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R Cubed's 105 M2-A1 Howitzer


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I thought I would start a blog for my Howitzer, here are some pics of it being unloaded by a friend with a tele handler, very handy piece of kit.

 

My Howitzer was one of a batch of guns which were all gas axed up and sold as scrap which is why the damage was so bad.

 

 

Oooooo nearly out my first look at what I got for my money !! It looks bigger in real life than on a computer.

 

 

Wow out on the ground and all mine :cool2:

 

 

 

 

This is the top view of the breach ring, ( this is the big square bit which screws to the end of the barrel ) in this view you can see the gas cuts across it which are all the way through the top part of the breach.

 

 

Here again the open side of the breach ring showing more of the damage, you can also see the curved part of the breech block ( this is the large solid block which slides right to allow a shell to be chambered in the barrel then slides back to sit behind the shell also containing the firing pin )

 

 

This is the other side of the breech ring showing the breech block and above it the handle to open it.

 

 

Gun out in the open before any paint or new tyres.

 

 

This is the rear of the gun showing the top of the breech ring and gas cut just behind the breech ring on the sledge you can see some angle iron which I have used to fix the barrel assembly in the ready to fire position as in the decommissioning of the gun the hydro / pneumatic recoil mechanism has been gas axed too, also under the elevating hand wheel you can see the spring assister to help elevate the gun barrel this too is gas axed in several places.

 

 

 

This is the spring assister assembly minus the springs, there are two springs one inside the other all held between the end plates and inside the three rods.

 

 

Here is the big outer spring all gas axed up !

 

 

Again the smaller one which slides inside the outer one.

 

 

Mmmmmmm here are my two new springs ready waiting to be fitted.....

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Gun before paintr.jpg

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Front side after .jpg

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Back looking upr..jpg

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Edited by R Cubed
spelling corection
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Looks great R Cubed -

 

Is there anything they didn't gas axe!!!

 

Markheliops

 

Enough to stop the gun being of any use. So the barrel has been cut 3/4 of the way through just past the combustion chamber, breech ring and breech block plus firing pin / mechanism melted away, elevating gear crescents have lumps out of them and the springs cut through also all sighting equipment sledge hammered.

You would never be able to fire anything and even if you tried it would probably blow up before it got out of the barrel.

 

The rubber tyres!!!!!

 

You silly woman, you can't cut tyres with a gas axe only set fire to them....

Edited by R Cubed
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  • 4 months later...

I am trying to get together a list and pics of the maintenance tools for these guns and also does anyone know how the barrels of these guns were changed in the field, what type of crane was used to remove the barrel or was it man power !!!

Would the guns have been returned to a workshop for this to be carried out.

Are there any pic of this sort of thing going on or any more information.

Did separate barrels come in a crate if so what did it look like.

Any information on these sort of line would be great.

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  • 2 weeks later...
Amazing job, what a transformation!

Putting my anorak on(!) Please spell Breech correctly!

I winced every time I read Breach!!!

 

Thanks, lots of work still to do, I want to sort the hydro / pneumatic recoil damper out and the elevating crescents, this involves a total barrel strip down and sledge removal which I hope to photograph and explain on here.

 

Oh I have edited Breech for you :cool2:

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  • 7 months later...

Thanks for posting pictures of your 105 project.

Looks great.

Regarding changing barrels. Look for a manual

on line for the M101 howitzer. It describes

the tools used and a few images of how a barrel

can be changed by several soldiers.

Link for online manual. http://www.scribd.com/doc/13775212/Howitzher-Light-Towed-105mm-m101a1

Edited by Geargrinder
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Here is an -active but not at "first line'- unit of Greek Army, at an island of East Aegean, little before

firing blanck rounds to commemorate the anniversary of the Greek Independence, 25th of March.

 

 

 

The Greek Army had - "in papers"- as much as 420+ units in the inventory, before some years...

__cimg2483.jpg

Edited by Haridimos
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Here is an -active but not at "first line'- unit of Greek Army, at an island of East Aegean, little before

firing blanck rounds to commemorate the anniversary of the Greek Independence, 25th of March.

 

[ATTACH]44741[/ATTACH]

 

The Greek Army had - "in papers"- as much as 420+ units in the inventory, before some years...

 

Nice picture, my 105mm came from Greek Army, such a shame they cut holes in the barrel and breech ring oh well at least I have got one :cool2:

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hi , I've been following your thread with great intrest , because I was offered an 105 mm as well , served with the Greek Forces , all torched up , just as yours . The seller wants 8500 € for it , what's your opinion about that price ?

Best regards

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Nice picture, my 105mm came from Greek Army, such a shame they cut holes in the barrel and breech ring....

 

We must always remember that these guns were transfered from US ARMY to Greek Army as part of post War military Aid and under certain rules about the use of them, and the last word regarding the ownership of them had the DoD.

 

So the Greeks couldn't sell these obsolete guns on the open market, and the butcher torch was the only way...:cry:

 

..I was offered an 105 mm as well , served with the Greek Forces , all torched up , just as yours . The seller wants 8500 € for it ...

 

Whaaat? Are you kidding? Too much money!

If I were you I would be patient. The Greek Army took 223 M109A3GEA2 from the Germans last year and we will withdraw all the obsolete hardware, M101 and some M114, to be under the limits, and very soon some tens of them are going to flood the local scrapyards.

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hi , I've been following your thread with great interest , because I was offered an 105 mm as well , served with the Greek Forces , all torched up , just as yours . The seller wants 8500 € for it , what's your opinion about that price ?

Best regards

 

Well it really comes down to how much you want one, and how quickly ! I would say 8500 is a high price, but you also need to consider where it is and transport costs, might be worth paying more for the gun if it is close to you as there would be less transport costs.

 

We must always remember that these guns were transferred from US ARMY to Greek Army as part of post War military Aid and under certain rules about the use of them, and the last word regarding the ownership of them had the DoD.

 

So the Greeks couldn't sell these obsolete guns on the open market, and the butcher torch was the only way...:cry:

 

 

Whaaat? Are you kidding? Too much money!

If I were you I would be patient. The Greek Army took 223 M109A3GEA2 from the Germans last year and we will withdraw all the obsolete hardware, M101 and some M114, to be under the limits, and very soon some tens of them are going to flood the local scrapyards.

 

This might happen although the scrap price is high so they may well be destroyed.

Hard trade off, hope and wait, one comes up or buy now and have one !!!!!!

My one came from Greece by road so I paid for the gun and transport, although I waited for several weeks so a full load on an artic could be made up and this helped with the costs loads.

Good luck they are big and heavy too..

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So if it's been cut up abroad and then imported to the UK, what's its legal status? Presumably there's no deactivation certificate?

 

Andy

 

The piece still needs a uk de-ac certificate or has to be kept on a section one FA certificate.

Although these guns have been heavily chopped they do not conform to UK de-ac specification.

 

 

Rob.....................rnixartillery.

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It is interesting to note you (I) would expect to see bar treads on them but looking through a book the other day, those pictured had the same tyres as yours....

 

Quite right there Jack, most of the early pics you see them with road type tyres, as Adrian says no need to have grip.

I have had several comments at shows that it has the wrong tyres on it and yes you could say they are wrong but most of the period pics I have seen for early guns have my type of tyres on them, then as you get later into the Vietnam period most of the guns have bar grips ..... your choice, my decision is based on the fact that my Gun Tractor a GMC 352 was built in 1941 so that is what I am portraying, in my eyes there is no right or wrong both types of tyre were fitted so that's it.

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So if it's been cut up abroad and then imported to the UK, what's its legal status? Presumably there's no deactivation certificate?

 

Andy

 

You have to comply to UK deact regs as specified by my choice the Birmingham Proof House, which I have to say were very very helpful, I got all relevant parts to comply and then paid for the cert. Job done.

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You have to comply to UK deact regs as specified by my choice the Birmingham Proof House, which I have to say were very very helpful, I got all relevant parts to comply and then paid for the cert. Job done.

 

Job sorted then

That is a very nice gun I bet that looks a treat behind the Jimmy,,,, Any pics of the new paint job

 

Boomboom

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