Would This Work?

Modeling Subjects Armor
1

G’Day Everybody

Just wondering if one of these M35A1

Could tow one of these? ( M115 8 inch Howitzer )

Just have a few ideas for a Vietnam Dio

Cheers

Robert

2

I’m not sure when the 8" howitzer was taken out of US inventories but the M35A1 is rated as a 2.5 ton truck – much too light to haul the 8" howitzer. The howitzer required the 6.5 ton Mack NO and M4 high Speed Tractors or their subsequent postwar replacements. The M35A1 replaced the venerable GMC 2.5 ton “Deuce & a half”. Big difference

3

I concur with Roy. The largest gun that a M35A1/A2 or any other 2 1/2 ton truck pulled was either the M101 or M102 105mm Howitzer. Anything larger requires a larger truck. The Mack NO pulled the 155mm and 8" howitzers in WWII and in Korea. Later M114 and M198 155mm howitzers were pulled by 5 ton trucks such as the M54 , M800, and M900 series.

4

Thanks for clearing that up guys.

I can see a conversion comming up M35A1 to a M54. Going to be fun!!

http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/models/vehicles/m54.htm

Check it out here.

Cya’s

Robert

5

Yup, the conversion is not too bad. There is also a step-by-step article on Armorama that shows how to do it as well.

One problem though, the M54 didn’t pull the M115 8" cannon. The M115 was out of service by the time the M54 was used. It was replaced by the M110 SP 8". For towed arty in Vietnam, the M114 155mm Howitzer was about as heavy as it got. Italeri’s M1 Howitzer is the same as an M114.