M1908 6-inch howitzer
M1908 at the U.S. Army Field Artillery Museum
TypeHeavy howitzer
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service1910–1920
Used byUnited States
WarsWorld War I
Production history
DesignerBethlehem Steel
Designed1906–1909
ManufacturerGun: Watervliet Arsenal
Carriage: Rock Island Arsenal, Bethlehem Steel
Produced1910–1916
No. built40
Specifications
Mass7,354 lb (3,336 kg)
Barrel length81.5 in (207 cm) bore (13.6 calibers)
Crew9

ShellSeparate loading cased charge
Shell weight120 lb (54 kg) common or shrapnel
Calibre6 in (152.4 mm)
BreechInterrupted screw
RecoilHydro-spring
Elevation-5° to 40°
Traverse
Muzzle velocity900 ft/s (270 m/s)
Maximum firing range6,700 yards (6,125 m) (40° max elevation)

The M1908 6-inch howitzer, officially the 6-inch Howitzer, Model of 1908, was the principal heavy howitzer piece of the U.S. Army prior to World War I.

History

Forty of these weapons had been produced before 1917, and all were employed within the United States for training purposes during the war. Although this weapon appears in World War I-era tables of organization and equipment, for combat use in France the Canon de 155 C mle 1917 Schneider was purchased, and variants of this remained the standard weapon of this class until early World War II.[1] All surviving weapons were retired during the 1920s.[2]

It is unusual among American-designed field artillery weapons in that it has the recoil cylinder situated above the barrel. The 4.7-inch howitzer M1908/M1912 shared this feature.[3][4] The 75 mm gun M1917 also had this, but was based on the British QF 18-pounder gun.

Ammunition was either common steel shell with a base fuze, or shrapnel with a combination time/percussion fuze.[5][2]

See also

References

Citations

  1. Rinaldi, page 204
  2. 1 2 Williford, pages 76-77
  3. "M1912 4.7 inch howitzer in Algoma, WI". War Memorials of Wisconsin. 2009. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  4. Schreier Jr., Konrad F., "U.S. Army Field Artillery Weapons 1866-1917", Military Collector & Historian, 1968, pages 40-45
  5. Handbook 1917, pages 22-23

General sources

Further reading

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