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Posted on 09/13/2004 11:37:20 PM PDT by SAMWolf
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
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 In January 1952, a conference in Washington DC on the subject of self-propelled artillery indicated an urgent need for improved self-propelled artillery. Preliminary concept studies began for a self-propelled howitzer to replace the existing 155mm M44. The first designs in August 1952 for the new vehicle, designated the Howitzer 156mm Self-Propelled T196, were rejected, as were additional studies presented in September 1953. At a conference in May 1954, a concept was finally approved. In June 1954, a review of the military characteristics of the entire self-propelled program decided that future concepts of the T196 would be prepared along the design proposed for the Howitzer 110mm Self-Propelled T195, which was already in production. In June 1956, it was decided to use the basic hull and turret of the T195 but the original 156 mm howitzer was replaced by a 155 mm howitzer after NATO had standardized this caliber in 1956.  In October 1956, the mockup of the T196 was reviewed and verbal authority was given to proceed with development of the first prototype. The main differences from the T195 were power elevating and turret traverse mechanisms, different ammunition racks and two spades at the rear of the hull. The first prototype of the T196 was completed in 1959, about six months later than the 105 mm T195. During preliminary User Evaluation at Fort Knox a number of failures occurred in the suspension. The prototype differed from later vehicles in that it had a different shaped hull and turret, the seventh roadwheel acted as the idler and it was powered by a Continental petrol engine. In 1959 a policy was established that diesel rather than petrol engines would be used for future combat vehicles and the prototype of the T196 was then fitted with a diesel engine and redesignated the T196E1. In February 1961, an order was placed for two T196E1 preproduction vehicles which were delivered within six months. After further trials the T196E1 was classified as a Limited Production Type in December 1961.  In October 1961, a letter order was given to the Cadillac Motor Car Division for one year's production of the T196E1 at the Cleveland Army Tank Plant. The first production vehicles were completed in October 1962. In January 1963, an extension was authorised to continue the classification of Limited Production. In July 1963 the T196E1 was classified as standard A and designated the Howitzer, Medium, Self-Propelled: 155 mm, M109. Early in 1963, a contract was awarded to Cadillac for the second year of production. The contract for the third year of production, awarded in December 1963, went to the Chrysler Corporation, although production remained at the Cleveland Army Tank Plant. The first M109s were issued to the US Army in June 1963.  The 155-mm M109 series, Self-propelled medium howitzers are highly mobile combat support weapons. They are air transportable in phase III of airborne operation. They have a cruising range of 220 miles at speeds up to 35 miles per hour. Combat loaded, The M109 series weighs 27.5 tons. The 155-mm projectile weights 98 pounds. The M109 series howitzer is a vehicle that provides armored combat support, is air transportable, internally loaded, and has excellent ground mobility. It allows firing in a 360 degree circle through its primary armament, the 155mm cannon assembly, and its secondary armament, the M2 heavy barrel caliber 50 machine gun. The system is capable of both direct (line of sight) and indirect (out of the line of sight) firing.  The M109 has a crew of six, consisting of commander, gunner, three ammunition members and the driver. The hull is made of all-welded aluminium armour. The driver is at the front of the hull on the left, the engine is to his right and the turret is at the rear. The driver has a single-piece hatch cover that opens to the left, with three M45 periscopes in front that can be covered by small metal flaps to prevent damage. The commander is seated on the right side of the turret and has a cupola that can be traversed through 360°, a single-piece hatch cover that opens to the rear and an M27 periscope. Pintle mounted on the forward part of the commander's cupola is a 12.7 mm (0.50) M2 HB - also local defence machine gun. The gunner is seated on the left side of the turret and has a square single-piece hatch cover that opens to the right. The all-welded aluminium armour turret at the rear of the hull has a square hatch in each side that opens to the rear, and twin doors in the turret rear. Twin doors are provided at the rear of the turret for ammunition resupply. Mounted at the rear of the hull, each side of the hull door, is a large spade which is lowered manually to the ground before firing.  The Detroit Diesel engine is coupled to an Allison Transmission XTG-411-4A cross-drive transmission which is at the front of the hull. The torsion bar suspension consists of seven dual rubber-tyred roadwheels with the drive sprocket at the front and the idler at the rear. There are no track-return rollers. The tracks are of the single-pin, centre guide type with replaceable rubber pads. The M109 is fitted with night vision equipment but did not have an NBC system prior to the introduction of the M109A4. The basic vehicle can ford to a depth of 1.828 m without preparation. It can be fitted with an amphibious kit consisting of nine air bags, four each side of the hull and one at the front. The bags, which are not carried on the vehicle as part of its normal equipment, are inflated from the vehicle and it can then propel itself across rivers by its tracks at 6.43 km/h. In the American army, the M-109 is deployed at 54 units per armoured division and mechanized division (3 battalions of 18 vehicles equipping 3 batteries of 6 M-109). The M109 was the first model, with a very short barrel, double baffle muzzle brake, large fume extractor, and a maximum range of 14,600m. The M109A2/A3/A4 howitzers uses M185 cannon and achieves a range of 23,500 meters. The replacement of the 23 caliber long barrel with the M284 cannon 39-caliber barrel on the M109A5/A6 increased the range capability to 30,00 meters. The M109 Family of howitzer continues to improve at considerable cost savings for the customer.
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Good morning Mayor. I've been meaning to thank you for providing the links you do. For a lazy person like me it helps. I think I'm too busy to read but you provide a way for me to read some scripture everyday. :-)
Good morning manna.
LOL. I'm thinking someone should create slipper's that look like tanks. I could wear them on Tuesdays. :-)
Good morning feather.
Army Rabble Rousers flag-o-gram bump!
Wow, that's an expensive phone call. Just think how many shoes that could buy over time. :-)
Hi there Colonel. We are well, glad to see you are too. The patch is cool. Can't afford to have them made but I could turn it into a bumper sticker!
"Simple Man!!"
(To be sung to Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man")
His mama told Bill...when he was young,
"Slick, sit beside me...my eldest son...
My life's been wasted...on boyz who play...
So, please, don't you cheat...you will thank me...GoodGuyz Don't Stray!!
Ah, yes...
Stop spendin' time...with that Hill'ry lass!!
Her legs are stumps...and her A$$ is phat!!
Bill, find a woman...oh, yeah...you truly love...
This Rodham chick, son, is Ol' Chi-ca-go SCUM!!
Slick, Life is simple...have a plan...
Ohh, be someone...folks trust, then yer a Man!!
Willie, be a simple, kindly man.
Oh, won't you do this...for me, Slick...if you can?!
Forsake yer lust...fer the ChinaMan's Gold...
Don't lust fer Power...it corrupts yer soul!!
Slick, you can do this, if you try...
All that I want fer yopu, my son...is to say, "I NEVER LIED!!"
Slick, be a symbol...make yer stand!!
Bill, serve yer Country...if yer called to Viet Nam!!
Willie, Life is simple...fer a Man...
You've been blessed Slick...so give up...those one-night stands!!"
Slick said, "I WILL!!"
(Conservativemusician, BigMan, and DiscoDave jammin' on guitars)
You know the story...Slick loved hisself!!
Bill's Lust Fer Power...eclipsed all else!!
Committed TREASON...bombed babies...and Slick LIED!!
Killed folks in Kosovo, Good Lord, just to cover up his crimes!!
Now Slick's a symbol...I can't stand...
Gotta do something...perhaps, I'll start a band!!
Willie, he's [a] symbol...NewWorldMan!!
Good folks, don't let this...ChiComWhore's...TREASON Stand!!
Willie, yer a simple, weak GirleyMan...
You are "GUILTY!!"...time to pay the Band...
Mudboy Slim
Fifty...MUD
Good morning, my friend!
A very impressive patch indeed. I could put it on my car and dare some lefty to key it. Wonder if they'd get the reference?
Have a wonderful day :)
i believe ALL the MARRIED/formerly married men will get the message w/o the tag!!!!
NOTE to all the UNmarried men out there:
"judyjudyjudy" said last night that the UNmarried men were OUTNUMBERED about SIX to ONE by UNmarried females on the ship!!!!!
that is what we used to call a TARGET RICH ENVIRONMENT!!!!
free dixie,sw
rotflmRao!
free dixie,sw
Snippy, I have to be out for several hours this afternoon. I'll check in when I get back.
Guess the Navy figured it didn't need that type of shell for it's targeting needs.
10 dollars a minute! the term "Piracy" comes to mind.
Free Dixie!
Morning Colonel.
We're doing fine, hope you're ok.
Gotta love that attitude. History Channel just did a 2 hour special on the War of 1812, although they glossed over the Naval battles they did hit the main land battles. They covered Fort McHenry and the Battle of Baltimore pretty well.
< She gives Al Capone a bad name. ;-)
HildaBeast'08 FReegards...MUD
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