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SFC_Jeff_Button · Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 1:37 am Post subject: Howitzers at Camp Mabry...

Here are some SP guns that I found interesting since I consider them the closest thing to a Mortar that most museums have on display.
An M110 8inch, M108 (which reminds me of the SP gun located at the VA hospital near Hampton, VA.), M44, and two M7B1's The second M7B1 had a serial of 597 on it's rear tow lug. All its track was welded up and only on this one side, wierd! Any idea what the FA piece behind thefence is?

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Neil_Baumgardner · Posted: Mon May 26, 2008 1:44 am Post subject: Re: Howitzers at Camp Mabry...

Jeff,
That's because the Hampton SP piece was a prototype / pilot for the production M108...

Neil

Kurt_Laughlin · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jan 24, 2006 Posts: 577

The welded-up track links may be the remains of duckbill extensions. One type welded the extensions to normal end connectors, one type used sheet steel wrapped around the end connector, and one type had an integrally cast extension and end connector. A number of M7s used in Korea had these.

The field piece is some variant of the M1897 75mm, which is a direct descendent (copy?) of the French "75", the first modern artillery piece. They had Nordenfeldt eccentric screw breeches, which are kinda neat mechanisms. These were "high speeded" (actual term) in the 30's to add ball bearing axles and rubber tires for motor transport. Just before the War the carriages were upgraded as well. They were meant to be used as AT guns until about '43. I don't know if they were ever actually used in combat. If they were, it was probably in the Phillipines or other early Pacific battles.

KL

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