Alas, for most artillery enthusiasts, the M44 will be a disappointment after the wonderful M41. Despite the fact that the tank is a level higher, it has practically the same weapon as its younger brother, and its large dimensions do not bode well at all.
General information.
Being developed on the basis of the American light tank M41 Walker Bulldog, the artillery partially retained its driving characteristics, but most likely that’s all. All-round armor of 12 mm and fairly large dimensions make this self-propelled gun easy prey for even the smallest light vehicles armed with machine guns. The weapon is also not very remarkable in terms of characteristics, although it does not lag behind the average performance among its classmates. As a result, we can say that the M44 is the most unbalanced artillery at level 6
Detailed main characteristics:
Weapon:
. One-time average damage is 700 units.
. Rate of fire - 2.73 rounds per minute.
. Aiming time -6 seconds.
. Accuracy spread - 0.8 m.
Recommended equipment.
Equipment, as on most artillery:
. Howitzer gun rammer - we increase the overall damage per minute by improving the characteristics of the gun.
. Aiming drives - of course, the speed of aiming is also directly related to both rate of fire and accuracy.
. Coated optics are wonderful equipment. Sometimes it can be extremely useful, especially when you are alone. However, if you don’t like dragging out battles and are ready to trust your allies, then it’s better to install a camouflage net; it can help in one of the 20 battles.
Equipment you can install this:
. Repair kit.
. First aid kit.
. A box of cola (the fact is that our one-time damage is not the greatest, and in order to keep up with classmates, it would be nice to increase, at least the rate of fire, and other characteristics will increase, which is also not bad).
Crew.
After M41 we lose the radio operator, but he is replaced by another loader. Let's give him some useless perk, for example, intuition (it can be useful if you carry several gold shells with you). We give the first loader a desperate boost, because lowering hit points to 10% is a piece of cake for us, and the additional firing speed will be just right. We are teaching a virtuoso how to become a driver mechanic, which will help a little in the fight against LT. The commander naturally swings the light bulb, and the gunner smoothly rotates the turret in order to better realize our large horizontal aiming angle of 60 degrees. The second perk we download for everyone is Battle Brotherhood, and the third we take the camouflage skill.
Set of skills:
. Commander: 6th sense, Brotherhood of Combat, camouflage.
. Driver: Virtuoso, Combat Brotherhood, disguise.
. Gunner: smooth turret rotation, Combat Brotherhood, camouflage.
. Loader: Intuition, Combat Brotherhood, Camouflage.
. Loader: Desperate, Brotherhood of Battle, disguise.
Weaknesses of the M44.
Large dimensions, which makes our vehicle very noticeable, and invisibility for artillery is very important. Small one-time damage and fairly low penetration by a landmine. In situations where one powerful shot is needed, this is very frustrating. The practical absence of armor puts the life of our vehicle in great danger. An encounter with even the most harmless firefly can end fatally.
Strengths of the M44.
Although the weapon only has 700 damage at level 6, the M44 is quite fast-firing and has good shooting accuracy. The good dynamics of the tank, which was inherited from the Bulldog, often helps when changing positions, and a mobile self-propelled gun is always a big plus for the team.
Combat tactics on the M44.
The tactics are almost the same as those already familiar with the M41. You shoot, move, and so on for the entire battle. As before, your goal is not to take frags, but to deal the main damage. Although, very armored targets with a small number of hit points, who solo hold the flank and offend your allies with impunity, deserve destruction. The only innovation is that you need to take into account the dimensions of your car. The M44 is noticeably larger than the M41, which means you need to choose shelters more carefully.
Alas, for most artillery enthusiasts, the M44 will be a disappointment after the wonderful M41. Despite the fact that the tank is a level higher, it has practically the same weapon as its younger brother, and its large dimensions do not bode well at all.
General information.
Being developed on the basis of the American light tank M41 Walker Bulldog, the artillery partially retained its driving characteristics, but most likely that’s all. All-round armor of 12 mm and fairly large dimensions make this self-propelled gun easy prey for even the smallest light vehicles armed with machine guns. The weapon is also not very remarkable in terms of characteristics, although it does not lag behind the average performance among its classmates. As a result, we can say that the M44 is the most unbalanced artillery at level 6
Detailed main characteristics:
One-time average damage is 700 units.
Rate of fire - 2.73 rounds per minute.
Aiming time -6 seconds.
Equipment, as on most artillery:
Howitzer gun rammer - we increase the overall damage per minute by improving the characteristics of the gun.
Aiming drives - of course, the speed of aiming is also directly related to both rate of fire and accuracy.
Coated optics are wonderful equipment. Sometimes it can be extremely useful, especially when you are alone. However, if you don’t like dragging out battles and are ready to trust your allies, then it’s better to install a camouflage net; it can help in one of the 20 battles.
Equipment you can install this:
Repair kit.
First aid kit.
A box of cola (the fact is that our one-time damage is not the greatest, and in order to keep up with classmates, it would be nice to increase, at least the rate of fire, and other characteristics will increase, which is also not bad).
Crew.
After M41 we lose the radio operator, but he is replaced by another loader. Let's give him some useless perk, for example, intuition (it can be useful if you carry several gold shells with you). We give the first loader a desperate boost, because lowering hit points to 10% is a piece of cake for us, and the additional firing speed will be just right. We are teaching a virtuoso how to become a driver mechanic, which will help a little in the fight against LT. The commander naturally swings the light bulb, and the gunner smoothly rotates the turret in order to better realize our large horizontal aiming angle of 60 degrees. The second perk we download for everyone is Battle Brotherhood, and the third we take the camouflage skill.
Set of skills:
Commander: 6th sense, Brotherhood of Combat, camouflage.
Driver: Virtuoso, Combat Brotherhood, disguise.
Gunner: smooth turret rotation, Combat Brotherhood, camouflage.
Loader: Intuition, Combat Brotherhood, Camouflage.
Loader: Desperate, Brotherhood of Battle, disguise.
Weaknesses of the M44.
Large dimensions, which makes our vehicle very noticeable, and invisibility for artillery is very important. Small one-time damage and fairly low penetration by a landmine. In situations where one powerful shot is needed, this is very frustrating. The practical absence of armor puts the life of our vehicle in great danger. An encounter with even the most harmless firefly can end fatally.
Strengths of the M44.
Although the weapon only has 700 damage at level 6, the M44 is quite fast-firing and has good shooting accuracy. The good dynamics of the tank, which was inherited from the Bulldog, often helps when changing positions, and a mobile self-propelled gun is always a big plus for the team.
Combat tactics on the M44.
The tactics are almost the same as those already familiar with the M41. You shoot, move, and so on for the entire battle. As before, your goal is not to take frags, but to deal the main damage. Although, very armored targets with a small number of hit points, who solo hold the flank and offend your allies with impunity, deserve destruction. The only innovation is that you need to take into account the dimensions of your car. The M44 is noticeably larger than the M41, which means you need to choose shelters more carefully.
The artillery units of the US Army met the beginning of the fifties, armed with several self-propelled guns of quite old models. This technique was mainly created or began to be developed during the Second World War. The operation of existing vehicles continued, but the ground forces needed new models with improved characteristics. One of the first post-war attempts to update the self-propelled gun fleet was the M44 SPH project.
The most powerful self-propelled artillery system used by American troops during the Korean War was the 155 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M41 combat vehicle. This self-propelled gun was distinguished by high firepower and good combat effectiveness, but still was not without shortcomings. One of the main problems of the existing design was considered to be an insufficiently protected fighting compartment. The gunners had to work in a low cabin without a roof, which put them at increased risk. In addition, the M41 was built on the basis of the M24 light tank, which could no longer be called a new technology.
Serial self-propelled gun M44 after processing according to an updated design. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
At the very beginning of the fifties, even before the end of the fighting on the Korean Peninsula, the American military department formed requirements for a promising howitzer self-propelled gun, designed to replace the existing M41 HMC vehicles in the near future. The new project should have used time-tested ideas and solutions, but at the same time, the promising self-propelled gun had to be based on a different chassis and be distinguished by the presence of full crew protection. Thus, the main innovations of the project were the use of a completely enclosed wheelhouse and a chassis based on the units of the M41 Walker Bulldog light tank.
The project of a new self-propelled gun with a 155-mm howitzer received the working name T94. Later, as the project developed, the designation T94E1 was introduced. At a certain point, a decision was made to radically redesign the vehicle’s body, as a result of which the name T194E1 appeared. In 1954, a new technology, corresponding to the latest version of the project, was put into service under the official name M44 Self-Propelled Howitzer.
The T99 project proposed using a number of already mastered ideas and solutions, primarily of a layout nature. The promising self-propelled gun was supposed to have a front engine-transmission compartment and a single large habitable compartment in the stern, accommodating the crew, weapons and ammunition. The M41 tank proposed for use as a base had a classic layout, which is why its units had to be significantly redesigned.
Light tank M41 Walker Bulldog. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The existing tank chassis was literally turned backwards and rebuilt as required. The frontal part of the self-propelled gun hull, which was previously the stern of the tank, consisted of two inclined sheets 12.7 mm thick. The vertical sides of the hull, located next to the chassis, had the same thickness. About a third of the length of the hull was occupied by the vertical roof of the engine compartment, behind which a large wheelhouse was placed. The crew and gun were to be protected by a box-shaped polygonal unit assembled from 12.7 mm armor plates. The front of the cabin consisted of two side units, between which there was a swinging gun mantlet. To the left of it there was a vertical sheet with a small inclined section at the top, and to the right there was a part with an L-shaped recess and fastenings for transporting various property. The sides and stern of the cabin were made vertical. From above, the crew was protected by a horizontal roof equipped with several hatches.
A folding ramp was provided in the aft sheet of the cabin. A coulter was attached to it, which was necessary to hold the combat vehicle in place during firing. When the opener was lowered, the folding feed sheet occupied a horizontal position. In the stowed position, the ramp was placed vertically, and the opener rose above the ground.
The bow compartment of the hull housed a six-cylinder boxer gasoline engine of the Continental AOS-895-3 type, developing up to 500 hp. The engine was connected to an Allison CD-500-3 manual transmission with two forward speeds and one reverse. There was a fuel system with tanks with a capacity of 570 liters. From a design point of view, the power unit of the new T99 self-propelled gun was supposed to be a slightly modified engine and transmission compartment of the Walker Bulldog base tank. The differences between the two vehicles were associated with the “turning” of the chassis and the need to change the direction of rewinding the tracks.
105 mm M114 howitzer in its original towed version. US Army Photo
The chassis of the new self-propelled guns was supposed to be based on existing units, but at the same time received a modified composition. On each side it was proposed to mount not five, like the base tank, but six road wheels. The rollers had an individual torsion bar suspension, and the first, second and fifth pairs were also equipped with additional shock absorbers. The rear roller of each side was lowered to the ground, but at the same time served as a guide wheel. The drive wheels were located in the front of the hull. Four support rollers were used per side. The caterpillar had a width of 530 mm and provided support on a surface 3.8 m long.
In the front part of the habitable cabin there was an installation for mounting the swinging part of the main gun of the self-propelled gun. The M114 field howitzer was chosen as the “main caliber”, modified in accordance with the need for installation on a self-propelled chassis. A gun of this type had a rifled barrel of 155 mm caliber and a length of 3.79 m. The howitzer had a piston bolt and was equipped with hydropneumatic recoil devices. The latter's cylinders were located under and above the barrel. According to available data, when adapting to use on self-propelled guns, the M114 howitzer lost its standard carriage, instead of which an M80-type machine was now used.
The T94 self-propelled gun mount allowed horizontal aiming within a 30° wide sector. Elevation angles varied from -5° to +65°. The existing sighting devices made it possible to fire both direct fire and from closed positions.
The frontal part of the hull and wheelhouse of the M44 self-propelled gun. Photo Afvdb.50megs.com
The M114 gun used separate loading with a propellant charge in the cartridge case. There were five charge options weighing from 2.69 kg to 6.31 kg, designed for firing at different ranges. The gun could use the entire existing range of 155-mm projectiles for various purposes. The crew could use high-explosive fragmentation, smoke, chemical, illumination and practical ammunition of several types. Depending on the type, the initial velocity of the projectile could reach 550-565 m/s. The maximum firing range was 14.6 km. With the further development of the howitzer and by creating new projectiles, the firing range was increased by several hundred meters.
In the fighting compartment, on the aft deckhouse sheets, vertical racks for transporting ammunition were placed. The limited volume available, combined with the size of the projectiles and cartridge cases, affected the size of the ammunition. Only 24 shots were able to be placed on the racks. Firing for a long time required the assistance of other vehicles and the supply of shots from the ground.
As an additional weapon for self-defense, the self-propelled gun was supposed to use the M2HB heavy machine gun, “traditional” for American armored vehicles of that time. This turret was located on the roof of the wheelhouse, on its left side. The machine gun was aimed manually with circular aiming horizontally. The machine gun's ammunition capacity is 900 rounds.
The crew of the self-propelled gun included five people. The driver (to the left of the gun) and the gunner (to the right) were located immediately behind the front wheelhouse. The self-propelled gun commander was behind the gunner and had to conduct observation using optical instruments on his hatch. The remaining volumes of the fighting compartment were given to two loaders. One of them also served as a gunner operating a heavy machine gun. A crew of five could fire up to four howitzer shots per minute. If prolonged shooting was necessary, the rate of fire dropped to one shot per minute.
Engine compartment and front chassis elements. Photo Afvdb.50megs.com
The promising T99 self-propelled gun turned out to be not very large, but the use of a relatively heavy weapon led to corresponding results. The length of the vehicle was 6.16 m, width - 3.24 m, height - 3.11 m. Height of the firing line - 2.1 m. Combat weight - 29 tons. Specific power more than 17 hp. per ton allowed the self-propelled gun to reach a speed of 56 km/h with a cruising range of 120 km. A ditch 1.8 m wide was crossed, and a rise to a 76-cm wall was provided. Reservoirs up to 1.1 m deep were crossed by ford.
The use of ready-made chassis and guns, which did not require major reworking, allowed us to speed up the development of the project. A few months after the start of design work, a prototype with the experimental designation T99E1 entered testing. This machine performed well at the test site, after which a decision was made to launch mass production. The order for the construction of serial howitzer self-propelled guns was received by Massey Harris. Soon after this, the army received the first vehicles of the new type and began to master them.
Already after the start of operation of serial equipment, serious problems were identified that forced the development of a new version of the project. During firing exercises, it turned out that the existing fighting compartment, made in the form of a large closed wheelhouse, did not have sufficient ventilation. Powder gases quickly accumulated inside the wheelhouse and, at a minimum, made it difficult for the crew to work. Further operation of the equipment with such problems was not possible. Serial production of the vehicles was suspended until the shortcomings were eliminated. By this time, the contracting company had managed to build and deliver 250 self-propelled guns to the army.
The cabin of a self-propelled gun: the opener and stern sheet are lowered, racks for ammunition are visible. Photo Afvdb.50megs.com
During the work to optimize ventilation, the project managed to receive a new designation T194E1. A study of the existing problem showed that solving it would require abandoning one of the main ideas of the project. Organizing proper ventilation for a completely enclosed fighting compartment was not possible. It was proposed to get rid of powder gases using atmospheric air and wind. To do this, the existing roof was removed from the cabin. As a result, the car was left without upper hatches. The machine gun turret on a ring base had to be fixed on the left side of the hull. It was proposed to monitor the situation without the use of special equipment. At the same time, for greater driving convenience, a small windshield was fixed above the control post on the windshield.
The development of the T194E1 project and the need to rebuild already manufactured armored vehicles led to a postponement of the start of full operation of the equipment. Two and a half hundred self-propelled guns were redesigned until 1954. After that, all new cars were initially built with an open deckhouse. Also in 1954, a new howitzer self-propelled gun in its latest version was put into service under the name M44.
Due to the lack of a roof, M44 crews were asked to protect themselves from precipitation using a canvas awning. It is interesting that in some parts of the army, local craftsmen independently equipped the open hull with support arches, which made it possible to raise the awning to a more convenient height. However, not all self-propelled guns have undergone such “modernization”.
Self-propelled guns (from left to right) M110A2, M108 and M44 at the Texas Military Forces Museum. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Full operation of the latest armored vehicles began only in 1954, which is why it was simply late for the Korean War. After identifying shortcomings in the fighting compartment, production of the equipment was stopped. The already completed 250 vehicles were modernized, after which the construction of new equipment was not resumed.
In the second half of the fifties, new self-propelled guns underwent modernization, which consisted of installing an AOS-895-6 engine. Other components of the machine were not replaced. A project for such a modernization was designated M44A1. By the end of the decade, the entire fleet of 250 self-propelled guns received new engines.
The service of the M44/M44A1 howitzer self-propelled guns in the American army continued until the first half of the sixties, when it was decided to remove such equipment from service. The existing machines did not have high performance, and in addition, newer and more successful models of equipment appeared. In 1963, it was decided to retire the existing M44s and replace them with M109 self-propelled guns. This technique had a similar gun caliber, but had higher technical and combat characteristics.
In 1956, M44 self-propelled guns joined the fleet of a foreign country for the first time. In accordance with existing military assistance agreements, the United States transferred a number of military vehicles to Great Britain, including 58 M44 units. In the British Army, American equipment was named Cardinal; Most of the vehicles went to serve in continental Europe. In mid-1968, the British military was able to renew its fleet of self-propelled artillery, thanks to which the need for the Cardinals disappeared. All cars that remained in use were returned to their previous owners.
Self-propelled gun M44T, modernized according to a joint Turkish-German project. Photo: Aw.my.com
After being removed from service in the USA and Great Britain, the decommissioned self-propelled guns were not disposed of. They were repaired and sold to third countries. New M44/M44A1 operators include Italy, Jordan, Greece, Turkey and Japan. In most cases, it was a matter of supplying several dozen vehicles. This technique was used until the end of the seventies, after which it was abandoned due to moral and physical obsolescence.
Of particular interest is the transfer of armored vehicles to the Turkish military. They received more than 220 M44 self-propelled guns and used them quite actively. In the mid-eighties, Türkiye initiated the modernization of this technology. The M44T project was created by several companies from Germany, which involved a deep modernization of existing equipment. The self-propelled gun was supposed to receive a new power plant, new weapons, etc. Until 1992, all available vehicles were modernized under this project and continued to serve. It was previously reported that the Turkish army later abandoned such equipment due to final obsolescence. However, in 2015, an M44T self-propelled gun was spotted in Northern Syria, which indicates at least limited use of outdated vehicles.
According to reports, there are currently several hundred M44 self-propelled howitzers in existence. About four dozen vehicles were previously used by the armies of several countries, and after decommissioning they became museum exhibits. This number, however, does not include vehicles believed to remain in service and reserves of the Turkish army. Thus, from the point of view of safety, the M44 self-propelled gun can be considered one of the most successful examples of armored vehicles of recent decades.
The American self-propelled gun T99 / T194E1 / M44 is very interesting. It was created to replace existing outdated equipment and was supposed to help troops fight in Korea. However, serious mistakes were made in the project, due to which the equipment was literally late for the war. The combination of a not very new chassis with a rather old model gun, as well as relatively small production volumes, did not allow the technology to have a noticeable impact on the development of artillery troops. However, 250 self-propelled guns remained in service for a decade, and then almost all such vehicles were sold to third countries. It was the armies of other states that were able to realize the potential of the equipment, at least in terms of service life. Some examples of this equipment can still be used by troops to this day.
Based on materials from sites:
http://militaryfactory.com/
http://afvdb.50megs.com/
http://army-guide.com/
http://the.shadock.free.fr/
List of surviving M44 self-propelled guns:
http://massimocorner.com/afv/Surviving_M44.pdf
