After the formation of the new Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), known as the Bundeswehr, in the mid-1950s, the West German government, seeking to quickly strengthen its defence capabilities, turned to the United States for military equipment. The M44 became one of the first examples of heavy weaponry transferred through military assistance and lend-lease programmes. The first batches of M44s arrived in Germany in the late 1950s and early 1960s. These SPGs entered service with the Bundeswehr’s artillery units, providing support to motorised infantry and tank units. Although the M44 became one of the most important elements of the Bundeswehr’s early artillery force, its service was relatively short-lived. With the appearance of the more modern M109 in 1968, the M44s were withdrawn from Bundeswehr service.
Introduced in Update "Storm Warning", the M44 features a compact size, a powerful 155 mm cannon, and good mobility. Two types of shells are available for the gun: the M107 high-explosive shell and the M110 smoke shell. However, it is worth noting that the thin armour of the fighting compartment and hull, as well as the open-top turret, make the M44 easy prey for both armoured vehicles and aircraft. The horizontal gun traverse angles are limited to 30 degrees, which often requires turning the hull to aim at the target. In addition, the long reload time, characteristic of guns of this calibre, makes the vehicle more effective at range than close quarters.
Ammunition | Type | Armor penetration (mm) at a distance: | |||||
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10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1000 m | 1500 m | 2000 m | ||
HE | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | 61 | |
Smoke | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Belt | Belt filling | Armor penetration (mm) at a distance: | |||||
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10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1000 m | 1500 m | 2000 m | ||
API-T/I/AP/API-T | 31 | 29 | 21 | 14 | 9 | 6 |
Mobility | |
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Protection |
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Firepower | |
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