105 mm Howitzer M3
Encyclopedia
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
.
The howitzer was used by the U.S. Army
during World War II
. It was issued to airborne units and to cannon companies of infantry regiment
s.
from the 105mm Howitzer M2
, shortened by 27 inches (685.8 mm) and combined with a recoil system and carriage of the 75 mm field howitzer
. A prototype reached trials at Aberdeen Proving Ground
in March 1942.
The howitzer was designed to fire the same ammunition as the longer M2. It turned out, however, that shorter barrel resulted in incomplete burning of the propelling charge. The problem could be solved by use of faster burning powder. Otherwise the design was considered acceptable and was standardized as 105mm Howitzer M3 on Carriage M3. The carriage was soon succeeded by M3A1, which had trails made from thicker plate. Even stronger tubular trails were designed, but never reached production.
The production started in February 1943 and continued until May 1944; an additional bunch was produced in April-June 1945.
field artillery battalion
, in addition to three 75 mm howitzer
battalions. 1/4 ton jeep
s were used as prime mover
s. The weapon was finally authorized as an option by the December 1944 TO&E and, by 1945, employed by all airborne divisions in the European Theater
.
The M3 was also issued to cannon companies
of infantry regiment
s (six , in three platoons of two). Infantry typically used 1½ ton truck as the prime mover.
A small number of M3s were supplied via lend lease channels to France
(94), United Kingdom
(2) and countries of Latin America
(18).
Gun variants:
Carriage variants:
; 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 base charge and four increments, forming five charges from 1 (the smallest) to 5 (the largest). Firing M1 HE rounds prepared for the M2 was authorized in an emergency, but only with charges from 1 to 3. M1 HE rounds for the M3 could be fired from M2 with any charge.
HEAT M67 Shell had non-adjustable propelling charge. For blank ammunition, a shorter Cartridge Case M15 with black powder charge was used.
Howitzer
A howitzer is a type of artillery piece characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small propellant charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
designed for use by airborne troops. The gun utilized the barrel of the 105 mm Howitzer M2
M101 howitzer
The 105 mm M2A1 howitzer was the standard light field howitzer for the United States in World War II, seeing action in both European and Pacific theaters. Entering production in 1941, it quickly entered the war against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Pacific, where it gained a reputation...
, shortened and fitted to a slightly modified split trail
Split trail
The split trail is a type of gun mount or gun carriage for relatively small and transportable artillery pieces....
carriage of the 75 mm pack howitzer
M116 howitzer
The 75mm Pack Howitzer M1 was designed in the United States in 1920s to meet a need for an artillery piece that could be moved across difficult terrain. The gun and carriage was designed so that it could be broken down into several pieces to be carried by pack animals...
.
The howitzer was used by the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was issued to airborne units and to cannon companies of infantry regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
s.
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 barrelGun barrel
A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
from the 105mm Howitzer M2
M101 howitzer
The 105 mm M2A1 howitzer was the standard light field howitzer for the United States in World War II, seeing action in both European and Pacific theaters. Entering production in 1941, it quickly entered the war against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Pacific, where it gained a reputation...
, shortened by 27 inches (685.8 mm) and combined with a recoil system and carriage of the 75 mm field howitzer
M116 howitzer
The 75mm Pack Howitzer M1 was designed in the United States in 1920s to meet a need for an artillery piece that could be moved across difficult terrain. The gun and carriage was designed so that it could be broken down into several pieces to be carried by pack animals...
. A prototype reached trials at Aberdeen Proving Ground
Aberdeen Proving Ground
Aberdeen Proving Ground is a United States Army facility located near Aberdeen, Maryland, . Part of the facility is a census-designated place , which had a population of 3,116 at the 2000 census.- History :...
in March 1942.
The howitzer was designed to fire the same ammunition as the longer M2. It turned out, however, that shorter barrel resulted in incomplete burning of the propelling charge. The problem could be solved by use of faster burning powder. Otherwise the design was considered acceptable and was standardized as 105mm Howitzer M3 on Carriage M3. The carriage was soon succeeded by M3A1, which had trails made from thicker plate. Even stronger tubular trails were designed, but never reached production.
The production started in February 1943 and continued until May 1944; an additional bunch was produced in April-June 1945.
| Production of М3, pcs. | |||||||||||
| Year | 1943 | 1944 | 1945 | Total | |||||||
| Produced, pcs. | 1,965 | 410 | 205 | 2,580 | |||||||
Service
Even though the M3 was not mentioned in Tables of Organization and Equipment (TO&E) of February 1944, shortly before the Normandy Airdrops some airborne divisions received 105 mm gliderMilitary glider
Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
field artillery battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
, in addition to three 75 mm howitzer
M116 howitzer
The 75mm Pack Howitzer M1 was designed in the United States in 1920s to meet a need for an artillery piece that could be moved across difficult terrain. The gun and carriage was designed so that it could be broken down into several pieces to be carried by pack animals...
battalions. 1/4 ton jeep
Willys MB
The Willys MB US Army Jeep and the Ford GPW, were manufactured from 1941 to 1945. These small four-wheel drive utility vehicles are considered the iconic World War II Jeep, and inspired many similar light utility vehicles. Over the years, the World War II Jeep later evolved into the "CJ" civilian...
s were used as prime mover
Artillery tractor
Artillery tractor is a kind of tractor, also referred to as a gun tractor, a vehicle used to tow artillery pieces of varying weights.-Traction:...
s. The weapon was finally authorized as an option by the December 1944 TO&E and, by 1945, employed by all airborne divisions in the European Theater
European Theater of Operations
The European Theater of Operations, United States Army was a United States Army formation which directed U.S. Army operations in parts of Europe from 1942 to 1945. It referred to Army Ground Forces, United States Army Air Forces, and Army Service Forces operations north of Italy and the...
.
The M3 was also issued to cannon companies
Company (military unit)
A company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
of infantry regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
s (six , in three platoons of two). Infantry typically used 1½ ton truck as the prime mover.
A small number of M3s were supplied via lend lease channels to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(94), United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
(2) and countries of Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
(18).
Variants
- T7, standardized as M3.
- T10 - variant with elevation improved to 65 degrees.
Carriage variants:
- M3 - based on M3A1 carriage for the 75 mm field howitzer.
- M3A1 - had stronger trails, made from 1/8 inch plate instead of 3/32 inch.
- M3A2 - was fitted with shield.
Self-propelled mounts
There were two proposals for a self-propelled artillery piece armed with the M3. Neither reached mass production.- 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage T38 - based on the M3 halftrackM3 Half-trackThe Carrier, Personnel Half-track M3 was an armored vehicle used by the United States, the British Empire and the other Allies during World War II and the Cold War. Nearly 43,000 were produced, and supplied to the U.S...
, never built. - 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage T82 (M3 in mount M3A1) - based on the Light Tank M5A1Stuart tankThe M3 Stuart, formally Light Tank M3, was an American light tank of World War II and supplied to British and Commonwealth forces under lend-lease prior to the entry of the U.S. into the war—and used thereafter by U.S...
chassis. Two pilots were built. The project was cancelled in June 1945 due to lack of requirement.
Ammunition
The gun fired semi-fixed ammunition, similar to the ammunition of the M2M101 howitzer
The 105 mm M2A1 howitzer was the standard light field howitzer for the United States in World War II, seeing action in both European and Pacific theaters. Entering production in 1941, it quickly entered the war against the Imperial Japanese Army in the Pacific, where it gained a reputation...
; 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 base charge and four increments, forming five charges from 1 (the smallest) to 5 (the largest). Firing M1 HE rounds prepared for the M2 was authorized in an emergency, but only with charges from 1 to 3. M1 HE rounds for the M3 could be fired from M2 with any charge.
HEAT M67 Shell had non-adjustable propelling charge. For blank ammunition, a shorter Cartridge Case M15 with black powder charge was used.
| Available ammunition | |||||
| Type | Model | Weight (round/projectile) | Filler | Muzzle velocity | Range |
| HE | HE M1 Shell | 18.35 kg (40.5 lb) / 14.97 kg (33 lb) | 50/50 TNT or amatol Amatol Amatol is a highly explosive material made from a mixture of TNT and ammonium nitrate. Its name originates from the words ammonium and toluene... , 2.18 kilogram |
311 m/s (1,020.3 ft/s) | 7585 m (8,295.1 yd) |
| HEAT-T | HEAT M67 Shell | 16.62 kg (36.6 lb) / 13.25 kg (29.2 lb) | 311 m/s (1,020.3 ft/s) | 7760 m (8,486.4 yd) | |
| Smoke | WP M60 Shell | 18.97 kg (41.8 lb) / 15.56 kg (34.3 lb) | White Phosphorus, 1.84 kg (4.1 lb) | 311 m/s (1,020.3 ft/s) | 7585 m (8,295.1 yd) |
| Smoke | FS M60 Shell | 19.65 kg (43.3 lb) / | Sulfur trioxide Sulfur trioxide Sulfur trioxide is the chemical compound with the formula SO3. In the gaseous form, this species is a significant pollutant, being the primary agent in acid rain. It is prepared on massive scales as a precursor to sulfuric acid.-Structure and bonding:Gaseous SO3 is a trigonal planar molecule of... in Chlorosulfonic acid, 2.09 kilogram |
||
| Smoke | HC BE M84 Shell | 18.29 kg (40.3 lb) / 14.91 kg (32.9 lb) | Zinc chloride | 311 m/s (1,020.3 ft/s) | 7585 m (8,295.1 yd) |
| Drill | Drill Cartridge M14 | - | - | ||
| Blank | - | - | |||
| Armor penetration, mm | ||||
| Ammunition \ Distance, m | 0 | 457 | 914 | 1,828 |
| HEAT M67 Shell (meet angle 0°) | 102 | |||
| Concrete penetration, mm | ||||
| HE M1 Shell (meet angle 0°) | 305 | 274 | 244 | 213 |
| Different methods of measurement were used in different countries / periods. Therefore, direct comparison is often impossible. | ||||