Within time, however, the modele 1897 was simple not up to the task of greater damage at longer ranges. Prior to the war, French authorities were not keen on advancing their stable of artillery systems beyond their vast supply of modest 75mm arms. The war showcased a definite need for artillery systems of larger caliber - particularly 105mm and 155mm forms - to fill the limitations of the 75mm-minded weapons. It was not until 1917 that the French Army was finally able to reinforced the lines with 155mm Schneider howitzers and 155mm GPF series cannons. To that end, the modele 1897 was still fielded through to the end of the war and used in the inventories of several other armies in the conflict. It also formed the main gun armament of the rather cumbersome St Chamond tank.
During the years following the war and into the 1920s and 1930s, the modele 1897 still made up a large part of the French artillery inventory. Throughout the 1930s, Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany, ultimately reaching the position of High Chancellor and build an army to suit his needs. World War inevitably reached France once again and its unprepared military was thrown into the fray, and this included approximately 4,500 surviving examples of modele 1897 cannons.
Prior to World War 2, however, the modele 1897 was modified in several ways. Armor-piercing rounds were introduced in 1933 to produce the Canon de 75 mle 1897/33 mark. This version also brought forth use of a split trail carriage which allowed it to be towed by mechanized vehicle. Rubber-tired road wheels with steel rims now replaced the dated spoked wheels of old. The Americans selected the modele 1897 as the main gun weapon of choice for their new M3 Lee/Grant and M4 Sherman medium tanks. These weapons were locally produced in American factories. Poland became another notable operator of the gun and knew them as Armata Polowa wz. 97/17, also moving to utilize a split trail carriage system. The French field howitzer version also spawned a mountain gun of 1919 as well as a 1928 model.
The modele 1897 series was long past due at this juncture in history. More contemporary designs now overshadowed the inherently strong qualities of the French design to the point that its rate-of-fire and range were either matched or surpassed by competing systems. Regardless, France was at war and it needed any weapon available to stem the tide of the German military war machine - a machine that had already overtaken Poland and the Low Countries. After Germany conquered northern France and Paris, it reconstituted hundreds (if not thousands) of modele 1897 guns to add to the stable of hundreds of captured Polish 75mm wz. 97/17 guns. Captured French guns took on the German Army designation of 7.5cm FK 231(f) and were quickly issued to local defense units while the main army elements took care of further business elsewhere. The large stockpiles ultimately saw their positioning along Hitler's grand "Atlantic Wall" across northern France and Norway to stave off any Allied amphibious landing attempt. After Hitler committed his forces to attacking the Soviet Union, the German Army was thrown aback by the arrival of the stout T-34 Medium Tank which proved unbeatable to current German anti-tank weaponry. As such, scores of the French 75mm guns were pressed into service firing an ad hoc German anti-tank shell. These weapons were given PaK 38 series carriages to contend with the revised recoil forces and capped by a special muzzle brake. These weapons were known to the German Army under the designation of 7.5cm PaK 97/38 and proved adequate for the role as an interim measure.
After the war, the modele 75 was largely obsolete but in such large circulation that the type continued service with many national armies unwilling or unable to upgrade. Some can even be found in modern-day inventories to an extent, keeping the legend of the modele 1897 series alive and well. Many survive as museum pieces for thorough study. In all, operators of the weapon included France, Nazi Germany, the United States, Poland, Belgium, Serbia, Romania, Finland, Portugal and Spain among other French colonial interests of the time. Beyond actions in World War 1 and World War 2, the modele 1897 could be seen in combat during the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901), the Polish-Bolshevik War (1919-1921), the Rif War (1920-1926) and the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).
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