155mm M107 HE Projectile (DODIC D544): Data Sheet
The M107 is the classic US 155mm high-explosive (HE) howitzer projectile. It was type classified Standard in 1958 and for the rest of the Cold War it was the round 155mm crews fired most, from the towed M114 to the M109 self-propelled family and the M198. It saw heavy use from Vietnam through Desert Storm before the M795 began replacing it in the 2000s.
If you have seen D544 stenciled on a 155mm shell, that is the projectile's DODIC, the Army's ammunition identification code. D544 is the deep-cavity M107; the normal-cavity version is D571.
The M107 as drawn in TM 43-0001-28, p. 3-77: exterior markings above, cutaway below.
At a glance
| Designation | Projectile, 155mm: HE, M107 (normal and deep cavity) |
|---|---|
| DODIC | D544 (deep cavity), D571 (normal cavity) |
| Type classified | Standard, 1958 (OTCM 36841) |
| Length with lifting plug | 26.93 in. max |
| Length without lifting plug | 23.89 in. |
| Body | Forged steel, ogival nose with a boat-tail base |
| Filler | 14.6 lb TNT or 15.4 lb Composition B |
| Supplementary charge | 0.3 lb TNT in an aluminum liner (deep cavity) |
| Color | Olive drab with yellow markings |
| Fired from (cannon) | M1, M1A1, M1A2 (M114 howitzer); M45 (M44); M126, M126A1, M185 (M109 family); XM199 (M198) |
| Fuzes | Point detonating M557, M78 series, M739 series, MK399 MOD 1; time M564, M582 series; proximity M728, M732 series; electronic time M767 |
| Propelling charges | M3, M3A1, M4A1, M4A2, M119/M119A1 |
All figures from TM 43-0001-28, pp. 3-77 to 3-78.
Reading the markings
Look at the stencil in the drawing and you can read the round's whole identity:
- 155H TNT: caliber, "H" for howitzer, and the filler.
- PROJ M107 W/SUPPL CHG: the model, shipped with the supplementary charge seated in the deep fuze cavity.
- D544: the DODIC, large on the body.
- Lot number: the small line between them.
Olive drab with yellow markings is the US code for high explosive. A Composition B round carries "COMP B" where this one says TNT.
How it was shipped
The M107 left the depot without a fuze. A threaded lifting plug, the ring at the nose, closed the fuze cavity for handling, and a grommet protected the soft-alloy rotating band near the base until the round was loaded. Crews removed the plug and fitted the fuze the mission called for, which is why the same projectile appears with so many different noses in photos.
Normal vs. deep cavity
The only difference between the two models is the fuze well. The normal-cavity M107 has a shallower receptacle. The deep-cavity version adds room for longer fuzes, filled in shipping by the 0.3 lb supplementary charge.
The replica
Our 155mm D544 M107 Whiskey Stash is life size, 3D printed and 100% plastic, stenciled in the HE or COMP-B scheme above. It is also available unpainted, with a HideyHole, or you can buy just the D544 stencil for your own shell. See the whole 155mm line.
Sources
- TM 43-0001-28, Army Ammunition Data Sheets: Artillery Ammunition, Headquarters, Department of the Army, 28 April 1994, through Change 11 (27 October 2003), pp. 3-77 to 3-78. Distribution Statement A: approved for public release. Find it in our Ordnance Reference Library.
Redleg3D makes 100% plastic, inert display replicas. This page is for history, collecting and identification only. If you ever find real ordnance, don't touch it: leave the area and call 911.