Both sides used artillery barrages to destroy enemy trenches and provide support for infantry assaults. This Model 1907 U.S. 75mm projectile is complete with its fuse.

The First Division arrived in France without artillery so the French government supplied it with artillery pieces. The 75mm served as the French Army’s main artillery weapon during World War I. It was the first modern artillery piece.

A hydraulic cylinder was incorporated to keep the gun still when firing. This made it a highly accurate weapon and allowed soldiers to fire more shots per minute. High explosive shells, shrapnel and poison gas could all be fired by this gun.