Rock Island Arsenal M101 105mm Medium Howitzer (1920)
The reliable M101 went on to be used by no fewer than 67 armies worldwide making it one of the most successful artillery pieces ever produced.
The M101 was hardy and reliable with some draw backs including only moderate range and a rate of fire declined to 3 rpm from 10 rpm with sustained fire. In her favor was a life span of 20,000 rounds and large stock piles of units and parts. A horizontal breech block was used with a percussion firing system. To achieve consistent stability the recoil system was mounted over and under the short barrel.
The ammunition used was the standard NATO 105 mm round. Additional ammunition used like the M4 44 with 18 M39 grenades, a HESH round was able to penetrate 102 mm (4 in) of armor at 1500 m (1,640 yards). Various impact and fuses were also used. The crew was 8 enlisted men and the carriage is the simple split tail design. The gun fires on the road wheels and has an excellent center of gravity.
The reliability of the gun and high production runs led to many countries acquiring the M101 even after it was retired from service in the US military. At least 67 countries purchased the howitzer making it one of the most successful field pieces ever produced.
Elevation was -5 degrees to + 66 degrees with traverse of 46 degrees. Range of the M1 projectile was reported at 12,325 yards while the M548 projectile recorded a range of up to 15,965 yards. A rate of fire of 10 rounds per minute could be achieved with 3 rounds per minute in sustained fire. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
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Specifications for the
Rock Island Arsenal M101
105mm Medium Howitzer
Country of Origin: United States
Manufacturer: Rock Island Arsenal, USA
Initial Year of Service: 1920
Production: 10,202
Focus Model: Rock Island Arsenal M101
Crew: 8
Overall Length: 19.65ft (5.99m)
Width: 7.09ft (2.16m)
Height: 5.15ft (1.57m)
Weight: 2.5 US Short Tons (2,258kg; 4,978lbs)
Powerplant: None. This is a towed weapons system.
Maximum Speed: 0mph (0 km/h)
Maximum Range: 7 miles (11 km)
NBC Protection: Not Available
Nightvision: Not Available
Armament:
1 x 105mm main gun
Ammunition:
Dependent on ammunition carrier.
Variants:
M1 - Rock Island Arsenal development appearing in 1920.
M2 - Replaced M1 series in 1934 after retooled to fire shrapnel round.
M2A1 - Standardized Designation
M101 - Reclassified post-World War 2; production lasting into 1953 and totaling 10,202 units.
M3 - 75mm system with a shortened barrel (used in South East Asia).
HM2 - French-design with an AMX-105/50 barrel
C1 - Canadian type with auto-frettaged monobloc barrel.
Operators: Canada, Chile, Columbia, Croatia, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Vietnam, Serbia, Cambodia and the United States of America among others.
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