M41 Howitzer Motor Carriage

M41 'Gorilla' Howitzer Motor Carriage
M41
Type	Self-propelled artillery
Place of origin	United States
Specifications
Weight	42,500 lb (19.3 t)
Length	230 in (5.8 m)
Width	112 in (2.8 m)
Height	94 in (2.4 m)
Crew	5
Shell	separate loading, bagged charge
Caliber	155 mm (6.1 in)
Barrels	1
Elevation	45 to -5 degrees
Traverse	17.5 degrees right, 20 left
Rate of fire	Sustained: 4 rpm
Muzzle velocity	1,847 ft/second
Effective firing range	Conventional:
Maximum firing range	14,600 m
Feed system	hand
Armor	13 mm
Main armament	155mm Howitzer M1
Engine	two Cadillac 4T24 V8 2x 110 hp (82 kW)
Suspension	Torsion bar
Operational range	100 or 150 miles
Speed	35 mph (56 km/h)

The 155 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M41 (also known as the M41 Gorilla) was an American self-propelled artillery vehicle built on a lengthened M24 Chaffee tank chassis that was introduced at the end of the Second World War. Out of a planned run of 250, only 85 were produced before cancellation of the order at the end of 1945. The M41 went on to serve extensively in the Korean War, its success influencing the design of later U.S. self-propelled artillery. The type was retired after the conclusion of that conflict, but went on to serve briefly in the French Army.

In December 1942, work began on a 155mm self-propelled howitzer based on the newly introduced M1 155mm howitzer and the chassis of an M5 Stuart light tank. This resulted in the production of a single prototype designated the T64. However, the approval of the superior M24 Chaffee light tank whose chassis was expected to be a standard used for other vehicles, such as self-propelled guns, and specialist vehicles (collectively known as "Light Combat Team") led to the scrapping of the T64 in favor of a new design - designated the T64E1 - using the Chaffee chassis.

Equipped with a M1 155mm howitzer with a heavy recoil-absorption spade at the back, the T64E1 was intended to the supplement the earlier M12 Gun Motor Carriage. It had two 110 hp (82 kW) Cadillac V8 engines centrally mounted and a crew of five, including a driver in the hull and gunners mounted in an open-top compartment in the back in an arrangement similar to the 155mm M12 Gun Motor Carriage already in service in the war. The howitzer had limited side-to-side traverse and up to 45 degrees vertical traverse, and a total of 22 rounds could be stored in the vehicle. Additional ammunition was carried by M39 Armored Utility Vehicles. The hull had only 13 mm of armor all around, sufficient to protect only against small arms, while the shielding around the gun compartment was only 6.5 mm thick.

After the T64E1 underwent trials at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in December, 1944, minor modifications were made and production began by the Massey Harris agricultural equipment company in May 1945. The type was re-designated the M41 in June, 1945. However, the M41 arrived too late to see action in World War II, and the initial order of 250 was reduced to 85. These M41s served in the peacetime army, where they received the appellation "Gorilla", and went on to serve in the Korean War before being retired. Some M41s were also passed on to the French Army, but they were soon replaced by other designs.