Photo 16

Photo 16 & 17 – Old Panoramic Telescope – probably came with the M31 Trainer.  I thinking the M12 started on the M2 howitzer and also on the M101.

Sight attached to a sub caliber training device, we had one that used compressed air and fit inside the Howitzer tube and fired a  plastic shell that contained a 22 blank that would go bang on impact.

Photo 17

Photo 16 & 17 – Old Panoramic Telescope – probably came with the M31 Trainer.  I thinking the M12 started on the M2 howitzer and also on the M101.

Sight attached to a sub caliber training device,, we had one that used compressed air and fit inside the Howitzer tube and fired a  plastic shell that contained a 22 blank that would go bang on impact.

Photo 18

Photo’s 18, 19, 20, 21 & 22  – Field Artillery Trainer, M31.  This is something I actually used as a lieutenant at Fort Hood Texas.  When we had a fuel austerity program going in 1968-69 and could not drive our howitzers to the range, we obtained these to train gun sections.  It used the old 3200 mil pantel from a M101, or similar (see M12 Pantel).  We borrowed mortar sights from the infantry.  It shoots a 14.5mm round, if I remember correctly out to about a 1,000 meters and exploded with a puff of smoke. Even though small, we could train the whole firing battery FDC computing data, sending fire commands, gunner placing deflection on the pantel, and FO’s sending fire missions and corrections. I think we used a gunners quadrant for setting the quadrant.  It wasn’t great, but it was better than nothing.

Panoramic sight used on almost all Arty. Pieces with only the Sight Reticle being M17A7 Series.

M31 Was designed to provide a low cost but realistic trainer which allows FA units to train all personnel - gun crews, fire direction personnel, forward observers & survey crews in delivery of fire. This allows realistic training in geographical areas where full-scale ranges are not available.

Photo 19

Photo’s 18, 19, 20, 21 & 22  – Field Artillery Trainer, M31.  This is something I actually used as a lieutenant at Fort Hood Texas.  When we had a fuel austerity program going in 1968-69 and could not drive our howitzers to the range, we obtained these to train gun sections.  It used the old 3200 mil pantel from a M101, or similar (see M12 Pantel).  We borrowed mortar sights from the infantry.  It shoots a 14.5mm round, if I remember correctly out to about a 1,000 meters and exploded with a puff of smoke. Even though small, we could train the whole firing battery FDC computing data, sending fire commands, gunner placing deflection on the pantel, and FO’s sending fire missions and corrections. I think we used a gunners quadrant for setting the quadrant.  It wasn’t great, but it was better than nothing.

Panoramic sight used on almost all Arty. Pieces with only the Sight Reticle being M17A7 Series.

M31 Was designed to provide a low cost but realistic trainer which allows FA units to train all personnel - gun crews, fire direction personnel, forward observers & survey crews in delivery of fire. This allows realistic training in geographical areas where full-scale ranges are not available.

Photo 20

Photo’s 18, 19, 20, 21 & 22  – Field Artillery Trainer, M31.  This is something I actually used as a lieutenant at Fort Hood Texas.  When we had a fuel austerity program going in 1968-69 and could not drive our howitzers to the range, we obtained these to train gun sections.  It used the old 3200 mil pantel from a M101, or similar (see M12 Pantel).  We borrowed mortar sights from the infantry.  It shoots a 14.5mm round, if I remember correctly out to about a 1,000 meters and exploded with a puff of smoke. Even though small, we could train the whole firing battery FDC computing data, sending fire commands, gunner placing deflection on the pantel, and FO’s sending fire missions and corrections. I think we used a gunners quadrant for setting the quadrant.  It wasn’t great, but it was better than nothing.

Panoramic sight used on almost all Arty. Pieces with only the Sight Reticle being M17A7 Series.

M31 Was designed to provide a low cost but realistic trainer which allows FA units to train all personnel - gun crews, fire direction personnel, forward observers & survey crews in delivery of fire. This allows realistic training in geographical areas where full-scale ranges are not available.

Photo 21

Photo’s 18, 19, 20, 21 & 22  – Field Artillery Trainer, M31.  This is something I actually used as a lieutenant at Fort Hood Texas.  When we had a fuel austerity program going in 1968-69 and could not drive our howitzers to the range, we obtained these to train gun sections.  It used the old 3200 mil pantel from a M101, or similar (see M12 Pantel).  We borrowed mortar sights from the infantry.  It shoots a 14.5mm round, if I remember correctly out to about a 1,000 meters and exploded with a puff of smoke. Even though small, we could train the whole firing battery FDC computing data, sending fire commands, gunner placing deflection on the pantel, and FO’s sending fire missions and corrections. I think we used a gunners quadrant for setting the quadrant.  It wasn’t great, but it was better than nothing.

Panoramic sight used on almost all Arty. Pieces with only the Sight Reticle being M17A7 Series.

M31 Was designed to provide a low cost but realistic trainer which allows FA units to train all personnel - gun crews, fire direction personnel, forward observers & survey crews in delivery of fire. This allows realistic training in geographical areas where full-scale ranges are not available.

Photo 22

Photo’s 18, 19, 20, 21 & 22  – Field Artillery Trainer, M31.  This is something I actually used as a lieutenant at Fort Hood Texas.  When we had a fuel austerity program going in 1968-69 and could not drive our howitzers to the range, we obtained these to train gun sections.  It used the old 3200 mil pantel from a M101, or similar (see M12 Pantel).  We borrowed mortar sights from the infantry.  It shoots a 14.5mm round, if I remember correctly out to about a 1,000 meters and exploded with a puff of smoke. Even though small, we could train the whole firing battery FDC computing data, sending fire commands, gunner placing deflection on the pantel, and FO’s sending fire missions and corrections. I think we used a gunners quadrant for setting the quadrant.  It wasn’t great, but it was better than nothing.

Panoramic sight used on almost all Arty. Pieces with only the Sight Reticle being M17A7 Series.

M31 Was designed to provide a low cost but realistic trainer which allows FA units to train all personnel - gun crews, fire direction personnel, forward observers & survey crews in delivery of fire. This allows realistic training in geographical areas where full-scale ranges are not available.

Back to Page 1

Back to Page 2