Posted on 01/16/2004 2:25:09 PM PST by Cannoneer No. 4
January 16, 2004: The U.S. Marine Corps has, as is their custom, taken an innovative approach to developing a new lightweight, self-propelled artillery system (the Expeditionary Fire Support System, or EFSS). They have combined an existing commercial vehicle, the Supacat HMT (High Mobility Transport) with an Israeli 120 mm mortar system. The HMT is a seven ton, four wheel cross country vehicle with a capacity for 3.2 tons. It has a 180 horsepower engine and a 4x4 drive optimized for cross country work. The cab is being modified to hold the five man gun crew. The Israeli mortar system weighs 1.6 tons and is mounted on a computer controlled turntable. The mortar can fire regular 120mm shells 8.2 kilometers, or rocket assisted ones 13 kilometers. The breech loading mortar system allows for rapid fire and the turntable system takes data directly from forward observers and quickly positions the 120mm tube to put the shells on the target. The EFSS can put shells on the target within minutes of a request. The system can fire 20 rounds in two minutes and uses a GPS assisted fire control system to provide accuracy comparable to any other artillery system. The EFSS is light enough to be moved by helicopter or Osprey tilt-wing transport.
The system can fire several types of cluster bomb shells. One of these, for example, will destroy most armored vehicles, and kill or wound most troops in a 100x100 meter area. Each of the 32 bomblets can penetrate four inches of armor, but will be hitting the thinner top armor on armored vehicles.
The marines went after the 120mm mortar, instead of another 155mm howitzer, because the mortar is lighter, faster firing and uses a shell that does damage equivalent to 155mm types.
My battery in the Gulf War got in a direct fire shootout with some Iraqi armored cars and MLRS, so its not entire out of fashion yet.
See the accounts of the taking of Metz, and of Patton's Third Army's procedures for clearing towns house-to-house when it was impossible or impractical to bypass them.
The single most useful tool for putting a new doorway not covered by enemy fire or boobytraps in an existing structure was direct fire from the 155 SP guns accompanying the Infantry, also useful should a sudden stray enemy tank or armored car make an appearance, or should countersniper fire be required.
Now that the M728 Combat Engineer Vehicle is out of service, along with its 165mm demolition gun, previously useful for breeching wire entanglements, walls and urban structures, there's really nothing else quite suitable for the task. the Israelis are considering direct-fire 160mm mortars, but even 120mm main gun fire is ineffectual at such tasks- the tank rounds penetrate too well, with minimal effects on the occupants.
Or maybe think about the artillery raids we did into Kuwait before the ground war kicked off. We did those with towed howitzers, which obviously caused a problem. Guys got killed in when one truck/guy combo tipped. If they were in SP mortars, they would have been far more effective for shoot/scoot missions.
The SP's are a nice element to add to the fire support package. They are light enough to get in theater easily, and far more mobile once they get their with towed. Better to have a mix, like they're talking about now, then having all M198's.
Crunchies = Dismounted Infantry
CDATS = Computerized Dumba$$ tankers = M1A1
The shell was an anti personnel shrapnel round.
I could see it exit the bbl and go down range.
The shell looked like to be the size of a 55 gallon drum.
The targeted area was probably 4 miles away. But if you put enough bags of powder in it you can get out 18 miles. - Tom
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