In the Osprey book "Vietnam Firebases", it mentions 8-inch guns being used, but only the M110 SP howitzer is specifically mentioned. Wasn't the M115 towed howitzer used as well? Just wondered, as the Wikipedia mentioned the SP version wasn't as stable as the towed version.

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In the Osprey book "Vietnam Firebases", it mentions 8-inch guns being used, but only the M110 SP howitzer is specifically mentioned. Wasn't the M115 towed howitzer used as well? Just wondered, as the Wikipedia mentioned the SP version wasn't as stable as the towed version.

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I doubt it even though several have said they did use them. I never saw anything but the 8" M110. In 1967 it was already done away with, and prior to 1967 the combat troops in RVN were a fraction to what there were in 1967-1971. I've also heard stories that they used 155 long toms over there, but once again have yet to ever see a picture or run accross anybody that was on a gun crew.

The 8" towed howitzer along with the 155 long tom were not suited for the style of shooting that was so common in RVN. You shot in all directions from parapits, and it would be a bear to shift an 8" or a long tom! You add this to the fact that they couldn't be transported by anything but a tractor made them virtually useless. The 8" sp along with the others were tracked and could go to alot of places (still not everywhere) as long as there was some kind of a trail.
gary

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In the Osprey book "Vietnam Firebases", it mentions 8-inch guns being used, but only the M110 SP howitzer is specifically mentioned. Wasn't the M115 towed howitzer used as well? Just wondered, as the Wikipedia mentioned the SP version wasn't as stable as the towed version.

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I doubt it even though several have said they did use them. I never saw anything but the 8" M110. In 1967 it was already done away with, and prior to 1967 the combat troops in RVN were a fraction to what there were in 1967-1971. I've also heard stories that they used 155 long toms over there, but once again have yet to ever see a picture or run accross anybody that was on a gun crew.

The 8" towed howitzer along with the 155 long tom were not suited for the style of shooting that was so common in RVN. You shot in all directions from parapits, and it would be a bear to shift an 8" or a long tom! You add this to the fact that they couldn't be transported by anything but a tractor made them virtually useless. The 8" sp along with the others were tracked and could go to alot of places (still not everywhere) as long as there was some kind of a trail.
gary

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Wikipedia goofed again then. Thanks!

they're usually about as much right as they are wrong. Show us a photo of one! Just one! The Army phased out the M115 from front line usage shortly after the Korean war
gary

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Show us a photo of one! Just one! The Army phased out the M115 from front line usage shortly after the Korean war

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Okay, here you go:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-115

Should have put the link up before.

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There is no pic on there showing it used in Vietnam.

This samething is what's gonna eventually kill the current 155 towed guns. Arty hasn't been placed five or six miles back since the Korean War. It's very close to the operating infantry and has to be able to shoot at least 180 degrees.
gary

Key wording......... "The weapon uses NATO standard 203mm ammunition, and was used during World War II, in Korea, and in Viet Nam. "

The AMMO not the weapon saw action in all 3.....................

Just my .02c

I'm gonna say this one more time:
The way the carriage is designed on the M115 makes it useless in a 360 degree shooting situation. You cannot shift the guy more than the barrel can traverse without relaying the gun. Making the folks south of there into jello by the time your back up and running again. You have to think about it a few minutes. You shoot a zone sweep at 6200 (taking forever by the way), and five minutes after your done another F.O. calls in a contact fire mission (this is where the 8" towed gun is at it's very best) at 2700. So about an hour later your ready to shoot (well sorta). They just cannot live with that, and that's what doomed the M115 and the 155 long tom (plus neither one would shoot a zone sweep very well). This samething is what's gonna eventually kill the current 155 towed guns. Arty hasn't been placed five or six miles back since the Korean War. It's very close to the operating infantry and has to be able to shoot at least 180 degrees.
gary

Ironically a towed howitzer that was used was designated M114 and had a very different carriage

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This samething is what's gonna eventually kill the current 155 towed guns. Arty hasn't been placed five or six miles back since the Korean War. It's very close to the operating infantry and has to be able to shoot at least 180 degrees.
gary

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The M198 does not suffer from the same design limitations. After jacking up the wheels, and settling the baseplate, it can be deflected a full 360 degrees with only four crew members. The trails are surprisingly light, and the gun as a whole is very well balanced

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Ironically a towed howitzer that was used was designated M114 and had a very different carriage

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Yes, the M114 is/was a 155mm towed howitzer. It is very different that the M115 though. Just because the numbers in the nomenclature are close, doesn't mean the guns are.

Crews have to be larger creating a second problem in combat. The actually firing operation is slow (real slow) when using the M198. The gun seems tobe very accurate even though the carriage is really taxed using max loads. gary

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Crews have to be larger creating a second problem in combat. The actually firing operation is slow (real slow) when using the M198. The gun seems tobe very accurate even though the carriage is really taxed using max loads. gary

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I'm really not following you here. As a chief on an M198, my crew was never slow. There's not a whole lot to it-place round in breech, ram, add powder charge, close breech. Add primer, attach lanyard... While this is going on I'm verifying deflection and quadrant elevation, charge, and that the primer is inserted. The whole process, with a good crew, takes little more time than it does to read this. As for the gun seeming to be accurate, well, it is VERY accurate, stressed carriage or no. In fact the major stressed areas had little to do with firing, and more to do with transport, both of which have since been addressed on the gun with gussets on the gun crutch, and higher rated tires. And by the way, which replacement for the one niner eight is a piece of junk, and why?

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Crews have to be larger creating a second problem in combat. The actually firing operation is slow (real slow) when using the M198. The gun seems tobe very accurate even though the carriage is really taxed using max loads. gary

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I'm really not following you here. As a chief on an M198, my crew was never slow. There's not a whole lot to it-place round in breech, ram, add powder charge, close breech. Add primer, attach lanyard... While this is going on I'm verifying deflection and quadrant elevation, charge, and that the primer is inserted. The whole process, with a good crew, takes little more time than it does to read this. As for the gun seeming to be accurate, well, it is VERY accurate, stressed carriage or no. In fact the major stressed areas had little to do with firing, and more to do with transport, both of which have since been addressed on the gun with gussets on the gun crutch, and higher rated tires. And by the way, which replacement for the one niner eight is a piece of junk, and why?

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I talking nine rounds on the way in about 55 seconds. Or yelling "bore clear" before the first round goes off at seven miles down range. That's called fire for effect with all rounds in the target grid (remember you have nine different targets in a grid). What's your "hip shoot" time?
Last time I was at Bragg the powers to be were raising cain (about the newest howitzer)about it being broke all the time. Perhaps they found away to make it work
gary

I was in Vietnam in 1965 and 1966, the only artillery i saw was mainly self propelled (M108 105mm, M109 155mm, M110 8" & M107 175mm). The only towed versions were 105mm, i don't recall the nomenclature(it looked alot like the Italeri 105 kit, some units had the old "pigs"(M114 155mm towed). If the M115 was in country, it may have been when the first Marine units deployed in early 65. The Marines actually had M55 SP's in the beginning deployments. Hope this helps.

Ronny