Thanks for watching! Be sure to check out our accompanying article for this video here - armourersbench.com/2022/12/04/ukraines-newest-howitzer-is-an-antique/ - Matt
AHS Krab fire control system is made by a Polish company WB Electronics and its integrated with Flyeye drones produced by the same company and they are also used in Ukraine and you can order the Flueye drone to folow a target automaticaly with no need to do anything else ->so crew can concentrate on aiming and corecting the fire from the howitzer...
Greece its going to send 32 M101A1 guns and 50.000 shells to ukraine via Czech republic. and also after that 72 M114A1, 155mm howitzers. did you have eny info on the survivability of towed artillery in ukraine? how they survive the detection of drones and anti-artillery radars? did the russian army uses extensive anti-artillery radars in ukraine?
definitely, that is the way I see it too if shooting short range it can be wonderful only thing that made me not happy is the amount of troops they say is needed to handle it.
The howitzer on the lorry flatbed had a danish inventory number :-) I photographed a set of three of these on a railway flat wagon in Copenhagen back when they were given to Lithuania.
South Korea still has over 1,000 of them with millions of ammunition. They developed Truck mounted one as well. Plenty of 105 artillery available. Against infantry, very effective with high rate of fire.
Much more economic ammo kit absolutely. Amazingly still no call for Russia to exit all of pre-2014 Ukraine Border internationally recognized which says to me anyways a kind of *"War of Greater Ukraine"* is now unfolding.
@@castsmith6783 You must be talking about the KH178 designed by South Korea's Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and manufactured by Hyundai WIA. As you described, it is an M101 / M101A1 upgraded with a 38-caliber barrel and muzzle brake which extends its maximum firing range to 14.7-km with standard and 18-km with rocket-assisted projectiles. Introduced in 1983, only 18 of these upgraded howitzers were produced and used by South Korea until they were retired in 2000. According to South Korean news reports, a limited number of the KH178 were also used by Chile (16) and Indonesia (54).
those m101s are very effective also as bunker blasters in urban warfare as alternatives for tow missiles the philippine army use this bad boys during the battle of marawi
We drilled on them heavily from switching from indirect fire (as displayed) to direct fire in the old fashioned sense. Their design allows for ready versatility in roles. They can take down a wall directly, clear out brush of critters (proximity fuze and canister rounds), take out anything less than an MBT, and put iron on target unseen from miles away. Good old system. Some drawbacks, sure, but they all do.
I was a Marine artilleryman, in Vietnam. Our 105s all were built in WWII. It is a very dependable and capable of rapidly putting rounds on targets up to seven miles.
I really appreciate your work in putting these videos together and helping us get a better understanding of what we're seeing about the war. Thanks again!
Even if they get stationed along more quiet fronts, like the defences around Kyiv or Sumy, it would allow more modern systems to go to the active fronts.
The Philippine Army still lots of them in service although some were upgraded by Giat adding a longer barrel. They also used them as a direct fire support against hardened concrete during the Marawi Siege due to tge lack of MBTs.
Fun Fact, the Alaskan Bureau of Transportation uses M101's to snow build up above roads to prevents avalanches. I believe that the Canadian DOT does the same thing, but I'm not sure if they use the same gun
Yes, Canada does use them for avalanche control along the Trans-Canada Highway in the Rocky Mountains. They're also still used by Primary Reserve field artillery units - albeit with a longer barrel and muzzle brake.
That was its advantage in Korea. Night attacks tended to be sudden and a variety of munitions needed to be in the air quickly...like illumination, white phosphorus and air bursts.
The late GEN Hal Moore's 1/7 CAV on LZ Xray in 1965 when he was a LTC, depicted in the [movie] based on the book "[We Were Soldiers] Once, and Young" were definitely appreciative of the 2x 105 batteries of M101A1s from 1/21 FA in their direct support.
To all the skeptics out there in the comments. If you are fighting with all you got, having this piece of equipment is better than not having it. Some frontline soldier may have a better day getting fire support by this thing and against soft targets I would say it is still as devastating as the day it was invented.
Even more important is having ammo for the gun. The US only has so much 155 ammo it's willing to give, I bet they are willing to give almost all of the 105 mm ammo.
I am reminded of something that I was taught in my basic artillery course: "The weapon of the artillery is the projectile. The gun is simply the method of delivery." Look beyond the age of the gun itself and consider that the firing data is being calculated by advanced fire control computers and directed by drones. There is nothing primitive about what is being depicted in this video.
Yeah, when you consider that we were using aerial spotters in balloons in the Civil War, fixed wing in WW2, and rotary wing aerial observation since, the use of drones for observation is just a natural progression of something we've been doing for over 150 years.
@@SonsOfLorgar Yes, the issue with M777s and other NATO systems isn't that they need parts replaced on a regular basis, it's that they have to be sent outside Ukraine for service because they don't have the support infrastructure for them in place yet.
@@jic1 Yep its a logistics issue from them being so quickly adopted. Ukraine knew this the United States knew this person's Lacking common sense do not.
@@jic1 true, however, the functional parts of a howitzer is going to be easy enough to fix in any vehicle workshop big enough to physically fit it with lifting beams/eyes strong enough to lift the parts that needs to be lifted as long as parts, fluids and detailed manuals in Ukrainean is availiable.
As a former user of the M101 105mm Howitzer, I couldn't help but notice the gun being fired had a very long travel. In fact, it was recoiling twice as far as the M101 howitzers we used. Either the hydro-pneumatic recoil system has a problem, or the gun crew is using charge 7. Charge 5 is usually used in most normal fire missions, and although you can use charge 7 to get maximum range, continual use of charge 7 will seriously reduce the service life of the gun. I wonder if these gunners know this? I realize the guns were a gift, but that's no excuse to abuse then.
I think that has been a critique of Ukraine's artillery guys, that they can be a little too hard on the gear. I remember when 10/15 Pzh-2000s needed to be sent out of country for repairs in August. Some of it was using incompatible shells but much over it was daily overuse or attempting to fire too far with smart shells. Don't get me wrong I understand that if you are in a jam, you try to push things to their limits.
@@trogdortpennypacker6160; you are correct, when the barbarians are coming over the walls, you got to do what you got to do, but otherwise, the Corps taught me that if you take care of your gear, your gear will take care of you.
@@oldgysgt agree, all points. Same background. I also note that gunners with Soviet/Russian lineage don't properly serve their guns...as if they expect the tube to blow on every shot.
M101A1 maybe old, but it still uses the same semi-fixed 105mm howitzer. A great upgrade is the updated KH178 105 mm Towed Howitzer - South Korean 38 calibers variant.
@Graf von Losinj - I Post Info + Best Docs There are millions of people like you, all promoting lies and alternate histories. I believe your goal is the destruction of humanity. Your ignorance is true evil
In the right hands...very useful. Throw 50 of those into any battle and it'll make a big difference. Compact and easy to move with smaller vehicles too.
Indeed. They can be easily towed by small SUV's, pickup trucks, and small Sprinter style vans. A Sprinter van alone could carry an entire artillery team, its munitions, and tow the M101. Making it a highly mobile artillery system that can be on target and be delivering rounds on target in 10min, and then be packed up and gone in less than 10min. Pretty hard to fight against an artillery force that can show up, put 20 rounds on target, and be gone in a half an hour.
on the other hand... every 152mm gun or even 122mm gun outranges these guns with ease. and they show up on counter battery radar and are due to their short range in the lethal counter zone. so yeah.... 50 of them will equal alot of dead artillerymen
These things are indeed ancient. I attended the Officer's Basic Course at Ft. Sill in 1995. The M101's had already retired and the M119 was in service. There's an M101 on display at the local VFW post.
@@jukebox_heroperson3994it's probably that or a towed tank destroyer/anti-tank gun. The 3" Gun M5 uses the same old M2 or M2A1 carriage as the original M101 but a wedge shaped shield.
I understand that the 105mm light gun (actually a gun/howitzer in the 25pdr style) and equivalent weapons; are less durable than older kit like the M101, due to the use of light alloys which make them easier to transport via helicopter. It seems to me that the older M101 howitzer might be more durable in the type of cold weather conditions experienced in the Northern Ukrainian theatre.
@@GuntherRommelI figure there's probably more than one reason CA went with the C3 upgrade of their C2 vs the Light Gun (L118/119/M119). The old beast is robust.
It would be suitable for Forward Operating Bases, or their doctrinal equivalent. At the edge of the lines where a counterattack could happen where the short range is no matter and can be used in the direct fire role for when they're "on the wire".
@@zoiders yeah, terminology is wonky. Field guns then? Forward elements that need immediate gun support. But then again a SPG would be more mobile to keep up. Maybe its not such a great piece of kit but a tube is a tube.
@@ericmckinley7985 As mentioned in the video these are replacing the even older and lighter pieces in the territorial defense units. Towed guns are much more manpower intensive, but they are mobile enough to be survivable. Artillery (and most every other) unit do not have fixed positions, because that is a good way to get dead by counterbattery and air/drone strikes. Not even their hide and assembly areas are fixed. They have a zone of concealed locations and pre plotted firing positions that they "shoot and scoot" from. The ranges and employment is probably the same as 152/155mm guns.
My Father was also a "Red Leg" MOS 844 - 105, from Sicily to Normandie... and the end of WWII: Battery "A", 32nd Field Artillery Battalion - 1stID (18th RCT). As American Artillery terrified German infantry, these guns are still effective in killing the enemy... and breaking his toys.
m101 still serves some countries today, and they're still pretty damn effective, quick manual reload and easy to tow around, plus its small size means it'll fit in nooks and crannies, even inside some buildings or be used as direct fire in the front lines
In the Battle of Marawi, Philippine Army gunners shoved their M101s inside buildings to blow ISIS terrorists up close and personal, like "next building over" personal.
I was survey NCO in an M101 Battery in the 80s - the gun is comparatively highly mobile, the Ammo, too, can be handled much more easy than 155 Ammo; 2 SUVs or tractors, one for the gun, one for the Ammo, and off you go - could be especially of use in mountainous or other difficult terrain. Staying out in the open like that would have brought a ton of unpleasant extra duties druing my service..., unless for initial training
@@dukenukem8381 looks to me like they are fooling around a bit; normally the K2 should fire the Gun, not the 1st Loader. After firing the K1 might want to check alignement. Also the running around with the Ammo is not so good - normally you should make a sort of bucket line. Furthermore there might be some more covered placement further back - but then we have no idea of their orders and tactical situation. And when we had more really old Ammo to fire then necessary for the training, they would let guys like me load and fire the gun on the artillery range, for fun and motivation.
I think we can all be confident that the resourceful and innovative AFU gunners will find a way to get the most "bang for the buck" out of these old boys, as they routinely do out of the vintage Soviet-era iron you mentioned. Just venturing this as an armchair tactician, but it seems like, if towed behind a Humvee, Bushmaster or other such vehicle, they might be suitable "horse artillery" for the recon and motorized light infantry units. Also noting that it seems like the Danes and Lithuanians took really good care of these pieces or overhauled them before the hand-off.
The big advantage of using a 105mm artillery is the US has a lot of ammo and is likely to give a much higher percentage than the 155 mm. My dad used to fire a M101 back on the DMZ of Korea back in 1961.
The one theme running through all the older indirect fire weapons being donated is the smart phone or tablet. So you have a map and a ballistic computer at your finger tips for almost any weapon with published data. The question is just who wrote the apps? As its clearly not open source or the Mobiks would have them as well.
That's the beauty of towed indirect fire systems, most of them use stand alone systems for positioning, communications and sighting wich means the effectiveness of the system can be upgraded a staggering ammount just by upgrading the other parts of the system while the firing piece remains the same.
I saw about 4 years ago pics of Ukrainians using ww1 artillery pieces. According to what i read then even those were very effective when supported by drone spotting etc.. Perhaps the oldest guns are now too worn out to use but there are still a lot of ww2 artillery in storages all around the world...
Check out RUSI's report, Preliminary in Conventional Warfighting from Russia's invasion of Ukraine: February-July 2022. On page 16, there's a mention of the Kropyva combat control system, an intelligent mapping software, which greatly increases the responsiveness of arty. If I had to guess who wrote some the software, either some technical institute either Ukroboronprom.
@@SonsOfLorgar In 1982 I worked a bit on a system called “GUN ALIGNMENT AND CONTROL”. It linked old guns together and the ancient laptop computers to share correction data (one gun fired, hit observed, velocity and drag calculated to fine tune baro and humidity settings etc). It greatly sped up corrected fire concentrations and even setup as it had a laser orientation device. Imagine today ? Almost forgot to mention that today with huge amounts of rocket assisted 105 ammo in stores these can be used to Harry 155 artillery lines to good effect.
I genuinely believe no weapon is ever taken out of the reserve. At some point someone is going to pull out the flintlocks from the museums and put them to use. Than shit actually happened during the Spanish Civil War.
The M101 is a proven weapon, and for close infantry support a 105mm is an ideal weapon (I grew up with the L119) - the 155mm has a MUCH bigger kill radius (often too big). And a good crew can really cycle rounds very quickly through them.
@@adler1964 my two late uncles were combat veterans who both served in the US Army in the ETO in 44-45. They indeed had respect for the Wehrmacht’s artillery arm and especially feared the 88 for its high velocity and accuracy. Glad these particular 105s are still killing fascists..👍
It’s a great howitzer and one of the best of its type. They’ve been dropped from helicopters by mistake and the only thing that broke was the armored shield and the sights. And the shield was only bent and could be hammered back into shape. The only reason the US replaced them was because 1980s Soviet light artillery could out range them.
I suspect most of these obsolete artillery pieces will be rearmed until they are all destroyed and orders for more ammunition already have been placed. Ukraine needs too many artillery tubes to put any on the sidelines. The M101s can certainly be put on trucks to create improvised SPGs as well. Managing ammunition logistics for 100mm, 105mm, 122mm, 152mm, 155mm, and 203mm guns doesn't seem unrealistic either. The burn rate of artillery must be tremendous on all sides. If anything, this war proves the value of keeping obsolete weapons stored including artillery.
The M101is very reliable, can shoot very accurately even at 10 kilometers, is considerably lighter than 155mm howitzers, so it can also be moved more easily in mountainous terrain.
@@matthiasgruber1644 The 105mm cannon used on the M108 SP had an automatic breach and could fire faster. The cannon was never in widespread use, so there may have been issues with the breach. I've watched the M101, the M102, and the M108 firing and the M108 is definitely the quickest.
@@chash7335 I've fired both. You're not quite correct. It really depends on the crew. We used to frequently fire four rounds well under ten seconds with the 101. The M108s, not so much.
@@JD-tn5lz I agree the crew is most important. I have seen the M108 put out rounds every 2 seconds- it was so fast I had to walk over to the gun and ask the crew about it.
Portugal was going to send american ww2 155mm artillery cannons. These are still in service in Portuguese military until today. Along side towed 105mm cannon from 1970's and Paladin.
If it moves and shoots it's still useful. M101s and M1938s mounted on a pedestal mount on the back of a flatbed truck would be useful and their mobility would partly address their susceptibility to counter-battery fire due to their shorter range.
@@CaptainSmithay - If it was on a pedestal mount on a truck it take less time to set up and it would be easier to avoid counter-battery fire. It could also carry its own ammunition and crew.
The big takeaway here is that the M101/102/119 can be easily towed by small SUV's, pickup trucks, and small Sprinter style vans. A Sprinter van alone could carry an entire artillery team, its munitions, and tow the M101. Making it a highly mobile artillery system that can be on site and be delivering rounds on target in 10min, and then be packed up and gone in less than 10min. Pretty hard to fight against an artillery force that can show up, put 20 rounds on target, and be gone in a half an hour.
A Sprinter van is road bound even when it not towing several tons of artillery and ammo. Even worse when the ground is wet. Guns need a real military prime-mover. The standards are less than 10 minutes. If you are still around a half an hour after firing the first round, you will get very dead very fast in Ukraine.
@@obsidianjane4413 I'm talking 30min from arrival till egress. 10min setup, 10min rounds on target, 10min packup and out. The downside to a HMVEE is that you cannot carry ammo AND troops AND tow the gun. I agree the Sprinter is not perfect and it is road bound. It can also do a lot of things at once and remain relatively clandestine. Drop the gun off at a stash location and move out.
I live in Metro ATL near hwy 75. 3 months ago I passed a convoy of flatbeds each carrying 3 of these cannons on them. They looked old, beat up and much smaller than the 777s. Seemed they had larger than normal tires that were all flat I assume for safer transport.
Great small artillery here. shorter range, but fantastic for local support fire. I think the Pack75 would also be good here. About the same range, ...a bit less... but much more portable. It could be dragged around with an ATV if desired...
Actually considerably less range and less weight of iron. 75s are still useful in limited roles, though few if any nations still use them. For indirect, they can't do anything an 81 mortar can't do better. For direct fire/assault, man portable rocket and missile systems are superior.
Still wouldn't want to get hit by one. The old girl can still boogie. There's also quite a lot of 105mm shells since the 155mm shell supply is slowly diminishing and it takes a while to increase production numbers. The 105mm gun is also lighter and faster to move around so it does have some benefits.
OH my goodness... I was in a 101 battery in the Marines in 1973-75. Our guns were manufactured in 1954... These are nothing to sneeze at... They will shoot five to seven miles now 10 or more...and can scoot... Back then we would drop em, fire, pick em up and move fast... That is even more important now days... Still shooting after 80 years? Amazing weapon.
@@TheArmourersBench Apparently Croatia gave them some 130mm M-46 Field Guns too. Maybe they will just treat some of the less plentiful systems as semi-disposable, and remove them from service as ammunition is depleted?
@@tomhenry897 Ukraine still has significantly more Soviet-standard artillery than NATO, and has very recently restarted production of 122mm and 152mm shells.
105mm and 155mm might sound like a large difference but regardless of if your a dude in a trench with a helmet and body armor or sitting in an AFV no one wants to get hit by indirect regardless of size
I served on these just prior to their replacement coming into USMC inventory. This is not a good display of their potential. Their strength was the weight of fire they could throw because of their rate of fire. Usually it was three (gunner, a-gunner, and loader) on the weapon and at least two more as part of an ammunition chain. A very good crew could easily throw four shots out in ten seconds. So...either Ukraine is really short on gunners, they're scared these old tubes will blow up, or they're stuck in old Soviet doctrine...more guns, less crew.
Btw small note - there isn't really a standard way to pronounce the name of the M777 howitzer it's usually pronounced as "M triple 7". Much less of a mouthful plus it's how most servicemen call them.
@@ivancho5854 Can you imagine being the enemy and skilled gunners dash into range with say 50 of these and each drop 5 shells then dash? You can tow these with a small pickup. If the weather is a bit bad for drones it’s a good day to get 105 rain.
@@richardkudrna7503 This channel did a video about a self propelled gun which Ukraine has made from cold war equipment. Check it out. These 105s would be great on a those tracked chassis. All the best Richard.
Old but still kicking. Of course an all out state of the art equipment would be perfect but this war is in the real world. So instead of perfect solution Ukraine must work with what is available. Keep the supply rolling!
A light field piece that can be setup and in action in just minutes. I believe that a couple of lighter vehicles to tow the gun and haul ammo will be easier to get around when the ground is soft. The range is a little bit low, and it will clearly not match the firepower of the 150+ mm pieces, it is so light and portable that it is bordering on being 'Shoot and Skoot' artillery! Nice! Ya'll Take Care and be safe, John
Actually a good '05 crew can deliver more iron on target in a minute than a '55 crew. Much more for about three minutes. Of course, it has to be in range😆 Fyi, a well drilled crew can push 15rds/min out of these for very short periods.
These are not 'antiques', which would make them 100 yrs old. They were still being manufactured in 1950's and barrels were replaced as needed. These, being former Danish guns have good barrels
Finally!!!!! NATO should finally understand, quantity Is very important in this war. US alone has thousands of m109 that wouldn't be used by America anyway but will make difference in Ukraine!
It depends. From what I have seen so far its not like the Ruskies have the trained personnel or hardware needed to back track a fire mission to its source. It's quite clear that Ukraine do, possibly thanks to Israel.
I trained on these guns fifty years ago. I'm sure we were a lot quicker than three minutes in and out of action. Get in position. Get the job done quickly, then get out of now.
Thanks for watching! Be sure to check out our accompanying article for this video here -
armourersbench.com/2022/12/04/ukraines-newest-howitzer-is-an-antique/ - Matt
AHS Krab fire control system is made by a Polish company WB Electronics and its integrated with Flyeye drones produced by the same company and they are also used in Ukraine and you can order the Flueye drone to folow a target automaticaly with no need to do anything else ->so crew can concentrate on aiming and corecting the fire from the howitzer...
Greece its going to send 32 M101A1 guns and 50.000 shells to ukraine via Czech republic. and also after that 72 M114A1, 155mm howitzers. did you have eny info on the survivability of towed artillery in ukraine? how they survive the detection of drones and anti-artillery radars? did the russian army uses extensive anti-artillery radars in ukraine?
I was a gun mechanic in the Marine Corps. The 05 was a fun gun to operate and to work on.
every artillery piece has its tactical place on the battlefield. the bridge between mortars and the 155.
105mm howitzers are still only superior to 12cm mortars against open field targets over 7km range.
definitely, that is the way I see it too
if shooting short range it can be wonderful
only thing that made me not happy is the amount of troops they
say is needed to handle it.
@@SonsOfLorgar like everything else. It depends. Artillery has more velocity.
@@forresta65 absolutely
Yes if this artillery are in the hand of russian soldier i bet you and othet bias people will say other thing i sure🤣
The howitzer on the lorry flatbed had a danish inventory number :-) I photographed a set of three of these on a railway flat wagon in Copenhagen back when they were given to Lithuania.
Ha, that's a lovely detail thank you.
more details the 44 number means the gun was first registered in 1974.
South Korea still has over 1,000 of them with millions of ammunition. They developed Truck mounted one as well.
Plenty of 105 artillery available. Against infantry, very effective with high rate of fire.
Much more economic ammo kit absolutely. Amazingly still no call for Russia to exit all of pre-2014 Ukraine Border internationally recognized which says to me anyways a kind of *"War of Greater Ukraine"* is now unfolding.
Didnt the korean upgrade its m101 by swapping for longer barrel and gave it a muzzle brake, which increase its range?
@@castsmith6783 You must be talking about the KH178 designed by South Korea's Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and manufactured by Hyundai WIA. As you described, it is an M101 / M101A1 upgraded with a 38-caliber barrel and muzzle brake which extends its maximum firing range to 14.7-km with standard and 18-km with rocket-assisted projectiles. Introduced in 1983, only 18 of these upgraded howitzers were produced and used by South Korea until they were retired in 2000. According to South Korean news reports, a limited number of the KH178 were also used by Chile (16) and Indonesia (54).
@@castsmith6783 No, they just kept producing KM101A1. Instaed, they made 155 mm artillery.
Canadian C3 is an upgraded M101A1 as well.
those m101s are very effective also as bunker blasters in urban warfare as alternatives for tow missiles the philippine army use this bad boys during the battle of marawi
And it packs more heat than a TOW missile.
We drilled on them heavily from switching from indirect fire (as displayed) to direct fire in the old fashioned sense. Their design allows for ready versatility in roles.
They can take down a wall directly, clear out brush of critters (proximity fuze and canister rounds), take out anything less than an MBT, and put iron on target unseen from miles away.
Good old system. Some drawbacks, sure, but they all do.
I was a Marine artilleryman, in Vietnam. Our 105s all were built in WWII. It is a very dependable and capable of rapidly putting rounds on targets up to seven miles.
I really appreciate your work in putting these videos together and helping us get a better understanding of what we're seeing about the war. Thanks again!
Thank you! Thanks for watching.
@@TheArmourersBench what’s the next 5.56 rifle your covering?
Should be the FN F2000 in a week or so!
@@TheArmourersBench thanks!
Even if they get stationed along more quiet fronts, like the defences around Kyiv or Sumy, it would allow more modern systems to go to the active fronts.
It might be old, but it's a tried-and-true piece of lethal hardware.
5:20 The judges holding up score cards, ahaha! Ukrainian people are awesome
if you were being shelled, you wouldnt think "oh is that slightly older then modern arty?"
The Philippine Army still lots of them in service although some were upgraded by Giat adding a longer barrel.
They also used them as a direct fire support against hardened concrete during the Marawi Siege due to tge lack of MBTs.
Fun Fact, the Alaskan Bureau of Transportation uses M101's to snow build up above roads to prevents avalanches. I believe that the Canadian DOT does the same thing, but I'm not sure if they use the same gun
Yes, Canada does use them for avalanche control along the Trans-Canada Highway in the Rocky Mountains. They're also still used by Primary Reserve field artillery units - albeit with a longer barrel and muzzle brake.
@@kentr2424 and yet, the C2 howitzer is now being rapidly retired.
They were used in the lower 48 until recently, when other, safer methods were found.
@@kentr2424 Yes, and they're designated C3 Howitzers, even now they're incredibly reliable, and a lot of fun to work with.
@@GuntherRommel The C1/C2 howitzers haven't been used since the 80s. We use the C3 now.
The single cartridge means it's quick firing. The 155mm has a separate bagged charge.
That was its advantage in Korea. Night attacks tended to be sudden and a variety of munitions needed to be in the air quickly...like illumination, white phosphorus and air bursts.
The M101 is a excellent weapon still. Still usable indeed. These guns saved many American soldiers in Vietnam.
The late GEN Hal Moore's 1/7 CAV on LZ Xray in 1965 when he was a LTC, depicted in the [movie] based on the book "[We Were Soldiers] Once, and Young" were definitely appreciative of the 2x 105 batteries of M101A1s from 1/21 FA in their direct support.
To all the skeptics out there in the comments.
If you are fighting with all you got, having this piece of equipment is better than not having it.
Some frontline soldier may have a better day getting fire support by this thing and against soft targets I would say it is still as devastating as the day it was invented.
Even more important is having ammo for the gun. The US only has so much 155 ammo it's willing to give, I bet they are willing to give almost all of the 105 mm ammo.
I am reminded of something that I was taught in my basic artillery course: "The weapon of the artillery is the projectile. The gun is simply the method of delivery." Look beyond the age of the gun itself and consider that the firing data is being calculated by advanced fire control computers and directed by drones. There is nothing primitive about what is being depicted in this video.
Yeah, when you consider that we were using aerial spotters in balloons in the Civil War, fixed wing in WW2, and rotary wing aerial observation since, the use of drones for observation is just a natural progression of something we've been doing for over 150 years.
Still capable of delivering a ''significant emotional event'' when the need requires it. 🙃
Western systems are not made for continuous use though, they break in those conditions(rather surprising).
@@Br1cht no heavy weapon systems are made for continuous use for thousands of rounds per month...
@@SonsOfLorgar Yes, the issue with M777s and other NATO systems isn't that they need parts replaced on a regular basis, it's that they have to be sent outside Ukraine for service because they don't have the support infrastructure for them in place yet.
@@jic1 Yep its a logistics issue from them being so quickly adopted. Ukraine knew this the United States knew this person's Lacking common sense do not.
@@jic1 true, however, the functional parts of a howitzer is going to be easy enough to fix in any vehicle workshop big enough to physically fit it with lifting beams/eyes strong enough to lift the parts that needs to be lifted as long as parts, fluids and detailed manuals in Ukrainean is availiable.
As a former user of the M101 105mm Howitzer, I couldn't help but notice the gun being fired had a very long travel. In fact, it was recoiling twice as far as the M101 howitzers we used. Either the hydro-pneumatic recoil system has a problem, or the gun crew is using charge 7. Charge 5 is usually used in most normal fire missions, and although you can use charge 7 to get maximum range, continual use of charge 7 will seriously reduce the service life of the gun. I wonder if these gunners know this? I realize the guns were a gift, but that's no excuse to abuse then.
I think that has been a critique of Ukraine's artillery guys, that they can be a little too hard on the gear. I remember when 10/15 Pzh-2000s needed to be sent out of country for repairs in August. Some of it was using incompatible shells but much over it was daily overuse or attempting to fire too far with smart shells. Don't get me wrong I understand that if you are in a jam, you try to push things to their limits.
@@trogdortpennypacker6160; you are correct, when the barbarians are coming over the walls, you got to do what you got to do, but otherwise, the Corps taught me that if you take care of your gear, your gear will take care of you.
@@oldgysgt agree, all points. Same background. I also note that gunners with Soviet/Russian lineage don't properly serve their guns...as if they expect the tube to blow on every shot.
@@JD-tn5lz; I was noticing that myself. With the 105mm, we stood right next to the breach while pulling the lanyard.
OHT and nitrogen is all it has to work with. They are shooting max charge 7 with the Respirator set open on 3.
M101A1 maybe old, but it still uses the same semi-fixed 105mm howitzer. A great upgrade is the updated KH178 105 mm Towed Howitzer - South Korean 38 calibers variant.
The M101 is just iconic at this point! It fought from freedom from Nazi Germany and Communist North Korea, now it fights for freedom from Russia!
@Graf von Losinj - I Post Info + Best Docs There are millions of people like you, all promoting lies and alternate histories. I believe your goal is the destruction of humanity. Your ignorance is true evil
In the right hands...very useful. Throw 50 of those into any battle and it'll make a big difference. Compact and easy to move with smaller vehicles too.
Indeed. They can be easily towed by small SUV's, pickup trucks, and small Sprinter style vans. A Sprinter van alone could carry an entire artillery team, its munitions, and tow the M101. Making it a highly mobile artillery system that can be on target and be delivering rounds on target in 10min, and then be packed up and gone in less than 10min. Pretty hard to fight against an artillery force that can show up, put 20 rounds on target, and be gone in a half an hour.
@@StreuB1 it would have to be the heavy duty 5t sprinter variant with twin wheels and reqire a tow system modification, but yes
on the other hand... every 152mm gun or even 122mm gun outranges these guns with ease. and they show up on counter battery radar and are due to their short range in the lethal counter zone.
so yeah.... 50 of them will equal alot of dead artillerymen
Except you need ammunition to fire them
@@josephkush1032 There's plenty of 105mm ammo.
I like the idea they show a video of using drones as recon, to send artillery rounds by old howitzer is a mind blowing to be far.
These things are indeed ancient. I attended the Officer's Basic Course at Ft. Sill in 1995. The M101's had already retired and the M119 was in service. There's an M101 on display at the local VFW post.
There's an artillery piece at the American Legion in my town, I bet it's an M101
@@jukebox_heroperson3994 Can it be shipped to Ukraine?
I was in 7-95. Then-Capt. Qualls, USMC was my Gy Instructor.
@@jukebox_heroperson3994it's probably that or a towed tank destroyer/anti-tank gun. The 3" Gun M5 uses the same old M2 or M2A1 carriage as the original M101 but a wedge shaped shield.
7 bags of charges numbered 1-7 VT fuzes available. Bursting charge is Comp. B. WP, Illumination and other rounds available.
I understand that the 105mm light gun (actually a gun/howitzer in the 25pdr style) and equivalent weapons; are less durable than older kit like the M101, due to the use of light alloys which make them easier to transport via helicopter. It seems to me that the older M101 howitzer might be more durable in the type of cold weather conditions experienced in the Northern Ukrainian theatre.
personally fired M101's (C2 Howitzers in Canada) in -30c. Good times.
@@GuntherRommelI figure there's probably more than one reason CA went with the C3 upgrade of their C2 vs the Light Gun (L118/119/M119). The old beast is robust.
It would be suitable for Forward Operating Bases, or their doctrinal equivalent. At the edge of the lines where a counterattack could happen where the short range is no matter and can be used in the direct fire role for when they're "on the wire".
There isn't a doctrinal equivalent as this is a full on conventional war and not colonial policing or COIN.
@@zoiders yeah, terminology is wonky. Field guns then? Forward elements that need immediate gun support. But then again a SPG would be more mobile to keep up. Maybe its not such a great piece of kit but a tube is a tube.
@@ericmckinley7985 As mentioned in the video these are replacing the even older and lighter pieces in the territorial defense units. Towed guns are much more manpower intensive, but they are mobile enough to be survivable.
Artillery (and most every other) unit do not have fixed positions, because that is a good way to get dead by counterbattery and air/drone strikes. Not even their hide and assembly areas are fixed. They have a zone of concealed locations and pre plotted firing positions that they "shoot and scoot" from. The ranges and employment is probably the same as 152/155mm guns.
I struggle to wrap my head around how mobile the ukranian conflict is
My Father was also a "Red Leg" MOS 844 - 105, from Sicily to Normandie... and the end of WWII:
Battery "A", 32nd Field Artillery Battalion - 1stID (18th RCT). As American Artillery terrified German infantry, these guns are still effective in killing the enemy... and breaking his toys.
My dad was trained on the M7 priest, which was a motorized version of this gun.
M101s forever! 70+ years and still going strong. 🙂
South Korea have a large amount of M101 mounted on trucks for self-propelled artillery
K105HT. It looks like using in the mountain area of South Korea. Provides fire power to the place where large howtizer can't be deployed.
m101 still serves some countries today, and they're still pretty damn effective, quick manual reload and easy to tow around, plus its small size means it'll fit in nooks and crannies, even inside some buildings or be used as direct fire in the front lines
In the Battle of Marawi, Philippine Army gunners shoved their M101s inside buildings to blow ISIS terrorists up close and personal, like "next building over" personal.
I was survey NCO in an M101 Battery in the 80s - the gun is comparatively highly mobile, the Ammo, too, can be handled much more easy than 155 Ammo; 2 SUVs or tractors, one for the gun, one for the Ammo, and off you go - could be especially of use in mountainous or other difficult terrain. Staying out in the open like that would have brought a ton of unpleasant extra duties druing my service..., unless for initial training
how would you rate this Ukrainian crew?
@@dukenukem8381 looks to me like they are fooling around a bit; normally the K2 should fire the Gun, not the 1st Loader. After firing the K1 might want to check alignement. Also the running around with the Ammo is not so good - normally you should make a sort of bucket line. Furthermore there might be some more covered placement further back - but then we have no idea of their orders and tactical situation. And when we had more really old Ammo to fire then necessary for the training, they would let guys like me load and fire the gun on the artillery range, for fun and motivation.
I think we can all be confident that the resourceful and innovative AFU gunners will find a way to get the most "bang for the buck" out of these old boys, as they routinely do out of the vintage Soviet-era iron you mentioned. Just venturing this as an armchair tactician, but it seems like, if towed behind a Humvee, Bushmaster or other such vehicle, they might be suitable "horse artillery" for the recon and motorized light infantry units. Also noting that it seems like the Danes and Lithuanians took really good care of these pieces or overhauled them before the hand-off.
There's a Humvee 105mm mounted howitzer too!
That should be handy in this war.
I used these in the army, they are considered idiot proof.
Mechanically, but you'd better know what you're doing with the M12-series sights.
The big advantage of using a 105mm artillery is the US has a lot of ammo and is likely to give a much higher percentage than the 155 mm. My dad used to fire a M101 back on the DMZ of Korea back in 1961.
The one theme running through all the older indirect fire weapons being donated is the smart phone or tablet. So you have a map and a ballistic computer at your finger tips for almost any weapon with published data. The question is just who wrote the apps? As its clearly not open source or the Mobiks would have them as well.
That's the beauty of towed indirect fire systems, most of them use stand alone systems for positioning, communications and sighting wich means the effectiveness of the system can be upgraded a staggering ammount just by upgrading the other parts of the system while the firing piece remains the same.
I saw about 4 years ago pics of Ukrainians using ww1 artillery pieces. According to what i read then even those were very effective when supported by drone spotting etc.. Perhaps the oldest guns are now too worn out to use but there are still a lot of ww2 artillery in storages all around the world...
Check out RUSI's report, Preliminary in Conventional Warfighting from Russia's invasion of Ukraine: February-July 2022. On page 16, there's a mention of the Kropyva combat control system, an intelligent mapping software, which greatly increases the responsiveness of arty.
If I had to guess who wrote some the software, either some technical institute either Ukroboronprom.
@@henrihamalainen300 The South Koreans have about 2,000 of these guns -- and they're slowly replacing them. Great "pre-owned" artillery!
@@SonsOfLorgar
In 1982 I worked a bit on a system called “GUN ALIGNMENT AND CONTROL”.
It linked old guns together and the ancient laptop computers to share correction data (one gun fired, hit observed, velocity and drag calculated to fine tune baro and humidity settings etc). It greatly sped up corrected fire concentrations and even setup as it had a laser orientation device. Imagine today ?
Almost forgot to mention that today with huge amounts of rocket assisted 105 ammo in stores these can be used to Harry 155 artillery lines to good effect.
“… One-oh-five is the name of my fame…”
From the poem, “Oh Gun.”
Good to see the old guard getting one last taste of battle before there final rest
I genuinely believe no weapon is ever taken out of the reserve. At some point someone is going to pull out the flintlocks from the museums and put them to use.
Than shit actually happened during the Spanish Civil War.
I remember seeing that piece in front of the VFW hall in Greenville.
If it works, it works.
Damn things still work.
The M101 is a proven weapon, and for close infantry support a 105mm is an ideal weapon (I grew up with the L119) - the 155mm has a MUCH bigger kill radius (often too big). And a good crew can really cycle rounds very quickly through them.
Well the 105 also kicks ass...and is great for close support of the Ukrainian flanking fights at Verbove and Kopani
Interesting Video. Courious that they can still use this on the modern battlefield and survive
The HIMARS and self propelled artillery gets most of the press but the towed 105’s and 155’s do the heavy lifting.
nope, they get destroyed just as fast . Ukraine is not the good guys .
lol
My Grandfather used one of these in the 4th ID from D Day through the end of WW 2. Keep up the good fight.
Yeah, ask the Wehrmacht what it was like under a downpour of 105s from the best artillery establishment in the world.🙄
What did YOU do with your life though?
@@warpaw53 well ask your owen grandpas how that feels wehrmacht had a first rate light field arty and used it quiet efectfully.
@@adler1964 my two late uncles were combat veterans who both served in the US Army in the ETO in 44-45. They indeed had respect for the Wehrmacht’s artillery arm and especially feared the 88 for its high velocity and accuracy. Glad these particular 105s are still killing fascists..👍
@@MrSvenovitch idiot
Cant beat the classics
I was waiting for an outro in style of an Ahoy channel - iconic arms series.
Until next time, farewell.
Grandpa still has a few things to teach the kids.
like what? How you be a good target. Stop falling for this bullshit propaganda.
😆
It’s a great howitzer and one of the best of its type. They’ve been dropped from helicopters by mistake and the only thing that broke was the armored shield and the sights. And the shield was only bent and could be hammered back into shape. The only reason the US replaced them was because 1980s Soviet light artillery could out range them.
A highly mobile gun, it's light enough to be lifted by helicopter
Still works!
It may be ancient, but as infantry you’d still hate to receive its shells.
Дякуємо за підтримку, брати!!!
Fight on, brother! 💪 🇺🇸 🇺🇦
I need one of those antiques. Does it fall under curio and relic?
Its still in use with the Philippine and South Korean armies
I suspect most of these obsolete artillery pieces will be rearmed until they are all destroyed and orders for more ammunition already have been placed. Ukraine needs too many artillery tubes to put any on the sidelines. The M101s can certainly be put on trucks to create improvised SPGs as well. Managing ammunition logistics for 100mm, 105mm, 122mm, 152mm, 155mm, and 203mm guns doesn't seem unrealistic either. The burn rate of artillery must be tremendous on all sides. If anything, this war proves the value of keeping obsolete weapons stored including artillery.
The M101is very reliable, can shoot very accurately even at 10 kilometers, is considerably lighter than 155mm howitzers, so it can also be moved more easily in mountainous terrain.
@Nikola S. no, more than enough, its a very cheap solution and a trained crew can fire 20 rounds per minute. No other rocket or solution can do that.
@@matthiasgruber1644 The 105mm cannon used on the M108 SP had an automatic breach and could fire faster. The cannon was never in widespread use, so there may have been issues with the breach. I've watched the M101, the M102, and the M108 firing and the M108 is definitely the quickest.
@@chash7335 I've fired both. You're not quite correct. It really depends on the crew.
We used to frequently fire four rounds well under ten seconds with the 101. The M108s, not so much.
@@JD-tn5lz I agree the crew is most important. I have seen the M108 put out rounds every 2 seconds- it was so fast I had to walk over to the gun and ask the crew about it.
Cripes ,I'm impressed those old guns are still going. Prehaps some 25 pounder and pak 75mm guns are next?
Croatia gave them some 130mm M-46 Field Guns.
There's probably no antique weapons to a skilled gunner
Portugal was going to send american ww2 155mm artillery cannons. These are still in service in Portuguese military until today. Along side towed 105mm cannon from 1970's and Paladin.
Excellent. Thank you Portugal.
@@ivancho5854 was* they only sent 10 m113. G3, grenades, cammo, helmets, drones and food
One of these is on display in my hometown. Pretty cool little howitzer.
If it moves and shoots it's still useful. M101s and M1938s mounted on a pedestal mount on the back of a flatbed truck would be useful and their mobility would partly address their susceptibility to counter-battery fire due to their shorter range.
Or you just tow it like it's designed for
@@TheInfidel_SlavaUA - Really? So you're telling me mounting one on the exact same Ural-375D chassis as the BM-21 Grad can't operate offroad?
@@CaptainSmithay - If it was on a pedestal mount on a truck it take less time to set up and it would be easier to avoid counter-battery fire. It could also carry its own ammunition and crew.
In war, there is no such thing as obsolete. If it works then by all means use it.
The big takeaway here is that the M101/102/119 can be easily towed by small SUV's, pickup trucks, and small Sprinter style vans. A Sprinter van alone could carry an entire artillery team, its munitions, and tow the M101. Making it a highly mobile artillery system that can be on site and be delivering rounds on target in 10min, and then be packed up and gone in less than 10min. Pretty hard to fight against an artillery force that can show up, put 20 rounds on target, and be gone in a half an hour.
A Sprinter van is road bound even when it not towing several tons of artillery and ammo. Even worse when the ground is wet.
Guns need a real military prime-mover. The standards are less than 10 minutes. If you are still around a half an hour after firing the first round, you will get very dead very fast in Ukraine.
@@obsidianjane4413 I'm talking 30min from arrival till egress. 10min setup, 10min rounds on target, 10min packup and out. The downside to a HMVEE is that you cannot carry ammo AND troops AND tow the gun. I agree the Sprinter is not perfect and it is road bound. It can also do a lot of things at once and remain relatively clandestine. Drop the gun off at a stash location and move out.
I live in Metro ATL near hwy 75. 3 months ago I passed a convoy of flatbeds each carrying 3 of these cannons on them. They looked old, beat up and much smaller than the 777s. Seemed they had larger than normal tires that were all flat I assume for safer transport.
Interesting!
Won't ever run out of ammo. Ever
Great small artillery here. shorter range, but fantastic for local support fire. I think the Pack75 would also be good here. About the same range, ...a bit less... but much more portable. It could be dragged around with an ATV if desired...
Actually considerably less range and less weight of iron. 75s are still useful in limited roles, though few if any nations still use them.
For indirect, they can't do anything an 81 mortar can't do better. For direct fire/assault, man portable rocket and missile systems are superior.
If it ain’t broke don’t fix it… absolutely better than nothing.
M101...she may be an 'antique,' but she still barks and packs a lethal punch. I'm sure the folks on the receiving end would agree.
Still wouldn't want to get hit by one.
The old girl can still boogie.
There's also quite a lot of 105mm shells since the 155mm shell supply is slowly diminishing and it takes a while to increase production numbers. The 105mm gun is also lighter and faster to move around so it does have some benefits.
OH my goodness... I was in a 101 battery in the Marines in 1973-75. Our guns were manufactured in 1954... These are nothing to sneeze at... They will shoot five to seven miles now 10 or more...and can scoot... Back then we would drop em, fire, pick em up and move fast... That is even more important now days... Still shooting after 80 years? Amazing weapon.
I'd hate to be in charge of Ukrainian logistics: they've now got howitzers in 105mm, 155mm, 122mm, 152mm, and 203mm!
For small arms too. Would love to talk to to someone in their logistics chain.
And all the different vehicle chassis they have to deal with
The old Soviet stuff being retired as wear out or run out of ammo
@@TheArmourersBench Apparently Croatia gave them some 130mm M-46 Field Guns too. Maybe they will just treat some of the less plentiful systems as semi-disposable, and remove them from service as ammunition is depleted?
@@tomhenry897 Ukraine still has significantly more Soviet-standard artillery than NATO, and has very recently restarted production of 122mm and 152mm shells.
"WE'RE GETTING SHELLED, VALERY, FIND COVER!"
"But it's just 105mm"
"Oh, we're fine, then."
105mm and 155mm might sound like a large difference but regardless of if your a dude in a trench with a helmet and body armor or sitting in an AFV no one wants to get hit by indirect regardless of size
Can confirm.
I served on these just prior to their replacement coming into USMC inventory. This is not a good display of their potential.
Their strength was the weight of fire they could throw because of their rate of fire. Usually it was three (gunner, a-gunner, and loader) on the weapon and at least two more as part of an ammunition chain. A very good crew could easily throw four shots out in ten seconds.
So...either Ukraine is really short on gunners, they're scared these old tubes will blow up, or they're stuck in old Soviet doctrine...more guns, less crew.
maximum elevation is about 47 degrees if i understand correctly?
a former buddy told me.: "if it keeps them down it works." I am from the country you speak off.
Great to see such old weapons used in good and important missions against pure evil fascist.
Btw small note - there isn't really a standard way to pronounce the name of the M777 howitzer it's usually pronounced as "M triple 7". Much less of a mouthful plus it's how most servicemen call them.
Well at least I didn't say seven hundred and seventy seven haha. Thanks for watching.
I saw a video the other day that said that Ukrainian servicemen call it 'Three Axes'.
@@jic1 I've heard that too. Good nickname.
Also these are light and more easily towed on soft surface with a smaller vehicle. Gobs of ammo available. Yes, send 1000 guns
The reduced weight of the piece and its ammunition could be a significant advantage in areas of reduced mobility.
Slava Ukraine. 🇺🇦🇬🇧
@@ivancho5854
Can you imagine being the enemy and skilled gunners dash into range with say 50 of these and each drop 5 shells then dash? You can tow these with a small pickup.
If the weather is a bit bad for drones it’s a good day to get 105 rain.
@@richardkudrna7503 This channel did a video about a self propelled gun which Ukraine has made from cold war equipment. Check it out. These 105s would be great on a those tracked chassis.
All the best Richard.
It is still good option.Especially if we remember what crap rusia love to use
U.S. made? Drones are the game changer for both sides!
These are good for avalanche control, too.
They work
Old but still kicking.
Of course an all out state of the art equipment would be perfect but this war is in the real world. So instead of perfect solution Ukraine must work with what is available.
Keep the supply rolling!
Actually, these old pieces are tough nuts to crack with the camicadze-drone. M777, on the opposite, burns like a candle when hit.
Lol no
A light field piece that can be setup and in action in just minutes. I believe that a couple of lighter vehicles to tow the gun and haul ammo will be easier to get around when the ground is soft. The range is a little bit low, and it will clearly not match the firepower of the 150+ mm pieces, it is so light and portable that it is bordering on being 'Shoot and Skoot' artillery! Nice!
Ya'll Take Care and be safe, John
Actually a good '05 crew can deliver more iron on target in a minute than a '55 crew. Much more for about three minutes.
Of course, it has to be in range😆
Fyi, a well drilled crew can push 15rds/min out of these for very short periods.
These are not 'antiques', which would make them 100 yrs old. They were still being manufactured in 1950's and barrels were replaced as needed. These, being former Danish guns have good barrels
Finally!!!!! NATO should finally understand, quantity Is very important in this war. US alone has thousands of m109 that wouldn't be used by America anyway but will make difference in Ukraine!
If it works...
The only concern is weapons are getting too expensive with less quantities. Sure seems like “hot” wars require the opposite.
So it's a M101? When I saw the first pictures of it I thought it was a croatian M-46
Only 3 Ukrainian crews maned the M101 howitzer not 8 .has manual changed recently?
Makes me feel old af
I was trained on the C3, a slightly less anTiQUe weapon
Haha antique in its vintage, long serving in its usefulness! Thanks for watching.
Running those howitzers must be risky business. Only 11km range so you have to be fairly close by.
Certainly not ideal, have to be employed cleverly.
@@TheArmourersBench it will overmatch mortar teams
@@TheArmourersBench Ukraines, strike me as about as "clever" as any people anywhere on the planet.
It definitely will overmatch mortars.
It depends. From what I have seen so far its not like the Ruskies have the trained personnel or hardware needed to back track a fire mission to its source. It's quite clear that Ukraine do, possibly thanks to Israel.
Looks like you beat Mark Felton to the punch this time!
I trained on these guns fifty years ago. I'm sure we were a lot quicker than three minutes in and out of action. Get in position. Get the job done quickly, then get out of now.