M109A1
| This page is about the American tank destroyer M109A1. For other versions, see M109 (Family). |
Contents
Description
The M109A1 was introduced into American service in 1973 as an improved version of the M109 self-propelled howitzer. The main improvement was the installation of a new 155 mm M185 cannon, which had a longer barrel and a higher muzzle velocity than the previous M126. This increased the effective range of the M109A1 from 14.6 km to 18 km, giving it an advantage over foreign artillery. It was known for its role in supporting the US Army's operations in Europe and the Middle East, where it could provide fire support for ground forces and counter-battery fire against enemy artillery. The existing M109A1's were later converted to the M109A2 standard, which incorporated 27 RAM (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability) improvements.
The M109A1 was introduced in Update "Kings of Battle". It has similar characteristics to the Soviet 2S3M and can deliver powerful 155 mm shells over long distances and relocate swiftly to evade enemy fire. The M109A1 has a terrible rate of fire and large ammo capacity, and its mobility is complemented by a good top speed and acceleration. However, its armour is not very thick, so it's recommended to use the M109A1's speed to avoid direct confrontations when possible. Moreover, it is essential to keep in mind that the M109A1 has low gun depression and cannot depend on firing from elevated positions.
General info
Survivability and armour
The armour on the M109 is nearly non-existent, being surrounded by 32 mm thick aluminium alloy 5083, which effectively comes down to 13-20 mm RHA. This leaves the vehicle vulnerable to even light machine gun fire from any angle. The weakness of the armour turns into a strong-suit against AP shells that will pass straight through, unable to fuse or create enough spall to inflict major damage. Direct hits from HE and other chemical shells such as HEAT, will most likely leave the M109 a burning wreck. The 6 crew members are pretty spaced apart in the turret, giving a plus to crew survivability.
Armour type:
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 32 mm | 32 mm Top 32 mm Bottom |
32 mm | 10 - 34 mm |
| Turret | 37 mm Turret front 33 mm Gun mantlet |
32 mm | 32 mm | 7 - 33 mm |
| Cupola | 33 mm | 33 mm | 33 mm | 33 mm |
Notes:
Mobility
Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.
| Game Mode | Max Speed (km/h) | Weight (tons) | Engine power (horsepower) | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward | Reverse | Stock | Upgraded | Stock | Upgraded | ||
| Arcade | 62 | 13 | 24.1 | 575 | 773 | 23.86 | 32.07 |
| Realistic | 57 | 12 | 358 | 405 | 14.85 | 16.8 | |
Modifications and economy
| Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Armaments
Main armament
The M109A1's high projectile speed compared to other M109 variants makes it a bit easier to aim, but generally still low. Its high explosive round is very effective against German tanks, not so much against Soviet ones. Remember to pre-turn your turret, as your rotation speed is abysmal.
| 155 mm M185 | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 28 | -3°/+75° | ±180° | - | 9.7 | 13.4 | 16.3 | 18.0 | 19.1 | 17.29 | 15.30 | 14.10 | 13.30 |
| Realistic | 6.5 | 7.7 | 9.4 | 10.3 | 11.0 | ||||||||
Ammunition
| Penetration statistics | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
| 10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
| M107 | HE | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 |
| M107 (PF) | HE-VT | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 |
| Shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg) |
Ricochet | |||||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| M107 | HE | 684 | 43.1 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 9.14 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |||
| Proximity-fused shell details | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Arming distance (m) |
Trigger radius (m) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg) |
Ricochet | |||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
| M107 (PF) | HE-VT | 684 | 43.1 | 0 | 0 | 300 | 3 | 9.14 | 79° | 80° | 81° | |
| Smoke shell characteristics | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Screen radius (m) |
Screen deploy time (s) |
Screen hold time (s) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
| M110 | 684 | 44.63 | 21 | 5 | 30 | 50 |
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
6th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ |
Machine guns
The 12.7 mm M2HB is able to penetrate lightly-armoured vehicles, take down low-flying aircraft or mow down obstacles. The machine gun has a limited amount of ammo, so use it sparingly.
| 12.7 mm M2HB | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Pintle | 600 (200) | 575 | -10°/+50° | ±180° |
Usage in battles
The 155 mm cannon is surprisingly adept at destroying any tank, even up to heavies of the same or slightly higher BRs. It is important to remember that accuracy is low with this gun, but destructive capability is astronomical. Thus, it is best to put yourself in a well defended position and rely on ambush tactics, at least in Realistic mode. The M107(PF) makes a exceptionally good anti-air round against heavy bombers and helicopters due to its big calibre, but good aim is needed due to the long reload time. The M109 makes an exceptionally good target for planes with its large profile and thin armour, so plane strafing is something you'll have to be careful of.
Due to the reliable ability to overpressure, the M109A1 can be useful in uptiers, especially against Soviet and German late/post-war heavies.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Access to HE and HE-VT shells with more than 9 kg of TNT
- Top speed of 56 km/h that it can easily reach
- Can be surprisingly survivable, usually not taken out in a single shot
- Impressive 75° elevation limit
- Top mounted .50 cal for taking out softer targets
Cons:
- Hindered by a limited gun depression of -3 degrees
- The gunner optics have a low zoom level (4X)
- Thin armour, will only stop small arms fire
- Long reload (17.1 seconds stock)
History
Devblog
Development of the M109 began in the early 1950s under a U.S. program to develop a common chassis for a number of different SPH designs. Upon entering service, the M109 was immediately deployed to the Vietnam War. However, its operational service during the conflict was cut short due to serious mechanical malfunctions which rendered the fleet inoperable. Nonetheless, after being addressed and receiving its first upgrade to the A1 standard, the M109 would continue service with U.S. forces for decades to come, taking part in virtually all military conflicts where U.S. forces were deployed in. Once its design eventually matured, the M109 successfully resisted replacement on multiple occasions and continuously received upgrades until the present day.
Media
- Skins
- Videos
See also
- Related development
External links
| USA tank destroyers | |
|---|---|
| M10 | M10 GMC |
| M36 | M36 GMC · M36B2 |
| T95 | T28 · T95 |
| M109 | M109A1 |
| ATGM | LOSAT · M901 |
| Wheeled | M3 GMC · T55E1 |
| Other | M8 HMC · M50 · M56 |
| China | ▃LVT(A)(4) (ZIS-2) |
