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Order your 8 Inch #Howitzer US #Army 1/48 #Scalemodel from Atlantis today! 1/48 Scale. This kit comes molded in olive drab with 96 parts and 10 black rubber tires. All from the original Aurora molds. We also included a new decal sheet that was not in the original issue. Features recoil mechanism, elevating gun, moveable wheels, limber and gun trails, four detailed gun crew figures and for extar fun the art is suitable for framing. Skill level 2. Fact About the 155mm Gun - 8“ Howitzer The 8“ Howitzer rides on a split-trailed carriage equipped with a four-wheeled bogie assembly. This assembly allows the carriage to be lowered into firing position or to raise the Howitzer for transportation from place to place. When the carriage is in motion, air brakes are employed, and when parked a mechanical brake system is used. Designed to allow fire control in any direction, a removable circular firing platform was installed. This carriage is versatile in that the 8“ Howitzer can be interchanged with a 155mm “Long Tom“ whenever desired. The 8-inch gun M1 was a 203 mm towed heavy gun developed in the United States. At 32,584 m (35,635 yd), it had the longest range of any US Army field artillery weapon in World War II. It was also used in small numbers by the British Army. In 1919, the Westervelt Board described the ideal heavy gun for future development having a bore of 194mm to 8-inches, a projectile of about 200 lbs, and a range of 35,000 yards. More striking was that it be must be road transportable. At this time no other country had such a road-transportable field gun.[1] Low-priority design work occurred until 1924. Serious development began in June 1940 of an 8-inch (203 mm) gun that would have a range of 33,500 yards (30,600 m), a road speed of 25 mph (40 km/h), be transported in two loads weighing no more than 44,000 lb (20,000 kg) and be suitable for rail movement. The gun used the same projectile as the 8-inch coastal gun and the US Navy's 8-inch cruiser gun.[2] Using the same carriage as the 240 mm howitzer M1 eased development, but the gun was very troublesome and was not standardized until January 1942. The main problems were excessive bore wear and poor accuracy, but it was felt that nothing better could be produced in a timely manner. Thus it entered production at a low rate and in small numbers. The gun tube was produced by Watervliet Arsenal, and the recoil system was produced by Hannifin Manufacturing. Watertown Arsenal, Bucyrus-Erie, and the S. Morgan Smith Company manufactured the carriage. Only 139 weapon systems were produced before production ceased in 1945.[3] In the quest for greater tactical mobility, the Ordnance Department experimented with a self-propelled version. Like the 240 mm howitzer, it was mounted on a stretched Heavy Tank T26E3 chassis that had an extra bogie wheel per side as the 8in Gun Motor Carriage T93, but the war ended before they could be used, and they were later scrapped. One of the requirements during development was that the gun be easy to emplace. Given the weight of the gun and carriage, this was a challenge. Eventually, a pair of three-axle, six-wheeled transport wagons were developed – one for the barrel and recoil mechanism, and one for the carriage. These transport wagons were also used with the 240 mm howitzer. These were standardized as the M2 and M3. The M2 wagon carried the carriage and the M3 wagon carried the barrel and recoil system as shown to the left. This separate configuration required the use of the 20-ton M2 truck-mounted crane for setup. The crane also included a clam-shell bucket that was transported on a trailer and used to dig the recoil pit for the gun. In spite of the weight and being transported in two pieces, the gun could be emplaced in as little as two hours.[4] The transport wagons were initially intended to be towed by the Mack NO 7 1/2-ton heavy truck, but as a wheeled vehicle it had problems in soft ground. The M6 High Speed Tractor which was explicitly designed for towing the 8-inch gun and 240 mm howitzer was not yet in production, so the Ordnance Department improvised in the meantime. M3 Lee medium tanks and M10 tank destroyers were quickly modified and tested. These proved to be satisfactory and were adopted for use as the M33 and M35, respectively. The gun fired separate loading ammunition with two increments. M9 Green Bag propellant was used for medium ranges and was preferred for improved accuracy and reduced barrel erosion. M10 White Bag was used for long- and extreme-range firing. Only two fuses were used: M51A3 point detonating (and delay), and M67A3 mechanical time. Range and muzzle velocity below are for maximum charge of M10 White Bag.
