Artillery of the Soviet Army in the first post-war years (1945-1953). Post-war Soviet anti-aircraft artillery Anti-tank guns of the USSR

Soviet anti-aircraft artillery played a very important role in the Great Patriotic War. According to official data, in the course of hostilities, 21,645 aircraft were shot down by ground-based air defense systems of the ground forces, including 4047 aircraft with anti-aircraft guns of 76 mm and more, and 14,657 aircraft with anti-aircraft guns.
In addition to fighting the enemy, anti-aircraft guns, if necessary, often fired at ground targets. For example, in the Battle of Kursk, 15 anti-tank artillery battalions took part in twelve 85-mm anti-aircraft guns. This measure, of course, was forced, since anti-aircraft guns were much more expensive, less mobility, and they were harder to camouflage.

The number of anti-aircraft guns increased continuously during the war. The increase in small-caliber anti-aircraft guns was especially significant, so on January 1, 1942, there were about 1600 37-mm anti-aircraft guns, and on January 1, 1945, there were about 19 800 guns. However, despite the quantitative increase in anti-aircraft guns, in the USSR during the war, self-propelled anti-aircraft installations (ZSU), capable of accompanying and covering, were never created.
In part, the need for such vehicles was satisfied by the American quad 12.7-mm ZSU M17 received under Lend-Lease, which were mounted on the chassis of the M3 half-track armored personnel carrier.

These ZSU proved to be a very effective means of protecting tank units and formations on the march from an air attack. In addition, M17s were successfully used during battles in cities, firing heavy fire on the upper floors of buildings.

The task of covering the troops on the march was assigned mainly to anti-aircraft machine gun mounts (ZPU) of 7.62-12.7 mm caliber installed on trucks.

The mass production of the 25-mm 72-K assault rifle, which was put into service in 1940, did not begin until the second half of the war due to difficulties in mastering mass production. A number of design solutions for the 72-K anti-aircraft gun were borrowed from the 37-mm automatic anti-aircraft gun mod. 1939 61-K.

Anti-aircraft machine gun 72-K

Anti-aircraft guns 72-K were intended for air defense at the level of a rifle regiment and in the Red Army occupied an intermediate position between the large-caliber anti-aircraft machine guns DShK and the more powerful 37-mm anti-aircraft guns 61-K. They were also installed on trucks, but in much smaller quantities.

Anti-aircraft gun 72-K in the back of a truck

Anti-aircraft guns 72-K and paired installations 94-KM based on them were used against low-flying and diving targets. In terms of the number of copies produced, they were much inferior to 37-mm assault rifles.

94-KM units on trucks

The creation of an anti-aircraft machine gun of this caliber with a clip-on loading does not seem entirely justified. The use of a clip-on loader for a small-caliber anti-aircraft machine gun greatly reduced the practical rate of fire, slightly surpassing the 37-mm 61-K machine gun in this indicator. But at the same time, it is much inferior to him in range, altitude and the damaging effect of the projectile. The production cost of the 25mm 72-K was not much less than the production cost of the 37mm 61-K.
The installation of the rotating part of the gun on a non-detachable four-wheeled vehicle is the object of criticism based on comparison with foreign anti-aircraft guns of a similar class.

It should be noted, however, that the 25mm shell itself was not bad. At a distance of 500 meters, an armor-piercing projectile weighing 280 grams, with an initial speed of 900 m / s, penetrated 30-mm armor along the normal.

When creating a unit with a tape feed, it was quite possible to achieve a high rate of fire, which was done after the war in anti-aircraft 25-mm machine guns created for the Navy.

With the end of the war in 1945, production of 72-K was discontinued, however, they continued to be in service until the early 60s, until the 23-mm ZU-23-2 were replaced.

Much more widespread was the 37-mm automatic anti-aircraft gun of the 1939 61-K model, created on the basis of the Swedish 40-mm Bofors cannon.

The 37-mm automatic anti-aircraft gun of the 1939 model is a single-barreled small-caliber automatic anti-aircraft gun on a four-carriage with an inseparable four-wheel drive.

The automatic gun is based on the use of the recoil force according to the scheme with a short recoil of the barrel. All actions necessary for firing a shot (opening the bolt after a shot with extracting the sleeve, cocking the striker, feeding cartridges into the chamber, closing the bolt and releasing the striker) are performed automatically. Aiming, aiming of the gun and the supply of clips with cartridges to the store are carried out manually.

According to the leadership of the gun service, its main task was to combat air targets at ranges up to 4 km and at altitudes up to 3 km. If necessary, the gun can be successfully used for firing at ground targets, including tanks and armored vehicles.

61-K during the Great Patriotic War were the main means of air defense of the Soviet troops in the front line.

During the war years, the industry supplied the Red Army with more than 22,600 37-mm anti-aircraft guns mod. 1939. In addition, at the final stage of the war, the SU-37 self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, created on the basis of the SU-76M self-propelled gun and armed with a 37-mm 61-K anti-aircraft gun, began to enter the troops.

self-propelled anti-aircraft guns SU-37

In order to increase the density of anti-aircraft fire at the end of the war, a two-gun installation B-47 was developed, which consisted of two 61-K machine guns on a four-wheeled cart.

two-gun mount V-47

Despite the fact that production of 61-K was completed in 1946, they remained in service for a very long time and took part in numerous wars on all continents.

37-mm anti-aircraft guns mod. 1939 was actively used during the Korean War by both North Korean and Chinese units. Based on the results of the application, the gun has proven itself positively, but in some cases insufficient firing range was noted. An example is the battle in September 1952 of 36 P-51 aircraft with the 61-K division, as a result of which 8 aircraft were shot down (according to Soviet data), and the division's losses amounted to one gun and 12 people from the crew.

In the post-war years, the gun was exported to dozens of countries around the world, in the armies of many of which it is still in service today. In addition to the USSR, the gun was produced in Poland, as well as in China under the designation Type 55. In addition, in China, on the basis of the Type 69 tank, the Type 88 self-propelled twin anti-aircraft gun was created.

The 61-K was also actively used during the Vietnam War (using a semi-handicraft twin self-propelled anti-aircraft gun based on the T-34 tank, known as the Type 63). Used 37-mm cannon mod. 1939 and during the Arab-Israeli wars, as well as during various armed conflicts in Africa and in other regions of the world.

This anti-aircraft gun is perhaps the most “belligerent” one in terms of the number of armed conflicts where it was used. The exact number of aircraft shot down by him is not known, but we can say that it is much higher than that of any other anti-aircraft gun.

The only medium-caliber anti-aircraft gun produced in the USSR during wartime was the 85-mm anti-aircraft gun mod. 1939 g.
During the war, in 1943, in order to reduce the cost of production and increase the reliability of the gun mechanisms, regardless of the elevation angle, a modernized 85-mm gun mod. 1939 with a semiautomatic copying machine, an automatic reel speed control and simplified units.

In February 1944. this gun, which received the factory index KS-12, went into mass production.

In 1944, the 85-mm anti-aircraft gun mod. 1944 (KS -1). It was obtained by imposing a new 85-mm barrel on the carriage of an 85-mm anti-aircraft gun mod. 1939 The purpose of the modernization was to increase the survivability of the barrel and reduce the cost of production. The KS-1 was adopted on July 2, 1945.

85 mm anti-aircraft gun KS-1

For aiming the gun according to PUAZO data, receiving devices are installed, connected by synchronous communication with PUAZO. Installation of fuses with the help of a fuse installer is carried out according to PUAZO data or at the command of the commander 85 mm anti-aircraft gun mod. 1939 was equipped with PUAZO-Z receiving devices, and the 85-mm anti-aircraft gun mod. 1944 - PUAZO-4A.

Rangefinder calculation PUAZO-3

At the beginning of 1947, a new 85-mm anti-aircraft gun KS-18 was received for testing.
The KS-18 cannon was a four-wheeled platform with a mass of 3600 kg with a torsion bar suspension, on which a machine with an instrument weighing 3300 kg was installed. The gun was equipped with a tray and a projectile rammer. Due to the increased length of the barrel and the use of a more powerful charge, the area of destruction of targets in height was increased from 8 to 12 km. Camora KS-18 was identical with the 85 mm D-44 anti-tank gun.
The gun was equipped with a synchronous servo drive and PUAZO-6 receiving devices.
The KS-18 cannon was recommended for service with the military anti-aircraft artillery and anti-aircraft artillery of the RVK instead of the 85-mm anti-aircraft guns mod. 1939 and arr. 1944

In total, over the years of production, more than 14,000 85-mm anti-aircraft guns of all modifications were produced. In the post-war period, they were in service with anti-aircraft artillery regiments, artillery divisions (brigades), armies and RVK, and corps anti-aircraft artillery regiments (divisions) of military anti-aircraft artillery.

85-mm anti-aircraft guns took an active part in the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, where they showed themselves well. The defensive fire of these guns often forced American pilots to move to low altitudes, where they came under fire from small-caliber anti-aircraft guns.

Anti-aircraft 85-mm guns were in service in the USSR until the mid-60s, until they were supplanted in the air defense forces by anti-aircraft missile systems.

Based on materials:
Shirokorad A.B. Encyclopedia of Russian artillery.
http://www.telenir.net/transport_i_aviacija/tehnika_i_vooruzhenie_1998_07/p6.php

After the end of the war, in the USSR, the anti-tank artillery was armed with: 37-mm airborne guns of the 1944 model, 45-mm anti-tank guns mod. 1937 and arr. 1942, 57-mm anti-tank guns ZiS-2, divisional 76-mm ZiS-3, 100-mm field model 1944 BS-3. German captured 75-mm anti-tank guns Rak 40 were also used. They were purposefully assembled, stored and repaired if necessary.

In mid-1944, the ChK-M1 37-mm airborne gun was officially adopted.

It was specially designed to arm parachute battalions and motorcycle regiments. The gun weighing 209 kg in combat position allowed for air transportation and parachuting. It had good armor penetration for its caliber, allowing it to hit the side armor of medium and heavy tanks with a sub-caliber projectile at a short distance. The shells were interchangeable with the 37 mm 61-K anti-aircraft gun. The gun was transported in Willis and GAZ-64 vehicles (one gun per vehicle), as well as in Dodge and GAZ-AA vehicles (two guns per vehicle).

In addition, it was possible to transport the weapon on a one-horse cart or sleigh, as well as in a motorcycle sidecar. If necessary, the tool is disassembled into three parts.

The calculation of the gun consisted of four people - the commander, gunner, loader and carrier. When shooting, the calculation takes a prone position. The technical rate of fire reached 25-30 rounds per minute.
Thanks to the original design of recoil devices, the 37-mm airborne gun model 1944 combined the ballistics of an anti-aircraft gun, powerful for its caliber, with small dimensions and weight. With the armor penetration values close to the 45 mm M-42, the ChK-M1 is three times lighter and much smaller in size (much lower line of fire), which greatly facilitated the movement of the gun by the crew and its camouflage. At the same time, the M-42 also has a number of advantages - the presence of a full-fledged wheel drive, which allows the gun to be towed by a car, the absence of a muzzle brake unmasking when firing, a more effective fragmentation projectile and a better armor-piercing projectile.
The 37-mm ChK-M1 cannon was about 5 years late, was put into service and put into production when the war came to an end. Apparently, she did not take part in hostilities. A total of 472 guns were produced.

By the end of hostilities, 45-mm anti-tank guns were hopelessly outdated, even the presence of a 45-mm M-42 gun in the ammunition load of a sub-caliber projectile with normal penetration at a distance of 500 meters - 81-mm homogeneous armor could not correct the situation. Modern heavy and medium tanks were only affected by firing at the side, from extremely small distances. The active use of these guns until the very last days of the war can be explained by their high maneuverability, ease of transportation and camouflage, huge accumulated stocks of ammunition of this caliber, as well as the inability of Soviet industry to provide troops in the required number with anti-tank guns with higher characteristics.
One way or another, in the active army, "forty-fives" were very popular, only they could move by the forces of calculation in the battle formations of the advancing infantry, supporting it with fire.

In the late 40s, "forty-fives" began to be actively withdrawn from parts and transferred to storage. However, for a fairly long period of time, they continued to remain in service with the Airborne Forces and used as training weapons.
A significant number of 45 mm M-42 were transferred to the then allies.

American soldiers from the 5th Cavalry Regiment study an M-42 captured in Korea

"Forty-five" was actively used in the Korean War. In Albania, these guns were in service until the early 90s.

Mass production of the 57-mm anti-tank gun ZiS-2 became possible in 1943, after the necessary metal-working machines were received from the United States. The restoration of serial production took place with difficulty - again there were technological problems with the manufacture of barrels, in addition, the plant was heavily loaded with a program for the production of 76-mm divisional and tank guns, which had a number of common units with the ZIS-2; in these conditions, the increase in the production of the ZIS-2 on the existing equipment could be carried out only by reducing the volume of production of these guns, which was unacceptable. As a result, the first batch of ZIS-2 for carrying out state and military tests was released in May 1943, and in the production of these guns, the backlog preserved at the plant since 1941 was widely used. The mass production of the ZIS-2 was organized by October - November 1943, after the commissioning of new production facilities, provided with equipment supplied under Lend-Lease.

The capabilities of the ZIS-2 made it possible to confidently hit the 80-mm frontal armor of the most common German medium tanks Pz.IV and assault self-propelled guns StuG III at typical combat distances, as well as the side armor of the Pz.VI "Tiger" tank; at distances less than 500 m, the frontal armor of the Tiger was also hit.
In terms of the total cost and manufacturability of production, combat and service and operational characteristics, the ZIS-2 became the best Soviet anti-tank gun of the war.
From the moment of the resumption of production, until the end of the war, more than 9000 guns were received by the troops, but this was not enough to fully equip the anti-tank units.

The production of the ZiS-2 lasted until 1949, inclusive; in the post-war period, about 3500 guns were produced. From 1950 to 1951, only the ZIS-2 barrels were produced. Since 1957, the previously released ZIS-2 has been modernized into the ZIS-2N variant with the ability to conduct combat at night due to the use of special night sights
In the 1950s, new sub-caliber projectiles with increased armor penetration were developed for the cannon.

In the post-war period, the ZIS-2 was in service with the Soviet army at least until the 1970s, the last case of combat use was recorded in 1968, during the conflict with the PRC on Damansky Island.
ZIS-2 were supplied to a number of countries and took part in several armed conflicts, the first of which was the Korean War.
There is information about the successful use of the ZIS-2 by Egypt in 1956 in battles with the Israelis. Guns of this type were in service with the Chinese army and were produced under license under the index Type 55. As of 2007, the ZIS-2 was still in service with the armies of Algeria, Guinea, Cuba and Nicaragua.

In the second half of the war, the anti-tank units were armed with captured German 75-mm anti-tank guns Cancer 40. During the 1943-1944 offensive operations, a large number of guns and ammunition were captured. Our military appreciated the high performance of these anti-tank guns. At a distance of 500 meters, along the normal, a sub-caliber projectile penetrated 154-mm armor.

In 1944, shooting tables and operating instructions were issued for Cancer 40 in the USSR.
After the war, the guns were transferred to storage, where they were located at least until the mid-60s. Subsequently, some of them were "disposed of", and some were transferred to the allies.

A snapshot of the RAK-40 guns was taken at the parade in Hanoi in 1960.

In fear of an invasion from the South, several anti-tank artillery divisions were formed as part of the North Vietnamese army, armed with the German 75-mm anti-tank guns RaK-40 from the Second World War. These guns were captured in large numbers in 1945 by the Red Army, and now the Soviet Union has provided them to the Vietnamese people for protection against possible aggression from the South.

Soviet divisional 76-mm guns were intended for solving a wide range of tasks, primarily fire support for infantry units, suppressing firing points, and destroying light field shelters. However, in the course of the war, divisional artillery guns had to fire at enemy tanks, perhaps even more often than specialized anti-tank guns.

Since 1944, due to a slowdown in the production of 45-mm guns and a shortage of 57-mm ZIS-2 guns, despite the insufficient armor penetration for that time, the divisional 76-mm ZiS-3 became the main anti-tank gun of the Red Army.

In many ways, this was a forced measure, the penetration of an armor-piercing projectile, which penetrated 75-mm armor at a distance of 300 meters along the normal, was not enough to deal with German medium tanks Pz.IV.

As of 1943, the armor of the PzKpfW VI Tiger heavy tank was invulnerable to the ZIS-3 in the frontal projection and weakly vulnerable at distances closer than 300 m in the side projection. The new German tank PzKpfW V "Panther", as well as the modernized PzKpfW IV Ausf H and PzKpfW III Ausf M or N, were also weakly vulnerable in the frontal projection for the ZIS-3; however, all these machines were confidently hit from the ZIS-3 to the side.

The introduction of a sub-caliber projectile since 1943 improved the anti-tank capabilities of the ZIS-3, allowing it to confidently hit vertical 80-mm armor at distances closer than 500 m, but 100-mm vertical armor remained unbearable for it.
The relative weakness of the anti-tank capabilities of the ZIS-3 was recognized by the Soviet military leadership, but until the end of the war, the ZIS-3 was not replaced in the anti-tank subunits. The situation could be corrected by introducing a cumulative projectile into the ammunition load. But such a projectile was adopted by the ZiS-3 only in the post-war period.

Soon after the end of the war and the release of over 103,000 guns, production of the ZiS-3 was discontinued. The gun remained in service for a long time, but by the end of the 40s, it was almost completely withdrawn from the anti-tank artillery. This did not prevent ZiS-3 from spreading very widely throughout the world and taking part in many local conflicts, including in the territory of the former USSR.

In the modern Russian army, the remaining serviceable ZIS-3 are often used as fireworks or in theatrical performances on the theme of the battles of the Great Patriotic War. In particular, these guns are in service with the Separate Salute Division under the commandant's office of Moscow, which conducts fireworks on the holidays on February 23 and May 9.

In 1946, the 85-mm anti-tank gun D-44, created under the leadership of chief designer F.F.Petrov, was put into service. This weapon would have been in great demand during the war, but its development, for a number of reasons, took a long time.
Outwardly, the D-44 strongly resembled the German 75-mm anti-tank Cancer 40.

From 1946 to 1954, plant number 9 ("Uralmash") produced 10,918 guns.
D-44s were in service with a separate anti-tank artillery battalion of a motorized rifle or tank regiment (two anti-tank artillery batteries consisting of two fire platoons) 6 each in a battery (in division 12).

As ammunition, unitary cartridges with high-explosive fragmentation grenades, reel-shaped sub-caliber projectiles, cumulative and smoke projectiles are used. The direct firing range of the BTS BR-367 at a target 2 m high is 1100 m. At a distance of 500 m, this projectile penetrates an armor plate 135 mm thick at an angle of 90 °. The initial speed of BPS BR-365P is 1050 m / s, armor penetration is 110 mm from a distance of 1000 m.

In 1957, night sights were installed on some of the guns, and a self-propelled modification of the SD-44 was also developed, which could move on the battlefield without a tractor.

The barrel and carriage of the SD-44 were taken from the D-44 with minor modifications. So, an M-72 engine of the Irbit Motorcycle Plant with a capacity of 14 hp was installed on one of the gun beds. (4000 rpm.) Providing a self-propelled speed of up to 25 km / h. The transmission of power from the engine was provided through the propeller shaft, differential and axle shafts to both wheels of the gun. The gearbox, which is part of the transmission, provided six forward gears and two reverse gears. A seat is also fixed on the bed for one of the crew numbers, which performs the functions of a driver. At his disposal there is a steering gear that controls an additional, third, cannon wheel, mounted at the end of one of the beds. A headlamp is installed to illuminate the road at night.

Subsequently, it was decided to use the 85-mm D-44 as a divisional one to replace the ZiS-3, and assign the fight against tanks to more powerful artillery systems and ATGMs.

In this capacity, the weapon was used in many conflicts, including in the vastness of the CIS. An extreme case of combat use was noted in the North Caucasus, during the "counter-terrorist operation".

The D-44 is still formally in service in the Russian Federation, a number of these weapons are in the internal troops and in storage.

On the basis of the D-44, under the leadership of the chief designer F.F.Petrov, the 85-mm anti-tank gun D-48 was created. The main feature of the D-48 anti-tank gun was an exceptionally long barrel. To ensure the maximum initial velocity of the projectile, the barrel length was increased to 74 calibers (6 m, 29 cm).
New unitary shots were created especially for this weapon. An armor-piercing projectile at a distance of 1,000 m pierced armor with a thickness of 150-185 mm at an angle of 60 °. A sub-caliber projectile at a distance of 1000 m penetrates homogeneous armor with a thickness of 180-220 mm at an angle of 60 °. Maximum firing range of high-explosive fragmentation projectiles weighing 9.66 kg. - 19 km.
From 1955 to 1957 produced: 819 copies of D-48 and D-48N (with night sight APN2-77 or APN3-77).

The guns entered service with individual anti-tank artillery divisions of a tank or motorized rifle regiment. As an anti-tank gun, the D-48 cannon quickly became obsolete. In the early 60s of the XX century, tanks with more powerful armor protection appeared in NATO countries. A negative feature of the D-48 was the "exclusive" ammunition, not suitable for other 85 mm guns. For firing from the D-48, the use of shots from the D-44, KS-1, 85-mm tank and self-propelled guns is also prohibited, this significantly narrowed the scope of the gun.

In the spring of 1943 V.G. Grabin, in his memo addressed to Stalin, proposed, along with the resumption of production of the 57-mm ZIS-2, to start designing a 100-mm cannon with a unitary shot, which was used in naval guns.

A year later, in the spring of 1944, the BS-3 100-mm field gun of the 1944 model was put into production. Due to the presence of a wedge breechblock with a vertically moving wedge with semiautomatic devices, the arrangement of vertical and horizontal guidance mechanisms on one side of the gun, as well as the use of unitary shots, the rate of fire of the gun is 8-10 rounds per minute. The cannon was fired with unitary cartridges with armor-piercing tracer shells and high-explosive fragmentation grenades. An armor-piercing tracer projectile with an initial speed of 895 m / s at a distance of 500 m at a meeting angle of 90 ° pierced armor with a thickness of 160 mm. The direct shot range was 1080 m.

However, the role of this weapon in the fight against enemy tanks is greatly exaggerated. By the time of its appearance, the Germans practically did not use tanks on a massive scale.

During the war, BS-3 was produced in small quantities and could not play a large role. At the final stage of the war, 98 BS-3s were attached as a means of strengthening five tank armies. The gun was in service with the light artillery brigades of the 3-regimental composition.

In the artillery of the RGK, as of January 1, 1945, there were 87 BS-3 cannons. At the beginning of 1945, in the 9th Guards Army, as part of three rifle corps, one cannon artillery regiment, 20 BS-3 each, was formed.

Basically, due to the long firing range of 20650 m and a fairly effective high-explosive fragmentation grenade weighing 15.6 kg, the gun was used as a hull gun to counter enemy artillery and suppress long-range targets.

BS-3 had a number of disadvantages that made it difficult to use it as an anti-tank. When firing, the gun jumped a lot, which made the gunner's work unsafe and knocked down the sighting installations, which, in turn, led to a decrease in the practical rate of aimed fire - a very important quality for a field anti-tank gun.

The presence of a powerful muzzle brake with a low height of the line of fire and flat trajectories, typical for firing at armored targets, led to the formation of a significant smoke and dust cloud that unmasked the position and blinded the crew. The mobility of the gun weighing more than 3500 kg left much to be desired, transportation by the crew on the battlefield was almost impossible.

After the war, the gun was in production until 1951, a total of 3816 BS-3 field guns were produced. In the 60s, the guns underwent modernization, this primarily concerned sights and ammunition. Until the early 60s, the BS-3 could penetrate the armor of any western tank. But with the advent of: M-48A2, Chieftain, M-60 - the situation has changed. New sub-caliber and cumulative projectiles were urgently developed. The next modernization took place in the mid-1980s, when the 9M117 Bastion anti-tank guided projectile entered the BS-3 ammunition load.

This weapon was also supplied to other countries, took part in many local conflicts in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, in some of them it is still in service today. In Russia, BS-3 cannons, until recently, were used as a coastal defense weapon in service with the 18th machine-gun and artillery division stationed in the Kuril Islands, and there is also a fairly significant number of them in storage.

Until the late 60s and early 70s of the last century, anti-tank guns were the main means of fighting tanks. However, with the advent of an ATGM with a semi-automatic guidance system, which only requires keeping the target in the sight of the sight, the situation has changed in many ways. The military leadership of many countries considered metal-intensive, bulky and expensive anti-tank weapons an anachronism. But not in the USSR. In our country, the development and production of anti-tank guns continued in significant numbers. Moreover, at a qualitatively new level.

In 1961, the T-12 100-mm smooth-bore anti-tank gun, developed at the Design Bureau of the Yurginsk Machine-Building Plant No. 75 under the leadership of V.Ya. Afanasyeva and L.V. Korneeva.

The decision to make a smooth-bore gun at first glance may seem rather strange, the time of such guns ended almost a hundred years ago. But the creators of the T-12 did not think so.

In a smooth channel, it is possible to make the gas pressure much higher than in a threaded one, and accordingly increase the initial velocity of the projectile.
In a rifled barrel, the rotation of the projectile reduces the armor-piercing effect of the jet of gases and metal during the explosion of a shaped-charge projectile.
A smooth-bore gun significantly increases the survivability of the barrel - there is no need to be afraid of the so-called "washing away" of the rifling fields.

The cannon channel consists of a chamber and a cylindrical smooth-walled guide part. The chamber is formed by two long and one short (between them) cones. The transition from the chamber to the cylindrical section is a conical slope. Vertical wedge shutter with spring semi-automatic. Unitary charging. The carriage for the T-12 was taken from the 85 mm D-48 rifled anti-tank gun.

In the 60s, a more convenient carriage was designed for the T-12 cannon. The new system received the MT-12 (2A29) index, and in some sources it is called "Rapier". The MT-12 went into serial production in 1970. The anti-tank artillery divisions of the motorized rifle divisions of the USSR Armed Forces included two anti-tank artillery batteries, consisting of six 100-mm T-12 (MT-12) anti-tank guns.

The T-12 and MT-12 cannons have the same warhead - a long, thin barrel with a length of 60 calibers with a "saltcellar" muzzle brake. Sliding beds are equipped with an additional retractable wheel installed at the openers. The main difference between the modernized model MT-12 is that it is equipped with a torsion bar suspension, which is blocked during firing to ensure stability.

When rolling the gun by hand, a roller is placed under the trunk part of the bed, which is fastened with a stopper on the left bed. The T-12 and MT-12 cannons are transported by a standard MT-L or MT-LB tractor. For movement in the snow, the LO-7 ski mount was used, which made it possible to fire from skis at elevation angles up to + 16 ° with an angle of rotation up to 54 °, and at an elevation angle of 20 ° with an angle of rotation up to 40 °.

The smooth barrel is much more convenient for firing guided projectiles, although in 1961, most likely, they had not thought about this yet. To combat armored targets, an armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile with an arrow-shaped warhead with high kinetic energy is used, capable of penetrating 215 mm thick armor at a distance of 1000 meters. The ammunition load includes several types of sub-caliber, cumulative and high-explosive fragmentation projectiles.

Shot ZUBM-10 with an armor-piercing sub-caliber projectile

Shot ZUBK8 with a cumulative projectile

When a special targeting device is installed on the cannon, shots with an anti-tank missile "Kustet" can be used. The missile is guided by a semi-automatic laser beam, the firing range is from 100 to 4000 m. The missile penetrates armor behind ERA ("reactive armor") up to 660 mm thick.

9M117 rocket and ZUBK10-1 round

For direct fire, the T-12 cannon is equipped with a day sight and night sights. With a panoramic sight, it can be used as a field weapon from closed positions. There is a modification of the MT-12R cannon with a 1A31 "Ruta" hinged guidance radar.

MT-12R with radar 1A31 "Ruta"

The gun was massively in service with the armies of the Warsaw Pact countries, supplied to Algeria, Iraq and Yugoslavia. They took part in hostilities in Afghanistan, in the Iran-Iraq war, in armed conflicts in the territories of the former USSR and Yugoslavia. During these armed conflicts, 100-mm anti-tank guns are mainly used not against tanks, but as conventional divisional or corps guns.

Anti-tank guns MT-12 continue to be in service in Russia.
According to the press center of the Ministry of Defense, on August 26, 2013, a fire was extinguished at well No. P23 U1 near Novy Urengoy with the help of an accurate shot with an UBK-8 cumulative projectile from the MT-12 Rapier cannon of the Yekaterinburg separate motorized rifle brigade of the Central Military District.

The fire began on August 19 and quickly turned into uncontrolled combustion of natural gas breaking through the faulty fittings. The artillery crew was transferred to Novy Urengoy by a military transport aircraft that took off from Orenburg. At the Shagol airfield, equipment and ammunition were loaded, after which the artillerymen under the command of the officer of the missile forces and artillery directorate of the Central Military District Colonel Gennady Mandrichenko were taken to the scene. The gun was set for direct fire from a minimum allowable distance of 70 m. The target diameter was 20 cm. The target was successfully hit.

In 1967, Soviet experts came to the conclusion that the T-12 cannon “does not provide reliable destruction of the Chieftain tanks and the promising MVT-70. Therefore, in January 1968, OKB-9 (now part of Spetstekhnika JSC) was instructed to develop a new, more powerful anti-tank gun with the ballistics of the 125-mm smooth-bore D-81 tank gun. The task was difficult to fulfill, since the D-81, having excellent ballistics, gave the strongest recoil, which was still tolerable for a tank weighing 40 tons. But on field trials, the D-81 fired a 203-mm B-4 howitzer from a tracked carriage. It is clear that such an anti-tank gun weighing 17 tons and a maximum speed of 10 km / h was out of the question. Therefore, in the 125-mm cannon, the recoil was increased from 340 mm (limited by the dimensions of the tank) to 970 mm and a powerful muzzle brake was introduced. This made it possible to install a 125-mm cannon on a three-man carriage from a serial 122-mm D-30 howitzer, which allowed circular fire.

The new 125-mm cannon was designed by OKB-9 in two versions: a towed D-13 and a self-propelled SD-13 ("D" is the index of artillery systems designed by V. F. Petrov). The development of the SD-13 was the Sprut-B 125-mm smooth-bore anti-tank gun (2A-45M). The ballistic data and ammunition of the D-81 tank gun and the 2A-45M anti-tank gun were the same.

The 2A-45M cannon had a mechanized system for transferring it from the combat position to the stowed position and vice versa, consisting of a hydraulic jack and hydraulic cylinders. With the help of a jack, the carriage was raised to a certain height necessary for breeding or converging the beds, and then lowered to the ground. Hydraulic cylinders raise the gun to maximum ground clearance, as well as raise and lower the wheels.

Sprut-B is towed by Ural-4320 or MT-LB tractor. In addition, for self-propelling on the battlefield, the gun has a special power unit based on the MeMZ-967A engine with a hydraulic drive. The engine is located on the right side of the implement under the hood. On the left side of the frame are the driver's seats and the gun control system during self-movement. At the same time, the maximum speed on dry dirt roads is 10 km / h, and the ammunition load is 6 rounds; fuel range - up to 50 km.

The ammunition load of the 125-mm gun "Sprut-B" includes separate-case loading shots with HEAT, sub-caliber and high-explosive fragmentation shells, as well as anti-tank missiles. The 125-mm VBK10 round with the BK-14M cumulative projectile can hit tanks of the M60, M48, Leopard-1A5 types. Shot VBM-17 with a sub-caliber projectile - M1 tanks "Abrams", "Leopard-2", "Merkava MK2". The VOF-36 round with the OF26 high-explosive fragmentation projectile is designed to destroy manpower, engineering structures and other targets.

In the presence of special guidance equipment 9S53 "Sprut" can fire shots ZUB K-14 with anti-tank missiles 9M119, the control of which is semi-automatic by a laser beam, the firing range is from 100 to 4000 m. Shot weight is about 24 kg, missiles - 17.2 kg, it penetrates the armor behind the ERA with a thickness of 700–770 mm.

Currently, towed anti-tank guns (100- and 125-mm smoothbore) are in service with the countries of the former republics of the USSR, as well as a number of developing countries. The armies of the leading Western countries have long abandoned special anti-tank guns, both towed and self-propelled. Nevertheless, it can be assumed that towed anti-tank guns have a future. Ballistics and ammunition of the 125-mm gun "Sprut-B", unified with the guns of modern main tanks, are capable of striking any production tanks in the world. An important advantage of anti-tank guns over ATGM is a wider choice of means of destruction of tanks and the possibility of hitting them point-blank. In addition, "Sprut-B" can be used as a non-anti-tank weapon. Its HE-26 high-explosive fragmentation projectile is close in ballistic data and in terms of explosive mass to the OF-471 projectile of the 122-mm A-19 corps gun, which became famous in the Great Patriotic War.

She played one of the most important roles in the defeat of Nazi Germany. Artillery played an equally important role in ensuring the defense capability of the Soviet Union in the first post-war years.

Direct control, training, education and provision of combat, operational-tactical and special training of command and personnel of artillery, the development of plans for the development and improvement of all artillery, as well as providing it with the necessary weapons and military equipment was entrusted to the Commander of the Artillery of the Armed Forces of the USSR.

To implement the assigned tasks, the following command and control bodies were subordinate to the commander: Artillery Headquarters, Main Artillery Directorate, Combat Training Directorate, Artillery Military Educational Institutions Directorate and Personnel Directorate. In addition, the artillery commander was responsible for the development of the country's air defense plan and the implementation of measures to prepare the territory of the USSR for air defense. In this regard, the commander of the country's air defense forces was subordinate to him. Under the leadership of the Commander of Artillery Marshal of Artillery N.N. Voronov, plans were prepared to transfer artillery to peacetime states and artillery weapons of the Soviet Army, the implementation of which began after the completion of the demobilization of the personnel of the active army.

After the end of the Great Patriotic War, the artillery of the Soviet Army underwent significant changes. The number of artillery units increased due to the creation of additional formations in rifle corps and divisions. Each of the surviving rifle corps received a corps artillery brigade as part of a cannon and howitzer artillery regiments (they were created, including by re-forming from anti-tank regiments), as well as an artillery reconnaissance battalion.

In addition, a guards mortar regiment and an anti-aircraft artillery division (then a regiment) were included in each of the corps. The rifle divisions were reinforced with a mortar and howitzer regiment, and the existing artillery regiment became known as a cannon regiment. All these regiments were reduced to an artillery brigade. In addition, each of the divisions received at its disposal 2 more separate artillery divisions - anti-aircraft and self-propelled. In the late 1940s - early 1950s. a number of artillery formations and units were disbanded.

So, most of the directorates of the artillery corps, a number of divisions and brigades ceased to exist. The number of regiments also decreased, mainly due to their enlargement. At the same time, about 70% of the units remained (especially anti-aircraft artillery), and some of the individual brigades and regiments were brought together or transformed into divisions. So, by 1948, 11 cannon divisions were additionally formed from separate regiments and brigades. The composition of the artillery divisions also underwent changes - the number of brigades and regiments decreased, the management staff of the division changed.

So, the anti-aircraft artillery divisions were transferred from a four-regiment to a three-regiment. Many of the compounds have changed numbers and, in part, their composition. Thus, in the early post-war years, the activities of the Artillery Commander were aimed at improving the organizational and staff structure of artillery units, which resulted in their downsizing, as well as the adoption of the latest artillery systems, communications and various vehicles, which contributed to increased mobility and firepower. artillery formations of ground forces.

S.Yu. Kondratenko

106 mm M40 recoilless gun

Recoilless guns, designed to destroy enemy personnel, firing points and armored vehicles, were used already during the Second World War, but they became widespread in the armies of various countries of the world only in the post-war period. Due to their high armor penetration, small size and mass, guns of this type are used mainly in anti-tank units of troops.

In Western countries, the most widespread was the M40 recoilless gun, which was adopted by the US Army in 1953. It has a rifled barrel and a piston valve with 4 outlet nozzles. The guidance mechanisms allow you to fire both direct fire using a telescopic sight, and from closed positions using an artillery panorama. For firing at tanks, a 12.7 mm sighting machine gun is installed on top of the gun. After "hitting" the target with tracer bullets, the crew opens fire with special shaped-charge projectiles weighing 7.9 kg each. In addition to them, the M40 ammunition also includes high-explosive armor-piercing (with plastic explosives), high-explosive fragmentation and smoke shells.

The gun carriage is equipped with three sliding beds, one of which is equipped with a wheel, and the other two are equipped with folding handles. In the American army, M40 recoilless guns were often installed on Jeep cars and armored personnel carriers. In this case, they were placed on machines and could conduct a circular attack. The M50 Ontos tank destroyer on the chassis of the M59 amphibious armored personnel carrier was created especially for the US Marine Corps. Three M40 guns with a total ammunition of 18 rounds were placed on both sides of the vehicle.

106-mm M40 recoilless guns are in service with the armies of more than 30 countries around the world. In some states, licensed production of weapons was established. Pakistan, for example, produced similar non-rollbacks for export, having mounted them on "jeeps".

Tactical and technical data

Designation: М40

Type: recoilless weapon

Caliber, mm: 106

Weight in firing position, kg: 219

Calculation, people, 3

Initial projectile velocity, m / s: 503

Rate of fire, rds / min: 5

Max. firing range, m: 7000

Armor penetration at a distance of 1100 m, mm: 450

Projectile weight, kg: 7.9

155-mm howitzer М198

The use of towed artillery in the harsh climatic conditions of Vietnam was the reason for the order for the American army of a 155-mm howitzer, superior in firing range and rate of fire to the M114A-1 howitzer. The new weapon was intended to provide fire support to infantry, airborne forces and the United States Marine Corps. The project was developed by Rock Island Arsenal, which soon produced several prototypes for testing. At the end of the 70s, the howitzer, designated M198, was put into production and is still being produced.

Like other guns of its time, the M198 howitzer has an autofreted monoblock barrel equipped with a two-chamber muzzle brake. The shutter is wedge, semi-automatic. Rollback brake hydraulic with variable rollback length, hydropneumatic recoil brake. The aiming of the gun is carried out using hydraulic drives. The sighting devices are equipped with glowing capsules with a radioactive substance to illuminate the scales and crosshairs at night. In the combat position, the howitzer is installed on a pallet, while the wheels are hung out. The tool does not have an auxiliary engine for independent movement, and is transported over long distances by a 5-ton vehicle. If necessary, M198 can be airlifted by transport aircraft or Chinook helicopter. In the stowed position, the barrel of the howitzer is rotated 180 ° and is fixed above the beds.

In terms of ballistic characteristics, the M198 howitzer is standardized with other 155-mm guns of Western countries and can fire all standard NATO 155-mm ammunition. The ammunition load of separate loading shots includes, in addition to the usual, nuclear shells, cluster shells equipped with anti-tank or anti-personnel mines, fragmentation and cumulative striking elements, as well as guided Copperhead shells with a semi-active laser seeker, in the case of which there is electronic control equipment that generates tail planes.

Tactical and technical data

Designation: М198

Type: field howitzer

Caliber, mm: 155

Weight in firing position, kg: 6920

Barrel length, calibres: 39

Angle GN, city: 45

HV angle, degree: -5; +72

Muzzle velocity, m / s: 827

Rate of fire, rds / min: 4

Max. firing range, m: conventional projectile - 22,000, active-rocket projectile - 30,000

Projectile weight, kg: 43.88

In the mid-50s, self-propelled artillery systems took a firm place in the US field artillery. However, America's participation in numerous military conflicts unleashed around the world, and the appearance of nuclear weapons in the socialist countries, caused new requirements for the development of self-propelled guns. For a quick transfer in the air to anywhere in the world, self-propelled guns had to be small in size and weight. In order to protect the crew from the damaging factors of nuclear weapons, it was envisaged to fully arm the machines and equip them with filtering and ventilation units. Not the last place in the list of requirements was occupied by overcoming water obstacles by swimming, good maneuverability of the self-propelled guns due to the use of a special chassis and an increased horizontal firing sector through the use of a rotating turret.

In 1961, the US Army entered service with the 155-mm self-propelled gun mount M109, the body of which was welded from sheets of aluminum armor that protected the crew from bullets and shrapnel and significantly reduced the weight of the vehicle. The 155-mm howitzer was housed in a rotating turret in the rear of the hull and was guided in a vertical plane over a range of angles from -3 ° to 75 °. The maximum firing range of the gun was 14.7 km. A modernized version of the self-propelled howitzer, designated M109A1, appeared in the American army in the early 70s. It was distinguished by a barrel extended by 2.44 m, a more efficient muzzle brake, improved suspension and an easier loading mechanism. After the introduction of an enhanced charge, the firing range of a conventional projectile increased to 18.1 km, and when using an active-rocket projectile - to 24 km. The ammunition load of 36 separate cartridge-loading rounds also included nuclear projectiles and M712 "Copperhead" guided cumulative projectiles with a laser seeker. Subsequent versions of the M109 self-propelled gun were developed with the aim of further increasing the firing range and automating the fire control system. In total, about 4,000 M109 self-propelled gun mounts were manufactured. Currently, they are in service with the armies of more than 25 countries around the world.

Tactical and technical data

Designation: М109А2

Type: self-propelled howitzer

Crew, pers .: 6

Combat weight, t: 24.95

Length, m: 9.12

Width, m: 3.15

Height, m: 2.8

Armament: 155 mm howitzer, 12.7 mm M2 machine gun

Engine: Detroit Diesel 405 hp

Max. speed, km / h: 56

Cruising in store, km: 349

The 175-mm M107 artillery unit entered service with the US Army in 1961 and was developed as a powerful self-propelled gun adapted for air transport. Before loading it was disassembled: on one plane they carried the chassis, on the other - the artillery unit.

The base for the M107 was the T249 universal tracked chassis, on which the M110 self-propelled howitzer was also produced. In an open fighting compartment, located in the rear of the vehicle, a 175-mm M126 cannon was mounted on a pedestal carriage. A screw-on breech with a piston bolt was attached to a 10.7 m long barrel, which is a monoblock barrel or a pipe with a replaceable plug-in liner. To facilitate loading, there was a lift and rammer with a hydraulic drive. The horizontal aiming angle of the gun was 60 °, the vertical aiming angle was in the range from -2 ° to + 65 °. Guidance mechanisms are hydraulic and manual. The self-propelled body was welded from armor plates of differential thickness. In its rear part there were two openers - in the combat position, they were lowered to the ground using a hydraulic drive and ensured the stability of the ACS when firing at low elevation angles. The ammunition carried mainly consisted of shots of separate cap-loading with a high-explosive fragmentation projectile weighing 67 kg.

The M107 self-propelled guns received their baptism of fire during the Vietnam War, where the low survivability of the guns was unexpectedly revealed. At the usual rate of 700 rounds, the barrels of the guns burned out and became unusable after 300. The rate of fire of the self-propelled guns did not exceed 2 rounds per minute. In the early 70s, the Americans modernized the M107, equipping it with a gun with a new autofreted barrel with greater survivability and an improved loading mechanism. Nevertheless, the numerous design flaws of the self-propelled gun led to the fact that, since 1978, the M107 began to be replaced in the US troops with the M110 self-propelled howitzers. 175-mm self-propelled guns were also supplied to NATO countries and are in service with the armies of Greece, Turkey, Israel and other states.

Tactical and technical data

Designation: М107

Type: self-propelled gun

Crew, pers .: 5 + 8

Combat weight, t: 28.17

Length, m: 11.25 (with the gun forward)

Width, m: 3.15

Armament: 175 mm M126 cannon

Max. firing range, m: 32700

Engine: Detroit diesel 8V71Р 405 hp

Max. speed, km / h: 55

Cruising in store, km: 730

By the beginning of the war on the Korean Peninsula, the air defense of the US Army had a small number of self-propelled anti-aircraft guns M16 and M19. Large-scale hostilities showed the high efficiency of vehicles of this type, which were also used to combat enemy light armored vehicles. Therefore, the Americans began to develop a new ZSU on the chassis of the light tank M41 "Walter Bulldog", which was popular at that time. In an open top rotating turret mounted two paired 40-mm automatic cannon L / 60 "Bofors" with spring-hydraulic recoil devices. To aim the guns, a manual or hydraulic drive was used, and the vertical aiming angle was in the range from -3 ° to + 85 °. The composition of the ammunition consisted of 480 high-explosive and armor-piercing tracer shells placed around the perimeter in the tower, in the wing boxes and in the bow of the hull. The total rate of fire of the guns reached 240 rounds per minute. The fire control system included an anti-aircraft sight with a calculating device.

Self-propelled M42 units, also known as "Duster", began arriving at American units in Korea in 1953, being used primarily for the defense of Air Force bases and other important facilities. During operation, significant shortcomings of the self-propelled gun were revealed: due to the lack of fire control radar, it was ineffective in the fight against high-speed low-flying targets, the carburetor engine limited the range, and the open turret did not protect the crew from air attacks. The effective slant range of the ZSU against air targets was 2000–3000 m.

In 1956, the M42 went through the modernization process and, after installing a more powerful and economical engine with direct fuel injection, they began to be designated M42A1. In total, until 1956, American factories produced more than 3,700 40-mm Duster SPAAGs, which were in service with the US National Guard until the early 1980s.

Tactical and technical data

Designation: М42

Crew, pers .: 6

Combat weight, t: 22.45

Length, m: 6.35

Width, m: 3.22

Height, m: 2.84

Armament: two 40-mm guns L / 60, 7.62-mm machine gun

Engine: "Continental" 500 hp

Maximum speed, km / h: 72

Cruising in store, km: 160

81-mm mortar М29

The 81-mm M29 mortar, which entered service in 1951, was developed at the request of the command of the US Army to increase the firepower of infantry companies. However, the fighting in Vietnam showed that its use did not provide mortar units with sufficient maneuverability during the execution of a combat mission. First of all, due to the rather large weight of the mortar and the relatively short range of its firing. So, to carry the M29 in combat conditions, almost the entire crew was required, as a result of which the wearable ammunition was reduced from 40 to 18 minutes, which significantly reduced the company’s fire capabilities. In this regard, in the American troops in Vietnam, 81-mm M29 mortars were gradually replaced by 60-mm M19 mortars during World War II.

The design of the M29 is classic. The mortar consists of a smooth barrel, a two-legged gun carriage, sighting devices and a base plate with a central rotating unit that provides circular fire without rearranging the plate. On the outer surface of the barrel there are annular grooves to increase the cooling surface during intensive shooting. The ammunition load includes three types of high-explosive fragmentation mines, two types of smoke mines and a lighting mine. The M374 high-explosive fragmentation mine, specially designed for this mortar, has an increased firing range of up to 4.5 km and a more powerful explosive. The US Army also has a self-propelled version of an 81-mm mortar on the chassis of an M113 armored personnel carrier. He received the designation M125A-1. In the early 80s, American units began to replace the M29 with a more modern 60-mm company mortar M224.

Tactical and technical data

Type: company mortar

Caliber, mm: 81

Weight in firing position, kg: 48

The initial speed of the mine, m / s: 268

Rate of fire, rds / min: 25-30

Firing range, m: 4730

Mine weight, kg: 3.2-5.1

106.7 mm M30 mortar

The American army, unlike the British, did not abandon the use of heavy mortars, although they, with a mass of more than 300 kg, are too heavy for mortar crews to manage with them without vehicles. Therefore, usually such weapons are installed on armored personnel carriers or fire from them from stationary positions.

The 106.7-mm M30 mortar, adopted by the US Army in 1951, consists of a rifled barrel with a breech, a front support with guidance mechanisms, two shock absorbers, spring recoil devices, a base plate with a rotating central part, a bracket connecting the plate to the front support, and sight. For transportation over short distances by the forces of calculation or on pack animals, the M30 mortar is disassembled into six parts.

In a combat position, a 106.7-mm mortar is served by 5-6 people. Due to the presence of a rotating part of the base plate, it can conduct a circular horizontal attack. The mortar ammunition includes three types of high-explosive fragmentation mines, smoke, chemical and lighting mines. In flight, mines are stabilized by rotation, like artillery shells, so they do not need the stabilizers found on conventional mines.

Currently, the production of the M30 in the United States has been discontinued, but it still remains the heavy standard mortar in the American army. The weapon was widely exported to various countries of the world and is still in service with the armies of Austria, Belgium, Canada, Greece, Iran, the Netherlands, Norway, Aman, South Korea, Turkey and Zaire.

Tactical and technical data

Designation: М30

Type: heavy mortar

Caliber, mm: 106.7

Weight in firing position, kg: 305

Barrel length, calibres: 14.3

The initial speed of the mine, m / s: 293

Max, rate of fire, rds / min: 18

Max, firing range, m: 5650