M110 American 203mm Self-Propelled Howitzer (SPH)

The self-propelled M-110 203 mm howitzer first entered service with the US Army in 1963. The vehicle itself transports only two projectiles and five men, while the remainder of the ammunition and the crew is on board a tracked M548. The M-110 Howitzer fired a 200-pound projectile out to almost 17 kilometers (16,800-meters). Designed to be part of a common family of weapons utilizing the same chassis components, the M107 and M110 were essentially the same vehicle mounting different barrels. The hull of the M110 is identical to that of the M107 and is made of all-welded armor and high-tensile alloy steel with the driver at the front of the hull on the left, the engine to his right and the main armament at the rear. The M107 self-propelled 175-mm. gun and the M110 8-inch howitzer had identical carriages but different tubes. The 175-mm. gun fired a 174-pound projectile almost 33 kilometers. This impressive range made it a valuable weapon for providing an umbrella of protection over large areas. The 8-inch howitzer fired a 200-pound projectile almost 17 kilometers, plus being the most accurate weapon in the field artillery. The 8-inch howitzer was found with most division artilleries, and both the 8-inch howitzer and 175-mm. gun were with field force artillery. At field force the proportion of 8-inch and 175-mm. weapons varied. Since the weapons had identical carriages, the common practice was to install those tubes that best met the current tactical needs. One day a battery might be 175mm.; a few days later it might be half 175-mm. and half 8-inch.