Long Tom: Enormous Artillery of WWII

Since its creation, artillery has played an important role in warfare. The Great War would see millions of shells fired by both sides, and to devastating effect on not only the men, but also the landscape. During the Second World War, the Allies would deploy a piece of mobile artillery which was particularly effective. This huge piece of weaponry, sporting a calibre of 155mm, would be known by the nickname Long Tom. Its use across the globe against Axis forces would assist the Allies in gaining ground and eventual victory. In today's video, we look at the Long Tom artillery piece of World War 2. If you enjoy this video and want to see more, hit that subscribe button, it's free and really helps the channel reach more history lovers like you. The United States entry to the First World War saw little time for the development of heavy artillery. Due to this fact, the US Army mostly utilised French made 155mm artillery pieces. After the war, they took this design and made improvements to give the weapon more range and greater accuracy. Changes were made with a vertical hinged breech, allowing the crew to open or lock the breech plug with a single lever. The shell consisted of the projectile and a separate charge. Essentially, the projectile was lifted up behind the breech and rammed into the chamber. Powdered charge bags were then packed in behind the projectile, with the amount of bags used giving the shell either more or less range. Up to seven bags could be used to give the weapon its maximum range of 23km or 14 miles. The breech plug was then locked in place, and a primer put into the firing mechanism. A long lanyard was pulled and this would fire the primer and ignite the powder charge bags, which in turn shot the projectile out the weapon towards the target. The barrel was huge, with a length of 7m or more than 22ft. The artillery piece needed a crew of up to 14 men to deploy and use accurately. The manufacturing of the 155mm began in 1940, with more than 1800 being made during the war. They first saw action during the conflict in North Africa against the Afrika Korps and Italian forces. Their deployment to the front came in various forms. A large carriage featuring eight wheels could be towed into place by heavy tractor or other heavy vehicles. This had its advantages, but was usually slow to position the weapon for firing. Alternatively, these artillery pieces could be mounted onto gun carriages and driven to the front. These were classed as M1 and M2 gun carriages. The gun being mounted on a mobile carriage allowed it to be driven into more difficult places, and ultimately it could be fired more quickly than the towed version. It was given the nickname of Long Tom due to its length. These impressive pieces of engineering saw action with the US Army throughout North Africa, Europe and the Pacific. But not only were they deployed with US forces, they were used by British and Commonwealth forces too. Shells from this 155mm beast would hit Axis forces across the globe. In particular, they were used to devastating effect against entrenched Japanese forces. Their ability to fire so accurately from such a long distance also meant the crews of these weapons were mostly safe from enemy fire. These artillery pieces performed so well during the war they would see continued use into other conflicts, such as the Korean War and other smaller wars in Southeast Asia into the 1960s. Some examples of the weapons still exist today, with their impressive and fearsome length still the main drawcard for this great artillery weapon of WW2. What did you think about the 155mm Long Tom of WW2? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section down below. As always guys, thanks for watching. Be sure to hit that subscribe button if you want to expand your knowledge and join the growing Premier History community.