The M104 155 mm projectile is a
chemical
A chemical substance is a unique form of matter with constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Chemical substances may take the form of a single element or chemical compounds. If two or more chemical substances can be combin ...
artillery shell
A shell, in a modern military context, is a projectile whose payload contains an explosive, incendiary device, incendiary, or other chemical filling. Originally it was called a bombshell, but "shell" has come to be unambiguous in a military ...
designed for use by the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of the United Stat ...
. It was specifically designed to carry about of
sulfur mustard (H) or (HD) blister agent (distilled mustard). As early as the 1960s, the shell was also filled with
white phosphorus
White phosphorus, yellow phosphorus, or simply tetraphosphorus (P4) is an allotrope of phosphorus. It is a translucent waxy solid that quickly yellows in light (due to its photochemical conversion into red phosphorus), and impure white phospho ...
to be used for
obscuration and
signaling
A signal is both the process and the result of transmission of data over some media accomplished by embedding some variation. Signals are important in multiple subject fields including signal processing, information theory and biology.
...
.
History and design
Following
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, militaries around the world began working to standardize calibers of ammunition within their countries. In the United States, the military began focusing on replacing the European-made 75 mm
artillery shell
A shell, in a modern military context, is a projectile whose payload contains an explosive, incendiary device, incendiary, or other chemical filling. Originally it was called a bombshell, but "shell" has come to be unambiguous in a military ...
s with 105 mm and 155 mm shells.
The M104 (along with the
M110, which it shares many design elements with) was designed as a 155 mm
artillery shell
A shell, in a modern military context, is a projectile whose payload contains an explosive, incendiary device, incendiary, or other chemical filling. Originally it was called a bombshell, but "shell" has come to be unambiguous in a military ...
for use in the
M114 howitzer. It is a steel shell with a rotating band near the base, and a burster well that goes down the center of the shell. Filler of either
sulfur mustard
Mustard gas or sulfur mustard are names commonly used for the organosulfur chemical compound bis(2-chloroethyl) sulfide, which has the chemical structure S(CH2CH2Cl)2, as well as other species. In the wider sense, compounds with the substituen ...
or
white phosphorus
White phosphorus, yellow phosphorus, or simply tetraphosphorus (P4) is an allotrope of phosphorus. It is a translucent waxy solid that quickly yellows in light (due to its photochemical conversion into red phosphorus), and impure white phospho ...
is placed in the empty space and a fuze is fixed to the top before firing.
Variants and markings
Projectile, gas, persistent, HD, 155 mm howitzer, M104
This version of the shell was designed as a
chemical weapon
A chemical weapon (CW) is a specialized munition that uses chemicals formulated to inflict death or harm on humans. According to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), this can be any chemical compound intended as ...
delivery system. It weighs in total and is filled with of
distilled mustard (HD). It is marked as a standard chemical artillery munition, being gray with two green, horizontal bands.
The
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...
still possesses a limited stockpile of these munitions, which are in the process of being safely decommissioned in accordance with the
1997 Chemical Weapons Convention.
Projectile, smoke, WP, 155 mm gun, M104
A later version of the M104, this version is in total and filled with of white phosphorus. Due to the properties of white phosphorus, the shell also has mild
incendiary effects. It is marked as a
military smoke munition, being gray with a single yellow, horizontal band.
See also
*
M110 155 mm projectile
The M110 155 mm projectile is an artillery shell used by the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps. The M110 was originally designed as a chemical artillery round to deliver blister agents via howitzer as a replacement for the World War I-era 75 mm chemi ...
*
M121 155 mm projectile
The M121/A1 155 mm projectile was a chemical artillery shell designed for use by the U.S. Army. It was designed to be used with approximately of GB or VX nerve agents.
History
The U.S. Army standardized the M121 shell in 1954 as an artillery sh ...
*
M687 155 mm projectile
The M687 was an American 155 mm binary sarin chemical artillery shell. The design was standardized in 1976 and production began on December 16, 1987 at Pine Bluff Arsenal, Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Production was halted three years later, following t ...
References
{{U.S. chemical weapons
155 mm artillery shells
Chemical weapon delivery systems
Chemical weapons of the United States