T38 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage

The T38 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage was produced as an alternative to the T19 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage in case the heavy 105mm howitzer couldn't be carried on the M3 half-track chassis.

Late in 1941 the Ordnance Department ordered work to begin on interim designs for self-propelled howitzers, using the chassis of the M3 half-track to carry the 75mm and 105mm howitzers. Three projects emerged from this order. The T30 75mm Howitzer Motor Carriage carried the lighter gun and eventually 500 were built.

The T19 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage carried the standard M2A1 105mm howitzer, but this was a heavy weapon and there was some concern that the M3 chassis wouldn't be able to support the weight of the howitzer or would be damaged during firing. As a result work began on a parallel design, the T38. This was to be armed with the lighter short tube T7 105mm pack howitzer, which would have placed less stress on the chassis. When it became clear that the half-track could just about cope with the full sized howitzer work the T38 project was cancelled and the T19 was accepted for service on 24 March 1942.

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How to cite this article: Rickard, J (31 March 2014), T38 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_T38_105mm_HMC.html

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