The M40 gun motor carriage was a self-propelled artillery piece used by the US Army at the end of World War II and during the Korean War. Technically, it was the M1 155-mm gun, the Long Tom, mounted on the chassis of the M4 Sherman tank. Although it arrived late in the European Theater, in late January 1945, it would become one of the best self-propelled artillery piece as it went on to a long postwar career.
The work on the 155-mm M40 gun motor carriage had begun in 1943 as the US Army looked for an alternative to replace the M12 self-propelled gun, which was based on the M3 medium tank chassis. Since its development took longer than expected, the first batch of M40 guns rolled out of the factory on January 2, 1945. The chassis of the M4 Sherman had to be widened and lengthened in order to accommodate the Long Tom. In Europe, it took part in the bombing of Kรถln and the short military campaign that ensued. From 1950, it would be used extensively in the Korean War.
Below, the M40 during a military tracked vehicle exhibition in the USA.
This 15-mm self-propelled gun was powered by one Continental radial piston engine, which produced 400 horsepower. It had a crew of eight and provision for their weapons and kit. However, it had no protection for the crew as the gun had been designed to be used far behind the front line. Thus, protection was not necessary as it was out of reach of the enemy artillery and infantry. The same carriage was employed to mount the 203-mm howitzer; this version was designated the M43 Howitzer Motor Carriage.
Specifications
Type: Self-propelled Gun
Weight: 37.2 tons
Length of Chassis: 6.65 m (21 feet, 10 inches)
Length of Whole Piece: 9 m (29 feet, 8 inches)
Width: 3.15 m (10 feet, 4 inches)
Height: 2.84 m (9 feet, 4 inches)
Power Plant: One 400-HP Continental R-975, air-cooled, radial piston engine.
Maximum Speed: 38.6 km/h (24 mph)
Range: 161 km (100 miles)
Armament: on 155-mm gun
Length of Gun Barrel: 6.97 m (22 feet, 10 inches); L/45.
Gun Elevation: -5 to +52 degrees
Traverse: 18 degrees to the right, and 16 degrees to the left.
Breech: Asbury Type Mechanism
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