A battery of Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider (abbreviated as C17S) sit at rest on the range, likely during a training exercise. That this is likely the case is that if at the front, such an exposed and tightly packed position would spell disaster if located by the enemy and counter-battery fire brought to bear. In addition, there appears to be a wooden rectangular area which each cannon is sitting within. Finally, having the limbers right up with the guns was something not often done when in combat. The crews seem to be gathered near the second to last gun, perhaps getting instruction or taking a break from firing practice.
The 155mm caliber C17S was a development of the earlier Canon de 155 C modèle 1915 Schneider (C15S) with the only difference being the breech of the C17S was changed to use bagged propellant rather than a cased shell as used in the C15S. Schneider-Creusot developed the C17S starting in 1915 and the change in the breech was actually done for cost savings as it was cheaper to use bagged charges with the round instead of a cased round which contained both the round and the propellant. Production began in 1916 with the first examples reaching French artillery troops in 1917. Schneider-Creusot continued to build the gun into 1918. Over 3,000 examples were built, including C15S models being converted to C17S standards. In addition to equipping the French, the C17S was used by the U.S. (as the M1917/M1918), Portugal, Russia, Belgium, and Italy during World War One.
By the start of World War Two, some 2,040 examples of the C17S were still in French service. Prior to the war, the U.S., due to the delay in the 155mm M1 howitzer reaching troops, modernized the stocks of M1917 and M1918 which were still in service by adding air-brakes, using metal wheels, and putting rubber tyres on the wheels. These weapons went to war with U.S. artillery forces until the M1 finally began replacing them in 1942. Surplus M1917/1918 were sent to Britain under the Lend-Lease program. The Russians purchased the gun prior to World War Two but also captured a number of them from Poland. It is believed the Russians re-barreled the cannons to fire 152mm rounds. The Germans, after defeating the French, came into a large number of captured C17S guns and put them into service as the 15.5cm sFH 414(f). These guns remained in France, being used by second-line troops as well as being emplaced along the Atlantic Wall. Captured Russian guns were given the German designation 15.2cm sFH 449(r). Poland had been another heavy user of the 155mm Haubica wz. 1917 prior to the war with 340 in service. Many of these also fell into German hands who used them under the designation 15.5cm sFH 17(p). Italy was another user, having obtained 8 during the Battle of the Alps (which ran from June 10 through June 25, 1940 as part of the invasion of France) and another 96 from the Greeks. In Italian service, they were designated the Obice da 155/14 PB but once Italy surrendered in 1943 and the Germans seized Italian military equipment, the howitzers were given a new name, the 15.5cm sFH 414(i). Yugoslavia had 36 C17S guns in service and Belgium had 134 C17S guns available at the outbreak of World War Two. When the Germans invaded both countries and captured the howitzers, they were designated 15.5cm H 427(j) and 15.5cm sFH 413(b) respectively. Thus, the Germans had some six different designations for what was basically the same gun. Other countries not mentioned that used the C17S were Finland, Argentina, Bolivia, the Philippines, Romania, and Spain.
A testament to the soundness of the design is that Finland and Argentina used the guns into the 1980s while Bolivia received enough of the guns from Argentina to equip two artillery regiments who still use a modernized version of the gun to this day.
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