Com-Central.net

Hello,

here is the list of the M7 and M7B1 Priest SPGs. This is a first draft, I will include the known serial numbers of these vehicles tomorrow. We are still missing some pics. As usual, Rafal Bialecki deserved most of the work on that file :
http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_M7_Priest.pdf

The M7B2s will be listed apart, as they are post-WW2 upgrades.

P-O

- the_shadock

We are still missing some pics.

I’m looking for photos of those vehicles :

M7 Priest – Seneca, KS (USA)
M7 Priest – Museum Warehouse (Building 4038) Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor, Fort Knox, KS
(USA)
M7 Priest – 4th Infantry Division Museum Storage Facility, Ford Hood, TX (USA)
M7B1 Priest – Eisenhower Park, Abilene, KS (USA)
M7B1 Priest – Hamilton, MT (USA)
M7B1 Priest – Kalispell, MT (USA)
M7B1 Priest – Cincinatti, OH (USA)
M7B1 Priest – Private collection, Titusville, FL (USA) ex World War II Vehicle Museum and Learning Center, Hubbard, OH (USA)
M7B1 Priest – Army Reserve Base, Guernsey State Park, Guernsey, WY (USA)
M7? Priest – Robert Gill Collection (Austria)

Is there definitely an M7 at Fort Knox? I only have an M7B1 and M7B2 in my records:

Location ID 67010: Preserved Tanks at Fort Knox

I don't have very comprehensive coverage of the Priest, but you're welcome to look through what I've got:

Preserved M7 Priest series

I haven't compared the lists in detail, but there seems to be one at Augustdorf that you're missing.

Anyway, you're welcome to use any of my photos.

It's an M7B1. The one you have a photo of.

Garry

I own an M7B1 one of the few completely restored ones

- TCW15

I own an M7B1 one of the few completely restored ones

please could you give me some information about your M7B1 (where it comes from (German firerange?), what it was restored from (M7B2?) etc..) and some photos of its current condition at soldat_ryan @ hotmail.com ?

thanks

Pierre-Olivier

Priest Muzej Kozara

s106.photobucket.com/a...600041.jpg

- Patrik

Priest Muzej Kozara

s106.photobucket.com/a...600041.jpg

hello,

thanks for the info !!

that's a nice early one, with M3 Lee type suspension and riveted lower hull.

P-O

For the benefit of us not quite so techincial, what's the difference between the M7/B1/B2?

P-O

The Firepower museum, Woolwich, Uk has also a M7, however hard to find pictures of it.

The M7B1 at Eindhoven is in a private collection, the M7B1 at Fort Lee (sn 3167) is in fact a M7.

- Pzkpfw-e

For the benefit of us not quite so techincial, what's the difference between the M7/B1/B2?

The M7 has the Continantal radial engine, the M7B1 uses the Ford GAA. The only visible difference is at the rear, the M7B1 has a longer overhang.
The M7B2 is a postwar modification of the B1 where the gun was installed higher. It also has a pullpit with three rings.
Some help with ID the Priest series: one ring on the pullpit, always a M7.
Three rings, always a M7B2. The trick is with two rings as M7 and M7B1' s have this setup.
Michel

Hi Folks!

A little more information about the differences.

The M7 with the radial engines used recycled M3 Lee medium tank hulls.
These vehicles started out with the M3 type bogie assembles with the support rollers on the top of the bogies.

The M7B1 with the Ford GAA engine has a longer overhang at the rear because they used a modified M4A3 tank hull design. These vehicles always had the later type support rollers mounted on a trailing arm.

During WWII, M7/M7B1 crews would have problems with the top limit of the elevation for the howitzer in mountain areas. While the problem was known, nothing was done about. The crews would drive the front of the vehicles up onto a pile of logs to help. That is why you see WWII photos of M7s and B1s with a number of logs hanging on the sides of the vehicles. During the Korean War where almost all fire missions required a higher elevation to clear ridge lines the problem became a big deal. That is when the B2 modifications were added. One other change on the B2s that can be seen from the front is a plate was added to the bottom of the openning for the howitzer to cover the gap that results from jacking up the front of the gun mount.

Spot Report!
Sgt, Scouts Out!

hello,

a question now :

could we tell the difference between an M7 and an M7B1 from the front, without any photo of the rear?

(maybe by the shape of the differential cover, or the running gear?)

P-O

- Tichenor

The Firepower museum, Woolwich, Uk has also a M7, however hard to find pictures of it.

I think there isn't any photo of it ?

- Tichenor

The M7B1 at Eindhoven is in a private collection

Michel,

which M7 Priest are you talking about there?

thanks

P-O

- the_shadock

hello,

a question now :

could we tell the difference between an M7 and an M7B1 from the front, without any photo of the rear?

(maybe by the shape of the differential cover, or the running gear?)

P-O

Steven Zaloga in his VERY useful US Self-Propelled Artillery in Combat 1942-45 (Armor at War) Concord gives many informations on the industrial history of the Priest.
In short, the M7 got sometimes older design components because the Sherman had priority, especially regarding bogies and differential cover.
HTH