Description
Technical Manual (TM 9-1240-298-35) for M34, M34A1, M34A2, and M34A2C Sight Units February 1961
U.S. Army Technical Manual TM 9-1240-298-35 for M34, M34A1, M34A2, and M34A2C Sight Units, February 1961
Item Overview
This U.S. Army technical manual covers field-and-depot maintenance for the M34, M34A1, M34A2, and M34A2C Sight Units. Issued as TM 9-1240-298-35 in February 1961, it supported trained personnel responsible for servicing optical fire-control equipment used with mortars, recoilless rifles, and rocket launchers.
This listing is for the technical manual only. It does not include an M34-series sight unit, telescope mount, elbow telescope, weapon, tools, or other equipment.
About the M34-Series Sight Units
The M34 family was a portable fire-control system designed to aim several types of crew-served weapons. It allowed crews to measure and set elevation and azimuth for direct or indirect fire.
A typical M34-series assembly included the M79 Telescope Mount, M9 Telescope Adapter, and M62 Elbow Telescope. The mount provided elevation settings, cross-level adjustment, and a longitudinal level.
An M42 Instrument Light could illuminate the sight during nighttime or low-light operations. The complete sight unit was separate from the mortar, recoilless rifle, or rocket launcher on which it was installed.
Documented Weapon Applications
Different M34 configurations were assigned to specific weapon systems:
- M34 and M34A1: M30 4.2-inch Mortar and M27/M27A1 105mm Recoilless Rifle
- M34A2: M29 81mm Mortar, M84 4.2-inch Self-Propelled Mortar, M21 4.5-inch Multiple Rocket Launcher, and M20 75mm Recoilless Rifle
- M34A2C: XM34 318mm Rocket Launcher
These applications connected the M34 family with infantry, artillery, mortar, armored-vehicle, and rocket units.
Historical Background
TM 9-1240-298-35 was published during the early Cold War, when the Army was maintaining older weapons while introducing new mobile fire-support systems.
The M20 recoilless rifle had served during World War II and Korea. The M29 and M30 mortars became important infantry fire-support weapons, while the tracked M84 carried the 4.2-inch mortar in an armored vehicle. The M34A2C also supported experimental rocket equipment.
Accurate sight units were essential because small alignment errors could affect where a mortar round or rocket landed. This manual helped repair facilities keep the M34 family properly adjusted as the equipment entered wider Cold War service.
Publication Details
- Manual number: TM 9-1240-298-35
- Publication date: February 1961
- Subjects: M34, M34A1, M34A2, and M34A2C Sight Units
- Manual type: Field-and-depot maintenance
- Associated telescope mount: M79
- Associated telescope adapter: M9
- Associated elbow telescope: M62
- Associated instrument light: M42
Collector and Research Value
This manual is a specialized addition to a U.S. Army technical-publication, mortar, recoilless-rifle, rocket-artillery, or military-optics collection. It provides useful information about maintaining a sight family used across several important Cold War weapon systems.
It is also suitable for museums, restorers, historians, and collectors researching the M34 sight family or its associated weapons.
Ideal For
- U.S. Army technical-manual collections
- M34-series sight-unit restoration
- Mortar and recoilless-rifle research
- Cold War military-optics displays
- Fire-control equipment collections
- Museum and archival collections
Approx length 8", Approx width 10", Approx height .35", Approx weight .5lbs.
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