105

by Jon Burch Photography

Title

105

Artist

Jon Burch Photography

Medium

Photograph - Digital Capture

Description

My kids think I'm a little hard of hearing, so does my sister who mutters a lot. "IF" they are correct, and the key word here is "IF", this little pop gun had a lot to do with it.

The 105 mm M101A1 howitzer was a howitzer developed and used by the United States Army. It was the standard U.S. light field howitzer in World War II and saw action in both the European and Pacific theaters. Entering production in 1941, it quickly gained a reputation for accuracy and a powerful punch. The M101A1 fired 105 mm high explosive semi-fixed ammunition and had a range of 12,325 yards, making it suitable for supporting infantry. Oh, did I mention that they are very loud?

I was assigned as a dispatcher at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin while a battery of 105's were set up on the opposite side of a row of trees near our bivouac. I didn't know a thing about it until they cut loose. Later, after the shelling stopped, I picked up the papers and manuals that had been knocked off the shelf in the trailer where i was working. The howitzers were firing right over our heads and my ears were ringing. Since I was dispatching vehicles, I drove the company commander over to show him what was causing all the noise. He had a little talk with somebody and the shelling tapered off somewhat after a few more wake-up calls.

Ordered photographs will not contain the FAA watermark.

Image copyright 2016 Jon Burch Photography all rights reserved.

Uploaded

January 24th, 2016

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