The first video of the combat use of the old US-made 105 mm M101 howitzer by the Armed Forces of Ukraine was proudly shared by Ukrainian military sources.
In September, Lithuania announced the transfer to Ukraine of a batch of the old US-made M101 artillery systems, which were stored in the warehouse of the country’s Defense Ministry.
The 105-mm M101 is an obsolete US-made system of the World War II period. It entered the mass production back in 1941 and is still in service with the armies of some countries.
M101 howitzers could not compete even the Soviet-made D-30 howitzers which are currently used by the warring sides on the Ukrainian front lines, not to mention the other advanced larger—caliber systems.
Among the advantage of M101s are their lightness and mobility. At the same time, the maximum range of these guns is less than 11 km so they must be deployed close to their targets, what causses a big risk for Ukrainian servicemen. The power of the 105-mm howitzers is also not enough to destroy military fortifications or suppress the entrenched infantry of the enemy on the front lines.
On November 21, Lithuania refused to supply Ukrainian forces with self-propelled howitzers PzH 2000, which are in service with the Lithuanian Army. The head of the Lithuanian Defense Ministry refused to clarify the reasons for such a decision.
