Post by sturmbird on Jul 15, 2019 23:36:43 GMT -5
The shell weighed 147 lbs 4 ozs ( the 4 ozs was the weight of the fuze) ours fired to a range of 29 miles , plus we stood on the Gun when she fired. I got the chance to fire ours , to look down the barrel and holding the Lanyard You got a sense of power. You could pump oil into the suspension units to give it a firm base for firing I spent 3 years on them with 42 Heavy Regiment RA in Fallingbostal, Northern Germany. A good gun not bad in summer but , cold and wet at all other times.
The 175 gun was designed in a massive overbore condition. Barrel life was 80 shots of zone three. The gun was rated for 23 miles at sea level, but shooting from 1500 to 2000 feet above the target will put you in the 27 mile area. The increased elevation give the parabolic curve a major boost if your shooting to sea level. Of course it changes the other way, when shooting at mountain tops. The m107 was notoriously inaccurate. Rounds varied over 100 meters. Barrels would actually wiggle three or four inches on max charges. Prone to breech failure.
What should have been done, was to shorten the barrel to about twenty five feet, and increase the O.D. about two inches. I doubt you'd have lost two miles, and used less powder. Yet increased accuracey and barrel life.
The days of shooting fifteen miles with a cannon died in 1945. Now it's rapid fire on first shot strikes. I trained extensively on the m110/m107 platform, and had orders for the Rockpile in December 67. Never went there, and really never missed it.
Gary