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M43 Howitzer Motor Carriage

Self-propelled artillery From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

M43 Howitzer Motor Carriage
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The 8-inch Howitzer Motor Carriage M43 was an American self-propelled artillery vehicle built on a widened and lengthened medium tank M4/M4A1 chassis, with a Continental engine and HVSS that was introduced at the end of World War II. The M43 shared the same chassis as the more widely produced M40 Gun Motor Carriage, which instead mounted a 155 mm 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.

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History

Equipped with a M115 203 mm (8-inch) 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]

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Variants

  • 8-inch Howitzer Motor Carriage M438 in (203 mm) HMC, standardized August 1945; 48 were built.
  • Cargo Carrier T30 – a few built before cancellation in December 1944 to make more chassis available for GMCs.
  • The Army planned to use the same T38 chassis for a family of SP artillery.

Surviving vehicles

Thumb
M43 Howitzer at Ft. Sill, OK.

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

See also

Notes

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