Serving a French gun, 1915

Lantern slide, World War One, Western Front (1914-1918), 1915.

French gunners open fire with their Matériel de 75 mm Mle 1897, more commonly known as the 'French 75'. Introduced in 1897, it was the first fully integrated quick-firing gun. It also had an innovative recoil system that made for a smoother operation. By the end of the war, the French had produced 17,000 of these excellent guns.

From a box of 50 lantern slides.