155mm Gun

[tankbarrell]

That's the 155mm gun not the howitzer.

[John McGillivray]

This is a 155mm howitzer.











Photos taken at the CWM.

[Les Freathy]

Ok guys point taken, my weapon skills are a .22 rifle training in my younger days prehaps a moderator can change the title to gun for us. It would appear from items i have read over the years that a lot more have made that mistake still a facinating piece of kit none the less

[tankbarrell]

It's ok Les. as you say, many books call everything large a howitzer!

[Gunner]

The photos appear to be from two different albums.

The first two are of a gun in British service so it may well be rebarrelled to 7.2 in. The other photos (with the spare tyres) may be early US before the M1 helmet was adopted (note the webbing and packs) and if so would definitely be 155mm.

The spare tyres indicate that the tractor used different sized tyres than the gun (or was tracked). the limber and tow bar appear to be the early model which ties into my beleif that this is a US gun early in the war.

Ubique! Mike

[John McGillivray]

Originally Posted by Gunner

The first two are of a gun in British service so it may well be rebarrelled to 7.2 in.

The first two photos are from the Imperial War Museum. (NA 22470 and NA 22472) and are identified as being 155mm Long Tom guns belonging to the 33/61 Heavy Regiment RA at Vergato Italy on 22 Feb. 1945.

Note that the 7.2in Mk VI Howitzer, like the US 8in howitzer, has a shorter, fatter barrel than the 155mm gun.

[Gerry McGinty]

Gunner
I would say that the fourth picture is definitely American (apart from packs etc.) the putees (or leggings) are a dead giveaway - that's my humble twopence worth anyway.

Regards
Gerry McGinty

[John McGillivray]

Originally Posted by Gunner

The other photos (with the spare tyres) may be early US before the M1 helmet was adopted (note the webbing and packs) and if so would definitely be 155mm.

The spare tyres indicate that the tractor used different sized tyres than the gun (or was tracked). the limber and tow bar appear to be the early model which ties into my beleif that this is a US gun early in the war.

Ubique! Mike

The last three photos are from Life and show American guns during training in 1940.

155mm gun Long Tom

http://images.google.com/hosted/life...N%26start%3D20

http://images.google.com/hosted/life...N%26start%3D40

http://images.google.com/hosted/life...N%26start%3D40

http://images.google.com/hosted/life...N%26start%3D40

155 howitzer (Korea 1952)

http://images.google.com/hosted/life...N%26start%3D40

M1917 – M1918 155mm Gun

http://images.google.com/hosted/life...N%26start%3D40

http://images.google.com/hosted/life...N%26start%3D40

Old 155mm Howitzers

http://images.google.com/hosted/life...N%26start%3D40

http://images.google.com/hosted/life...N%26start%3D40

http://images.google.com/hosted/life...N%26start%3D40

http://images.google.com/hosted/life...N%26start%3D40

http://images.google.com/hosted/life...N%26start%3D20

8 inch Howitzer

http://images.google.com/hosted/life...life%26hl%3Den

[Gunner]

John:

Some excellent sleuthing in tracking down the original photos under discussion. Thanks!

The British Gunners used the 7.2 inch (L23 barrels) Mks I to V which was a WW I 8" howitzer sleeved down to 7.2" and fitted with pneumatic tyres. The Mk 6 (sometimes seen as 'VI') was a marked departure as it fitted a new longer (L34.4) barrel to the US M1 carriage.

Thus three pieces used the US M1 carriage (and variations thereafter):

The US 8" howitzer with a barrel length of 17' 6";
The US 155mm gun with a barrel length of 24' 2"; and
The UK 7.2" Mk 6 gun with a barrel length of 20' 8". The slim barrelled 7.2" is often misidentified as the US 155mm even though its barrel is almost exactly halfway between the two US` barrels in length. As you noted, the 8" howitzer has a very 'fat' barrel which makes it appear shorter than it is.

The US 8" fired a 90 kg shell to a max range of 16.5 km;
The UK 7.2" fired a 90 kg shell to a max range of 18 km; and
The US 155mm fired a 42 kg shell to a max range of 23 km thus the UK gun was an "improvement" on the US howitzer and, as it used the same carriage it could, like the 25 pounder, actually be classed as a gun/howitzer. Of course this can lead to some very esoteric discussions about shell weight, weight of fire and the roles of guns versus howitzers!

One of the identifying features of the 7.2" Mk 6 is the distinctive muzzle swell as seen here: http://books.google.ca/books?id=ij7v...esult#PPA54,M1

The M110A2 8" self propelled howitzer recently retired by most NATO countries has a barrel as long as the old 155mm gun and can fire its 90 kg projectile 23 km and with base bleed improved conventional munitions it can reach a staggering 30 km.

Mike