Mapmakers Universe

MAPMAKERS TECHNOLOGY REFERENCE

M101A1 105 mm Howitzer

The M101A1 is a U.S.-designed 105 mm towed light howitzer descended from the M2A1 family that served extensively from World War II through the postwar era. It uses a split-trail carriage, hydropneumatic recoil system, horizontal sliding-wedge breech, and semi-fixed 105 mm ammunition.

Reference photograph of an M101A1 105 mm howitzer

Technical basis

  • Caliber: 105 mm
  • Weight, complete M101A1 field system: approximately 2,258 kg (4,978 lb)
  • Maximum range: approximately 11,270 m with conventional ammunition
  • Traverse: 46° total, 23° left and right of center
  • Elevation: approximately −5° to +66°
  • Recoil system: hydropneumatic
  • Carriage: two-wheel split trail
  • Crew: commonly eight in field service

Mapmakers configuration

In the online story Gun Shop: Tacoma Arms Room, a surplus M101A1 becomes the basis for a permanent foredeck gun on a 140-foot private expedition yacht. The fictional marine installation removes the road wheels, split trails, and towing hardware while retaining the barrel, breech, recoil system, cradle, and other firing components.

The conversion does not treat the published field-system weight or recoil figures as a finished ship-design answer. The weapon-side mount is assigned to a heavy-fabrication specialist, while the yacht designer remains responsible for the hull foundation, structural load paths, stability, clearances, and blast-safe ammunition magazine. The resulting installation keeps the original gun’s 46-degree total traverse through mechanical stops.

Story role

The M101A1 is central to the story’s largest Class III project. The owner wants the visual and functional character of a naval deck gun, but a legitimate and supportable three-inch or five-inch naval gun is not available for the project. Malcolm Briggs proposes the M101A1 as an attainable surplus system with known ammunition, published technical data, and a configuration that can be adapted to a fixed marine mount.

Further learning

Read Gun Shop: Tacoma Arms Room

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