M115 203mm Howitzer "Long Tom"

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M115 203mm Howitzer
M115 203mm Howitzer "Long Tom"

When the United States entered World War I in 1917, it was woefully unprepared to go to war. In a crash program to get the American Expeditionary Force equipped and ready for battle, American companies license-built proven British and French weapons. This included the excellent BL Mk VI 8-inch howitzer, which offered a range of 11 miles and devastating hitting power; for such a heavy gun, it was also remarkably accurate. When the war ended in late 1918, the US Army found itself with large stocks of Mk VI howitzers. Attempts were made to update the gun and make it more mobile, but as defense budgets were slashed after World War I, further development ended.

The Mk VI was revisited in 1940, as the US military began its massive expansion in the likelihood that the United States would enter World War II. It was designated the M1 8-inch howitzer, and a universal chassis was developed for both it and the M2 155mm "Long Tom." The M1's barrel was lengthened to add range, while an improved recoil system was added as well.

Though the M1 8-inch did not arrive in significant numbers until early 1944, it was found to be an excellent field piece. M1s were usually concentrated in batteries at the divisional level, and deployed where they were needed the most. The gun was accurate enough that it could even be used in the direct fire role. German veterans remarked on the devastating effects of American artillery fire: because of the extensive use of radios and "time on target" tactics, American artillery tended to be concentrated quickly. The adoption of the proximity fuse in late 1944 also meant that shells would tend to burst atop treelines or above the ground, showering enemy troops with shrapnel.

After the war, the M1 was kept in service, though it was redesignated M115 after the war to cut down on the confusion between it and other Army weapons with the M1 designation. It would be used extensively in Korea, and would be mated to tracked chassis to create self-propelled artillery--the M43 "Big Shot," built on the Sherman chassis, and the M110. The M43 was also used in Korea, while both the M110 and M115 were used in Vietnam. Numbers were supplied to NATO forces and some other nations as well; the last known use of the M115 in combat was during the Croatian War of Independence (1991-1995). A few M115s are known to still be in service, though the US Army replaced them in the 1980s with 155mm howitzers and the M109 SPA.

This superbly preserved M115 is on display at the Kansas National Guard Museum in Topeka, and probably served with the 130th Field Artillery Brigade, attached to the 35th Infantry Division during World War II.

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Taken on: June 24, 2020
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