Ordnance – M3 Howitzer

M3 105mm Howitzer

Should anyone wish to further research the 11th Airborne’s field artillery, the division constituted the 674th and 675th Airborne Field Artillery.

674th Airborne Field Artillery

The105mm Howitzer M3was alighthowitzerdesigned for use by airborne troops. The gun utilized the barrel of the105 mm howitzer M2, shortened and fitted to a slightly modifiedsplit trail carriage of the75 mm pack howitzer. The howitzer was used by theU.S. ArmyduringWWII. It was issued to airborne units and the cannoncompaniesof infantryregiments.

Paratrooper Everett Smith (Smitty, far right) during training

The howitzer was designed to fire the same ammunition as the longer M2. However, it turned out that shorter barrel resulted in incomplete burning of the propelling charge. The problem could be solved by use of faster burning powder. Otherwise the design was considered acceptable and was standardized as105mm Howitzer M3 on Carriage M3. The carriage was soon succeeded by…