The 105 mm M101 (original designation M2A1) was an American 105 mm towed howitzer of World War II and the Cold War. The first prototypes of the guns were built at the turn of the 1930s and 1940s, and serial production continued in 1941-1953. The maximum firing range was 11,200 m, and the initial velocity of the projectile was 472 m/s. The rate of fire was up to 10 rounds per minute.
The M101 was created in response to the demand of the American military for a new 105 mm field howitzer. In operation, the M101 proved to be a very successful design, with high mobility and maneuverability in the field, a significant firing range for a weapon of this caliber, and a high rate of fire. It quickly became the standard light howitzer of the US Army, used in the Pacific (1941-1945), Italy (1943-1945), and Normandy, France, and West Germany (1944-1945). It remained in service with the US Army after World War II, and was also used in the Korean War (1950-1953) and the Vietnam War (1964/1965-1975). The M101 howitzer was also exported to many countries, including: Argentina, Australia, Chile, India, Iraq, Iran, Japan, and Turkey.
