The M1916 37mm gun was developed by the French and used primarily by French and American forces in WWI for destroying machine gun emplacements. It was fairly good at this under fluid, mobile conditions, but inferior to mortars for static trench warfare. It was still in limited service by World War II, but generally relegated to training and use as a sub-caliber addition for larger guns.
Ammunition was of two types initially, a 1-pound solid steel shell and a high explosive round. The solid round was found to be largely ineffective, and replaced with a bursting shell of cast iron and filled with black powder. Mounting for the gun was either a fixed tripod or wheeled carriage.
Mechanically, the M1916 used a rotating breechblock and hydraulic recoil absorber coupled with a spring recuperator. In addition to use as an infantry gun, the M1916 was also mounted in the early US M1917 Renault tank.
Manuals
Vintage Photos
(download this gallery in high resolution)
I have a shell for the 37-85 PDPs. It has the numbers 256 and 1.18 stamped on it any idea what they mean?
I believe the PDP stands for the factory, “Pouderies de Paris”, and 37-85 means 37mm model of 1885. The 1.18 is the manufacture date, January 1918. I don’t know what the 256 signifies.
I have a 37mm round I found with markings that read E.M. 37mm M55A1-R.L.B I am wondering what these mean the shell is dated 1942
I believe that is a dummy training round form an M4 37mm cannon, which would have been mounted in a P39 Airacobra.