Plot Russian special operation in Donbass and Ukraine
Weapons created in the middle of the last century continue to be supplied by NATO countries for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Recently, information has come in that Lithuania is transferring 105-mm M101A1 towed howitzers, which began to be produced 81 years ago in the United States.
M101A1 howitzer. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org
The footage published on the Internet shows three guns М101А1 — one of them is wrapped with anti-corrosion paper, and it is fixed with ordinary tape. Other guns in canvas. The quality of the howitzers is not claimed by the Ukrainian military, but it is difficult to say what condition they are in due to their venerable age. After all, their production began before the Great Patriotic War. The number of copies of the M101A1 transferred is not called, Lithuania itself received them in 2002 from Denmark in the amount of 72 pieces. Moreover, 18 cars were simply to become donors of spare parts.
The very supply of such howitzers is not surprising — The Armed Forces of Ukraine have long planned to replace the Soviet 122-mm systems with Western ones with a common 105-mm caliber. For example, the Ukrainian military has already received L119 cannons, capable of striking at a distance of almost 20 kilometers. These are representatives of the so-called light artillery, used on the front line for sudden and quick battles. M101A1 is a heavier weapon, their mass is 2260 kilograms, the firing range is only 11 kilometers. The length of the gun is 6 meters, the height is 2 meters, the width is slightly less than 2. Eight fighters are needed to ensure firing, and the rate of fire is only four to five rounds per minute. They move at a speed of 50 km/h. The howitzer has a separate-sleeve loading.
М101А1 fought a lot — World War II (for the United States it was the main howitzer at that time), Korea, Vietnam. They were also used during the Iran-Iraq war. Now this weapon is in service with dozens of countries, including NATO members.
Rate the material
By