The Canon d'Infanterie de 37 Modèle 1916 TRP (standing for Tir Rapide, Puteaux; fast firing [made by] Puteaux), whose name was shortened to 37mm mle.1916, was a weapon whose purpose was to bring under direct fire hardened emplacements, such as machine gun “nests” and other hard points so as to facilitate assaults against enemy lines. As it was to be hauled into action by the crew, the mle.1916 was small and four men could carry the gun once broken down. In action, only two men were needed to operate it. A well trained crew could fire up to 35 rounds per minute. Entering service in 1916 with the French army, the gun was accepted into service with the U.S. military as the 37mm M1916.
The M1916 was not well liked and it was felt that mortars were better able (and in a way, more safely able) to bring enemy strongpoints under fire. Nevertheless, the M1916 remained in U.S. service for many years after the end of World War One, typically in a training role. This photograph depicts U.S. Marine soldiers “training” with the M1916. Given the Marine in the background is relaxing and reading a newspaper, this photograph was most likely staged rather than showing actual range training.
By 1941, the M1916 was either in storage or repurposed but during the Philippines Campaign (1941-1942), the M1916 was brought out in order to plug shortfalls in equipment. France still had the mle.1916 in service by 1940, using it to fill out anti-tank units still waiting for the more potent Canon de 25mm Semi-Automatique Modèle 1934 anti-tank gun. Enough mle.1916 guns remained that the Germans put captured examples into service as the 3.7 cm IG 152(f). The Japanese thought enough of the gun to obtain a license from the French to build it as the Type 11, putting it into service in 1922. The Type 11, despite being obsolete, would remain in service with the Japanese until the close of the war in 1945.
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