Beehive rounds became less popular in the United States following Vietnam, with low-angle air burst techniques such as Killer Junior supplanting the use of Beehive. Beehive rounds were also created for recoilless anti-tank weapons including 90 mm, 106 mm, Ontoses and M48 tanks. A gun equipped with Beehive ammunition may fire this instead of normal ammunition. The APERS-T round is devastatingly effective against exposed infantry. Communist forces were principally armed with Chinese and Soviet weaponry though some Viet Cong guerrilla units were equipped with Western infantry weapons either captured from French stocks during the first Indochina war or from ARVN units or requisitioned through illicit purchase. However, during the Vietnam War, there was a demand for a munition that co… In 1966 the new M102's started to replace the older M101A1 versions. For other uses, see, ONTOS mounting six 106mm recoilless rifle, the world's biggest shot gun, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Beehive_anti-personnel_round&oldid=959753490, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 30 May 2020, at 12:37. [1], Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP), W48 (M45 Artillery Fired Atomic Projectile (AFAP), DRDO Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), "No New Round Planned For Zumwalt Destroyer Gun System; Navy Monitoring Industry", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=155_mm&oldid=982926797, Articles needing additional references from February 2019, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 11 October 2020, at 06:28. It had an improved range of 14,000-meters as a result of having a longer barrel length. Upon detonation the darts, or flechettes, are sprayed radially from the point of detonation, normally within sixty feet of the ground. It was used for marking concrete targets. General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems – Canada offers a full range of 105mm artillery ammunition for the 105mm Howitzers, including high-explosive, illuminating and blank rounds. Killer Junior and Killer Senior are techniques of employing artillery direct fire air bursts, first developed during the Vietnam War. Beehive was a Vietnam war era anti-personnel round packed with metal flechettes fired from an artillery gun most popularly deployed during that conflict. Robert Underwood loaded a beehive round into one of the 105mm howitzers. Our HE fillings, which consist of TNT or Composition B, produced in our melt and pour facility meet all critical safety factors. [citation needed]. Piper and Staff Sgt. Shop CDVS for Ammunition, Dummy rounds, projectiles, powder, cases, primers and more. B/2/12 Arty. This article is about Beehive anti-personnel ammunition. projected 8000 flechettes and was direct fired from a near horizontally levelled barrel of a 105mm howitzer" Such an instance where the "beehive" round was used in combat, very effectively so, was at LZ Bird! " The primary beehive round for this purpose was the M546 anti-personnel tracer (APERS-T) shell which projected 8000 flechettes and was direct fired from a near horizontally leveled 105 mm howitzer. Did have occasion to use the 105mm APERS rounds in one full out assault by a combination NVA and irregulars against the unit I commanded. It is the same as if you asked what is the range of an airplane. The only round the 155mm Howitzer fired with the M501(A1) was the High Cloud/ Smoke. The “Beehive” shell was our second option. Yelling a warning to get down, Piper yanked the lanyard. However, during the Vietnam War, there was a demand for a munition that could be fired directly at enemy troops, in cases where an artillery unit was attacked. The M78(A1) fuze with the M25 booster were constructed especially for use against concrete targets. Artillerymen were busy doing their jobs, too. “It was so haunting,” Houston remembered. Only by using rocket-assisted projectiles (RAP) can most 155mm guns have comparable range to the 4.5" naval gun and in … The round is loaded with 8,000 8-grain steel flechettes. All beehive ammunition had been expended, but due to the speed and accuracy of the assault against the medium battery, less than 10 rounds of 155mm had been fired prior to the destruction of the howitzers. At about 50 meters from the muzzle, the round ejects the darts toward the enemy with a medium hard ejecting charge. Soldiers from the 1st Bn 6th Inf received fire support from these weapons located at most of the fire support bases adjacent to their area of operations. The entire western approach was covered by a 105mm battery which fired round after round of Beehive and time rounds, all with … The contract was named the "Beehive Program" referring to the way the flechettes were compartmentalized and stacked, looking like the traditional image of a conical beehive. However, despite superficially appearing to be superior due to a comparison of round diameters, when firing conventional ammunition the smaller, 4.5" naval gun is comparable to the standard 155mm gun-howitzer of the British Army. Intended for direct fire against enemy troops, the M546 was direct fired from a near horizontally leveled 105 mm howitzer[3] and ejected 8000 flechettes during flight by a mechanical time fuze. It is also known as flechette rounds or their official designation, antipersonnel-tracer (APERS-T). ? The round weighed 48 pounds with 41.8 pounds of that being the projectile. Instantly, 8,500 flechettes (tiny metal-shaped arrows) tore into the attacking NVA ranks. The energy weapon system, vaporizes any BETAs that gets into its line of fire, as the Leoniads unleash death in all directions, the 155mm artillery of the Leonidas launched its beehive round. Hm, this question is very difficult to answer because it is to general. The beehive round is a wide area of effect akin to canister round used on 120mm cannons. That’s when the artillerymen depressed the 105mm howitzer in the perimeter and fired off a beehive round that launched 8,500 flechettes (small metal darts) into the swarm of NVA assault teams. Beehive was a Vietnam war era anti-personnel round packed with metal flechettes fired from an artillery gun most popularly deployed during that conflict. The Firecracker Round contained the small floating grenades, and the round with the flechette's and was called the Beehive Round. The Dusters had done well. After the Vietnam War the 105mm tank gun M68 was also provided APER-T ammunition M494. 'Screeching Bees' " "Artillerymen were busy doing their jobs, too. Russian guns and those of former Soviet bloc countries tend to use 152mm weapons in similar roles. Max rate of fire of 12 rounds for three minutes or one round per minute indefinitely. However, since 2016 no ammunition has been developed and therefore the Advanced Gun System is completely unusable. This weapon was nearly 1-ton lighter and fully air-portable at 1,470-kg. Since the end of WWII, 155 mm has not found any use among naval forces despite its ubiquity on land, with most NATO and aligned navies using 76mm (3"), 100mm (3.9"), 114mm (4.5"), or 127mm (5") guns on modern warships. It is also known as flechette rounds or their official designation, antipersonnel-tracer (APERS-T). The problem/advantage is that (IIRC) with the old M564 MTSQ, min fuze setting was 2.2 sec. Since the late 20th century, most NATO armies have adopted 155 mm weapons as an all-purpose standard. 1 inch). Green starshells were shot into the air prior to their use to warn friendly troops that such a round was being shot. . In the area of field artillery, the flechette or beehive round is an example of an anti-personnel warhead. M546 APERS-T rounds are intended primarily for antipersonnel use at close range. Shop CDVS for your 105MM. APERS-T rounds in 40×46 mm were also available for the M79, M203, and M320 grenade launchers. See more ideas about vietnam, vietnam war, vietnam war photos. Only by using rocket-assisted projectiles (RAP) can most 155mm guns have comparable range to the 4.5" naval gun and in doing so by sacrificing the payload. This has led to the obsolescence of larger calibre weapons such as 175 mm (6.9") and 203 mm (8"), although some militaries retain 105 mm weapons for their light weight and portability. There is, after all, no 155mm Beehive round. Beehive Ammunition A vital round for tanks and artillery in Vietnam was the devastating, ‘beehive’ canister round, named for the sound of more than a thousand pellets whizzing past. The technique involves a howitzer or gun firing a high explosive (HE) shell fuzed with a mechanical time-super quick (MTSQ) artillery fuse set to function causing an airburst over a target in very close proximity to the gun's position. [1] The first example was the 105mm howitzer M546 anti-personnel tracer (APERS-T), first fired in combat in 1966[2] and thereafter used extensively in the Vietnam War. The M-101 and its variants were first used in Vietnam by the French in 1946. The payload in this projectile consists of 8,000 steel-wire, fin-stabilized darts. It was commonly assumed by users in the service that the term referred to a supposed 'buzzing' sound its darts made when flying through the air. Employed as a last-ditch defense against a close-in infantry assault, the beehive round cut a devastating swath 30 degrees either side of the muzzle. [4] APERS-T rounds were available for 90mm gun on M48 tanks and the 152mm gun on the M551 Sheridan armored reconnaissance/airborne assault vehicle. Fired at minimum charge, you'd still be reaching out a couple of hundred meters. 155mm Howitzers, M-198. The primary beehive round for this purpose . Typically, artillery gunners fire using indirect fire, firing at targets they cannot see by line of sight with information provided by a forward observer. A gun equipped with Beehive ammunition may fire this instead of normal ammunition. Interesting read from the Centaurs page. 69-70. Set … Overall length was 19.3 inches. Firecracker was 8-inch and Beehive was 105mm and 155mm (?). Mar 4, 2020 - Explore Steve Stiverson's board "Vietnam - Artillery", followed by 229 people on Pinterest. See 105mm towed Howitzer Battalion TO&E. It was also capable of using the 'Beehive' flechette round. Vietnam War – M109 (155mm) The M108 (105mm) and M109 (155mm) are the latest self-propelled artillery pieces in the US Army. Our military surplus ordnance selection includes artillery shells for sale, grenades, shell casings, fuses and everything in between. Beehive rounds were also created for recoilless anti-tank weapons including 90 mm, 106 mm, Ontoses and M48 tanks. Thanks for posting that. The standard shell from a 4.5" naval gun has the same, if not better, range and carries twice the HE payload of a standard 155mm round. A non delay type was painted white about one inch down from the nose of the fuze. So, you need to state at least two bits of missing info: 1. Ammo stocked a beehive round for us but we never fired any. Buy Flames of War - M109 (155mm) SP Artillery at Mighty Ape NZ. That's a good thing as you'd otherwise be … . Frisbee is correct, the shell is loaded with thousands of little darts, very sharp and small (approx. Support was called for and received from 155mm howitzers of Battery B, 3d Battalion, 13th Artillery, near Saigon. We had Beehive rounds and only fired them once (fortunately) for a demonstration. In addition, even without active cooling, the heavier naval gun barrels allow for a superior sustained rate of fire compared to field guns, and this is exploited with an autoloading system with a capacity of several hundred rounds. They are seen as striking a good compromise between range and destructive power, while using only a single calibre simplifies logistics. Howitzer, 155mm towed, M14A1, with 14,600 meter range. A typical 105mm BEEHIVE has 6000 darts, 3000 of which are loaded pointing forward, 3000 pointing backward. Subsequently, it was reported that the USSR had developed similar rounds for 122 mm and 152 mm artillery for use in indirect fire. Typically, artillery gunners fire using indirect fire, firing at targets they cannot see by line of sight with information provided by a forward observer. The ubiquitous Soviet AK-47 was widely regarded as the best assault rifle of the war and it was not uncommon to see U.S. special forces with captured AK-47s. The excitement of being attacked speeds up normal reaction time, and in the heat of battle, close can become good enough, but that must be controlled. Beehive Ammunition A vital round for tanks and artillery in Vietnam was the devastating, ‘beehive’ canister round, named for the sound of more than a thousand pellets whizzing past. Ordnance is an all encompassing term that refers to mounted guns, artillery and other related weaponry. The combustible cartridge case was the XM157, with 6 pounds of either the M26 or M26A1 propellant charge and the XM91E1 electric primer. The standard shell from a 4.5" naval gun has the same, if not better, range and carries twice the HE payload of a standard 155mm round. I was a unit armorer/supply guy (76y) for an artillery battery, 93Bn/34th Fa) Ft. Lewis 83-86. The round comes fuzed and set for muzzle action; however, it can be set for up to 100 seconds. The flechette rounds were developed under a contract administered by Picatinny Arsenal and let to the Whirlpool Corporation in April 1957. We did train in direct fire with HE's at armored vehicles. The shell is fired directly at advancing enemy formations similar to an aimed shotgun. The 105mm howitzer round was not the only artillery piece provided with APERS-T. Beehive rounds were also created for recoilless anti-tank weapons: the 90 mm and 106 mm mounted on the M50 Ontos. It contained nearly 8,000 small darts and more powder than other rounds. Bursting area in meters 30 x 50. What was the fletchette ammuntion developed for, what war was it first used in, and what weapon fired it? This allows naval guns to fire heavier shells in comparison to shell diameter and to use larger propellant charges in relation to shell weight leading to greater projectile velocities. The US Navy's Advanced Gun System also uses a 155mm calibre, although it is not compatible with NATO-standard 155mm ammunition. At one point the British Ministry of Defence studied "up-gunning" the Royal Navy's 4.5 inch Mark 8 naval guns to give increased firepower and a common calibre between the Royal Navy and the British Army. I was on 155mm Howitzers. This is because naval guns can be built much more strongly than land-based self-propelled gun-howitzers, and have much longer barrels in relation to calibre (for example the Mark 8 has a barrel length of 55 calibres, while the standard AS-90 self-propelled gun has a barrel length of 39 calibres). 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