M114 howitzer
| M114 155 mm Howitzer | |
|---|---|
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| Type | Howitzer |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1942–present |
| Used by | See operators |
| Wars | World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Cambodian Civil War, Laotian Civil War, Lebanese Civil War |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1939–1941 |
| Manufacturer | Rock Island Arsenal (US) |
| Produced | 1941–1953 |
| No. built | 10,300+ |
| Variants | none |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | Travel: 5,800 kg (12,800 lb) Combat: 5,600 kg (12,300 lb) |
| Length | Travel: 7.315 m (20 ft) |
| Barrel length | Bore: 3.564 m (11 ft 8 in) L/23 Overall: 3.79 m (12 ft 5 in) L/24.5 |
| Width | Travel: 2.438 m (8 ft) |
| Height | Travel: 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) |
| Crew | 11 |
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| Shell | separate-loading bagged charge |
| Caliber | 155 mm (6.1 in) |
| Breech | slow-cone interrupted screw |
| Recoil | hydropneumatic system |
| Carriage | split trail |
| Elevation | -2°/+63° |
| Traverse | 25° left or right |
| Rate of fire | burst: 4 rpm sustained: 40 rph |
| Muzzle velocity | 563 m/s (1,847 ft/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 14,600 m (16,000 yd) |
The M114 155 mm howitzer was a towed howitzer developed and used by the United States Army. It was first produced in 1942 as a medium artillery piece under the designation of 155 mm Howitzer M1. It saw service with the US Army during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, before being replaced by the M198 howitzer.
The gun was also used by the armed forces of many nations. In some countries, the M114 still remains in service.
A new carriage was under development for much of the 1930s for the existing World War I-era M-1918 155 mm howitzer, which was a license-built French Canon de 155 C modèle 1917 Schneider until 1939 when it was realized that it did not seem logical to put a new carriage underneath an obsolete howitzer. So development began anew with a carriage designed to be used for either the 155 mm howitzer or the 4.7-inch (120 mm) gun. This was completed by 15 May 1941 when the Howitzer M1 on the Carriage M1 was standardized. The howitzer itself differed from the older model by a lengthened barrel of 20 calibers and a new breech mechanism. Uniquely it was the sole 'slow-cone' interrupted screw mechanism to enter service after 1920. This meant that two separate movements were necessary to open the breech, versus the single movement of the 'steep cone' mechanism that simultaneously rotated and withdrew the breech.
The M1A1 was redesignated as the M114A1 in 1962.
The carriage was also used by the 4.5 inch Gun M-1. It went through a number of minor changes over time. The original Warner electric brakes were replaced by Westinghouse air brakes on the M1A1. Both the M1 and M1A1 carriages used a mid-axle firing pedestal that was extended by a ratchet mechanism. The M1A2 replaced the ratchet with a screw-jack system and also modified the traveling lock. The M1A1E1 carriage was intended for use in jungle and muddy terrain and replaced the wheels of the M1A1 with a free-wheeling tracked suspension, but the project was terminated after V-J day without having reached production. The T-9 and T-10 carriages were projects using low-grade steel alloys that were canceled when no longer needed. The T-16 was a light-weight carriage using high-grade steel that was estimated to save some 1,200 lb (540 kg); work began in July 1945 and continued after the war, although nothing seems to have come from it.
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