Canon obusier

The Canon-obusier (literally "Shell-gun cannon", "gun-howitzer") was a type of cannon developed by France in the 1850s. The canon-obusier was a smoothbore cannon using either shells, balls or canisters, and was therefore a vast improvement over previous cannon firing metal balls, such as the Gribeauval system.

The very first canon-obusiers were naval shell guns, invented in 1823 by Paixhans and introduced in the French Navy in 1842. This invention was at the origin of the development of the Dahlgren gun in the United States in 1849.

The French Army introduced the canon-obusier de 12 in 1853. This type of the canon-obusier, commonly called the "12-pounder Napoleon Model 1857", was the primary cannon used in the American Civil War. Over 1,100 such Napoleons were manufactured by the North, and 600 by the South.

The canon-obusier de 12 was following rifled cannons which had been introduced by Treuille de Beaulieu system in 1858.

The term "Canon-obusier" remained in use beyond World War I to designate various gun howitzers of the French Army.