[DocCasualty]

LONG TOM MOUNTED ON SHERMAN TANK CHASSIS. This 155-mm. gun was one of many that concentrated on targets across the Moselle before the assault.

[DocCasualty]

AAA

[DocCasualty]

The 240 mm howitzer M1, popularly nicknamed the "Black Dragon", was a towed howitzer used by the United States Army. The 240 mm howitzer was the most powerful weapon deployed by US field artillery units during World War II, able to fire a 360 lb. (163 kg.) high explosive projectile 25,225 yards (23 km). It was the largest field piece used by the US Army during the war except for naval ordnance adapted into railway guns. The weapon addressed the requirement for super heavy field artillery capable of attacking heavily reinforced targets like those likely to be found along the West Wall.

[DocCasualty]

Monte Corvino, Italy

(I want to say this is a 105mm Howitzer M2, but it doesn't look quite right. The original caption where I lifted this from identified it as a 155, which it clearly is not. Any thoughts guys?)

[Pirate-Drakk]

DocCasualty said:

AAA

What kind of gun is this? The recoil mechanism looks like that of the German 88 mm Flak.

At first I thought it was the USA 90 mm AAA gun but they have a recoil system like that in the picture below. From:
M2 90MM ANTI-AIRCRAFT ARTILLERY

"African-American USMC 51st Composite Defense Battalion training on the 90mm anti-aircraft gun at Montford Point, Camp Lejeune, New River, NC, 1942."

Attached File(s)

•  id_aaa_90mm_newriver_ww2_700.jpg (73.98K)
  Number of downloads: 140

[Tom Houlihan]

DocCasualty said:

I want to say this is a 105mm Howitzer M2, but it doesn't look quite right. The original caption where I lifted this from identified it as a 155, which it clearly is not. Any thoughts guys?

I know that there was a short-barrelled 155, but I don't have anything handy on it.

Don't carve that in stone yet, though, as I could well be thinking of a German tube! Still, I think there was one...

Try this: http://en.wikipedia....155_mm_howitzer

I know, I know... It's wiki. Sorry...

[DocCasualty]

Pirate-Drakk said:

DocCasualty said:

AAA

What kind of gun is this? The recoil mechanism looks like that of the German 88 mm Flak.

I believe it to be a 90mm as you have surmised. I'm not really up on the designation as these aren't on towed carriages. The site I lifted this from didn't go into details but indicated they were US.

[MAGNA]

DocCasualty said:

Monte Corvino, Italy

(I want to say this is a 105mm Howitzer M2, but it doesn't look quite right. The original caption where I lifted this from identified it as a 155, which it clearly is not. Any thoughts guys?)

A couple of things here. This is either M1917 or M1918 155mm howitzer. The earlier type had the shorter barrel. A good pic that one.

The flak guns firing at night photo is on various sites, some of which either say it is a photo of US AA guns and one even says British 3.7", others say German AA. These are definitely German AA guns, probably 88's and maybe but less likely 105's. The carriage is a give away and recoil tubes are too.

This post has been edited by MAGNA: January 21, 2009 - 10:30 AM
Reason for edit: because I was wrong again

[DocCasualty]

Thanks MAGNA, for helping to clear things up. I'm sure you are correct that the howitzer is indeed a 155 model prior to the M1. I've been trying to look into this. Here is a picture of my dad in front of a Model 1918 155mm Howitzer. He was in the Michigan National Guard, pre-WWII, when this picture was taken. Note the straight shield.

http://worldwartwozo...95-fjp182nd.tif

I found this picture identified as a Model 1917. Note the curved shield.



Therefore, I think the Monte Corvino picture is a M1917. I think I blind-sided myself to the fact that the US was still using these WWI era howitzers, especially early on.

Thanks for clarifying the AAA picture. Shame on me for believing without varifying!

This post has been edited by DocCasualty: January 21, 2009 - 02:59 PM
Reason for edit: clarification

[MAGNA]

That 155 had me confused too (not hard by the way). An interesting beast though as most of what I see is the Long Tom and not much else.

As to the verification of the flaks, it's hard to verify when you get three different answers.

There were other smaller guns - were they regimental ? You gave us some info on numbers per battery etc. Did the US have 75mm weapons for infantry use or were they all bigger.

I know the German and Russian units did - 75 and 76mm. The British had things like the 25lber.

[DocCasualty]

I am pretty sure the 105 was the smallest employed in WWII by the US, except as noted below. I recall reading that this was due to their re-assessment of artillery needs after WWI and reasoning that the 75 was just too small for that purpose. I did find the following about the 75 that was in the US arsenal at Cannon Artillery - The Voice of Freedom's Thunder -Cannon Walk - Part One

Quote

75-mm Field Gun M2A2


During WW I, the United States Army ordered large numbers of the 75-mm Field Gun, Model of 1897(French), the famous “French 75.” The weapons manufactured to U.S. specifications were converted to become the 75-mm Field Gun, M1897A4 in the late 1920’s. In 1933, the old single trail carriage was replaced with a new split-trailed carriage, the M2. The M2A2 utilized a firing jack, the M2A3 used segmented wheels.

The 75mm Field Gun, M2, was nearly obsolete in 1940, and was being relegated to a training role at the outbreak of WW II. A few saw service in the Phillipine Islands against the invading Japanese, and a stop-gap anti-tank weapon was produced by mounting the M2 in the M3 Half Track to become the Gun Motor Carriage, T-12. The T-12 saw service in the North African Campaign against the German Afrika Corps, but was quickly replaced by newly designed Tank Destroyers. They continued to serve against the Japanese in the Pacific Theater until the end of WW II in the configuration.

One of the most unusual employments of the 75-mm Field Gun was the M1897A5E1, which was mounted in the nose of the B-25 Mitchell Bomber for use as a heavy aircraft cannon employed in a ground attack role. The 75-mm Field Gun is no longer in service with any major power.

Caliber: 75-mm 2.95 in
Weight(in action): 1544 kg 3400 lbs
Shell Weight: 6.628 kg 13.6 mils
Range: 12,960 m 13,8970 (14 miles)
Elevation: -164 mils to 809mils -9 degrees to 45 degrees 30’
Traverse: 1066 mils 60 degrees
Traction: 6 Horses or a 2 1/2 ton truck

[MAGNA]

Thank you for that. I wasn't sure and again, for gaming purposes it's better to have things right. Interesting about the use in the Phillipines too.

[Gojulas]

The AA gun is a 105 mm flak38, it was used mainly in permanent and railway AAA batteries within germany.

Attached File(s)

•  105mm Flak 38.jpg (127.74K)
  Number of downloads: 92

[Gojulas]

The US did use the 75mm Pack Howitzer as a light support weapon for their airborne and parachute units.

Attached File(s)

•  75mm M1A1.jpg (104.56K)
  Number of downloads: 93

[DocCasualty]

Thanks, Gojulas. Somehow I left out the Airborne and Mountain Divisions in my thought process. Apparently they saw use with the Marines, too. I lifted this from Wiki:

Quote

US forces

In the Second World War era US Army, 75 mm howitzers were issued to airborne and mountain units.

An airborne division, according to the organization of February 1944, had three 75 mm howitzer battalions - two glider field artillery battalions (two six-gun batteries each) and one parachute field artillery battalion (three four-gun batteries), in total 36 pieces per division. In December 1944, new Tables of Organization and Equipment increased the divisional firepower to 60 75 mm howitzers (as an option, in glider battalions 75 mm pieces could be replaced with more powerful 105mm M3).[7]

The only mountain division formed, the 10th, had three 75 mm howitzer battalions, 12 pieces each. The gun was also used by some separate field artillery battalions.[8]

In the US Marine Corps, under the E-series Tables of Organization (TO) from 15 April 1943 divisional artillery included three 75 mm howitzer battalions, 12 pieces each. The F-series TO from 5 May 1944 reduced the number of 75 mm battalions to two, and the G-series TO removed them altogether, completing the shift to 105 mm and 155 mm howitzers. Although the G-series TO was only adopted on 4 September 1945, in practice in some divisions the change was introduced early in 1945.[9]

This post has been edited by DocCasualty: January 23, 2009 - 09:47 AM
Reason for edit: typo

[MAGNA]

I was thinking more along the lines of standard infantry units myself so thanks again gentlemen.

[DocCasualty]

[DocCasualty]

[Gojulas]

US Artillery heavyweights, the 240mm and the 8in Gun share the same mount and carriage. Size comparison of the 37mm and 3in Anti-tank Guns

Attached File(s)

•  Anti tank guns.jpg (131.17K)
  Number of downloads: 67
•  240mm Howitzer.jpg (43.73K)
  Number of downloads: 66
•  8in Gun.jpg (51.69K)
  Number of downloads: 66

[DocCasualty]

Nice additions, Gojulas!



Hmm, wonder which on has the worst bark and bite??

I don't know anything about this photo, other than it appears to be a US Coastal Artillery emplacement. Anybody up on Coastal Arty that could add anything else?