US T44 105mm

[94thFS95]

Hello,
I was wondering if anyone had any information on this 105mm projectile, marked T44. I can’t find anything about it. The band appears pre-engraved as for a Recoilless gun system, and there is a threaded well in the base, I assume for a tracer or fuze. Any info would be greatly appreciated!
Many Thanks,
-Steve

 

[US-Subs]

Looks like a version of the M61 HEAT, maybe adopting it for the 105/106 RR. Any over-stamped markings above the rotating band?

 

[US-Subs]

Somehow I missed the middle picture. I would guess that this was a reworked M61, you might be able to make out some previous markings under the X's?

 

[US-Subs]

Still looking at this - snowed in at work so nothing better to do - in your third photo it is not completely clear but from the view given the rotating band looks as though the lands and grooves are erroded - with material pushed back past the edge, more like a fired round than a recoilless. Can you get a better view/photo? If fired I would say just an early M61 105mm HEAT.

 

[Eggburt1969]

There was a modified M67 105 mm anti-tank (AT) projectile, which we would now call a high explosive anti-tank (HEAT), which was developed for use with the developmental T19 105 mm recoilless gun. The data I have says it was to be the T43 and not the T44, but this could be an old typo. Screen capture below.



The T19 would be interim standardised as the M27 and used in the Korean campaign.

There were of course lots of other developmental US 105 mm recoilless guns, such as the earlier T18, and the later T136, T137 and the T170. The T170 would be type classified standard as the M40 106 mm (really 105) recoilless gun, which is the one people are more familiar with.

US-Subs, what is the M61 HEAT, or did you mean the M67?

 

[US-Subs]

US-Subs, what is the M61 HEAT, or did you mean the M67?

Correct, my bad. Starting work at 0300 can make you fuzzy sometimes. Or I'm getting old. Same-same. Bottom center in pic.

 

[94thFS95]

@Eggburt1969… According to your very helpful picture, the T44 is a modified WP M60. Pre-engraved is mentioned as correct. Thank you!
-Steve

 

[MINENAZ16]

@Eggburt1969… According to your very helpful picture, the T44 is a modified WP M60. Pre-engraved is mentioned as correct. Thank you!
-Steve

Something uncorrect. T44 in the doc is not the same à T44 from the photo. Your shell really looks like a pre rifled HEAT shell (called T43) in the doc.

 

[Eggburt1969]

Something uncorrect. T44 in the doc is not the same à T44 from the photo. Your shell really looks like a pre rifled HEAT shell (called T43) in the doc.

Yes as previously mentioned.

The data I have says it was to be the T43 and not the T44, but this could be an old typo. Screen capture below.

 

[Kaptainssurplus]

Hello, it is not the T43 that is in the doc, as I have an example of that round, the T43 is a finned HEAT round just like the one used in the 106mm recoilless, the M344.

 

[Eggburt1969]

The doc the screen capture is from, 'Pacific Area Material' from 1945, states that it is based on the M67 spin-stabilised projectile, so it is certainly not a finned projectile. As mentioned it might be a typo, but I'm not going to spend a lifetime trying to find out. Plus being in the UK restricts my access to some of the harder to find US reference material.

As to later projectiles for the M27 and M27A1 105 mm recoilless guns, according to another publication (TM 9-1300-203 - Artillery Ammunition. Change 12, 1967) there's M323 HE, M324 HEAT-T, M325 WP smoke, M326 HEP-T and the M341 HEAT. The M324 round uses a spin-stabilised projectile like the M67. The M323, M325 and M326 rounds all have spin-stabilised conventional (other than the driving band) projectiles. The M341 round's projectile is fin-stabilised, with a very long tail boom attached to the end of which is a fixed-fin stabiliser assembly. The publication also puts the T42 designation as a previous one for the M323 HE, which marries up with the previous 1945 publication. It doesn't however give any of the other rounds' earlier designations. If someone has earlier versions (pre Change 12) of that publication, these may contain the required information. There's also 'TM 9-1300-204 - Ammunition for Recoilless Rifles from 1959, which uses portion of the ammo sections from the 'TM 9-1001' publication that seems to have covered recoilless guns. TM 9-1300-204 doesn't cover ammo for the M27 series, but the previous versions (1950, 1954 and 1955) TM 9-1001 publication may.

As far as my documentation states, 105 mm projectiles with flip-out fins come out with the M40 106 mm (really 105) recoilless gun, with the first adopted being the aforementioned M344 (T119E11).

As to the T43 designation, it could be anything as it's just an arbitrary designation given to something as it was being developed by the US Army prior to the use of the XM developmental designation. For example you can have many T1 numbers, one might be a rifle cartridge, another could be a food ration pack! You can of course have one T number item, which is made up of many other T number or even M number components.

 

[US-Subs]

Here are most of mine. Flechette items are in another area.