers of Soviet men and equipment pushed the Finns back towards the 1940 border day after day, in this retreat many hundreds of pieces of Finnish equipment were left behind through lack of transport or just through the lack of ability to holdout long enough. The 90 K/77s of the River Syväri Fortress Artillery Battalions came into action during the offensive on the U-line on the 21^st June and after firing hundreds of shots the order was given for them to pull back. Unfortunately, 8 of the guns had to be abandoned due to various reasons. This would be the last shots of the 90 K/77.

There service still wasn’t over though. A number of these guns had been fitted to special fixed emplacements to serve better as fortification or coastal weapons. These saw some modifications to better suit them to this role and eventually 15 or 17 guns of the newly designated 90/25-BW guns were serving in the Finnish military until being retired in 1964. 

One of the handful of 90mm modifications to a fixed fortification gun. Notice the addition of the muzzle break. Source: Sa Kuva 

With an almost 100 year service life, the de Bange 90 mm cannon was certainly an interesting weapon. Born out of the necessity by a loosing state, it fought in the War to end all Wars, and through necessity it was used by another loosing (albeit brave and hardy) state to best of their ability to fight off a vastly superior enemy.

Sources

Itsenäisen Suomen Kenttätykit 1918 - 1995, Jyri Paulaharju (Sotamuseo, 1996)
jaegerplatoon.net
The Winter War, Eloise Engle & Lauri Paananen (Stackpole Books, 1992)
SA Kuva