| Year | May 1943 |
| Weapon Type | [@type] |
| Origin & Designer | [@designer] |
| Numbers Produced | 330 |
| Crew | Sergeant/Section Chief + .30 cal M1 Rifle. Pvt/Gunner + .30 cal M1 Carbine. Pvt/Gun Layer + .30 cal M1 Carbine. Pvt/Gun Mechanic .30 cal M1 Carbine. 8 x Pvts/Cannoneers + .30 cal M1 Carbines. Corporal/Ammunition .30 cal M1 Carbine. 9 x Pvts/Ammunition Bearers + .30 cal M1 Carbines. 2 x Pvt/Drivers (Towing Vehicle) + .30 cal M1 Rifle w/M7 Grenade Launcher. |
| Calibre | 240mm |
| Elevation | -15° to +65° |
| Traverse | 45° |
| Breech | Interrupted Screw |
| Recoil | Hydropeumatic |
| Gun Sight | M12 |
| Gun Mount | [@gun_mounts] |
| Carriage | M2: Split Trail |
| Trailers | [@trailers] |
| Gun Shield | [@gun_shield] |
| Armoured Plate | [@armoured_plate] |
| Barrel Length | 8.380m (L/34) |
| Overall Length | [@length] |
| Width | [@width] |
| Height | [@height] |
| Weight | Weight in Transit: 29.347 kg Weight in Action: 26.300 kg |
| Round Weight | HE (M114) 163.3 kg. Bagged Charge: 1.62 kg & 3.25 kg. |
| Muzzle Velocity | 853 m/s |
| Feed | [@feed] |
| Magazine Capacity | [@magazine_capacity] |
| Practical Rate of Fire | [@practical_rate_of_fire] |
| Rate of Fire | One Round Every Two Minutes |
| Maximum Rate of Fire | [@maximum_rate_of_fire] |
| Maximum Ceiling | [@maximum_ceiling] |
| Maximum Ground Range | [@maximum_ground_range] |
| Maximum Range | 23.093m |
| Armour Penetration | [@armour_penetration] |
| Traction | Two Motorised Loads (M6, M33, M34 or M35 Tractors) |
| Variants | [@variants] |
| Notes | The US again decided on a French design for their next heavy howitzer and built the Schneider 240mm under licence as the 240mm M1918 howitzer. Production was halted after faults with the barrel exploding and these faults were not resolved until the mid-1920s. When all the problems were ironed out, production was again resumed with 330 produced. In 1934 a new carriage was designed for motorised towing resulting in 48 M1918M1A1 being produced. These were transported in two loads but were later used for training with some issued to coastal batteries. With the M1918 out of the picture the ordinance board began to replace it with a new weapon of similar calibre featuring a new carriage design that could be moved on a two load arrangement to allow for high speed towing. Production of the howitzer had initially been started in 1942 but the army thought that this role could be filled by the M1 gun so it was put back about seven months before it was standardised in 1943 as the 240mm M1 howitzer. The 240mm M1 was the largest weapon used on the field of battle by the US army during WW2. It fired its first shots in anger at Anzio January 1944 and went on to see action in Northern Europe. It also saw service in Korea with the 213th and 159th Field Artillery Regiments. |