US Field Artillery of World War II
Illustratea
CONTENTS
STEVEN J ZALOGA received his BA in history from Union College, and his MA from Columbia University. He has worked as an analyst in the aerospace industry for over two decades, covering missile
INTRODUCTION
3
THE WORLD WAR I LEGACY
4
US DIVISIONAL FIELD ARTILLERY
6
• • • • • • •
The 75mm Pack Howitzer Cavalry Cannon: the 75mm Field Howitzer .\11Al The French Ivlademoiselle: the 7Smm Gun Army vVorkhorse: the I05mlll Howitzer M2Al Infantry Cannon: the l051ll111 Howitzer M3 Legacy vVeapons: the Schneider l5S1l11ll Howitzer The 155rnm Hmvitzer MI
systems and the international arms trade, and has served with the Institute for Defense Analyses, a federal think-tank. His main area of interest is military affairs in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in World War II, and he has also written extensively on American armored forces.
US CORPS HEAVY ARTILLERY • • • • •
18
The Forgotten Caliber: the 4.S-in. Gun and Rockets Legacy Gun: the 1.55mm CPF Long Tom: the I551llTl1 Gun MIAl Heavy Twin: the 8-in. Howitzer MI Black Dragon: the 8-in. Gun and 240mm Howitzer
THE INTERNATIONAL DIMENSION
36
• Foreign artillery in US service • International use
CANNON ON THE MOVE
38
• Field artillery motorization • Field artillery mechanization
BRIAN DELF began his career working in a London art studio producing artwork for advertising and commercial publications. Since 1972, he has worked as a freelance illustrator on a variety of subjects including natural history, architecture and technical cutaways. Some of his recently illustrated books have been published in over thirty countries. Brian lives and works in Oxfordshire.
FURTHER READING
44
COLOR PLATE COMMENTARY
46
INDEX
48
..
~
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- ----
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New Vanguard • I 3 I
US Field Artillery of World War II
Steven J Zaloga . Illustrated by Brian Delf
First published in Great Britain in 2007 by Osprey Publishing, Midland House, West Way, Batley, Oxford OX2 OPH, UK 443 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016, USA E-mail: info®ospreypublishing.com
Artist's note Readers may care to note that the original paintings from which the color plates in this book were prepared are available for private sale. All reproduction copyright whatsoever is retained by the PUblishers. All inquiries should
Q 2007 Osprey Publishing Ltd.
All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study,
be addressed to: Brian Delf, 7 Burcot Park, Burcot. Abingdon, Oxlordshire, OX14 3DH, UK
research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic,
The Publishers regret that they can enter into no correspondence upon this matter.
electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Inquiries should be addressed to the Publishers.
Glossary
A CIP catalog record for this book is available from the British Library
AEF
American Expeditionary Force
ETO
European Theater of Operations
ISBN: 978 1 84603061 1
FDC GMC
Fire Direction Center
Page layout by: Melissa Orrom Swan, Oxford. UK
GPF
Grande Puissance Filloux: Filloux High-power
Gun Motor Carriage
Index by Alan Thatcher
HMC
Howitzer Motor Carriage
Typeset in Helvetica Neue and ITC New Baskerville
HST
High-Speed Tractor
Originated by PPS Grasmere Ltd, Leeds, UK
SPG
Self-Propelled Gun
Printed in China through Worldprint Ltd. 07 08 09 1011
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For a catalog of all books published by Osprey Military and Aviation please contact: NORTH AMERICA Osprey Direct, cia Random House Distribution Center, 400 Hahn Road, Westminster, MD 21157 E-mail:
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US FIELD ARTILLERY OF WORLD WAR II
INTRODUCTION ield artillery was the only combat arm of l.he US Army in V'lorld War [I in which the Cnited States was clearly the world leader in both technoloh'Y and tactics. During World War I, the US Army \\~dS unprepared for providing lIS own artillery weapons and therelorc was dependent on the supply or French and British artiUcry. After the Great War, the Arm)' wa.s determined to d<.'velop a ,,,hole new generation of weapons and so, unlike most European countries, started from scratch in the 19205 and 19305. In conlIaSt to many Europc-
F
All important factor In the effeetlveness of us Ileld artillery in Wor1d War II was lhe modernized infrastructure 01 the artillery battalions. Light lircraft weq used for air obMrvation, wtlieh increased the effeetiYeness of the howitzet" batteries In long-range ~ t s . ThIs Is a 105mm Howitzer M1Al on Cafriage M2 from one 01 the battalions of the 29th Division during trninlng exercises near Chiseldon in Great Britain In Milreh 1943. (NARAJ
3
THE WORLD WAR I LEGACY '\Then the United Sl
State of the art in 1918, this Holt Model 55 annored 10-ton tractor
Is seen towing a Schneider 155mm howitze.r during wargames at Pine Camp in
upstate New York in the SUmmer of 1935. Some 1,421 01 these tractol'$ were delMred by
4
the time of the Armistice, and a lolal of 2.,0 f 4 by the end of .January 1919. (NARA)
The 75mm Pack Howitzer M1A1 on Carriage M8 was used primarily in light divisIons such as the airborne divisions in place of the 10'mm ho.... ltzer. This ho.... itzer i$ from 111<1 463d Par"",hute Field ArtlUery Banalion $Upportlng the 1st Airborne Tank fon::e near Hagenilu on January 29, 1945, during lhe repulse of OperaUon
Nordwfnd. (NARA)
prim.u·)·divisional field artilleryweapon in World War I wa.~ the 75mrn gun, with the Frcnch ~soixnn~qllim.i' 75rnm MI897 rcmaining the most prominent piece in US Army sen;ce nmil the earl)' 19-10s. By me late 193&, the Anny W'dS lcaning in the direction ofa nL''\\' Mtriangular" infantry division, \\-;th thrcc 75mm gun battalions (12 guns in cach battalion) for direct support of thc three infantry regimems and a 105mm hm\;tzer battalion for gcneral supporL Lacking enough 105mm hm\1tzers, me old Schneider l55mm hm\;tzer wa.~ me substitute, Howl.,\·cr, m.my artillery officers arglllM"d that me 75mm gun lacked the firepowcr nCl."ded on the modern battlcfield, and proposed using a 105mlH howitzcr as me primary field gun in mc di\ision, \\-ith a bau.alion of 155mm howitzcrs for general suppon. This confih'1.lration gained considerable support after the fall of France in.lunc 1940, when it recei\'ed the backing of the G-3 (Operatjons and Training Section) of the ("~neral Stan'. The infantry branch of the Army fostered thc dcvelopment of a number of weapons separate from the anillery bnmch; mainly small, lightweight weapons used in the frontlines for direct support. The main focus of infantry interest in the 1920s was thc development of a new 75rnm pack howitzer that could be broken down into severalloacls and transported by horse or mule. The 1930s were a time of great ferment in the artillery branch, e\'en if equipment modernization was slowed by a lack of funding. The groundwork was laid for the mOSt irnponalll tactical innovation, the Fire Direction Center (rnc), a critical ingredielll ill artillery fire support in mobile warfare. Instead of each battery commauder having control over the firing decision, new methods were developed to allow an artillery battalion to rapidly mass iL~ lire against a single targct and shift it rapidly if nccded. The battalion FDCwould deploy a fOl'ward obscn'cr to determine accurately the location of tlle target; this system \\",t!) later enhanced, Ix"brinning in June 1942, by ll~ing forward obsen'cl's in lig:ht aircraft, who could lOCate targets om of the \isual range of ground observcrs. The fielding of tactical radios also allo\ved the forward observers to rapidly communicate \\1th the battalion FDC, and lO move when n(.'Cessary wimom mc encumbrdIlce of field telephone wires. The FOC also centralized me computation of firing data to permit its baueries to cng-age on a single
5
target within ten minutes or the fire call from the forward observer. The battalion FDC was adopted in 1941, and a divisional mc was first demonstrated the same year. The FOe innO\~dtion prm·ed '~tal in the campaih'1l in Tunisia in 1943 and Cell Bradk:y noted that it permitted any forward observer to bring the lire of the entire COI-pS artillery. some 324 guns and howiuers, against a single target. Artillery pro'<ed iL<;elf iJl\'aluable again and ag-ain in the subsequent campail,,'llS due to excellenl training, tactics, and tcchnology. The start of tile war in Europe in September 1939 encouraged Lhe US A.nny to begin a subSlanlial expansion of ilS artillery. In 1937. the Army fielded only 25 field artillery baualions, but by the outbreak of war in December 1941 this number had increased fi"efold to 142 baualions. and L·...entually totaled o\'er 700 battalions by 1945.
US DIVISIONAL FIELD ARTILLERY The 75mm Pack Howitzer
The US Army had begun de...elopment of a new pack howitzer prior to World War I to replace the British Vickers-Maxim 2.95-in. gun then in use. r-dck howitzers were mainly intended for use in mountainous or olher difficult terrain where towed field guns were impractical. The weapons rccch'cd their name from lhe ability to disassemble them into several loads that could be carried Oll packs by horses or mules; mOSt other annics called these \\'eapons mountain guns. DC\·e1opment of the 75nun Pack Howitzer MI began in 1920 and w:as completed in 1927. Although the MI ...."as s....'lndardized in August 1927, funding ,,'as SO limited that large-M:ale production ne...er took place. Under the 1925 Ten-Year Ordnance Plan, the Arm)' proposed acquiring 48 guns, enough for twO regiments, However, by 1933 only 32 had been manufactured 01' funded. ProdUCl.ion of the 75mm pack howitzer totaled only91 by 1940. Because of the long delay in entering serial production, imprO\'emcllts were gradually imroduced into the wcapon, primarily concerning lhe breech ring and breech blOck. The modified version was designaled as the 75mm Pack Howilzer MIAI and c\'cntually became the plimar}' version of this weapon.
The 75mm Field Howitzer M1A1 could be distinguished from its
6
pack howitzer relatives by the use of the M3A1 o;
•
During World \Var 11, the nel:d l:iTIcrged ror a lightweight howit.zer to support the nC'i'l airoorne forces. The ~'!lAI W'
The US Anny began to modernl:l:e its large inventory of M1897 7Smm guns for motorized tmetion in the mid·1930s. This i5 the bask MI897A4, which n.rtained the original box-trail cal'f'ia98 but subsliluted pneumatic tires 101' the wooden wheels 01 the original gun. This battery is seen during a ~mer'
exen:i5e at Pine Camp In ~ New York in 1935. (MARA)
7
Cavalry Cannon: the 75mm Field Howitzer M1A1
,
-..;:...,.,...- -
'-
During the 1920s, the Gl\'alrr branch of the Army .' nOled the cOI1f%'1.ml.tion of the infanu'y's 75mm pack h<m;tt.er and realized it would make an ideal • light ho,..itt.er if modified to pennit high-speed tQI\·ing. Since weight was not as consu-ained as for a moun lain h'1.lIl, the ca\-alry preferred a more conventional split trail to prmide bclter stabiliC}' when firing. Thr.: new carriage was designated as t.he Carriage M3AI and realllred spindles to permit t.he pneumatic wheels to be raised, and a firing base lowered to prmidc a three-point suspension when firing. In spite of cOl\";.\lry inlereSt in this ""capon, no significant production of t.he 75nun Field Hm\ilZer MIt\. 1100k place until after theslart ofWorld War Il. Serial manufdcture began in January 1941, but . i:lSled only a }'<:ar. during which time only 298 were manufactured. Modest improvements were made to the carriage. notabl}' the addition of a gun shield, resulting in the :\{3.-\2 carriage. and the subsumuon of combat tires and di\·ided rims, becoming the M3A3 C<\l"riage.•-\.lthough standardized, only 51 of these ,,'ere 1II,lIlUfaclured in Apri1-~'lay 1943 before production WdS again ended, making them among the rarest US howitzers of World War II. Nearly a third oft.he howitzers were provided to China during the war. The MIAI tiekl howilZer does nOl appear to have been widely llsed by the US Army during the wal~ but records seldom distinguish between this I,'eapon and the related pack howitte... The premature close of production of this Iicld howiuer was due lO the growing mechanization of the ca\'alry and Ihe preference for a self-propelled weapon. 111e firsl expedient \'ersion of Ihis was the T30 75mm IIowitzer MOlor Carriage (I-1MC), which combined the MIA1 1idd gun on an M3 half-track. These were used in mechanized ca\'atry units as \,'e11 as in some light lank banalions as an ass<mh gun and in infdntr}' cannon companies. II was foIlOl,'ed b}' the M8 75mm HMC, which mounted the 75mm gun in an open turrelon t.he M5 light tank chassis. This particular vehicle \\~d5 most commonly used in mechanized cavalry reconnaissance squadrons as an assault gun to provide additional firepower to the unit's M8 light armored cars.
. ""'
..
.~
The French Mademoiselle: the 7Smm Gun
8
The most common artillel"}' weapon in scnice in the CS Arm)' through the interwar years ,~
'12.-\1. Although a batlery of these was completed in 1926, cOIl\'ersion was slowed by the lack offunding. With the ad\'ent of new prqjectiles with improved high-explosi\'c fills such as T:\TT, a modified ,gun
The most extensive modernization 01 the Fn!nch "soi,...,.,,,-quinze" was the 75mm Gun M1897A2 on the new spilt. trail M2A3 carriage. Many of these upgrades were undertaken in 1941
as
,
an effort
to field an expedient antitank gun. (NARA)
,
was de"eloped in 1932 and accepted for small-scale production in 1936 as the 7!")mm CUll M2. AJlhough the i.lrtillcry had been slow to embrace motorization in the 1920s, in 1933 the III.:.'W Chief of Staff, Cen Douglas MacArdulr, ordered lhe mOIOl;zatioll of half o[ it~ light field artillery. 1l1is program (.ook (wo forms: l.he conversion of the original box-trail carriage into the t\·1 1897A4 with a "'high-speed adapter, including new bearings and pneumatic tires, and cOTl\'ersion of other piecL'S using newly manufactured M2A I carnages with split trails, SL.'lrting in 1936, the Army motorized 56 of iL<; 81 75mm gun battalions with thl."SC two vcrsions of the \'enerable French 75mm gun. Shortly after the fall of France in June 1940, the US Army realized it ,,,.-as perilously short of modern anritank guns, and so a crash program \\-as started to convert me MI897 75mm gun into an antitank weapon. Two carriages were used: the slightly improved M2A2, and the :\-l2A3 carriage that had a drawbar for usc in mOlon7.ed to....·ing; bolll had dire<:t~fire sights. FromJuly 1940 to :'-JQ\'cmbcr 1941 a total of918 of the 2,800 75mm M1897 guns on hand wcrc cOIl\"cned. Allhough nominally intended as an antitank gUll. the rebuilt \,'eapons were issued to field artillery units as well in llle early months of the W,:lr due to the desperate shortage of modern equipment. Although the 75mm gun was scheduled to be rcplaced by the 105mm hm".;tzer in divisional artillery battalions, the delay in the start of production meant that the 75mm gun in its vanous forms remained in sen'ice at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack in December 1941. As a result, the 75mm gun saw combat in small numbers during the Philippines fighting in December 1941 as \\'cll as with I.he 2/131st Field Artillery in the DUl.ch East Indies. n
US FIELD ARTILLERY PRODUCTION IN WORLD WAR II 75mm Pack Howitzer M1Al 75mm Field Howitzer M1Al
'940
"0
1941
".
234 597
.
1942 1,208
349 8,536
20'
2,580
0
'" 4,035
234
1,882 1.006 139
1,965
"0
"
'" " 59. 52.
59.
1" 49
HB 23
a-if!_ Howitzer M1
0
240mm Howitzer M1
0 0 0
0
132 10 6
Total
39
1,081
5,244
0
'"
2....
3
a-in. Gun Ml
Total
0
155mm Gun M1A1
4.5-in. Field Gun Ml
0 0 0 62
1945 0 0 730
3,325
155mm Howitzer M1
10Smm Howitzer M3
1944 0 1,200
0 0 0 0
105mm Howitzer M2Al
1943 2,592
19
'"
51
1,469
1,949
'34
"9,952 "5,809 "2,082 156
4,939
315
24,207
Army Workhorse: the 105mm Howitzer M2A1
The 105mm Howiti.cr M2 was without question the single most irnport.'llli. US A.nny field artillery piece of World War II, and so its origins are worth some detailed examination. The \Vcstcrveh Board noted that the German, AuslJian, and llalian arlllies had lIscd a 105mm light field howitzer dunng World War 1and that I.he BI;tis.h had uscd a similar 4.5-in. howitzer as well. TIle board recommcnded a 105mm howitzer as the ideal dhisional weapon but. recognizing the financial burden of S\~;t.ching from 75mm to 105mlll, suggested at least thaI. it would be a bener substiUlle for me Schneider 155mm howitzer in one of the di\ision 's artillery battalions. The
9
The original 10Smm Howfl:Ze<' M1920 bears litUe resemblan<;e to Its eventual Wond War II deKendent. This pilot weapon is seen with the T2 Cutts compensator, an earty type of muzzle brake to reduce the rec:oll force. (USAOM-APG)
10
board also recommended that a new carriage developed for the 105nilll howitzer could be used to mowlt a modernized 75mm di\-isional gun. Mter srudying caplUred German 105mm howitzers, the Ordnance Deparuncm developed the 105mm I-Io....'itzer Mood 1920 on Carriage :\>todel 1920. The design emplo}'t.'tl split trails rather than the oox-trail design favored by the french. An t:'-..luation by the Field Artillery Board in April 1923 fOlmd tJ,e design LO be too heavy and clumsy, and unsuitable for adoption, but it '~-dS impressed by the split-trail design. A box-trail carriage was also developed, the Mooel 1921£, but the board turned down this design as wcll, prefening the nCVi split-trail configurdtion. In spite of the board's recommendation, the Ordnance Deparlment submiued another box-trail design, the Model 1925£ carriage, Two other rival designs were also developed at this time, the Tl and 1'2 carriages, which were split-trail types. The new split-trail carriagcs had been desigfif.:'f1 with the board's earlier recommendations in mind, and in particular, the need for a recoil system that would not require a large pit to be dug under the "'"Capon when the gun was elevated to the ma.xi.mum. Although it still had problems, the 1'2 and the associated 105mm hO\\'iuer were standardized in December 1927 as the Carriage, Recoil :\1echanism and Howitzer, all Model :\11. Ho','ever, as production funding was unavailable and development work was still unden,'ay, no Ml howitzers were C\'er manufdctured. In 1929, this situation forced the Army to reven to its World War l-era reliance on 75mm gullS and 155mm hONitzers in a mix of lWO 75mm gun regiments and one 155rnm gun regimcnt in each divisional artillery brigade. During the early 1930s, the Ordnance Department dC\<eloped the T 1 cartridge case, a semi-fixed type shell that allowed the crew to load tJle ammunition in onc piece rather than the previolls split case in which the shell and propellant charge ,,'ere loadc.'tl separalel}'. Since the chamber of the howilZer rube needed lO be changed, the modified howit:zer wa." redesignated as the I05mm Howitzer M2< A number of muzzle brakes were also developed and tested in lhe hope
The 105mm howitzer befllns to evolve into its eventual configuration, as seen here during the 1932 trials of the 105mm Howit:zer M2 on Carriage Mt. Fourteen of the,.... were manufactured in the early 1930s, the onty serial production of the type until the outbreak of Wortd WBllI. (USAOM-APG)
--
The fil"$t series production ...ersion of the 105mm howitzer in World War II was this
configuration, the 105mm Howi'tzer M2A1 on Carriage M2.
(USAOM·APG)
of reducing the recoil force of the weapon, but this project was canceled in April 1933. The 19"25 Ten-'lear Ordnance Plan envisioned manufacturing 72 J05mm howitl.ers to equip three regiments, but by 1933 only 14 :VII carriages had been manufactured. Trials of the l05nun Ho\\itl.er M2 on Carriage MI were conducted in 1932 at Fort Sill using a six-horse team. TIle testing revealed that the :\12 ho....i tzer was generally satisfactory except that imprO\'ements were needed in the recoil system, \\-ith the MIE5 type preferred. The Ml cdrriage \.. .a s the main source of problems, being unsuitable for motorized towing and having other flaws. A.. a result., two a1tcmati\'e carriages were deo.·eloped and delivered to Aberdeen Proving Ground in February 1938 for trials as the 1'3 and T4. With the US Army now fdvoring motorized to\,'ing for di\·isional artillery, the new 1'4 carriage feamred reduced weight and was the preferred type. An improw..--d design, the T5, was submitted alongside a modified T4EI carriage in the next round of tests in l\"o\'ember 1939. In spite of the imperfect design, the Army wanted production to begin as soon as possible and ordered the first production batch of 48 rvl2 howitzers in 1939. The tests favored the new T5 carriage, which was standardized on february 23,1940, as the M2. Prior to the start of largL'-scale production, some minor changes were made to the howitzer breech ring, resulting in the M2.<\1 in \-larch 1940, which became the standard version of this weapon. This led to the basic configuration of the classic 105mm howitzer, the J05mm Howit:l.er M2AI on Carriage M2. Serial production ofthis design began in April 1941. By the time that the 105mm hO\...i tzer was read}' for production, the Anny had come to accept it as the future basis for dhisional artillery, replacing the 75mm gun in three battalions in each division for dire<:t support, with a 155mm howitzer battalion prO\iding gencml support. The 105mm caliber was also standard in the Wehrrnacht, but the other Allied armies preferred smaller divisional weapons, the British fa,'oring the 25-pdr and the Red Arm)' favoring the 76mm divisional gun. By the time that the I05mm , M2A1 ho\\'iuer had entered production, the US Army had decided that all divisional artillery ,. .... ,.:: should be motorized. The standard prime mover -,...... for the I05mm howitzer was the short-wheelbase -,~~~-2/'l-ton truck . • Development of the 105mm howiv:er con••• tinued C\'en after production bcg,m. On reports of the success of the British 25-pdr with ilS box-trail design, a similar design \\ith a firing platform ""as built as the M2El carriage. This configuration received liule support and ' ....i lli canceled in September 1943. Ano.lher source of foreign iru,pir"tion was the M2E2 carriage, which used folding spades like the Gennan IFH 18 JO.5mm howitzer. The use of a muzzle bmke was rC\
.-
-- -- ...
'.
..
1
11
The 105mm Howitzer M2A1 on
Cal'riage M2 saw combat use in the early campaigns 01 Wortd Waf II, here in Tunisia during the fighting on February 12, 1943. Thb system still retains the
origll'lal pattern of commercial 111'88 and the carriage Os fitted with brakes fOf use during motori:wd towing. (NARA)
1942, l.he War Dcparunent adoploo a ne'!\' poli<.}' stating that lOwed vehicles under 5,OOOlb (2,273kg) were nUl required to be equipped wil.h power~ operated brake:s activ'lled from the prime mover. A.s a result, the hrdkes on the \'12 carriage were deleled, resulting in the M2Al carriage in May 1943. In August 1942, Cell Lesley McNair of Arm)' Cround Forces requested thal the artillery branch slIIdy bener shields on field artillery weapons. An impro\'ed shield along with an enclosed screw trdvcrse mechanislIl WdS incOlporated into the new M2A2 carriage, which was standardi.z<.--d. in AugllSt 1943. There W
In May 1943, the M2 carriage was modified by deleting the Warner eleetric brakes previously fitted. Some M2 carriages like this Or'Hl were modified to M2A1 standards atter construction, as Is evident here from the remaining battery box on the right trail, wtlk;h was
deleted on new constnlction
12
M2A1 carriages.. Also-u. noting is the use of combat tires, a widespread improoement on US field artillery by 1lM3. This howib:er is from the 522d F"~ Artillery Battalion attached to the Japanese-American 442d Infantry {Nisei-separate} near Bruyeres, Frnnce, on October 18, 1944. (NARA)
1
1942, and eaeh division began with one 105mm howitzer battalion of ,-he four battalions in its aTlillerr regiment. By the time of the 1944 campaigns on Saipan and Cuam, this ratio had been raised to t\'t'0 of fOUf, and by Iwo Jima in 1945, to three of four, eventually completely replacing the smaller 75mm pack hO\,~tter.
1
Infantry Cannon: the 10Smm Howitzer M3
1
1
The 105mm Howitzer M2.A1 on Carriage M2A2 adopted an :MIJl:il~ry splinter shield in fTont of the main shield to protect the crew better when the weapon was traversed. This example is seen with the "un tube In full recoil while conductin" a fire mission near La Neu"."me, France, on Octo~ 6, 1944.
tNARAj
"
1
1
Wilh lhe org-dIlization of ne"" airborne regimenlS unden....dy in 1941, there was a requiremem for a I05mm howiu.er that could be delivered byaircr.uL The existing M2 lO!)lllm hO\\'il7.er was dearly too large, so in August 1941 initial designs were made lIsing the I05mm howitzer shortened by 27in. (58.Gem), mounted on the sleigh of the M IA2 recoil mechanism from the 75mm howitzer. TIle modified weapon was fiued to the M3Al carriage of the 75nun field howitzer. A pilot version of the 105mm HO\"itzer I i was sem to Aberdeen Prmi.ng Ground in March 1942. nle main failing of the design was that the slow powder used in the SLandard M2Al hO\\i.tzer shells gave unsatisfdctory results in the shOrleneil7.er \13 on carriages M3 and :\'13AI. The M3 carriage \,~dS basically the existing M3A 1 carriage of the 75mm field hm,itzer, which USl.--d y... -in. (2Illm) plate for lhe trails, and this configllrdtion \'«IS desih'llated as slibstitUl.e st
13
howitzer and 105mm howitzer on an expedient M3 half-track mounL The self-propelled cannon companies \\'ere again used on Sicily in July 1943. Ho\\'ever, artillery commanders were un happ}' abolllthis substitllle equipment, as it encouraged the infunrr)' to sidetrack them for orner missions, including lISC
--
The 105mm Howitzer M3 was the standard we3pon in Infantry cannon companies by the time of the D-Day landings in France. This one, nicknamed "Hitler's Doom" Is $een in action with the 9th Cannon Company, 2d Infantry Division, near Brest on August 28, '944_ (MARA)
!
Legacy Weapons: the Schneider 155mm Howitzer
The AEF rcceil'ed 747 French Schneider 155mm MI917 howitzers for use during the 1918 campaigns of World War I, and licensed production had begun in the United States in 1917 on a slightly modified version. lhe M1918, \vlth a modified breech assembly and simpler shield desig"n.
The~ were a number of 3ttempts to develop lightwelghf recoille$$ artillery weapona
during World War Ii. like this 105mm Howitzer T9, seen here folded up in traveling mode. None 01 the recoilless field-3rtiltery types reached comb3t service during the war, but they pioneered the way lor
14
postwar weapons.. IUSAOM·APGI
1
TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS: US DIVISIONAL HOWITZERS 75mm pack
howiUer
, )
CarwlOOtype
M1A1
Caniage type Weight (IbJkg) Length (ftlm) Width (ftlm) Length of bore (calibers) Max. elevation (clegrees) MIDI. powder pressure (Ib1SQ. in.) Breech lype Rate of fire MIDI. range (ydslkm) Recoillype Type of ammunillon HE projectile type Projectile weight (Ib/kg) HE fill (Iblkg) Propellant weight (Ib/kg)
M8 airborne 1.4401653 12.113.7
'05mm howitzer
M2Al M2A2 4,98012,260
19.616.0
105mm howitzer M3 M3
155mm
9551433 12.913.9 5.611.7 16.5 66 25,000
11.96615,427 24f1.3 7.9512.4
howitte< M1 M1
26,000 Sliding wedge
7.0412.14 22.5 66 30,000 Sliding wedge
'''''/3''''''
2-4""" 12,205111.1
829517.85
32,000 Interrupted lhread 21pm 16,000/14.6
Hydropneumatie
Hydropneumati<;:
Hydropoeo.xl\Iltic
Semi-fixed M1 33114.9
Semi-fixed M1 33/14.9 4.812.2
Separate M107 95143.1 15.817.2 13.4/6.1
41'2 15.9 45
9.76Cl18.9 Hydropneumatic Semi-fixed
M48 14.616,6 1.5/0.66 0.9210.41
4.812.2 3.66/1.66
Sliding wedge
15rpm
1.32/.06
20
66
A regiment was equipped with the American-manufactured howitzers in August 19]8, but it did not arrh'c in France until after the Armistice. Under the recommendations of the \Vestervelt Board, the plan in the early I920s was to shift this weapon from di"isional level to corps level (due 1.0 its size and power) once the 105mm howilZer became a\'
1
1
1
,
A 155mm howitzer with the "htgtl-speeded~ Mt918A1
caniage in action with the 5th Field Artillery Battalion, 1st Infantry Di'rision, at EI Guettar
on Mardl 2:3, 1943. The defeat of the 10th Panzer Division at EI Guettar that day was the first us vM:t0l'Y In Tunisia and was wideI)' attributed to the superb performance of the field artilk!ry.
-
15
A camouffage,pail'lted 155mm howi1>:er with the 1918A 1
"high-s.peeded~ M
carriage on Old 8araufa in the Solomon tslands or> July 6, 1943, (HARA)
2,971 in service had been "high-speeded.~ FUrLher improvemcnl.s were imroclucecl on the M1918A3 carriage, which included torquc rods. Since production of a new 1.~5mm howitzer was 1I0t likely Ilnt.il lare 1942, [he Army felt it would he prudent to modernize milch of the remainder of l.he inventory. This program st."lrtecl in 1940 \\~th 3.~ more ho\\~t7.ers modernized, followed by 1,162 in 1941 and 218 by May 1942, adding a furl her 1,415 ~hi~h-spceded~ 155mm hovI.1tzers 10 the in\'enf.ory for a grand lotal of 2,014. These saw \\'ldespread combat duty in rhe first years of the war, including usc in rhe Philippines and the Dutch Easr Indies in 1941-42, in the Pacific camp..igns in 1942-43, and in Tunisia in 1942-43. As the new MI 15Smm howif7.er became available after October 1942, thc old Schneider field hO\\~f7.er was replan:d. How(,,\'er, oome theaters \\lth lower priorit}' kept thc weapon in sen·ice. So. for example, there werc still some Schneiders in use v..1 th the Fifth Army in Italy in the wimer of 1943-44 and this \\'capon was widely us<--
16
A shortagc of funds meant there were few development eITorl'l fO rcplace the Schncider 155mm howitzer in the interwar years. The Wesr,en'elt Board's recommendations led to the idea of developing a common new carriage [har could be used with either the 4.7-in. gun or 155mm howitzer, bur rhe howitzcr requirement received low priority. This was causcd in part by the bittcr debat.e about whether thc 135mm howitzer should remain in the infantry division or be relegated to corps support. One of the \\~dely acknowledged problems with the Schneider was its limited t.raverse, which necessifated moving the cntire weapon for changes of more than three degrees. In 1934, the modern T2 split-trail carriage was developed to solve this problem, but in 1939 the program came under question, since it seemed rather pointless to fit snch an allliquated cannon to such a modern carriage. As a result, the project was restarted \\lth the illlention of fielding not ooly a o(,'w carriage, but also a 1l(,'W howitzer. Since by this time the 155mm hO\~;f7.er had an established place as a di\~sional \\'capon, an important aspect of the progrdln was to reduce the \\'eight of the weapon using morc modern recuperators and trunnion
A 155mm Howitter M1 crew shows the standard loading drill during a demonstration in Washington, DC on May 22, 1944. Curiously ~h, the howitzer is painled In the recommended englrnHtr camouflage scheme wifh whife under-shading on the gun tube, a practice seldom used in the field. (MHI)
asscmbli<."S. \-"ork on the weapon proceeded very smoothly and the new 155mm HowilZer MI on C...aniage M I was Sl.andardized on May 15, 1941. Howcvcr, manufacture of the M I howilZer was badly delayed by the production bottlenecks caused by the rapid expansion of US war OlitpUlS in 1941 to meet the imminent threat of conflict. ManufaClllre of lhe 155mm howitzer did not begin until OClober 1942, as the Army placed priority on the new 155mm howitzer and 155mm gUll. Production finally beg-.m to catch lip by the middle of 1943, SO IJ,aL by D-Day the US infantry divisions dcplo}ing to France had been reequipped with this new weapon. Coincidemally, the delay in production of the howitzer matched delays in fielding a suitable prime mover, the M.~ I-1ST. Although the howitzer could be towed by trucks, the preferred solution was the M5 HST, and most battalions equipped ,\lith the IlL"'\\' howirzer also received ule new prime mover. Manufacture of the l55mrn I-Io\\it7.er M I continued throughJune 1945, by which time some 4,035 were fielded, making it the third most commonly produced American fidd artillery piece of the war after the 105mm howitzer and 75mm pack hmvit7.er. The MI 155mm howitzer was the second most commonly used US field artillery piece of the war, \.,.ith some 170 field artillery ballalions fanned. Among these, 49 di\-isional ill1d 78 non-divisional battalions served in the European campaigns, ill1d 22 di'-isional and 14 non-d.ivisional in ule Pacific. US inf.tIltry divisions usually deplored Ihree 105mm and one 155mm howi.tzer battali.ons. As WdS not<."
17
A camouflaged battery 0' 155mm M1 howitzers of the 20th Field Artillery Batt.alion, 4th Infantry Division, in action Mar St. Lo on July 24, 1944, during Operation
Cobra. the break-out from Normandy. (NARA)
but by the summer of 1944 it had hq.'1.m to deploy se\'emI155mm hO\\;tzer battalions under tllcir corps artillery. During the Saipan campaign one of tht:sc corps' 155mlll howitzer ballalions was adminislrau\'Ciy attached to reinforce me divisional artillery.
US CORPS HEAVY ARTILLERY
18
The Forgotten Caliber: the 4.'·ln. Gun and Rockets During: World War I, thc AEF had employed the. 4.7-in. l\'lodd 1906 gun, and the \\'eslcrveh BO
The 4.5-in. field gun was nearly identical to the more common 155mm howitzer except fOf' its longer gun tube. This ls the T1 pilot gun seen on trials at Abet'deen Proving Ground in November 1941. (USADM·APGJ
The 4.5-in. T32 Xylophone ar1l11ery rocket launcher was the only US Army rocket artillery depk)yed
in significant numbers
by the Army'$ field ."'tillery batUllions during the
war. Some
are seen tH!re in action with Battery A, 18th Field Artillery
Battalion, near Kleinhau on NOl/ember 26, 1944. (NARA)
underway for corps support requiremel1£5. The 4.5-in. c-dliber slI'addk'd the (\\'0 main US Arm)' calibers: 105mm and 155mlll, ;md the Army Ground Forces f.l\"on::d standardization. Indeed, it is not dc-d.f at all why any production look place. In the e\'ent, the 4.5-in. field hrun entered production alongside i£5 (\\;n, the 155mlll howitzer, in September 1942. Howe\'cr, only 426 were completed by February 1944, when production ended. [n spite of the small number manufactured, 16 fielel artillery battaliom were equipped with the 4.5-ill. fielel gUll, <111 beiuf,i deployed to the European Theater of Operations (ETO) in June-Ocloocr 1944 for corps support. As in the case of fhe 155111111 h()\\~tzer, the sl.;,md."rcl prime mover \,Hd.S the 1\15 HST. This weapon was hastily retired in 1945 as field commanders argued lh"t it Wwheeled carriage, firing the spin-5mbilizt.'d .\-116 4.5-in. rockets, was deplo}'t.'d cxperimenl<"llly in the final weeks OftilC \\'al" in Europe anrl used on at least one occasion in CzcchoslO\'akia ill May 1945. Fivc more rocket battalions were organized in 19<15, each equippt.,
19
The Xylophooe was followed
by the TOO Honeyeomb towed
rockel launcher. which fired the Mt6
spin-sI8bil~ed4-5-io.
rocket. A handful saw oorvice in May 11345 in Cuehoslovatia_ ~ eolleetion)
Legacy Gun: the 155mm GPF
During World \Nar T, the AEF used lhe French 155mm CPF gun as ilS standard corps gun, and 48 M19l7s were acquired directly from France. As in the case of so many other weapons, licensed manufacture was initiated in 1917. but no guns were delivered to the AEF prior to the November 1918 Armistice. As ofJune 1940. some 973 were still in service, primarily the US-built M1918Ml gun, making it the most common US hea,)' artillery type at the outbreak of the war. Motorized towing of this large weapon had very low priority and a high-speed carriage was not developed until 1937. Two versions were fielded which both had the same upgrddes, including pneumatic tircs and air brakes, but the :'..12 carriage ....-as based on the French MI917 carriage, ....,hile the M3,,"dS based on the more common S l\1l918 or :\!1I918AI carriages. Moderni7.ation of these weapons did not begin on a large scale until 1941, and in total, 598 were convened through.July 1942. As its replacement, the 155mm M1 gun, did not enter senrice in large numbers until 1942, the GPF sa\.,r combat in me carly campaigns of World War II, including the Philippines in 1941-42 with the 30lst Field Artillery R<.-giment, and with the Army's F(244th Coastal Artillery Battalion and Marine 5th Defense Baualion on Cuadalcanal in 1942. Although it was quickly replaced by the 155mm Cun :'vllAl in field artillery unit~ being deployed overseas, the GPr was still widely used in the US Army and Marine Corps in lhe coastal artillery role through the war. Long Tom: the 155mm Gun M1A1
20
Work on a replacement for the GPF began in 1920 with the 155mm Gun Ml920, but went into limbo, like so many other pr~jccts, due to a lack of funding. The program was revh'ed in 1929 as the 155mm Gun T4 on Carriage 1'2, aimed at extending the effective range of the weapon from 20,000 to 25.000 yards (18.3 to 22.9km). As \~dS the case with the 155mm howitzer and 45-in. gun, the new weapon had its own twin, the 8-in. howitzer, which shared a common carriage but differed in the gun tube. The 155mm Gun ~'Il was standardized in 1938, but serial production had 1O wait until after the outbreak of war in Europe. No sooner had production started in October 1940 than the Ordnance Dcpanment de\·eloped a modestJy impro\·cd gun, the M1Al, thal eliminated the
Although the t55mm Gun GPF was not widely deployed by the US Anny in combat during World
War II, these weapons were sometimes used"m..... captunod. This is a t 55mm GPFT, the most modern typo in French service In 1940, with a new four-wheel configuration for motorized towing. It was captured from Vichy French forces and used in combat in Tunisia by a US fiekt artillery battalion. seen hef'e near FerTYVille, TUnisia, in t943. lNARA!
The 155mm GPF remained in use in some 5econdary roles and is seen here with a US Anny co.astal artillery battery
at Ft. McAndrew !>ear Argentia. Newfoundland, in September 1M3. (NARA)
breech-ring bushing, cuuing the breech threads directly into the breech ring. This was standardized on June 12, 194 [, by which time only 20 Mis had been manufactured; so the M1AI became the standard production \'ariatioll. The gun underwent surprisingly few changes during the W·dr. although \'ariOlIS improvements were considered. such ,IS the fl.HAIEI with chromium plating applied to the bore, and the MIAI £3 with liquidinjection cooling, both modificalions aimed at reducing wear. The only improvement accepted \\~dS the M2, which had a simplified method of attaching the breech ring that was standardized on March 15. 1945. There were a number of modifications and derivatives of the carriage during the war. M1/\ 1s were simply the pilot T2 carriages refurbished for use, and were few in number. A \'arielY of carriages \verc dcveloped to permit the :\11 to be used as a coastal defense weapon but none were standardized. The new "'15 hca...y carriage limber was developed to speed the emplacement of the gun compared to the basic M2 limber and was standardized in March 1944.
21
The 155n1l11 M I gun was so hea\)' thai some special prime mm-er was considered II<-"Ccssary. Until a suilablc prime mm"er could be deployed, the first ballaliulls used tractors. A varicty of commercial hea\"}' trucks \,'ere tested, and e\'clllllall}, the US Army sellied on the Mack :\'0 6x6 7Y'~lon truck as its prime mover ulllil the dedicated ~14 HST became a\'ailahle in 1943, The \i1Al l55mm gllI1 was used prilnarily for corps support and some <19 haualions were raised during the war. Among lhese, 40 served in Europe and seven ill the Paciric. The:Vl IAI wa.~ first deployed to Tunisia in 1943 with the 34th Field Artillery Battalion, It was immediately successful due to its long-range accuracy, If anything, it W'L~ too successful, and during the Italian campaign in 1943-44, it \~-
22
The Mid\'
A dran'l3tic view of a 155mm Gun M1A1 being fired during .llen::ises near Devries in Great Britain in ~ 1943 with the 190th F"idcI ArtiKery Battalion. (NARA)
A 155mm Gun M1 15 towed
ashore from a Landing Craft, Tank (LCT) ilt pt. Caronia, Sicity on August 3., 1943. Tractors wenl u5ed in some units until the stilndard Mack NO truck and M4 High-Speed Tractor (HST) prime movers became available later in 1943. (NARA)
A fine overview of the 8-ln. Howitzer M1 during a demonstration It Aberdeen Proving Ground. The howitzer is $eOn with the regulation pit under the breech 10 pennit 1he weapon to be used at maximum
efevation. (USAOM·APGJ
were ordered but not completed. Including other howitzers prO\;dcd by Btitain direclly to thc AEF. Ihe US .-'\rmy had 475 8-ill. hO\\itzers on hand inJune 1940. The decision to dl.-"\'Clop a n€\,' 8-in. howiTZer was c1osel)' tied to the new MIAI 155mm gun mcntioned abo\'c. These weapons were essentially identical excel" for the gun mhe. After tilC short-lh'ed M 1920 howitl.er fell into limbo like the parallel J5Smm gUll, in 1927 the program was revived resulting firsr in the T2 howitzer with a centrifugally cast barrel, and thell the T3 with a forged and amo-frett,,'1ged barrel. Because of a bck of funding. the program had to wait until 1940 for standardization, with the T3 becoming the new tHn. Howitzer .\-11. Production of this howitzer had lower priority than the associated I55mm bTlIll, starling almost twO years later in July 1942 and totaling 1,006 ho"itl.ers when production ended in June 1945. Although the 155mm gun and the 8-in. howitzer were nearly identical, they could not simply . . w ap b.l.rrels ill the field, as the different \\'cigIH of the gun tubes and different recoil forces required changes to thc recoil S)'stl.:lll that needed dcpot work. The first t,,>,o I)."lualions of 8-in. howitzers were deploynl on the Italiilll front in Nm-emocr 1943. and the gUllS ,,'ere \'ery popular due to lheir accuracy and powe!". As in the case of its twin, the 155mm gun,.he ~'Il 8--in. howitzer ,,·-as used primaril}' for corps support and 39 baualion.. . were raised during Ihe war. Of these, 38 served in Europe and three in the Pacific. The Marine Corps was so impressed by the performance of the S-in. howitzer 011 Okinawa that it began efforts to adopt the weapon, though these had not been completed before the end of the war.
23
TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS: US HEAVY ARTILLERY Cannon type
155mm gun M1A1
carnage type
M'
Recoil mechanism type weight (tonltonne)
M3 20.1/18.2
Length (ft/m) WIClth (fVm) Length of bore (calibers) Mall. elevation (degrees)
34.3110.4 8.2512.5
Max.. powder pressure Oblsq. in.}
45
65 38,000
B<eoch type
Interrupte
Rate of fire Max. range {ydslkm} Recoil type Type of ammunition HE projectile type Projectile weight (Iblkg) HE fill (Iblkg) Propellant weight (Iblkg)
'''''''
6-in. howitzer
Soin·9un
240mm howitzer
M' M' M4
M, M2 M7
M, M' M8
15.&'14.4
34.6131.4 34.1/10.3
29.0126.3 27.518.4
9.212.8 50 50 38,000
9.212.8
65 38,000
Interrupted- screw 1rdl2min
Intenupted-step thread
Interrupted-step thread
''Pm
18,510116.9
35,000132.0 Hydropneumatic
1rd/2mln 25.225/23.1 Hydropneumatic Separate loading M114
40112.2 8.2512.5 25 64
33,000
25,395/23.2 Hydropneumatlc separate loading M101
Hydropneumatic Separate loading
94.7142.9 15.1/6.8 32.2/14.6
200190.7 29.6113.4 107.5/48.8
M'06
Separate loading M103 240/108
2119.5 107148
3601163 54124 78.7/35.6
Black Dragon: the a-in. Gun and 240mm Howitzer
The AIr received 40 British 9.2-in. heavy hmvitzers and the r...lodel 1917 was later produced in the Cniled Slales in small numbers. This type was no longer in scn1ce by 1940. The US Army showed greater interest in the FI'ench 240mm hO\\1tzer, a \\'eapon developed from the experiences of the siege of Pon Arthur during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. Licensed production '""'
24
An B-in. Howitzer M1 of the
105th Fiekl Ar1i11efy Battalion is towed by iln M4 18-ton HST near Carentilly, France on .tuly 31,
1944, during lhe Normandy campaign. (NARA)
• • • •• ••• • u
~
~
~
~
4
c~
'~
~
...
E~ E!!
• 'u
~
4
c 0
A
•
~
•
~
• Q
•• ••
"c c
• c
%
E E ~
o
~
B
c: 105mm Howitzer M3 on Carriage M3A1
c
T
D: 105MM HOWITZER M2A1 ON CARRIAGE M2
-t
SPECIFICATIONS Type 105mm Howitzer M2A1 on Carriage M2 Overall weight (Ib/kg) 4,980/2.260 Length (tum) 19.616.0 Width (tum) 7.0412.14 Length of bore (calibers) 22.5 Mall. elevation (degrees) 66 Max. powder pnlssure Vb/sq. in.) 30,000 Breech type Sliding wedge Rate of fire 2-4rpm Max. range (yds/km) 12.205/11.1 Recoil type Hyd'opneumatic Type of ammunition S9rrj.fixed HE projectile type "'11 Projectile weight (lb1kg) 33/14.9 HE !HI (Iblkg) 4.812.2 Propellant weight (lb/kg) 3.66/1.66
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
<
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31 32
33 34
35 36 37 38
Cannon tube Recuperator cylinder Panoramic telescope case Bevatlng arc "'112A2 panoramic telescope M21 A 1 telescope mount Right upper gun shield flap Breechblock operating handle Breech ring Breech block Cradle Cradle traveling lock Right trail Electncal box for Warner brakes Lunette Drawbar Lett spade Crew trail handle Cleaning staff strap Hand spike strap Left trail Equilibrator assembly Left elevating hand-wheel Traversing hand-wheel
TIre Wheel disk and
rim
Lower gun shield brace
Upper gun shield brace Upper left shield Cradle Recoil sleigh 105mm "'167 High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) Semi-fixed sheU 105mm "'11 High-Explosive shell Cross-section o1105mm propellant cartridge showing propellant bag-charge 105mm "'184 Smoke Semi-fixed shell M48A2 Poim-detonating fuze 10Smm "'11 High-Explosive shell 105mm Semi-fixed propellant
canridge 39 Fiberboard transport container lor 105mm M1 HE shell 40 "'1152 105mm ammunition metal container 41 Long 2-round box IOf 105mm ammunition 42 Long 4-round box lor 105mm ammunition
E: 155mm Howitzer M1 on Carriage M1
E
F: 155mm Gun M1A1 on Carriage M1
F
G: 240mm Howitzer M1 on Carriage M1 ltransport model
G
Black Dr.Igon, the 240mm howitzer, was the most powefful artillery we
new carriage was designed for motorized lowing. This program also went into limbo until funding could be found. t.·lodernized U
33
A pal. of 240mm howib:ltrS from Battery C, 544th Field Artillery Battalion, were used to b
34
The 240mm howitzer \\~d.S the most unwieldy weapon deplored by the US field anillery in World War II. TIle emplaccment of the carriage and howitzer from their lrdi1crs required the a~;stance of a 20-ton Lold.ine Cranc M2, which was pan of the table of oq~anization of these banalions. The crdne was accompanied b}' a clamshell bucket auachment on a l'diler behind, which \\~dS used to help dig an asso<:iated firing pit. It took about two hours Lo emplace the howitzers. On the other hand, the 240mm howitzer was also the most powerful weapon deployed by US artillery units during the war, able to lire a 3601b (165kg) projectile 25,225 yards (23km). \"'heeled transpon wagons proved to be inadequate ,",,'hen moving the 240mm howitzer ovcr soft soil, o\\'ing to the weight of the wed-pon's components. In May 1943, development continued on potcntial impro\·cmcnts, including wider tires or a rracked sllspension. Thc modified tlo£ lEI carriagc wa.s moved using a TI7E! mlnsport wagon with a pair of tracked suspension limbers. Thc wheeled M2 transport wdgon was rcplaced with the TI6EI cannon transport wagon, which had a set of threc medium tank bogies on either side. In June 1944, the Army Cround Forces requestcd tllat a single battalion with six howiuers on the new tracked t...ansport wagons be deployed to the southwcst Pacific and this unit used thc pilot equipmelll. After training in Hawaii and New Caledonia, the baualion saw combat in the fighting for Manila. As mentioned earlier, the 240mm howitzcr WdS designed alongside an 8-in. gun version that shared a related carriage. The main advantage of the 8-in. gun on::r the 240mm howi[7.er was greater range: 33,635 r.mis (30.?km) \"S. 22.225 yards (20.3km), though at thc cxpense of a lightcr 240lb (l09kg) projectile. TIle 8-in. gun actually pro\·ed (0 be a more troublesome project than its ho\\;tzer twin bee-dUse of problems with premature ix>re wear induced by the detonation of its massive 1061b (48kg) propellant charge. E."cessr,-e barrel erosion reduced the accuracy of the \\'eapon. In spite of these problems, production started on tllC 8-in. gun alongside tllC 24Qmm howi.ucr in November 1942, even though it was not standardized as tlle 8-in. Gun MI on Carriage :\12 unlilJanuary 1944. The 8-in. gun and carriage had a number of differences from the similar 240mm howitzer in regard to the equilibrator and recoil systcm
\
r
The 8-io. gun and 24Qmm howitzer we.-e SO large that the carriage and cannon had to be transported separately and assembled in position. Here at Lesse, France, on November 17,
1944,
iI
crane lowers an 8·10.
gun assembly onto the carriage
in Battery C, 243d Field Artillery Battalion. The cannon transport wagon is evident to the left. (NARA)
to accommodate the differences in the gun lUbe \\'cight and recoil forces. As in the case of the 155mm gun and 8-in. howitzer, they could not simply swap barrels in the field. Despite this, the 8-in. g-uo was rushed into action in Italy to meet requcsu for a weapon capable of dealing with the long-range German 170mm gUll. Four gUllS arriycd in haly in April 1944, two going to the Amio front and tWO to Cassino. They proved enormollsly successful both in c.onnter-battery fire ag-J.inst German lon!{-range guns, and in long-range aniller)' missions. There were numerous attempls to develop Cixes for the barrd erosion, including rifling chang-es, chromium plating, and other techniques, none of which were slandardized owiug to the end of tile war. A.s a resull, production of the 8-in. gun totalctllcss than half of its 240mm howitzer twin, al only 139 guns byJune 1945. Because of performance problems \vilh the 8-in. gun lube, lhe 240mm howitzer version of lhis family was the predorninam lype in senice. Some 21 240mm howitzer battalions were raised, \\'ith 15 serving in Europe and five in the Pacific, primal;l}' in the Philippines in 1945. In contrJ.St, only eight 8-in. gun battalions were formed, five serving in Europe and three in the Pacific, the latter mainly on the Philippines in 1945. The most powerful US artillery weapon de\'eloped in World War II ""as the 914mm TI ~Little Da\;d~ monar, which could fire a 3,6501b (l,655kg) projectile some 9,000 Ydfds (8.2km). Oe\'elopmem started in March 1944, but it \~-J..S not completed in time for deployment.
35
THE INTERNATIONAL DIMENSION Foreign artillery in US service Curiously enough, the first ShOl fired by l;$ field artillery against the Wchnnacht in World \Var II came not from a US-manufactured hO\,itzer, hut from a British-manufaClured 25-pdr. The 3':1dl Division was the first US infantry division deployed to the ETO and at the time, its three lQ5mm battalions had not received their new howitzers. As a result, these battalions were equipped with British 25-pdrs during their training in Northern Ireland and Scotland in the spring of 1942. When deployed to Tunisia in November 1942, the di,ision's 175th Field Artillery Battalion used its 25-pdrs in combat for the fiI1it time during the race for Tunis. The 34th Division's battalions were reequipped \'\-i.th the I05mm howitzer later in me Tunisian campaign afier their 25-pdrs had been worn OUL So mall)' German artillery pieces were captured in France in 1944 that a number of US field artillery battalions established ~Z Batteries," which used the German weapons until the ammunition was exhausted. The only systematic use was by the US First Army's 32d Ficld Artillery Brig-dde, with two provisional battalions formed in the ETO in November 1944. So lllany German artillery weapons and shells had been captured in the summer figlHing tllat it was decided temporarily to reorc,fdIlize the battalion to exploit this windfall. Weapons used included German 105mm and 150mm field howitzers, 88mm antitank guns, and French 155mm guns. In tile Pacific theater, tI\ere was occasional use of Allied weapons. For example, during the be campaign on New Guinea, tile 503d Parachme Infantry I{egiment was assigned to drop on the mountainous Nad7.ab airsmp on September 5, 1943. With the paratroopers lacking any fire support, the Australian Army provided se\'el,,1 "baby 25-pdrs," a lightweight version of the 2~pdr manufactured in Australia. These were air-dropped imo Nad7..' lb along Witll gunners of the 2/4th Ficld Regimeill. Following the heavy losses of US equipment in the Ardennes during the Baltle of the Bulge, Britain loaned 100 25-pdrs and 300,000 rounds of ammunition to temporarily equip US field artillery battalions until
The 503d Parachute l",antty
Regiment was supported by Australian "baby 25_pdrs" of the 2/4th Field Regiment during the airdrop On the Nadzab
airstrip on September 5, 1943,
36
in New Guinea, and are seen here several days after being used by US paratroopers.. (HARA)
The 244th Field Artillery Battalion was assigned the task 01 using up the ample SUP9!Y of captured German ;utillery and ammunition. This is a captured Gennan 88mm PaK 43/41 being used to support a 6th Armored Division operation during the Battle of the Bulge on De<:embet21. 1944. {NARA)
additional supplies arrivcd from the United States. Man)' of thcse were used in battalions of the US :'\imh Army, which at the time was attached to :\10Iltgomery's 21st Ann)' Group. International use
In comparison to other types of materiel such as tanks, aircraft, alld trucks, US export of field artillery under the Lend-Lease program was very modest, The most significant recipients of Lend-Lease - Great Bt'itain and the Soviet Union - were nOt very imerested in US field artillery, since their artillery differed from C'S calibers. In the case of the British Army, the exception was in light artillery and heavy artillery. In addition, some Canadian-produced 25-pdrs, funded by the United States, were cawgorized as Lend-Lease aid e,·en though not acmally manllfacrured in the C'S. The siruation was quite different in the POSl\\~.rr years, when the CS delivered a considerable amount of field an.illel")' to allies around the world undcr the Military Assistance Program, and thc Foreign Military Sales progmm, Indeed, types such a<; the l05nun Ho,..itzer M2AI, redcsil,'1lated as the I05mm Howi.tzer MIOI after the \\"dr, arc still in use around the world a half-century later,
us
LEND-LEASE FIELD ARTILLERY DELIVERIES, 1941-45
UK 75mm Gun M1916 75mm pack howrtz~ 75mm fl9ld howitz~ 25-pdr 1OSmm
Howitz~
M2A1
105mm Howitz~ M3 155mm howrtz~ 155mm GPF gun 155mm Gun M1Al 8-in. howitzer 8-in. gun 240mm howitzer
170 826 192 16 2 236 54
18' 610 17 26
China
France
Latin America
2
637 125 62
"6 36
58
60
.
223
23. 12 48 25
18 18 2
37
CANNON ON THE MOVE
38
Field artillery motorization A lll~j()r goal of the 1941 artillery modernization plans was the dc\'d~ opmctlt of dedicated prime muvers for towed field artillery. While smaller weapons such as the 75mlll pack howitzer and 105rnm howil.lcr could be lowed by trucks, the larger weapons posed a problem, particularly when being lowed over rough terrain. As a result, se\'eral Hsrs were developed for this role. f\s in we case of the artillery, the Army had an extensive program to de\'e1op prime movers prior to lhe war, but iJlslIllicicnt funds lor a tr-lIlsition to series production. Due to space considerations, the accollnt here is limited to those types that aetlL.'llly entered serial production, bill a number of other rypes were de\'e1oped duling the \\~dI". TIle ),'14 IS-ton Hsr was dt....·c1op(:d by the Allis-ChaLmers Co. and W-dS intcndc..'
The Mack NO 7·ton truck was one of the standard prlme movers for the 155mm gun and is seen here In March 1943 during exerciSeS with the 16th Field Artillery Brigade. (NARA)
The M!I HST was the standan:l prime mover for medium field artillery such as the 4.5-1n. gun and 15Smm howitzer. This M5 is the late<' type fitted with a .50-cal. mac:hi...... g... on a ring mount, and the frnme for the canvas weathef' COYef' is seen
erected. (NARAJ
The standard prime mover for the 105mm Howitzer M2A1 was the 2'I.-ton truck, usually the GMC short-wheelbase CCKW-352, like the one seen here during the Operation Torch
landings in Norlh Africa in November 1942. (NARA!
Department approved the ~dditioll of a IvI49C ring mount for the .5O-Cal. heavy machine gun over the u'oop compartment. This was in some cases modified in the field or at depots using kits, and Win umil 1944. These delays forced the Army to field expedient prime movers until the \16 HST became available. 'lle first of these \\~<1S the M33 prime mover, which wa.<; cOll\'erted from surplus M31 tank-rcco\'ery \'ehicles (TRVs). This was based on the M3 medium tank. but had the recO\'ery equipment. crane. and turret I"emo\'ed. It \...-<1S deployed to the Italian theater \~;th the first 240mm howitzer battalions in the spring of 1944,
A shortage of .surplus M31 TRVs led to the decision to convcrt M32Bl TRVs to the prime mover role a:; the M34 at the Chester Tank Depot. This program produced the shortest-lived of the three expedient prime mO\'ers, with only 24 built. A morc practical conversion was the use of surplus MlOAl tank-destroyer hulls with the turret removed, designated as the ~'135 prime mover. These wcre converted at the Lima tank plant in 1944, and llle M35 was the IllOSl common '-}'PC deployed willI 240mm hO\\;tzer baualions in France in 1944. The M6 HST linaU}' arrived in the ETO in the spring of 1945 ....'illl a small number of heavy field artillery baualions. but it was a relatively ,drc type, FIELD ARTILLERY PRIME MOVER PRODUCTION, 1941-45 1943 M4 HST 1,644 M5 HST M6HST 0 M33 PM" 60 M34 PM" 0 M35 PM· 0 Total 2,679 'Prime mover CCIfM!PfSions
97'
40
'944 2,911 3,503 724 49 24 209 7,420
194' 1,256 1,401
Total 5,811 5,879 1,235
0 0
24 209 13,267
", 0
3,168
'09
Field artillery mechanization The \\'esten'elt Board had recommended the widespread mechani7..ation of artillery when funds permined, that ill, moun ling the artillery on self-propelled trdcked '·ehides. Although lhere w-as a good deal of experimentation ....ith self-propelled artillery in lhe early 19205, lhis mode of deployment was vcry controversial and generally rejecled through the interwar years. Artillery officers tell that tbe existing lmetors were simply too slow and unreliable, and preferred motorization LO mechanization.
The M4 HST was the standard prime mover for the 155mm gun and 8-1n. howitzer. This M4 is emplaclng an 8-in. howiber of the 999th Field Artillery Battalion (Colored) near Nanles-Gassicourl, France, on August 20, 1944. This was one of a number of segf"898led African-American artill8fY units sefYing in the ETO in 1$44-45. (NARA)
The M33 prime move.. was used as an elCP8
tt>e
M6 HST. and one
is seen here towing II 240mm
Cannon transport wagon near Mt. PorchIa, Italy, on .January 27, 1944. These were most commonly seen with the
three heavy artillery battalions in Italy in carty 1944. (MARA)
Attitudes towards mechanization chang<.-d aff.er 1940, largel)' due to the formation of the US Armored Force. "D1C tank officers wanted artillery weapons that could keep pace with the tank units. .As an expediel1l, the I05mm howitzer was mounted on the M3 half-track as Ihe T19 105111rn HMC, and 324 were manufactured by the Diamond T Car Comp<\n)· from January to April 1942. This was used by thc first annorcd field artillery battalions in Tunisia in 1942-43. but also \\-as used by infantry c.mnon companies pending the arrival of the ro.'13 l05mm howitzer. The TI9 \\'as not an entirely satisf'lct.ory desib'll, and in the meamime, the Ordnance Department adapted the I05mm Howitzer M2Al to the M:1 mediulI1 lank chassis as the M7 I05mm HMC; by the tillle iT entered production lhe M4 medium t,"lnk was being built, so the M7 is llsually considered a variant of the :\"1<1 (Shennan) mediLUn taIl!;. The :'\tJ7 became the only significant self-propelled artillery weapon of the US field artiller)' in World War II. Production of me M7 began at the American Locomotive Co. in April 1942 and continued, with 5e\'eral intermptions, through October 1944, \\;th some 3,314 f\Hs being completed. Since the M4/\3 medium lank \\'as selected by the Army in the summer of 1943 as its preferred mriant, in 1944 production shiftcd to a version based on lhis chassis, tbe M7Bl, and il was manufaclured at the Pressed Slee! Car Co. hom ylarch 1944 to February 1945, \~;th 826 built, bringing the grand tolal of \17 wartime production to 4, 140 vehides. The M7 first entered combat during lhe campaign on Sicily in July 1943 'with the armored field artillery battalions of the 2d Annored Division. As in the case of the Tl9, some were also deploycd wit.h infantry cannon companies, but. this became less cornmon in Europe by thc end of 1943 as the new M3 I05mrn howitzer became the authorized weapon under the revised September 1943 organization table. Another secondary usc for the M7 \\PdS as an e.xpcdient assault gun in the headquarters companies of tank battalions until the new M4 105n1l0 assault gun became available. Assault guns were the ani.llcry weapons assigned to armored and cavalry units for dircu-fire support and were manned by amlon.-'d force or e\VAlr)' troops, not field artillery troops.
41
42
During 1943, the Army decided to extend me use of the ~17 I05mm HMC beyond the armored divisions and to raise armored field arLillery battalions that could be assigned for corps support. In total, some 67 armored field artillery battalions were equipped with the M7; 62 served in the European campaigns (48 divisional, 14 non-divisional) and three battalions served in the Pacific, all non-divisional corps-suppon baltaliOIlS that fought in the Philippines. The US Marine Corps began acquiring the M7BI 105mm H\oIC in 1944 to replace the old M3 75mm Gun Motor Carriage (Gt.'IC) in their Special Weapons Ihttalion. These were employed as direct-fire assault hruns and saw combat in me final campaigns of 1945, such as on Okill
The M35 prime........,.. was II turnttleu MIa tank destro)'er and
was used to tow the components of supe....l>eavy artillery. Hore one is seen towing an 8-in. gun on Its cannon transport wagon. (NARAI
The principal US sell-propelled field artillery vehicle of World War II was the M110!5mm HMC, which combined the durable M4 medium tank chassis with the M2Af 10Smm howitzer. (NARAI
Infantry cannon companies used the Tt9 105mm HMC in 1"2-43 in North Africa and the early stages of the Italian eampalgn. This T19 Is seen In Tunisia In 1943. (NARA)
.....ere buih, production beginning in February 1945. as well as 48 of the similar ~
us
MECHANIZED FIELD ARTILLERY PROpUCTION, 1941-45
T19 105mm HMC M7105mm HMC M7S1 105mm HMC M37 105mm HMC M12 155mm GMC M41155mm HMC M40 155mm GMC M43 8-1n, HMC Total
1942 324
1943
2.028
786
1944
2,412
Total
324 500 664
60
1945
40
826
1,164
176 162 1SO
3,490 826
150 100
. . 65
85
394
394
1,015
5,417
FURTHER READING US artillery of World War [[ has not attracLCd the amount of attention of other wC'.lpons, such
44
The M12 155mm GMC was buill in modest numbers but proved to be a highly successful direct-fire weapon for attacking the fortified Siegfried Line. This one, nicknamed "Buccaneer,· is seen in action :;olong the French frontier on Novembeo- 25, f944_ (NARA)
the pre-,"ar years. A number of masters lheses have been prepared over the years at the US Army Command and General Slaff College at Fon lea\,· em,·onh dealing with wartime artillery de,·dopmenrs, such as Scou McMeen's -Field Artillery Doctrine Development 1917-1945" (1991). The production dam presented here was summarized from the 'Var Production Board's 1947 internal publication, "Official Munitions Production of the United States,- from the copy located allhe US Army :\'Iilitary History InstitUle (~·n-II), Carlisle Barrdcks, Pennsylvania. For those interested in more delails on the wartime weapons, the US Army Ordnance lechnical manuals (T~19-) prO\i.de a good deal of data, and funher information on operating the weapons can be found in the field manuals (FM). These manuals arc available at many US archives such as MHI, some are available on-line from the MHI websile, and some are available in digital form from CD publishers.
-,
OLher Litles worth viewing are; Comparato. Frank, Agp of the Greal Guns (Stackpole: 1965) Crowell, B(;llcdict, Aml'nm's Munitions 1917-1918 (CPO: 1919) DasLrup, Boyd, King of BaUle: A Branch His/or)' ofthl' US Arm)~' Field ArtiliPr)' (US Army TAADOC: 1991) Green, Constance, et aL, The Ordnance Dt>part1l1ent: Pltmllirlg NIll nilion.s for Hilr (GPO: 1955) Hogg, Ian, The American Arsmal (reprint of 1944 Catalog ofSt..'ludard Ordnance hems); (Creenhill; 1996) :\'la)'o, Lida, The Onlnance Dqmrtmmt: On &achhead ami BattkJro'll (GPO, 1968) Schreier, Konrad, Standard Gllitle to US World H'I1r l17(m/u ami Artillery (Krausc: 1994) Thomson, Harry, and Lida ~'la)'o, The Ordnanu Dtparlmtmt: Proruremnlt and Stipp!'), (GPO: 1960) laloga, StC\"enJ., US Amwrtd Artillery in l''Orld nar f/ (Concord: 2002)
Two pilot systems lor the new T83 155mm SPa altd T89 8-in.
HMC
_re sent to the ETO in
February 1945 'or eombat trials, but both _re eonflgured wTth the 155mm Gun M1A1. They sefVed in eombst during the final months of tn. war, and here one i$ seen In action in
Germany on March 30, f945, with the wreckage 0' a JU-87 Stuka d .... e-bomber In tl>e foreground. (MARA)
1
45
COLOR PLATE COMMENTARY us ARMY ARTILLERY CAMOUFLAGE AND MARKINGS US field artillery was uniformly painted in overall lusterless olive drab. Although a number of engineering publications recommended various types 01 camouflage painting, these were exceedingly uncommon as ttley were regarded as a waste of time. The preferred method of camouflage was the use of camouflage nets over the gun positions. There were some exceptions. such as the use of whitewash dlXing the winter of 1944-45. FIeld artinery usually carried no unit rnantings or any other sort of tactical mar1dng. A: THE PREWAR LEGACY A1: 75mm Pack Howitzer M1A1 on Carriage M1 The 75mm pack howitzer was originally mounted on a box-trail carriage with wooden-spoked w~s. This configuration was rarely used by the US Army except in difficult terrain conditions where mule or horse transport was necessary, such as the
Burma theater. A2: 1S5mm Howitzer M1917A1 on Carriage M1918A3 The Schneider was in service in the US Army in both French-manufactured versions. such as the one here, and the US-manufactured M1918. The motOl'izaliOl'l program of the mid-1930s resulted in the addition of pneumatic tires as well as some other small detail changes such as l\and-brakes to locI< the wheels. A3: 155mm Gun M1918M1 on Carriage M3 The 155mm Gun M1918Ml was high-speed in 1941 for motorized traction. This weapon was used in Imiled numbers in the early PacifIC campaigns, such as in the Philippines and GuadaIcanaI, but seldom afterwaros.
46
The Br1tlsh 21st Army Group loaned the US 12th Army group somo 100 25-pdr field guns to temporarily make up for losses during the Battle of the Bulge. Here a battery from tho 76th Field Artillery Battalion is seen supporting the 2d Infantry Division near S<;honeseiffen on Febr\lary 3., 1945. (NARA)
box strapped to the Irails during transport. Ahhough the weapon filtld the same projectiles as the larger M2A1 10Smm howitzer, it had to use less powerful propelling charges due to the limrts of its carriage. As a resutl, the arnmlXlition for the M3 was painted differently, wtth a solid yellow higtl-explosive protedile instead of the more common oIive-drab projectile with yeIow mar1Ungs.
B: 105MM HOWITZER M2Al ON CARRIAGE M2A2 This was the final configuration of the M2A1 howitzef during the war, using the M2A2 carriage with its distinctive auxiliary splinter shield on the front. The exceptions to the overall olive-drab paint finish are evident here: the cleaning stakes on the left trails were sometimes left in varnished wood finish, aod the aiming stakes on Ihe right trails are in the usual divided white/red pattern.
0: 105MM HOWITZER M2A1 ON CARRIAGE M2 This plate shows the initial production version of the 105mm Howitzer M2A1 with the M2 carriage. The carriage is distinguishable by the battery box on the right trail that was used with the Warner electric brakes. The later M2A1 carriage deleted this feature, though some M2 carriages were atlered to this standard by leaving the box in place but removing Ihe battery, wiring, and brakes.
C: 105MM HOWITZER M3 ON CARRIAGE M3A1 The 105mm Howitzer M3 used a lightweight carriage and so had to be lowered to the ground to create a stable firing platform. The sighting instruments were carried in a small
Tha Me HST W8S the preferred prime mover for super-heavy artillery, but was not deployed until late 1944. Thi$ M6 is towing a traCked T17El carriage transport wagon for the 240mm howitzer in Hawaii, on December 28, 1944. (NARA)
[
The 105mm howitze(s ammunition generally came packaged in one of three fashions: a two-round wooden box, a four-round wooden box, Of a one-round metal tube. Within these containers, the ammunition was packaged in a black fiber-board tube with colored tape to Identify the type ~ yellow in the case 01 high explosive. The lOSmm ammunition was semi-fixed, thai is, it came packaged with the propellant casing separate from the round to allow the gutw'lel" to select: the nt.mbef of iocfements in the bag ctIaIge for the necessary range, deleting however many to reach the right number. Once this was done, the propellant was placed inside the brass casing, and the casing joined 10 the projectile, so when 1oaOed, the round was a single piece. The projectile color helped identify the type: olive drab with yellow markings for high explosive and HEAT (High-Explosive Anti-tank), gray with yellow mar1dngs for smoke.
were distil""lQuished by the color of the cloth bag liners. Heavy artillery projectiles came with an inert plug In the fuse pocket at the front with a ring for ease of handling. Prior to firing, the gunner would unscrew tile plug and replace It with the appropriate fuse.
E: 155MM HOWITZER M1 ON CARRIAGE M1
G: 240MM HOWITZER M1 ON CARRIAGE. M1 (TRANSPORT MODE)
The 155mm Howitzer Ml used a splillrait M1 caniage witt1
1
a folding base-plate at the front to provide a very stable three-point suspension when firing. During transit, the square base-plate was stowed on top of the trails. while the recoil spades were removed and stowed on the outside of the trails. Like most heavy field artillery pieces, the M1 howitzer used separated ammunition. The propellant came in an acrylic cotton cloth bag charge consistil""lQ of the base charge, which was always fired, plus a number of smaller increments that vaned in nunber depending on the range 10 target. Before loadil""lQ the bag charge, the gunner would remove any necessary increments to arrive at the proper propellant load. On heavy field artillery, two types of propellant charges were supplied, -Green bag- charges that contained less propellant and wete intended lor targets in the inner zones of fwe, and ""Ntlite bag- chasges lor talgets in the outer zone. These
F: 155MM GUN M1A1 ON CARRIAGE Ml Due to its enormous recoil, the 155mm Gun M1Al was Iow"ered to the ground before flfing. To further redUC8 the effect of recoil, the M1 carriage was fitted with two sets of recoil spades, one set behind the whee6 and one set at the rear of the split trails. The top illustration shows it in travel mode with the M2 heavy carriage limber in place and the bamlI Iod<ed in position, while the lower side view shows the gun in firing position with the trails extended, the wheels raised, and the recoil spades in position.
The enormous size of the 240mm Howitzer M1 made it difficult to transport and emplace. The first production series used wheeled transport wagons to carry the howitzer, the M2A1 cannon transport wagon (1) to carry the cannon and recoil system, and the M3 carriage transport wagon (2). Some of the battalions deployed in the Pacific used an improVed system with tracked wagons - the T16E1 cannon transport wagon (3) and the T17El carriage transpor1 wagon (4). The cannon could be assembled on the carriage by two methods, USing a crane for speed or using a winch if the crane was not available. The iUn CNW of .. 1SSmm Gun M1A1 ram '-ne the pmjectile
while 'the gu",*" to the left holds the P"OP't'Uant bag c::haf9II during the fighting in the Ardennes in January 1945. lNARAl
1
\
.,
INDEX Ikfn.'n",,, to
iII"w''''Io''s art' shO'ol"n
in bold.
Pla,... art' ,h"" .. ,,·;,h 1'''1....... ,d ,,,,p,j,,,,
I"'....~I()'" in h"'..
...,u.
air ollie••"";",, 3. !l. " airr....ft.Ju-87 SIl.b 45 AlIi..clu.lm..". Co. 1lS. Y.l AIIKnc-...,., F.xl"'"ti,io""ry For<:~ (ALl') 4.8. IS, 20. 22_~'3. 24 AmcriclHI.....,,",o,;,..., ('A). ~1 "mmun;,io" 10.16. 47 :lSS:I.uhgwu 41.42 Au>tr,.. I,,,,, AFnI)', 2/4th .1eld RctP~m 36.3G
8r.odlc-); ('"" 0",,,. 6
Krit,'" \lWI :artillery p;e.:u.lic.." .....l nunuIa
0\11 'FIll.H) ~12-\1
8
~12A3
opli'-tr:ail 8.9 ~13 A3 (S,.J6) ~llmF. 'l,li,·"....'1 8 Ol~ t>oo.,~r ~1I
10. LO. II, li,AI (2.'i.·I6),.:(30,-li). G ('2.47) :\12 3. II. II. l't. 12.0 (2ll-29. -46-17) ~12.'\1 6.12 :\1'2,\2 12. '3. 8 (26. 46)
:\121:1/[2 II :\13 13 M3A1 8.13. C (27. 46) .\13.-\VA.' l'I M8 S.7
"j
DiaJllolLf1 T C"r (h ·11 U~
t'Th"ic"l·ch",...lC1~r\Slicl. gun.
!lO",ill-"r:I 1:>
11~ld
!:''''' A",,,',,li,,,, "bab;'" ~~·pdr 36.36 Brill,I, 2:..pdr .%-37. ·16 1>11 4.'>-i". 9.18. Il:I-t<J ~';c1d Howil,.("r. ~I tAl 7:;mm 8. 9 ..~7 Fir~ Direction ('"."".!' (FDC) :1.5-6 fon';':" "rl;ll~!'}';'l L:S I('r,ic~ 36. %-M. 37 Fr~nrh W\..~ "r1iller) pi,~·e., Ik""""d ma""fact"...· ~. 4. 5. 14_15, W MC Ill",
48
liS curpo 18--24,3-'_.'15 t<:ehnic:lll chara<:teri"ic.< 18 ho>
no
"""'-
_.w...F".dd 11'-;1>:<:1, MIAI 7.~mm; l'ack H....;"'-""'. ~ll 7.'>mm totl &-in. 9,22-23,23.!-t, 24, 37, 40 .\II IX'on,m 15,16-18.17,18. 20. E (30, 47) &11 '?-!Omm "Illark Dr:og...." 9. C (32, -In, n. :n--35, 3-4, 37 MIAI IlY.omm 3 M2 lO!tmm 9--13. 10. II M2AI 9, II. 11_13, ,,:, 13, 15. B (26, 16), o (2S-29. 4&-47), .'Ii, 39 M31Q;;nun 9,13, I'" 14, 11>, C (27, 16), ~ 41 M191S24Ornm 24.33 MI9'.!O 100mm 10.10 Schllritkr 155m", 4.4,14-16. I.!i, 16. 37 M1917Al A! (25.46) 1') 100mm 14
Landing Craft. Tank (LeT) 23 1..,,,,I-u...,,, pro!-,.......m 37 li",t,.,r, f>l.) hea')" carriage 21 luca.<, ~laj G<:"Jo1on ~3
Co"'?""""-".r, TI"'"" 10
field artill!',...,
h~a,'Y :utill~r~"
Int.,mational Har".,""r Co. 3iI international u.i<: 37
.\1191&\1 15.1,,...16,16 .\l1'.lIM3'\2 (25,'16) n/r." 11 "mn!', IJ",,;n~ ~I~
.\11 nmm 8 ~Il 155mm 9, :''1), 21. 2'2. 23. 23, 36 ~t IAI 9. W-I".!.:n, 24.~' (31. ·.7). 37, 4' .\1'.1 75mm ll-9 MI89775mm 8-9 MIS97A44,7,8.9 ~II918MII!>"mm 20,.<\3 (25• .J6) MI920/~fl922E 4.7·i", 18
gun mOlOr nrri;,!;,·o ((;~IC.<) ~1121.~.'>mm '12.44 .\1-10 15!>mm 42-43 g"n.. "",ufO fi~1d guru &-in. 24.34-3-;.35.37,42 7"",,,, 4-5 c;n.man PaK 43/4 I 88m'" 37 CPI' (C....HJ J"'~
MacArthur, Gen Dougl... 9. 15 marking" 46 Mc:",i" (:.en Lesl"}' 12 mechanization, fidd "",ill",}' .\0-4-1 ,," ,,1'0 ;,;un molor carriage.<; ho"'l~er molor carriages m~chani,-ed f,dd "nil!cry production, 19·11--15 H Mld"ale Sled and Ol'dn.. ,,,,," ..". 22 mortar. TI 9\1",m "tittle Oa,id'" 3co ",o,orimtion, lield artiller}' 38-4il _ «iw prime n""u", 'raClO~ lr\lckl NadLab a.ifSlrip 36. 36 0p"r.llion Cobra 18 Operation Torr), .'19 Orrlna""" ('bn, 1925 Ten-\"ar 6, II, IS Pack 1-l"";17J"-. ~I I Ijmm 5,6. 15, 37 ~IIAI 5,6. G-i, 9, 15. AI (2.5,46).:\7 Pre..ed Sleel (''""' C", 41 prim<: """'...." _ ab!>cannoll u-an,purt "-a;,"",", !roOdO"'; 1n1C~
~I33
39.40.41 :\134 40
M35 40.42
l.rod""t;"'" 1941_15 10 prodlleUoI\. US fidd WIler); in \rooM War II 9 prod"Cl;"", US n"-",h ..,,iR..I f",lel "nilk,y• 19·11--1544 .....Ii" ",,,,,,,,,,,i,,,,;,,,,.. 3,5 rockel laul>chers, 4.!Hn. ar-til"''1' T32 X),k.pho",· 19, 19 "1"66 Hon~'\;omb 19.20 ",lf1>n>pelled artillery -W-H.45 wll44gun mOtor carriagn; !>o...;w:-r "lUtI... OlrtUgc>
TIl!l lcoSmm 45 Siegfnro Un" 42.« ScIf.PTopel~ Gun.
l«hnKal
clurac~riotin
US d;,"i
lfUC""
"" <Jloo> prime """''eO; Holt M<Xle1 £> ar,,>Of'n1 4 M4 IS..." Hog!> Spn:d {HST} 22. !-t, 38. 4lJ. 40 ~t5 l3-con High-Speed 17, 19,3&-39.39.40 )1638-«",lligh...'ij,,-'<:<1 39.40, .16 lnlc,,"
_1IlH pri~ """'"en; tr.M:""'" GMC cr:"W.!I02 2~,ol'M' 39 ~I:ock 1':0!ix6 7-1on 2'2.38 "nil<:d Sl,""-< Army :\rmore'd O..iloion. 2d 41 A... n~. Rftl, 3.'\ Aim); Niluh 37 Cannon (",01111""1). 9th (2<1 Illf. Diy.) 13 n"",,:olI Arl;lIelY K~Il~lion. F/2·\olth 20
I);,uoon,
~")(h
3
O;,·i"',,,.34,11 36 field art;lIerr 0011:\1;0'" 5lh (Iu Inf. Oi,.) 15 Ifl,h 19. 19 ~'Oth 14th Inf. Oi,,) 18 34'" 71)lh 46
n
IOSth 1751h 2-1:k1 244111 .'>22d 544tl\
24 ~l>
35 97 12 94
.~~2d 9~
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The design, development, operation and history of the machInery of warfare through the ages
US Field Artillery of World War II Determined to learn from the lessons of World War I, the US Army developed a new generation of field artillery weapons and tactics during the 1930s. Consequently, in World War II it was the clear leader in field artillery. Steven J Zaloga provides a thorough examination of the many critical innovations and doctrines that were introduced, including the motorization of artillery, Fire Direction Centers, aerial observation, and radio communications. Exploring, in their entirety, the weapons that formed the backbone of the US artillery arsenal in World War II, this book reveals a wealth of detail not readily
Cutaway artwork.
Photographs
available elsewhere.
US $15.951 $22.95 CAN
OSPREY PUBLISHING
www.ospreypublishing.com
