"pieces contre tanks" or "Le 75 contre tanks 'Nestor' "

[bob lembke]

Dear Friends;

I am reading the history of 330e Regiment d'Infanterie, which is very good, by the way, and at one point (pp. 34-35) it mentions "pieces contre tanks" and a particular gun, with a name: "Le 75 contre tanks 'Nestor' ". I of course can read the French words, but I (not an expert on the French Army) had not heard of these. The French and English, of course, had much less of a threat from tanks than the Germans did.

The Germans had many specialized "Infantry Gun Batteries" (Infanterie=Geschuetz=Batterien), and many regular batteries of 77 mm field guns from regular artillery regiments were assigned to infantry regiments, usually one or two per regiment. They were often called "accompaning artillery". These guns were usually regular 77 mm field pieces were used, sometimes modified guns, and sometimes other guns, even modified Russian fortress guns.

Can I assume that this was a similar development? I had not heard of this before on the French side. The Germans probably had well over a hundred batteries doing this in 1918. The Germans, although they had much more trouble from Allied tanks, also found these useful for direct fire on infantry, and my father described this to me as he observed it at Verdun.

Any comments?

Bob Lembke

[mireille salvini]

Hello Bob,

your question is rather "pointed ", I am going to transmit it to our specialists in artillery on the forum artillery;
Bernard Plumier,the moderator,could help you,he's a very good specialist,and he speak english fluently.

be patient, answers will be soon there, I'm sure.

best regards
Mireille

[ALVF]

Hello,

Please, read the answer on title "Artillerie".

Yours sincerely, Guy.

[Bernard Plumier]

Hi,

tell me if you need any help for translating the excellent answer of 'ALVF' in English

Friendly

Bernard

[Tanker]

Bonjour Bob

I have prepared an other answer (in french) behind ALVF's answer but I send you first some informations.
When the French Head Quarter received, in summer 1917, the first Intelligence's informations about German tanks plan, the French Army decided to prepare an answer to this futur threat. The French Head Quarter wellknown what he prepared and thunk that it was so important also in Germany.
They decided first to specialize some 75 mm teams inside the Artillery's Regiments of the Infantry Divisions and to place also, in these same Regiments some 37 mm Bethelem's guns. The commander of ID's artillery was in charge to place this gun in case of tanks attack.
The 75 mm gun called "Nestor" was probably one of these guns. It was not a gun of the infantry Regiment but a gun of the Divisional artillery near the Infantry's Regiment position.

When the first German A7V, Elfreide, was pick up, by SRR 101, the french Army shot with 37 mm on the tank and decided to retired this gun of the antitank mission . . . . . This caliber don't pierced the german armor.

The 37 mm gun was retired and an Army level unit was created with 75 mm antitank Batteries of the 176° Artillery Regiment.
Each French Army received some 75 mm antitank Batteries coming from this Regiment.

Michel

[bob lembke]

Michel;

Thanks for the very imformative reply. I gather that the focus was actually anti-tank and not as an infantry gun.

Bob Lembke