Tankopedia
WW2Tank DestroyerSP ArtilleryUnited States

M7 Priest

In service 1942 - 1950s

The 105 mm self-propelled howitzer the British named for the pulpit-like machine-gun ring on its side.

Built byAmerican Locomotive, Pressed Steel Car, Federal Machine

M7 Priest
M7 Priest at Aberdeen Proving Ground — Yellowute, via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain

Development history

Built on M3 Lee and later M4 Sherman components, the Priest gave Allied armoured divisions artillery that moved at tank speed. It first fought at Second El Alamein with British units, then served through Italy, Normandy and across Germany, and later in Korea. Reliable and roomy, it set the pattern for self-propelled artillery for a generation; surplus vehicles were converted into Kangaroo armoured personnel carriers by Commonwealth forces.

Variants

One canonical record, 3 recorded variants.

  1. M7

    1942

    M3 Lee-based hull, first used at El Alamein

  2. M7B1

    1944

    M4A3 Sherman components, Ford GAA engine

  3. M7B2

    1945

    Raised mount for greater elevation, used in Korea

Notable actions

  • Second Battle of El Alamein
  • Italian Campaign
  • Battle of Normandy
  • Korean War