M37 105 mm howitzer motor carriage | |
---|---|
Type | Self-propelled artillery |
Place of origin | United States |
Service history | |
In service | 1950–1953 (U.S Army) |
Used by | United States Spain |
Wars | Korean War |
Production history | |
Manufacturer | Cadillac |
Produced | January 1945–1953 |
No. built | 316 |
Specifications | |
Mass | 46,000 lb (20.87 metric tons) |
Length | 5.49 m (18 ft 0 in) including rear storage |
Width | 3 m (9 ft 10 in) |
Height | 2.77 m (9 ft 1 in) |
Crew | 7 |
Elevation | 42.8 to -10.5 degrees |
Traverse | 25.4° left and 26.3° right; manual |
Effective firing range | Conventional |
Feed system | hand |
Armor | 12.7 mm (0.50 in) |
Main armament | 105 mm Howitzer M4 in Mount M5 126 rounds |
Secondary armament | .50 cal (12.7 mm) Browning M2HB machine gun in ring mount T107 990 rounds |
Engine | Twin Cadillac Series 44T24 220 hp (164 kW) at 3,400 rpm (per engine) |
Power/weight | 12 hp (8.9484 kW) / tonne |
Transmission | Hydramatic 8 speeds forward, 4 reverse |
Suspension | Torsion bar |
Fuel capacity | 110 US gallons (420 litres) |
Operational range | 100 mi (160 km) |
Maximum speed | 30-35 mph (48-56 km/h) max road speed |
The M37 105 mm howitzer motor carriage is a 105 mm howitzer self propelled gun developed by the United States. It saw combat in the Korean War and remained part of the U.S. military until being replaced in the late 1950s. [1] Approximately 316 were built. [1]
The M37 105 mm howitzer motor carriage (named T76 105 mm HMC during development starting in 8 July 1943 [2] ) was developed by the US on an extended M24 Chaffee base, and was intended to be the successor to the 105 mm M7 Priest. It used the same 105 mm Howitzer M4 as the ones mounted on some M4 Sherman medium tanks. The M37 HMC was an open topped vehicle using torsion bar suspension with tracks 16 in (41cm) wide. Though the gun performance was similar to that of the M7 Priest, the use of the lighter chassis from the M24 Chaffee made the self-propelled gun easier to handle. [3]
Standardized for production in January 1945 with all units being built by the Cadillac Division of General Motors, the M37 was built too late to see action in World War II. However, it would see action with US forces as an artillery piece during the Korean War. [2] Out of the 448 units ordered, 316 M37 HMCs were built, at least 150 post war. [1] The M37's thin armor (0.5 in or 1.27 cm) could provide protection from small arms fire and artillery splash, but nothing greater [1] . Its "pulpit" machine gun, like that of the M7 Priest, could be used for anti-aircraft purposes, and its 105 mm Howitzer M4 was able to turn a total of 51.7 degrees. [3] Though its basis, the M24 Chaffee, was fast, the M37 was much more sluggish due to the amount of ammunition it carried (126 rounds), its recoil system, and the weight of the 105 mm howitzer M4. [4]
After the war, some units would see service in foreign countries, such as in the Spanish Army. [4] Both the M37 as well as the M7 would be replaced in the late 1950s by the M52 HMC, a self-propelled gun built on the M41 light tank. [5]
This page details tank production by the United States of America during World War II.
The M24 Chaffee was an American light tank used during the later part of World War II; it was also used in post–World War II conflicts including the Korean War, and by the French in the War in Algeria and the First Indochina War. In British service it was given the service name Chaffee after the United States Army general, Adna R. Chaffee Jr., who helped develop the use of tanks in the United States armed forces. Although the M41 Walker Bulldog was developed as a replacement, M24s were not mostly removed from U.S. and NATO armies until the 1960s and remained in service with some Third World countries.
The 25pdr SP, tracked, Sexton was a Canadian-designed self-propelled artillery vehicle of the Second World War. It was based on Canadian-built derivatives of the American M3 Lee and M4 Sherman tank chassis. Canada had set up to produce the Ram tank using the M3 chassis and Grizzly to complement US medium tank production; when Sherman production in the US expanded and supply was no longer a problem, it was decided in 1943 to switch the Canadian production lines to produce the Sexton to give the British Army a mobile artillery gun using their 87.6 mm (3.45 in) Ordnance QF 25-pounder gun-howitzer for commonality with towed guns. The Sexton could fire either HE shell or an armour-piercing shell. It found use in the Canadian, British, and other British Commonwealth armies, as well as other countries. After the war, a number of Sextons and Grizzlies were sold to Portugal, which used them into the 1980s.
The Bishop, formal designation Ordnance QF 25-pdr on Carrier Valentine 25-pdr Mk 1, was a British self-propelled gun vehicle based on the Valentine tank and armed with the QF 25-pounder gun-howitzer, which could fire an 87.6 mm (3.45 in) 11.5 kg (25 lb) HE shell or an armour-piercing shell. A result of a rushed attempt to create a self-propelled gun, the vehicle had numerous problems, was produced in limited numbers and was soon replaced by better designs.
The 105 mm howitzer motor carriage M7 was an American self-propelled artillery vehicle produced during World War II. It was given the official service name 105 mm self propelled gun, Priest by the British Army, due to the pulpit-like machine gun ring, and following on from the Bishop and the contemporary Deacon self-propelled guns.
The M114 is a towed howitzer developed and used by the United States Army. It was first produced in 1942 as a medium artillery piece under the designation of 155 mm Howitzer M1. It saw service with the US Army during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, before being replaced by the M198 howitzer.
The M4 Sherman tank was produced in several variants, a result of mass production spread across several manufacturers and several years. It was also the basis for a number of related vehicles and Shermans have been modified by several nations, ranging from upgrades to complete hull conversions for another task. Originally designed in 1941, M4 variants were still used by Israel during the 1967 and 1973 wars with its Arab neighbors.
The M101A1 howitzer is an artillery piece developed and used by the United States. It was the standard U.S. light field howitzer in World War II and saw action in both the European and Pacific theaters and during the Korean War. Entering production in 1941, it quickly gained a reputation for accuracy and a powerful punch. The M101A1 fires 105 mm high explosive (HE) semi-fixed ammunition and has a range of 12,330 yards (11,270 m), making it suitable for supporting infantry.
The 155 mm gun motor carriage M40 was an American self-propelled artillery vehicle built on a widened and lengthened medium tank M4A3 chassis, but with a Continental engine and with HVSS, which was introduced at the end of the Second World War.
The 240 mm howitzer motor carriage T92 was a self-propelled howitzer developed by the United States during World War II. The same mounting with the 8-inch gun M1 was developed as the T93. Neither was built in significant numbers and the war ended before they could be used in combat.
The T30 howitzer motor carriage (HMC) was a United States Army self-propelled gun used in World War II. Its design was based on requirements for an assault gun issued by the Armored Force in 1941 and it was built as an interim solution until a fully tracked design was complete.
The T19 howitzer motor carriage (HMC) was a 105 mm (4.1 in) howitzer mounted on a M3 Half-track chassis. It saw service during World War II with the U.S. Army. Its secondary armament consisted of an air-cooled .50 in (13 mm) M2 machine gun for local defense. It was produced by Diamond T between January 1942 and April 1942.
The 155 mm howitzer motor carriage M41 was an American self-propelled artillery vehicle built on a lengthened M24 Chaffee tank chassis that was introduced at the end of the Second World War. Out of a planned run of 250, only 85 were produced before cancellation of the order at the end of 1945. The M41 went on to serve extensively in the Korean War, its success influencing the design of later U.S. self-propelled artillery. The type was retired after the conclusion of that conflict but went on to serve in the French Army from 1956 to 1972.
The Mk 61 105 mm self-propelled howitzer was a French self-propelled artillery piece designed and built during the late 1950s for the French Army.