M116 howitzer
The 75mm Pack Howitzer M1 (redesignated the M116 in 1962) was a pack howitzer artillery piece used by the United States. Designed to be moved across difficult terrain, gun and carriage could be broken down into several pieces to be carried by pack animals.
| 75mm Pack Howitzer M1A1 | |
|---|---|
Two M116 Howitzers, Chengkungling History Museum, Taiwan (2011) | |
| Type | Pack howitzer |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1927–present |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars | World War II, Second Sino-Japanese War, Korean War, Chinese Civil War, First Indochina War, Vietnam War, Laotian Civil War, Kurdish–Turkish conflict |
| Production history | |
| Produced | 1927–1944 |
| No. built | 8,400 |
| Specifications (on Carriage (airborne) M8) | |
| Mass | 653 kg (1,439 lbs) |
| Length | 3.68 m (12 ft 1 in) |
| Barrel length | Overall 1.38 m (4 ft 6 in) L/18.4 Bore: 1.19 m (3 ft 11 in) L/15.9 |
| Width | 1.22 m (4 ft) |
| Height | 94 cm (3 ft 1 in) |
| Crew | 6 or more |
| Shell | Fixed and Semi-fixed 75 x 272 mm R |
| Shell weight | 8.27 kg (18 lb 4 oz) |
| Caliber | 75 mm (2.95 in) |
| Breech | Horizontal-block |
| Recoil | Hydro-pneumatic, constant |
| Carriage | Box trail or Split-trail depending on model |
| Elevation | -5° to +45° |
| Traverse | 6° |
| Rate of fire | 6 rpm |
| Muzzle velocity | 381 m/s (1,250 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 8.8 km (5.5 mi) |
The gun saw combat in World War II with the United States Army (primarily used by airborne units), with the United States Marine Corps, and was also supplied to foreign forces.
In addition to the pack / air portable configuration, the gun was mounted on a conventional carriage to serve as a field artillery piece. The M2 and M3 are derived vehicle-mounted howitzers used in the 75mm HMC M8 and some LVT models. In addition, the M1 in its original version was mated to a number of other self-propelled carriages, though only one of those – 75mm HMC T30 – reached mass production.