It developed in France by Colonel Charles Ragon de Bange in 1877,[2] and adopted by the French Army that same year.

This would remain a problem with all artillery pieces until the development of the hydro-pneumatic recoil mechanism of the Canon de 75 in 1897.

[1] During World War I a number of guns were modified by removing barrels from their carriage and placing them on a simple wooden garrison mount.

The guns were then placed in reinforced dugouts where they rested on a simple wooden platform that rested on an earthen berm at a +30° angle with higher angles possible by stacking wooden wedges under the barrel.

The Lance Mines Gatard was used to clear obstacles and destroy strong points in enemy trenches to a maximum range of 300 m (330 yd).