M116 75mm pack howitzer.

[Phillip Brandt]

When I was in high school they had this for football games. It's welded in the travel postion, but was semi operational. Someone had turned a steel cylinder the fit in the chamber. The cylinder was bored through one end the accommodate a 12 gauge shotgun shell the other a bit larger for a blackpowder charge. I always suspected the breach had been welded and someone cut the welds.

It turned up when high school football stadium was demolished. The Army told them they could keep it, but the tube had to be filled with cement. The local museum wanted it, but the superintendent wanted to keep it. The chairman of the museum board is retired principal and he couldn't even find out where it had been for 20 plus years. Apparently their Operational Security is quite good.😁

[Charlie Flick]

That is very cool!  I don't think many high schools today would look favorably on having a Pack Howitzer hanging around the campus.

 

Here is a pre-war pic of a "traveling" Pack Howitzer.  (Photo credit to Handcartz.)

 

Regard,

Charlie