Summary
The M1909/37 was a relatively minor upgrade of a World War I-era howitzer, which didn't address the main flaws of the latter, namely:
- Limited towing speed due to unsprung wheels
- Limited elevation and very small traverse
The short barrel meant short range, smaller than that of its main adversaries, such as the German 10.5 cm leFH 16 (8,9 km vs 10,7 km). Low muzzle velocity and small traverse also made the gun helpless against enemy armor. Although in 1943 a HEAT shell was developed, the aforementioned deficiences meant that a chance of hitting small moving target was slim.
On the other side, the M1909/37 was rugged and reliable. It was also lighter than the newer M-30 or the 10.5 cm le.F.H.16. It was similar in most characteristics to another modernized World War I-era howitzer in Soviet service, the M1910/30, except slower rate of fire.
In 1937 the Soviet Union still did not possess a modern 122-mm howitzer design ready for mass production, so upgade of old ones was a reasonable decision.
Read more about this topic: 122 Mm Howitzer M1909/37
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