The M1A1 Pack Howitzer was widely used during World War II and featured a short 75mm barrel. It could reach a sustained rate of fire of 3 to 6 rounds per minute with a range of roughly 5-½ miles. With an M8 carriage, it weighs just under 1,500 pounds. It was well suited for rough terrain and was often air dropped to otherwise inaccessible places. The howitzer could be broken down into six or seven loads and hand carried or loaded onto pack animals, hence its name. The Army used the Pack Howitzer for airborne and mountain units, while the Marine Corps used it to support beach landings, where it would be carried ashore in pieces for quick assembly and deployment on the beach.