Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Today we take a look at the American-made M44 self-propelled howitzer, which made its way to several countries in the major “Storm Warning” update in War Thunder from Gaijin.
Introducing the M44
The M44 self-propelled howitzer is making its way to a handful of nations in a major Storm warning update! Equipped with a massive 155mm cannon, this surprisingly fast vehicle will be a great addition to the Series III. Despite its drawbacks, it will always be able to effectively fight the toughest vehicles in the bracket. Let’s take a closer look at this new beast.
Mounted on a Walker Bulldog light tank chassis, the M44 is quite fast for a vehicle of this type. It can reach speeds of up to 56 km/h on the road and can maneuver and drive effectively off-road. The 155 mm howitzer is mounted in an open bay and can move a maximum of 30 degrees horizontally on each side, with 5 degrees of gun depression. The primary cartridge available is the conventional M107 HE cartridge. It can also fire a large smoke round, but will not have access to proximity HE ammunition.
One of the main drawbacks is, of course, the thin armor and open crew compartment, making the M44 highly vulnerable to ground vehicles and aircraft. Additionally, the reload speed is a bit of a limiting factor. Try to stay close to some form of vertical cover such as buildings or large rocks, this will give you protection when retreating to reload and make you harder to spot from the air. The high mobility definitely makes an aggressive style of melee play possible, but significantly more risky due to reloading and limited gun aiming angles. Despite its fragility, however, the M44 is still a powerful and versatile howitzer, giving it a unique play style at lower levels.
History of the Bulldog Howitzer
The American M44 self-propelled howitzer emerged in the early 1950s as part of a program to develop a new 155 mm caliber self-propelled gun to replace the obsolete M41 howitzer platform. During production, the original vehicle, designated T99E1, revealed several shortcomings that required redesign. The updated model featured a new open top fighting compartment with a modified howitzer. In 1954, the US Army decided to focus on exporting the M44 to other countries. The M44 later ended up in service in Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Turkey, Belgium and Japan.
