The US WWII M1 "Long Tom"

AusArmour Assistant Manager, Jason Belgrave, gives us a tour of The M1 Long Tom.
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[@jman890202]

Yay the Long Tom! My grandpa's field artillery battalion used those guns. He said the trucks used to tow the guns and ammo were huge! They saw 300 days of combat from June 1944 to April '45.

[@contributor7219]

I did a couple of stints at P&E Port Wakefield during my RAEME career. At that time we used the carriage and cradle to mount various ordnance for test firing - to my knowledge certainly as late as 1990. The carriage and cradle was a great bit of gear for this purpose due to its strength and the adjustability of the recoil system, meaning we could use it to test quite large naval calibres. The arty crews were not fond of taking it off the battery though as using the screw jacks and ratchets for the bogie to jack the gun back up for travel was very hard work. One of my jobs whilst there second time around was to design a system that largely relied on our front end loader for the 'back breaking stuff'. It was nice to make the lives of the arty guys just a little bit easier. Thanks for the trip down memory lane Jason.

[@MicMc539]

Nice gig!

[@contributor7219]

@@MicMc539 I loved the work there, so jumped at the chance for a second, longer, stint. A lot of the young single guys hated it though as there was almost nothing for them after hours. One of very few places to play with gear like the 'Long Tom', Bofors, and even to recommission a 3.7" AA (for an anniversary event) long after they were out of service pretty much everywhere else in the world. AFAIK it was also the only unit to have a Diamond Rio with a manual transmission - needed to tow one of the test mounts out to the batteries. It was certainly a great gig and I have lots of fond memories of my time there.

[@MicMc539]

@@contributor7219 I volunteered for Infantry - need a hole dug? Cheers!

[@micemb2570]

I was just thinking of my time at P&E Port Wakefield as well seeing this gun. I was arty unfortunately never got to use it just remember this beast at the front gate

[@contributor7219]

@@micemb2570 A bit sad to know it's now a 'gate guard' 🙁 I was trying to remember the largest calibre naval tube we fired from it while I was there, but nearly 35 years later I can't remember I'm afraid. I do remember very well going down to forward and overland to set it up though, along with the massive 'static' mount we moved with the Rio. I also remember very well having to clear the template when locals hadn't read the notices posted down the road 🙄 As arty did you ever end up in the 'thou' observation huts?

[@georgem7965]

The Wyoming Army National Guard operated the 8" (203mm) version up until about the mid-1970s when the converted to the M 110 self propelled 8" howitzer variant.

[@edwardloomis887]

A Long Tom battalion withdrawing through Bastogne and 'persuaded' to stay was one of the things that saved the 101st Airborne Division. Great range, great accuracy. The surrounded division held in large part due to the fires its artillery -- organic and borrowed -- were able to concentrate at trouble spots. The Germans helped by launching piecemeal attacks on the Screaming Eagles' perimeter.

[@SithLordmatthew]

Site no longer works but about 10 years back someone was selling a Long Tom I have no practical use for one but man I did want it. It's beyond impressive.

[@patrickhall6674]

Australia kept all this stuff to protect themselves from all the critters trying to kill them down there! Awesome video!

[@Ken-fh4jc]

I’m American and had no idea you guys had all these and are preserving them. The host knows his stuff too.

[@mpetersen6]

My father was in a 155mm Long Tom unit in Italy. 173rd FA Battalion. Made up of 32nd ID units that were split off when the Division went from the Quad to the Triangular setup. Naples area to the Po Valley. They were in Vicenza in May 1945. Which is were the 173rd Airborne would be much later. Which complicates internet searches.

[@chrisjpfaff314]

Thanks for doing this overview. My father was an officer in the 978th FA Battalion and landed in Normandy with his "Long Tom" unit on June 26, three weeks after D-Day.

[@adamstrange7884]

Made a 1/ 72 model of this and showed it to a neighbor who crewed the Long Tom in WW2!

[@realkekec4028]

I made one in 1/35 from AFV CLUB.

[@kosmokat111]

@@realkekec4028 I've got that kit in my backlog, with an M4 HST to tow it, so excited for the build :3

[@wolfgangemmerich7552]

@@kosmokat111 You can find the ,, beheaded" Turretles Sherman based US M- 10 Prime Mover Kit also made by AFV modell!

[@Nightdare]

"This is the M1" -Every American Ordinance Designation committee ever

[@MrDgwphotos]

The 155mm and 8in guns were also used as self propelled guns on the M4A3 HVSS chassis which were developed at the end of World War 2 and used in Korea.

[@bwilliams463]

M40/M43 Howitzer Motor Carriage. I've seen an almost-panoramic photo of a whole line of these firing off, with the spades dug in and the tracks being distorted and lifted almost entirely off of the ground.

[@harpomarx7777]

I love this series of briefs; keep 'em up, please~!

[@johnnyhollis9977]

My dad (UK) used one of these at the end of 1944 onwards after the RAF and USAF bombed his 7.2 Howitzer out of existence! He used a Gardner Scammell gun tractor variant which he loved to drive!

[@warrenhunt5556]

G'day Jason, Thank you for sharing your astonishing knowledge with us all. I was absolutely certain that your surname was JANES. On ya Digger!

[@ΧρηστοςΠαρουσιαδης]

You do exellent job!we watch you from Greece.you are the best!

[@HungryCats70]

Incredible video! The most in-depth and comprehensive briefing I've seen on this or any other artillery piece. I was fascinated with large artillery pieces as a child, and the "Long Tom" was a favorite. Thanks!

[@hannibalb8276]

Another excellent display

[@stevejones9062]

There is am M1 on M1 carriage at the entrance road to the Port Wakefield Proof Range in South Australia.

[@oldbloke204]

We've driven past it many times but never stopped and had a look. Must do so sometime.

[@markscheffers5841]

They used to have a long Tom in a local museum in the town I grew up in. I used to go there a couple of times a year and was amazed by the size of it. If I’m not mistaken it moves together with the huge collection of American WW II military equipment to the museum in Overloon in the Netherlands

[@MGB-learning]

Another great equipment video.

[@bruceday6799]

Most excellent! Just kinda stumbled onto your video. Now I'm gonna try to find more of your content.

[@bruceday6799]

Show me more of this 25 pounder!

[@logoseven3365]

Grandpa had a battalion (16) of them in Bastogne. Nice seeing one up close. Thanks

[@StuSaville]

What a beast compared to a modern system like the M777. I guess they weren't as concerned about scarpering away from counter battery fire back then as they are now?

[@wolfgangemmerich7552]

The 155mm legend began with the Long Tom . I still remembering this 155mm monted on the Sherman tank based US M- 40 HMC. I build up serval scale 1:35 modells incl. the Long Tom & the M-40 HMC; availeable by AFV modell .

[@tomhenry897]

Didn’t have the tech to make any lighter or the need to make it more mobile

[@jeandelacroix6726]

​@wolfgangemmerich7552 by saying this you're removing the US crews serving 155 guns during WW1

[@jasonallen1712]

Exactly

[@Mortablunt]

Well, it was a lot slower because they didn’t have real time data link turn reconnaissance with computerized radars. The response time was ideally about 10 minutes back then but nowadays as the Russians have shown you can get response fire underway in as little as a single minute, and the shells landing on target within three minutes. And with a system like the D30 they can do that and then be moved away within 4 minutes. Or if you’re really unlucky and God really hates you that particular day they are using the 2S7 which has such great range, It’s not only beyond your counter battery range, but it’s also too far for the radar to tell you where to shoot it.

[@turdferguson2839]

Cobra golf actually made a driver called the Long Tom, they made a few models over the decades and the last one was in 2012 I believe.

[@davidkimmel5153]

Thank You

[@charlesphillips1468]

I was in U.S. Marine Corps artillery in the late 1980s and I think (or we heard of) the U.S. Army having a gun called the Long Tom, which was 175mm gun (not howitzer) that cold fire a shell 30 km (the range of my M198 155mm towed howitzer was about 13 km with normal rounds). I did not get the idea that the Long Tom was achieving 30km range with a rocket assisted projectile (RAP) round, but maybe they were using RAP rounds.

[@drmarkintexas-400]

🎖️🏆💪🤗 Thank you for sharing this

[@chrismigut9197]

love this series

[@mickypd1]

One day I'll get around to finishing my updated 8 inch howitzer from AFV Club as well as the M-4 High Speed Tractor from Hobbyboss that usually towed these guns.

[@wolfgangemmerich7552]

You can find the Long Tom as US M-40 HMC mounted on the Sherman Tank base ; from AFV Club ! Aswell as the short barrel 203 mm !

[@dcross6360]

The Westerbelt Board did great work on US artillery

[@MrKen-wy5dk]

When I was a little kid, maybe around 1955?, I had a model of this gun. Didn't know a thing about it, except what the model company put on the box, but it sure won a lot of wars for me against my fellow enthusiasts. I even wore my plastic olive drab "steel helmet".

[@MrDgwphotos]

I believe the "turntable" equipment was intended primarily for use in the secondary role of Coastal Defense.

[@mikehunter5046]

Excellent video. I have family photos of my grandfather with a variant of this gun in WW2. Thank you

[@seumasnatuaighe]

My dad bought me a model of this gun in 1960. The model also had the tracked tractor with canvas top. In those days it was OK to have toy guns and us kids looked up to our fathers who fought in the war.

[@keithsimpson2150]

Modern toy guns are far in advance of yours even Nerf is automatic magazine fed ar pattern now shut up Boomer

[@luvtruckin]

As usual an excellent presentation always enjoy your knowledge of the museum pieces.

[@ComfortsSpecter]

Cute little Boomstick Glorious Righteous Freedom Incredible History Great Work Good Presentation Thanks

[@pete.theeggbox]

keep the videos coming - loving them all

[@bobkohl6779]

Love to see a return of workshop Wednesday please

[@jeffkeith637]

it's on every ... Wednesday

[@blueblur6447]

@@jeffkeith637 Ya... Things are tough for Bob

[@leondillon8723]

0:48) 24.5 and 45 calibers long. What is the length of a caliber? 2:09) Also called the interrupted screw.

[@innputinnput7049]

Great video very informative, took a bit to atune my ear to the accent

[@robertmorey4104]

Excellent as always!

[@54mgtf22]

Great work, Jason 👍

[@russwoodward8251]

Thank you Jason. This is very good.

[@operation4wheelz]

You can also have gun/howitzer which is what most modern guns are … long barrel but can also fired at high angle. Usually on a low charge.

[@McGriddy51095]

When I read long Tom I immediately thought of the 175 from nam. I’ve always heard that called the long Tom, didn’t know we had a 155 long Tom as well. God I love big guns

[@bunyipbluegun2147]

The Australian Army bought some of these second=hand from the Italin Arm to proof fire 155mm ammunition in the 1980s when they adopted the M198 gun. They were stored at Port Wajefuekd in South Australia and were held by tha RAAOC rather than the Artillery. They were never deployed as they were obsolete.

[@jackncoke8527]

When you’re in the US Army in WWII and your friend says “it’s over by the M1!” But you don’t know if he’s talking about the: M1 Rifle, M1 Carbine, M1 SMG, M1 155 Howitzer, M1 120 AA gun, M1 40MM AA gun, M1 Bayonet or M1 mortar.

[@jackdaniel7465]

🤣🤣🤣🤣 yup everything was the M-1 including the helmets.

[@didierfrenga5101]

Superbement intéressant........

[@depleteduraniumcowboy3516]

The Long Tom is a classic. Battle Tech included a version in their IP.

[@vladtairov2721]

Technically, the Battletech Long Tom is more akin to the 203mm guns that'd come during the Cold War, the Sniper artillery system is more akin to the 155 in effectiveness and role. The use of the name for the heaviest tube artillery system available for mobile use is fitting, though.

[@depleteduraniumcowboy3516]

@@vladtairov2721 based

[@bruceinoz8002]

Is that one of the guns that used to live in a "scrap-yard" between Brisbane and teh Gold coast? I am told that one of those guns ended up decorating the front of a small shopping center nearby. Not surprisingly, the place was called "The Big Gun" There used to be a LOT of interesting WW2 stuff around in South East Queensland. Ex-US Army "semi-trailer" buses operated by the Hornibrook Highway bus Company. Scammel prime movers and artillery tractors ( the Brisbane city council operated couple as recovery vehicles for broken-down trams. Several DUKW specimens converted to "campers" and usually with brightly-coloured paint jobs. Endless Ford and Wylies jeeps, An abundance of "Bren" carriers turned into farm tractors. The M3 Medium tanks parked in the bush where Garden City shopping centre would be built. The Matilda (sans turret) used for decades by the Redcliffe City Council as a bulldozer at the city dump, Also in Redcliffe,an M3 medium and a couple of turret-less Matildas, parked on a lot opposite the Woody Point Ice Works. All, long gone, as well. The LVT4 (bright yellow) with the drill rig used to survey the sea-bed prior to the constriction of the Houghton Highway, between Redcliffe and Brighton. Last seen in a "wrecker's yard" near Bald Hills in the1978. The "Tracked Truck" that a bunch of us hauled fromf the scrub out on the southern bounds of Brisbane. The example at Pucka may be it, or may not. Allegedly, only one or two prototypes were ever built The civvie-built "half-track": Carrier running gear under a Ford "Blitz".. Then, there were the aircraft. Up until the 1980s, there was an aircraft "graveyard" just outside Toowoomba. It featured a Vickers Viscount airline fuselage, but a brief poke around courtesy of the "owner"revealed the rear turret from a Lincoln bomber and bits of Ansons, Wirraways, Boomerangs, etc. All "gone", now. I am beginning to suspect that the obliteration of the "physical' materials of past wars is an international conspiracy. Think: Leopards filled with concrete and left to rust as "memorials, F-111 airframes bulldozed en masse into a trench. That sort of thing.

[@MercyandTruthBibleChurch1611]

Is it to much effort to put a little Cosmoline on the breech?

[@ricardovelasco3976]

Great stuff. However, some of the exhibits needs some care. They could do with some cleaning up the rust and a new fresh lick of paint.

[@Kazu_Tea]

Idk why just love yhe wheels

[@samiam5557]

I dig them BIG GUNS!

[@smalcolmbrown]

Thanks :)

[@marekburzynski6851]

Greetings from Poland.

[@dtrain1634]

45 cal is quite long given the best Guns today are 52 ish calibres :) Love the video btw- very knowledgeable:)

[@scroggins100]

Very interesting and thanks for your efforts. Might I suggest a drop of oil/grease may help.

[@PaulMyers-q1m]

I saw a S,P Artillery that was barapefbst on a M41 Walker Bulldog tank M108 I think in N,J National Gard storage yard was beat up don't know where it went sc

[@Foche_T._Schitt]

I got a french brochure for swiss arms in around 1900 and a 1882 revolver with an extended barrel was referred to as "long tom."

[@bebo4807]

I’d like to show you my “long Tom”…….

[@kiwibonsai2355]

I just get that feeling of grabbing the CRC and some sandpaper to clean up all that rust..

[@CGM_68]

Recoil "70 inches" is equal to about 1.78 meters.

[@gvdschoot]

It is also 155 mm, but inches vs metric is always trouble.

[@paoloviti6156]

​@@gvdschootnot only but many measurements printed on books or whatever are not correct ranging by few inches or millimetres to totally wrong. Serious writers stick to original measurements such as inches or millimetres but even then it is quite confusing unfortunately...

[@Mthammere2010]

You'd expect a 203mm AP shell traveling a thousand yards would have enough kinetic energy to penetrate more than a twohundred millimeters of armor plate. Did the AP round havexan explosive filler?

[@jethrox827]

I have a metal model of that gun, that I bought when I was a kid

[@wolfgangemmerich7552]

Corgi Toys made this once !

[@j.f.fisher5318]

Me: "And the M2A2? The M3?" "The M59" "Yeah, that was my next guess..." freaking U.S.Army nomenclature.

[@LuGer212]

cant wait forthe M-Fiftynoooin love you guys, no offense intended

[@Richard-pe4cx]

this is not a criticism but just an observation the gun looked dry had it been outside the breech mech had surface rust in the uk we have are fair share of rain sometimes too much and i get through a lot of spray lubes to keep my bikes as good as i can

[@phil20_20]

You guys need some CRC spray.

[@cuttersgoose]

I need this long Tom to tow behind my M4

[@NinjaKittyBonks]

Never seen "interrupted threads" prior, but makes purrfect sense and The Kitty likes it 🐈 *see what I did there?😸

[@holton345]

Noice!

[@normannobrot]

were there related to the british M40 155mm gun? looks practically the same..duxford imperial war museum has one.

[@IntrospectorGeneral]

The M40 was self-propelled rather than towed artillery. Same basic 155mm M2 gun but mounted on a modified medium tank M4A3 chassis.

[@normannobrot]

@@IntrospectorGeneral no this is definitely towed gun. At Duxford

[@jeandelacroix6726]

​@normannobrot thry have a BL 5.5 inch for towed guns and a US M40 for tracked

[@majmikecalnan]

The descriptions should add a bit of the provenance of the artefact. This example clearly came from Europe based on tbe NATO camouflage and German style tail lights.

[@pwillis1589]

Question. Did the US Army have a nuc round for this? Anyone.

[@keithwallace3406]

Is this a Tellie commercial/ your talking to fast

[@daviddavid5880]

Lubrication. Corrosion prevention. Viable concepts.

[@boelensds]

omg the rust and lack of grease.

[@kirankrishnars9089]

❤❤

[@scaleartsg]

kaboom!

[@MichaelCampin]

You needed a bloody big spanner

[@janstolk486]

you better put some oil on these things they are rusting away !

[@eliadelucchi5455]

M1?

[@clockmonkey]

As a rule of thumb a big gun will penetrate its own calibre at 1,000 Yards subject to shell design. That said if you a long range Gun are firing at a Tank at that close things are pretty desperate.

[@obsidianjane4413]

The AP round was mostly for penetrating concrete bunkers and blockhouses.

[@clockmonkey]

@@obsidianjane4413 I really don't know if we are talking about an Anti concrete round which could be used against Armour, a Naval Shell reworked for Land use or a purpose designed AP round for "armour". The regular HE round would likely go through a metre of Concrete and do damage from a near miss. I'd really like to see something official that stated the History of the rounds development before speculating.

[@obsidianjane4413]

@@clockmonkey lol. I do. Go read a few books.

[@clockmonkey]

@@obsidianjane4413 What puzzles me is other Countries used Large Calibre High Explosive rounds against Concrete relying on blast to suppress the occupants and damage the structure. AP was used to crack open bunkers but generally using smaller guns at close range. What little I have read suggest the 155mm gun was developed for use against Armour but haven't seen much to be honest. What I would say is I really don't know if the AP round was developed for use against concrete, armour or both, what I was talking about was a rule of thumb for large calibre gun armour penetration.

[@obsidianjane4413]

@@clockmonkey Books. Read them. I am not here to educate you.

[@SST11B]

King of Battle right?

[@RandomNameSoRandom]

Okay guys send leaks in warthunder headquarters

[@danbusey]

Too bad there's that big old ugly weld on the breech block. It's not like you can run down to the sporting goods store and pick up some rounds for it.

[@fireabend_1226]

I can't imagine that a little grease or oil on some parts of the machine would be a major disadvantage. 🤨

[@keithammleter3824]

i notice that Jason didn't fully close the breech. with that rust, if he did he would never get it open again. Given the amount of effort museum workers like Beau put in to restoring things, I was disappointed to see the rust.

[@obsidianjane4413]

@@keithammleter3824 These probably spent many years sitting outside so its probably much more than just surface rust. They have hundreds of vehicles and all of them would require regular maintenance just to keep them "looking new". Its probably on their "to do" list.

[@keithammleter3824]

@@obsidianjane4413 True, but the longer they leave it, the harder it will become to fix it - exponentially. I would have at least, on aquisition, sprayed it with rust convertor, given it a shine with emery paper, and then oiled it. That would certainly not make the gun usable, but it would stop the deterioration and make it look pretty good.

[@jasonbelgrave2831]

​@@keithammleter3824Hi Keith, let me elaborate a bit further on he M114 breech. It hasn't been opened for quite a few years. As the Longtom's breech is welded shut there was other example close by to show a Interrupted thread breech, except for this one. I opened this breech not 10 mins before the video, not knowing if it would even open. Yes it's got surface rust on it, but I figured it would be better to show than not show. I'll ensure it receives the due attention. 😊

[@olelarsen7688]

Austti can't say 155. It sounded like 1445 mm. One fourve fourvevefiv

[@TheMalootrager]

Ka-boom 💥

[@HK94]

That is a really long Tom...

[@seventhson27]

The gun that the Allies really didn't like was the German 88. The gun that kept Germans awake was the "Long Tom."

[@apokatastasian2831]

noineen

[@Optimusprimerib36]

Oh wow my wife's been talking about me

[@SirDamned]

IT'S AN M1

[@webastozs81vr]

Rust in the breach 🙂‍↔️🤨😡

[@gordonking4360]

My Dad's gun in WW2

[@Sapwolf]

A little too big for my nimble neighborhood watch.

[@gvdschoot]

How come that M114 is all rusted? When we operated onto one, I could guarantee you that rust was impossible!

[@obsidianjane4413]

Probably from decades sitting out in the weather.

[@tomsemmens6275]

If this gun was Russian there would still be a 1000 of them sitting in the desert somewhere (probably behind the 6000 M101 105mm) being looked after by a pensioner and an asthmatic dog, just in case.