The eternal suffering of the infantryman continued, made worse by the development of the machine gun.

In 1915, the French Army developed a comparatively lightweight 37mm gun for infantry use.

Ready in early 1916, the French Model of 1916 was a 104-lb.

us 37mm infantry gun in argonne mist

U.S. troops in action in the Argonne forest with an M1916 37mm gun. The desolate landscape shows scars from of years of war. Image: NARA

gun and recoil mechanism that was mounted on an 84-lb.

carriage with split trail legs.

The M1916 37mm gun was specifically assigned to destroy German machine gun nests and other high-value positions.

french 37mm puteaux 2

The French modèle 1916 37mm infantry gun used in training during World War I. Image: NARA

Used in the M1916, the U.S. Mark II high explosive shell delivered a 1.5-lb.

shell using a bursting charge of 27 grams of TNT.

The effective range of the M1916 gun and its 37x94mm R ammunition was about 1,600 yards.

37mm gun 1 pounder with shield

U.S. troops training with M1916 37mm gun. This weapon was also referred to as the “One-Pounder” and was often equipped with a light armored shield. Image: NARA

Almost the Answer?

As World War I progressed, various mortar designs became the primary infantry support weapon.

France gave 144 FT-17s to the U.S. Army during 1918, and these equipped two U.S. tank battalions.

37mm gun 108th infantry regiment 1 pound cannon platoon abeele belgium 8-20-18

Men of the U.S. 108th Infantry Regiment with a M1916 37mm gun. The gunner looks through the APX telescopic sight. The ammunition boxes carry 16 rounds each. Image: NARA

The U.S. made a copy of the FT-17 tank, called the M1917.

The French continued to use the M1916 37mm gun in their infantry tanks.

Conclusion

After WWI, the American M1916 37mm guns began to disappear.

us 37mm carriage 3

The crew could manhandle the M1916 while it was mounted on its carriage. Image: NARA

Some were mounted as sub-caliber training devices on larger artillery weapons.

A small amount of 37mm guns were used during the defense of the Philippines in late 1941.

It was truly a bunker buster well ahead of its time.

37mm 88th division goundrecourt 1918

Direct fire with the M1916 while it is still aboard the carriage. The loader lays across the trail legs to help keep the gun on target. Image: NARA

ft-17 327th tank battalion varennes meuse

America’s first tank used was the French FT-17. A cannon-armed FT-17 of the 327th Tank Battalion is shown here at Varennes, France on October 1, 1918. Image: NARA

us 37mm gun

The M1916 had a uniquely low profile and was often used to attack hardened targets like MG nests and pillboxes. Image: NARA

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