M65 (howitzer)
| M65 (howitzer) | |
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| General Information | |
| Military designation: | M65 Atomic Cannon |
| Manufacturer country: | United States |
| Development year: | 1949 |
| Start of production: | 1952 |
| Number of pieces: | 20th |
| Weapon Category: | Heavy artillery |
| Team: | 5-7 |
| Technical specifications | |
| Overall length: | 25.6 meters |
| Caliber : |
280 mm |
The M65 or T-131 (nickname Atomic Annie , in Germany also Atom-Anni or Atomkanone ) was a heavy, nuclear-capable artillery gun in caliber 280 mm from American production.
history
The cannon was a further development of the German K 5 railway gun and was developed during the Cold War in the 1950s. The 50-ton gun was suspended for transport between two tractor units, whose drivers could communicate via a telephone system. Overall, the weapon system weighed over 75 tons, which could be moved on the road at a maximum of approx. 50 km / h. Assembling and dismantling the gun took about 15 minutes each.
The M65 could fire HE ( tank ammunition , high explosive), nuclear and dummy projectiles. The maximum range was 29 kilometers.
It became famous through Operation Upshot-Knothole- Grable, a test of the 280 mm W9 nuclear artillery projectile on May 25, 1953 at the Nevada Test Site . With an explosive force of 15 kilotons (KT), the projectile had about the same strength as the Hiroshima bomb . It was the only time a nuclear projectile was fired.
20 M65 guns were built, 16 of which were stationed with the 7th US Army in West Germany. Special ammunition stores were set up for the nuclear projectiles at Mainz, Nuremberg, Bamberg and Grafenwöhr, among others. In 1963 the M65 cannon, which was ultimately too cumbersome, was decommissioned after nuclear projectiles were now available for common standard guns and short-range missiles .
The Soviet counterparts to the M65 were the 406 mm self-propelled howitzer 2A3 Condenser and the 420 mm self-propelled howitzer 2B1 Oka .
photos
- M65 gun, United States Army Ordnance Museum
- Test of the atomic bullet
