Fort Sill in Comanche County, Oklahoma — The American South (West South Central)

U.S. M4 Lacrosse Missile

Photographed by James Hulse, September 9, 2021

1. U.S. M4 Lacrosse Missile Marker

Inscription. The Lacrosse was a short-range ballistic missile of the Cold War, which proved to be less than successful. Development began in 1947, but the missile did not enter service until July 1959. The M4 Lacrosse Missile System was designed to provide precision fire against enemy strong points. The missile was mounted and transported on a standard 2 1/2-ton truck. To prepare the missile for firing, the warhead was attached to a solid-fuel rocket motor. Then, the four large wings and four small fins, which steered the missile, were snapped into place. A Forward Observation Team fed the target information into a Jeep-mounted computer and the missile was guided to its target by radio signals. Lacrosse was plagued by its unreliability, heavy maintenance requirements and it proved to be very susceptible to electronic jamming. If the missile was successfully jammed, the Forward Observer Team would lose control of the missile and it could easily land on friendly troops. Because of the Lacrosse's many problems, the Army cancelled procurement in January 1961 only 16 months after it was introduced. By February 1964, the Lacrosse was out

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of service.

Length - 19 ft. - 5.8 m
Weight - 2,300 lbs. - 1045 kg
Range - 20 miles -32 km
Warhead - Conventional 245-lb. high explosive, shape charge and 10 kT Nuclear
CCN# 126918/126919

Erected by U.S. Army Field Artillery Museum. (Marker Number 450.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, Cold. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1961.

Location. 34° 40.001′ N, 98° 23.154′ W. Marker is in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, in Comanche County. It is at the intersection of Corral Road and Randolph Road, on the right when traveling west on Corral Road. The marker is located in the central section of Artillery Park at the U.S. Army Field Artillery Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 304 Corral Road, Fort Sill OK 73503, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Oklahoma’s Kiowa Tribe,

in the Comanche Nation,

and in Southwest Oklahoma.

It is also in the American South,

specifically on the prairies,

and on the Southern Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Closeup of the U.S. M4 Lacrosse Missile and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, September 9, 2021

2. Closeup of the U.S. M4 Lacrosse Missile and Marker

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the Comanchería,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Soviet M1931/37 122mm Field Gun (a few steps from this marker); XM-104 105mm Self-Propelled Gun (a few steps from this marker); U.S. M37 105mm Self-Propelled Howitzer (a few steps from this marker); Japanese Type 41 75mm Regimental Gun (a few steps from this marker); U.S. M1 240mm Howitzer (a few steps from this marker); U.S. M108 105mm Self-Propelled Howitzer (within shouting distance of this marker); U.S. M1A1 Cannon and M3A1 Carriage Transport Wagons (within shouting distance of this marker); Japanese Type 90 75mm Field Gun (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Sill.

More about this marker. Marker and Museum are located on Fort Sill, an active U.S. military installation. The museum is open to the public, but appropriate identification is required for access for Fort Sill.

Also see . . . U.S. Army Artillery Museum. (Submitted
Photographed by James Hulse, September 9, 2021

3. The U.S. M4 Lacrosse Missile and Marker
on February 18, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 18, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 17, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 348 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 18, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.