240 mm howitzer M1

The 240 mm howitzer M1, popularly nicknamed the "Black Dragon",[1] was a towed howitzer used by the United States Army. The 240 mm M1 was designed to replace the World War I era 240 mm howitzer M1918, which was based on a 1911 French design and was outdated by World War II.

240 mm Howitzer M1
Front view of a 240 mm howitzer firing into German held territory. Mignano area, Italy. January 30, 1944
TypeHowitzer
Place of originUnited States
Service history
In service1943–1959 (USA)
1958–Present (Taiwan)
Used byUSA
UK
Philippines
Taiwan
WarsWorld War II
Korean War
Second Taiwan Strait Crisis
Production history
Designed1940–1943
Produced1944–1945
No. built315 manufactured by 1945.
Specifications
Mass64,700 lb (29,300 kg) (in action)
Barrel length27 ft 6 in (8.38 m) L/35
Width9 ft 2 in (2.79 m)
Crew14
Shell360 lb (160 kg) separate loading, bagged charge
Caliber240 mm (9.4 in)
BreechInterrupted screw
RecoilHydro-pneumatic
CarriageSplit trail with 2 transport wagons
Elevation+15° to +65°
Traverse22.5° right and left.
Rate of fire30 rounds/hour
Muzzle velocity2,300 ft/s (701 m/s)
Maximum firing range14.3 mi (23.1 km)

The project to replace the M1918 began in 1941.[2] The 240 mm howitzer was the most powerful weapon deployed by US field artillery units during World War II, able to fire a 360 lb (160 kg) high explosive projectile 25,225 yards (23,066 m).[3] It was the largest field piece used by the US Army during the war except for naval ordnance adapted into railway guns.[4] The weapon addressed the requirement for super-heavy field artillery capable of attacking heavily reinforced targets, like those likely to be found along Germany's Siegfried Line.

The 240 mm howitzer M1 was designed together with the longer-ranged 8-inch gun M1, and they both shared a related carriage.[3] While use of the 8-inch gun was limited due to excessive bore wear and poor accuracy, the howitzer saw considerable action during World War II in Europe due to its effectiveness against difficult targets such as heavy concrete fortifications. It was also used in the Pacific campaign, notably in the recapture of Manila in 1945, but few targets there were fortified heavily enough to justify its use.[5]

The US Army retained the 240 mm howitzer after World War II, and later deployed it in the Korean War. The howitzer remained in US service until ammunition stocks were exhausted in the late 1950s.[4]

The 240 mm howitzer M1 is still in service with Taiwan, stationed in hardened bunkers of the frontline Kinmen and Matsu Islands.

Service

The first operational use of the super-heavy 240 mm howitzer was by the U.S. 5th Army at the Anzio Beachhead in Italy in January 1944.[5] Along with the 8-inch (203 mm) gun (which was deployed at Anzio from April 1944), super-heavy artillery was used as counter-battery fire against German guns in their class.[5] Their fire was accurate enough not only to knock enemy artillery out of action, but also to destroy targets as small as German heavy tanks.[5] US super-heavy artillery also played a role in countering the infamous Anzio Annie railway gun and putting it out of action.[5]

In Italy, the 240 mm howitzer was highly valued for its capability to destroy key bridges at long range.[6] Army ordnance officers credited the "devastating fire power and incredible accuracy" of the 240 mm howitzer in playing a decisive role in the Italian Campaign.[1] During the Battle of Monte Cassino, the weapon was used in the final destruction of the monastery, already damaged by air attacks.[6] In the Italian theater, a small number of 240 mm howitzers also saw action with the British Eighth Army.[4]

Despite their initial misgivings over the deployment of such a heavy and unwieldy weapon, 5th Army commanders dubbed the 240 mm howitzer as "the most generally satisfactory weapon" in service in 1944.[6] The 240 mm howitzer also saw extensive service on the Western Front, reducing reinforced targets requiring super-heavy artillery.[6]

During the Korean War, twelve 240 mm howitzers were brought out of "mothballs" and sent to the front lines to deal with deep bunkers and fortifications built by the Chinese that could not be effectively attacked by the smaller artillery weapons then on hand. They were utilized in two units in Korea, the 213th and 159th Field Artillery Battalions. The weapons went into action on May 1, 1953. On that day, the first round was fired by Baker battery of the 213th at a target on top of a hill called "the donut" by aerial observers. The first round was supposed to be just a ceremonial shot; however, it struck an ammo dump directly on top of "the donut" which set off a chain reaction and blew part of the top of the hill off in a spectacular fashion.[7]

In the late 1950s, several M1s were transferred to the Republic of China and stationed in the front-line Kinmen and Matsu Islands. The guns were put on rails to enable the howitzers to deploy outside for fire missions and to retreat inside their hardened bunkers/tunnels for protection (capable of withstanding direct hits from aerial bombs) when needed.[8][9]

Self-propelled mount

Due to the problems with moving such a large, heavy weapon, a self-propelled version was made by mounting it on a stretched Heavy Tank T26E3 chassis, with an extra bogie wheel per side as the T92 Howitzer Motor Carriage,[10] While 115 were planned, only five were built; the war ended before it could be used and it was later scrapped.[11]

  • Rear view of a 240mm howitzer at the U.S. Army Field Artillery Museum, Ft. Sill, OK
  • Side view of a 240mm howitzer at the U.S. Army Field Artillery Museum, Ft. Sill, OK

Footnotes
  1. "'Black Dragon' Italian Success", T-Patch 36th Infantry Division News, Army times., Retrieved on 2007-05-25.
  2. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare, Vol 7, page 779, editor Bernard Fitzsimons, Purnell & Sons Ltd 1967/1969
  3. Zaloga, Delf – US Field Artillery of World War II, p 34.
  4. "M1 240 mm Howitzer", Globalsecurity.org, Retrieved on 2007-05-25.
  5. Schreier – Standard guide to U.S. World War II Tanks & Artillery, p 105.
  6. Zaloga, Delf – US Field Artillery of World War II, p 33.
  7. Sobiesky, Tony., "240 mm Howitzer: Kiss Of Death", the KOREAN WAR, Updated on 2014-11-22.
  8. M1 240mm Howitzer "Taiwan M1 240mm Howitzer" Archived 2011-05-01 at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved on 2010-02-20.
  9. "Kinmen M1 240mm Howitzer firing exercise", Retrieved on 2010-03-06.
  10. "United States' T92 Howitzer Motor Carriage" Archived 2017-03-29 at the Wayback Machine, wwiivehicles.com. Retrieved on 2010-02-28.
  11. Chamberlain & Ellis British and American Tanks of World War II 1969 p161

See also

References
  • Hogg, Ian V. (1970). The Guns, 1939–45. New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-01-906710-0.
  • Hogg, Ian V. (1998). Allied Artillery of World War Two. Greenhill Books. ISBN 1-85367-478-8.
  • Schreier, Konrad F., Jr. (1994). Standard Guide to U.S. World War II Tanks & Artillery. Krause Publications. ISBN 0-87341-297-4.
  • Zaloga, Steven J., Brian Delf (2007). US Field Artillery of World War II. New Vanguard 131. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-061-1.
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