| M1908 6-inch howitzer | |
|---|---|
 M1908 at the U.S. Army Field Artillery Museum | |
| Type | Heavyhowitzer |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1910–1920 |
| Used by | United States |
| Wars | World War I |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Bethlehem Steel |
| Designed | 1906–1909 |
| Manufacturer | Gun:Watervliet Arsenal Carriage:Rock Island Arsenal,Bethlehem Steel |
| Produced | 1910–1916 |
| No. built | 40 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 7,354 lb (3,336 kg) |
| Barrel length | 81.5 in (207 cm) bore (13.6calibers) |
| Crew | 9 |
| Shell | Separate loading cased charge |
| Shell weight | 120 lb (54 kg)common orshrapnel |
| Calibre | 6 in (152.4 mm) |
| Breech | Interrupted screw |
| Recoil | Hydro-spring |
| Elevation | -5° to 40° |
| Traverse | 6° |
| Muzzle velocity | 900 ft/s (270 m/s) |
| Maximum firing range | 6,700 yards (6,125 m) (40° max elevation) |
TheM1908 6-inch howitzer, officially the6-inch Howitzer, Model of 1908, was the principal heavyhowitzer piece of theU.S. Army prior toWorld War I.
Forty of these weapons had been produced before 1917, and all were employed within theUnited States for training purposes during the war. Although this weapon appears in World War I-eratables of organization and equipment, for combat use in France theCanon de 155 C mle 1917 Schneider was purchased, and variants of this remained the standard weapon of this class until early World War II.[1] All surviving weapons were retired during the 1920s.[2]
It is unusual among American-designed field artillery weapons in that it has the recoil cylinder situated above the barrel. The 4.7-inch howitzer M1908/M1912 shared this feature.[3][4] The75 mm gun M1917 also had this, but was based on the BritishQF 18-pounder gun.
Ammunition was either common steel shell with a basefuze, or shrapnel with a combination time/percussion fuze.[5][2]
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Media related toM1908 6-inch howitzer at Wikimedia Commons
