Book Review of
American Artillery
From 1775 to the Present Day
Author: Michael Green
Pen & Sword Books
ISBN: 9781526776662
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $34.95
ISBN: 9781526776662
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $34.95
HISTORY:
The first regiment of artillery in the American Continental Army was formed in 1775. During the American Civil War (1861-1865) artillery evolved from the employment of individual batteries to massed fire of ground batteries.
In 1907, the US Army Artillery Corps was reorganized into the Field Artillery Corps. During the First World War (1914-1918), a lack of American-made weapons saw the adoption of foreign artillery pieces.
The Second World War demanded the introduction of many new field artillery pieces by the US Army. General Patton later commented, “I don’t have to tell you who won the war, you know our artillery did!”.
American artillery firepower also took a heavy toll of the enemy during the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
During the Cold War, American artillery continued to develop, embracing new weapons systems, including tactical nuclear missiles which thankfully never had to be used. Conventional artillery proved highly effective during both Operation Desert Storm in 1991, and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.
This superbly illustrated and authoritative work covers the full range of artillery weaponry which has been in service with US armed forces.
THE BOOK:
This book is hard-bound, containing 264 pages, 16 of which are blank and with a paper jacket that has flaps on it that hold it onto the book.
The cover art, on the paper jacket, shows a black and white photo of a US M777A-2 155mm towed howitzer. Above it, there are 2 black and white illustrations and one black and white photo.
The first illustration shows a model 1941 12-pounder howitzer on wheels and limber, that was captured from the Southern Army during the American Civil War.
The second illustration shows the legendary Molly Pitcher, who supposedly took over from her husband in operating a cannon, when he fell by the wayside during the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778.
The black and white photo shows a 90mm M1A1 in a sand-bagged emplacement, manned by 4 US soldiers during WWII.
The illustrations on the back of the paper jacket show 3 color photos and 2 black and white ones.
The 1st color photo shows M102 105mm in a training exercise under camouflage netting and operated by 4 men during WWII.
The 2nd color phot is of a M109 155mm S.P. gun tank.
The 3rd color photo is of a 3 in, anti-aircraft gun M3.with a 6 man crew.
The 1st black and white photo is of M1A1 75mm pack howitzer with 4 man crew set up on an airfield in WWII.
The 2nd black and white photo is of a 155mm howitzer with 3 man crew.
Inside the book are chapters on the early years, the Civil War, WWI, WWII, the Cold War and Post Cold War.
There are 205 black and white photos and 22 color ones included. A dedication, forward, acknowledgements, notes to the reader and a bibliography.
The early chapter shows 28 black and white illustrations and 3 photos. Pictured are cannons and cannon balls. Some cannon barrels had barrels with the outside having very elaborate molded artwork on them (this was normal with a lot of countries), a canon emplacement, A portrait of Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden (1611-32), a Continental army officer leaning on the wall of a gun emplacement, a portrait of Prussian King Frederick the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte, a mortar, soldiers with women and children beside them fighting, Continental Army General George Washington, British soldiers advancing up Breed’s Hill, Maj. General Henry Knox of the Continental army, soldiers of the army with howitzers and towing weapons through the snow on an ox cart, an American Indian, troops on horseback and 2 photos of large cast-iron cannons.
The Civil war section shows 7 black and white illustrations, 21 black and white photos and 2 line drawings of gun emplacements, a model 1841 6-pounder and a 12 pounder Union guns, a Civil War gun now displayed in a cemetery, troops on horseback, cast iron rounds, a 20-pounder Parrot gun, smooth-bore Rodman cannons, a 32-pounder with crew, a 19 in. Redman cannon in a fort, a 3 in. ordinance rifle on wheeled carriage, troops, cannon balls in a rack, a 24-pounder, a muzzle-loaded but rifled 150-pounder Confederate Army Armstrong gun, a mortar barrel on a carriage, a rifled Whitworth gun, more mortars, and a Gatling gun.
The WWI chapter shows black and white photos of: a rifled breech-loaded gun, a 2.5m dynamite gun, a 3.2m gun model 1885/ 1890/1897 gun, a poster asking for men to enlist, 4.7m guns, a 7 in. siege howitzer model 1890, British designed 2.85in Vickers Mountain Gun, a 1-pounder Hotchkiss revolving cannon, a 57m gun, a 1-pounder Vickers Maxim automatic gun, a French Canon d’ Infanterie de 37 Modele 1916 TRP, a French 37m gun, more French guns, a large 240mm howitzer, a 75mm gun, a 240mm howitzer, a U.S. “Dough Boy”, large howitzers on turn-tables, a large mortar, ammo rounds of various calibers, a search light, inside a gun factory, howitzers on train car.
Color photos in the center of the book show:
A Napoleon smooth-bore gun/howitzer on display today on a Civil War battlefield, a French 75 WWII gun, a 3 in. U.S. 5 in. anti-aircraft gun M3 gun crew training between the wars, a 155mm French cannon Model 1917 from WWI, a U.S. M55 8 in, SP gun tank, a M53 SP gun tank, a M-41 Walker Bulldog, two of a U.S. M2A1 howitzer and crew, a M108 S.P howitzer in a museum, a Nike-Hercules ground to air missile, a M110A2 S.P. gun, a M247 Sergeant York, a M102 105mm howitzer, a M109 155mm S.P. gun, a Honest John rocket on a truck, a Lance missile on trailer, a 155mm howitzer and a Pershing missile being launched.
More black and white photos are of 75mm pack howitzers, a T30 75mm howitzer motor carriage, a M8 HMC tank, trucks, three of a 105mm M2A1 howitzer, a M3 half-track, a M7B1 HMC, a M3 medium tank, six of a French-built 155mm howitzer, a M1A1 “Long tom”, two of a 13-ton high-speed tractor, a captured German Army 105mm gun, three of a U.S. M1 8 in. gun, a T-34 rocket launcher “Calliope”, a model 1916 75mm gun, a M-2 anti-aircraft gun, a search light, listening system, troops, radar antennas, large telescope, M1A1 and crew, 120mm anti-aircraft gun, a 38-ton high-speed towing tractor, a M-28 half-track, two of a M13 motor carriage, two of a 37mm anti-aircraft gun with crew, 40mm gun, troops loading guns and a 16 in. Mark II, Model I coastal artillery emplacement.
In the Cold War section:
A M-56 atomic cannon, the “Honest John” rocket launcher, the MGR3 “Little John” rocket launcher, a MCM-5 “Corporal” rocket launcher, two of a FGM-11 Redstone missile, a MGM-52 “Lance” nuclear-armed missile, a M2A1 105mm howitzer, a M102 155mm howitzer, a M198 155mm howitzer, a M37 howitzer carriage, a M47 light tank, three of a M12 155mm howitzer, a M1 240mm howitzer, 10 S.P. gun tanks, more missiles, a Gatling gun, a M163 “Vulcan”.
In the Post Cold War section:
More S.P. gun carriages, ammo, the AAIRO-7 drone, a M270 multiple rocket system, a M901 “Fist” fire support team vehicle, a M142 high-mobility artillery rocket system, two of a M777 155mm towed howitzer, and a Marine Corps CH-53B “Sea Stallion” hoisting a M777.
Inserted into the book is a post-card to use to mail to Pen & Sword to get more information about their books.
THE AUTHOR:
Michael green is the author of numerous acclaimed books in the Images of War series, including “Armor in Vietnam”,” US Navy Aircraft Carriers”, “US Battleships”, “US Navy Submarines”, “The Patton Tank”, “US Naval Aviation”, “American Infantry Weapons”, “M1 Abrams Tank”, “Combat Aircraft of the USAF”, “Allied Tanks of the Second World War”, “Allied AFV’S of the Second World War”, “Axis Tanks of the Second World War”, “Axis AFV’s of WW2”, “US Military Helicopters”, “United States Airborne Divisions 1942-2018” and “US Marine Corps in Vietnam” and “US Army Armored Divisions”.
He lives in California.
This is a neat picture book of AFV’s used through the years in combat. It will be of interest to modelers and military historians alike.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Pen & Sword book titles can be seen on Casemate’s web-site at:
The first regiment of artillery in the American Continental Army was formed in 1775. During the American Civil War (1861-1865) artillery evolved from the employment of individual batteries to massed fire of ground batteries.
In 1907, the US Army Artillery Corps was reorganized into the Field Artillery Corps. During the First World War (1914-1918), a lack of American-made weapons saw the adoption of foreign artillery pieces.
The Second World War demanded the introduction of many new field artillery pieces by the US Army. General Patton later commented, “I don’t have to tell you who won the war, you know our artillery did!”.
American artillery firepower also took a heavy toll of the enemy during the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
During the Cold War, American artillery continued to develop, embracing new weapons systems, including tactical nuclear missiles which thankfully never had to be used. Conventional artillery proved highly effective during both Operation Desert Storm in 1991, and Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.
This superbly illustrated and authoritative work covers the full range of artillery weaponry which has been in service with US armed forces.
THE BOOK:
This book is hard-bound, containing 264 pages, 16 of which are blank and with a paper jacket that has flaps on it that hold it onto the book.
The cover art, on the paper jacket, shows a black and white photo of a US M777A-2 155mm towed howitzer. Above it, there are 2 black and white illustrations and one black and white photo.
The first illustration shows a model 1941 12-pounder howitzer on wheels and limber, that was captured from the Southern Army during the American Civil War.
The second illustration shows the legendary Molly Pitcher, who supposedly took over from her husband in operating a cannon, when he fell by the wayside during the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778.
The black and white photo shows a 90mm M1A1 in a sand-bagged emplacement, manned by 4 US soldiers during WWII.
The illustrations on the back of the paper jacket show 3 color photos and 2 black and white ones.
The 1st color photo shows M102 105mm in a training exercise under camouflage netting and operated by 4 men during WWII.
The 2nd color phot is of a M109 155mm S.P. gun tank.
The 3rd color photo is of a 3 in, anti-aircraft gun M3.with a 6 man crew.
The 1st black and white photo is of M1A1 75mm pack howitzer with 4 man crew set up on an airfield in WWII.
The 2nd black and white photo is of a 155mm howitzer with 3 man crew.
Inside the book are chapters on the early years, the Civil War, WWI, WWII, the Cold War and Post Cold War.
There are 205 black and white photos and 22 color ones included. A dedication, forward, acknowledgements, notes to the reader and a bibliography.
The early chapter shows 28 black and white illustrations and 3 photos. Pictured are cannons and cannon balls. Some cannon barrels had barrels with the outside having very elaborate molded artwork on them (this was normal with a lot of countries), a canon emplacement, A portrait of Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden (1611-32), a Continental army officer leaning on the wall of a gun emplacement, a portrait of Prussian King Frederick the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte, a mortar, soldiers with women and children beside them fighting, Continental Army General George Washington, British soldiers advancing up Breed’s Hill, Maj. General Henry Knox of the Continental army, soldiers of the army with howitzers and towing weapons through the snow on an ox cart, an American Indian, troops on horseback and 2 photos of large cast-iron cannons.
The Civil war section shows 7 black and white illustrations, 21 black and white photos and 2 line drawings of gun emplacements, a model 1841 6-pounder and a 12 pounder Union guns, a Civil War gun now displayed in a cemetery, troops on horseback, cast iron rounds, a 20-pounder Parrot gun, smooth-bore Rodman cannons, a 32-pounder with crew, a 19 in. Redman cannon in a fort, a 3 in. ordinance rifle on wheeled carriage, troops, cannon balls in a rack, a 24-pounder, a muzzle-loaded but rifled 150-pounder Confederate Army Armstrong gun, a mortar barrel on a carriage, a rifled Whitworth gun, more mortars, and a Gatling gun.
The WWI chapter shows black and white photos of: a rifled breech-loaded gun, a 2.5m dynamite gun, a 3.2m gun model 1885/ 1890/1897 gun, a poster asking for men to enlist, 4.7m guns, a 7 in. siege howitzer model 1890, British designed 2.85in Vickers Mountain Gun, a 1-pounder Hotchkiss revolving cannon, a 57m gun, a 1-pounder Vickers Maxim automatic gun, a French Canon d’ Infanterie de 37 Modele 1916 TRP, a French 37m gun, more French guns, a large 240mm howitzer, a 75mm gun, a 240mm howitzer, a U.S. “Dough Boy”, large howitzers on turn-tables, a large mortar, ammo rounds of various calibers, a search light, inside a gun factory, howitzers on train car.
Color photos in the center of the book show:
A Napoleon smooth-bore gun/howitzer on display today on a Civil War battlefield, a French 75 WWII gun, a 3 in. U.S. 5 in. anti-aircraft gun M3 gun crew training between the wars, a 155mm French cannon Model 1917 from WWI, a U.S. M55 8 in, SP gun tank, a M53 SP gun tank, a M-41 Walker Bulldog, two of a U.S. M2A1 howitzer and crew, a M108 S.P howitzer in a museum, a Nike-Hercules ground to air missile, a M110A2 S.P. gun, a M247 Sergeant York, a M102 105mm howitzer, a M109 155mm S.P. gun, a Honest John rocket on a truck, a Lance missile on trailer, a 155mm howitzer and a Pershing missile being launched.
More black and white photos are of 75mm pack howitzers, a T30 75mm howitzer motor carriage, a M8 HMC tank, trucks, three of a 105mm M2A1 howitzer, a M3 half-track, a M7B1 HMC, a M3 medium tank, six of a French-built 155mm howitzer, a M1A1 “Long tom”, two of a 13-ton high-speed tractor, a captured German Army 105mm gun, three of a U.S. M1 8 in. gun, a T-34 rocket launcher “Calliope”, a model 1916 75mm gun, a M-2 anti-aircraft gun, a search light, listening system, troops, radar antennas, large telescope, M1A1 and crew, 120mm anti-aircraft gun, a 38-ton high-speed towing tractor, a M-28 half-track, two of a M13 motor carriage, two of a 37mm anti-aircraft gun with crew, 40mm gun, troops loading guns and a 16 in. Mark II, Model I coastal artillery emplacement.
In the Cold War section:
A M-56 atomic cannon, the “Honest John” rocket launcher, the MGR3 “Little John” rocket launcher, a MCM-5 “Corporal” rocket launcher, two of a FGM-11 Redstone missile, a MGM-52 “Lance” nuclear-armed missile, a M2A1 105mm howitzer, a M102 155mm howitzer, a M198 155mm howitzer, a M37 howitzer carriage, a M47 light tank, three of a M12 155mm howitzer, a M1 240mm howitzer, 10 S.P. gun tanks, more missiles, a Gatling gun, a M163 “Vulcan”.
In the Post Cold War section:
More S.P. gun carriages, ammo, the AAIRO-7 drone, a M270 multiple rocket system, a M901 “Fist” fire support team vehicle, a M142 high-mobility artillery rocket system, two of a M777 155mm towed howitzer, and a Marine Corps CH-53B “Sea Stallion” hoisting a M777.
Inserted into the book is a post-card to use to mail to Pen & Sword to get more information about their books.
THE AUTHOR:
Michael green is the author of numerous acclaimed books in the Images of War series, including “Armor in Vietnam”,” US Navy Aircraft Carriers”, “US Battleships”, “US Navy Submarines”, “The Patton Tank”, “US Naval Aviation”, “American Infantry Weapons”, “M1 Abrams Tank”, “Combat Aircraft of the USAF”, “Allied Tanks of the Second World War”, “Allied AFV’S of the Second World War”, “Axis Tanks of the Second World War”, “Axis AFV’s of WW2”, “US Military Helicopters”, “United States Airborne Divisions 1942-2018” and “US Marine Corps in Vietnam” and “US Army Armored Divisions”.
He lives in California.
This is a neat picture book of AFV’s used through the years in combat. It will be of interest to modelers and military historians alike.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Pen & Sword book titles can be seen on Casemate’s web-site at:
Highly recommended.