M12 155 mm Gun Motor Carriage ~ 1942
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This self-propelled gun was created in 1942 by mounting a French World War I 155 mm gun on a modified M3 Grant tank chassis. Only 100 were produced between September 1942 and March 1943 because production of the M3 tank had ended in favor of the new M4 Sherman tank. Six battalions were equipped with the M12 and landed in Normandy in the summer of 1944. Because of the speed of the Allied advance across France in July and August 1944, the M12 was often the only heavy artillery support available to the lead armored divisions. When the Army ran into the German Siegfried defensive line they were faced with heavily reinforced bunkers and pillboxes which proved extremely difficult to knock out. Here, the M12 served in a new role as bunker buster, earning its nickname, "Doorknocker". With special fuses, the M12's 155 mm shells were able to pierce seven feet of reinforced concrete at ranges up to 2,000 yards. It was a powerful and well-loved gun by the soldiers it provided fire support for in combat. This M12 bears the insignia of the M12 "Adolph's Assassin" Alpha Battery, 991st Field Artillery Battalion. This M12 is the only known survivor of the 100 produced.
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