155 mm Gun M1

155 mm Gun M1
M1 Long Tom in driving position in the US Army Ordnance Museum
General Information
Military designation:	M1 155 mm long tom
Manufacturer country:	United States
Development year:	1930s
Team:	14th
Technical specifications
Pipe length:	6.97 m
Caliber :	155 mm (6.1 inch)
Caliber length :	L / 45
Cadence :	0.66 rounds / min
Elevation range:	0 ° ± 65 ° degrees
Side straightening area:	60 °

The 155mm Gun M1 and M2 (later known as the M59 ), commonly known as the Long Tom , was a 155mm field howitzer used by the United States Army during World War II and the Korean War. It replaced the Canon de 155mm GPF .

development

Before entering World War I , the United States was extremely inadequate with heavy artillery . To remedy this, a number of such guns were imported from other countries, including the Canon de 155mm GPF from France . After the end of the war, development work began in the USA to improve the existing guns and mounts . After a number of prototypes had been produced in the 1920s and 1930s, work was initially discontinued due to lack of funds. In 1938 the prototype "155 mm Gun T4" was introduced on the carriage "T2" as the "155 mm gun M1 on Carriage M1".

The new variant used a gun barrel that was largely similar to the previous model "155 mm GPF", but now an "Asbury breech" was used.

The new carriage (split-trail carriage) was equipped with four pairs of wheels, which could be raised in the firing position and thus gave the gun a safe stand, which ultimately led to better shooting results.

This model was further developed into the variants M1A1 and M2. Another modernization measure after the Second World War then led to the M59.

"Long Tom" team during training in England

The "Long Tom" was first used on December 24, 1942 by the "A" Battery of the "36th Field Artillery Battalion" of the US Army in North Africa . A total of 49 artillery battalions (including 40 in the European and 7 in the Pacific theater ) were likely equipped with the device. The preferred tractor was initially the "Artillery tractor" "Mack NO 6x6 7½ ton" truck, which was then replaced in 1943 by the chain tractor M4 High-Speed ​​Tractor .

As a result of the Lend Lease Act program, 184 guns were delivered to Great Britain and 25 to France .

variants

M2 during the Battle of Okinawa

M40 in the US Army Ordnance Museum

Gun variants:

• M1920 prototype
• T4 prototype
• M1 (1938) - First lot of 20 units
• M1A1 (1941) - closure modified
  • M1A1E1 - prototype (chrome-plated inner pipe wall)
  • M1A1E3 - prototype with liquid cooling
• M2 (1945) - modified clasp

Carriage variants:

• T2 prototype
• M1 (1938).
• M1A1 - Reconditioned T2 mount

The gun was also produced as a self-propelled gun . For this purpose, the pipe was mounted with the M13 cradle on the converted chassis of the M4 medium tank . The result was the so-called "155 mm Gun Motor Carriage T83", which then became the serial designation 155 mm Gun Motor Carriage M40 . received.

The test model "155 mm Gun Motor Carriage T79" on the chassis of the T23 Medium Tank did not get beyond the development stage.

ammunition

The gun fired with separate charges (grenade and propellant charge). The normal propellant charge consisted of 9.23 kg of powder and could be increased by 4.69 kg. The weight information in the table relates to the application of the maximum powder load.

Projectiles .
Type	model	Weight, kg	filling	Muzzle velocity, m / s	Firing range in m
APBC / HE (Armor-piercing / High Explosive)	AP M112 shell	45.36	Dunnite (Explosive D)	837	22,014
HE (high explosive)	HE M101 Shell	42.96	TNT	853	23,513
Smoke (smoke grenade)	WP M104 Shell	44.53	White phosphorus (WP)	853	23,720
Smoke (smoke grenade)	FS M104 shell	-	Sulfur trioxide in Chlorosulfonic acid	853	23,720
Chemical - ( warfare agent )	H M104 shell	-	Mustard gas, 5.3 kg ( mustard gas )	853	23,720
Dummy	Dummy Mk I Projectile	-	-	-	-
Dummy	Dummy M7 projectile	43.09	-	-	-
Steel penetration, mm
Ammunition type \ distance, m		457		914
AP-M112 shell on alloy steel, angle of impact 30 °		160		152
AP-M112 shell on surface hardened steel, angle of impact 30 °		135		130
Concrete penetration, mm
Ammunition type \ distance, m		914		4572
HE-M101 grenade (angle of impact 0 °)		2011		1402
Different principles of measurement are used in some countries. A binding determination is therefore not possible here.

Deployed by

•  United States
•  Italy
•  France
•  South Korea
•  Taiwan
•  Pakistan
•  Croatia
•  South Africa
•  Israel
•  BR Germany
•  Austria (in fixed installations)

Issued copies

• US Army Ordnance Museum
• Albany Parks & Recreation / Timber Linn, Albany (Oregon)
• VFW Zachary Taylor Post 3784, Baton Rouge , Louisiana .
• Pendennis Castle, Cornwall , UK
• Wurzenpass bunker museum, Carinthia , Austria
• Association for Military Local History Frankenhöhe eV (Muna Museum)
• Defense technology museum Röthenbach an der Pegnitz

literature

• Chris Bishop: Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II , ISBN 0-7607-1022-8 .
• RP Hunnicutt: Sherman: A History of the American Medium Tank . Presidio Press, 1994, ISBN 0-89141-080-5 .
• RP Hunnicutt: Pershing, A History of the Medium Tank T20 Series . Feist Publications, 1996, ISBN 1-112-95450-3 .
• Steven J. Zaloga : US Field Artillery of World War II , illustrated by Brian Delf, Osprey Publishing, 2007, ISBN 978-1-84603-061-1 .
• Technical Manual TM 9-1901, Artillery Ammunition . War Department, 1944,.
• Technical Manual TM 9-1904, Ammunition Inspection Guide . War Department, 1944,.
• 155 mm. Novel Mechanical Features Give Big-Gun Power, Small Gun Speed. November 1942, Popular Science

Web links

Commons : M1 Long Tom 155 mm gun  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Footnotes

1. ↑ ( Breech Mechanism, Smith-Asbury , named after its inventors George Leonard Smith and Dorsey Frost Asbury of the US Naval Gun Factory, today's Washington Navy Yard ). Description on NavWeaps
2. ^ Zaloga - US Field Artillery of World War II. Pp. 20-22.
3. ^ Zaloga - US Field Artillery of World War II. P. 37.
4. ^ ^{A b c d} Hunnicutt - Sherman: A History of the American Medium Tank. Pp. 353-355, 570.
5. ^ Hunnicutt - Pershing, A History of the Medium Tank T20 Series. P. 158.
6. ↑ With howitzers, in addition to raising the barrel, the propellant charge can also be varied to regulate the firing range (e.g. 1st to 6th charge)
7. ↑ Technical Manual TM 9-1901, Ammunition. Pp. 197-202.
8. ↑ Technical Manual TM 9-1904, Ammunition Inspection Guide. Pp. 490-518.
9. ↑ The crucial area of ​​space defense 1 | Troop service. Retrieved September 13, 2018 . 
10. ↑ https://www.wehrtechnikmuseum.de/