Ammunition

During WWII the authorized howitzer rounds were the M1 high explosive (HE), M67 high explosive, anti-tank (HE AT), M60 chemical (with "H" mustard gas, "CNS" tear gas, "WP" white phosphorus smoke, or "FS" smoke loadings), the M84 base-ejecting HC smoke, the T16 illumination round, and a T18 canister round.

The M1 and M60 projectiles had the same contour while the M67 HE AT, the M84 base-ejecting smoke, and T16 illumination projectiles were unique. The T18 canister was apparently cylindrical. (Information on this round is scant.) The overall lengths varied because of the different projectiles and different fuzes:

• M1 HE - 31.09 inches
• M60 Chemical - 31.08 inches
• M67 HE AT - 31.05 inches
• M84 Smoke - 30.49 inches
• T16 Illumination (later M314) - 32.19 inches
• T18 Canister - unknown

Projectiles were painted for both identification and camouflage. HE and HE AT projectiles were yellow with black markings until January 1943, when they became olive drab with yellow markings. Chemical rounds (including Smoke and Illumination) had a gray body with colored identification markings: Two green bands for H, two red bands for CNS, one yellow band for smoke, and one white band for illumination. For all chemical rounds the lettering color was the same as the band. The T18 projectile was probably black with white markings, like other canister rounds.

In addition to color coding projectiles were painted with identifying words and designators that were meant to be rather obvious, as well as one that wasn't. It isn't possible to manufacture projectiles within the narrow weight limits required for accurate fire, so rounds were weighed and grouped into weight zones. The zone was indicated by a series of small squares on the shell nose. One square would indicate a light shell, two a shell of standard weight, three or more a heavy one. A crew would try to segregate their shells by weight so that the firing parameters would not need to be changed during a fire mission. Only the M1 HE and M60 chemical shells used weight zone markings.

The same M14 cartridge case dimensions were used for all rounds. The cases were 14.64 inches long and were essentially 4-3/16 inch diameter cylinders with a 4.70 diameter base flange. Steel cases were used for a time as a material conservation measure but brass cases were far more common.

A number of fuzes were used with 105mm ammunition and most rounds were shipped with the fuzes installed and made safe with a wire bail through the firing mechanism. High explosive projectiles used point detonating (PD) or time and super-quick (TSQ) fuzes. The proximity or VT fuze became available in the fall of 1944, but its long length required special deep cavity shells. These could not be used with standard length fuzes so a "supplemental charge" filled the cavity for normal fuzes but could be removed for the installation of VT fuzes. At the end of the war a hardened steel tip concrete-piercing (CP) fuze was developed to allow projectiles to penetrate hard materials before exploding. Neither the VT nor CP fuzes were issued with complete rounds. Instead they replaced the issued fuze or were installed in unfuzed projectiles in the field.

Chemical rounds normally used PD fuzes while the base-ejecting and illumination rounds used TSQ types.

Fuzes were typically a mixture of brass and aluminum sections and were colored various metallic shades.

Overview
Ammunition
Fiber Containers
Cloverleaf Bundles
Boxes and Markings
Metal Container
Common Rounds for Modelers
References
105mm Howitzer Ordnance: Comparison Review of 1/35 Scale Sets
105mm Howitzer Kits, Accessories, and Conversions