M115 (8-Inch Howitzer M1)

History of the M115 (8" M1 Howitzer)

Like World War I decades ago, World War II itself was a big gunfight, and the United States put a lot of work into this area to create powerful weapons that help destroy enemies from a distance fortifications and concrete fortifications. The "8-inch M1 Howitzer" was one such development, which began shortly after the end of the First World War. However, it remained smoldering in the interwar years until it was finally standardized in 1940 - just in time for WWII service. Its name was eventually changed to the M115 in the 1950s, and the weapon served in the Korean War (1950-1953), the Vietnam War (1955-1975) and several other modern conflicts that dominated that era. This weapon is available in limited quantities today (2014), but is still available for several world armies.

Others were either scrapped or placed outdoors as display items.

The origins of the M1/M115 can be traced back to the fighting of the First World War, when the United States waged a war without proper equipment. The army was severely short of war materiel and relied on developments in other countries, such as those in Britain and France, to shore up its supplies. The Army finally started using the British 8-inch BL Mk VI howitzer, and the American factory had been contracted to manufacture it for the UK.

The weapon demonstrated good range and excellent accuracy, ultimately proving that familiarity was the key to further U.S. development of the product.

The war ended after the armistice in November 1918, and the Americans kept a large number of weapons and tried to further improve their long-range qualities. Commitments to trials were then arranged, and the group promoted both the 155mm (6") gun (which later became the mighty M2 "Long Tom") and the 203mm (8") design.

Both guns are intended to benefit from using the same split trailer/two-wheeled Limber transport system, although the guns and their respective mounts are not directly interchangeable without substantial expense.

Despite the directives, the program languished until it was revived in the 1930s on the eve of World War II. By this time, the barrel had been lengthened to provide greater range and better accuracy. Development resumed in 1939 and was standardized the following year as the "M1 8" Howitzer. The weapon is a complete artillery system with a powerful 203mm barrel on its elevation (-2 to +65 degrees) and lateral (+60 degrees) hardware.

A hydropneumatic recoil system helps counteract the violent recoil effect inherent in firing such a large projectile, as does the four shovels mounted before firing. The breech was managed by an intermittent bolting system, and the chute became a heavy steel frame with eight large wheels under the mass of the gun.

As the separate paths merge, this tow arm allows the use of moving vehicles to tow the vehicle to various battlefields. A typical operator is 14 people, and ammunition and charges are transported by support vehicles.

Each HE round weighs 200 pounds and comes with a bagged propellant charge. As it turns out, there are two HE variants in action - the original "Mk 1A1" round (also used in US coastal defense guns) and the improved "M106" round.

Both weigh the same, but the latter has a range of 11 miles (6.3 miles for the Mk 1A1) and a muzzle velocity of 1,950 feet per second (vs. 1,340 fps). A "virtual" projectile was named "Virtual Mk 1".

The crew can sustain about three rounds per minute, but the standard speed is actually closer to one round per minute.

These guns were in widespread use from January 1944 and, in practice, performed well in their specific roles due to significant improvements to the already excellent British system. Accuracy was so high that these guns could be used as close support, providing indirect fire at enemy positions very close to "friendly matches". Its massive 203mm shell is perfect for clearing concentrated enemy forces, defeating fortress positions, and even hitting lightly armored vehicles just in the path of explosives.

If a weapon can be dragged to a particular front, it has the ability to dramatically change the fate of an attacker - that's its value in the field.

Like other useful battlefield artillery, the M1 was eventually combined with various self-propelled tracked vehicle chassis projects - some successful, some not. The T89 was a development that eventually became the adopted "M43 Howitzer Motor Vehicle Mount" (HMC), while the T80 and T84 were never adopted and only served in early pilot roles.

One of the most famous modifications to the barrel is the famous M110 SPH from the Vietnam War - a car that was widely used during the remaining years of the Cold War.

This weapon was re-designated the M115 in the 1950s, and ended up in the inventories of Croatia, Denmark, Italy, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Pakistan, Sudan, Taiwan and Turkey. Some - like those of the Pakistan Army - are still in use today (2014).

The modern M115 gun has been modified to fire standard NATO ammunition and nuclear bombs.

Specification

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Depends on the ammo carrier.

Changes