M107 Self-Propelled Artillery
To replace the large numbers and different types of self-propelled artillery during World War II, the US Army standardized on the M53/M55, which differed only in gun size (155mm and 203mm). The drawback to the M53/M55 was its gasoline engine, which was prone to catastrophic fires, and its weight, which made it transportable only by sea to Europe or elsewhere.
To replace the M53/M55, the US Army settled on the M107/M110 series. Loosely based on the chassis of the M578 recovery vehicle, the M107/M110 used a diesel engine and was made considerably lighter than the M53. Like its predecessor, the basic design could be used either as the M107 175mm gun, or the M110 203mm. The two were so similar that only details of the M110's gun could tell them apart. (If it has a muzzle brake, it is a M110; if not, it is a M107.)
The M107 entered service in 1962 and was quickly committed to the fighting in Vietnam. There, it showed a few deficiencies. It was slow to load (an unavoidable problem due to the size of the shells), lacked ready ammunition (again, due to size, only two shells could be carried on the vehicle), and, since the crew lacked a compartment, they were vulnerable to weather conditions and enemy counterbattery fire. The gun barrel tended to wear out quickly, and replacement was difficult and could not be done in the field.
Nonetheless, the M107 also had advantages: because it was light, it was surprisingly fast, and could relocate quickly. Its phenomenal range--25 miles--meant that it could outrange its North Vietnamese counterparts and be deployed in safer areas. During the 1968 Siege of Khe Sanh, a number of M107/M110 batteries were stationed at Camp Carroll, a good distance from the Marine garrison; these batteries were still able to give superb artillery support to the Marines. During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the Israelis used their M107s to hit surface to air missile sites inside Egypt, clearing the way for the Israeli Air Force to operate effectively.
Because of the exposed crew and the US Army's desire to standardize, the M107/M110 series were phased out in the late 1970s in favor of the M109 155mm series. Improvements to the M109 have given it all the capabilities of the M107 without its drawbacks.
After seeing a picture of a M107 in a book on the Vietnam War, Dad wanted one. He built this 1/35 scale version as the M107 appeared in Vietnam. Painting names on the barrels of artillery is an Army tradition dating from the Revolutionary War, so this one is named "The Worst Day of the Rest of Your Entire Life," mainly because it takes up the considerable length of the 175mm gun. This one also has the spade deployed for firing, to keep the M107 from leaping backwards with recoil.
M107 Self-Propelled Artillery
To replace the large numbers and different types of self-propelled artillery during World War II, the US Army standardized on the M53/M55, which differed only in gun size (155mm and 203mm). The drawback to the M53/M55 was its gasoline engine, which was prone to catastrophic fires, and its weight, which made it transportable only by sea to Europe or elsewhere.
To replace the M53/M55, the US Army settled on the M107/M110 series. Loosely based on the chassis of the M578 recovery vehicle, the M107/M110 used a diesel engine and was made considerably lighter than the M53. Like its predecessor, the basic design could be used either as the M107 175mm gun, or the M110 203mm. The two were so similar that only details of the M110's gun could tell them apart. (If it has a muzzle brake, it is a M110; if not, it is a M107.)
The M107 entered service in 1962 and was quickly committed to the fighting in Vietnam. There, it showed a few deficiencies. It was slow to load (an unavoidable problem due to the size of the shells), lacked ready ammunition (again, due to size, only two shells could be carried on the vehicle), and, since the crew lacked a compartment, they were vulnerable to weather conditions and enemy counterbattery fire. The gun barrel tended to wear out quickly, and replacement was difficult and could not be done in the field.
Nonetheless, the M107 also had advantages: because it was light, it was surprisingly fast, and could relocate quickly. Its phenomenal range--25 miles--meant that it could outrange its North Vietnamese counterparts and be deployed in safer areas. During the 1968 Siege of Khe Sanh, a number of M107/M110 batteries were stationed at Camp Carroll, a good distance from the Marine garrison; these batteries were still able to give superb artillery support to the Marines. During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the Israelis used their M107s to hit surface to air missile sites inside Egypt, clearing the way for the Israeli Air Force to operate effectively.
Because of the exposed crew and the US Army's desire to standardize, the M107/M110 series were phased out in the late 1970s in favor of the M109 155mm series. Improvements to the M109 have given it all the capabilities of the M107 without its drawbacks.
After seeing a picture of a M107 in a book on the Vietnam War, Dad wanted one. He built this 1/35 scale version as the M107 appeared in Vietnam. Painting names on the barrels of artillery is an Army tradition dating from the Revolutionary War, so this one is named "The Worst Day of the Rest of Your Entire Life," mainly because it takes up the considerable length of the 175mm gun. This one also has the spade deployed for firing, to keep the M107 from leaping backwards with recoil.