M7 Priest
This article requires additional modification. The design and/or content of this article do not conform to wiki standards.
|
M7 Priest
Mouse over "
[Client Values; Actual values in
47,000 Cost |
25050 HP Hit Points |
23/23.112.58/25.5 t Weight Limit |
- Commander
- Gunner
- Driver
- Radio Operator
- Loader
- Loader
400500 hp Engine Power |
38.6/10 km/h Speed Limit |
1820 deg/s Traverse |
17.3939.75 hp/t Power/Wt Ratio |
YesYes Pivot |
// mm Hull Armor |
HE
HE Shells |
166/0
166/0 Shell Cost |
410//410// HP Damage |
27//27// mm Penetration |
r/m ▲
3 r/m Standard Gun ▲
3 Rate of Fire Standard Gun |
▲
1230 Standard Gun ▲
1230 Damage Per Minute Standard Gun |
m ▲
0.84 m With 50% Crew: 1.041 m ▲
0.82 Accuracy With 50% Crew: 1.016 m |
s 5.5 s 5.5 Aim time |
1616 deg/s Gun Traverse Speed |
38° Gun Arc |
-5°/+45°-5°/+45° Elevation Arc |
120120 rounds Ammo Capacity |
2020 % Chance of Fire |
m 260 m 260 View Range |
m 395 m 745 Signal Range |
III
47000
The M7 Priest is an American tier 3 self-propelled gun.
Manufactured on the suspension of the M3 and M4 tanks from April 1942 through March 1945, with a total of 4,316 vehicles produced. The M7 Priest first saw combat at El Alamein.
Probably the most famous SPG in history, the M7 Priest retains many of its excellent qualities in-game. The Priest's stock engine is quite good for an artillery, although its traverse rate is woeful. You cannot mount the upgraded gun without increasing your weight limit, so the suspension should probably be your first purchase. With the upgrade to the 105 mm Howitzer M2A1 the Priest can rain death and destruction across the entire map, but it's stock cannon has terrible range and accuracy. The M7 is based on the M3 Lee chassis, and the same upgrades can be used on many other American tanks. So if you have some spare experience, they are a good investment.
The M7 Priest marks the end of its American self-propelled gun line.
Modules / Available Equipment and Consumables
Modules
Tier | Suspension | Load Limit (т) |
Traverse Speed (gr/sec) |
Rmin | Weight (kg) |
Price ()
| |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
II | VVSS T49 | 23.1 | 18 | 0 | 11000 | 590 | |
III | VVSS T51 | 25.5 | 20 | 0 | 11000 | 1650 |
Tier | Radio | Signal Range (m) |
Weight (kg) |
Price ()
| |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
IX | SCR 506 | 615 | 110 | 33600 | |
VI | SCR 508 | 395 | 100 | 21600 | |
X | SCR 528 | 745 | 80 | 54000 |
Compatible Equipment
Compatible Consumables
Player Opinion
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Above average engine power and top speed
- Above average damage
- Above average gun and elevation arc
- Above average ammo capacity
- Above average view and signal range
Cons:
- Below average hit points
- Below average traverse speed
- Below average armour
- Below average penetration and rate of fire
- Below average accuracy, aim time, and gun traverse speed
Suggested Equipment
Gallery
Historical Info
The 105 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M7 was an American self-propelled artillery vehicle produced during World War II. It was given the official service name 105 mm Self Propelled Gun, Priest by the British Army, due to the pulpit-like machine gun ring, following on from the Bishop and the contemporary Deacon self-propelled guns.
History
Witnessing the events of the war, U.S. Army observers realized that they would need a self-propelled artillery vehicle with sufficient firepower to support armored operations. Lessons learned with half-tracks (such as the T19) also showed that this vehicle would have to be armored and fully tracked. It was decided to use the M3 Lee chassis as the basis for this new vehicle design, which was designated T32.
After reworking the M3 by providing an open-topped superstructure, mounting a 105 mm howitzer and, following trials, adding a machine gun, the T32 was accepted for service as the M7 in February 1942 and production began that April.
While the first M7s were produced for the U.S. Army, supply was soon diverted to support the Lend-Lease program. Ninety M7s were sent to the British 8th Army in North Africa, who were also the first to use it in battle during the Second Battle of El Alamein as well as their own Bishop: a 25-pounder, howitzer-armed self-propelled gun. The M7 soon proved successful and the British requested 5,500 of them: an order which was never fully completed. They did find problems with the M7 though, as the primary armament was of U.S., not British standard. This meant that the M7s had to be supplied separately, causing logistical complications. It was a problem that was only truly resolved in 1943 on arrival of the 25-pounder-armed Sexton developed by the Canadians on a similar chassis. Until that time though, the British continued to use the M7 throughout the North African Campaign, the Italian Campaign, and even a few during the early days of the Normandy Invasion. After the Sexton appeared, most British M7s were converted into "Kangaroo" armored personnel carriers.
In U.S. service, the M7 was a great success. Each U.S. armored division had three battalions of M7s, giving them unparalleled mobile artillery support.
A total of 3,490 M7s were built, and they proved to be reliable weapons, continuing to see service in the U.S. and allied armies well past World War II.
Variants
- M7 --The first M7s produced were modified M3 Lee medium tanks. In order to maintain a low silhouette, the howitzer elevation had to be restricted to 35°. In May 1942, after only a month of production, the vehicle was altered to increase it's ammunition storage from 24 to 69 rounds. This was achieved by placing seven rounds on the left wall, five on the right, and storing the remainder under floor plates. The M7 also went through a fairly rapid shift from being based on the M3, to having more commonality with the M4 Sherman. The first major example was an adoption of the M4's three-piece housing, single piece casting, and suspension. In British service, some M7s carried a radio set, which took the place of 24 rounds of ammunition.
- M7B1 -- Completing the shift, the M7B1 was fully based on the M4A3 Sherman chassis. It was standardized in September 1943, and declared the "substitute" standard in January 1945.
- M7B2 --During the Korean War, the limited elevation of the howitzer became noticeably problematic and it was increased to 65° to increase the effective range of the howitzer. The machine gun mount also had to be raised to give a 360° firing arc.
- Defrocked Priest -- As one part of the Allied effort to capture Caen and breakout from the Normandy beaches, several M7s had their main gun removed in the field for use as armored personnel carriers and were used in Operation Goodwood. These field modified vehicles were referred to as "Defrocked Priests."
- Kangaroo -- A Canadian armored personnel carrier (APC) conversion of the M7 for use by British and Commonwealth units in northern Europe. The Kangaroo could carry 20 infantry plus a crew of two. A total of 102 were converted between October 1944 and April 1945. The name "Kangaroo" became generic for all APC conversions of armored fighting vehicles no longer suitable for combat, including Ram conversions.
Historical Gallery
Sources and External Links
USA | IIT1 HMC • IIIT18 HMC • IIIM7 Priest • IVT82 HMC • IVM37 • VM41 HMC • VIM44 • VIIM12 • VIIIM40/M43 • IXM53/M55 • XT92 HMC |
UK | IILoyd Gun Carriage • IIISexton II • IIISexton I • IVBirch Gun • VBishop • VIFV304 • VIICrusader 5.5-in. SP • VIIIFV207 • IXFV3805 • XConqueror Gun Carriage |
Germany | IIG.Pz. Mk. VI (e) • IIISturmpanzer I Bison • IIIWespe • IVPz.Sfl. IVb • IVSturmpanzer II • VGrille • VIHummel • VIIG.W. Panther • VIIIG.W. Tiger (P) • IXG.W. Tiger • XG.W. E 100 |
France | IIRenault FT 75 BS • IIILorraine 39L AM • IVAMX 105 AM mle. 47 • VAMX 13 105 AM mle. 50 • V105 leFH18B2 • VIAMX 13 F3 AM • VIILorraine 155 mle. 50 • VIIILorraine 155 mle. 51 • IXBat.-Châtillon 155 55 • XBat.-Châtillon 155 58 |
USSR | IISU-18 • IIISU-26 • IVSU-5 • VSU-122A • VISU-8 • VIIS-51 • VIISU-14-1 • VIIISU-14-2 • IX212A • XObject 261 |
China | |
Japan | |
Czechoslovakia | |
Sweden | |
Italy | |
Poland |