Year | 1940 |
Weapon Type | [@type] |
Origin & Designer | [@designer] |
Numbers Produced | 600 |
Crew | Sergeant/Section Chief + .30 cal M1 Rifle. Corporal/Gunner + .30 cal M1 Carbine. Pvt/Assistant Gunner + .30 cal M1 Carbine. 3 x Pvts/Loaders + .30 cal M1 Carbines. 4 x Pvts/Ammunition Bearers + .30 cal M1 Carbines. Pvt/Driver (Towing Vehicle) + .30 cal M1 Rifle w/M7 Grenade Launcher. |
Calibre | 155mm |
Elevation | -0° to +42° |
Traverse | 6° |
Breech | Interrupted Screw |
Recoil | Hydropeumatic |
Gun Sight | M12 |
Gun Mount | [@gun_mounts] |
Carriage | M1918A3: Boxed Trail |
Trailers | [@trailers] |
Gun Shield | 6.4mm |
Armoured Plate | [@armoured_plate] |
Barrel Length | 2.177mm (L/13.64) |
Overall Length | [@length] |
Width | [@width] |
Height | [@height] |
Weight | Weight in Transit: 4.136 kg Weight in Action: 1.220 kg |
Round Weight | HE (M107) 43.88 kg. Smoke (M105) 43.55 kg. |
Muzzle Velocity | HE 450 m/s. Smoke 450 m/s. |
Feed | [@feed] |
Magazine Capacity | [@magazine_capacity] |
Practical Rate of Fire | 1 r.p.m. |
Rate of Fire | [@rate_of_fire] |
Maximum Rate of Fire | 3 r.p.m. |
Maximum Ceiling | [@maximum_ceiling] |
Maximum Ground Range | [@maximum_ground_range] |
Maximum Range | HE: 11.334m Smoke: 11.696m |
Armour Penetration | [@armour_penetration] |
Traction | Motorised (Diamond T Truck) |
Variants | [@variants] |
Notes | In 1917 the AEF adopted the French 155mm mle 1917 howitzer, these were designated as the M1917 and later the M1917A1. The US army decided to produce their own which resulted in the M1918. This was similar to the French versions but had a different breech. By 1940 around 600 had been up-graded to allow for mechanized traction. This model had pneumatic wheels and was designed for high speed towing and was designated as the M1918A3. When the US entered the war in 1941, both the M1819A1 and A3 were the main medium howitzers and saw widespread use in all theatres serving in divisional and corps artillery batteries in both the US Army and USMC. In late 1942 the M1918 was due to be replaced by the new M1 howitzer although this was never fully achieved and the M1819 was kept on in a secondary role serving until the end of World War Two. |