M68 (105 mm)

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Description

The 105 mm M68 is an American tank cannon that saw widespread use among American armoured fighting vehicles during the Cold War. Based off the British 105 mm L7 gun, the 105 mm M68 shares many characteristics as the British counterpart such as the access to the HESH (High-Explosive Squash-Head) ammunition.

As the main armament of the many M60 variants and the early M1 Abrams tanks, players will become intimately familiar with the 105 mm M68 gun whether from the firing or receiving end of the tanks.

Vehicles equipped with this weapon

General info

Tell us about the tactical and technical characteristics of the cannon or machine gun.

Available ammunition

American 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
M456 HEATFS 400 400 400 400 400 400
M456A2 HEATFS 400 400 400 400 400 400
M393A2 HESH 127 127 127 127 127 127
M392A2 APDS 303 302 296 277 257 252
M728 APDS 260 258 250 240 231 222
M735 APFSDS 353 350 342 333 322 312
M774 APFSDS 372 370 365 358 351 343
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
Mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(m) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive Mass
(TNT equivalent) (g) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
M456 HEATFS 1,173 10.5 0.05 0.1 1,270 65° 72° 77°
M456A2 HEATFS 1,173 10.5 0.05 0.1 1,270 65° 72° 77°
M393A2 HESH 732 14.85 0.1 4 4,310 73° 77° 80°
M392A2 APDS 1,478 4 N/A N/A N/A 75° 78° 80°
M728 APDS 1,426 4.65 N/A N/A N/A 75° 78° 80°
M735 APFSDS 1,501 3.7 N/A N/A N/A 76° 77° 80°
M774 APFSDS 1,509 3.4 N/A N/A N/A 78° 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)
M416 730 11.4 20 5 25 50

Foreign 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
M156 HESH 127 127 127 127 127 127
M152 HEATFS 400 400 400 400 400 400
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
Mass (kg) 		Fuse delay
(m) 		Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive Mass
(TNT equivalent) (g) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
M156 HESH 732 14.85 0.1 4 4,310 73° 77° 80°
M152 HEATFS 1,173 10.5 0.05 0.1 1,270 65° 72° 77°

Comparison with analogues

Give a comparative description of cannons/machine guns that have firepower equal to this weapon.

Usage in battles

Describe the cannon/machine gun in the game - its distinctive features, tactics of usage against notable opponents. Please don't write a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought.

Pros and cons

Summarise and briefly evaluate the weaponry in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark pros and cons as a list.

Pros:

Cons:

History

Following the development and experience with the M48 Patton III tank, the United States recognized that the next step towards tank modernization included a greater firepower advantage than the 90 mm calibre used so far since the M26 Pershing tank. As such, when the Ordnance Tank Automotive Command (OTAC) developed the XM60 weapon system on 04 June 1958 to fulfill the US Army's desire for an interim tank prior to the fielding of their ideal main battle tank, a new tank gun was prioritized as one of the upgrades over the M48 tank.[1]

A USMC M60A1 with its 105 mm M68 cannon. The eccentric bore evacuator design can be distinguished, being slightly higher than the gun's bore axis.

Comparative evaluations for a new tank gun began in October 1958, with one highly favorable British 105 mm gun designated the X15E8, which was also referred to as the "Ex 20 pounder" as it was derived from that gun design (and would later be more well known as the L7 gun). The American had developed a version of this gun designated the T254, tested in the T95E5 medium tank, that used the same calibre and ammunition, but the gun tubes were not interchangeable with the X15E8. This was later developed into the T254E2 which made the tube interchangeable with the British gun, though differed with a concentric bore evacuator compared to the British eccentric evacuator (slightly raised above the gun tube) which allowed greater gun depression over the rear engine deck. Another difference in the two guns was that the British breech block moved horizontally, while the American breech block moved vertically. During this development, Ordnance debated whether to move forward with the 105 mm or a lightened 120 mm T123E6 gun based on the M103's 120 mm M58 gun. However, the 105 mm was eventually chosen in accounting for the 120 mm's two-piece ammunition construction restricting the rate of fire. Ultimately, the American T254E2 with the British X15E8's gun tube and eccentric bore evacuator design was chosen as the basis of the XM60's gun. British-made gun tubes would be used until American-manufactured gun tubes could achieve similar accuracy specifications. This 105 mm gun would be standardized as the 105 mm gun M68.[1][2]

The 105 mm M68 would see field service the same year the XM60 was adopted on 16 March 1959 as the 105 mm gun full-tracked combat tank M60.[3] It was mounted inside the tank via mount M116 in the M60 and mount M140 in subsequent M60A1 and M60A3.[4] When the M48 tanks were upgraded to mount the 105 mm M68, it did so within a modified mount M87 originally for the 90 mm M41 cannon.[2]

Although only intended as an "alternative armament system" due to its immediate availability compared to the upcoming developed weaponry,[5] the 105 mm M68 remained the primary American tank armament for the majority of the Cold War duration due to the technical difficulties and failures of the US Army's Shillelagh gun/launcher systems. The 105 mm M68 stayed with gradual upgrades such as improving the gun tube wear life with additives in the 105 mm propellant charges.[6] The next version of the M68, the M68A1 only differed in minor details and with a mirror for a muzzle reference system. Even when replaced by the 120 mm M256 as the primary tank armament, the M68 and its variants are still used mounted in vehicles in reserve and foreign service, or experimental versions such as the M68A1E8 on the M1128 Mobile Gun System.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

External links

References

Citations
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hunnicutt 1984, 152-155
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Hunnicutt 1984, 453
  3. ↑ Hunnicutt 1984, 157-161
  4. ↑ Conners 2021
  5. ↑ Hunnicutt 1990, 101
  6. ↑ Albright et al. 1975, 1
Bibliography
  • Albright, Allan A. and Glenn S. Friar. 1975. ADAO15461: Analysis of Wear Data From 105mm M68 Gun Tubes in Field Service. Springfield, VA: National Technical Information Service.
  • Conners, Chris. 2021. "105mm Gun Tank M60." American Fighting Vehicle Database. Last modified October 19, 2021. Webpage (Archive).
  • Hunnicutt, Richard P. 1984. Patton: A History of the American Main Battle Tank: Volume I. Novato, CA: Presidio Press.
  • Hunnicutt, Richard P. 1990. Abrams: A History of the American Main Battle Tank: Volume 2. Novato, CA: Presidio Press.


USA tank cannons
20 mm  M139
25 mm  LW25 · M242
37 mm  M3 · M5 · M6
57 mm  M1
75 mm  M2 · M2 Howitzer · M3 · M6 · M1897A4 · XM274
76 mm  M1 · M7 · M32 · T185E1
90 mm  M3 · M3A1 · M36 · M41 · M54 · T15E1 · T15E2 · T54 · T208E9
105 mm  M4 · M68 · M68A1 · M68A1E8 · T5E1 · T5E2 · T140E2 · T140E3 · XM35
106 mm  M40A1C
120 mm  M58 · M256 · T53
152 mm  M81 · M162 · XM150E5
155 mm  M185 · T7
165 mm  M135
  Foreign:
20 mm  Rh202 (Germany)
57 mm  6pdr OQF Mk.III (Britain) · ZIS-2 (USSR)
105 mm  Sharir (Israel)
120 mm  IMI MG251 (Israel)

China tank cannons
30 mm  ZPL02 · ZPZ02
73 mm  Type 86
76 mm  M32K1
85 mm  Type 56 · Type 63
100 mm  PTP86 · Type 59 · Type 69 · Type 69-II · ZPL04
105 mm  88B-105T · Type 83 · WMA301 · ZPL94 · ZPL98A
120 mm  122TM · PTZ89
125 mm  Type 88C · Type 99A · ZPT98
130 mm  PL59A Gai
152 mm  PL66 Gai
  Foreign:
20 mm  KwK30 (Germany)
37 mm  M6 (USA)
45 mm  20-K (USSR)
47 mm  Type 1 (Japan)
57 mm  Type 97 (Japan) · ZIS-2 (USSR)
75 mm  M2 Howitzer (USA) · M3 (USA) · M6 (USA)
76 mm  D-56T (USSR) · F-34 (USSR) · M1 (USA) · M7 (USA) · ZIS-3 (USSR)
85 mm  ZIS-S-53 (USSR)
90 mm  M3 (USA) · M41 (USA)
100 mm  D-10S (USSR)
105 mm  M68 (USA) · M68A1 (USA)
115 mm  U-5TS (USSR)
122 mm  A-19 (USSR) · D-25T (USSR)
152 mm  ML-20S (USSR)

Italy tank cannons
20 mm  Breda Mod.35 · Fucile Controcarri S Mod.39
25 mm  Oerlikon KBA B02
37 mm  Vickers-Terni 37/40 mod.18
47 mm  47/32 mod.35 · 47/32 mod.39 · 47/40 mod.38
60 mm  Cannone da 60/70 · OTO HVG
75 mm  75/18 mod.34 · 75/32 mod.37 · 75/34 mod.39 · Ansaldo 75 L/34 · OTO 75/43 mod.40
90 mm  90/53 mod.41 · Cannone da 90/50 M3A1 · Cockerill Mk.3
100 mm  Cannone da 100/17 Mod.1914
105 mm  Cannone Ansaldo da 105/25 · OTO Melara 105/52 · OTO Melara 105/55
106 mm  Cannone da 106 s.r.M40A1
120 mm  OTO Breda 120/44 · OTO Melara 120/45
  Foreign:
30 mm  Bushmaster 2 Mk.44 (USA)
37 mm  M6 (USA)
75 mm  KwK37 (Germany) · KwK40 L48 (Germany) · M3 (USA) · M6 (USA) · StuK40 L48 (Germany)
76 mm  M1 (USA) · QF 17-pounder (Britain)
90 mm  M3 (USA)
105 mm  L7A3 (Germany) · M68 (USA)
155 mm  M126 (USA)
  Hungary
20 mm  Solothurn QF.36M
40 mm  37/42M · MÁVAG 41.M 40/51
75 mm  41.M · 43.M
105 mm  MÁVAG 40/43M
  Foreign:
30 mm  2A72 (USSR) · MK 30-2/ABM (Germany)
88 mm  KwK36 (Germany)
120 mm  Rh120 L/44 (Germany) · Rh120 L/55 A1 (Germany)
122 mm  2A31 (USSR)
125 mm  2A46 (USSR)

Israel tank cannons
30 mm  Bushmaster 2 Mk.44 (USA)
75 mm  SA50 L/57 (France)
84 mm  20pdr OQF Mk.I (UK)
90 mm  DEFA F1 (France) · M41 (USA)
100 mm  D-10T (USSR)
105 mm  M-51 (France) · M68 (USA) · Sharir
120 mm  IMI MG251
155 mm  M126 (USA) · M185 (USA) · Soltam M845

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