M115 howitzer
| M115 203 mm howitzer | |
|---|---|
M115 203 mm howitzer on display at Bastrop, Texas, United States. | |
| Type | Howitzer |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| Wars | World War II Korean War Vietnam War Iran–Iraq War Croatian war of independence |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1939 |
| Produced | 1942–1945 |
| No. built | 1,006 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 14,515 kg (31,780 lbs) |
| Length | Travel: 10.972 m (36 ft 0 in) |
| Barrel length | 5.1 m (16 ft 9 in) L/25 |
| Width | Travel: 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) |
| Height | Travel: 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) |
| Crew | 14 |
| Shell | Separate loading charge and projectile 90.7 kg (200 lb) |
| Caliber | 203.2 mm (8 in) |
| Breech | Interrupted screw |
| Recoil | Hydro-pneumatic |
| Carriage | Split trail |
| Elevation | −2° to +65° |
| Traverse | +60° |
| Rate of fire | 3 rounds per 2 minutes (maximum for first 3 minutes), 1 round per 2 minutes (sustained) |
| Muzzle velocity | 587 m/s (1,926 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 16,800 m (18,373 yds) 22,860 m (25,000 yds) maximum |
The M115 203 mm howitzer, also known as the M115 8-inch howitzer, and originally the M1 8-inch howitzer was a towed heavy howitzer developed by the United States Army and used during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Post-WWII it was also adopted by a number of other nations in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.