M115 howitzer
| M115 203 mm howitzer | |
|---|---|
M115 203 mm howitzer on display at Bastrop, Texas, United States. | |
| Type | Towed heavy howitzer |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1944–Present |
| Wars | World War II Korean War Vietnam War Iran–Iraq War Croatian war of independence |
| Production history | |
| Designed | 1939–1940 |
| Produced | 1942–1945 |
| No. built | 1,006 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 14,515 kg (30,000 lb) |
| 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 |
| Shell weight | 90.7 kg (200 lb) |
| Caliber | 203.2 mm (8 in) |
| Breech | Interrupted screw |
| Recoil | Hydro-pneumatic |
| Carriage | Split trail |
| Elevation | −2° / +65° |
| Traverse | 30° |
| Rate of fire | 3 rounds/2 min (maximum for first 3 minutes) 1 round/2 min (sustained) |
| Muzzle velocity | 587 m/s (1,926 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 16,800 m (18,373 yds) |
| Maximum firing range | 22,860 m (25,000 yds) |
The 203 mm howitzer M115, also known as the 8-inch howitzer M115, and originally the 8-inch howitzer M1 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.