4.5 inch Gun M1
| 4.5 inch Gun M1 on Carriage M1 | |
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| Type | Field gun |
| Place of origin | USA |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1942-1945 |
| Used by | USA |
| Wars | WWII |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1939-1941 |
| Produced | 1942-44 |
| Number built | 416 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 5,654 kg (12,465 lbs) |
| Length | 8.15 m (27 ft) |
| Barrel length | Bore: 4.756 m (15 ft 7 in) L/41.6 Overall: 4.918 m (16 ft 2 in) L/43 |
| Width | 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) |
| Height | 2.12 m (6 ft 11 in) |
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| Shell | separate-loading bagged charge |
| Caliber | 114 mm / 4.5 inch |
| Breech | interrupted screw |
| Recoil | hydropneumatic |
| Carriage | split trail |
| Elevation | 0° to +65° |
| Traverse | 53° |
| Rate of fire | Burst: 4 rounds per minute Sustained: 1 round per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 693 m/s (2,274 ft/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 19,317 m (21,125 yds) |
| Sights | panoramic, M12 |
 4.5 inch GMC T16. [1]
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The 4.5 inch Gun M1 was a field gun developed in the United States in the beginning of World War II. It shared the same carriage with the 155mm Howitzer M1 and fired the same ammunition as the British BL 4.5 inch Medium Field Gun. The weapon was used by the US Army in Northwest Europe late in the war for corps support; with the end of hostilities it was declared obsolete.
In 1920 the US Army Ordnance started to work on a new medium field gun. Since the US Army had already employed the 4.7 inch Gun M1906 during World War I, this caliber was also selected for the new weapon. The development resulted in 4.7 inch Gun M1922E on Carriage M1921E. Due to lack of funding, the design never reached production.
In 1939 the program was restarted; the renewed design, designated 4.7 inch Gun T3, was ready by early 1940; it utilized the same carriage as the concurrently developed 155 mm howitzer. At this stage, the army decided to change the weapon to use the British 4.5 inch ammunition. The modified gun was standardized in April 1941 as 4.5 inch Gun M1 on Carriage M1.
The production started in September 1942 and continued until February 1944.
The M1 was very similar in construction and appearance to the 155mm Howitzer M1. The only significant difference was its tube of 4.5 inch (114 mm) caliber. The tube had uniform right hand twist, with one turn in 32 calibers. The unbalanced weight of the barrel was supported by two equilibrator springs. The breach was of interrupted screw type; the recoil system hydropneumatic, variable length. The carriage was of split trail type, unsprung and had wheels with pneumatic tires. In firing position, the weapon was supported by a retractable pedestal. The gun was equipped with M12 panoramic sight.
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