Prior to its involvement in the war, the
United States sent a team of observers to
the Western Front in order to undertake a six
week-long tour. It became apparent to one of
the attendees, who reported back to Newton
Baker the secretary of war that air power would
become a critical component of any American
Expeditionary Force (AEF) and accordingly so
would AA defence.
The fi rst American troops landed in France
in June 1917. Among them were a handful
of offi cers and men who would go on to
form the AA Artillery Service. Their fi rst task
was to establish a headquarters which they
conveniently placed next to the French AA
school at Arnouville-les-Gonesse.
At this school they received instruction on
French AA artillery methods and equipment.
Graduates from the school went on to gain fi rst-
hand experience with French artillery batteries
while new recruits arrived who had received
some initial training within the United States.
As there was no suitable AA artillery available
from the United States, the fi rst gun used by
the AEF would be the French Soixante-Quinze
75mm gun. This gun had been developed back
in 1897 by the renowned armaments companyof Schneider but was updated for an AA role by
fi tting them to either a two-wheeled trailer or to
a two-ton De Dion-Bouton truck.
The trailer-mounted version had three
outriggers for stability, but this was
cumbersome and took time to set up. In
comparison, the De Dion Bouton was an
engineering masterpiece.
Designed in 1913, it was fi tted with a powerful
60hp V8 engine. From the radiator to the scuttle
it was protected by armour plate while the rear
of the chassis carried a revolving platform on
which the gun was mounted. In order to allow
for the platform to rotate fully, the steering
column folded down to one side.
Three crew members would sit with the
gun on the platform while the rest of the
crew would work on the ground. The gun
had a rate of fi re of 12 rounds per minute,
so the primary task of the crew was to
bring ammunition to feed the gun from a
supporting De Dion Auto Caisson.
This truck was the GO model, but
instead of carrying a gun it was fi tted
with four ammunition lockers (which held
a total of 180 rounds of ammunition);
additional lockers for fuse setting and
ranging equipment as well as seats for
transporting the reminder of the gun
crew.
While the American crews were
receiving training in France the design
and construction of suitable AA guns
in the United States was progressing
slowly. It was only intended that the
French guns were to be supplied on
short-term loan until the American-built
replacements arrived, but as the war
progressed it seemed less likely that
any of the American AA guns would
arrive in France before the war ended.
The AEF desperate for AA guns
asked the French to supply them with
42 of their 75mm guns. Due to their
complexity and slow build rate only
196 of the De Dion-Bouton gun trucks‘When it came to
the manufacture
of AA artillery
the US Ordnance
Department really
had provided too
little, too late’
gun on the platform while the rest of the
crew would work on the ground. The gun
had a rate of fi re of 12 rounds per minute,
so the primary task of the crew was to
bring ammunition to feed the gun from a
supporting De Dion Auto Caisson.instead of carrying a gun it was fi tted
with four ammunition lockers (which held
a total of 180 rounds of ammunition);
additional lockers for fuse setting and
ranging equipment as well as seats for
transporting the reminder of the gun
crew.receiving training in France the designin 1897 by the renowned armaments companyDesigned by the renowned
Walter Christie this front
wheel drive gun carriage
had a top speed of 12mph
LEFT: The steering wheel of the De Dion-Bouton folds
down to allow the gun a full 360 degree traverse
BELOW: The De Dion-Bouton gun trucks were
brought back into service in 1939. This one has
been captured by some bemused looking Germans