M3 howitzer

Last updated • 4 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
105 mm Howitzer M3
M3 105mm Howitzer.jpg
A M3 howitzer outside the Army Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii.
TypeLight Howitzer
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service1943–present
Used byUnited States
Wars
Production history
Designed1941
Produced1943–1945
No. built2,580
Specifications
Mass2,495 lb (1,130 kg)
Length12 ft 11 in (3.94 m)
Barrel  lengthOverall: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) L/17.9
Bore: 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) L/16
Width5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Height4 ft 2 in (1.27 m)
Crew10

Shell 105 × 372 mm R
Shell weight36 lb 10 oz – 43 lb 3 oz (16.6–19.6 kg)
Caliber 4.1 in (105 mm)
Breech Horizontal-block
Recoil Hydro-pneumatic, constant
Carriage Split trail
Elevation −9° to 30°
Traverse 45°
Rate of fire Burst: 4 rpm
Sustained: 2 rpm
Muzzle velocity 1,020 ft/s (311 m/s)
Maximum firing rangeHE: 8,300 yd (7,600 m)

The 105 mm Howitzer M3 was a U.S. light howitzer designed for use by airborne troops. The gun utilized the barrel of the 105 mm Howitzer M2, shortened and fitted to a slightly modified split trail carriage of the 75 mm pack howitzer.

Contents

The howitzer was used by the U.S. Army during World War II. It was issued to airborne units and the cannon companies of infantry regiments.

Development and production

The process of building airborne forces in 1941 led to a requirement for an air-portable 105 mm howitzer. The weapon, initially designated T7, featured a barrel from the 105mm Howitzer M2, shortened by 27 inches (690 mm) and combined with the recoil system and carriage from the 75 mm pack howitzer. A prototype reached trials at Aberdeen Proving Ground in March 1942. [1]

The howitzer was designed to fire the same ammunition as the M2 howitzer, however, it was found that the shorter barrel resulted in incomplete burning of the propelling charge. The problem could be solved by use of faster-burning powder, and otherwise, the design was considered acceptable and was standardized as the 105 mm Howitzer M3 on Carriage M3. The carriage was soon succeeded by the M3A1, which had trails made from thicker steel plate. Even stronger tubular trails were designed, but never reached production. [1]

Production started in February 1943 and continued until May 1944; an additional batch was produced from April to June 1945. [1]

Production of М3, pcs. [2]
Year194319441945Total
Produced, pcs.1,9654102052,580

Service

Even though the M3 was not mentioned in the February 1944 T/O&E, shortly before the Normandy airdrops some airborne divisions received a 105 mm glider field artillery battalion equipped with them as a supplement to their existing three 75 mm howitzer battalions (designated the M1A1 during World War II). 1/4 ton jeeps were used as prime movers. Later increased to four battalions, one, between 1943 and 1945, was converted to 105mm M3. The weapon was finally authorized as an option by the December 1944 TO&E, and by 1945 was employed by all airborne divisions in the European Theater. [1] [3]

The initial production of the M3 was adequate to equip the cannon companies of the three hundred infantry regiments that had been forecast in the initial war plans. The M3 was the primary weapon of these companies, and appeared in the table of organization and equipment (T/O&E) from early 1944 (six, in three platoons of two) [4] Often the cannon companies were integrated into the division artillery. The infantry used 1½ ton cargo trucks as the prime mover. [1] In an assessment written after the war "The cannon company of 1943-45 failed to live up to the expectations of the force designers of 1942. The main problem was the substitution of towed low-velocity howitzers for the self-propelled versions as originally intended. This howitzer, the M3, had a shorter barrel than the regular 105-mm howitzer M2, possessed no ballistic shield, and had an effective range of only 7,250 yards (6.63 km) as compared to 12,500 yards (11.4 km) for the M2." [5]

A small number of M3s were supplied via lend lease channels to France (94), United Kingdom (2) and countries of Latin America (18). [6] They were used early in the Korean War as ROK divisional artillery.

Operators

Variants

M3 near Carentan, France, 11 July 1944. American howitzers shell German forces.jpg
M3 near Carentan, France, 11 July 1944.

Gun variants:

Carriage variants:

Self-propelled mounts

There were two proposals for a self-propelled artillery piece armed with the M3. Neither reached mass production.

External image
Searchtool.svg 105 mm HMC T82.

Ammunition

The gun fired semi-fixed ammunition, similar to the ammunition of the M2; it used the same projectiles and the same 105 mm Cartridge Case M14, but with different propelling charge. The latter used faster burning powder to avoid incomplete burning; it consisted of a base charge and four increments, forming five charges from 1 (the smallest) to 5 (the largest). In an emergency, gunners were authorized to fire M1 HE rounds prepared for the Howitzer M2, but only with charges from 1 to 3. M1 HE rounds for the M3 could be fired from an M2 with any charge. [13]

HEAT M67 Shell had non-adjustable propelling charge. For blank ammunition, a shorter Cartridge Case M15 with black powder charge was used. [13]

Available ammunition [13] [14] [15]
TypeModelWeight (round/projectile)FillerMuzzle velocityRange
HE HE M1 Shell18.35 kg (40 lb) / 14.97 kg (33 lb)50/50 TNT or amatol, 2.18 kg (4 lb 13 oz)311 m/s (1,020 ft/s)7,585 m (8,300 yd)
HEAT-T HEAT M67 Shell16.62 kg (37 lb) / 13.25 kg (29 lb)311 m/s (1,020 ft/s)7,760 m (8,500 yd)
Smoke WP M60 Shell18.97 kg (42 lb) / 15.56 kg (34 lb) White Phosphorus, 1.84 kg (4.1 lb)311 m/s (1,020 ft/s)7,585 m (8,300 yd)
SmokeFS M60 Shell19.65 kg (43 lb) / Sulfur trioxide in Chlorosulfonic acid, 2.09 kg (4 lb 10 oz)
SmokeHC BE M84 Shell18.29 kg (40 lb) / 14.91 kg (33 lb) Zinc chloride 311 m/s (1,020 ft/s)7,585 m (8,300 yd)
DrillDrill Cartridge M14--
Blank--
 
Armor penetration, mm [15]
Ammunition \ Distance, m0457 mm (18.0 in)914 mm (36.0 in)1,828 mm (72.0 in)
HEAT M67 Shell (meet angle 0°)102 mm (4.0 in)
Concrete penetration, mm [15]
HE M1 Shell (meet angle 0°)305 mm (12.0 in)274 mm (10.8 in)244 mm (9.6 in)213 mm (8.4 in)
Different methods of measurement were used in different countries / periods. Therefore, direct comparison is often impossible.

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Zaloga - US Field Artillery of World War II, p 13-14.
  2. Zaloga - US Field Artillery of World War II, p 9.
  3. Zaloga - US Airborne Divisions in the ETO 1944-45, p 37.
  4. "T/O&E 7-14 Infantry Cannon Company (26 February 1944)" (PDF). Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  5. "THE CANNON COMPANY - A WORLD WAR II SOLUTION TO THE CLOSE SUPPORT PROBLEM OF THE 1990s A Monograph By Major John H. McDonald, Jr. Field Artillery" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 September 2021.
  6. Zaloga - US Field Artillery of World War II, p 37.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "M3 (105mm Howitzer M3) - 105mm Towed Artillery System - Page 2 of 2". www.militaryfactory.com. Archived from the original on 24 March 2015.
  8. Pachada (19 March 2008). "Philippine army 105mm M3 howitzer".
  9. Bak, Dongchan (March 2021). Korean War : Weapons of the United Nations (PDF) (in Korean). Republic of Korea: Ministry of Defense Institute for Military History. pp. 99–101. ISBN   979-11-5598-079-8.
  10. Phạm Văn Sơn, ARVN military history, vol.4, 1972, p.364
  11. Hunnicutt - Half-Track: A History of American Semi-Tracked Vehicles, p 121.
  12. Hunnicutt - Stuart: A History of the American Light Tank, p 332-333, 504.
  13. 1 2 3 Technical Manual TM 9-1901, Artillery Ammunition, p 167-178
  14. Technical Manual TM 9-1904, Ammunition Inspection Guide, p 471-484.
  15. 1 2 3 Hunnicutt - Stuart: A History of the American Light Tank, p 504.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M3 Stuart</span> WW2 American light tank

The M3 Stuart/Light Tank M3, was an American light tank of World War II. An improved version of the tank entered service as the M5 in 1942 to be supplied to British and other Commonwealth forces under lend-lease prior to the entry of the U.S. into the war. Afterwards, it was used by U.S. and Allied forces until the end of the war.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M3 Lee</span> American medium tank of World War II

The M3 Lee, officially Medium Tank, M3, was an American medium tank used during World War II. The turret was produced in two forms, one for US needs and one modified to British requirements to place the radio next to the commander. In British Commonwealth service, the tank was called by two names: tanks employing US pattern turrets were called "Lee", named after Confederate general Robert E. Lee, while those with British pattern turrets were known as "Grant", named after Union general Ulysses S. Grant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M18 Hellcat</span> American tank destroyer

The M18 Hellcat is a tank destroyer that was used by the United States Army in World War II and the Korean War. Despite being equipped with the same main gun as some variants of the much larger Sherman tank, the M18 attained a much higher top speed of up to 55 mph (89 km/h) by keeping armor to a minimum, and using the innovative Torqmatic automatic transmission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M7 Priest</span> American self-propelled artillery vehicle

The 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M7 was an American self-propelled gun 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">90 mm gun M1/M2/M3</span> Type of anti-aircraft gun and anti-tank gun (M1, M2) and tank gun (M3)

The 90 mm gun M1/M2/M3 was an American heavy anti-aircraft and anti-tank gun, playing a role similar to the German 8.8cm Flak 18. It had a 3.5 in (90 mm) diameter bore, and a 50 caliber barrel, giving it a length of 15 ft (4.6 m). It was capable of firing a 3.5 in × 23.6 in shell 62,474 ft (19,042 m) horizontally, or a maximum altitude of 43,500 ft (13,300 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M3 half-track</span> US military vehicle

The M3 half-track was an American armored personnel carrier half-track widely used by the Allies during World War II and in the Cold War. Derived from the M2 half-track car, the M3 was extensively produced, with about 15,000 standard M3s and more than 38,000 variant units manufactured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M115 howitzer</span> Howitzer

The M115 203 mm howitzer, also known as the M115 8-inch Howitzer, and originally the M1 8-inch Howitzer was a towed heavy howitzer developed by the United States Army and used during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Post-WWII it was also adopted by a number of other nations in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M101 howitzer</span> US-made towed howitzer

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">37 mm gun M3</span> American anti-tank gun

The 37 mm gun M3 is the first dedicated anti-tank gun fielded by United States forces in numbers. Introduced in 1940, it became the standard anti-tank gun of the U.S. infantry with its size enabling it to be pulled by a jeep. However, the continuing improvement of German tanks quickly rendered the 37 mm ineffective and, by 1943, it was being gradually replaced in the European and Mediterranean theaters by the more powerful British-developed 57 mm gun M1. In the Pacific, where the Japanese tank threat was less significant, the M3 remained in service until the end of the war, but some 57mm guns were issued.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M40 Gun Motor Carriage</span> Self-propelled artillery

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">155 mm gun M1</span> Towed field artillery

The 155 mm gun M1 was a 155 millimeter caliber field gun developed and used by the United States military. Nicknamed "Long Tom", it was produced in M1 and M2 variants, later known as the M59. Developed to replace the Canon de 155mm GPF, the gun was deployed as a heavy field weapon during World War II and the Korean War, and also classed as secondary armament for seacoast defense. The gun could fire a 100 lb (45 kg) shell to a maximum range of 14 mi (23 km), with an estimated accuracy life of 1,500 rounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">3-inch gun M5</span> WW2 US anti-tank gun

The 3-inch gun M5 was an anti-tank gun developed in the United States during World War II. The gun combined a 3-inch (76.2 mm) barrel of the anti-aircraft gun T9 and elements of the 105 mm howitzer M2. The M5 was issued exclusively to the US Army tank destroyer battalions starting in 1943. It saw combat in the Italian Campaign and on the Western Front in Northwest Europe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M3 Gun Motor Carriage</span> American tank destroyer

The M3 Gun Motor Carriage (GMC) was a United States Army tank destroyer equipped with a 75 mm M1897A4 gun, which was built by the Autocar Company during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">240 mm howitzer M1</span> 1940s United States 240 mm field howitzer

The 240 mm howitzer M1, popularly nicknamed the "Black Dragon", was a towed howitzer used by the United States Army. The 240 mm M1 was designed to replace the World War I era 240 mm howitzer M1918, which was based on a 1911 French design and was outdated by World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">8-inch gun M1</span> Heavy gun

The 8-inch gun M1 was a 203 mm towed heavy gun developed in the United States. At 32,584 m (35,635 yd), it had the longest range of any US Army field artillery weapon in World War II. It was also used in small numbers by the British Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M116 howitzer</span> American pack howitzer

The 75mm Pack Howitzer M1 was a pack howitzer artillery piece used by the United States. Designed to be moved across difficult terrain, gun and carriage could be broken down into several pieces to be carried by pack animals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4.5-inch gun M1</span> Field gun

The 4.5 inch gun M1 was a field gun developed in the United States in the beginning of World War II. It shared the same carriage with the 155mm Howitzer M1 and fired the same ammunition as the British BL 4.5 inch Medium Field Gun. Beginning in 1944, the weapon was used by the U.S. Army as corps-level artillery; with the end of hostilities, it was declared obsolete.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T48 Gun Motor Carriage</span> Self-propelled anti-tank gun

The T48 57 mm Gun Motor Carriage was a self-propelled anti-tank gun produced by the Diamond T company in 1943 for the United States. The design incorporated a 57 mm gun M1, a US production of the British Ordnance QF 6 pounder, mounted on an M3 Half-track.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T19 Howitzer Motor Carriage</span> Self-propelled gun

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.

References