The M53 Howitzer	The Commander's position	The rear of the turret
Preparing to reload from an M5AC8	Reloading has been completed	The Hog is ready to fire
Vehicles by Old Crow, Figures by GZG. Painted by John Treadaway and Kevin Dallimore. Terrain scratch built.

Ammunition usage

15cm rounds available for the M18/6,9 (AL22) are coded with coloured bands around the olive drab casing (with a white booster stage) and include:

Round type	Colour bands (number and size)
Nuclear (often known as "Red Pills")	one red, one white
K3 (gaseous, non persistent nerve agent; some times known as "Bitter Pills" because of the smell left by the nerve agent)	two black
HE	one brown, one white
Solid Targeting	one grey, one white
Incendiary (White Phosphorus and time-fused Zirconium pellets)	two white
Illuminating/Star shells	one green, one white
SFASAA (Self Forging, Active Seeking, Anti Armour)	one purple, one white
Cluster Munitions ("firecrackers")	one blue, one white
Practice	one pink, one white
Practice, Extended range	one pink, one black
SFASAA (Self Forging [depleted Uranium], Active Seeking, Anti Armour), Extended range	one purple, one black
HE, Extended range	one brown, one black
Solid Targeting, Extended range	one grey, one black
Flechette	one thick orange
AFPFDS	one thick blue

These latter two rounds are designed for anti-personnel and anti-armour direct fire deployment respectively. They are rarely employed and used very much as a ‘last resort’.

Shells weigh between 80kg (K3) and 110kg (Solid Targeting) and the ready drum of ammunition can be discharged within 20 seconds.

20cm munitions

The AL27 20cm weapon mounted on the M46 and M53 chassis uses a similar technology to the smaller, 15cm AL22. Ammunition is kept in a 6 round ready drum which can be emptied in 15 seconds. Sustained fire rates are around ten rounds per minute.

The effective range is 130 kilometres with standard rounds, increasing to 170km with the extended range driver motors (with a commensurate loss of warhead mass). All shells have the same type of rocket motor fuelled by powdered beryllium and ramjet sustainer combination as the AL22. Velocity is around 880m per second depending on warhead type.

Rounds available for the AL 27 are, again, similar to the AL22 but are significantly larger, weighing between 110kg (K3) and 180kg (Solid Targeting). AL27 20cm rounds have the same colour markings as the 15cm rounds. Two additional types of rounds are carried, however:

Round type	Colour bands
LOLDCOM (Low Orbit, Limited Duration, Communication packages of satellite clusters, known as "Constellation")	two silver
LOR (a limited duration, Low Orbiting Reconnaissance satellite)	two gold

Both of these rounds lack the ramjet sustainers but are completely rocket powered in two separate stages. They can inject their payloads into orbits of between 85 and 245 kilometres, depending on atmosphere densities and other combat related factors (anticipated life-span, low observability requirements etc)

22 rounds are carried on the M46 hull, 24 rounds on the M53. Accompanying M5 (or similar) support vehicles carry 80 rounds plus vehicle and weapon spares.

The M53 has superseded the M46 and M18 in service with Hammer’s Slammers.

Developments

There has been some development of a ‘hardened’ or ‘combat ready’ version of an artillery piece by Icarus Industries. Based on an M2 chassis, with full armour suite and a lower, more heavily armoured turret than its contemporaries, this has been designed to operate at the combat front line.

The weapon mounts an AL27 20cm weapon and a cupola mounted 2cm tribarrel for defence, plus a full ADS package. It’s major disadvantages in trials seem to centre around a lack of crew and ammunition space. Three crew – driver, gunner/commander and loader - as dictated by the available space and configuration, fire a the weapon from a ready magazine under the turret that holds only 19 rounds. Replenishment requires a team of 6 extra crew in a support vehicle (an M5) with another 44 rounds and enough ‘non-combat down time’ time to load the magazine through the rear of the turret. It’s other disadvantage is persuading anyone to actually find a combat requirement for this vehicle – initially named the M2-20C – and then purchase some.

 

The M53 "Hog"

From year 330TW all earlier M18 15cm Rocket Assisted Howitzers had been replaced in service by either the M46 or M53 20cm weapon.

The M53 howitzer uses the same turret as the earlier M46 but on a new built hull with a more powerful fitment of lift fans – six instead of four. This spacious 2.5 metre tall turret is manufactured from aluminium and ceramic composites and gives protection from shell splinters and small arms fire to its crew.

The gun requires eight crew in total, four of whom can be accommodated on the move in either the turret (with some discomfort) and three next to the driver. The turret has a half height, loading door at the rear which, like the M18 15cm howitzer that preceded this model, is usually left open when in use. A loading ramp is part of the turret design.

All up combat weight, depending on model, armour packages and ammunition stowage, can vary between 40 and 60 tonnes and its manoeuvring ability and cross country performance is only slightly degraded from the other “blower” vehicles it accompanies - and this is due more to having a higher centre of gravity than because of any particular degradation of its power to weight ratio.

The AL27 20cm weapon mounted on the M53 (and earlier M46) chassis uses a similar technology to the smaller, 15cm AL22. Ammunition is kept in a 6 round ready drum which can be emptied in 15 seconds. Sustained fire rates are around ten rounds per minute.

The effective range is 130 kilometres with standard rounds, increasing to 170km with the extended range driver motors (with a commensurate loss of warhead mass). All shells have the same type of rocket motor fuelled by powdered beryllium and ramjet sustainer combination as the AL22. Velocity is around 880m per second depending on warhead type.