Posted on 02/23/2017 7:38:55 AM PST by C19fan
In February 2017, Turkish troops brought out tanks, armored personnel carriers, self-propelled artillery and more for an annual winter war game called Kış Tatbikatı. Among the various weapons on display on the snowy training grounds were mobile howitzers that Turkey has had in service for over 50 years. Between 1963 and 1966, Turkey received more than 350 M-52 guns from the United States, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. After World War II, the U.S. Army developed the tracked 105-millimeter weapons as part of a whole family of new vehicles to prepare for a major confrontation with the Soviet Union.
(Excerpt) Read more at warisboring.com ...
sounds like Turkey has had some sound leadership. Keeping these howitzers functional and relavent.
The Turks still use US Patton tanks from the 50s/60s of course upgraded and Phantom jets.
I would consider that a testament to American-built quality. It can still put steel down range after fifty years of use and abuse.
Follows the old adage: If it isn’t broke, don’t try to fix it.
Did Turkey actually buy them, or was this “foreign aid”?
The warranty has probably expired.
I’m not much of an Artillery guy, but I think the first part of the video (”firing from outside their vehicles”) shows 8 inch guns.
As an artilleryman of 1970s/1980s vintage, these all pre-dated my time but it’s obvious they were in the lineage of the M109 155mm howitzer which continues in service today in the A6 derivation. The photo at the bottom that captures a round headed downrange is cool. I got several of those over the years.
Here’s an article on how the Turks have upgraded the original weapon to modern standards, including a 155mm howitzer and a Diesel engine:
http://www.military-today.com/artillery/m52t.htm
... I would consider that a testament to American-built quality. It can still put steel down range after fifty years of use and abuse....
And on the centennial year of its manufacture, a 1917 Remington made 30.06 Enfield can do the same with a 165 grain round. It’s built strong as a howitzer.
Big guns have limited barrel lives. I wonder what the status on these guns?
The original 105 MMs were replaced with modern 150 MMs. Except for the vehicle itself Turkey has modernised all the other major systems.
Certainly dated armaments but you have to consider who their enemies are.
Do they need anything more modern?
In 1975, I was assigned to the 25th Infantry Div, 2/11 Field Artillery at Schofield Barracks. We were still equipped with M101, 105mm Howitzers which were the standard issue throughout WWII. They had to be at least 30 years old. They still threw steel though.
Can’t they reline modern gun tubes?
Yep. But big guns do wear out.
If they kept them maintained, they’re as good as our SPGs.
Very distantly related. Back in the '70s I worked at Camp Pendleton as a civilian programmer. The rooms next to us were occupied by auditors. One of 'em old me about a weird situation at one of the desert PXs - they couldn't keep medium size Kotex pads in stock. No apparent fraud was involved, but it was a mystery. A shipment would come in and they would fly off the shelves. There weren't that many females on base, either civilian or military.
A month later. they were still scratching their heads when a Gunny Sgt got wind of their investigation and took them aside. It seemed that the medium size, when soaked in oil or cleaner, was a perfect swab for the 105s when wrapped around the rammer.
Artillerymen are inventive and can adapt to any situation...LOL! I was the XO of a 105 unit in the OK Army National Guard in the early 80s but never saw the howitzer sections use Kotex for barrel swabs.
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