Munitions

105 mm Mle 53 high-explosive shell

Also known as
  • Obus explosif Mle 53
  • 105 mm Mle 53 shell
  • Mle 53 HE shell
  • 105 mm modele 1953 shell

The 105 mm Mle 53, formally OE Mle 53 in French artillery-history sources, was the 16 kg high-explosive shell defined for the postwar 105 mm Mle 50 howitzer family. It gave the TF50 and related AMX-105 artillery a documented 14.5 km high-explosive range, but this page remains a relationship-only ammunition record because the reviewed sources identify the shell as Mle 50 ammunition rather than separately naming Mle 53 rounds in a specific conflict.

105 mm Mle 53 high-explosive shell, 105 mm high-explosive howitzer shell, Munitions
Image source: Wikimedia Commons 105 mm M1950.jpg
Relationship-Only Scope

This is a narrow ammunition support record. The sources reviewed here identify the Mle 53 shell with the 105mm Mle 50 TF howitzer and AMX-105 family, but they do not give a separate public conflict-use trail for the shell itself. Conflict rows therefore remain empty unless a direct source later names Mle 53 ammunition in a specific conflict.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
France
Built by
Unknown
Type
105 mm high-explosive howitzer shell
Service note
Early Cold War French 105 mm artillery ammunition

Specifications

Caliber
105 mm
French designation
OE Mle 53 / obus explosif Mle 53
Ammunition role
High-explosive shell for 105 mm howitzer service
Shell weight
16 kg
Documented firing weapon
105mm Mle 50 TF
Self-propelled gun context
OB 105 Mle 50 AU / AMX-105 data lists Mle 53 high-explosive shell velocity from 230 m/s to 568 m/s
Maximum documented range
14.5 km at charge 7 in the 105 Mle 50 system
Maximum pressure context
2,600 bar at charge 7 in the COMHART artillery-history account
Charge system
Fast charges 1-5 and slow charges 5-7
Fuze context
PDM51A5 percussion fuze issues were later addressed by the PDM557 fuze with more than 30 m muzzle safety
Attribution limit
Public sources reviewed for this support page do not identify a specific shell manufacturer
Firing Weapon

This support page covers the shell as documented ammunition for the French TF50 howitzer and its self-propelled derivative. It does not copy the howitzer's Algerian War row because the reviewed sources do not independently document conflict use of this shell by name.

Firing weaponWeapon typeFiring evidence
105mm Mle 50 TF, 105 mm towed howitzer, Artillery105mm Mle 50 TF105 mm towed howitzer

COMHART's French artillery-history volume defines OE Mle 53 as the 16 kg high-explosive shell for the 105 Mle 50 howitzer, BASART identifies the Mle 53 explosive shell in the TF50 data sheet, and WeaponSystems describes the Mle 50 howitzer as mainly firing the Mle 53 shell.

Sources: COMHART Armement de gros calibre, BASART Obusier de 105mm TF50, WeaponSystems 105mm Mle 50 TF

Ammunition Definition

French artillery-history sources define OE Mle 53 as the principal high-explosive shell for the 105 Mle 50 howitzer system. The documented performance context is system-level rather than a standalone shell firing table: a 16 kg projectile, charge 7, 2,600 bar maximum pressure, 568 m/s muzzle velocity, and 14.5 km maximum range from the Mle 50 family.

Projectile

16 kg 105 mm high-explosive shell.

Charge set

Fast charges 1-5 and slow charges 5-7.

Known service issue

High-angle firing exposed velocity and pressure regularity problems; fuze safety concerns led from PDM51A5 toward PDM557.

Sources: COMHART Armement de gros calibre; BASART Obusier de 105mm TF50.

Timeline

105 mm Mle 53 high-explosive shell Key Events

  1. OE Mle 53 defined for the 105 Mle 50 system

    The COMHART artillery-history volume describes the shell as the principal high-explosive ammunition defined for the 105 Mle 50 howitzer to reach 14.5 km.

    Sources: COMHART Armement de gros calibre

  2. Charge-ignition regularity problem brought under control

    The same French source says high-angle firing produced pressure and velocity regularity problems until a revised primer-tube variant controlled the issue in the early 1960s.

    Sources: COMHART Armement de gros calibre

Related Weapon Systems
90 mm HE projectile, 90 mm high-explosive fin-stabilized projectile, MunitionsMunitions90 mm HE projectile90 mm high-explosive fin-stabilized projectileThe 90 mm HE projectile is the French OE 90 F1 high-explosive, fin-stabilized cartridge for the CN90F1 / 90 mm F1 vehicle-gun lineage. Forecast International lists OE 90 F1 under Nexter Munitions and the related Luchaire line, while ordnance references identify the full French cartridge label and explosive weight. The record remains relationship-only because the consulted sources support ammunition identity and firing-gun compatibility, not exact-round use in a named conflict.

Sources

COMHART Armement de gros calibrePublisher: Comite pour l'histoire de l'armement terrestre / IRSEM | Note: Supports OE Mle 53 designation, 16 kg shell weight, 14.5 km range context in the 105 Mle 50 system, charge 7 pressure and velocity data, charge-system description, Mle 50 AU velocity context, and later charge/fuze issue notes. | Accessed: 2026-07-13BASART Obusier de 105mm TF50Publisher: Base Documentaire des Artilleurs | Note: Supports the Mle 53 explosive shell designation in the TF50 howitzer data sheet, including the 16 kg shell weight and the relationship to the 105mm Mle 50 TF. | Accessed: 2026-07-13WeaponSystems 105mm Mle 50 TFPublisher: WeaponSystems.net | Note: Supports the Mle 53 shell as the main shell associated with the 105mm Mle 50 TF and the range context for that ammunition relationship. | Accessed: 2026-07-13Wikimedia Commons 105 mm M1950.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a contextual French 105 mm M1950 howitzer image used because no rights-clear Mle 53 shell image was identified. | Accessed: 2026-07-13