Weapons of soldiers of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War. Small arms of the Wehrmacht. Small arms of the Wehrmacht in WWII. German small arms Cover the infantry with smoke
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The female name Katyusha entered the history of Russia and world history as the name of one of the most terrible types of weapons of the Second World War.
At the same time, none of the weapons was surrounded by such a veil of secrecy and disinformation ...
PAGES OF HISTORY
No matter how much our fathers-commanders kept the Katyusha materiel secret, just a few weeks after the first combat use, it fell into the hands of the Germans and ceased to be a secret. But the history of the creation of "Katyusha" for many years was kept "with seven seals" both because of the ideological attitudes and because of the ambitions of the designers.
The first question is why rocket artillery was used only in 1941? After all, powder rockets were used by the Chinese a thousand years ago. In the first half of the 19th century, rockets were widely used in European armies (rockets by V. Kongrev, A. Zasyadko, K. Konstantinov and others).
Rocket launchers of the early 19th century. V. Kongrev (a) and I. Kosinsky (b)
Alas, the combat use of missiles was limited by their huge dispersion. At first, long poles made of wood or iron - “tails” were used to stabilize them. But such missiles were effective only for hitting area targets. So, for example, in 1854, the Anglo-French from rowing barges fired rockets at Odessa, and the Russians in the 50-70s of the XIX century - the Central Asian cities.
But with the introduction of rifled guns, powder rockets become an anachronism, and between 1860-1880 they are removed from service with all European armies (in Austria - in 1866, in England - in 1885, in Russia - in 1879). In 1914, only signal rockets remained in the armies and navies of all countries. Nevertheless, Russian inventors constantly turned to the Main Artillery Directorate (GAU) with projects for combat missiles. So, in September 1905, the Artillery Committee rejected the high-explosive rocket project. The warhead of this rocket was stuffed with pyroxylin, and not black, but smokeless powder was used as fuel. Moreover, the good fellows from the State Agrarian University did not even try to work out an interesting project, but swept it away from the threshold. It is curious that the designer was ... Hieromonk Kirik.
It was not until World War I that interest in rockets revived. There are three main reasons for this. Firstly, slow-burning gunpowder was created, which made it possible to dramatically increase the flight speed and firing range. Accordingly, with an increase in flight speed, it became possible to effectively use wing stabilizers and improve the accuracy of fire.
The second reason: the need to create powerful weapons for airplanes of the First World War - "flying whatnots".
And, finally, the most important reason - the rocket was best suited as a means of delivering chemical weapons. 
CHEMICAL PROJECT
As early as June 15, 1936, the head of the chemical department of the Red Army, corps engineer Y. Fishman, was presented with a report from the director of the RNII, military engineer 1st rank I. Kleimenov and the head of the 1st department, military engineer 2nd rank K. Glukharev on preliminary tests of 132 / 82-mm short-range rocket-chemical mines . This munition supplemented the 250/132 mm short-range chemical mine, the tests of which were completed by May 1936.
Rocket M-13.
The M-13 projectile consists of a head and a body. The head has a shell and a combat charge. A fuse is fixed in front of the head. The hull provides the flight of a rocket projectile and consists of a skin, a combustion chamber, a nozzle and stabilizers. In front of the combustion chamber there are two electro-powder igniters. On the outer surface of the shell of the combustion chamber there are two guide pins screwed on the thread, which serve to hold the rocket projectile in the guide mounts. 1 - fuse retaining ring, 2 - GVMZ fuse, 3 - detonator head, 4 - bursting charge, 5 - warhead, 6 - igniter, 7 - chamber bottom, 8 - guide pin, 9 - powder rocket charge, 10 - rocket part, 11 - grate, 12 - critical section of the nozzle, 13 - nozzle, 14 - stabilizer, 15 - remote fuse check, 16 - AGDT remote fuse, 17 - igniter. 
Thus, “RNII has completed all the preliminary development of the issue of creating a powerful short-range chemical attack weapon, and is expecting from you a general conclusion on testing and an indication of the need for further work in this direction. For its part, the RNII considers it necessary now to issue a pilot-gross order for the manufacture of RHM-250 (300 pieces) and RHM-132 (300 pieces) in order to conduct field and military tests. The five pieces of RHM-250 remaining from the preliminary tests, of which three at the Central Chemical Test Site (Prichernavskaya station) and three RHM-132 can be used for additional tests according to your instructions.
Experimental installation M-8 on a tank 
According to the RNII report on the main activity for 1936 on topic No. 1, samples of 132-mm and 250-mm chemical rockets with a warhead capacity of 6 and 30 liters of OM were manufactured and tested. Tests carried out in the presence of the head of the VOKHIMU of the Red Army gave satisfactory results and received a positive assessment. But VOKHIMA did nothing to introduce these shells into the Red Army and gave the RNII new tasks for shells with a longer range.
For the first time, the Katyusha prototype (BM-13) was mentioned on January 3, 1939 in a letter from People's Commissar of the Defense Industry Mikhail Kaganovich to his brother, Deputy Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars Lazar Kaganovich: basically passed factory tests by shooting at the Sofrinsky control and test artillery range and is currently undergoing field tests at the Central Military Chemical Range in Prichernavskaya.
Experimental installation M-13 on a trailer 
Note that the customers of the future Katyusha are military chemists. The work was also financed through the Chemical Department and, finally, the warheads of the missiles are exclusively chemical.
132-mm RHS-132 chemical projectiles were fire tested at the Pavlograd artillery range on August 1, 1938. The fire was fired by single shells and series of 6 and 12 shells. The duration of firing a series of full ammunition did not exceed 4 seconds. During this time, the target area reached 156 liters of RH, which, in terms of an artillery caliber of 152 mm, was equivalent to 63 artillery shells when firing in a salvo of 21 three-gun batteries or 1.3 artillery regiments, provided that the fire was fired with unstable RH. The tests focused on the fact that the metal consumption per 156 liters of RH when firing rocket projectiles was 550 kg, while when firing chemical 152-mm projectiles, the weight of the metal was 2370 kg, that is, 4.3 times more.
The test report stated: “The automotive mechanized rocket launcher for chemical attack during the test showed significant advantages over artillery systems. A system capable of firing both single fire and a series of 24 shots within 3 seconds is installed on a three-ton machine. The speed of movement is normal for a truck. Transfer from marching to combat position takes 3-4 minutes. Firing - from the driver's cab or from cover.
The first experimental installation M-13 on a car chassis 
The warhead of one RHS (reactive-chemical projectile. - “NVO”) holds 8 liters of OM, and in artillery shells of a similar caliber - only 2 liters. To create a dead zone on an area of 12 hectares, one volley from three trucks is enough, which replaces 150 howitzers or 3 artillery regiments. At a distance of 6 km, the area of contamination of OM with one volley is 6-8 hectares.
I note that the Germans also prepared their multiple rocket launchers exclusively for chemical warfare. So, in the late 1930s, the German engineer Nebel designed a 15-cm rocket projectile and a six-barreled tubular installation, which the Germans called a six-barreled mortar. Mortar tests began in 1937. The system received the name "15-cm smoke mortar type" D ". In 1941, it was renamed 15 cm Nb.W 41 (Nebelwerfer), i.e. 15 cm smoke mortar mod. 41. Naturally, their main purpose was not to set up smoke screens, but to fire rockets filled with poisonous substances. Interestingly, the Soviet soldiers called 15 cm Nb.W 41 "Vanyusha", by analogy with the M-13, called "Katyusha".
Nb.W 41 
The first launch of the Katyusha prototype (designed by Tikhomirov and Artemyev) took place in the USSR on March 3, 1928. The range of the 22.7-kg rocket was 1300 m, and the Van Deren mortar was used as a launcher.
The caliber of our rockets of the period of the Great Patriotic War - 82 mm and 132 mm - was determined by nothing more than the diameter of the powder cartridges of the engine. Seven 24-mm powder cartridges, tightly packed into the combustion chamber, give a diameter of 72 mm, the thickness of the chamber walls is 5 mm, hence the diameter (caliber) of the rocket is 82 mm. Seven thicker (40 mm) checkers in the same way give a caliber of 132 mm.
The most important issue in the design of rockets was the method of stabilization. Soviet designers preferred feathered rockets and adhered to this principle until the end of the war.
In the 1930s, rockets with an annular stabilizer that did not exceed the dimensions of the projectile were tested. Such shells could be fired from tubular guides. But tests have shown that it is impossible to achieve stable flight with the help of an annular stabilizer. 
Then they fired 82-mm rockets with a four-bladed tail span of 200, 180, 160, 140 and 120 mm. The results were quite definite - with a decrease in the scope of the plumage, flight stability and accuracy decreased. The plumage, on the other hand, with a span of more than 200 mm, shifted the center of gravity of the projectile back, which also worsened the stability of the flight. Lightening the plumage by reducing the thickness of the stabilizer blades caused strong vibrations of the blades until they were destroyed.
Grooved guides were adopted as launchers for feathered missiles. Experiments have shown that the longer they are, the higher the accuracy of the shells. The length of 5 m for the RS-132 became the maximum due to restrictions on railway dimensions.
I note that the Germans stabilized their rockets until 1942 exclusively by rotation. Turbojet rockets were also tested in the USSR, but they did not go into mass production. As it often happens with us, the reason for the failures during the tests was explained not by the wretchedness of the execution, but by the irrationality of the concept. 
FIRST volleys
Whether we like it or not, for the first time in the Great Patriotic War, the Germans used multiple launch rocket systems on June 22, 1941 near Brest. “And then the arrows showed 03.15, the command “Fire!” sounded, and the devilish dance began. The earth shook. The nine batteries of the 4th Special Purpose Mortar Regiment also contributed to the infernal symphony. In half an hour, 2880 shells whistled over the Bug and hit the city and fortress on the eastern bank of the river. Heavy 600-mm mortars and 210-mm guns of the 98th Artillery Regiment rained down their volleys on the fortifications of the citadel and hit point targets - the positions of Soviet artillery. It seemed that there would be no stone left unturned from the fortress.”
This is how the historian Paul Karel described the first use of 15 cm rocket-propelled mortars. In addition, the Germans in 1941 used heavy 28 cm high-explosive and 32 cm incendiary turbojet shells. The shells were over-caliber and had one powder engine (the diameter of the engine part was 140 mm).
A 28-cm high-explosive mine, with a direct hit on a stone house, completely destroyed it. The mine successfully destroyed field-type shelters. Living targets within a radius of several tens of meters were hit by a blast wave. Fragments of the mine flew at a distance of up to 800 m. The head part contained 50 kg of liquid TNT or ammatol brand 40/60. It is curious that both 28-cm and 32-cm German mines (rockets) were transported and launched from the simplest wooden closure such as a box.
The first use of Katyushas took place on July 14, 1941. The battery of Captain Ivan Andreevich Flerov fired two salvos from seven launchers at the Orsha railway station. The appearance of "Katyusha" was a complete surprise for the leadership of the Abwehr and the Wehrmacht. On August 14, the High Command of the German Ground Forces notified its troops: “The Russians have an automatic multi-barreled flamethrower cannon ... The shot is fired by electricity. During the shot, smoke is generated ... When capturing such guns, report immediately. Two weeks later, a directive appeared entitled "Russian gun throwing rocket-like projectiles." It said: “... Troops report on the use by the Russians of a new type of weapon that fires rockets. A large number of shots can be fired from one installation within 3-5 seconds ... Each appearance of these guns must be reported to the general, commander of the chemical troops at the high command, on the same day. 
Where the name "Katyusha" came from is not known for certain. The version of Pyotr Hook is curious: “Both at the front, and then, after the war, when I got acquainted with the archives, talked with veterans, read their speeches in the press, I met a variety of explanations of how a formidable weapon received a girl's name. Some believed that the beginning was laid by the letter "K", which was put by the Voronezh Comintern on their products. There was a legend among the troops that the guards mortars were named after a dashing partisan girl who destroyed many Nazis.
When the fighters and commanders asked the representative of the GAU to name the “true” name of the combat installation at the firing range, he advised: “Call the installation as an ordinary artillery piece. It's important to maintain secrecy."
Soon, a younger brother named Luka showed up at Katyusha. In May 1942, a group of officers of the Main Armaments Directorate developed the M-30 projectile, in which a powerful over-caliber warhead made in the shape of an ellipsoid with a maximum diameter of 300 mm was attached to the rocket engine from the M-13.
Installation M-30 "Luka" 
After successful ground tests, on June 8, 1942, the State Defense Committee (GKO) issued a decree on the adoption of the M-30 and the start of its mass production. In Stalin's times, all important problems were solved quickly, and by July 10, 1942, the first 20 M-30 Guards mortar divisions were created. Each of them had a three-battery composition, the battery consisted of 32 four-shot single-tier launchers. The divisional salvo, respectively, was 384 shells.
The first combat use of the M-30 took place in the 61st Army of the Western Front near the city of Belev. On the afternoon of June 5, two regimental volleys hit the German positions in Annino and Upper Doltsy with a thunderous roar. Both villages were wiped off the face of the earth, after which the infantry occupied them without loss.
The power of the Luka shells (M-30 and its modifications M-31) made a great impression both on the enemy and on our soldiers. There were many different assumptions and inventions about the Luka at the front. One of the legends was that it was as if the warhead of the rocket was stuffed with some kind of special, especially powerful, explosive, capable of burning everything in the area of the gap. In fact, conventional explosives were used in the warheads. The exceptional effect of the Luka shells was achieved through volley fire. With the simultaneous or almost simultaneous explosion of a whole group of projectiles, the law of addition of impulses from shock waves came into force.
Installation of the M-30 "Luka" on the Studebaker chassis 
M-30 shells had high-explosive, chemical and incendiary warheads. However, a high-explosive warhead was mainly used. For the characteristic shape of the head of the M-30, the front-line soldiers called it "Luka Mudischev" (the hero of Barkov's poem of the same name). Naturally, this nickname, in contrast to the replicated "Katyusha", the official press preferred not to mention. The Luka, like the German 28 cm and 30 cm shells, was launched from a wooden corking box in which it was delivered from the factory. Four, and later eight of these boxes were placed on a special frame, resulting in a simple launcher.
Needless to say, after the war, the journalistic and writer fraternity commemorated Katyusha out of place and out of place, but chose to forget her much more formidable brother Luka. In the 1970s and 1980s, at the first mention of Luka, veterans asked me with surprise: “How do you know? You didn't fight."
ANTI-TANK MYTH
"Katyusha" was a first-class weapon. As often happens, the father commanders wished it to become a universal weapon, including an anti-tank weapon.
An order is an order, and victorious reports rushed to the headquarters. If you believe the secret publication "Field Rocket Artillery in the Great Patriotic War" (Moscow, 1955), then on the Kursk Bulge in two days in three episodes "Katyushas" destroyed 95 enemy tanks! If this were true, then the anti-tank artillery should have been disbanded and replaced by multiple rocket launchers.
In some ways, the huge numbers of wrecked tanks were influenced by the fact that for each wrecked tank, the crew of the combat vehicle received 2,000 rubles, of which 500 rubles. - commander, 500 rubles. - to the gunner, the rest - to the rest.
Alas, due to the huge dispersion, shooting at tanks is ineffective. Here I am picking up the most boring brochure "Tables of firing rockets M-13" of the 1942 edition. It follows from it that at a firing range of 3000 m, the range deviation was 257 m, and the side deviation was 51 m. For shorter distances, the range deviation was not given at all, since the dispersion of shells could not be calculated. It is not difficult to imagine the probability of a rocket hitting a tank at such a distance. If, theoretically, we imagine that the combat vehicle somehow managed to shoot at the tank point-blank, then even here the muzzle velocity of the 132-mm projectile was only 70 m / s, which is clearly not enough to penetrate the armor of the Tiger or Panther.
It is not without reason that the year of publication of the shooting tables is specified here. According to the TS-13 firing tables of the same M-13 rocket, the average range deviation in 1944 is 105 m, and in 1957 - 135 m, and the side deviation is 200 and 300 m, respectively. Obviously, the 1957 table is more accurate, in which the dispersion increased by almost 1.5 times, so that in the tables of 1944 there are errors in the calculations or, most likely, deliberate falsification to raise the morale of the personnel.
There is no doubt that if an M-13 projectile hits a medium or light tank, it will be disabled. The frontal armor of the "Tiger" is not able to penetrate the M-13 projectile. But in order to be guaranteed to hit a single tank from a distance of the same 3 thousand meters, it is necessary to fire from 300 to 900 M-13 shells due to their huge dispersion, while at shorter distances an even larger number of missiles will be required.
And here is another example, told by veteran Dmitry Loza. During the Uman-Botoshansk offensive on March 15, 1944, two Shermans from the 45th mechanized brigade of the 5th mechanized corps got stuck in the mud. The troops jumped off the tanks and retreated. German soldiers surrounded the stuck tanks, “smeared the viewing slots with mud, covered the aiming holes in the turret with black earth, completely blinding the crew. They knocked on hatches, tried to open them with rifle bayonets. And everyone bawled: “Rus, kaput! Give up! But then two combat vehicles BM-13 left. "Katyusha" front wheels quickly descended into the ditch and fired a volley of direct fire. Bright fiery arrows hissed and whistled into the hollow. A moment later, blinding flames danced around. When the smoke from the rocket explosions dissipated, the tanks stood unharmed at first glance, only the hulls and turrets were covered with thick soot ...
Having corrected the damage to the tracks, having thrown out the burnt tarpaulins, the Emcha went to Mogilev-Podolsky. So, thirty-two 132-mm M-13 shells were fired at two Shermans point-blank, and they ... only burned the tarpaulin. 
WAR STATISTICS
The first M-13 firing mounts had the BM-13-16 index and were mounted on the chassis of a ZIS-6 vehicle. The 82 mm BM-8-36 launcher was also mounted on the same chassis. There were only a few hundred ZIS-6 vehicles, and at the beginning of 1942 their production was stopped.
The launchers of the M-8 and M-13 missiles in 1941-1942 were mounted on anything. So, six M-8 guide shells were installed on machines from the Maxim machine gun, 12 M-8 guides - on a motorcycle, sled and snowmobile (M-8 and M-13), T-40 and T-60 tanks, armored railway platforms (BM-8-48, BM-8-72, BM-13-16), river and sea boats, etc. But basically, launchers in 1942-1944 were mounted on cars received under Lend-Lease: Austin, Dodge, Ford Marmont, Bedford, etc. 
During the 5 years of the war, out of 3374 chassis used for combat vehicles, 372 (11%) accounted for the ZIS-6, 1845 (54.7%) for the Studebaker, and the remaining 17 types of chassis (except for the Willis with mountain launchers) - 1157 (34.3%). Finally, it was decided to standardize combat vehicles based on the Studebaker car. In April 1943, such a system was put into service under the symbol BM-13N (normalized). In March 1944, a self-propelled launcher for the M-13 was adopted on the BM-31-12 Studebaker chassis. 
But in the post-war years, the Studebakers were ordered to be forgotten, although combat vehicles on its chassis were in service until the early 1960s. In secret instructions, the Studebaker was referred to as a "cross-country vehicle." Mutant Katyushas mounted on the ZIS-5 chassis or post-war vehicles, which stubbornly pass off as genuine military relics, ascended on numerous pedestals, but the original BM-13-16 on the ZIS-6 chassis was preserved only in the Artillery Museum in St. Petersburg.
As already mentioned, back in 1941 the Germans captured several launchers and hundreds of 132-mm M-13 and 82-mm M-8 shells. The Wehrmacht command believed that their turbojet shells and tubular launchers with revolver-type guides were better than Soviet wing-stabilized shells. But the SS took up the M-8 and M-13 and ordered the Skoda company to copy them. 
In 1942, on the basis of the 82-mm Soviet M-8 projectile, 8 cm R.Sprgr rockets were created in Zbroevka. In fact, it was a new projectile, and not a copy of the M-8, although outwardly the German projectile was very similar to the M-8. 
Unlike the Soviet projectile, the stabilizer feathers were placed obliquely at an angle of 1.5 degrees to the longitudinal axis. Due to this, the projectile rotated in flight. The rotation speed was many times less than that of a turbojet projectile, and did not play any role in projectile stabilization, but it eliminated the thrust eccentricity of a single-nozzle rocket engine. But the eccentricity, that is, the displacement of the engine thrust vector due to the uneven burning of gunpowder in checkers, was the main reason for the low accuracy of Soviet missiles of the M-8 and M-13 types.
German installation for firing prototypes of Soviet missiles 
On the basis of the Soviet M-13, the Skoda company created a whole range of 15-cm missiles with oblique wings for the SS and Luftwaffe, but they were produced in small batches. Our troops captured several samples of German 8-cm shells, and our designers made their own samples based on them. Missiles M-13 and M-31 with oblique plumage were adopted by the Red Army in 1944, they were assigned special ballistic indices - TS-46 and TS-47.
R.Sprgr projectile 
The apotheosis of the combat use of the Katyusha and Luka was the assault on Berlin. In total, more than 44 thousand guns and mortars, as well as 1,785 M-30 and M-31 launchers, 1,620 rocket artillery combat vehicles (219 divisions) were involved in the Berlin operation. In the battles for Berlin, rocket artillery units used the rich experience they had gained in the battles for Poznan, which consisted in direct fire with single projectiles M-31, M-20 and even M-13. 
At first glance, this method of firing may seem primitive, but its results turned out to be very significant. Shooting single rockets during the fighting in such a huge city as Berlin has found the widest application.
To conduct such fire in the guards mortar units, assault groups of approximately the following composition were created: an officer - group commander, an electrical engineer, 25 sergeants and soldiers for the M-31 assault group and 8–10 for the M-13 assault group. 
The intensity of the battles and the fire missions performed by rocket artillery in the battles for Berlin can be judged by the number of rockets used up in these battles. In the offensive zone of the 3rd shock army, the following were used up: M-13 shells - 6270; shells M-31 - 3674; shells M-20 - 600; shells M-8 - 1878. 
Of this amount, rocket artillery assault groups used up: M-8 shells - 1638; shells M-13 - 3353; shells M-20 - 191; shells M-31 - 479.
These groups in Berlin destroyed 120 buildings that were strong centers of enemy resistance, destroyed three 75-mm guns, suppressed dozens of firing points, and killed over 1,000 enemy soldiers and officers.
So, our glorious "Katyusha" and her unfairly offended brother "Luka" became a weapon of victory in the full sense of the word!
The information used in the writing of this material is, in principle, generally known. But maybe at least someone will learn something new for themselves 
The cumulative effect of a directed explosion became known as early as the 19th century, shortly after the start of mass production of high explosives. The first scientific work devoted to this issue was published in 1915 in Great Britain.
This effect is achieved by giving a special shape to explosive charges. Usually, for this purpose, charges are made with a recess in the part opposite to its detonator. When an explosion is initiated, a converging flow of detonation products is formed into a high-speed cumulative jet, and the cumulative effect increases when the recess is lined with a metal layer (1-2 mm thick). The speed of the metal jet reaches 10 km/s. Compared to expanding detonation products of conventional charges, in a converging flow of shaped charge products, the pressure and densities of matter and energy are much higher, which ensures the directed action of the explosion and high penetrating power of the shaped charge jet.
When the conical shell collapses, the velocities of the individual parts of the jet turn out to be somewhat different, as a result, the jet stretches in flight. Therefore, a small increase in the gap between the charge and the target increases the depth of penetration due to elongation of the jet. The thickness of the armor pierced by HEAT shells does not depend on the firing range and is approximately equal to their caliber. At significant distances between the charge and the target, the jet is torn apart, and the penetration effect is reduced.
In the 30s of the XX century, there was a massive saturation of the troops with armored vehicles. In addition to traditional means of dealing with them, in the pre-war period, some countries were developing cumulative projectiles.
Particularly tempting was the fact that the armor penetration of such ammunition did not depend on the speed of the encounter with the armor. This made it possible to successfully use them to destroy tanks in artillery systems that were not originally intended for this, as well as to create highly effective anti-tank mines and grenades. Germany advanced the most in the creation of cumulative anti-tank munitions; by the time of the attack on the USSR, 75-105-mm cumulative artillery shells had been created and put into service there.
Unfortunately, in the Soviet Union before the war, due attention was not paid to this area. In our country, the improvement of anti-tank weapons proceeded by increasing the calibers of anti-tank guns and increasing the initial velocities of armor-piercing projectiles. In fairness, it should be said that in the USSR at the end of the 30s an experimental batch of 76-mm cumulative shells was fired and tested by firing. During the tests, it turned out that HEAT shells equipped with regular fuses from fragmentation shells, as a rule, do not penetrate armor and give ricochets. Obviously, the matter was in fuses, but the military, who already did not show much interest in such shells, finally abandoned them after unsuccessful firing.
At the same time, a significant number of recoilless (dynamo-reactive) Kurchevsky guns were manufactured in the USSR.
76 mm Kurchevsky recoilless gun on a truck chassis
The advantage of such systems is their low weight and lower cost compared to "classic" guns. Recoilless in combination with cumulative shells could quite successfully prove themselves as anti-tank.
With the outbreak of hostilities, reports began to come in from the fronts that German artillery was using previously unknown so-called "armor-burning" shells that effectively hit tanks. When examining the wrecked tanks, they noticed the characteristic appearance of holes with melted edges. At first, it was suggested that the unknown shells used "fast-burning thermite", accelerated by powder gases. However, this assumption was soon refuted experimentally. It was found that the combustion processes of thermite incendiary compositions and the interaction of the slag jet with the metal of the tank armor proceed too slowly and cannot be realized in a very short time for the shell to penetrate the armor. At this time, samples of "armor-burning" shells captured from the Germans were delivered from the front. It turned out that their design is based on the use of the cumulative effect of the explosion.
At the beginning of 1942, the designers M.Ya. Vasiliev, Z.V. Vladimirova and N.S. Zhitkikh designed a 76-mm cumulative projectile with a conical cumulative recess lined with a steel shell. An artillery shell body with bottom equipment was used, the chamber of which was additionally bored into a cone in its head part. A powerful explosive was used in the projectile - an alloy of TNT with RDX. The bottom hole and plug served to install an additional detonator and a beam detonator cap. The big problem was the lack of a suitable fuse in production. After a series of experiments, the AM-6 instantaneous aircraft fuse was chosen.
HEAT shells, which had an armor penetration of about 70-75 mm, appeared in the ammunition of regimental guns from 1943, and were mass-produced throughout the war.
Regimental 76-mm gun mod. 1927
Industry supplied the front with about 1.1 million 76-mm cumulative anti-tank shells. Unfortunately, it was forbidden to use them in tank and divisional 76-mm guns due to the unreliable operation of the fuse and the danger of an explosion in the barrel. Fuzes for HEAT artillery shells, meeting the safety requirements for firing from long-barreled guns, were created only at the end of 1944.
In 1942, a group of designers consisting of I.P. Dziuba, N.P. Kazeykina, I.P. Kucherenko, V.Ya. Matyushkin and A.A. Grinberg developed cumulative anti-tank shells for 122-mm howitzers.
The 122-mm cumulative projectile for the 1938 model howitzer had a steel cast iron body, was equipped with an effective RDX-based explosive composition and a powerful heating element detonator. The 122-mm cumulative projectile was equipped with the B-229 instantaneous fuse, which was developed in a very short time at TsKB-22, led by A.Ya. Karpov.
122-mm howitzer M-30 mod. 1938
The projectile was put into service, put into mass production at the beginning of 1943, and managed to take part in the Battle of Kursk. Until the end of the war, more than 100 thousand 122-mm cumulative shells were produced. The projectile pierced armor up to 150 mm thick along the normal, ensuring the destruction of heavy German tanks "Tiger" and "Panther". However, the effective range of howitzer fire against maneuvering tanks was suicidal - 400 meters.
The creation of HEAT projectiles opened up great opportunities for the use of artillery pieces with relatively low initial speeds - 76-mm regimental guns of models 1927 and 1943. and 122-mm howitzers of the 1938 model, which were in large quantities in the army. The presence of HEAT shells in the ammunition of these guns significantly increased the effectiveness of their anti-tank fire. This significantly strengthened the anti-tank defense of the Soviet rifle divisions.
One of the main tasks of the Il-2 armored attack aircraft put into service at the beginning of 1941 was the fight against armored vehicles.
However, the cannon armament available in the arsenal of attack aircraft made it possible to effectively hit only lightly armored vehicles.
Rocket 82-132-mm shells did not have the required accuracy. However, for arming the Il-2 in 1942, the cumulative RBSK-82 were developed.
The head part of the RBSK-82 rocket consisted of a steel cylinder with a wall thickness of 8 mm. A cone of sheet iron was rolled into the front of the cylinder, creating a recess in the explosive poured into the cylinder of the projectile head. A tube passed through the center of the cylinder, which served "to transmit a beam of fire from the capping cap to the TAT-1 detonator cap." The shells were tested in two versions of explosive equipment: TNT and alloy 70/30 (TNT with RDX). Shells with TNT had a point for the AM-A fuse, and shells with an alloy 70/30 had an M-50 fuse. The fuses had a capillary action of the APUV type. The missile part of the RBSK-82 is standard, from M-8 rocket shells equipped with pyroxylin powder.
In total, 40 pieces of RBSK-82 were used up during the tests, of which 18 were fired in the air, the rest on the ground. Captured German tanks Pz. III, StuG III and Czech tank Pz.38(t) with reinforced armor. Shooting in the air was carried out at the StuG III tank from a dive at an angle of 30 ° in volleys of 2-4 rounds in one run. The firing distance is 200 m. The shells showed good stability on the flight path, but not a single fall into the tank was possible.
The RBSK-82 HEAT armor-piercing projectile, loaded with 70/30 alloy, pierced 30 mm thick armor at any encounter angles, and pierced 50 mm thick armor at a right angle, but did not penetrate at a 30° encounter angle. Apparently, the low armor penetration is a consequence of the delay in the operation of the fuse "from the ricochet and the cumulative jet is formed with a deformed cone."
RBSK-82 shells in TNT equipment pierced armor 30 mm thick only at meeting angles of at least 30 °, and 50 mm armor did not pierce under any conditions of impact. The holes obtained by penetrating through the armor had a diameter of up to 35 mm. In most cases, armor penetration was accompanied by metal spalling around the exit hole.
HEAT rockets were not accepted into service due to the lack of a clear advantage over standard rockets. There was already a new, much stronger weapon on the way - PTABs.
Priority in the development of small cumulative air bombs belongs to domestic scientists and designers. In mid-1942, the well-known developer of fuses I.A. Larionov, proposed the design of a light cumulative anti-tank bomb. The Air Force command showed interest in implementing the proposal. TsKB-22 quickly carried out design work and testing of the new bomb began at the end of 1942. The final version was PTAB-2.5-1.5, i.e. anti-tank aviation bomb of cumulative action weighing 1.5 kg in dimensions of a 2.5-kg aviation fragmentation bomb. GKO urgently decided to adopt the PTAB-2.5-1.5 and organize its mass production.
In the first PTAB-2.5-1.5, the hulls and riveted pinnately cylindrical stabilizers were made of sheet steel 0.6 mm thick. To increase the fragmentation action, a 1.5-mm steel shirt was additionally put on the cylindrical part of the bomb. The combat charge of the PTAB consisted of a mixed BB type TGA, loaded through the bottom point. To protect the impeller of the AD-A fuse from spontaneous folding, a special fuse was put on the bomb stabilizer from a square-shaped tin plate with a fork of two wire whiskers attached to it, passing between the blades. After dropping the PTAB from the aircraft, it was torn off the bomb by a counter flow of air.
When hitting the tank's armor, a fuse was triggered, which, through a tetryl detonator checker, caused the detonation of the explosive charge. During the detonation of the charge, due to the presence of a cumulative funnel and a metal cone in it, a cumulative jet was created, which, as field tests showed, pierced armor up to 60 mm thick at an encounter angle of 30 °, followed by a destructive effect behind the armor: defeating the tank crew, initiating detonation of ammunition , as well as ignition of fuel or its vapors.
The bomb load of the Il-2 aircraft included up to 192 PTAB-2.5-1.5 bombs in 4 clusters of small bombs (48 pieces each) or up to 220 pieces with their rational placement in bulk in 4 bomb bays.
The adoption of the PTAB for some time was kept secret, their use without the permission of the high command was prohibited. This made it possible to use the effect of surprise and effectively use new weapons in the battle of Kursk.
The massive use of the PTAB had a stunning effect of tactical surprise and had a strong moral impact on the enemy. German tankers, however, like the Soviet ones, by the third year of the war were already accustomed to the relatively low effectiveness of bombing strikes. At the initial stage of the battle, the Germans did not use dispersed marching and pre-battle formations at all, that is, on the routes of movement in columns, in places of concentration and at starting positions, for which they were severely punished - the PTAB expansion strip blocked 2-3 tanks, one removed from another at 60-75 m, as a result of which the latter suffered significant losses, even in the absence of a massive use of IL-2. One Il-2 from a height of 75-100 meters could cover an area of 15x75 meters, destroying all enemy equipment on it.
On average, during the war, the irretrievable losses of tanks from aviation did not exceed 5%, after the use of PTAB in certain sectors of the front, this figure exceeded 20%.
Having recovered from the shock, the German tankers soon switched exclusively to dispersed marching and pre-battle formations. Naturally, this greatly complicated the management of tank units and subunits, increased the time for their deployment, concentration and redeployment, and complicated the interaction between them. In the parking lots, German tankers began to place their vehicles under trees, light mesh canopies and install light metal meshes over the roof of the turret and hull. The effectiveness of IL-2 strikes with the use of PTAB decreased by about 4-4.5 times, nevertheless remaining, on average, 2-3 times higher than when using high-explosive and high-explosive fragmentation bombs.
In 1944, a more powerful anti-tank bomb PTAB-10-2.5 was adopted, in the dimensions of a 10-kg aviation bomb. It provided penetration of armor up to 160 mm thick. According to the principle of operation and the purpose of the main components and elements, the PTAB-10-2.5 was similar to the PTAB-2.5-1.5 and differed from it only in shape and dimensions.
In service with the Red Army in the 1920-1930s was the muzzle-loading "Dyakonov grenade launcher", created at the end of the First World War and subsequently modernized.
It was a 41-mm mortar, which was put on the barrel of a rifle, being fixed on the front sight with a cutout. On the eve of World War II, a grenade launcher was available in every rifle and cavalry squad. Then the question arose of giving the rifle grenade launcher "anti-tank" properties.
During the Second World War, in 1944, the VKG-40 cumulative grenade entered service with the Red Army. A grenade was fired with a special blank cartridge with 2.75 g of gunpowder of the VP or P-45 brand. The reduced charge of a blank cartridge made it possible to shoot a direct-fire grenade with the butt resting on the shoulder, at a distance of up to 150 meters.
Rifle cumulative grenade is designed to deal with lightly armored vehicles and enemy mobile assets that are not protected by armor, as well as firing points. The VKG-40 was used very limitedly, which is explained by the low accuracy of fire and poor armor penetration.
During the war, a significant number of hand-held anti-tank grenades were fired in the USSR. Initially, these were high-explosive grenades, as the thickness of the armor increased, so did the weight of anti-tank grenades. However, this still did not ensure penetration of the armor of medium tanks, so the RPG-41 grenade, with an explosive weight of 1400 g, could penetrate 25 mm armor.
Needless to say, what a danger this anti-tank weapon represented for the one who used it.
In the middle of 1943, a fundamentally new RPG-43 cumulative action grenade, developed by N.P. Belyakov. It was the first cumulative hand grenade developed in the USSR.
RPG-43 hand cumulative grenade in section
The RPG-43 had a body with a flat bottom and a conical lid, a wooden handle with a safety mechanism, a belt stabilizer and a shock-ignition mechanism with a fuse. Inside the body is placed a bursting charge with a cumulative recess of a conical shape, lined with a thin layer of metal, and a cup with a safety spring and a sting fixed in its bottom.
A metal sleeve is fixed at its front end of the handle, inside of which there is a fuse holder and a pin holding it in the rearmost position. Outside, a spring is put on the sleeve and fabric tapes are attached to the stabilizer cap. The safety mechanism consists of a folding bar and checks. The hinged bar serves to hold the stabilizer cap on the grenade handle until it is thrown, preventing it from sliding or turning in place.
During the throw of a grenade, the folding bar is separated and releases the stabilizer cap, which, under the action of a spring, slides off the handle and pulls the ribbons behind it. The safety pin falls out under its own weight, releasing the fuse holder. Due to the presence of a stabilizer, the grenade flew forward, which is necessary for the optimal use of the energy of the cumulative charge of the grenade. When a grenade hits an obstacle with the bottom of the case, the fuse, overcoming the resistance of the safety spring, is impaled on the sting by a detonator cap, which causes an explosive charge to explode. The cumulative charge of the RPG-43 pierced armor up to 75 mm thick.
With the advent of German heavy tanks on the battlefield, a hand-held anti-tank grenade with greater armor penetration was required. A group of designers consisting of M.Z. Polevanova, L.B. Ioffe and N.S. Zhitkikh developed the RPG-6 cumulative grenade. In October 1943, the grenade was adopted by the Red Army. The RPG-6 grenade is in many ways similar to the German PWM-1.
German hand-held anti-tank grenade PWM-1
The RPG-6 had a drop-shaped case with a charge and an additional detonator and a handle with an inertial fuse, a detonator cap and a belt stabilizer.
The fuse drummer was blocked by a check. The stabilizer tapes fit into the handle and were held by a safety bar. The safety pin was removed before the throw. After the throw, the safety bar flew off, the stabilizer was pulled out, the drummer pin was pulled out - the fuse was cocked.
Thus, the RPG-6 protection system was three-stage (for RPG-43 it was two-stage). In terms of technology, an essential feature of the RLG-6 was the absence of turned and threaded parts, the widespread use of stamping and knurling. Compared to the RPG-43, the RPG-6 was more technologically advanced in production and somewhat safer to handle. RPG-43 and RPG-6 rushed at 15-20 m, after the throw, the fighter should have taken cover.
During the war years, hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers were not created in the USSR, although work was carried out in this direction. The main anti-tank weapons of the infantry were still anti-tank rifles and hand-held anti-tank grenades. This was partly offset by a significant increase in the number of anti-tank artillery in the second half of the war. But in the offensive, anti-tank guns could not always accompany the infantry, and in the event of the sudden appearance of enemy tanks, this often led to large and unjustified losses.
Thanks to Soviet films about the war, most people have a strong opinion that the mass small arms (photo below) of the German infantry during the Second World War is an automatic machine (submachine gun) of the Schmeisser system, which is named after its designer. This myth is still actively supported by domestic cinema. However, in fact, this popular machine gun was never a mass weapon of the Wehrmacht, and Hugo Schmeisser did not create it at all. However, first things first.
How myths are created
Everyone should remember the shots from domestic films dedicated to the attacks of the German infantry on our positions. Brave blond guys walk without bending down, while firing from machine guns “from the hip”. And the most interesting thing is that this fact does not surprise anyone, except for those who were in the war. According to the movies, the "Schmeissers" could conduct aimed fire at the same distance as the rifles of our fighters. In addition, the viewer, when watching these films, had the impression that the entire personnel of the German infantry during the Second World War was armed with machine guns. In fact, everything was different, and the submachine gun is not a mass small arms weapon of the Wehrmacht, and it is impossible to shoot from it “from the hip”, and it is not called “Schmeisser” at all. In addition, to carry out an attack on a trench by a submachine gunners unit, in which there are fighters armed with magazine rifles, is an obvious suicide, since simply no one would have reached the trenches.
Debunking the Myth: The MP-40 Automatic Pistol
This Wehrmacht small arms in WWII is officially called the MP-40 submachine gun (Maschinenpistole). In fact, this is a modification of the MP-36 assault rifle. The designer of this model, contrary to popular belief, was not the gunsmith H. Schmeisser, but the no less famous and talented craftsman Heinrich Volmer. And why is the nickname “Schmeisser” so firmly entrenched behind him? The thing is that Schmeisser owned a patent for the store that is used in this submachine gun. And in order not to violate his copyright, in the first batches of MP-40, the inscription PATENT SCHMEISSER was stamped on the store receiver. When these machine guns came as trophies to the soldiers of the allied armies, they mistakenly thought that the author of this model of small arms, of course, was Schmeisser. This is how the given nickname was fixed for the MP-40.
Initially, the German command armed only command staff with machine guns. So, in the infantry units, only the commanders of battalions, companies and squads should have MP-40s. Later, drivers of armored vehicles, tankers and paratroopers were supplied with automatic pistols. Massively, no one armed the infantry with them either in 1941 or after. According to the archives in 1941, the troops had only 250 thousand MP-40 assault rifles, and this is for 7,234,000 people. As you can see, a submachine gun is not at all a mass weapon of the Second World War. In general, for the entire period - from 1939 to 1945 - only 1.2 million of these machine guns were produced, while over 21 million people were called up in the Wehrmacht.
Why were the infantry not armed with the MP-40?
Despite the fact that experts later recognized that the MP-40 is the best small arms of the Second World War, only a few of them had it in the infantry units of the Wehrmacht. This is explained simply: the aiming range of this machine gun for group targets is only 150 m, and for single targets - 70 m. This despite the fact that Soviet soldiers were armed with Mosin and Tokarev (SVT) rifles, the aiming range of which was 800 m for group targets and 400 m for single targets. If the Germans fought with such weapons, as shown in domestic films, then they would never have been able to reach the enemy trenches, they would simply have been shot, as in a shooting gallery.
Shooting on the move "from the hip"
The MP-40 submachine gun vibrates a lot when firing, and if you use it, as shown in the films, the bullets will always miss the target. Therefore, for effective shooting, it must be pressed tightly against the shoulder, after unfolding the butt. In addition, this machine gun was never fired in long bursts, as it quickly heated up. Most often they were beaten in a short burst of 3-4 rounds or fired single shots. Despite the fact that the tactical and technical characteristics indicate that the rate of fire is 450-500 rounds per minute, in practice this result has never been achieved.
Advantages of the MP-40
It cannot be said that this rifle was bad, on the contrary, it is very, very dangerous, but it must be used in close combat. That is why sabotage units were armed with it in the first place. They were also often used by scouts of our army, and the partisans respected this machine gun. The use of light, rapid-fire small arms in close combat provided tangible advantages. Even now, the MP-40 is very popular with criminals, and the price of such a machine is very high. And they are delivered there by “black archaeologists”, who excavate in places of military glory and very often find and restore weapons from the Second World War.
Mauser 98k
What can you say about this rifle? The most common small arms in Germany are the Mauser rifle. Its aiming range is up to 2000 m when firing. As you can see, this parameter is very close to the Mosin and SVT rifles. This carbine was developed back in 1888. During the war, this design was significantly upgraded, mainly to reduce costs, as well as to rationalize production. In addition, this Wehrmacht small arms were equipped with optical sights, and sniper units were equipped with it. The Mauser rifle at that time was in service with many armies, for example, Belgium, Spain, Turkey, Czechoslovakia, Poland, Yugoslavia and Sweden.
Self-loading rifles
At the end of 1941, the first automatic self-loading rifles of the Walther G-41 and Mauser G-41 systems entered the infantry units of the Wehrmacht for military trials. Their appearance was due to the fact that the Red Army was armed with more than one and a half million such systems: SVT-38, SVT-40 and ABC-36. In order not to be inferior to the Soviet fighters, the German gunsmiths urgently had to develop their own versions of such rifles. As a result of the tests, the G-41 system (Walter system) was recognized and adopted as the best. The rifle is equipped with a trigger-type percussion mechanism. Designed for firing only single shots. Equipped with a magazine with a capacity of ten rounds. This automatic self-loading rifle is designed for aimed fire at a distance of up to 1200 m. However, due to the large weight of this weapon, as well as low reliability and sensitivity to pollution, it was released in a small series. In 1943, the designers, having eliminated these shortcomings, proposed an upgraded version of the G-43 (Walter system), which was produced in the amount of several hundred thousand units. Before its appearance, Wehrmacht soldiers preferred to use captured Soviet (!) SVT-40 rifles.
And now back to the German gunsmith Hugo Schmeisser. He developed two systems, without which the Second World War could not have done.
Small arms - MP-41
This model was developed simultaneously with the MP-40. This submachine gun was significantly different from the “Schmeisser” familiar to everyone from the movies: it had a handguard trimmed with wood, which protected the fighter from burns, was heavier and longer. However, this Wehrmacht small arms were not widely used and were not produced for long. In total, about 26 thousand units were produced. It is believed that the German army abandoned this machine in connection with the lawsuit of ERMA, which claimed that its patented design was illegally copied. Small arms MP-41 was used by parts of the Waffen SS. It was also successfully used by Gestapo units and mountain rangers.
MP-43, or StG-44
The next weapon of the Wehrmacht (photo below) was developed by Schmeisser in 1943. At first it was called MP-43, and later - StG-44, which means "assault rifle" (sturmgewehr). This automatic rifle in appearance, and in some technical characteristics, resembles (which appeared later), and differs significantly from the MP-40. Its range of aimed fire was up to 800 m. The StG-44 even provided for the possibility of mounting a 30 mm grenade launcher. For firing from cover, the designer developed a special nozzle, which was worn on the muzzle and changed the trajectory of the bullet by 32 degrees. This weapon entered mass production only in the fall of 1944. During the war years, about 450 thousand of these rifles were produced. So few of the German soldiers managed to use such a machine gun. StG-44s were supplied to the elite units of the Wehrmacht and to Waffen SS units. Subsequently, this weapon of the Wehrmacht was used in
FG-42 automatic rifles
These copies were intended for parachute troops. They combined the fighting qualities of a light machine gun and an automatic rifle. The Rheinmetall company took up the development of weapons already during the war, when, after evaluating the results of airborne operations carried out by the Wehrmacht, it turned out that the MP-38 submachine guns did not fully meet the combat requirements of this type of troops. The first tests of this rifle were carried out in 1942, and at the same time it was put into service. In the process of using the mentioned weapon, shortcomings were also revealed, associated with low strength and stability during automatic firing. In 1944, the upgraded FG-42 rifle (Model 2) was released, and Model 1 was discontinued. The trigger mechanism of this weapon allows automatic or single fire. The rifle is designed for the standard 7.92 mm Mauser cartridge. Magazine capacity is 10 or 20 rounds. In addition, the rifle can be used to fire special rifle grenades. In order to increase stability when firing, a bipod is fixed under the barrel. The FG-42 rifle is designed for firing at a range of 1200 m. Due to the high cost, it was produced in limited quantities: only 12 thousand units of both models.
Luger P08 and Walter P38
Now consider what types of pistols were in service with the German army. "Luger", its second name "Parabellum", had a caliber of 7.65 mm. By the beginning of the war, the units of the German army had more than half a million of these pistols. This small arms of the Wehrmacht was produced until 1942, and then it was replaced by a more reliable "Walter".
This pistol was put into service in 1940. It was intended for firing 9 mm rounds, the magazine capacity is 8 rounds. Sighting range at "Walter" - 50 meters. It was produced until 1945. The total number of P38 pistols produced was approximately 1 million units.
Weapons of World War II: MG-34, MG-42 and MG-45
In the early 30s, the German military decided to create a machine gun that could be used both as an easel and as a manual one. They were supposed to fire at enemy aircraft and arm tanks. The MG-34, designed by Rheinmetall and put into service in 1934, became such a machine gun. By the beginning of hostilities, the Wehrmacht had about 80 thousand units of this weapon. The machine gun allows you to fire both single shots and continuous. To do this, he had a trigger with two notches. When you click on the top, shooting was carried out with single shots, and when you click on the bottom - in bursts. It was intended for Mauser rifle cartridges 7.92x57 mm, with light or heavy bullets. And in the 40s, armor-piercing, armor-piercing tracer, armor-piercing incendiary and other types of cartridges were developed and used. This suggests the conclusion that the impetus for changes in weapons systems and tactics for their use was the Second World War.
The small arms that were used in this company were replenished with a new type of machine gun - MG-42. It was developed and put into service in 1942. The designers have greatly simplified and reduced the cost of the production of these weapons. So, in its production, spot welding and stamping were widely used, and the number of parts was reduced to 200. The trigger mechanism of the machine gun in question allowed only automatic firing - 1200-1300 rounds per minute. Such significant changes adversely affected the stability of the unit during firing. Therefore, to ensure accuracy, it was recommended to fire in short bursts. Ammunition for the new machine gun remained the same as for the MG-34. The range of aimed fire was two kilometers. Work on improving this design continued until the end of 1943, which led to the creation of a new modification, known as the MG-45.
This machine gun weighed only 6.5 kg, and the rate of fire was 2400 rounds per minute. By the way, not a single infantry machine gun of that time could boast of such a rate of fire. However, this modification appeared too late and was not in service with the Wehrmacht.
PzB-39 and Panzerschrek
PzB-39 was developed in 1938. This weapon of the Second World War was used with relative success at the initial stage to combat tankettes, tanks and armored vehicles with bulletproof armor. Against heavily armored B-1s, British Matildas and Churchills, Soviet T-34s and KVs), this gun was either ineffective or completely useless. As a result, it was soon replaced by anti-tank grenade launchers and reactive anti-tank guns "Pantsershrek", "Ofenror", as well as the famous "Faustpatrons". The PzB-39 used a 7.92 mm cartridge. The firing range was 100 meters, the penetration ability made it possible to "flash" 35-mm armor.
"Panzerschreck". This German light anti-tank weapon is a modified copy of the American Bazooka rocket-propelled gun. German designers provided him with a shield that protected the shooter from hot gases escaping from the grenade nozzle. Anti-tank companies of motorized rifle regiments of tank divisions were supplied as a matter of priority with these weapons. Rocket guns were exceptionally powerful weapons. "Panzershreki" were weapons for group use and had a service crew consisting of three people. Since they were very complex, their use required special training in calculations. In total, in 1943-1944, 314 thousand units of such guns and more than two million rocket-propelled grenades were produced for them.
Grenade launchers: "Faustpatron" and "Panzerfaust"
The early years of the Second World War showed that anti-tank guns could not cope with the tasks set, so the German military demanded anti-tank weapons with which to equip an infantryman, acting on the principle of "shot and thrown." The development of a disposable hand grenade launcher was started by HASAG in 1942 (chief designer Langweiler). And in 1943 mass production was launched. The first 500 Faustpatrons entered the troops in August of the same year. All models of this anti-tank grenade launcher had a similar design: they consisted of a barrel (smooth-bore seamless pipe) and an over-caliber grenade. An impact mechanism and an aiming device were welded to the outer surface of the barrel.
"Panzerfaust" is one of the most powerful modifications of the "Faustpatron", which was developed at the end of the war. Its firing range was 150 m, and its armor penetration was 280-320 mm. The Panzerfaust was a reusable weapon. The barrel of the grenade launcher is equipped with a pistol grip, in which there is a firing mechanism, the propellant charge was placed in the barrel. In addition, the designers were able to increase the speed of the grenade. In total, over eight million grenade launchers of all modifications were manufactured during the war years. This type of weapon inflicted significant losses on Soviet tanks. So, in the battles on the outskirts of Berlin, they knocked out about 30 percent of armored vehicles, and during street fighting in the capital of Germany - 70%.
Conclusion
The Second World War had a significant impact on small arms, including the world, its development and tactics of use. Based on its results, we can conclude that, despite the creation of the most modern weapons, the role of rifle units is not decreasing. The accumulated experience of using weapons in those years is still relevant today. In fact, it became the basis for the development and improvement of small arms.
BRIEF PREFACE TO THE MEMO ON EXPLOSIVE OBJECTS IN THE FIELDS OF RUSSIA
There are many special instructions for sapper business. Each of them describes in detail all the necessary actions of the performers in the production of mining - demining, tools and equipment are presented. The purpose of these notes is only to warn search engines against incorrect actions in the production of search work. She does not pretend to comprehensive coverage of the features of sapper business.
Ammunition encountered in the search area poses a significant threat to the life of the searcher. A disrespectful attitude towards any type of ammunition often leads to a ridiculous death of a person. The tragedy of the situation is aggravated by the fact that for the most part children and ... experienced professional searchers are undermined. The last change, apparently, is the sense of danger, but the same bravado of a professional works negatively.
The main rule of the search engine should be caution, raised to a power and expressed in words: "IF YOU DO NOT KNOW - DO NOT TOUCH, AND YOU KNOW - DO NOT TOUCH THE MORE. DO NOT TAKE AMMUNITION IN YOUR HANDS AND DO NOT RISK YOUR LIFE AND THE LIFE OF YOUR COMRADES!" No matter how interesting and exciting the search is, but if you are not a specialist and there is no experienced specialist nearby who can expertly determine the type of ammunition and defuse it, then it is difficult to offer a better course of action than marking the object with a stick (sign) and calling a sapper. That is why the presence of several sappers is mandatory in the search expedition. Only in exceptional cases is it permissible to use a "cat" to check the ammunition for non-retrievability in order to still call a sapper and not forget the location of the ammunition. In no case should an inexperienced person neutralize ammunition on his own, as well as make ordinary, frequent such exceptional cases of using the "cat". Everyone should take care of their own life. Naturally, the found ammunition should be supervised until the sapper arrives.
In areas of former hostilities, the ground is stuffed with unexploded shells, mines, bombs, grenades, etc. Their safety is different, especially for ammunition that has passed through the bore and air bombs dropped from aircraft. They are in a combat position, risky for transportation and subsequent elimination due to deformation at the moment of impact on the ground. Such ammunition is blown up on the spot.
When a mine detector detects a metal object that gives a high-intensity signal in the headphones, it is necessary to determine the center of its occurrence and mark it with a pole. Then, with a probe, it is necessary to try to make several injections of the soil at an angle so that the tip of the probe slides obliquely along the contour of the object. After determining the depth of its occurrence, dimensions, contours, you can begin to remove the soil over the object with a thin layer, as well as around the circumference with a knife or shovel. After that, in fact, you can identify the find. If this is ammunition of any type, then you need to immediately call a sapper.
In practice, cases of self-destruction by search engines of discovered explosive objects by fire are not uncommon, namely by lighting a large fire over ammunition.
It also happens like this: first a powerful fire is bred, and then the ammunition is thrown into it! There is nothing more dangerous than such, so to speak, "methods", although many search engines sometimes even boast of their composure, undermining the "goodies" of wartime. Above, we have already touched on a feature so common among search engines, which, alas, leads precisely to accidents, and God forbid that neither one nor the other be among us.
All the more completely reckless is the smelting of explosives from shells, mines and bombs. The "motivation" here is simple: one comes across well-preserved ammunition in funnel mud (by the way, the safety of ammunition in the silt and clay of funnels is almost perfect; after washing off the dirt, they can be used for their intended purpose) in factory color and with readable markings; therefore, harmless, since time had been kind to him. On this, the guys are mistaken, but the mistake is often paid for at the highest price - life. Here, both the sapper and the search engine are united in their fate: BOTH ARE MISTAKEN ONLY ONE TIME - THE LAST!
The most dangerous are ammunition that has already been fired from the corresponding weapon or prepared for action. Here are their signs:
a) when fired from a gun, grooves of the barrel rifling remain on the protruding metal belt around the circumference of the projectile, therefore, the projectile is in the cocked combat position;
b) when fired from a mortar, the expelling charge capsule at the base of the mine is pierced, and if the mine did not burst, then random reasons influenced here;
c) any dropped bomb is deformed as a result of hitting the ground and is therefore extremely dangerous;
d) with a detonator inserted, any (cocked or not) wartime grenade can explode even with the visible presence of a safety ring;
e) do not try to pull a single anti-tank mine; in an exceptional case, use the "cat" and stay in cover no closer than 50 m;
e) anti-personnel mines are also dangerous if they contain an inserted fuse;
Small arms ammunition (cartridges)
Cartridges for small arms
Cartridges are probably the most common find. They come across in clips and in zinc, in pouches, and simply in bulk. Cartridges, in most cases, do not pose an immediate danger to life, although they contain a propellant - gunpowder. Why? The reason is simple, despite the fact that various experiments are being carried out in the troops and laboratories on the long-term preservation of ammunition and their combat readiness, rules have been developed for storage and expiration date, but it must be remembered that almost 60 years have passed since the war, ammunition was stored in distant from ideal conditions, besides, nature tends to heal the wounds inflicted on it by people. Water, time, frost and the sun, together with an acidic or alkaline environment, did a lot with human labor: the shells rotted, the gunpowder decomposed, and most importantly, it got damp. Therefore, the usual safety rules apply to cartridges: do not disassemble and do not give to children, and do not heat.
Cartridge device
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Bullet (1) - striking element of the cartridge. For the sake of it, everything else is created. It consists of an iron shell covered with tombac, copper or cupronickel. Inside the lead core, this is if the bullet is ordinary. There are also special bullets - then there is a mechanism inside, we will consider them in more detail below. But unfortunately, most of the cartridges are spent not for killing, but at best, so that the enemy does not raise his head. And some of the cartridges are simply lost ... |
In the USSR, bimetallic sleeves, as well as brass ones, were mainly used.
In Germany: first of all it is brass. In places where there were heavy battles, there are machine-gun cells filled with shell casings. I saw it myself - 60 cm, and brass, by the way, is a valuable non-ferrous metal.
In the USSR, VT gunpowder was used in 7.62 mm rifle cartridges. It has the shape of a cylinder with one channel. Sometimes there is gunpowder of the first issues - in the form of squares.
In Germany, in a 7.92 mm cartridge - gunpowder with the designation
N.Z. Gew. Bl. P.I. (2.2.0.45) - squares with a side of 2mm.
Cartridge designation
Let's look at an example:
Russian rifle cartridge (for the "three-ruler") 7.62x54R, where 7.62 is the cartridge caliber mm. What is a caliber? This is the distance between the fields of rifling in the barrel - that is, the minimum diameter of the bore.
Well 54 is the length of the sleeve in mm. But the letter "R" is the first letter of the German word RAND, which means rim, the same hat behind the Russian cartridge case. But German cartridge cases do not have such a hat, its function is performed by a special groove, therefore there is no letter in its designation. The German cartridge for the Mauser rifle is designated as 7.92x57
There is also another notation system, it is adopted in England and the USA.
For example, 38 and 45 calibers are nothing more than hundredths of an inch. (1inch - 25.4mm). That is, you should read .38 and .45 inches and translating into Russian 9 and 11.45 mm, respectively.
The cartridge is quite rare. Found cartridges are stored poorly due to poor tightness.
7.62 mm pistol cartridge mod. 1930 (7.62x25 TT).
Cartridge length 34.85 mm, case length 24.7 mm. Bottle-shaped sleeve, without rim, with a groove for the ejector. An ogive-shaped bullet, sheathed with a lead core. Sleeve brass or steel sleeves clad with tompac, brass, lacquered or even uncoated. The shell of the bullet is steel, clad with tompac or brass, there are bullets with an uncoated shell. The bullet in the sleeve is fastened by punching and crimping the muzzle. Very often there are cartridge cases and cartridges without stamps on the bottom, the rest indicate the manufacturer and year of issue.
In addition to the lead shell bullet "P", there were bullets "P-41" and "PT". Bullet "P-41" - armor-piercing incendiary, with a steel core and an incendiary composition in the head, the top of the bullet is painted black with a red belt. Bullet "PT" - tracer, the top is painted green.
Often found in searches. The found cartridges are stored poorly due to poor tightness, in addition, military-issue cartridges were delivered immediately to the front and were not intended for long-term storage.
9 mm pistol cartridge 08 (9х19 Para.)
Lead bullet core. During the war, cartridges were produced in which scarce materials (copper, lead) were replaced by surrogates. There are bullets with a steel core. At the end of the war, cartridges were produced in a steel sleeve (stamp St.). On the bottom of the cartridge cases there is a stamp S *, a marking indicating the factory batch and year of manufacture of the cartridges. The ammo is pretty rare. The found cartridges are poorly preserved - the thin steel shell of the bullet almost completely rots, the tightness of the cartridges is broken.
Cartridges of caliber 7.62 mm 7.62X54R (USSR)
Cartridges of this type are widely used, they are one of the most frequent finds. The cartridge was also used in the ground army, for all types of rifles and machine guns, as well as in aviation, for the ShKAS machine gun. It was produced both in the USSR and in other countries, in particular in Finland and the USA.
Bottle-shaped sleeve with rim. Until the mid-30s, cartridges were produced with a brass sleeve, and later with a bimetallic sleeve clad with tompac or copper. In the case, the bullet is fastened by rolling, sometimes by punching. On the bottom of the sleeve there is a designation: the year of manufacture and the factory code. For cartridges for ShKAS, there is also the letter "Sh", these cartridges still have a reinforced primer fastening - around it is an annular groove left over from the ring punching. The presence of this groove, as well as the letter "Sh", is a sign that the bullet in the cartridge is special.
The sleeve, as a rule, is poorly preserved, therefore its contents - gunpowder, as a rule, are wetted. But the capsule, oddly enough, is sometimes preserved. Of course, it will not work from a drummer, but from heating, it may very well be, therefore, even cartridge cases should not be thrown into the fire.
But the biggest "interest" is the bullets.
Ordinary bullets.
Bullet model 1891 (blunt). Well, she still needs to be found, because. very, very rare. Has cupronickel shell. The core is lead. It doesn't pose any danger.
Bullet sample 1908 (light). There is no marking. It consists of a steel shell covered with tombac, cupronickel or copper. Lead core. It has a conical recess in the bottom. Due to the pointed nose, ballistics were improved. At the sight of a rifle arr. 1891 there were even 2 scales for a light and heavy bullet, because. the 1908 model bullet flew further. Safe.
Bullet sample 1930. (heavy) Bullet nose yellow. Heavier and longer than the 1908 bullet, has a tapered tail. It should be noted that in this case, the yellow marking in no way refers to this bullet as a chemical one. It doesn't pose any danger. Safe.
Special bullets
As you can see from the composition, this is an ordinary magnesium bomb, and the steel shell gives very good fragments. Conclusion - it’s better not to put it in the fire
poke, unless of course you don’t want to pull out small pieces of metal from various parts of the body with tweezers ...
B-30 and B-32 outwardly virtually indistinguishable. nose color is usually not preserved. Their difference from ordinary bullets is their large length and one characteristic feature: if you take a knife and pick at the bottom of the bullet, then the armor-piercing incendiary will have a solid core, while other bullets will have lead. I note that the B-32 was produced throughout the war, and the B-30 was only 2 years old, so virtually all armor-piercing bullets are B-32.
Tracer bullet T-30 and T-46. Green nose. Produced since 1932 and 1938 respectively. Contains lead core and tracer. The composition of the tracer White fire: Barium nitrate 67% Magnesium 23% Shellac 10%
The difference from conventional bullets: in appearance - this is the back of a cylindrical shape and the presence of a tracer - it can be seen.
As follows from the composition, the incendiary substance for B-32 and T-30(46) almost does not differ, but in B-32 the composition is closed by a shell and, as a rule, remains, and in T-30(46) it usually rots. Because of this feature, they do not pose a great danger, and even in their normal state they simply burn out in a fire ... This applies only to Russian tracers.
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Armor-piercing incendiary tracer bullet (BZT) The nose is purple, with a red band. Contains a shortened armor-piercing core and a tracer. |
Well, now about the most dangerous representative of the 7.62X54R family
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Sighting and incendiary bullet. (Breaking). The nose is red. It contains in its composition an inertial fuse and an explosive charge. |
How to distinguish an explosive bullet from others? First of all, this is the longest bullet among the Russians, its length is 4 cm. And if it does not have 3 grooves, and there is lead from the bottom, do not hesitate, this is a sighting and incendiary bullet. In no case should this bullet be disassembled or shaken, listening to the drummer hanging inside - problems may arise. This applies to both fired bullets and bullets in a cartridge.
Well, of course, do not heat up, because. for example, an armor-piercing incendiary bullet in a fire will work or not work, because. she has a different principle of operation from compression when she hits the armor, and there is a normal fuse in the explosive one.
The bullets described here are not the only 7.62X54R bullets. There were several more modifications, but they did not have significant differences from those described, they were not in service for long, and the probability of finding them is close to zero.
Cartridges caliber 7.92 mm
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The most common German cartridge. The main application: the Mauser 98K rifle, hence the name Mauser, the MG34, MG42 machine gun and other machine guns, was also used in aviation. Cartridges similar to the "Mauser" were produced in Czechoslovakia and Poland. |
Increased armor penetration bullet (SmK H). Red primer (sometimes the paint fades, and the color can be almost orange), the bullet is all black. Contains a tungsten carbide core. In the sleeve there is a special (powerful) gunpowder, which is unusual for the Germans in a round shape. Doesn't pose a danger.
Now about the bullets representing a real danger.
The bullets listed below, except for the armor-piercing incendiary phosphorus bullet, are explosive and therefore officially it is forbidden to shoot at people. Therefore, the main type of occurrence: the wreckage of Luftwaffe aircraft. But sometimes they come across on the ground.
In response to the creation of a sighting bullet by Stalin's designers, or maybe for their own fascist reasons, Hitler's designers created a similar one, and then went into a rage and came up with an incendiary bullet on a different principle. White phosphorus! Here's what came to their mind. Whoever did not study chemistry at school, let me remind you once again: white phosphorus is a yellowish wax-like substance that instantly ignites upon contact with air.
Fortunately for the living, and therefore for the search engines, such cartridges with phosphorus are a rare find, and all this is said so that you are not too surprised when the cartridges stacked in a heap ignite with a beautiful, spraying droplet flame, and such cases happen. It is impossible to distinguish them from the rest, outwardly they look like an Ss bullet, maybe only a little more authentic.
Therefore, the general rule for handling German cartridges. Found: there is no green or red ring - throw it far away and better into the water. Well, now actually about them.
In general, the Czechs are an interesting nation. Throughout the war, they supplied the Germans with weapons, then they left the war in time and took part in the division of the German inheritance.
The Poles issued incendiary bullets based on phosphorus. The marking of these bullets is a yellow ring around the primer, sometimes also a yellow nose (not to be confused with our weighted bullets).
Cartridges caliber 12.7 mm
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It was used in the ground army, for the DShK machine gun, and in aviation - the UB machine gun. Cartridge sleeve - brass, bottle-shaped, undercut at the back for the ejector. Gunpowder, as a rule, is stored well. When heated, cartridges explode with great force, so putting them in a fire is unacceptable, they can do a lot of trouble. There are no ordinary bullets in 12.7 mm cartridges, only special ones, this must be remembered. Armor-piercing bullet B-30. Black nose. It consists of a steel shell covered with tombac, a lead jacket and a hardened steel core. In general, this is an enlarged B-30 bullet in 7.62 caliber. Just like this bullet does not pose a danger. |
Armor-piercing incendiary tracer BZT-44. The nose is purple under it is a red ring.
The bullet consists of a shell, a short, armor-piercing core, a lead jacket and a tracer. It looks like a BZT caliber 7.62, only it does not have 3 belts, and the tracer is inserted into a special steel cup. The tracer of an unfired bullet is better preserved than that of 7,62. has a large size, and a steel cup can give good fragments. That's all the differences.
The bullets listed above, if they can cause damage to a person, then only because of his own stupidity. But there are 2 more types of 12.7 mm bullets that can cause damage to a person simply by careless handling, hitting with a shovel, for example.
Phosphorus armor-piercing incendiary bullet BZF-46. Yellow nose, under it - a black ring. It consists of a shell and an armor-piercing core. There is no incendiary between the armor-piercing core and the shell; it is located in a special cup behind the core. And in a glass - white phosphorus. For those who had a triple in chemistry, let me remind you that phosphorus is a white, waxy substance that ignites spontaneously on contact with air. Unlike German phosphorus cartridges, where phosphorus is separated from the air only by a thin shell, which, as a rule, rots, the cup is preserved better. Therefore, the cartridge itself will ignite, the probability is small, but with a strong blow or disassembly, the phosphorus will immediately ignite, forming many severe burns. it is very difficult to put out. Well, remember Vietnam, where the Americans used white phosphorus as a universal "fat burner" for the Vietnamese.
How to distinguish a phosphorus bullet from other 12.7mm bullets when the markings are not visible? First: when the shell rots, there is a copper cap under it on the nose of the bullet. If for some reason it is not there, then there is always an annular chamfer on the nose, which is usually clearly visible. Secondly, as I said, there were no ordinary bullets in the 12.7 mm caliber, so if you scratch the bottom of the bullet with a knife and there is lead, then the bullet is most likely phosphorus.
Instant bullet MDZ-3. It is essentially a small projectile containing a fuse and stuffed with a folk explosive - hexogen.
It is easy to distinguish it from others, all bullets have a sharp nose, and this one has a cut-off, closed membrane, if it is not there, there is just a hole.
Heating, and even more so disassembling it, is strictly prohibited. RDX explodes with great force, in addition, from time to time it can explode without a fuse, from mechanical impact.
It should be remembered that the fired bullets of 12.7 mm caliber, as a rule, did not collapse when they hit the ground, and the MDZ did not always work, so there is a possibility of finding bullets that passed through the bore.
Cartridge caliber 14.5 mm (14.5x114).
The cartridge was used for firing anti-tank rifles of the Degtyarev PTRD system (single-shot) and the Simonov PTRS system (five-shot with automatic reloading). The cartridge is in service to this day.
Cartridge length 156 mm, sleeve length 114 mm, gunpowder - cylinder with 7 channels. Wartime cartridge case made of brass. The shell of the bullet is steel, clad with tombac. The main bullets are B-32 and BS-41, similar in design to the B-32 bullet of 7.62 mm caliber (B-32 with a steel core, and BS-41 with a cermet core). In the case, the bullet is fastened by compressing the muzzle of the case into a groove or protrusion on the bullet. On the bottom of the cartridge cases there is a marking indicating the plant and the year of issue of the cartridges. The cartridge is quite rare. Sometimes found in armor-piercing positions.
Cartridges for signal pistols (flare guns)
Both the Red and the former German armies widely used signal pistols (flare guns) of 26 mm caliber. They were used for signaling, launching flares, and by the Germans for combat purposes. The main ammunition was signal cartridges of night or day action. When searching for work come across often. Night-action cartridges have an expelling charge of black powder and a signal star that lights up at a height of 60-70 m with a flame of red, green, yellow or white. Daytime cartridges instead of a star have a checker of colored smoke. The main difference between domestic and German cartridges for a rocket launcher is the material of the sleeve. Domestic cartridges have a cardboard (folder) sleeve with a metal cap, and German cartridges have a sleeve made entirely of thin aluminum, which is marked with multi-colored paint. In addition to the signal ones, there are German parachute lighting cartridges. They have a long sleeve, the marking on the sleeve "Fallschirmleuchtpatrone". Inside the main sleeve there is a second, inner sleeve, an illuminating star and a silk parachute. The cartridges for the rocket launcher do not pose a great danger. Expelling charges and stars are usually wet, but if they hit the fire, the star may shoot off or ignite. For the manufacture of colored smoke bombs in daytime cartridges, dyes were used that are difficult to wash off the skin of the hands.
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The real danger is posed by German pistol grenades, designed for self-defense of the signalman. They are very rare. They are a short aluminum sleeve into which a grenade is inserted with a cylindrical body, a glyptic head and a tail assembly hidden in the sleeve. The total length of the cartridge is about 130 mm. The grenade has a small charge of powerful explosive and explodes with great force. Fuse - instantaneous, with a fuse that separates when fired (or removing a grenade from a sleeve). A grenade can explode when it is removed from its shell, struck or heated. When finding such a grenade, attention should be paid to the presence of a cartridge case and the absence of axial movement of the grenade in it. Grenades with a firmly held cartridge case can be carefully moved to a safe place in case of emergency. If the sleeve is missing or the grenade is not firmly held in it, then it is impossible to touch such a grenade, but it is necessary to mark its location with a noticeable sign. |
Hand grenade arr. 1914/30
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Hand grenade arr. 1914/30. Modernized in 1930, the "bomb" grenade of the period of the First World War and the Civil War. During search work, it is occasionally found in the battlefields of the initial period of the Great Patriotic War. It is a cylindrical body of small diameter, turning into a handle. Could be used with a fragmentation shirt. The body and handle are made of tin. The handle has a lever fixed by a ring put on the handle. In the body of the grenade there is a percussion mechanism and a socket for the fuse. The "ear" of the striker protrudes from the body, for which he is cocked before the throw. Also on the body there is a safety valve. The fuse is L-shaped, inserted before the throw. Grenades with an inserted fuse can pose a danger. When trying to remove the fuse, the grenade may explode. If a grenade with an inserted fuse is found, in case of emergency, move it to a safe place, fixing the firing pin with wire and preventing strikes on the grenade. |
Hand grenade RGD-33
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Dyakonov systems, arr. 1933 Most often found during search operations. When using a defensive cover (shirt) - a grenade is defensive, without a shirt. - offensive. The grenade was made by stamping from sheet steel. Any workshop with low-power press equipment could produce these grenades, and therefore the RGD-33 was produced by a variety of factories, workshops, etc. These specimens may have deviations in shape and size. |
The performance characteristics of the RGD-33 grenade:
They were equipped with pressed TNT, during the war years they were often equipped with various surrogates (ammatol).
A grenade without a fuse poses no practical danger. With a fuse inserted into the grenade - it is dangerous when shaking, moving the grenade, heating. Attempts to knock out the fuse from a grenade are unacceptable - the fuse is equipped with explosive mercury, which is sensitive to shock and friction, besides, the fuse usually turns sour in the ignition tube tightly.
When a grenade is found, hold it only by the body, avoiding the load on the handle. You can determine the presence of a fuse by carefully sliding the cover of the ignition tube. Grenades with an inserted fuse are cocked (the fuse is not inserted into an uncocked grenade) and require careful handling. A characteristic sign of a grenade being cocked is a certain distance between the body of the grenade and the outer tube of the handle. For grenades with a fuse inserted, you must not try to unscrew or pull back the handle, move the fuse slider, you must not break off the handle, you must not hit the grenade and the handle, you must not drop or throw the grenade.
Quite often, fuses from RGD-33 come across, colloquially called "pencil" because of their external similarity. The fuse is equipped with a sensitive and powerful explosive and poses a serious danger when struck, heated, carried in pockets. When hit in a fire, it explodes violently with the formation of many small fragments.
Hand fan f-1
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Developed on the basis of the French F-1 grenade. It is widely known and is in service to this day. It is colloquially called "lemon". When conducting search work, it is somewhat less common than RGD-33. The grenade is defensive, with a large radius of scattering of lethal fragments. The body of the grenade is cast iron, of a characteristic shape - its surface is divided by transverse and longitudinal grooves into large "slices" to improve crushing. The body of the grenade was made by casting. They were produced by a large number of factories and workshops that had foundry equipment. There are many types of cases, slightly different from each other in shape. In addition to the Red Army, a similar grenade was in service with some foreign armies, for example, in France, Poland, the USA and some others. Foreign grenades are somewhat different in shape and device fuses. |
The performance characteristics of the F-1 grenade:
F-1 grenades were equipped with powdered, pressed, or flaked TNT, military-made grenades were used, equipped with various surrogates and even black powder. In the initial period of the war, F-1 grenades were used with fuses of the Koveshnikov system, and in 1942, UZRG fuses began to be used. The fuse of Koveshnikov was made of brass on lathes. It has a spring-loaded cap, fixed with a pin with a ring. A lever of a characteristic shape was soldered to the cap. The fuse is triggered when the cap is pushed up by a spring. In this case, the cap releases the ball holding the drummer in the cocked state. The drummer is released and pierces the retarder capsule. The UZRG fuse is much simpler, cheaper and more technologically advanced than the Koveshnikov fuse, it is made by stamping. In a somewhat modernized state, the UZRG fuse has survived to this day and is well known. The drummer in it, after removing the safety pin, is held by the safety lever. When the lever is released, the drummer pricks the retarder capsule.
F-1 grenades are often found both with a fuse and with a plastic stopper inserted instead of a fuse. Cork grenades are not a practical danger, but they can explode when heated. When an F-1 grenade with a fuse is found, attention should be paid to the presence and condition of the safety pin. You should not try to unscrew the fuse, as a yellow or greenish coating, sensitive to friction, appears on the dried grenades on the detonator cap. In addition, the fuses, especially the UZRG, firmly stick with rust in the threaded neck of the grenade. And in case of emergency, when extracting from the excavation, you should hold the grenade with the fuse of Koveshnikov by pressing the cap of the fuse from above with your finger, and with the fuse of the UZRG - by pressing the lever to the body. When transporting the found grenades to a safe place, it is necessary to fix the safety lever (if any) to the body of the grenade with wire, cord.
In addition to regular F-1 grenades, on the battlefields near Leningrad there are so-called "blockade grenades" with a body without a notch, made from 50-mm mines without a shank. Fuses - Koveshnikov and UZRG, are inserted through a transitional plastic ring. In terms of combat properties and handling, they are similar to the standard F-1.
RG-42 hand grenade
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Offensive, remote action. It was developed to replace the RGD-33 and put into service in 1942. It is very simple in design and technologically advanced. Any workshop with low-power stamping equipment could master its production. Used on all fronts of the Second World War. |
RPG-40 anti-tank hand grenade
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It was intended to fight tanks and armored personnel carriers with armor up to 20 mm. They were also used to fight other targets: cars, pillboxes, etc. It works instantly when it hits an obstacle. The grenade is simple in design. Manufactured from sheet steel. The body of the grenade resembles a large tin can with a central channel for the detonator. The detonator is inserted into the grenade channel in the same way as the RGD-33 and is fixed with the same cover. The RPG-40 detonator externally ignited the RGD-33, but has a slightly longer length and differs from the RGD-33 igniter in the absence of a slowdown when fired. The detonator in the stowed position is stored separately and is inserted into the grenade just before it is thrown. Impact and safety mechanisms are located in the handle. The percussion mechanism is always on the combat platoon. |
The safety mechanism is a folding bar with a wire needle, which fixes the percussion mechanism in the stowed position. The folding bar is fixed on the handle with a safety pin with a braid tongue. Before throwing a grenade, the safety pin is pulled out by the braid and the folding bar on the handle is held by hand. When throwing a grenade, the folding bar separates, removes the needle and releases the percussion mechanism. When a grenade hits an obstacle in the handle, an inertial load moves, which releases the drummer. The grenade explodes regardless of where it hits the obstacle. To trigger a grenade without a safety needle, simply drop the grenade to the ground. Failures in action occurred due to contamination, freezing and deformation of the percussion mechanism located in the handle. It is forbidden to touch a thrown, but not triggered grenade - the impact mechanism can even work from moving the grenade.
Weight RPG-40-1200 g.
Equipped with cast TNT.
When conducting search work, it is found much less frequently than RGD-33. They were used on all fronts, especially in the initial period of the war. Quite often, separate cases without handles come across. When you find an RPG-40 with a handle, you should first of all pay attention to the presence of a folding bar with a safety needle. After that, carefully open the cover of the ignition socket and make sure that there is no detonator. A grenade without a detonator poses no practical danger. If a grenade with an inserted detonator, and even more so an abandoned and unexploded grenade with a missing folding bar and safety needle, is dangerous when shaken, hit, and even when it is moved from the place of discovery. Such a grenade should not be removed from the place of discovery, and the location of the grenade should be marked with a noticeable sign.
RPG-41 anti-tank hand grenade
With the advent of tanks with armor thicker than 20 mm at the front in 1941, the RPG-40 grenade ceased to satisfy the troops and the RPG-41 grenade was developed. The grenade differed from the RPG-40 in an increased mass of explosive and a large body diameter. The remaining parts of the grenade are similar to the RPG-40. The handling of the RPG-41 grenade is similar to the handling of the RPG-40.
In addition to the officially adopted RPG-41, a grenade was developed on the Leningrad Front, also under the RPG-41 index, colloquially called the "Voroshilov kilogram" ("VK"). It was an enlarged RGD-33, from which a handle, a fuse valve, its tube extended by 50 mm, the lower part of the body (flange) and the fuse itself were used. The grenade was developed and used in the initial period of the war and was made only at that time. The mass of explosive in a grenade is 1 kg. The grenade is rare, was not officially adopted for service. These grenades are found in the area of \u200b\u200bNevsky Piglet, Pulkovo, Mga, Lyuban, Luga. With the "Voroshilovsky kilogram" one should do the same as with the RGD-33 with the fuse inserted.
RPG-43 anti-tank hand grenade
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It appeared on the fronts from the middle of 1943. It was intended to combat armored targets - it penetrates armor up to 75 mm, thanks to the cumulative high-explosive action. It explodes instantly when it hits an obstacle with the bottom. For the correct flight of a grenade (bottom forward), there is a flight stabilizer made of two cloth tapes and a cap. The grenade is simple in design. Manufactured from sheet steel. Externally, the grenade is a cylindrical body, turning into a cone, below its truncated part there is a wooden handle with a lever fixed with a safety pin. Grenades entered the troops assembled, with a screwed handle. The fuse was inserted into the grenade before the battle. When thrown, the lever was separated, freeing the conical cap, which pulled out two fabric stabilizer tapes from the body. On the flight, a pin fell out, fixing the drummer. When the bottom of the grenade hit an obstacle, the drummer with the fuse screwed onto its fitting moved forward and pricked on the sting. The grenade exploded and pierced an obstacle with a cumulative jet. RPG-43 failures could occur due to the loss of a sting and counterspring from the body, an underscrewed handle, an incorrect impact on an obstacle (sideways). Accidents were due to a fuse inserted into the body that was not screwed onto the fitting, a grenade falling with the safety pin pulled out. Grenade weight 1200 g. |
If an RPG-43 is found during search operations, pay attention to the presence of a safety pin in the form of a ring and a cotter pin,
locking lever. Trying to unscrew the handle to extract the fuse is unacceptable. By the appearance of the grenade, it is impossible to determine whether a fuse is inserted into it. Therefore, it should be treated like a grenade with a fuse. RPG-43 with a fuse is dangerous. Particular care should be taken with grenades in which the handle has rotted off and the stabilizer cap has fallen off. Such grenades should be left at the place of discovery, marked with a clearly visible sign. Avoid blows along the body.
Grenades of the former German army and its allies
German hand grenade M 24
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Stielhandgranate 24 (hand grenade mod. 24) - high-explosive fragmentation remote offensive grenade. It is colloquially called a "beater". Used by the Germans on all fronts. When conducting search work, it occurs quite often and everywhere. |
M-24s were equipped with cast, flaked, granulated TNT, picric acid, ammatol and other surrogate explosives. Grenades equipped with picric acid usually have a wide gray stripe on the lower part of the body.
The M24s encountered during the search are, as a rule, thoroughly rusted, with rotten handles. It is impossible to determine visually without disassembly whether there is a detonator capsule in the grenade. Attempts to unscrew the grenade and remove the detonator may end in an explosion. The main danger of the M 24 grenade with an inserted detonator is when disassembled or when it enters a fire. Care should also be taken with grenades equipped with picric acid - in the presence of moisture, it can form friction-sensitive compounds with metals.
In addition to high-explosive fragmentation grenades, the German army was armed with smoke grenades (Stielhandgranate 24 Nb.), which outwardly differed from the M 24 by smoke outlets in the lower part of the hull located along the perimeter of the collar, a white stripe and the letters "Nb." on the hull.
German hand grenade M 39
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Die Eihandgranate (egg-shaped hand grenade) - high-explosive fragmentation remote offensive grenade. Used by the Germans on all fronts. Colloquially called "egg". During search operations, it is even more common than the M 24. The grenade is an ovoid body of two halves, stamped from sheet iron. Inside the case - a bursting charge. A grating igniter with a moderator is screwed into the body. The charge is detonated by a detonator cap No. 8. The fuse of a grenade consists of a safety cap with a lanyard attached to a grating igniter. The safety cap is usually colored blue. The igniter is pressed into an aluminum sleeve, on which a square wrench or lamb was pressed on one side for screwing by hand, and on the other side a tube with a pyrotechnic retarding composition is screwed in. A detonator cap No. 8 is put on the retarder tube. When a loaded grenade was thrown, the safety cap was screwed up, the lanyard was pulled out with a sharp movement and the grenade was thrown at the target. |
Tactical and technical characteristics:
M 39 grenades were equipped with powdered and flaked TNT, ammatol and various surrogate explosives.
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There were grenades with a ring for hanging on a belt, located on the side opposite to the fuse (at the top). For the M 39 grenade, there was a device for shooting them from a signal pistol (flare gun). The device is a tube made of pressed cardboard; an aluminum sleeve with a primer and expelling charge is screwed on one side, and an adapter for screwing a grenade on the other side. |
incendiary bottles
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In the initial period of the war, when there was a great shortage of funds to fight tanks, incendiary bottles were widely used - ordinary bottles filled with liquid fuel. In addition to the Red Army, incendiary bottles were used by the Finns. When hit on the armor of the tank, the bottles broke, the fuel spread and ignited. Incendiary bottles were very easy to manufacture and were produced by many factories, workshops and even in the army. Despite their widespread use, they are very rare during search work - because of their fragility, they tried not to carry them with them and use them as quickly as possible. They were filled with flammable liquids based on petroleum products, sulfur, phosphorus. Mixtures No. 1, No. 3 and KS were developed and widely used. The CS mixture ignited spontaneously in air. Bottles with mixtures #1 and #3 required a separate igniter in the form of ampoules of white powder or liquid, in the form of silver rods with a "match" head. There were special mechanical igniters with a blank cartridge. |
The bottle with the mixture of KS was an ordinary bottle with a liquid of yellow-green or dark brown color, on top of which a small layer of water or kerosene was poured to protect from air. The bottle is sealed with a rubber stopper and the stopper is wrapped with wire and insulating tape. Mixtures No. 1 and No. 3 is a yellowish viscous liquid. It is poured into ordinary bottles with a capacity of 0.5-0.75 liters, sealed with a cork stopper. To ignite the mixture, an igniter ampoule (or a special igniter) is inserted or attached outside the bottle.
Of the incendiary bottles, bottles with a mixture of COP are the most dangerous. If such a bottle is damaged, the mixture will spontaneously ignite in air. A rupture may occur with a scattering of burning liquid droplets. It's pretty hard to put it out.
The CS liquid is extinguished with sand, earth, water. If the liquid is not sufficiently covered with earth, and also after the water has dried, it may spontaneously ignite again. Drops of KS that get on the skin cause severe, poorly healing burns. In addition, the mixture of KS is poisonous. If it is suspected that a mixture of KS is found in the bottle, in case of emergency, very carefully, so as not to break the bottle or break the tightness of the cork, remove the bottle from the excavation. Move the extracted bottle to a safe place and bury it in the ground. This is best done with rubber gloves. It is necessary to ensure that there are no flammable materials or ammunition near the place of burial of the bottle.
Bottles containing mixes #1 and #3 can be hazardous if bottles and igniters break at the same time. Mixtures #1 and #3 may cause skin irritation.
In addition to incendiary bottles, there were AJ ampoules - glass or tin balls for throwing from ampoules or for dropping from aircraft. They are very rare. They were filled with a mixture of KS. Tin ampoules usually have a rotten shell and the mixture has long since leaked out. Such ampoules do not pose a danger. Handling of glass ampoules is similar to handling bottles of KS mixture.
Rifle grenades
Grenades, thrown with the help of the main weapons of the fighters, were widespread during the First World War. Then these grenades were improved, the tactics of their use were worked out. By the beginning of World War II, the leadership of the Red Army considered rifle grenades to be ineffective and their production was greatly reduced. In the German army, rifle grenades were quite widespread, they were used throughout the Second World War, there was a large range of ammunition.
Domestic ammunition
Dyakonov rifle grenade launcher and ammunition
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It was developed in the early 30s. It was a rifled mortar of 40 mm caliber, worn on the barrel of a rifle, a bipod for mounting a rifle and a quadrant sight. Before the war, it was recognized as insufficiently effective and the production of Dyakonov grenade launchers was discontinued. Used fragmentation and anti-tank grenades. A fragmentation grenade was fired using a conventional live cartridge. In the center of the grenade there was a tube-channel for the free passage of a bullet, in the back of the grenade there was a remote tube, an explosive detonator cap and an additional charge. On the body of the grenade, a notch is usually applied with "squares". Equipped with powdered tol, ammatol or other surrogates. |
The radius of fragmentation is up to 300 m. During search operations, it is very rare in the battlefields of the initial period of the war. The grenade is dangerous when heated and when trying to turn the distance ring.
The HSV-40 anti-tank grenade is practically never found during search operations. It was fired from a grenade launcher using a special blank cartridge. It has a shaped charge and bottom inertial fuse. If there is a suspicion that the grenade has been fired, then it is very dangerous to move it from its place. It should be left at the place of the find, marking it with a clearly visible sign.
VPGS-41
There are no additional devices for shooting (mortars). required. Used in the early days of the war. Rarely seen in search operations.
It is a cylindrical body with stiffeners. There is a ballistic cap in front of the body, a fuse and a ramrod are screwed in at the back. A stabilizer shank is put on the ramrod. It had a shaped charge and a simple inertial fuse. In the stowed position, the fuse is fixed with a pin (like a hand grenade), the stabilizer is in the forward position (near the fuse), and the detonator capsule is usually absent. By appearance it is impossible to determine whether a detonator cap is inserted. To fire a grenade, a detonator cap was inserted, the grenade was inserted into the rifle barrel with a ramrod, the rifle was loaded with a blank cartridge, the safety pin was removed and a shot was fired. When fired, the stabilizer shank moved down the ramrod and was fixed on it in the rear position. The grenade was discontinued due to lack of accuracy and range and a high number of accidents. A fired grenade, a grenade without a safety pin, is dangerous. From the excavation it is impossible to extract it by the tail (ramrod).
30mm rifle grenade launcher and ammunition
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For throwing almost all German rifle grenades, a 30-mm mortar grenade launcher was used, worn on the muzzle of the 98K carbine. The mortar had 8 rifling to stabilize grenades in flight. Rifle grenades also have 8 protrusions (ready-made rifling). There were the following types of rifle grenades: universal high-explosive fragmentation, propaganda, small and large armor-piercing, armor-piercing arr. 1943 In common parlance, German 30 mm rifle grenades are called "cucumbers". Throwing grenades was carried out using a blank cartridge. Universal 30 mm high-explosive rifle grenade G. Sprgr. It is a cylindrical projectile, about 140 mm long, with ready-made rifling on the leading belt of the bottom fuse. The total weight of the grenade is 260-280 g, the weight of the explosive (phlegmatized heating element) is 32 g. |
The "cigarette" of the head fuse protrudes from the front of the grenade. The body of the grenade is made of steel, the head fuse of early releases is made of aluminum alloy, later releases are made of steel with a plastic "cigarette". The bottom fuse of the early releases is made of aluminum alloy, the later releases are made of plastic. The grenade can be used both as a rifle and as a hand grenade. Equipped with two fuses - head, instant action, and bottom, remote action. When using a grenade as a hand grenade, the bottom of the grenade is unscrewed and the lanyard is pulled out.
The remote retarder is ignited by a grating igniter and the grenade explodes after 4-4.5 seconds. When shooting a grenade from a rifle grenade launcher, the head fuse of the AZ 5075 type is the main one. The bottom fuse works as a self-liquidator. The fuse AZ 5075 - instant action, non-safety type, was used for 30-mm rifle-hand fragmentation grenades and over-caliber cumulative mines for 37-mm anti-tank guns. It has small dimensions and a strongly protruding drummer ("cigarette"). When fired, it is cocked - the inertial fuse is lowered, the elastic steel tape unwinds and releases the drummer, which is held in flight by a counter-safety spring. When hitting an obstacle, the striker pricks the "detonator cap" and the ammunition explodes.
The fuse, which is cocked, has a very high sensitivity even to pressure on the "cigarette" of the fuse.
It occurs quite often during search operations. The main danger of this ammunition is that by its appearance it is impossible to determine whether it has been fired (with a cocked fuse) or not. A grenade with a cocked fuse is very sensitive to the impact on the firing pin fuses. If a grenade is found, in case of emergency, you can carefully remove it from the excavation, making sure not to hit or press the head fuse striker and carefully transfer it to a safe place. The grenade should not be shaken or thrown to the ground.
Small and large armor-piercing rifle grenades G. Pzgr. and gr. G.Pzgr.
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Designed for firing from a rifle grenade launcher at armored targets. When conducting search work, they are less common than a universal 30-mm high-explosive fragmentation grenade. They have an instantaneous bottom fuse and a shaped charge. A small armor-piercing grenade is a cylindrical projectile, about 160 mm long. There is a ballistic fairing on the front. The case of the shaped charge in a steel shell, the case of the fuse of the early samples of aluminum alloy, later - of black or brown plastic. A large armor-piercing grenade differs from a small one in a large diameter and in a different form of a cumulative projectile. Has a length of 185 mm. Fuses - bottom instant action. They have high sensitivity. Outwardly, it is impossible to distinguish between a fired grenade with a fuse removed from the fuse and an unfired grenade with a fuse on the fuse. Therefore, when finding such a grenade, it should be treated as if it had a fuse removed from the fuse. In case of emergency, you can carefully, avoiding bumps and shocks, remove the grenade from the excavation and move it to a safe place, holding it with its head up. |
Armor-piercing rifle grenade mod. 1943 - in terms of purpose and principle of operation, it is of the same type as a large armor-piercing grenade, differing from it in the shape of the case and the design of the fuse. The length of the grenade is about 195 mm. The body is made of steel. Handling found grenades is similar to handling other armor-piercing grenades to a rifle grenade launcher.
Artillery (mortar) mines
Domestic ammunition
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The most common artillery ammunition found in the battlefields of the Great Patriotic War were artillery mines. Mortar ammunition is even more common than rifle ammunition. Mortar mines were equipped with high-sensitivity instantaneous fuses, which are cocked at the moment of firing. Mines with cocked fuses are dangerous. A characteristic sign of a mine that has passed through the bore and has a cocked fuse is the trace of the striker on the primer of the expelling cartridge located in the tail of the mine. Such mines should not be moved from the place of discovery, marking their location with a clearly visible sign. The most common are 50-mm fragmentation mines for the domestic company mortar (samples 38, 40 and 41). Four-blade mines with a solid body were used, later replaced by six-blade mines with a solid and split body (screw-on shank). Mines are painted in green (protective) color. For domestic 50-mm mines, fuses M-1, M-50, MP were used. |
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M-50 fuse - instantaneous, non-safety type, intended for 50-mm fragmentation mines, sometimes also used for 45-mm high-explosive fragmentation shells. It was inserted into the charging point of the mine through an adapter ring made of black plastic. The presence of a plastic ring is explained by the fact that the M-50 fuse was originally designed for 37-mm mortar mines, which have a smaller fuse point. The fuse has an extremely simple device and high manufacturability. When cocked, a red stripe appears on the drummer. For an uncocked fuse, the front part of the striker is flush with the body, for a cocked fuse, the striker protrudes somewhat forward. A cocked fuse is extremely sensitive. If there is a suspicion that the M-50 mine is fired, you cannot touch it - the fuse can work from the slightest push. Fuse MP - instantaneous non-safety type. It has a body made of black plastic. On the case there is a marking - MP, year of issue, batch and manufacturer's designation. The safety mechanism is located inside the case and it is impossible to detect by the appearance of the fuse whether it is cocked. A fuze that has a rusted safety spring can be cocked by a side impact, so do not hit or shake the mine. |
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Quite often there are fragmentation mines for the domestic 82-mm battalion mortar (models 36, 37, 41, 43g.). Six- and ten-point mines with a screw shank were used. Painted in green (protective) color. In addition to fragmentation, smoke mines were used, which are marked with a black stripe on the hull under the centering thickening. M-1, MP-82, M-2 fuses were used.
Fuse M-1 - instant action, non-safety type. In addition to 82 mm mines, it was also used for four-pronged 50 mm mines. It has a protective cap under which there is a protruding aluminum cylinder ("cigarette") - an instantaneous drummer. The safety cap was allowed to be screwed only before lowering the mine into the mortar barrel. When the fuse is cocked, a red stripe appears on the "cigarette". Mines found during the search without a safety cap (with a naked "cigarette") are dangerous - the drummer is very sensitive even to light pressure.
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Fuse MP-82 - instantaneous non-safety type. Mines with this fuse are the most common. The fuse has a body made of black plastic. Marking on the body - MP-82, year of manufacture, batch and manufacturer's designation. The device is similar to the MP fuse for 50-mm mines, differing in a more durable diaphragm. The handling of mines with the MP-82 fuse is similar to the handling of mines with the MP fuse. Outwardly, the M-2 and M-3 fuses are very similar to the MP fuse, but they had a different safety mechanism device. The M-3 fuse differed from the M-2 with a steel case instead of a plastic one and was intended for firing at rocky ground. Handling them is similar to handling the MP fuse. Occasionally mines come across for a 120-mm regimental mortar (model 38, 41 and 43g.). The ammunition of the domestic mortar included high-explosive fragmentation, smoke and thermite incendiary mines. Smoke mines were marked in black, and thermite mines were marked in the form of a red ring. The mines were equipped with fuses GVMZ, M-4, M-1. |
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Fuse GVMZ - with two settings for instantaneous and delayed action, non-safety type. The fuse is simple in design and production. It has a pneumatic percussion mechanism - ignition of the igniter capsule is carried out by air, which heats up when it is quickly compressed under the piston-striker. Installation on a delayed action was carried out using an installation crane, similar to RG-type fuses. The fuse is equipped with a safety cap, which is removed only before firing. Mines with a fuse without a cap are very dangerous to handle, since the fuse can work when the mine falls from the hands with the head part down on the trampled snow, ice or earth. When fired, the fuse does not cock. |
It is extremely rare to find domestic mines for a 37-mm mortar-blade, 107-mm mountain-pack mortar, 160-mm mortar. According to the principle of operation, these mines are similar to those described above and are equipped with the same fuses.
Ammunition of the former German Army
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Somewhat less frequently than domestic 50-mm mines, there are 50-mm fragmentation mines for the German mortar mod. 36g. They consist of a body to which a shank with 8 stabilizer feathers is screwed. The mine is painted red. Fuse Wgr Z38 (with aluminum body), Wgr ZT (plastic body). Fuze (tube) Wgr Z38 (Werfgranatzunder 38) - double percussion, non-safety type, intended for fragmentation mines of medium caliber. It has small dimensions and a complex device. When fired, it is cocked - the inertial fuse is lowered and when the mine moves to the descending part of the trajectory, the safety balls roll into the cavity of the striker, freeing the access of the striker's sting to the igniter primer. To eliminate the influence of air resistance, the drummer is covered with a thin brass membrane. When falling on the ground, the drummer pierces the igniter cap, the beam of fire from which is transmitted to the detonator. If the mine falls on rocky ground and the head drummer cannot prick the primer, then the inertial drummer fires. The fuse is made with high quality. Aluminum alloy body. In addition to Wgr. Z38 used fuses of a similar purpose Wgr. ZT with black plastic housing. Fired mines with a cocked fuse can be dangerous. The main reason for the failure of fuses Wgr. Z38 - Incorrect installation of the igniter primer. Unexploited mines, in case of emergency, can be moved from the excavation site to a safe place by carefully transferring them with their heads up. |
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Somewhat less common are fragmentation mines for the German 81.4 mm (8cm) mortar mod. 34g. They consist of a screw-on shank body with 10 stabilizer feathers. The mine is painted in red or dark green protective color (depending on the material of the hull). In addition, there are bouncing mines mod. 38 and 39 colloquially called "frog" When falling on the ground, an expelling charge was triggered from the tube, which tore the body of the mine from the detachable head and threw the body of the mine with an explosive charge up. The explosion occurred at a height of 2 to 10 m, due to which the fragmentation effect of the mine increased. A distinctive feature of these mines is the marking 38 or 39 in black paint on the body, painted in dark green protective or red, and a detachable head, fastened with three pins to the body. Simple fragmentation mines made from the bodies of bouncing mines have a similar look. Such mines are marked 38umg. or 39umg. black paint on the body. In addition to fragmentation and bouncing mines, smoke mines were used. Such mines are marked with white letters Nb on the hull. German 81.4 mm mines were equipped with Wgr Z38 tubes. The detonator is located in the ignition glass. The handling of spent mines is similar to the handling of spent 50 mm mines. Very rarely come across mines for a 12 cm mortar mod. 42g., which was a copy of the Soviet 120-mm mortar. The ammunition included high-explosive fragmentation mines, which had a dark green protective color. Ten pin stabilizer. It is extremely rare to find mines for a 105-mm chemical mortar. |
Ground artillery ammunition
Domestic ammunition
37-mm shells (shots) for anti-aircraft guns. Rarely seen. They have a cylindrical brass sleeve with a rim and a groove for the ejector.
45-mm projectiles (shots) for anti-tank and tank guns. Very common. Cylindrical brass sleeve with rim.
Shells - high-explosive fragmentation and armor-piercing incendiary tracer. A high-explosive fragmentation projectile is a steel cylinder with a fuse screwed into the head. The copper leading belt is located approximately in the middle of the projectile. Equipped with cast TNT. Fuzes of the KTM type (team of pipe makers, membrane) - head impact fuses with two settings for instantaneous and inertial action, semi-safety type. When released from the factory, the fuse is set to inertial action (with a screwed mounting cap), to set the fuse to instantaneous action, the mounting cap was screwed before firing. A fired projectile (with traces of rifling on the leading belt) can be dangerous when moving the projectile from the place of discovery.
Armor-piercing incendiary tracer projectile is a heavy bullet-shaped projectile of small size. There is a ballistic cap on the head part, which usually rots and the projectile is usually found with a kind of "chopped off" head part. The leading belt is located at the rear of the projectile. Equipped with high explosive. A fuse is screwed into the bottom of the projectile with a tracer screwed on the back in a conical aluminum case. Fuzes MD-5 were used - bottom fuses of inertial action with slowdown, non-safety type. The fuse is simple in design and has a high sensitivity to impact. It is screwed into the bottom of the projectile, sealed with a lead gasket and non-drying mastic based on minium iron. It has a fixed striker (needle) and a movable striker with an igniter capsule, which is held until fired by a fuse from a split brass tube. When fired, the fuse is lowered, the drummer is released and the igniter cap becomes available for the striker, while the drummer is not held by anything and just hangs inside, so the cocked fuse is especially dangerous and explodes even when shaken. The fuse is made of sufficient quality, the internal parts are made of non-ferrous metals, nickel-plated and do not corrode after half a century of being in the ground. Before the start of the war and in its initial period, a huge number of shells equipped with MD-5 were manufactured. During the war, due to the danger of handling, this fuse was discontinued, but not removed from service.
45 mm armor-piercing incendiary tracer projectiles pose the greatest danger, especially if there are traces of rifling on the leading belt. The unexploded ordnance fuse is exceptionally sensitive to any movement and can explode even if the ammunition is tilted. The shells have thick walls and are made of alloyed hardened steel, so they explode with great force and fragments. When a shot projectile is found, it is not even worth getting it out of the excavation, but its location should be marked with a clearly visible sign.
57-mm shells (shots) for anti-tank guns. Rarely seen. In terms of design, fuse brands and handling, they are similar to 45-mm rounds. After the MD-5 fuse was discontinued, the MD-7 fuse was used instead for armor-piercing projectiles. It differs from the MD-5 in the presence of a counter-safety spring, a foil counter-safety circle on the primer-igniter and an inertial circle for adjusting the deceleration when hitting an obstacle. All armor-piercing shells should be treated with extreme caution.
Ammunition of the former German Army
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20-mm projectiles (shots) for tank and anti-aircraft guns. They are quite rare. In common parlance they are called "Oerlikon". The shells for tank and anti-aircraft guns were the same, only the shells differed. The sleeve of a tank gun is brass or steel, conical, has a groove for ejectors and a characteristic wide annular protrusion in front of the groove. There is no annular protrusion on the shells for anti-aircraft guns of the Oerlikon system. 37-mm shells (shots) for anti-tank, tank and anti-aircraft guns. The most common. They have a slightly conical brass or steel sleeve with a rim. Shells - armor-piercing tracer 3.7 cm Pzgr. They were used to fire the 3.7 cm Pak anti-tank gun and are colloquially referred to as "Pak" shells. They are even more common than domestic 45 mm armor-piercing shells. They have a pointed head, a leading belt in the back. Equipped with high explosives. The fuse Bd is screwed into the bottom. Z. (5103 *) d (Bodenzunder (5103) fiir 3,7 Panzergranaten) - inertial action with deceleration, non-safety type, used for 37 and 50 mm armor-piercing tracer shells for anti-aircraft, tank and anti-tank guns. The fuse is combined with a tracer. It has an extremely simple device - the percussion mechanism consists of a fixed sting and a striker with an igniter capsule. When fired, the fuse does not cock. The drummer is fixed with a thin pin, which is torn by the drummer when it hits a solid barrier. Gas-dynamic deceleration - carried out Occasionally there is a sub-caliber armor-piercing tracer of a characteristic coil shape with a sharp aluminum tip. Inside is a tungsten carbide core. Such a projectile does not contain an explosive and does not pose a danger. |
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In addition to armor-piercing, fragmentation tracer shells were used with an AZ39 fuse - a head, percussion, non-safety type. The fuse is designed for 37 and 50 mm fragmentation shells for tank and anti-tank guns. It has a centrifugal cocking - when the projectile rotates, the centrifugal stoppers release the fuse, and the fuse releases the striker under the action of centrifugal force. Cocking occurs a few meters from the muzzle. The projectiles are loaded with high explosives. The found shells are dangerous.
47 mm and 50 mm shells (shots). They are very rare. In terms of design and handling, they are similar to 37-mm shells.
Artillery shells and shots of medium and large calibers.
Domestic ammunition
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There were shells for the following purposes: high-explosive fragmentation, high-explosive, shrapnel, armor-piercing, concrete-piercing, special (agitation, smoke, incendiary, chemical, etc.). The most widespread are shells for domestic 76-mm guns. Meet quite often. Of the 76-mm shells, high-explosive fragmentation is the most common. Often there are 76-mm armor-piercing tracer and shrapnel. In the ammunition load of 76-mm guns there were also special shells - incendiary, lighting, smoke, agitation, but such shells are practically never found. The high-explosive fragmentation projectile has a thick-walled body made of steel cast iron. The anterior part is ogival, the posterior part is a truncated cone. Rarely come across old-style shells - a cylindrical body with a screwed hemispherical head. High-explosive fragmentation shells were usually loaded with cast or screwed TNT, various surrogate explosives. Fuse type KG and KTM of various modifications. These fuses have almost the same device. Cocked when fired. Impact mechanism of instantaneous and inertial action. An adjusting cap is screwed on the front - when the cap is on, the fuse is set to inertial action, when removed - to instantaneous. The main difference between the KG fuse and the KTM fuse is the device of the instantaneous striker - for the KG it is a protruding rod closed with an installation cap, and for the KTM it is a plastic or wooden striker of large diameter, covered with a foil membrane and an installation cap. A fired projectile with KTM and KT fuses is dangerous regardless of whether the mounting cap is on or off. |
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The armor-piercing tracer projectile is similar in design to the 45-mm armor-piercing tracer, differing from it mainly in its large size and the presence of a screw bottom. Equipped with pressed TNT or tetryl. The MD-6 or MD-8 fuse, which differs from the MD-5 and MD-7, only in the landing thread. The handling of found shells is similar to the handling of 45 mm armor-piercing tracer. A shrapnel projectile is a cylindrical glass, inside of which there is an expelling charge, a membrane, lead shrapnel bullets and |
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22-sec. double action tube - designed for 76 mm bullet shrapnel. It has two distance rings, and the lower ring has a scale with divisions from 10 to 130 (on some tubes up to 140 and 159) and two risks with the designations "K" (card action) and "Ud" (percussion Remote tube TZ(UG) - designed for 76-mm rod shrapnel for divisional and regimental ground artillery guns and anti-aircraft guns. It has three distance rings, two of which are fastened with a bracket, on the lower ring there is a scale with 165 conditional divisions, marked every 5 divisions, and two risks with the designations "K" (card action) and "Ud" (shock action). A rigid brass cap is screwed onto the tube to protect it from moisture. T-6 double-action tube - designed for shrapnel, lighting, incendiary and propaganda shells for howitzers and medium-caliber guns of ground artillery. It differs from the TZ(UG) tube by the presence of an impact mechanism similar in design to the impact mechanism of the KT-1 fuse (in its inertial part) and some other details. It has three distance rings, two of which are fastened with a bracket, a scale with 139 divisions is applied on the lower ring, corresponding to the divisions of the sight of the 76-mm regimental gun mod. 1927 and two risks with the designations "K" and "Ud". A rigid brass cap is screwed onto the tube to protect it from moisture. |
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Unexploded fired shrapnel shells are usually found with a destroyed spacer tube and damp expelling powder. Such shells, in case of emergency, can be removed from the excavation and moved to a safe place. They pose a danger when they hit the fire. In this case, drying and operation of an expelling charge and a shot of shrapnel bullets can occur. Also, high-explosive fragmentation shells for anti-aircraft artillery, equipped with a T-5 remote fuse, are very similar to simple shrapnel, and such shells are much more dangerous than ordinary shrapnel. 85-mm shells (shots) for anti-aircraft and divisional guns. Rarely seen. According to the device, high-explosive fragmentation and armor-piercing shells are similar to 76-mm shells. For anti-aircraft guns, there was a remote fragmentation grenade - a fragmentation projectile with a T-5 remote fuse, which is a combination of a TZ (UG) tube and a safety-type detonating device. Such an unexploded fired projectile looks like a shrapnel projectile, but it poses a much greater danger - it is equipped with an explosive, and the fuse has an inertial percussion mechanism. The shot projectile, in case of emergency, can be carefully removed from the excavation and carefully, without bumps and shaking, transferred to a safe place. Large caliber shells are rare. Usually these are fired unexploded high-explosive fragmentation and high-explosive projectiles that have already passed through the bore. Such shells were supplied with fuses of the RG type (RG-6, RGM and RGM-2), fragmentation shells and anti-aircraft artillery shrapnel - with remote tubes T-3 (UG) and T-5. Armor-piercing and concrete-piercing were equipped with bottom fuses of the KTD type. Fuzes of the RG type (Rdultovsky, head) - head fuses of double impact action with three settings for instantaneous, inertial and delayed action, safety type. RGM fuses are designed for 107-152 mm and larger caliber fragmentation, high-explosive and high-explosive fragmentation shells for cannons, howitzers and howitzer-guns, for naval and coastal guns. It represents an improved design of the RG-6 fuse and is distinguished by increased safety during firing and sensitivity to impact when set to instantaneous action. To install the fuse on a delayed action, an installation valve is designed that has two positions O (open) and 3 (closed). The crane is turned with a special key. The factory setting of the fuse is for inertial action (the cap is on, the valve is open). The fuse is set to instant action by removing the setting cap, and to slow action by turning the valve to position 3 - in this case, the action will be slow both when the setting cap is removed and when the setting cap is put on. RGM-2 fuses are designed for 107-280 mm fragmentation, high-explosive and high-explosive fragmentation projectiles, mainly for howitzers and mortars; can also be used in guns. It represents an improved design of the RGM fuse and differs from it in some details of the safety mechanism. Its advantages over the RGM are in increased safety and cocking ™ and in simplified production. RG-6 fuses are designed for 122 and 152 mm fragmentation, high-explosive and high-explosive fragmentation projectiles for howitzers. It differs from the RGM fuse in the device of the instantaneous striker, the absence of a membrane in the outer dimension and some details of the safety mechanism. The main disadvantages in comparison with the RGM fuse are the reduced sensitivity of the instantaneous striker and the possibility of premature bursts of projectiles behind the muzzle when firing. Projectiles with RG-type fuses that have not passed through the bore do not pose a particular danger and, in case of emergency, can be carefully transported to a safe place. Unexploded projectiles that have passed through the bore have a cocked fuse and can be dangerous due to the large mass of explosive and the formation of a large number of large fragments with a significant radius of damage. Such shells must be left at the place of discovery and marked with signs visible from afar. |
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Ammunition of the former German Army
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German shells are similar in design and purpose to domestic ones. They were supplied with tubes K1AZ23, AZ23, llgr 223 nA, AZ23 umgm 2V. The detonator is installed in the ignition glass. Tube K1AZ23 (Kleiner Aufschlagzunder 23) - double percussion with two settings for instantaneous and delayed action, non-safety type, designed for 75 mm high-explosive fragmentation projectiles. The setting device on the outside has a slot for a setting key or a screwdriver and risks: one with the designation "O" (Ohne Verzogetung - without slowing down) and two diametrically opposed with the designation "MV (Mil Verzogenmg - with slowing down). The fuse has a centrifugal cocking - when the projectile rotates safety rams overcome the resistance of the safety spring and |
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Tube AZ23 - double impact with two settings for instantaneous and delayed action, non-safety type, designed for 75-149 mm high-explosive fragmentation projectiles for guns and howitzers. The impact and setting mechanism is similar to the mechanisms of the K1AZ23 tube and differs only in the size of some parts and the presence of five centrifugal dies instead of four. Outwardly, it differs in large dimensions and a different shape. They were made of aluminum alloy or plastic with steel fittings. |
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Tube AZ23 umgm 2V (Aufschlagzunder 23 umgearbeitet mil 2 Verzogerung) - double percussion with three settings: for instant action and for two decelerations, non-safety type. Designed for 149 and 211 mm high-explosive fragmentation shells for howitzers and mortars. The impact mechanism differs from the standard AZ23 impact mechanism by the presence of an inertial sleeve to eliminate the rotation of the inertial rams in the bore. The setting device has a setting sleeve on the outside, fixed in the body with a head nut. The tube is installed by turning the mounting sleeve with a wrench until one of the marks on its surface ("+", "0/V", "0/2" and "0/8") aligns with the risk on the nut. These marks correspond to the settings for travel mount, instant action, and slowdowns of 0.2 and 0.8 seconds. Tube llgr Z23 nA (leichter Inranteriegranatzunder 23 neuer Art) - double percussion with two settings for instantaneous and delayed action, non-safety type, designed for 75-mm high-explosive fragmentation shells for infantry guns. The firing and setting mechanism is similar to the mechanisms of the AZ23 tube and is distinguished by the presence of an inertial ring that serves to actuate the projectile when it hits an obstacle sideways. |
The handling of unfired and unexploded German shells is similar to the handling of domestic ammunition.
Missiles (PC)
Rockets were actively used by both Wehrmacht units and the Soviet Army.
The fundamental difference between rocket projectiles and other types of weapons is in the method of movement - jet. Therefore, the composition of rockets includes a jet engine.
A whole PC is a very rare find, and the number of PC types in service is in the tens, so only the most basic ones will be considered in the article.
USSR
The Red Army was armed with two main types of PC: RS-82 aka M-8 and PC-132 aka M-13.
M-8
It is a classic rocket: in front of the warhead. It contains 375-581 tons of explosives. For early release PCs, the warhead had notches to improve fragmentation, later these notches were abandoned. Behind the warhead is a jet engine, fuel: 7 cylindrical, single-channel checkers on the first modifications, and 5 checkers, but larger, on later ones. Cartridges with black powder are installed in front and behind the combustion chamber to improve ignition. Ignition occurs with the help of a special device, through a nozzle. M-8s were launched from the BM-8-48 installation. You can release 48 PCs at one time.
On the first modifications of the PC, there were 4 guide pins, but later they abandoned 2. By the way, it was this modification (with 4 pins) that the Germans copied in 1943 and used them against the Soviet troops.
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M-13. (Katyusha) Perhaps the effectiveness of "Katyusha" was overestimated. In the area of the village of Myasnoy Bor, there are sections of German defense literally plowed up by PCs, in theory there should not have been anything alive there, but ours could not break through the German defenses. |
Aviation RS-82/132 were completed with remote tubes AGDT-a, TM-49, TM-24a. When firing at ground targets - head contact fuses GVMZ and AM.
Germany.
In service with the Wehrmacht at different times consisted of several types of PC. In 1941, a 158.5 mm chemical projectile was adopted, later a 280 mm high-explosive and a 320 mm incendiary mine were developed, although in 1942 they were withdrawn from service. In 1942, a 210 mm high-explosive mine was adopted. The latter was rarely used in the European part of the USSR and will not be considered.
Initially, the mine was created as a means of conducting chemical warfare. The use of the chemical part entailed the adoption of an unusual layout. Just in case, if there is no chemical warfare, a fragmentation mine was also created.
The main difference between NbWrf-41 and the domestic PC was a different stabilization method. If the M-8/13 was stabilized in flight with the help of a stabilizer, then the NbWrf -41 was stabilized by rotation like a projectile. This was achieved by the fact that the gases that set the PC in motion were released at an angle to the axis from a special turbine in the middle of the projectile. The fuel was 7 pieces of diglycoleum gunpowder.
Well, the unusual layout was that the warhead, containing 2 kg of explosives, was located behind the rocket part, this achieved a better dispersion of toxic substances. Because of this, the shells had a slight high-explosive effect. According to the recollections of veterans, it was possible to hide in any trench from the volley of these PCs, which cannot be said about our Katyusha: it already hit, it hit.
You need to remember this thing. The warhead is in the back, and the fuse is also in the back. Fuze - Bd.Z.Dov. Unfortunately, there is not much data on him, but it is known that he still had a fuse, but it is better not to check this.
These PCs were launched from an installation consisting of 6 tubular guides mounted on a carriage. Hence the name - 6-barreled mortar.
280\32O reactive mines.
The body of the warhead was stamped from thin steel. If the mine was high-explosive, then its caliber was 280 mm, the warhead contained 50 kg of explosives. If incendiary, then its caliber was 320mm and the mine carried 50 kg of oil.
The engine was installed the same as in the "NbWrf -41", only it was located in the classic place - at the back. Because the caliber of the warhead was larger than the caliber of the rocket part, then the mine looked like a huge amphora with a long neck.
A Wgr 50 or 427 fuse stood on a 320-mm incendiary mine. The drummer was held in it only by a pin, which was removed before launch.
A WgrZ 50 fuse was mounted on a 280-mm high-explosive mine; it contained the simplest centrifugal fuse.
Mines were launched from wooden caps, installed in a row on a special stand.
Despite the fact that the mines had a good high-explosive and incendiary effect, due to the fact that they had an engine unified with the NbWrf -41, the mines had a short (range (about 2 km). This made them vulnerable to ground fire , which was the reason for removing it in 1942 from service ...
And so for reference: bizarre roses remaining from rocket chambers during an explosion. PC, probably came across to everyone.
Our PCs had a thread inside the chamber, while the “Germans” had it outside, in addition, the “Germans” sometimes have a front bottom. These features can help in determining: "who and whom on this earth"
anti-personnel mines
domestic mines
Mine simplified fuse (MUV) - tension (with a P-shaped pin) or pressure (with a T-shaped pin) action. It was used in anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, improvised explosive devices, booby traps. Easy to set up and manufacture. It consists of a body (metal or plastic), a drummer, a mainspring and a P or T-shaped checks. In the combat position, the check is inserted into the lower hole of the drummer. The spring is in a compressed state. When pulling out the checks, the drummer is released and, under the action of a spring, pierces the primer-igniter fuse, which causes the explosion of the detonator cap. The body of the fuse was made of painted, galvanized or tombac-clad steel, from seamless tubes with a diameter of 12 mm and stamped from a sheet, from rifle cartridges, from black or brown bakelite. To detonate the explosive charge, an MD-2 fuse is screwed into the MUV - a detonator cap No. 8 combined with an igniter cap. The fuse is inserted into the mine socket, a tension wire is tied to the MUV check. When touched by a wire, the check is pulled out of the fuse and a mine explodes. Actuation force 0.5-1 kg. The radius of the destructive action of POMZ-2 is 25 m, the radius of expansion of lethal fragments is up to 200 m. It could be installed with one or two branches of stretch marks.
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During search operations, the mine is easily detected by a metal detector. The setting pegs and tension wire usually rot, leaving the body of the mine with the drill block and fuse. These mines are dangerous. Often the striker rod is damaged by corrosion and is very weakly held in the cocked position. The mainspring in the MUV is tinned and is quite well preserved. With careless movement or a light blow, the drummer can break off and prick the igniter. When POMZ-2 is found with the I fuse inserted, do not try to remove the fuse or the drilling block. Such a mine, in case of emergency, can be carefully, holding the hull, moved to a safe place. Quite often there are POMZ-2 without a fuse, piled up in heaps. These mines remained after the demining of the area by sappers and do not pose a danger. |
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PMD-6 (PMD-7, PMD-7ts) |
OZM UVK
Universal blowout chamber. It was used in combination with some domestic or captured artillery ammunition. Occurs very rarely. It was used as part of controlled minefields. It is a steel cylindrical chamber with a diameter of 132 mm and a height of 75 mm inside which there is an expelling charge, an electric igniter, a moderator and a detonator. A conventional artillery mine or projectile is screwed to the chamber. In the ground, the mine is installed with the camera down. When an electric current is applied to the contacts of the electric igniter, an expelling charge is triggered, ejecting artillery ammunition upwards. After the moderator burns out, at a height of about 1-5 m, the ammunition explodes. The radius of fragmentation depends on the artillery ammunition used in the mine. It is very rare in search operations. It is dangerous when hitting UVC, heating. If found, in case of emergency, you can dig a mine and carefully move it to a safe place. You can't pull on the wire.
Mines of the former German army
Mina is a massive smooth cylinder with a diameter of 102 mm, a height of 128 mm, painted in gray-green color. On the top cover of the mine there is a central neck for attaching a fuse and four screws. Three small screws cover the sockets for blasting caps, the fourth screw (larger) closes the mouth for filling the mine with explosive. The mine is made with high quality and sealed from moisture. The mine consists of an outer cup and the mine itself. Inside there is an explosive charge (500 g of TNT), along the walls of the mine there are ready-made fragments - 340 steel balls (shrapnel) with a diameter of 9 mm. Inside the explosive checker there are three channels for placing detonator caps No. 8. The mine itself is inserted into the outer glass, from which it is fired using an expelling charge. A tube runs through the center of the mine, which serves to fasten all parts of the mine and transfer fire from the fuse to the expelling charge. When the fuse is triggered, it, through the moderator, transmits a fire impulse to the expelling charge. The expelling charge shoots the mine up their outer cup and ignites the retarders. After the moderator burns out, the fire is transferred to detonator caps and at a height of about 2-5 m a mine explodes with scattering of balls. Due to the operation of the mine at a certain height, it has a large radius of destruction - 80 m. The mine could be set to a push and pull action, depending on the fuse used. There were modifications of the "spring-mines" with the ability to be set to be non-removable. Such mines, in addition to the upper one, also had a lower socket for an additional fuse.
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Fuze SMiZ-35 - push action, used for anti-personnel mines S-mine). The fuze body is usually made of aluminum alloy. The fuse has a high quality workmanship, sealed from moisture. It has three characteristic antennae on its head. Worked by pressing on these antennae. Actuation force 4-6 kg. Before the mine is installed, the rod is held by a safety pin in the form of a small screw of complex shape, which is fixed on the fuse with a nut. It was used as a single fuse, or could be installed on a "tee" in conjunction with two tension fuses. |
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Fuze ZuZZ-35 - double (tension and cutting) action. |
German mine fuses are made with high quality from non-ferrous metals. They are not very susceptible to corrosion and therefore the fuses work flawlessly even after half a century has passed since installation. Fortunately, the S-mine has propellant retarders, which by now are most likely damp and the probability of a regular mine operation is low, but there are exceptions to every rule and you should not tempt fate by trying to disassemble the mine. When detecting German mines with inserted fuses, special care must be taken. If the fuse is screwed into the mine and does not have a safety pin, insert a nail or piece of wire with a diameter of 2.5 mm into the hole for the safety pin and fix it. After that, you need to check if the mine has an additional lower fuse for non-removability. If there is no additional fuse, in case of emergency, you can remove the mine from the ground and carefully, without shocks and blows, move it to a safe place. If there is an additional fuse, do not remove the mine from the ground, but mark its location with a clearly visible sign.
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stockmine |
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SD-2 |
anti-tank mines
domestic mines
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TMD-B (TMD-44) Pressure strips are nailed to the top of the box and there is a door (or plug) for inserting a fuse into the mine. Mina is equipped with ammatol, ammonite or dynamon. Curb mine weight 7.5-8 kg, charge weight 4.7-5.5 kg. The briquettes are fixed in the mine with the help of wooden blocks. The briquettes are detonated with the help of an intermediate detonator of 200 g of explosive cartridges and an MV-5 fuse. |
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Fuse MV-5 - pressure action, explodes when you press the cap. Used in push mines. The drummer is held in a combat position by a ball. When you press the cap, the ball falls into the recess of the cap and releases the drummer, which pricks the fuse. The triggering force of the fuse is 10-20 kg. The fuse is inserted into the mine socket, the door closes. When a tank caterpillar hits a mine, the top cover breaks and the pressure bars press on the fuse cap. At the same time, the mine explodes. To trigger a mine, a force of 100 kg is required. |
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TM-41 |
When searching for a mine, it is very rare. Do not try to unscrew the plug and remove the fuse. The found mine must be carefully transferred to a safe place without hitting the top cover and without turning the mine upside down.
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TM-35 |
During search operations, a mine is more common than all other domestic anti-tank mines, but not because of mass use, but due to the good preservation of the metal case. When a mine is found, do not open the shutter and see if a fuse is inserted into the mine. Such a mine should be handled as if it had a fuse. Do not attempt to remove the fuse or open the mine case. In case of emergency, the found mine should be carefully transferred to a safe place without hitting the hull.
Mines of the former German army
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Designed to break the tracks and damage the undercarriage of the tank. The mine has a round body with a diameter of 320 mm and a height of 90 mm. The body is made of aluminum alloy and sheet steel. There was a version of the mine made entirely of sheet steel with stamped stiffeners on the top cover. The upper part of the case is a pressure cover. In the center of the cover there is a threaded hole into which a brass fuse is screwed. On the side of the mine has a carrying handle. For installation on non-removability, the mine has threaded sockets for fuses of the ZZ-42, ZZ-35 type on the side and bottom. The mine is equipped with melted TNT. The curb weight of the mine is 10 kg, the weight of the charge is 5.2 kg. Undermining the main charge is carried out using the fuse TMiZ-35. When a tank caterpillar hits a mine, the pressure cover transfers pressure to the fuse, the drummer cuts off the shear pin and the mine explodes. To trigger a mine, a force of over 100 kg is required. The TMiZ-35 fuse has two fuses - a screw and a side pin. The safety screw is located on top of the fuse. It has a red dot on it. The screw can occupy two positions: safe (Sicher), marked with a white line and combat platoon (Sharf), marked with a red line. |
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During search operations, a mine is more common than other anti-tank mines. It is dangerous when it is armed: the red dot on the safety screw is in the Sharf position. You should not try to move the safety screw to a safe position - the mine may explode. When a mine is detected, it does not matter whether it is on the fuse or on the cocking, without moving the mine from |
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After 1942, the TMi-35 mine (steel-cased) could be used with a simplified fuse similar to the TMi-42 and TMi-43 mine fuses. In such mines, the central threaded hole for the fuse is closed with a screw plug. Do not try to unscrew the plug and remove the fuse. The fuse does not have a fuse, the actuation force is about 240 kg, but a mine can explode if a running or fast walking person steps on it. Handling of found mines - check for non-removable fuses and, in case of emergency, carefully, without hitting the pressure cover, move the mine to a safe place. |
TMi-42 and TMi-35
The TMi-42 differs from the TMi-35 (in steel case) by the smaller size of the pressure cap. The main fuse is inserted into the central hole in the pressure cap and closed with a screw plug. The mine has a bottom and side socket for additional fuses when set to non-removable. Mine weight 10 kg, charge weight 5 kg. The TMi-43 differs from the TMi-42 in the design and shape of the pressure cap. The pressure cover is corrugated and is screwed onto the central neck of the mine after the fuse is installed.
Found in battlefields after 1942. The handling of mines is similar to the handling of TMi-35 - make sure that the mine is not set to non-removable and, in case of emergency, move it to a safe place, avoiding hitting the pressure cover. Do not attempt to unscrew the fuse plug or pressure cap.
When searching for a mine, it is very rare. In found mines, the wooden case usually rots. There are checkers of explosives and a checker with an inserted fuse or just with a protruding detonator. Do not try to remove the fuse or detonator from the checker. In case of emergency, carefully, without touching the fuse, transfer such a checker to a safe place.
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Anti-vehicle mine. Used by the Germans after 1943 to damage the undercarriage of tanks or vehicles. Could be used as an anti-personnel mine. The mine is a rectangular box made of sheet steel measuring 80x10x8 cm. The upper part of the case is a pressure cover. From the end of the mine has a carrying handle. Combat shear pins are passed through the holes in the side walls - wires, the ends of which are twisted on the top cover of the mine. The top cover of the mine can be opened to place an explosive charge and two ZZ-42 fuses into it. The curb weight of the mine is 8.5 kg, the weight of the charge is 5 kg. When hitting a mine, the shear pins are cut off and the explosive charge, descending, pulls the combat pins out of fuses 22-42, causing the mine to explode. To trigger a mine, a force of 150 kg is required. |
When conducting search operations, a mine is very rare. In those found, special attention should be paid to the integrity of the shear pins (wires). If the shear wires are not twisted on the mine cover or are severely damaged by corrosion, the mine must not be touched, its location should be marked with a conspicuous sign. If the checks are in good condition, twisted on the cover of the mine, in case of emergency, you can carefully, avoiding shocks and blows, remove the mine from the ground and turn it upside down and transfer it to a safe place. Attempts to disassemble the mine are not allowed.
In addition to regular anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, improvised mines and field mines made by the troops were quite widely used. The simplest mine or land mine was a subversive bomb or a standard charge with a standard fuse attached. The handling of such mines is similar to the handling of standard mines with a similar fuse.
Domestic field mines were used with MUV or VPF fuses. A field mine fuse (VPF) is used in the construction of improvised mines, booby traps, etc. It consists of a body with a clamp for attaching the fuse to various objects, a striker, a mainspring, a collet to hold the striker in the cocked position (using a swivel joint with the striker head ), a safety cotter pin (after installing a land mine, the cotter pin is pulled out of the shelter with a cord), a fuse with an igniter cap and a detonator. Triggered by pulling the collet up or tilting it in any direction. The force required to pull the collet up 4-6.5 kg, to tilt in any direction 1-1.5 kg.
Quite rarely, time-delayed mines with clock, chemical or electric fuses were used. They were usually used to undermine any buildings or structures, bridges, roads. Usually they have a significant explosive charge (from 3-5 kg to 500-1000 kg) and several different fuses for reliability. During search operations, such mines are practically never found, but if there is a suspicion of the presence of such a mine, then search operations should be stopped and sappers should be called.
Universal shooting system of low ballistics for close combat of infantry units of the Red Army
The available information about the ampoule guns of the Red Army is extremely scarce and is mainly based on a couple of paragraphs from the memoirs of one of the defenders of Leningrad, a description of the design in the manual for the use of ampoule guns, as well as some conclusions and common conjectures of modern searchers-diggers. Meanwhile, in the museum of the capital's plant "Iskra" named after I.I. Kartukov for a long time lay like a dead weight in the amazing quality of the range of shooting front-line years. Text documents to it, obviously, are buried in the depths of the archive of the economy (or scientific and technical documentation) and are still waiting for their researchers. So when working on the publication, I had to generalize only known data and analyze references and images.
The existing concept of "ampulomet" in relation to the combat system developed in the USSR on the eve of the Great Patriotic War does not reveal all the possibilities and tactical advantages of this weapon. Moreover, all available information refers only, so to speak, to the late period of serial ampoule guns. In fact, this "pipe on the machine" was capable of throwing not only ampoules from a tin or bottle glass, but also more serious ammunition. And the creators of this simple and unpretentious weapon, the production of which was possible almost “on the knee”, no doubt deserve much more respect.
The simplest mortar
In the flamethrower system of weapons of the ground forces of the Red Army, the ampoule occupied an intermediate position between knapsack or easel flamethrowers, firing at short distances with a jet of liquid fire mixture, and field artillery (cannon and rocket), which occasionally used incendiary projectiles with solid incendiary mixtures such as military thermite at full range. brand 6. As conceived by the developers (and not the requirements of the customer), the ampoule gun was mainly (as in the document) intended to deal with tanks, armored trains, armored vehicles and fortified enemy firing points by firing at them with any ammunition of a suitable caliber.
Experienced 125-mm ampoule during factory testing in 1940
The opinion that the ampoule gun is a purely Leningrad invention is obviously based on the fact that this type of weapon was also produced in besieged Leningrad, and one of its samples is on display at the State Memorial Museum of the Defense and Siege of Leningrad. However, they developed ampoules (as, indeed, infantry flamethrowers) in the pre-war years in Moscow in the experimental design department of plant No. 145 named after SM. Kirov (chief designer of the plant - I.I. Kartukov), which is under the jurisdiction of the People's Commissariat of the Aviation Industry of the USSR. The names of the designers of ampoule guns, unfortunately, are unknown to me.
Transportation of an experienced 125-mm ampoule in the summer when changing the firing position.
It is documented that the 125-mm ampoule gun with ammunition from ampoules passed field and military tests in 1941 and was adopted by the Red Army. The description of the design of the ampoule gun, given on the Internet, is borrowed from the manual and only in general terms corresponds to pre-war prototypes: “The ampoule gun consists of a barrel with a chamber, a bolt, a firing device, sights and a carriage with a fork.” In the version supplemented by us, the barrel of a serial ampoule launcher was a seamless steel pipe made of Mannesmann rolled products with an inner diameter of 127 mm, or rolled from 2 mm sheet iron, muffled in the breech. The barrel of a regular ampoule gun was freely supported by trunnions on the lugs in the fork of a wheeled (summer) or ski (winter) machine. There were no horizontal or vertical aiming mechanisms.
In an experienced 125-mm ampoule gun, a blank cartridge from a 12-gauge hunting rifle with a folder sleeve and a 15-gram weight of black powder was locked with a rifle-type bolt in the chamber. The firing mechanism was released by pressing the thumb of the left hand on the trigger lever (forward or down, there were different options), located near the handles, similar to those used on easel machine guns and welded to the ampoule breech.
125 mm ampoule in combat position.
In a serial ampoule gun, the firing mechanism was simplified due to the manufacture of many parts by stamping, and the trigger lever was moved under the thumb of the right hand. Moreover, in mass production, the handles were replaced with steel pipes bent like ram's horns, structurally combining them with a piston valve. That is, now for loading the shutter was turned with both handles all the way to the left and, relying on the tray, they pulled it towards themselves. The entire breech with handles along the slots in the tray moved to the rearmost position, completely removing the spent cartridge case of the 12-gauge cartridge.
The sights of the ampoule gun consisted of a front sight and a folding sight rack. The latter was designed to fire at four fixed distances (obviously from 50 to 100 m), indicated by holes. And the vertical slot between them made it possible to shoot at intermediate ranges.
The photographs show that on the experimental version of the ampoule gun, a roughly made wheeled machine welded from steel pipes and an angle profile was used. It would be more correct to consider it a laboratory stand. At the ampoule machine proposed for service, all parts were more carefully finished and supplied with all the attributes necessary for operation in the troops: handles, coulters, slats, brackets, etc. However, the wheels (rollers) on both experimental and serial samples were provided with monolithic wooden , upholstered with a metal strip along the generatrix and with a metal sleeve as a plain bearing in the axial hole.
In the St. Petersburg, Volgograd and Arkhangelsk museums there are later versions of the factory-made ampoule gun on a simplified, lightweight, wheelless, non-folding machine with a support of two pipes, or without a machine at all. Tripods made of steel rods, wooden decks or oak crosses as gun carriages for ampoule guns were adapted already in wartime.
The manual mentions that the ammunition carried by the calculation of the ampoule gun was 10 ampoules and 12 expelling cartridges. On the machine of the pre-production version of the ampoule, the developers proposed to install two easily removable tin boxes with a capacity of eight ampoules each in the transport position. One of the fighters apparently carried two dozen rounds of ammunition in a standard hunting bandolier. In a combat position, boxes of ammunition were quickly removed and placed in a shelter.
On the barrel of the pre-production version of the ampoule gun, two welded swivels were provided for carrying it on a belt over the shoulder. Serial samples were devoid of any "architectural excesses", and the barrel was carried on the shoulder. Many note the presence of a metal divider grille inside the barrel, in its breech. This was not the case for the prototype. Obviously, the grate was needed to prevent the cardboard and felt wad of a blank cartridge from hitting the glass ampoule. In addition, it limited the movement of the ampoule into the breech until it stops, since the serial 125-mm ampoule had a chamber in this place. The factory data and characteristics of the 125 mm ampoule gun are somewhat different from those given in the descriptions and instructions for use.
Drawing of a serial 125-mm ampoule gun, proposed for mass production in 1940.
Rupture of a 125-mm ampoule filled with a self-igniting liquid KS in the target area.
Warehouse of finished products of the workshop for the production of ampoules at the plant No. 455 of the NKAP in 1942
Incendiary ampoules
As indicated in the documents, the main ammunition for ampoule guns was aviation tin ampoules АЖ-2 of 125 mm caliber, equipped with a self-igniting variety of condensed kerosene of the KS grade. The first tin spherical ampoules entered mass production in 1936. In the late 1930s. they were also improved at the OKO of the 145th plant (in the evacuation, this is the OKB-NKAL of plant No. 455). In factory documents, they were called aviation liquid ampoules АЖ-2. But still right
it would be more correct to call the ampoules tin ampoules, since the Red Army Air Force planned to gradually replace the AK-1 glass ampoules, which had been in service since the early 1930s, with them. like chemical munitions.
There were constant complaints about glass ampoules that they were, de, fragile, and if broken ahead of time, they could poison both the aircraft crew and ground personnel with their contents. Meanwhile, mutually exclusive requirements were imposed on the glass of ampoules - strength in handling and fragility in use. The first, of course, prevailed, and some of them, with a wall thickness of 10 mm, even when bombed from a height of 1000 m (depending on the density of the soil) gave a very large percentage of not crashed. Theoretically, their thin-walled tin counterparts could solve the problem. As tests later showed, the aviators' hopes for this were also not fully justified.
This feature probably also manifested itself when firing from an ampoule, especially along flat trajectories for a short range. Note that the recommended type of targets for the 125mm ampoule launcher also consists entirely of objects with strong walls. In the 1930s. aviation tin ampoules were made by stamping two hemispheres from thin brass 0.35 mm thick. Apparently, since 1937 (with the beginning of the austerity of non-ferrous metals in the production of ammunition), their transfer to tinplate with a thickness of 0.2-0.3 mm began.
The configuration of parts for the production of tin ampoules varied greatly. In 1936, at the 145th plant, the design of Ofitserov-Kokoreva was proposed for the manufacture of AZh-2 from four spherical segments with two options for rolling the edges of parts. In 1937, even the AZH-2 consisted of a hemisphere with a filler neck and a second hemisphere of four spherical segments.
At the beginning of 1941, in connection with the expected transfer of the economy to a special period, technologies for the production of AZH-2 from black tin (thin rolled 0.5 mm pickled iron) were tested. From the middle of 1941, these technologies had to be used in full. Black tin during stamping was not as ductile as white or brass, and deep drawing of steel complicated production, therefore, with the outbreak of war, AZh-2 was allowed to be made from 3-4 parts (spherical segments or belts, as well as their various combinations with hemispheres).
Below: experimental ampoules АЖ-2 with additional fuses. Photo 1942
Soldering the seams of black tin products in the presence of special fluxes then also turned out to be quite an expensive pleasure, and academician E.O. Paton introduced into the production of ammunition only a year later. Therefore, in 1941, the parts of the AZh-2 hulls began to be connected by rolling the edges and sinking the seam flush with the contour of the sphere. By the way, before the birth of ampoules, the filling necks of metal ampoules were soldered on the outside (for use in aviation, this was not so important), but since 1940, the necks began to be fixed inside. This made it possible to avoid the diversity of ammunition for use in aviation and ground forces.
The filling of ampoules AZH-2KS, the so-called "Russian napalm" - condensed kerosene KS - was developed in 1938 by A.P. Ionov in one of the capital's research institutes with the assistance of chemists V.V. Zemskova, L.F. Shevelkin and A.V. Yasnitskaya. In 1939, he completed the development of a technology for the industrial production of powdered thickener OP-2. How the incendiary mixture acquired the properties of instantly self-igniting in air remains unknown. I'm not sure that the trivial addition of granules of white phosphorus to a thick incendiary mixture based on petroleum products here would guarantee their self-ignition. In general, be that as it may, already in the spring of 1941, at factory and field tests, the 125-mm ampoule gun AZH-2KS worked normally without fuses and intermediate igniters.
According to the original plan, the AZh-2s were designed to infect the terrain with persistent poisonous substances from aircraft, as well as to destroy manpower with persistent and unstable poisonous substances, later (when used with liquid fire mixtures) - to set fire to and smoke tanks, ships and firing points. Meanwhile, the use of military chemicals in ampoules against the enemy was not ruled out by using them from ampoules. With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the incendiary purpose of the ammunition was supplemented by the smoking out of manpower from field fortifications.
In 1943, in order to guarantee the operation of the AZh-2SOV or AZh-2NOV during bombing from any height and at any carrier speed, the ampoule developers supplemented their designs with fuses made of thermosetting plastic (resistant to the acid base of toxic substances). As conceived by the developers, such modified ammunition already affected manpower as fragmentation-chemical ones.
Ampoule fuses UVUD (universal impact fuse) belonged to the category of all-round, i.e. worked even when the ampoules fell sideways. Structurally, they were similar to those used on ADS aircraft smoke bombs, but it was no longer possible to shoot such ampoules from ampoule guns: from overloads, a non-safety type fuse could work right in the barrel. During the war period and for incendiary ampoules, the Air Force sometimes used cases with fuses or with plugs instead.
In 1943-1944. AZh-2SOV or NOV ampoules, intended for long-term storage in the curb condition, have been tested. To do this, their bodies were coated inside with bakelite resin. Thus, the resistance of the metal case to mechanical stress increased even more, and fuses were mandatory installed on such ammunition.
Today, in the places of past battles, "diggers" can already come across in a conditioned form only ampoules AK-1 or AU-125 (AK-2 or AU-260 - an extremely rare exotic) made of glass. Thin-walled tin ampoules are almost all decayed. Do not try to defuse glass ampoules if you can see that there is liquid inside. White or yellowish cloudy - this is the CS, which by no means lost its properties for self-ignition in air, even after 60 years. Transparent or translucent with yellow large crystals of sediment - this is SOV or NOV. In glass containers, their combat properties can also be preserved for a very long time.
Ampoules in battle
On the eve of the war, units of knapsack flamethrowers (flamethrower teams) were organizationally part of rifle regiments. However, due to the difficulties of using it in defense (extremely short range of flamethrowing and unmasking signs of the ROKS-2 backpack flamethrower), they were disbanded. Instead, in November 1941, teams and companies were created, armed with ampoules and rifle mortars for throwing metal and glass ampoules and Molotov cocktails at tanks and other targets. But, according to the official version, the ampoule guns also had significant drawbacks, and at the end of 1942 they were removed from service.
At the same time, there was no mention of the abandonment of rifle-bottle mortars. Probably, for some reason they did not have the shortcomings of ampoules. Moreover, in other divisions of the rifle regiments of the Red Army, it was proposed to throw bottles with KS at tanks exclusively by hand. The bottle-throwers of the flame-throwing teams, obviously, were revealed a terrible military secret: how to use the aiming bar of the Mosin rifle for aimed shooting with a bottle at a given distance, determined by eye. As I understand it, there was simply no time to teach the rest of the illiterate infantrymen this “tricky business”. Therefore, they themselves adapted a sleeve from a three-inch rifle to the cut of a rifle barrel and themselves "out of school hours" were trained in aimed bottle throwing.
When meeting with a solid barrier, the body of the AZh-2KS ampoule was torn, as a rule, along the solder seams, the incendiary mixture splashed out and ignited in air with the formation of a thick white-
th smoke. The combustion temperature of the mixture reached 800 ° C, which, when it got on clothes and open areas of the body, caused the enemy a lot of trouble. No less unpleasant was the meeting of the sticky CS with armored vehicles - starting from a change in the physicochemical properties of the metal during local heating to such a temperature and ending with an indispensable fire in the engine-transmission compartment of carburetor (and diesel) tanks. It was impossible to clean off the burning COP from the armor - all that was required was to stop the access of air. However, the presence of a self-igniting additive in the CS did not rule out spontaneous combustion of the mixture again.
Here are a few excerpts from the combat reports of the Great Patriotic War, published on the Internet: “We also used ampoules. From an obliquely mounted tube mounted on a sled, a shot of a blank cartridge pushed out a glass ampoule with a combustible mixture. She flew along a steep trajectory at a distance of up to 300-350 m. Breaking when falling, the ampoule created a small but stable fire, hitting the enemy’s manpower and setting fire to his dugouts. The consolidated ampoule company under the command of Senior Lieutenant Starkov, which included 17 crews, fired 1620 ampoules in the first two hours. “The ampoule-throwers moved in here. Acting under the cover of infantry, they set fire to an enemy tank, two guns and several firing points.
By the way, intensive shooting with black powder cartridges inevitably created a thick layer of soot on the barrel walls. So after a quarter of an hour of such a cannonade, the ampoule-throwers would probably find that the ampoule rolls into the barrel with more and more difficulty. Theoretically, before this, carbon deposits, on the contrary, would somewhat improve the obturation of the ampoules in the barrel, increasing their firing range. However, the usual range marks on the sight bar, for sure, “floated”. About banniks and other tools and devices for cleaning ampoule gun barrels, probably, it was mentioned in the technical description ...
And here is a completely objective opinion of our contemporaries: “The calculation of the ampoule gun was three people. The loading was carried out by two people: the first number of the calculation inserted the expelling cartridge from the treasury, the second put the ampoule itself into the barrel from the muzzle. “The ampoules were very simple and cheap“ flamethrower mortars ”, they were armed with special ampouling platoons. The combat manual of the infantry of 1942 mentions the ampoule gun as a standard infantry weapon. In combat, the ampoule gun often served as the core of a group of tank destroyers. Its use in defense as a whole justified itself, while attempts to use it in the offensive led to large losses in crews due to the short firing range. True, they were not without success used by assault groups in urban battles - in particular, in Stalingrad.
There are also memories of veterans. The essence of one of them boils down to the fact that in early December 1941, Major General D.D. Lelyushenko was delivered 20 ampoules. The designer of this weapon also came here, as well as the commander himself, who decided to personally test the new equipment. In response to the designer's comments on loading the ampoule launcher, Lelyushenko grumbled that everything hurts cunningly and for a long time, and the German tank will not wait ... At the first shot, the ampoule broke in the ampoule launcher barrel, and the entire installation burned down. Lelyushenko, already with metal in his voice, demanded a second ampoule. Everything happened again. The general became "angry", switching to profanity, forbade the fighters to use weapons so unsafe for calculations and crushed the remaining ampoules with a tank.
The use of APC-203 for filling ampoules of AJ-2 with military chemical substances. The leaning fighter pumps out excess liquid, standing near the tripod installs plugs on the filling necks of the AZh-2. Photo 1938
Quite a likely story, although not very pleasant in the general context. As if the ampoule guns did not pass factory and field tests ... Why could this happen? As a version: the winter of 1941 (all eyewitnesses mentioned this) was very frosty, and the glass ampoule became more fragile. Here, unfortunately, the respected veteran did not specify what material those ampoules were made of. The difference in temperatures of thick-walled glass (local heating), which is fired when fired by the flame of the expelling charge, can also affect. Obviously, in severe frost it was necessary to shoot only with metal ampoules. But "in the hearts" the general could easily ride through the ampoules!
Filling station ARS-203. Photo 1938
Fire cocktail frontline spill
It is only at first glance that the scheme for using the ampoule gun in the troops seems to be primitively simple. For example, the crew of an ampoule gun at a combat position fired off the wearable ammunition and dragged the second ammunition load ... What is simpler - take it and shoot. Look, Senior Lieutenant Starkov's two-hour consumption of the unit exceeded one and a half thousand ampoules! But in fact, when organizing the supply of troops with incendiary ampoules, it was necessary to solve the problem of transporting far from safe incendiary ammunition from factories from the deep rear.
Ampoule tests in the pre-war period showed that these munitions, when fully equipped, can withstand transportation no further than 200 km along peacetime roads in compliance with all rules and with the complete exclusion of "road adventures". In wartime, things got much more complicated. But here, no doubt, the experience of Soviet aviators came in handy, where ampoules were equipped at airfields. Prior to the mechanization of the process, the filling of ampoules, taking into account the unscrewing and wrapping of the fitting plug, required 2 man-hours per 100 pieces.
In 1938, for the Red Army Air Force at the 145th NKAP plant, a towed aircraft filling station ARS-203, made on a single-axle semi-trailer, was developed and later put into service. A year later, the self-propelled ARS-204 also entered service, but it was focused on servicing aircraft pouring devices, and we will not consider it. ARSs were mainly intended for pouring military chemicals into ammunition and isolated tanks, but they turned out to be simply indispensable for working with a ready-made self-igniting incendiary mixture.
In theory, in the rear of each rifle regiment, a small unit was supposed to work to equip ampoules with a mixture of KS. Without a doubt, it had an ARS-203 station. But KS was also not transported in barrels from factories, but cooked on the spot. To do this, any products of oil distillation (gasoline, kerosene, solarium) were used in the frontline zone, and according to the tables compiled by A.P. Ionov, different amounts of a thickener were added to them. As a result, despite the difference in the initial components, a CS was obtained. Further, it was obviously pumped into the ARS-203 tank, where the self-ignition component of the fire mixture was added.
However, the option of adding the component directly into the ampoules, and then pouring the CS liquid into them is not excluded. In this case, ARS-203, in general, was not so necessary. And an ordinary soldier's aluminum mug could also serve as a dispenser. But such an algorithm required that the self-igniting component be inert for some time in the open air (for example, wet white phosphorus).
ARS-203 was specially designed to mechanize the process of filling ampoules АЖ-2 to the working volume in the field. On it, from a large reservoir, liquid was first poured simultaneously into eight measuring tanks, and then eight ampoules were filled at once. Thus, it was possible to fill 300-350 ampoules in an hour, and after two hours of such work, the 700-liter tank of the station was emptied, and it was again filled with CS liquid. It was impossible to speed up the process of filling the ampoules: all the overflows of liquids took place in a natural way, without pressurization of the container. The filling cycle of eight ampoules was 17-22 s, and 610 liters were pumped into the working capacity of the station using a Garda pump in 7.5-9 minutes.
The PRS station is ready to fill four ampoules АЖ-2. The pedal is pressed, and the process has begun! Refueling incendiary mixtures made it possible to do without a gas mask. Photo 1942
Obviously, the experience of operating the ARS-203 in the ground forces turned out to be unexpected: the performance of the station, focused on the needs of the Air Force, was considered excessive, as well as its dimensions, weight and the need to be towed by a separate vehicle. The infantry needed something smaller, and in 1942, in the OKB-NKAP of the 455th plant, the Kartukovites developed a field filling station for the PRS. In its design, dipsticks were abolished, and the filling level of opaque ampoules was controlled using a Glass SIG-Extremely simplified version of the ORS nasal tube. for use in the field. Capacity of working re-
the tank was 107 liters, and the mass of the entire station did not exceed 95 kg. The PRS was designed in a "civilized" version of the workplace on a folding table and in an extremely simplified one, with the installation of a working container "on stumps". The productivity of the station was limited to 240 ampoules of AZh-2 per hour. Unfortunately, when the field tests of the PRS were completed, the ampoule guns in the Red Army had already been removed from service.
Russian reusable "faustpatron"?
However, it would not be entirely correct to unconditionally classify a 125-mm ampoule gun as an incendiary weapon. After all, no one allows himself to consider the barreled artillery system or the Katyusha MLRS as flamethrowers, which fired, if necessary, incendiary ammunition. By analogy with the use of aviation ampoules, the designers of the 145th plant proposed to expand the arsenal of ammunition for the ampoule gun by using modified Soviet anti-tank bombs PTAB-2.5 of cumulative action, created at the very beginning of World War II.
In the book by E. Pyryev and S. Reznichenko "Bomber armament of Russian aviation in 1912-1945." in the PTAB section it is said that small cumulative bombs in the USSR were developed only in GSKB-47, TsKB-22 and SKB-35. From December 1942 to April 1943, they managed to design, test and work out the full program of 1.5-kg PTAB cumulative action. However, at the 145th plant I.I. Kartukov dealt with this problem much earlier, back in 1941. Their 2.5-kg ammunition was called the AFBM-125 high-explosive armor-piercing mine of 125 mm caliber.
Outwardly, such a PTAB strongly resembled the high-explosive bombs of Colonel Gronov of small calibers during the First World War. Since the wings of the cylindrical tail were welded to the body of the aviation ammunition by spot welding, it was not possible to manage to use the mine in the infantry by simply replacing its tail. The new mortar-type plumage was installed on aerial bombs with an additional propellant charge built into it in a capsule. The ammunition was fired as before, with a blank 12-gauge rifle cartridge. Thus, in relation to the ampoule-launcher, the system was obtained in some Step-Mina fBM. 125 without additional NO active-reactive. contact fuse fuse.
For quite a long time, the designers had to work on improving the reliability of cocking the mine's contact fuse on the trajectory.
BFM-125 mine without an additional contact fuse fuse.
Meanwhile, the problem in the episode of 1941 mentioned above with the commander of the 30th Army, D.D. Lelyushenko could also occur when firing early models of FBM-125 high-explosive armor-piercing mines from ampoules. This is also indirectly indicated by Lelyushenko’s grumbling: “Everything hurts cunningly and for a long time, the German tank will not wait,” since inserting an ampoule and loading a cartridge into a conventional ampoule gun did not require any special tricks. In the case of the use of the FBM-125, before firing, the safety key had to be unscrewed from the ammunition, opening the fire to the powder press of the safety mechanism holding the inertial striker of the contact fuse in the rear position. To do this, all such ammunition was supplied with a cardboard cheat sheet with the inscription "Turn out before firing", tied to a key.
The cumulative recess in the front of the mine was hemispherical, and its thin-walled steel lining rather formed a given configuration when filling explosives, rather than playing the role of a shock core during the cumulation of a combat charge of ammunition. The documents indicated that the FBM-125, when fired from standard ampoules, was designed to disable tanks, armored trains, armored vehicles, vehicles, as well as to destroy fortified firing points (DOTov.DZOTovipr.).
Armored plate with a thickness of 80 mm, confidently pierced by the FBM-125 mine at field tests.
The nature of the outlet of the same punched armor plate.
Landfill tests of the ammunition took place in 1941. Their result was the launch of the mine into pilot production. Military tests of the FBM-125 were successfully completed in 1942. The developers proposed, if necessary, to equip such mines with irritant military chemicals (chloracetophenone or adamsite), but this did not come to that. In parallel with the FBM-125, the OKB-NKAP of the 455th plant also developed the armor-piercing high-explosive mine BFM-125. Unfortunately, its combat properties are not mentioned in the factory certificates.
Cover the infantry with smoke
In 1941, it passed field tests developed at the plant No. 145 named after. CM. Kirov aviation smoke bomb ADSH. It was intended for setting up vertical camouflage (blinding the enemy) and poisonous smoke (fettering and exhausting the enemy’s combat forces) curtains when dropping bombs from an aircraft. On aircraft, the ADS were loaded into ampoule-bomb cartridges, after removing the safety forks of the fuses. Checkers spilled out in one gulp when the doors of one of the sections of the cassette were opened. Ampoule-bomb cartridges were also developed at the 145th plant for fighters, attack aircraft, long-range and short-range bombers.
The contact fuse has already been made with an all-round mechanism, which ensured its operation when the ammunition fell to the ground in any position. The fuse spring protected the fuse from triggering in the event of an accidental fall, which did not allow the drummer to prick the igniter primer with insufficient overloads (when falling from a height of up to 4 m onto concrete).
It is probably no coincidence that this ammunition also turned out to be made in 125 mm caliber, which, according to the assurances of the developers, made it possible to use ADSh from standard ampoule guns. By the way, when fired from an ampoule gun, the ammunition received an overload much greater than when it fell from 4 m, which means that the saber began to smoke already in flight.
Even in the pre-war years, it was scientifically proven that covering your troops is much more effective if you smoke it, and not your own infantry, in an attack on a firing point. Thus, the ampoule gun would turn out to be a very necessary thing when, before an attack, it was necessary to throw a few checkers a couple of hundred meters to the bunker or bunker. Unfortunately, it is not known whether ampoule guns were used on the fronts in this variant...
When firing heavy ADSh bombs from a 125-mm ampoule gun, its sights could only be used with amendments. However, high accuracy of shooting was not required: one ADS created an impenetrable creeping cloud up to 100 m long.
an additional expelling charge was impossible, for firing at the maximum distance it was necessary to use a steep trajectory at elevation angles close to 45 °.
Regimental agitation initiative
The plot for this section of the article about the ampoule was also borrowed by me from the Internet. Its essence was that one day the political officer, having come to the sappers in the battalion, asked who could make a propaganda mortar mine? Pavel Yakovlevich Ivanov volunteered. He found the tools at the site of the destroyed forge, he made the body of the ammunition from a chock, adapting a small powder charge to burst it in the air, the fuse from a fuse cord, and the stabilizer from cans. However, the wooden mortar mine turned out to be light and fell slowly into the barrel without breaking through the primer.
Ivanov reduced its diameter so that the air from the barrel came out more freely, and the primer stopped falling on the firing pin. In general, the craftsman did not sleep for days, but on the third day the mine flew and exploded. The leaflets swirled over the enemy trenches. Later, he adapted an ampoule gun for firing wooden mines. And in order not to cause return fire on his trenches, he carried it to the neutral zone or to the side. Result: German soldiers once crossed over to our side in a group, drunk, in broad daylight.
This story is also quite plausible. It is quite difficult to make an agitation in a metal case from improvised means in the field, but from wood it is quite possible. In addition, such ammunition, according to common sense, should be non-lethal. Otherwise, what kind of propaganda is there! But factory propaganda mines and artillery shells were in metal cases. To a greater extent, so that they fly further and so as not to greatly disrupt ballistics. However, before that, it never occurred to the designers of the ampoule gun to enrich the arsenal of their offspring with such a kind of ammunition ...
noloader, with a piston valve. Shooting mechanisms - similar in systems of both calibers.
The Ampulomet easel mortars were not put into service. According to the classification of artillery systems, samples of both calibers can be attributed to hard-type mortars. Theoretically, the recoil forces when firing high-explosive armor-piercing mines should not have increased compared to throwing ampoules. The mass of the FBM was greater than that of the AZh-2KS, but less than that of the ADSH. And the expelling charge is the same. However, despite the fact that the Ampulomet mortars fired along more flat trajectories than the classic mortars and bombers, the former were still much more “mortar” than the Katyusha Guards mortars.
conclusions
So, the reason for the removal of ampoule guns from the armament of the ground forces of the Red Army at the end of 1942 was officially their insecurity in handling and use. But in vain: ahead of our army was not only an offensive, but also numerous battles in settlements. That's where it would come in handy.
100-mm mounted anti-tank mortar in the process of loading.
By the way, the safety of using a knapsack flamethrower in an offensive battle is also very doubtful. Nevertheless, they were returned "to service" and used until the end of the war. There are front-line memories of a sniper, where he claims that an enemy flamethrower is always visible from afar (a number of unmasking signs), so it is better to aim at chest level. Then, from short distances, a bullet from a powerful rifle cartridge pierces right through both the body and the tank with the fire mixture. That is, the flamethrower and the flamethrower "cannot be restored."
The calculation of the ampoule gun could also be in exactly the same situation when bullets or fragments hit incendiary ampoules. Glass ampoules in general could be smashed against each other by a shock wave from a close gap. And in general, the whole war is a very risky business ... And thanks to the "hussars of the generals Lelyushenko" such hasty conclusions were born about the low quality and combat inefficiency of individual types of weapons. Remember, for example, the pre-war ordeals of the designers of the Katyusha MLRS, mortar weapons, submachine guns, the T-34 tank, etc. Our gunsmith designers in the overwhelming majority were not amateurs in their field of knowledge and no less than generals sought to bring victory closer. And they were "dipped" like kittens. The generals are also easy to understand - they needed reliable models of weapons and with "fool protection".
And then, the warm memories of infantrymen about the effectiveness of Molotov cocktails against tanks against tanks look somehow illogical against the backdrop of a very cool attitude towards ampoules. Both are weapons of the same order. Unless the ampoule was exactly twice as powerful, and it could be thrown 10 times further. It is not entirely clear here why there were more claims "in the infantry": to the ampoule gun itself or to its ampoules?
External suspended non-drop container ABK-P-500 for salvo use of small-caliber air bombs from high-speed and dive bombers. In the foreground are ampoules АЖ-2KS made of four spherical segments with edges sealed inside.
One of the options for a hand-held (non-branded) flamethrower developed by the designers of plant No. 145 of the NKAP during tests in 1942. At such a range, only hogs can be pitched from this “aerosol can”.
At the same time, the same “very dangerous” AZH-2KS ampoules in Soviet attack aviation remained in service at least until the end of 1944 - beginning of 1945 (in any case, M.P. Odintsov’s attack aviation regiment used them already on the German territory by tank columns hiding in the forests). And this is on attack aircraft! With unarmored bomb bays! When from the ground all the infantry of the enemy is hitting them from anything! The pilots were well aware of what would happen if only one stray bullet hit the cartridge with ampoules, but, nevertheless, they flew. By the way, the timid mention on the Internet that ampoules were used in aviation when firing from such aircraft ampoule guns is absolutely untrue.
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