US 155MM HOWITZER M1918

The M1918 is an American 155mm towed howitzer from the First World War and the interwar period. The weapon entered production at the turn of 1917/1918. The maximum range reached 11,400 meters. The initial velocity of the projectile was approx. 450 m / s, and the weight of the weapon in the marching position was approx. 4,150 kg. The rate of fire with a well-trained crew was 1-2 shots per minute. The M1918 was essentially a modernization of the French mle 1917 howitzer, which was actually produced in the United States under the designations M1917 and M1917A1. The main changes compared to the French prototype concerned: the introduction of tires on wheels, which improved the mobility of the weapon in the field, the use of a different shape of the protective shield or modification of the breech. Special ammunition lizards were also developed. The M1918 howitzers remained the de facto backbone of the US Army's heavy artillery until 1941, when M1 guns were introduced on a larger scale. Ultimately, however, they were withdrawn from the line only in 1945.