M43 Howitzer Motor Carriage

M43 Howitzer motor carriage
M43
Type	Self-propelled artillery
Place of origin	United States
Specifications
Weight	83,000 Lbs
Length	289-inches
Width	124-inches
Height	129-inches
Crew	8

Shell	separate loading, bagged charge
Barrels	1
Rate of fire	Sustained:
Muzzle velocity	1,925 ft/second
Effective firing range	Conventional:
Maximum firing range	16,800m
Feed system	hand
Sights	M13 or M6

Main armament	M115 howitzer
Engine	Continental R975-C4 400 HP
Suspension	HVSS (Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension)
Operational range	107 Mi.
Speed	24 MPH

The 203 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M43 was a United States self-propelled artillery vehicle built on a widened and lengthened Medium Tank M4A3 chassis, but with a Continental engine and HVSS that was introduced at the end of the Second World War. The M43 shared the same chassis as the more widely produced M40 Gun Motor Carriage, which instead mounted a 155mm gun, and were designed by the Pressed Steel Car Company. A production run of 576 was planned originally, but in the end only 24 were produced and another 24 were converted from M40 hulls.^[1] The M43 went on to serve in the Korean War, and was retired after its conclusion.

History

Equipped with a M115 203 mm (8") Howitzer, it was designed to replace the earlier M12 Gun Motor Carriage. Its prototype designation was the T89, but this was changed to the M43 in March 1945. The 41.5 ton vehicles struggled to keep up with mechanized formations, but were successful when employed in more stationary roles.

Operational Service

A single pilot vehicle was deployed in Europe before the end of World War II and was used in action by the 991st Field Artillery Regiment, first seeing action as part of Zebra Force in February 1945 in the capture of Cologne.

M43s were used in action in the Korean War, where they were well suited to the static fighting there, their high angle of fire permitting them to hit the rear slopes of hills.^[2]

Popular Culture

Despite its small production run, the M43s is featured in the computer games World of Tanks and R.U.S.E..

Variants

8 inch Howitzer Motor Carriage M43 - 8 in (203 mm) HMC, standardized August 1945; 48 were built.
The Army planned to use the same T38 chassis for a family of SP artillery.
Cargo Carrier T30 - a few built before cancellation in December 1944 to make more chassis' available for GMCs.

Surviving vehicles

^[3]

one at the Fort Sill museum, OK
one in Wyoming, MI
one in American Society of Military History Museum, South El Monte, CA

Notes

↑ "M43 Howitzer Motor Carriage". Military Factory. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
↑ "M43 Howitzer Motor Carriage". Military History Encyclopedia of the Web. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
↑ http://the.shadock.free.fr/Surviving_Tank-based_GMC.pdf

References

TM 9-747
SNL G232

American armored fighting vehicles of World War II

Light tanks	M1 Combat Car M2 Light Tank M3/M5 Light Tank (Stuart) M22 Light Tank (Locust) M24 Light Tank (Chaffee) Marmon-Herrington CTLS

Medium / heavy tanks	M2 Medium Tank M3 Medium Tank (Lee) M4 Medium Tank (Sherman) M26 Heavy Tank (Pershing)

Self-propelled artillery	M4 Mortar Carrier M21 Mortar Motor Carriage T30 Howitzer Motor Carriage M7 Howitzer Motor Carriage (Priest) M8 Howitzer Motor carriage M12 Gun Motor Carriage M40 Gun Motor Carriage M3 Gun Motor Carriage M43 Howitzer Motor Carriage T34 Rocket Launcher T40 Whizbang

Tank destroyers	T48 Gun Motor Carriage M3 Gun Motor Carriage M6 Gun Motor Carriage M10 3-inch Gun Motor Carriage M18 Gun Motor Carriage (Hellcat) M36 Gun Motor Carriage

Armored half-tracks	M2 Half Track Car M3 Half Track Personnel Carrier M5 Half-track M9 Half-track

Amphibious vehicles	Ford GPA DUKW M29C Weasel Landing Vehicle Tracked

Armored cars	M3 Scout Car M8 Light Armored Car (Greyhound) M20 Armored Utility Car T17 Armored Car T18 Armored Car

Self-propelled anti-aircraft guns	M13 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage M14 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage M15 Combination Gun Motor Carriage M16 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage M17 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage M19 Multiple Gun Motor Carriage

Experimental and short production run vehicles	M38 Wolfhound Heavy Tank T1/M6 Super Heavy Tank T28 (T95 GMC) Assault Tank T14 Heavy Tank T29 (T34 HT) Heavy Tank T30 Heavy Tank T32 Medium Tank T20 T3 Half Track T27 Armored Car T54 Gun Motor Carriage T40/M9 Tank Destroyer T19 Howitzer Motor Carriage 8 in Howitzer Motor Carriage T84 T92/T93 Gun Motor Carriage T55E1 Motor Carriage Light Tank T7/Medium Tank M7 T88 Gun Motor Carriage T18 Howitzer Motor Carriage

Lend-lease production	T16

American armored fighting vehicle production during World War II

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