U.S. Artillery

[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]

Originally Posted by DocCasualty

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."

[Tom Houlihan]

Originally Posted by DocCasualty

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.org/wiki/M114_155_mm_howitzer

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

[DocCasualty]

Originally Posted by Pirate-Drakk

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]

Originally Posted by 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?)

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.

[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.



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!

[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.