M101 (howitzer)
| M101 (howitzer) | |
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| General Information | |
| Military designation: | M101 |
| Manufacturer designation: | 105 mm Howitzer M2 |
| Manufacturer country: |
 United States
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| Developer / Manufacturer: | Rock Island Arsenal |
| Development year: | 1939 |
| Production time: | 1941 to 1953 |
| Number of pieces: | over 10,200 |
| Weapon Category: | Field howitzer |
| Team: | 8th |
| Technical specifications | |
| Overall length: | 5.94 m (ready to drive) |
| Pipe length: | 2.36 m |
| Caliber : |
105 mm |
| Caliber length : | L / 22 |
| Weight ready for use: | 2,260 kg |
| Cadence : | 3-10 rounds / min |
| Elevation range: | −4.5 ° -69 degrees of angle |
| Side straightening area: | ± 23 ° |
| Furnishing | |
| Closure Type : | horizontal wedge lock |
| Charging principle: | manually |
| Ammunition supply: | manually |
The M101 A1 is a lightweight 105mm howitzer introduced by the US Army during World War II .
technology
The M101 consisted of two main components - the gun barrel with the breech and the sighting device as well as the mount . It had a hydropneumatic barrel brake that dampened the recoil of the gun and a barrel hauler . The spars of the spreader carriage ended in earth spurs . They were collapsible to the drawbar .
The barrel, which can be swiveled 23 ° to the left and right, was loaded from behind. The elevation range ranged from −4.5 ° to + 66 °. Three to four men were required to operate. The M101 was mostly pulled by medium-sized trucks, but it was also air-loadable and during the Vietnam War was mostly transported as a sling load by CH-47 Chinook or CH-21 Shawnee helicopters.
M101 as trailer load
M101 as "sling load" on a CH-21C Shawnee
M101 as a "sling load" on a Chinook
history
Development of the M101 began back in the 1920s when the Army was looking for a uniform replacement for the various field guns from the First World War . The production and introduction to the troops was delayed again and again because no priority demand could be identified. However, when the Second World War emerged, after some further developments, the production order for the howitzer was finally placed in 1939. Due to its low weight, it turned out to be the ideal weapon to support advancing troops, as it was very mobile and quickly deployable.
During World War II, the M101 served on all fronts and was also sold to allied states. After the war, production continued until 1953, when 10,200 units were built. The M101 was also used widely during the Korean War , as well as in Vietnam, until it was largely replaced by the new M102 howitzer from 1966 to 1970 . The M101 was very popular with their operating teams, and the introduction of the new gun did not meet with approval everywhere.
armed forces
The Bundeswehr is also one of the users . The salute procession of the guard battalion at the Federal Ministry of Defense uses ten field howitzers FH 105mm (L) with three men each to shoot salutes for foreign state guests or other military receptions. During state visits, a maximum of 21 gun salutes are fired by 7 guns.
This howitzer is no longer used in the artillery units for which the Rheinmetall gun was converted. Rheinmetall equipped the FH 105mm (L) howitzer with a new barrel , muzzle brake , panoramic telescope and splinter protection plates. Among other things, this increased the range to 15 km.
literature
- Janice E. McKenney: The Organizational History of Field Artillery 1775–2003 , Publisher: CENTER OF MILITARY HISTORY, UNITED STATES ARMY, WASHINGTON, DC, 2007 online digitized version , 6.51 MB, 415 pages also published as a hardcover book: Government Printing Office, 2007, ISBN 978-0-16-087287-7 (accessible via googlebooks )
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b M101 ( Memento from February 20, 2002 in the Internet Archive ) at globalsecurity.org (English)
- ↑ a b c M101 ( Memento from February 5, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) at panzerbaer.de
- ^ A b Janice E. McKenney: The Organizational History of Field Artillery 1775-2003 , p. 279
- ↑ Salutzug the guard battalion at the Salut shooting with the FH 105mm (L) on YouTube