Since the invention of gunpowder, militaries of the world have utilized cannons to strike at fortifications and large enemy concentrations. From the great bombards of the Ottoman Empire to the 16-inch guns of the USS Iowa, all cannons have served this purpose in one way or another. The M114 Howitzer is no exception. Nestled between our second hangar and jets at our museum rests on such artillery cannon.
The M114 Howitzer is the product of lessons learned in World War One. A special group of experts, deemed the Westervelt Board, convened to discuss how to better utilize artillery. The Westervelt Board came to one major conclusion. A heavy howitzer should be able to fire 16,000 yards (9 miles) and be capable of elevating to 65 degrees. After a long trial period, the project to develop a new artillery gun to replace the French designed M1918 currently in use was spurred on by rapidly rising tensions between the US and the newly formed Axis Powers.
1941 saw the first successful test fire of the M114 howitzer and shortly after, the gun became standardized.
The M114 Howitzer would be produced from 1941 to 1953 and go on to see service in World War Two, the Korean War, Vietnam, and Desert Storm. The M114 is still in service today, acting as a delivery system for more and more complex shells. Much of the ammunition fired by the M114 is smoke or high explosive. More interesting ammunition types include illumination for lighting up a battlefield, chemical shells that are outlawed and not used, and even nuclear tipped warheads during the Cold War.
Comments