Description
TM 9-2300-216-35/2 Technical Manual – M107/T235E1 and M110/T236E1 Elevating and Traversing Systems – July 1962
Item Overview
TM 9-2300-216-35/2 is a U.S. Army field and depot maintenance manual for the elevating and traversing systems used on the 175mm M107 self-propelled field artillery gun and 8-inch M110 self-propelled howitzer. Dated July 1962, it also identifies these vehicles by their earlier T235E1 and T236E1 designations. This specialized volume gives collectors and researchers a period reference for the mechanisms that position the cannon. It adds useful technical context to a collection of Cold War artillery manuals.
Publication Details
The publication number, date, system coverage, and Federal Stock Numbers identify this volume within the M107 and M110 technical manual series. The two stock numbers apply to the complete artillery vehicles covered by the publication.
- Publication: TM 9-2300-216-35/2
- Publication date: July 1962
- Publisher: Department of the Army
- Manual type: Field and depot maintenance
- Subject: Elevating and traversing systems
- 175mm application: M107 / T235E1 self-propelled field artillery gun
- M107 Federal Stock Number: FSN 2350-436-6635
- 8-inch application: M110 / T236E1 self-propelled howitzer
- M110 Federal Stock Number: FSN 2350-439-6243
The July 1962 edition dates from the introduction period of a new generation of American heavy self-propelled artillery. The Army issued separate technical publications for operation, vehicle maintenance, weapon assemblies, and specialized systems. Dividing the material this way gave each group of soldiers a reference suited to its assigned work. The -35/2 volume served maintenance personnel responsible for repairs beyond routine crew care. Today, it preserves the terms, system descriptions, and maintenance standards used during the family’s early years, before later service experience produced additional guidance.
Function and Contents
Elevation raises or lowers the cannon, while traverse moves it from side to side. Both motions help the crew set the weapon to the required firing direction and angle. This manual provides specialist maintenance guidance for those systems, including the elevating and traversing drive assemblies and their slip clutches. Period Army guidance confirms that the volume contains illustrated checks and adjustment information for these clutches. Its focus is the mechanical support needed to keep the aiming drives working correctly. It belongs alongside the separate operator instructions and repair parts references for the vehicle family.
Documented Applications
This edition applies to the early M107 and M110 vehicle configurations named in its title. The T235E1 and T236E1 names connect those service models to their development designations, making the manual useful when comparing early records, photographs, and equipment labels. The intended maintenance setting included field repair units and depot shops supporting the listed equipment. For historical research, matching both the model and publication date helps place a repair document within the correct stage of a vehicle’s service life. That distinction matters when studying later changes to the M110 family.
Equipment History
The M107 and M110 entered U.S. service in the early 1960s on a common tracked chassis. Their diesel engines allowed each weapon to move under its own power. An open rear platform carried the cannon and provided working space for the crew, while a large rear spade helped steady the vehicle during firing. Using related vehicles for two different cannon types helped simplify support for heavy artillery units. The open layout also left much of the mount and its controls visible, making those features easy to identify in period photographs.
Weapon-System Background
The two weapons filled different fire-support needs. The M107’s long 175mm gun offered a maximum range of about 33 kilometers, or 20 miles, allowing it to support troops across a wide area. The original M110’s 8-inch howitzer reached about 17 kilometers, or 10.5 miles, and was valued for its accuracy and heavy shells. Their different cannon assemblies gave commanders a choice between greater reach and heavier projectiles. In Vietnam, 8-inch howitzers supported many division artillery units, while both weapon types served with field force artillery.
History of Use
M107 guns and M110 howitzers served in Vietnam with U.S. heavy artillery units, providing support from established firing positions. The maintenance history of this exact publication is also documented. In January 1968, the Army’s Artillery Trends cited TM 9-2300-216-35/2 in guidance about elevating and traversing drive slip clutches on weapons in Southeast Asia. The note called for closer maintenance attention and referred technicians to the manual’s illustrated checks. This record shows that the volume remained a working reference several years after publication and connects its technical subject directly to wartime equipment support.
Ideal For
This manual is useful for building a focused artillery reference collection or studying the technical work that supported early M107 and M110 service. It is well suited to:
- Collectors of U.S. Army technical manuals and Cold War military publications
- Researchers studying heavy artillery maintenance during the Vietnam era
- Museums preparing displays about self-propelled gun and howitzer systems
- Vehicle historians comparing early development and service designations
- Restoration researchers documenting period cannon-positioning equipment
Approx length 8", Approx width 10", Approx height .4", Approx weight 1lbs.
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