Description
105mm XM314A2E1 Inert Loaded Illumination Howitzer Projectile with M501A1 Fuze
Item Overview
This 105mm inert loaded illumination projectile carries a 1967 date and is fitted with an M501A1 nose fuze. Its stamped M314A2E1 designation and painted XM314A2E1 lettering identify a development version within the U.S. Army's M314 illumination family. These projectiles were designed to carry a parachute flare for lighting an area at night.
Identification and Features
The body has stamped identification above the drive band and black painted lettering. The steel stamp records the model, caliber, date, and identifying code. The painted designation adds the XM prefix used in period development records. In the ammunition marking, 105H identifies the 105mm howitzer category. The drive band, also called a rotating band, engaged the barrel's rifling to give a service projectile spin.
- Caliber: 105mm
- Configuration: Inert loaded illumination projectile
- Fitted nose fuze: M501A1
- Steel stamp above drive band: "LOP 1-14, 1967 105MM M314A2E1"
- Black painted lettering: "ILLUMINATION 105H CARTRIDGE XM314A2E1"
Function and Contents
In service, an M314-series illumination projectile carried a light-producing canister and parachute inside its steel body. A time fuze controlled when the flare assembly was released through the base during flight. The parachute slowed its fall and kept the burning light above the ground. This helped troops see terrain, identify positions, and observe movement after dark. The offered item consists of the inert loaded projectile with its fitted M501A1 fuze. CARTRIDGE is retained as part of the painted military marking.
Documented Applications
Army references list M314-family illumination ammunition for the M101 and M101A1 towed howitzers, the lighter M102, and the M52, M52A1, and M108 self-propelled howitzers. These applications covered both towed artillery batteries and units with tracked vehicles. A 1970 Army manual specifically includes M314A2E1 illumination ammunition in its projectile data. Later M101A1 manuals identify that model alongside its standardized M314A3 name. The ammunition family served across several generations of 105mm howitzer equipment.
Product History
The original M314 was already listed in the Army's 1950 Artillery Ammunition manual. It used a parachute-supported illuminating canister and an M501 mechanical time fuze. Later versions included the M314A1 and M314A2. The XM314A2E1 appeared during further development of the family in the 1960s. In September 1968, the Army's Research and Development newsmagazine reported a contract to Temco, Inc., for metal parts for XM314A2E1 projectiles. Army data sheets record standardization of the resulting M314A3 in 1970. Its design included brakes that slowed the flare canister's spin after release. The markings on this example place its body before that standardization date.
M501A1 Fuze Background
The M501A1 belongs to the mechanical time and superquick fuze family, commonly shortened to MTSQ. This type combined a timed function with an impact function for immediate action on contact. Army references document the M501 family with ammunition for 105mm and 155mm howitzers and 4.2-inch mortars. The M314, M314A1, and M314A2 illumination models used M501-series fuzes. Later manuals list the M314A3, also identified as M314A2E1, with M548, M565, or M577 fuzes. The M501A1 described here is the fuze fitted to this collectible's present inert configuration.
Equipment History
The parent howitzer family grew from the Army's effort to field a versatile 105mm artillery weapon. Production of the M2A1 began in 1940, and it became a mainstay of U.S. field artillery during World War II. Rock Island Arsenal made its carriage and recoil equipment. After the war, the family received the M101 designation and continued in service into the Vietnam era. The M102 entered production in 1964 and began replacing older howitzers in Vietnam in 1966. Its lighter design suited helicopter transport and airborne units, while using the same broad 105mm ammunition category.
Weapon-System Background
A 105mm howitzer served as part of a larger field artillery system. Observers, communications teams, fire direction personnel, gun crews, and ammunition handlers worked together to support troops. Different ammunition types gave a battery several roles: high explosive for fire support, smoke for screening, and illumination for lighting an area. The Army's 1970 Battlefield Illumination manual treated artillery flares as one part of a wider lighting system that also included mortar flares, aircraft flares, and searchlights. This allowed commanders to choose lighting suited to the terrain and available equipment.
History of Use
Illumination ammunition supported night operations throughout the Cold War. It helped soldiers watch approaches, locate landmarks, and protect positions when daylight was gone. In Vietnam, artillery batteries supplied lighting for troops and fire support bases. The Army's official field artillery history records the use of illumination rounds during firebase defense, alongside the other support missions assigned to the guns. Period manuals also describe signaling and position identification as uses for illuminating shells. The M314 family's continued appearance in later ammunition references shows how this role remained relevant beyond the Vietnam War.
Condition
This item is supplied as an inert loaded collectible with the M501A1 fuze fitted. The described exterior features are the steel stamp above the drive band and the black painted illumination marking.
Ideal For
This dated illumination projectile suits collectors who focus on 105mm artillery, Vietnam War era equipment, or Cold War ammunition development. Its markings are especially useful for comparing an earlier model designation with the later standardized M314A3. It also fits educational displays that explain the different roles of artillery ammunition and the place of parachute illumination in night operations.
- 105mm howitzer ammunition collections
- Vietnam War era artillery displays
- Cold War ordnance collections
- Military marking and model studies
- Educational displays on battlefield illumination
Approx length 19", Approx width 5", Approx height 5", Approx weight 25lbs.
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