Description
105mm M67 HEAT-T Projectile for U.S. Howitzers
The 105mm M67 HEAT-T Projectile is a collectible example of a U.S. howitzer ammunition design with roots in World War II. Its history connects towed field artillery, self-propelled howitzers, and howitzer-armed Sherman tanks. Developed for an antitank role, the M67 gave these weapons a specialized option alongside their usual high-explosive and smoke ammunition. It suits collections that explore American artillery and the growth of armor warfare.
Identification and Features
Period Army references describe the M67 family as high-explosive antitank ammunition. HEAT-T identifies the tracer-equipped service version. The model number names the ammunition design and does not, by itself, establish when an individual example was made.
- Model: M67.
- Caliber: 105mm.
- Type: High-Explosive Antitank with Tracer (HEAT-T).
- Item: Projectile from a 105mm howitzer cartridge.
- Historical role: Engagement of armored targets.
- Design period: World War II, with continued postwar documentation.
Function and Contents
The original live M67 used a shaped charge to focus its explosive force against armor. When it detonated, a metal liner formed a narrow, fast-moving jet that could penetrate the target. A base-detonating fuze started this action on impact. In the HEAT-T service version, a tracer built into the fuze helped crews follow the projectile in flight. The projectile was the shell portion of a complete cartridge. A complete service cartridge also included a cartridge case, primer, and propelling charge.
Historical Construction
The service design had a steel body, a tapered base called a boattail, and a hollow steel nose cover called a windshield. A copper liner sat within the original shaped-charge assembly. A soft metal rotating band encircled the body near the base. This band engaged the barrel’s rifling, giving the projectile spin for stable flight. Wartime references document M62-series base fuzes; postwar ammunition tables list the M62A1 and tracer-equipped M91A1 service configurations.
Product History
The M67 was already listed as standard ammunition in the Army’s Standard Ordnance Items Catalog dated March 1, 1944. The wartime Ammunition Inspection Guide described it as the larger counterpart of the 75mm M66 antitank shell. These related designs brought the shaped-charge principle to more than one howitzer caliber. The M67 gave existing 105mm howitzers an armor-defeating round within their ammunition family. Its standard designation in the wartime catalog places the design within the Army’s established ordnance supply system.
Documented Applications
Wartime Ordnance records list the M67 for the 105mm M2, M2A1, M3, and M4 howitzers. The M2A1 served in towed artillery and the M7 Priest self-propelled howitzer. The M4 howitzer armed the 105mm versions of the M4 and M4A3 Sherman tank. The lighter M3 was developed for airborne use and had ammunition prepared for its shorter barrel. Postwar Army ammunition tables also list the M67 with the M101A1, M52A1, M102, and M108 howitzer systems. These records establish the design’s historical applications across several platforms.
Equipment History
The Army’s 105mm light-howitzer family grew from development work during the 1920s. Production of the M2A1 began in 1940, and it became a main field artillery weapon during World War II. The family later carried the M101 and M101A1 designations. Development of the M7 Priest began in June 1941, with service entry in spring 1942. Its tracked chassis let artillery keep pace with armored formations. The tank-mounted M4 howitzer was a redesign of the M2A1, combining 105mm firepower with the protection and mobility of a Sherman tank.
Weapon-System Background
A light howitzer’s main job was to support troops with shells fired along an arcing path. Crews could engage targets beyond their direct view with help from observers. These weapons could also use direct fire against visible targets. The M67 belonged to that specialized antitank role. Its armor effect came chiefly from the shaped charge, while the gun delivered the projectile to the target. This broadened the duties of weapons normally used for general fire support, including howitzer-armed tanks whose larger shells helped support infantry.
History of Use
World War II records show the M67 as an issued service ammunition type for several American 105mm howitzers. A documented example of 105mm HEAT use followed at Osan, Korea, on July 5, 1950. Artillery supporting Task Force Smith had just six HEAT rounds, all assigned to one forward howitzer. The Army’s account records hits that damaged two North Korean T-34 tanks, with one catching fire. That account identifies the ammunition as HEAT but does not give its M-number. It illustrates the combat role of this ammunition class and the importance of having suitable antitank rounds available.
Postwar Development and Training Use
The M67 remained documented in Army ammunition references during the 1960s. Separate M67 target-practice versions, designated TP and TP-T, used inert projectile fillings and matched the service rounds’ flight characteristics for gunnery training. In 1978, the Field Artillery Journal reported testing of the XM622, intended to replace the obsolete M67 HEAT round and the M327 HEP round. The newer design used fins for stability. These records trace the M67 family from wartime service ammunition into later training and replacement programs.
Condition
Please check the pictures for the general condition of the item.
Ideal For
This M67 projectile fits a collection focused on U.S. artillery ammunition, Sherman tank equipment, or the history of antitank shell design. It can help explain how one ammunition family served both field artillery and armored vehicles. Its documented background also supports museum exhibits and reference displays.
- U.S. artillery ammunition collections.
- M2A1 and M101 howitzer displays.
- M7 Priest history exhibits.
- 105mm Sherman tank collections.
- Military museums and educational displays.
Approx length 19", Approx width 4.5", Approx height 4.5", Approx weight lbs.
Pictures are stock images of our inventory. Unless otherwise noted, you will not be receiving the exact item shown in the pictures. The pictures are representative of the item’s general condition. The item you receive might be slightly better, or worse, condition than was shown in the pictures.
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