The M2 Howitzer cannon quickly became the standard artillery cannon of the US military, used on all fronts in Europe as well as in the Pacific.
It was in 1917 that the American army entered the war and fought the last battles of the First World War. They do not have an artillery canon comparable to the French or the Germans. They then had to use cannons borrowed from the English and French (including 75mm French guns, used until 1942) in order to face the German artillery.
The 1930s marked the American army's desire to modernize an aging army, and little able to make a difference if a major conflict began. This is why the Westerveldt Board decides to develop a 105 mm gun, which will be ready as early as 1939. In early 1940 the first pieces of "105mm Howitzer M2A1" come out of the factories.
Produced mainly by the Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois, this heavy artillery cannon quickly became the standard US Army cannon, which was found in all theaters of operation, Europe or the Pacific. Used in large quantities as soon as it was released against the Japanese, this gun was highly appreciated for its excellent precision, even at long range.
M2 Howitzer fired 105 mm shells and had an average range of 11,200 meters, which was perfect to support the infantry. It was very sturdy but the backhand was that it was also very heavy, which made it difficult to maneuver. His mass production became so noticeable that his 105 mm ammunition became standard ammunition for artillery.
After the war, it was renamed "M101 Howitzer" and production continued to equip the army in the conflicts in Korea, Vietnam ... It was also used in conjunction with the more modern canon M102. It will also be the base of the equipment of the allied forces in the USA such as France, Canada, China, Taiwan, Austria.
Specifications :
Type: Medium Canon
Caliber: 105mm
Weight of the shell: 14.97 kg
Maximum range: 11,430 meters
Weight: 1934 kg on the move and in action
Crew: 6 men
Length: 2.574m
Elevation: -5 ° to 65 °
Rotation: 46 °
Initial speed: 472m / sec
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