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Honest John

Westech

CPL
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Location
cow farts, Wisconsin
the Honest John was a light to medium artillery round. There were two versions of the truck/rocket. The second was a little lighter firing platform and was more accurate. The truck were based off the 5 ton and the drive gears were in the 10 to 1 range. A lot lower then the 6.44 to 1 in the other 5 ton trucks. This was done to cope with all the extra weight of the rocket and firing platform.
 

DDoyle

Well-known member
Supporting Vendor
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West Tennessee
Big article on this has been done for Army Motors - I'll check tomorrow and find out when its scheduled for - I think issue after next.

A completely different article on this was in the June 2006 issue of Classic Military Vehicles, published in the UK.

This and the Lacrosse are a couple of my favorite 6x6s - unfortunately I have yet to find either in a buyable state!

Regards,
David
 

DDoyle

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Re: RE: Honest John

BFR said:
anyone know how they protected the glass?
I've got the op manual at home - along with a lot of the test documentation - should be easy enough to find out.

DD
 

DDoyle

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RE: Re: RE: Honest John

The Honest John was a field piece, not a ballastic missile, (think huge bazooka), range tables were used much like an artillery piece. The only external "guidance" equipment was a specially equipped M101 trailer with wind measuring gear known as the AN/MMQ-1 (I think I have one of these, don't I Jeff?).

Two different truck chassis (and two different missles) were used by the system.

Immediately below here is the first style truck (M289), with the long launch rail, this was known as the M31 system. The second one down is the later style truck (M386), with short launch rail, known as the M50 system.

I'll have to find the manuals and reports to be sure what the real deal is - but you can see from the first photo below, not much of the blast is directed at the cab.

Regards,
David Doyle
 

Attachments

maddawg308

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Location
Appomattox, VA
RE: Re: RE: Honest John

David, how many Honest John rocket systems were fielded? I have a lady friend whose father was in a HJ battery back in the 1960s, it'd be neat to find a pic of him on one of these beasts somewhere out there in internet-land.
 

tbanks

Member
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Winchester,KY
honest John rockets

Theres one in front of a surplus store in Indiana and a guy in Northern KY has one at his buisness.WAY COOL
 

Recovry4x4

LLM/Member 785
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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GA Mountains
RE: honest John rockets

Funny you ask. Just this morning DD came into chat asking for help using search to find that truck. Clinto found it in no time flat and DD disappeared. Little while later he returned and is working on saving the truck. He must have some contacts somewhere.
 

papercu

Active member
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31
38
Location
Baxley, Ga.
John

He'll need some very good luck to get anything from a AFB. And Elgin is right next to the ocean so there may not be much left. Wayne
 

DDoyle

Well-known member
Supporting Vendor
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West Tennessee
RE: John

If I am successful, it won't be mine - but it will be in a military museum. This will ease the paperwork thing, since it will still be government property.

Main thing is - save what is left. Maybe sacrifice a bridge truck along the way.

I'll keep you posted on any progress.

DD
 

KaiserM109

New member
1,108
4
0
Location
SE Aurora, CO
RE: John

In the 15th CEB we had a 106 recoilless rifle (an overgrown bazooka) mounted on an M38. They fired it once with an M37 behind it and burned the paint off in a circle about the size of a wheel.
 
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