105 mm Howitzer M3 - Ayer, MA
Posted by: king.hubi
N 42° 33.558 W 071° 35.204
19T E 287652 N 4715120
This 105 mm Howitzer M3 is on public display at the Town Hall in Ayer, Massachusetts.
Waymark Code: WM9077
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 06/07/2010
Views: 10
This 105 mm Howitzer M3 is on public display at the Town Hall in
Ayer, Massachusetts. You'll find the Howitzer near the south-east corner of the Town Hall building standing on the lawn.
Accoding to the wikipedia (
visit link), the 105 mm Howitzer M3 was a U.S. light howitzer designed for use by airborne troops. The gun utilized the barrel of the 105 mm Howitzer M2, shortened and fitted to a slightly modified split trail carriage of the 75 mm pack howitzer. The howitzer was used by the U.S. Army during World War II. It was issued to airborne units and to cannon companies of infantry regiments.
The address of the Ayer Town Hall is 1 Main Street. Parking can be found on both sides along Main Street. It looks like the Howitzer is not longer operational because the end of the tube is welded shut.
The following text is stamped into the top of the ring, breech assembly:
HOWITZER 105MM.M3.NO.2080
ORD.DEPT.U.S.A.
UNITED ENG. & F`D`Y. CO.1943.
958 LBS.INSP.H.M.R.
There is also a rusty little plaque on the left side of the tube near the ring, breech assembly with the following text:
NO.2227
MECHANISM, RECOIL
105MM.HOW.
M14
ROCK ISLAND ARSENAL 1943
These are all information I can give. If you know the origin of this Howitzer please provide it your log.
There are no geocaches listed near the Town Hall of Ayer. However, 250 meters to the west along Main Street (at
N 42°33.596 W 071°35.378) starts the
Nashua River Rail Trail. This paved trail is good for hiking, biking and inline skating. The trail leads north to Nashua, NH and there are several fine geocaches along this trail. If you are interesting in bench marking, there is a nice bench mark just 3 meters away from the Howitzer at the corner stone of the Town Hall. The bench mark is also a waymark with the ID
WM8YXY.
Many thanks and enjoy your visit of Ayer.