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| M43 Howitzer Motor Carriage | |
|---|---|
 M43 HMC | |
| Type | Self-propelled artillery |
| Place of origin |  United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1945 – 1953 |
| Used by | United States |
| Wars | World War II Korean War |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Ordnance Department |
| Designed | 1944 – 1945 |
| Manufacturer | Pressed Steel Car Company |
| Produced | 1945 |
| No. built | 24 (+ 24 converted from 155 mm GMC M40) |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 83,000 lb (38 t) |
| Length | 289 in (7.3 m) |
| Width | 124 in (3.1 m) |
| Height | 129 in (3.3 m) |
| Crew | 8 (Commander, driver, 6 gun crew) |
| Shell | separate loading,bagged charge |
| Caliber | 8 in (203 mm) |
| Rate of fire | Sustained: |
| Muzzle velocity | 1,925 ft/s (587 m/s) |
| Effective firing range | Conventional: |
| Maximum firing range | 16,800 m |
| Feed system | hand |
| Sights | M13 or M6 |
Main armament | 8-inch Howitzer M2 |
| Engine | Continental R-975-C4 400 hp (300 kW) |
| Suspension | HVSS (Horizontal Volute Spring Suspension) |
Operational range | 107 mi (172 km) |
| Maximum speed | 24 mph (39 km/h) |
The8-inch Howitzer Motor Carriage M43 was an American self-propelled artillery vehicle built on a widened and lengthenedmedium tank M4A3 chassis, but with a Continental engine and HVSS that was introduced at the end ofWorld War II. The M43 shared the same chassis as the more widely producedM40 Gun Motor Carriage, which instead mounted a 155 mm gun, and were designed by thePressed Steel Car Company. A production run of 576 was planned originally, but in the end only 24 were produced and another 24 were converted from M40 hulls.[1] The M43 went on to serve in theKorean War, and was retired after its conclusion.
Equipped with a M115 203 mm (8-inch)howitzer, it was designed to replace the earlierM12 gun motor carriage. Its prototype designation was the T89, but this was changed to the M43 in March 1945. The 41.5-ton vehicles struggled to keep up with mechanized formations, but were successful when employed in more stationary roles.
A single pilot vehicle was deployed in Europe before the end of World War II and was used in action by the991st Field Artillery Regiment, first seeing action as part of Zebra Force in February 1945 in the capture ofCologne.
M43s were used in action in theKorean War, where they were well suited to the static fighting there, their high angle of fire permitting them to hit the rear slopes of hills.[2]
Despite its small production run, the M43s is featured in the computer gamesWorld of Tanks andR.U.S.E.
