The 8-inch (203mm) M1 Howitzer was a towed heavy howitzer gun developed and used by the United States Army during WW2 between 1942 and 1945 in the Northwest European, Italian and Pacific theaters. The heavy field gun fired separate loading, bagged charge ammunition, with seven different propelling charges and had a range of 17 to 22 kilometers. The M1 carriage was the same as used for the US 155 mm gun and has a split trail with equilibrator assemblies, elevating and traversing mechanisms, a two-axle bogie with eight tires, and a single-axle, single-wheel limber for towing. The outer ends of the trails were dug in to keep the almost 12 tons weighing gun in place. During the War the M1 Howitzer was towed by the Mack 7⅓ ton 6×6 truck or the M4 tractor.
