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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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 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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Also, I'm very happy that this month's critical update from Windows was just downloaded to my computer with no problems whatsoever. If you have Windows XP and want to take a chance, go ahead and download the update.
BTW the update I just finished downloading is not XP SP 2. rather it's a critical update for Windows. Today's the second day of this month.
I never did hear why the Navy version never went forward.
Especially since they were still putting out funds to develop a shell that could do the same things last I knew.
One company put forward an idea for a shell with small thrust rockets on it's side for steering ala the old Dragon.
To make the Copperhead more deadly, give it GPS guidance or thermal imaging backup or have it be able to find stuff on it's own/ radar tracking like the Hellfire II.
*sigh*
Big gun go BOOM!! bump
Hi miss Feather
Hiya Sam
Howdy ma'am
BTTT
Today's classic warship, USS Dolphin (SS-169)
Dolphin class submarine
Displacement. 1,560
Lenght. 319'1"
Beam. 27'11"
Draft. 13'1"
Speed. 17 k.
Complement. 57
Armament. 1 4", 6 21" tt.
The USS Dolphin (SS-169) bore the name V-7 and the classification SF-10 and SSC-3 prior to her commissioning. She was launched 6 March 1932 by Portsmouth Navy Yard; sponsored by Mrs. E. D. Toland; and commissioned 1 June 1932, Lieutenant J. B. Griggs in command.
Dolphin sailed from Portsmouth 24 October 1932 for San Diego arriving 3 December to report to Submarine Division 12. She served on the west coast, taking part in tactical exercises and test torpedo firings until 4 March 1933 when she gut underway for the east coast. She arrived at Portsmouth Navy Yard 23 March for final trials and acceptance, remaining there until 1 August.
Dolphin returned to San Diego 25 August 1933 to rejoin Submarine Division 12. She cruised on the west coast with occasional voyages to Pearl Harbor, Alaska, and the Canal Zone for exercises and fleet problems. On 1 December 1937 Dolphin departed San Diego for her new home port, Pearl Harbor, arriving a week later. She continued to operate in fleet problems and training exercises, visiting the west coast on a cruise from 29 September to 25 October 1940.
At Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, Dolphin took the attacking enemy planes under fire, then got underway for a patrol in search of Japanese submarines in the Hawaiians. Dolphin departed Pearl Harbor 24 December 1941 on her first war patrol, a cruise in the Marshall Islands that was marked by constant mechanical difficulties, a common situation in submarines of her vintage. Despite these problems, she reconnoitered in the Marshall Islands and gathered important intelligence information in preparation for later air strikes.
She returned to Pearl Harbor 3 February 1942 to refit and make repairs, and got underway once more 14 May. Searching a wide area west of Midway, she patrolled off the island itself during the critical Battle of Midway from 3 to 6 June. She put in to the island, saved by the American victory in battle, for repairs from 8 to 11 June, then returned to her patrol, attacking a destroyer and a tanker with undetermined results before returning to Pearl Harbor 24 July.
Her third war patrol, from 12 October 1942 to 5 December, was in the storm-tossed waters of the Kurile Islands, where she performed reconnaissance essential to the operations which were to keep Japanese bases there largely ineffective throughout the war. The mechanically-troubled Dolphin was withdrawn from combat duty after her return from the stormy northern Pacific.
With younger submarines now available for offensive war patrols, Dolphin was assigned less dramatic but still vital service on training duty at Pearl Harbor until 29 January 1944, when she sailed for exercises in the Canal Zone, and duty as a schoolship at New London Connecticut where she arrived 6 March. She served in this essential task until the end of the war, then was decommissioned 12 October 1945 at Portsmouth Navy Yard. Dolphin was sold for scrap 26 August 1946.
The second of Dolphin's three war patrols was designated as "successful," and she received two battle stars for World War II service.
or ROBBERY!
free dixie,sw
LOL. Every day has been run around day for us lately.
LOL.
Thanks aomagrat.
Just saw a poll where Gulliani beats Hillary by 7 points in New York in 2008
Still holding off on SP2?
Thanks for the bump, neverdem
Snippy and I have been running around most of the day too.
Not bad service for a sub built in 1932.
Kerry won't sign Standard Form 180 because his accumulated crimes while in uniform would qualify him for keel-hauling (see above).
Hi Phil!
Great collage and text, thanks.
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