M115 203 mm howitzer | |
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![]() M115 203 mm howitzer on display at Bastrop, Texas, United States. | |
Type | Howitzer |
Place of origin | United States |
Service history | |
Wars | World War II Korean War Vietnam War Iran–Iraq War |
Production history | |
Designed | 1939 |
Produced | 1942–1945 |
No. built | 1,006 [1] |
Specifications | |
Mass | 14,515 kg (31,780 lbs) |
Length | Travel: 10.972 m (36 ft 0 in) |
Barrel length | 5.1 m (16 ft 9 in)[2] L/25 |
Width | Travel: 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in)[2] |
Height | Travel: 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)[2] |
Crew | 14 |
Shell | Separate loading charge and projectile 90.7 kg (200 lb)[2] |
Caliber | 203 mm (8 in) |
Breech | Interrupted screw |
Recoil | Hydro-pneumatic |
Carriage | Split trail |
Elevation | −2° to +65° |
Traverse | +60° |
Rate of fire | 3 rounds per 2 minutes (maximum for first 3 minutes), 1 round per 2 minutes (sustained) [3] |
Muzzle velocity | 587 m/s (1,926 ft/s) |
Effective firing range | 16,800 m (18,373 yds) 22,860 m (25,000 yds) maximum |
The M115 203 mm howitzer, also known as the M115 8-inch howitzer, and originally the M1 8-inch howitzer was a towed heavy howitzer developed by the United States Army and used during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Post-WWII it was also adopted by a number of other nations in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.