1990 Gulf War

M109 in the 1990 Gulf War

U.S. Army M109 self-propelled howitzers deployed with coalition ground forces in the 1990 Gulf War, including 24th Infantry Division vehicles shipped for Desert Shield and 1/201st Field Artillery M109s that fired preparatory and campaign fire during Desert Storm.

Weapon profileM109
SideCoalition forcesRoleFire Support
M109, 155 mm tracked self-propelled howitzer family, Artillery - 1990 Gulf War
Image source: Armed Forces of Ukraine train with U.S. and Norway M109 howitzer

Evidence Map

ClaimSources
U.S. Army M109 self-propelled howitzers deployed to Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Shield.

Sources: 24th Infantry Division M109s Deploy for Desert Shield, A West Virginian's Memories of Desert Storm

The 1/201st Field Artillery loaded assigned M109 howitzers for overseas movement and staged with the Gulf War ground force.

Sources: A West Virginian's Memories of Desert Storm

The 1/201st Field Artillery fired preparatory rounds into Iraq on February 17, 1991, and fired 447 high-explosive rounds during the campaign.

Sources: A West Virginian's Memories of Desert Storm

24th Infantry Division M109 howitzers are documented in public-domain deployment imagery for Operation Desert Shield.

Sources: 24th Infantry Division M109s Deploy for Desert Shield

Timeline

M109 In 1990 Gulf War

  1. 24th Infantry Division M109s prepared for Saudi deployment

    National Archives image metadata documents M-109 self-propelled howitzers of the 24th Infantry Division being loaded onto rapid-response vehicle cargo ships for deployment to Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield.

    Sources: 24th Infantry Division M109s Deploy for Desert Shield

  2. 1/201st Field Artillery reached Saudi Arabia

    DVIDS reports that the 1/201st Field Artillery loaded its assigned M109 howitzers for overseas movement and reached Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, before moving north to stage with the ground force.

    Sources: A West Virginian's Memories of Desert Storm

  3. M109-equipped 1/201st fired preparatory missions into Iraq

    DVIDS records the 1/201st Field Artillery firing several hundred preparatory rounds into Iraq a week before the ground war began.

    Sources: A West Virginian's Memories of Desert Storm

Documented Use

Direct proof of use

U.S. Army M109 self-propelled howitzers are directly documented in the 1990 Gulf War through deployment imagery and unit reporting. A National Archives image record shows M-109 self-propelled howitzers of the 24th Infantry Division loaded onto rapid-response vehicle cargo ships at Savannah for deployment to Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield.

DVIDS also records 1/201st Field Artillery, West Virginia Army National Guard, loading assigned M109 howitzers for overseas movement, arriving in Saudi Arabia on February 2, 1991, staging as part of the ground force, firing preparatory rounds into Iraq on February 17, and firing 447 high-explosive rounds during the campaign.

Sources: 24th Infantry Division M109s Deploy for Desert Shield, A West Virginian's Memories of Desert Storm

Timeline

On January 23, 1991, the National Archives image metadata placed 24th Infantry Division M109 howitzers at Savannah, Georgia, before shipment to Saudi Arabia for Operation Desert Shield. The record documents deployment preparation rather than a firing event, but it directly ties M109 vehicles to the coalition buildup for the Gulf War.

On February 2, 1991, the 1/201st Field Artillery reached Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, after loading its assigned M109 howitzers for overseas movement. DVIDS then places the battalion near Rafha as part of the ground force and records preparatory firing into Iraq on February 17, one week before the ground offensive began.

Sources: 24th Infantry Division M109s Deploy for Desert Shield, A West Virginian's Memories of Desert Storm

Operational role

The documented role was coalition 155 mm self-propelled artillery support for armored and ground maneuver forces. The 24th Infantry Division image shows M109s being shipped with a mechanized division during Desert Shield, while the 1/201st account describes M109-equipped artillery moving with the western ground-force maneuver and firing preparatory missions before the ground war.

The direct sources support U.S. Army use and deployment. They do not establish Iraqi M109 use in the conflict, and the strongest firing detail in the cited record comes from the 1/201st Field Artillery account rather than a comprehensive theater-wide artillery expenditure summary.

Sources: 24th Infantry Division M109s Deploy for Desert Shield, A West Virginian's Memories of Desert Storm

Images

Conflict Context

M109 self-propelled howitzers of the 24th Infantry Division loaded for Operation Desert Shield deployment
National Archives metadata identifies these as 24th Infantry Division M-109 self-propelled howitzers being loaded for deployment to Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield.

Sources: 24th Infantry Division M109s Deploy for Desert Shield

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Sources