Russian artillery. Modern weapons of Russia. Combat artillery

For hundreds of years, artillery was an important component of the Russian army. However, she reached her power and prosperity during the Second World War - it is no coincidence that she was called the “god of war.” An analysis of a long-term military campaign made it possible to determine the most promising areas of this type of troops for decades to come. As a result, today modern Russian artillery has the necessary power both to effectively conduct combat operations in local conflicts and to repel massive aggression.

Legacy of the past

New models of Russian weapons trace their origins back to the 60s of the 20th century, when the Soviet army leadership set a course for high-quality rearmament. Dozens of leading design bureaus, where outstanding engineers and designers worked, laid the theoretical and technical basis for the creation of the latest weapons.

The experience of previous wars and analysis of the potential of foreign armies have clearly shown that it is necessary to rely on mobile self-propelled artillery and mortar launchers. Thanks to decisions made half a century ago, Russian artillery has acquired a substantial fleet of tracked and wheeled missile and artillery weapons, the basis of which is the “flower collection”: from the nimble 122-mm Gvozdika howitzer to the formidable 240-mm Tulip.

ARTILLERY FORCES

ARTILLERY FORCES

In June 1941, the artillery of the Red Army bore little resemblance to the formidable instrument of destruction that it would become in 1943. On the eve of the war, the leadership of the NPO made a serious mistake by abolishing the post of chief of artillery of the Red Army and merging his department with its own Main Artillery Directorate. As a result, with the outbreak of war, the Red Army's artillery found itself decentralized, poorly controlled, poorly mobile, lacking adequate logistical support, and largely ineffective. During Operation Barbarossa, the Germans took full advantage of these weaknesses, using the superior mobility and flexibility of their artillery to destroy Red Army artillery forces. It would be two years before Soviet artillery would establish itself in its traditional place as the “god of war.”

The NKO began reforming its artillery on July 19, 1941, restoring the post of chief of artillery of the Red Army to improve the management of the badly battered artillery. After the Red Army and its relatively weak artillery forces successfully survived the difficult first six months of the war, the NKO began in early 1942 to organize larger, more powerful and numerous artillery forces, centralizing most of them under the leadership of the Headquarters and assigning them to the active fronts and to the armies of the Red Army only if there is a proven need.

As a result of these reforms, the Headquarters and its active fronts by the middle of 1943, in almost all operations carried out, already had superiority over the Wehrmacht in terms of artillery support. This superiority was noticeably greater than the overall numerical superiority of the Red Army and increased from fivefold in mid-1943 to tenfold in mid-1944, and at the end of the war it became thirtyfold. Ultimately, the Wehrmacht collapsed to a large extent precisely under the crushing power of the massive artillery fire of the Red Army.

When the war began, the artillery forces of the Red Army included three very different components, subordinate to two separate NKO directorates. The first two of them, the military artillery of the active fronts of the Red Army and the artillery of the Headquarters Reserve, were subordinate to the NKO Artillery Directorate, while the third component, the country's air defense

or
the country's air defense
,[460] was subordinate to the Main Directorate of the country's air defense of the Red Army NKO, which controlled both the artillery and the air force.

When the war began, the strongest in the Red Army was the military

[461] artillery, which included all artillery units and subunits that were part of divisions, regiments, divisions and corps subordinate to active fronts and armies. This included artillery regiments of rifle divisions, as well as 94 regiments of corps artillery, 52 artillery regiments attached to active fronts, 13 regiments in the Headquarters Reserve and 29 in military districts and inactive fronts.

The lowest structural units of the military artillery of the Red Army were an anti-tank platoon with two 45-mm guns and a mortar company with two 82-mm mortars, which were part of a rifle battalion.

A little higher up were artillery and anti-tank batteries and a mortar company, which were part of a rifle regiment and had, respectively, six 76-mm field guns, six 45-mm anti-tank guns and four 120-mm mortars. At a higher level, each division included a light artillery regiment of two battalions

[462] eight 76 mm field guns and four 122 mm howitzers each (24 barrels in total), a howitzer artillery regiment of two light howitzer battalions of twelve 122 mm howitzers each and one medium howitzer battalion with twelve 152 mm howitzers (in total - 36 howitzers in the regiment), as well as an anti-tank division with eighteen 45-mm guns and an anti-aircraft division with twelve 37-mm anti-aircraft guns. Thus, the total strength of the divisional artillery was 294 guns and mortars (50 mm caliber or larger).[463]

Each rifle corps included one or two regiments of corps artillery, each of which had from two to four artillery battalions armed with 107 mm, 122 mm or 152 mm guns, as well as an artillery instrumental reconnaissance battalion and a medium-caliber anti-aircraft artillery battalion . Since the NKO, contrary to its plans and existing staff, did not have the opportunity to assign two regiments of corps artillery to each rifle corps, it usually allocated an additional regiment of corps artillery to each field army.

In June 1941, the Red Army had three types of corps artillery regiments. The first, formed by the NKO as standard in 1937 and 1938, consisted of two artillery battalions with twelve 107 mm or 122 mm guns each and a battalion of twelve 152 mm howitzers or howitzer guns - a total of 36 guns. The second, also formed in 1937-1938, consisted of three divisions with twelve 152-mm howitzers or howitzer-guns in each - that is, in total it also had 36 guns. The third, which was a modification of the standard one, began to be formed by the NKO during the rapid expansion of the Red Army in 1939, after it became clear that there simply were not enough guns to equip each rifle corps with two full corps artillery regiments. This regiment consisted of two divisions of twelve 122 mm guns each and two divisions of twelve 152 mm howitzers or howitzer guns each, that is, it had 48 guns.[464]

Although at the beginning of the war military artillery accounted for more than 90 percent of the entire artillery fleet of the Red Army, and its formations and units were fully or almost fully equipped with personnel and weapons, they all experienced an acute shortage of trucks and tractors for transporting guns and cargo. According to the mobilization plans of the General Staff, military artillery and the Red Army were to receive most of the necessary vehicles from the national economy. The rapid and deep advance of the Wehrmacht upset mobilization plans, leaving the military artillery practically without any cargo transport. For example, the corps artillery regiments of the 5th Army of the Southwestern Front had 82 percent of the standard weapons on June 22, 1941, but only a few trucks and tractors.[465]

Intense and maneuverable combat operations in the first two months of the Germans' Operation Barbarossa led to large losses of the Red Army's military artillery, forcing the NPO to sharply reduce its structure. For example, on July 24, the NKO reduced the strength of howitzer artillery regiments and anti-tank artillery battalions in rifle divisions, leaving each division with a single artillery regiment, consisting of two artillery battalions with two batteries of 76 mm field guns, a battery of 122 mm howitzers, and a small reconnaissance squad , as well as observation, communications and ammunition supply platoons and a small logistics support unit in each division. The number of artillery batteries in each division was reduced from 15 to 6. This measure reduced the theoretical strength of the rifle division's artillery from 294 guns and mortars, including thirty-four 76 mm guns, thirty-two 122 mm howitzers and twelve 152 mm howitzers, to 142 guns and mortars, including twenty-eight 76 mm guns and eight 122 mm howitzers.[466] Unfortunately, the reduction in the number of radio stations in artillery battalions from 12 to 7 greatly reduced the ability of the artillery to respond in a timely manner to the demands of the infantry it supported to assist it with its fire.[467]

In December 1941, before making the next major change in the structure of rifle divisions in March 1942, the NKO added - at least on paper - a Katyusha battalion to the division, and the 82 mm and 120 mm mortars of these divisions were added to at the regimental and divisional level, assembled into new and larger mortar divisions. To more effectively coordinate fire, artillery headquarters were created, and the number of artillery in the division increased from 142 guns and mortars to 234.

With the new reorganization of divisions carried out in March 1942, a third division was added to the artillery regiment - a lightweight version with only one cannon and one howitzer battery. This increased the division's gun strength from 234, including twenty-eight 76 mm guns and eight 122 mm howitzers, to 250, including thirty-two 76 mm guns and twelve 122 mm howitzers.[468]

Although the number of field artillery in rifle divisions remained virtually unchanged until December 1944, on December 10, 1942, the NKO increased its number in the staff of guards rifle divisions, adding a third artillery battery with 76-mm guns to the third division of such a division. Thus, the number of artillery in the Guards Rifle Division increased to 268 guns and mortars, including thirty-six 76 mm guns and twelve 122 mm howitzers.[469]

After the NKO canceled the rifle corps in August 1941, the surviving corps artillery regiments of the military artillery returned to the General Headquarters reserve. However, at the beginning of 1942, the NKO began to form new corps artillery regiments for its new rifle corps. By July 1942, 11 such regiments had been created with sixteen 76 mm guns and twelve 152 mm howitzers in each, and by February 1, 1943 there were already 15 of them. Each of these regiments consisted of one or two divisions of 122 mm guns and one division of 152 mm howitzers. Later, throughout the remainder of 1943, the NKO converted these regiments into divisions consisting of four batteries of four 122 mm guns or two 122 mm guns and two 152 mm howitzers.[470]

Thus, in 1941, the number of military artillery of the Red Army decreased sharply, and then, in 1942, increased slightly. During the same period, the number and power of the RVGK artillery increased, operating at all levels of command: initially slightly in 1941 and early 1942, and then much stronger in 1943.

Headquarters and the NKO believed that the artillery available in formations with a fixed staff - rifle divisions, tank, mechanized and cavalry corps - was more than enough to support these troops when they operated under normal conditions, during offensive and defensive actions of local importance. However, by the end of 1942, as the Red Army began large-scale offensive operations, Stavka increasingly began to use its artillery reserves to tip the scales in favor of the Red Army.

Barrel field artillery

Russian barrel artillery has a huge number of guns. They are in service with artillery units, units and formations of the Ground Forces and represent the basis of the firepower of marine units and internal troops. Barrel artillery combines high firepower, accuracy and accuracy of fire with simplicity of design and use, mobility, increased reliability, flexibility of fire, and is also economical.

Many samples of towed guns were designed taking into account the experience of the Second World War. In the Russian army, they are gradually being replaced by self-propelled artillery pieces developed in 1971-1975, optimized for performing fire missions even in conditions of a nuclear conflict. Towed guns are supposed to be used in fortified areas and in secondary theaters of military operations.

Samples of weapons

Currently, Russian cannon artillery has the following types of self-propelled guns:

• Floating howitzer 2S1 “Gvozdika” (122 mm).
• Howitzer 2SZ "Akatsia" (152 mm).
• Howitzer 2S19 "Msta-S" (152 mm).
• 2S5 "Gyacinth" gun (152 mm).
• 2S7 “Pion” gun (203 mm).

A self-propelled howitzer with unique characteristics and the ability to fire in the “burst of fire” mode 2S35 “Coalition-SV” (152 mm) is undergoing active testing.

The 120-mm self-propelled guns 2S23 Nona-SVK, 2S9 Nona-S, 2S31 Vena and their towed counterpart 2B16 Nona-K are intended for fire support of combined arms units. The peculiarity of these guns is that they can serve as a mortar, mortar, howitzer or anti-tank gun.

Self-propelled artillery of the Red Army

Active work on the creation of self-propelled artillery units began in the USSR in the early 30s of the 20th century, although their design had been carried out since 1920. At the end of 1933, the Directorate of Mechanization and Motorization of the Red Army, together with the Main Artillery Directorate, developed recommendations for the inclusion of self-propelled artillery units into the developed “System of artillery weapons of the Red Army for the second five-year plan 1933 - 1938.” The new weapon system, approved by the People's Commissariat of Defense of the USSR on January 11, 1934, determined the widespread development and introduction of self-propelled artillery into the troops, and serial production of self-propelled guns was planned to begin in 1935.

The main work on the creation of self-propelled guns was carried out at factories No. 174 named after. Voroshilov and No. 185 named after. Kirov under the leadership of talented designers P. Syachintov and S. Ginzburg. But despite the fact that in 1934 - 1937. A large number of prototypes of self-propelled guns for various purposes were manufactured, but they practically never entered service. And after P. Syachintov was repressed at the end of 1936, work on the creation of self-propelled artillery was almost completely curtailed. However, before June 1941, the Red Army received a number of self-propelled artillery units for various purposes.

The first to enter the army were the SU-1-12 (or SU-12), developed at the Kirov plant in Leningrad. They were a 76-mm regimental gun mod. 1927, installed on GAZ-ALA or Moreland trucks (the latter were purchased in the early 30s from the USA for the needs of the Red Army). The gun had an armor shield and an armor plate on the rear of the cabin. In total in 1934 - 1935. The Kirov plant produced 99 of these vehicles, which were supplied to the artillery divisions of some mechanized brigades. SU-1-12 were used in battles near Lake Khasan in 1938, on the Khalkhin Gol River in 1939 and during the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940. The experience of their operation has shown that they have poor terrain maneuverability and low survivability on the battlefield. By June 1941, most of the SU-1-12 was badly worn out and required repair.

In 1935, the reconnaissance battalions of the Red Army began to receive the Kurchevsky self-propelled gun (SPK) - a 76-mm recoilless (in the terminology of that time - dynamo-reactive) weapon on the GAZ-TK chassis (a three-axle version of the GAZ-A passenger car). The 76-mm recoilless rifle was developed by the inventor Kurchevsky among a large range of guns of a similar design with a caliber from 37 to 305 mm. Despite the fact that some of Kurchevsky's guns were produced in large quantities - up to several thousand pieces - they had a lot of design flaws. After Kurchevsky was repressed in 1937, all work on dynamo-reactive guns was stopped. Until 1937, 23 SPKs were transferred to the Red Army units. Two such installations took part in the Soviet-Finnish war, where they were lost. By June 1941, the troops had about 20 SPK, most of which were faulty.

The only serial pre-war self-propelled artillery unit on a tank chassis was the SU-5. It was developed in 1934 - 1935. at plant No. 185 named after. Kirov as part of the so-called “small triplex” program. The latter was a single base created on the chassis of the T-26 tank, with three different artillery systems (76-mm cannon model 1902/30, 122-mm howitzer model 1910/30 and 152-mm mortar model 1902/30). 1931). After the production and testing of three self-propelled guns, designated SU-5-1, SU-5-2 and SU-5-3, respectively, the SU-5-2 (with a 122 mm howitzer) was adopted into service with the Red Army. In 1935, an initial batch of 24 SU-5-2s was produced, which entered service with tank units of the Red Army. The SU-5 was used in combat operations near Lake Khasan in 1938 and during the Polish campaign in September 1939. They turned out to be quite effective vehicles, but had a small transportable ammunition load. By June 1941, all 30 SU-5s were in service, but most of them (with the exception of those in the Far East) were lost in the first weeks of the war.

In addition to the SU-5, the tank units of the Red Army had another vehicle in service that could be classified as self-propelled artillery on a tank base. We are talking about the BT-7A (artillery) tank, developed at the Kharkov plant No. 183 named after. Comintern in 1934, the BT-7A was intended for artillery support of linear tanks on the battlefield, combating enemy fire weapons and fortifications. It differed from the BT-7 linear tank by installing a larger turret with a 76-mm KT-27 gun. In total, 1935 - 1937 Red Army units received 155 BT-7A. These vehicles were used in battles on the Khalkhin Gol River in 1939 and during the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940. During these conflicts, the BT-7A, but feedback from the command of tank units, proved to be the best way to support tanks and infantry on the battlefield. As of June 1, 1941, the Red Army had 117 BT-7A tanks.

In addition to self-propelled guns, by the beginning of the war the Red Army also had self-propelled anti-aircraft guns. First of all, these are 76-mm 3K anti-aircraft guns mounted on YAG-K trucks produced by the Yaroslavl Automobile Plant. In 1933 - 1934 The troops received 61 such installations, which by the beginning of the war were part of units of the Moscow Military District. In addition, there were about 2,000 anti-aircraft machine gun installations (ZPU) - quad Maxima machine guns installed in the back of a GAZ-AAA car.

Thus, by June 1941, the Red Army had about 2,300 self-propelled artillery units for various purposes. Moreover, most of them were cars with weapons installed on them without any armor protection. In addition, it should be borne in mind that ordinary civilian trucks, which had very low cross-country ability on country roads, not to mention rough terrain, were used as a base for them. Therefore, these vehicles could not be used to directly support troops on the battlefield. There were only 145 full-fledged self-propelled guns on a tank chassis (28 SU-5 and 117 BT-7A). In the very first weeks of the war (June - July 1941), most of them were lost.

During the very first battles of the Great Patriotic War, the question arose about the need to quickly develop an anti-tank self-propelled artillery unit capable of quickly changing positions and fighting German tank units, which were significantly superior in mobility to units of the Red Army. On July 15, 1941, at plant No. 92 in Gorky, the ZIS-30 self-propelled gun was urgently developed, which was a 57-mm ZIS-2 anti-tank gun mounted on the chassis of the Komsomolets armored tractor. Due to the lack of tractors, the production of which was discontinued in August, it was necessary to search for and remove Komsomolets from military units, repair them, and only then install guns on them. As a result of this, production of the ZIS-30 began in mid-September and ended on October 15. During this time, the Red Army received 101 installations. They entered service with anti-tank batteries of motorized rifle battalions of tank brigades and were used only in battles near Moscow as part of the Western, Bryansk and right wing of the Southwestern Fronts.

Due to large losses in tanks in the summer of 1941, the leadership of the Red Army adopted a decree “On shielding light tanks and armoring tractors.” Among other measures, it was prescribed that armored tractors would be manufactured at the Kharkov Tractor Plant under the designation KhTZ-16. The HTZ-16 project was developed at the Scientific Automotive and Tractor Institute (NATI) in July. KhTZ-16 was a slightly modernized chassis of the STZ-3 agricultural tractor with an armored hull made of 15 mm armor installed on it. The tractor's armament consisted of a 45-mm tank gun mod. 1932, installed in the front hull plate and having limited firing angles. Thus. KhTZ-16 was an anti-tank self-propelled gun, although in documents of that time it was referred to as an “armored tractor.” The production volume of KhTZ-16 was planned to be quite large - when Kharkov was delivered in October 1941, KhTZ had 803 chassis ready for armor. But due to problems with the supply of armor plates, the plant produced from 50 to 60 (according to various sources) KhTZ-16, which were used in the battles of the autumn - winter of 1941, and some, judging by the photographs, “survived” until the spring of 1942 .

In the summer - autumn of 1941, work on the creation of self-propelled guns was actively carried out at enterprises in Leningrad, primarily at the Izhora, Kirov, Voroshilov and Kirov factories. Thus, in August, 15 self-propelled guns were manufactured with the installation of a 76-mm regimental gun mod. 1927 on the chassis of the T-26 tank with the turret removed. The cannon was installed behind the shield and had a circular fire. These vehicles, designated according to documents as T-26-self-propelled guns, entered service with tank brigades of the Leningrad Front and operated quite successfully until 1944.

Anti-aircraft guns were also manufactured on the basis of the T-26. For example, in early September, the 124th Tank Brigade received “two T-26 tanks with 37-mm anti-aircraft guns installed on them.” These vehicles operated as part of the brigade until the summer of 1943.

In July and August, the Izhora plant produced several dozen ZIS-5 armored trucks (the cabin and sides of the cargo platform were fully protected by armor). The vehicle, which mainly entered service with the divisions of the Leningrad People's Militia Army (LANO), was armed with a machine gun in the front of the cab and a 45-mm anti-tank gun mod. 1932, which rolled into the body and could fire forward in the direction of travel. It was intended to use these “brontasaurs” primarily to fight German tanks from ambushes. Judging by the photographs, some vehicles were still used by the troops during the lifting of the siege of Leningrad in the winter of 1944.

In addition, the Kirov plant produced several self-propelled guns of the SU-1-12 type with the installation of a 76-mm regimental gun behind a shield on the chassis of ZIS-5 trucks.

All self-propelled guns created in the first months of the war had a large number of design flaws due to the fact that they were created hastily using the means and materials at hand. Naturally, there could be no talk of mass production of machines created under such conditions.

On March 3, 1942, the People's Commissar of the Tank Industry signed an order to create a special bureau of self-propelled artillery. The special bureau had to quickly develop a single chassis for self-propelled guns using units of the T-60 tank and cars. Based on the chassis, it was planned to create a 76-mm assault self-propelled support gun and a 37-mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun.

On April 14-15, 1942, a plenum of the Artillery Committee of the Main Artillery Directorate (GAU) was held with the participation of representatives from the troops, industry and the People's Commissariat of Armaments (NKV) of the USSR, at which the creation of self-propelled artillery was discussed. In its decision, the plenum recommended the creation of infantry support self-propelled guns with a 76-mm ZIS-3 cannon and a 122-mm M-30 howitzer, as well as self-propelled guns with a 152-mm ML-20 howitzer gun to combat fortifications and a 37-mm anti-aircraft gun to combat air targets.

The decision of the plenum of the GAU Artillery Committee was approved by the State Defense Committee and in June 1942, the People's Commissariat of Tank Industry (NKTP) together with the NKV developed a “self-propelled artillery system for arming the Red Army.” At the same time, the NKV led the development and production of the artillery part of the self-propelled guns, and the NKTP was engaged in the design of the chassis. The general coordination of work on the self-propelled guns was carried out by the special bureau of the NKTP, headed by the talented designer S. Ginzburg.

In the summer of 1942, the first samples of self-propelled guns went out for testing. It was a 37-mm anti-aircraft and 76-mm assault self-propelled gun from plant No. 37 NKTP. Both vehicles were manufactured on a single chassis, which was created using components from the T-60 and T-70 tanks. Testing of the vehicles ended successfully, and in June 1942 the State Defense Committee ordered the preparation of serial production of self-propelled guns after eliminating the identified deficiencies. However, the beginning of the German offensive on Stalingrad required an urgent increase in the production of tanks and work on the creation of self-propelled guns was curtailed.

In addition, at plant No. 592 NKN (in Mytishchi near Moscow) the design of the self-propelled guns of the 122-mm M-30 howitzer on the chassis of the captured German StuG III was carried out. The prototype, designated the assault self-propelled howitzer “artshturm” or SG-122A, was released for testing only in September.

On October 19, 1942, the State Defense Committee, by its resolution No. 2429ss, decided to prepare mass production of assault and anti-aircraft self-propelled guns of 37-122 mm caliber. The leading enterprises for assault self-propelled guns were Plant No. 38 named after. Kuibyshev (Kirov) and GAZ named after. Molotov (Gorky), the 122-mm self-propelled howitzer was developed by Uralmashzavod and plant No. 592 NKV. The design deadlines were set quite strict - by December 1 it was required to report to the State Defense Committee on the results of testing new models of self-propelled guns.

And in November, the first prototypes of assault and anti-aircraft self-propelled guns entered testing. These were the SU-11 (anti-aircraft) and SU-12 (assault) from plant No. 38, as well as the GAZ-71 (assault) and GAZ-72 (anti-aircraft) from the Gorky Automobile Plant. When creating them, an already proven layout scheme was used, proposed back in the summer of 1942 by the special bureau of the self-propelled guns PKTP - two paired parallel engines in the front of the vehicle and a fighting compartment in the rear. The armament of the vehicles consisted of a 76-mm ZIS-3 divisional gun (assault self-propelled guns) and a 37-mm 31K gun (anti-aircraft self-propelled guns).

On November 19, the commission that conducted the tests drew up a conclusion on testing samples of self-propelled guns from plant No. 38 and GAZ. In it, the GAZ-71 and GAZ-72 were characterized as vehicles that did not meet the requirements for them and it was recommended to adopt the self-propelled guns of plant No. 38.

At the same time, self-propelled samples of the 122-mm howitzer M-30 were tested: U-35 Uralmashzavod, created on the chassis of the T-34 tank and SG-122 of plant No. 592 NKV, developed on the basis of the captured Pz.Kpfw tank. III (the last sample was an improved version of ST-122A).

On December 9, 1942, testing of the SU-11, SU-12, SG-122 and U-35 began at the Gorokhovets training ground. As a result, the government commission that conducted the tests recommended adopting the SU-76 (SU-12) and SU-122 (U-35) self-propelled guns into service with the troops. The SU-11 did not withstand testing due to the unsuccessful layout of the fighting compartment, unfinished sight installation and shortcomings of a number of other mechanisms. The SG-122 was abandoned due to its captured base (at that time the number of captured tanks was not yet large enough).

Even before the completion of tests of prototype self-propelled guns, by decree of the State Defense Committee of November 25, 1942, the Department of Mechanical Traction and Self-Propelled Artillery was created in the system of the Main Artillery Directorate of the Red Army. The responsibilities of the new department included control over the production, supply and repair of self-propelled artillery units. On December 2, 1942, the State Defense Committee decided to launch the production of self-propelled artillery systems SU-12 and SU-122 for arming the Red Army.

At the end of December 1942, the People's Commissar of Defense, by directives No. 112467ss and 11210ss, demanded the formation of 30 self-propelled artillery regiments of the Reserve Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, armed with new types of installations. By January 1, 1943, the first batch of 25 SU-76s and the same number of SU-122s was sent to the newly formed self-propelled artillery training center.

But already on January 19, in connection with the beginning of the operation to break the blockade of Leningrad, the first two formed self-propelled artillery regiments (1433rd and 1434th), by decision of the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command, were sent to the Volkhov Front. In March, two new self-propelled artillery regiments were sent to the Western Front - the 1485th and 1487th.

Already the first experience in the combat use of self-propelled artillery showed that it is capable of providing significant support with artillery fire to advancing infantry and tank units. A memorandum from the chief of staff of the artillery of the Red Army to GKO member V. Molotov dated April 6, 1943 said: “Experience has shown that self-propelled guns are needed, since no other type of artillery has given such an effect in continuous accompaniment of attacks by infantry and tanks and interaction with them in close combat. The material damage caused to the enemy by self-propelled guns and the results of the battle make up for the losses.”

At the same time, the results of the first combat use of self-propelled guns revealed major shortcomings in their design. For example, in the SU-122 there were frequent breakdowns of the travel gun mounting stop and the lifting mechanism. In addition, the unsuccessful layout of the self-propelled gun’s fighting compartment greatly tired the gun’s crew during operation, and insufficient visibility made it difficult for the vehicle to operate during combat. But most of the SU-122’s shortcomings were eliminated quite quickly. The situation with the SU-76 was much more complicated.

During the first battles, most of the SU-76s failed due to breakdowns of gearboxes and main shafts. It was not possible to solve the problem by simply strengthening the design of the shafts and gears of the gearboxes - such self-propelled guns failed just as often.

It soon became clear that the cause of the accidents was the parallel installation of two twin engines operating on a common shaft. This scheme led to the occurrence of resonant torsional vibrations on the shaft and its rapid breakdown, since the maximum value of the resonant frequency occurred during the most loaded operating mode of the engines (this corresponded to the movement of the self-propelled gun in second gear through snow and mud). It became clear that eliminating this design defect would take time. Therefore, on March 21, 1943, production of the SU-12 was suspended.

To compensate for the reduced production of SU-76s, which were urgently needed by the front, on February 3, plant No. 37 was given an order to produce 200 self-propelled guns based on the captured Pz.Kpfw tank. III. By that time, according to captured services, after the end of the Battle of Stalingrad, about 300 German tanks and self-propelled guns were delivered to repair plants. Using the experience of work on the SG-122, plant No. 37 in a short time developed, tested and put into production the SU-76I (“foreign”) self-propelled gun, created on the basis of the Pz.Kpfw sneaker. III and armed with a 76-mm F-34 cannon, adapted for installation in self-propelled guns. In total, until December 1945, the Red Army received 201 SU-76I. after which their production was discontinued.

Meanwhile, Plant No. 38 hastily worked to eliminate the shortcomings of the SU-76 (SU-12). In April, the SU-12M was created. differed from the SU-12 by the presence of additional elastic couplings between the engines, gearboxes and main gears. These measures made it possible to sharply reduce the accident rate of the SU-76, and from May they were sent to the troops.

Technical difficulties in eliminating design flaws in the chassis and insufficient elaboration of the issues of technical operation of self-propelled artillery mounts were the reason for the appearance of the State Defense Committee decree of April 24, 1943, which addressed issues of factory acceptance of self-propelled guns. The formation of self-propelled artillery units was transferred from the GAU KA to the jurisdiction of the Commander of the armored and mechanized forces of the Red Army. All further work on creating new and improving existing models of self-propelled guns was carried out through the Main Armored Directorate of the Red Army (GBTU KA).

In May 1913, Plant No. 38 produced a modernized model of a self-propelled artillery mount under the symbol SU-15. In it, the layout of the engine and transmission compartment was made like a T-70 tank: the engines were placed in series one after another, and the crankshafts were connected to each other. The self-propelled gun had only one gearbox, and the roof over the fighting compartment was dismantled to improve the working conditions of the crew (on the SU-12 there were cases when crews died due to poor ventilation of the fighting compartment). Tests of the unit, which received the army designation SU-76M, showed quite satisfactory operation of the transmission, and from June 1943 the vehicle was put into mass production. In the fall of 1943, GAZ and plant No. 40 (created on the basis of plant No. 592 NKV) joined the production of the SU-76M. Production of this machine lasted until November 1945.

By Decree of the State Defense Committee No. 2692 of January 4, 1943, plant No. 100 NKTP (Chelyabinsk) and plant No. 172 NKV (Molotov) were ordered to design and manufacture a prototype of a self-propelled artillery mount based on the KB-1C gun within 25 days. 152 mm ML-20 howitzer gun. Despite a number of difficulties, the task was completed on time, and by February 7, tests of the prototype, which received the factory designation KB-14, were completed at the Chebarkul test site. By decree of the State Defense Committee of February 14, the KB-14 installation under the symbol SU-152 was adopted by the Red Army and put into mass production. The first SU-152 regiments took part in the battles on the Kursk Bulge in the summer of 1943.

To combat the new German tanks "Tiger", captured at the beginning of 1943 near Leningrad, the State Defense Committee, by resolution No. 3289 of May 5, 1943, ordered the NKTP and NKV to produce a prototype of a medium self-propelled artillery mount with an 85-mm cannon based on the T tank -34, intended for direct escort of medium tanks in their battle formations.

The development of the new self-propelled guns was entrusted to Uralmashzavod, and the guns for it were entrusted to the design bureau of plant No. 9 and the Central Artillery Design Bureau (TsAKB). At the beginning of August 1943, two samples of installations were tested at the Gorokhovets artillery range - with the 85-mm D-5S gun from plant No. 9 and the S-18 TsAKB. The D-5S gun turned out to be more successful, and by GKO decree No. 3892 of August 7, 1943, the new vehicle was adopted by the Red Army under the designation SU-85. In the same month, serial production of the SU-85 began, and production of the SU-122 was discontinued.

In connection with the adoption of the new heavy IS tank into service by the Red Army in the fall of 1943 and the discontinuation of the KB-1C, plant No. 100 developed a 152-mm self-propelled artillery mount based on the new heavy tank, which was put into service under the designation ISU- 152 and put into serial production in November, with the simultaneous cessation of production of the SU-152.

Some design changes were made to the design of the ISU-152, based on the results of experience in the combat use of SU-152 self-propelled artillery mounts.

Due to the fact that the program for the production of ISU-152 self-propelled artillery mounts was not provided with the required number of 152-mm ML-20S howitzer guns, in 1944, in parallel with the ISU-152, the production of ISU-122 mounts, armed with a 122-mm cannon, was carried out A-19. Subsequently, the A-19 cannon was replaced by a 122-mm D-25S cannon mod. 1943 (similar to the installed IS-2 gun) and the installation received the name ISU-122S.

In connection with the armament of the T-34 tank with an 85-mm gun in the fall of 1943 and the need to strengthen the armament of medium self-propelled artillery mounts, the State Defense Committee, by Decree No. 4851ss of December 27, 1943, ordered the TsAKB to develop a project for installing a 100-mm gun on the basis of the existing medium self-propelled gun. SU-85 artillery mount.

Plant No. 9, on its own initiative, got involved in this work and, ahead of schedule, designed, tested and presented to the Uralmashplant a 100-mm D-10S gun for installation in a self-propelled gun. On February 15, 1944, Uralmashplant produced two prototype SU-100 installations, one of which was armed with a D-10S cannon designed by plant No. 9, and the second with a 100-mm S-34 cannon developed by TsAKB. After carrying out factory tests of the samples by firing and running, on March 9 the plant presented the self-propelled guns to the state commission for field testing. The best results were shown by a self-propelled artillery mount with a D-10S cannon designed by plant No. 9, which in July 1944 was adopted by the Red Army under the designation SU-100. However, due to problems with organizing the serial production of D-10S guns, production of the SU-100 began only in September 1944. Until that time, Uralmashplant produced the SU-85M, which differed from the SU-85 in the use of a new armored hull design (with a commander's cupola or more thick armor) developed for the SU-100.

It should be said that based on the experience of the summer battles, which showed that not all serial self-propelled artillery units of the Red Army can successfully fight new German tanks and heavy self-propelled guns. In December 1943, the GKO proposed that the GBTU KA and NKV design, manufacture, and by April 1944 submit for testing self-propelled artillery mounts with high-power guns of the following types: - with an 85-mm cannon having an initial projectile speed of 1050 m/s; - with a 122-mm cannon with an initial projectile speed of 1000 m/s; - with a 130-mm cannon having an initial projectile speed of 900 m/s; - with a 152-mm cannon with an initial projectile speed of 880 m/s.

All of these guns, except for the 85-mm cannon, were supposed to penetrate armor up to 200 mm at ranges of 1500 - 2000 m. Tests of these installations took place in the summer of 1944 - spring of 1945, but not a single one of these guns was put into service.

Along with domestically produced self-propelled guns, American units supplied to the USSR under the Lend-Lease program were also actively used in Red Army units.

The first to arrive at the end of 1943 were the T-18 self-propelled artillery mounts (and in Soviet documents they are referred to as the SU-57). The T-48 was a 57 mm cannon mounted on an M3 half-track armored personnel carrier. The order for the production of these machines was given by Great Britain, but due to the weakness of the weapons, some of the machines were transferred to the Soviet Union. The SU-57 was not popular in the Red Army: the vehicle had large overall dimensions, weak armor protection and weapons. However, when used correctly, these self-propelled guns could act quite effectively.

In 1944, the Red Army received two anti-aircraft self-propelled guns: self-propelled guns M15 and M17. The first represented a combined installation of a 37-mm M1A2 automatic cannon and two 12.7-mm Browning M2 machine guns on an M3 half-track armored personnel carrier. The M17 differed from the M15 in its base (M5 armored personnel carrier) and armament - it had four 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns. The M15 and M17 were the only self-propelled anti-aircraft guns in service with the Red Army during the war. They proved to be an effective means of protecting tank formations on the march from air attack, and were also successfully used for battles in cities, firing at the upper floors of buildings.

In 1944, a small batch of M10 Wolverine (Wolverine) anti-tank self-propelled guns, created on the basis of the medium American M4A2 tank, arrived from the United States. The M10's armament consisted of a 76-mm M7 cannon mounted in a circular rotating turret open at the top. During the battles, the M10 proved to be a powerful anti-tank weapon. They could successfully fight heavy German tanks.

Captured German self-propelled guns were also used in the Red Army. However, their number was small and hardly exceeded 80 units. The most frequently used assault guns were StuG III, called “artillery assaults” in our army.

Anti-tank artillery

Along with the creation of highly effective anti-tank missile systems, significant attention is paid to the development of anti-tank artillery guns. Their advantages over anti-tank missiles lie primarily in their relative cheapness, simplicity of design and use, and the ability to fire around the clock in any weather.

Russian anti-tank artillery is moving along the path of increasing power and caliber, improving ammunition and sighting devices. The pinnacle of this development was the 100-mm MT-12 (2A29) “Rapier” anti-tank smoothbore gun with an increased muzzle velocity and an effective firing range of up to 1,500 m. The gun can fire the 9M117 “Kastet” anti-tank missile, capable of penetrating armor up to thick behind dynamic protection. 660 mm.

The towed PT 2A45M Sprut-B, which is in service with the Russian Federation, also has even greater armor penetration. Behind dynamic protection, it is capable of hitting armor up to 770 mm thick. Russian self-propelled artillery in this segment is represented by the 2S25 Sprut-SD self-propelled gun, which has recently entered service with paratroopers.

Type of artillery

Starting from artillery used only as siege, by the beginning of the 21st century, artillery had acquired so many varieties used for its inherent purposes that it is simply impossible to list everything. However, we will try.

Field artillery

A type of artillery used to directly support infantry on the battlefield. Currently obsolete and not used. The role of field artillery was taken over by mortars and grenade launchers.

Fortress artillery

As the name implies, fortress artillery was used to protect fortresses from enemy attack. Due to the fact that the need for fortresses disappeared after the First World War, fortress artillery was mainly used as coastal artillery. For example, coastal tower batteries were built in Vladivostok and Sevastopol.

Tactical and technical characteristics of the battery in Vladivostok:

• Number of towers - 2 pcs.;
• Number of guns - 6 pcs.;
• The tilt angle of the trunks is from -5 to +25 degrees;
• The gun's rate of fire is 1.5 rounds per minute per barrel;
• Types of projectiles - long-range, semi-armor-piercing, armor-piercing;
• Projectile weight - 314-470 kg, depending on the type;
• Target firing range - 35 kilometers;
• The thickness of the turret armor is 300 mm;
• The total weight of the tower is 1200 tons;
• Gun barrel weight - 51 tons;
• The weight of the rotating part of the tower is 900 tons;
• Combat crew of the tower - 75 people;
• The number of l/s battery is 399 people.

Coastal tower battery No. 981 named after. Klima Voroshilov with a caliber of 305 mm. The battery is located on Russky Island in Vladivostok.

Rocket artillery

Rocket artillery uses projectiles (rocket shells, rockets), usually equipped with a solid propellant jet engine and a corresponding warhead.

The first rockets appeared in China back in ancient times. In Europe, rocket artillery first appeared at the beginning of the 19th century during the memorable bombing of Copenhagen.

The development of rockets received a new impetus before the Great Patriotic War. The adoption of the aircraft RS-82 and RS-132 (82 and 132 mm caliber rockets), which were successfully used against air and ground targets during the conflict at Khalkhin Gol and the Soviet-Finnish War, prompted the development of ground-based rocket systems. The BM-13 Katyusha system was the scourge of the Germans throughout the war.

In our time, multiple launch rocket systems were actively used during the Chechen wars, the conflict in South Ossetia, and the civil war in Donbass.

Flak

Anti-aircraft artillery is designed to destroy enemy aircraft. With the advent of combat airplanes during the First World War, anti-airplane weapons, as they were then called, were also developed. With the development of aviation, air defense weapons also developed. During the Great Patriotic War, both object and military air defense developed greatly. Currently, air defense guns are actively used both as part of missile and gun systems, and independently, as short-range interception weapons.

ZSU 23-4 "Shilka"

Anti-tank artillery

Anti-tank artillery is a type of artillery designed to combat enemy armored vehicles, mainly with direct fire. Characterized by a high rate of fire, unitary loading.

Combat artillery

Combat artillery is the artillery of the ground forces. Depending on the calibers and tasks performed, it is divided into the following types:

• Military artillery: Regimental artillery;
• Divisional artillery;
• Corps artillery;
• Army Artillery;
• Front artillery;

Artillery of the reserve of the main command (ARGK).

The RGK Artillery includes formations of high and special power.

Naval artillery

Nowadays, naval artillery includes universal artillery installations and air defense artillery systems. Due to the equipment of ships with URO (guided missile fire), other types of artillery are not used on ships. The last use of main-caliber artillery on battleships was recorded during the Lebanese Civil War and Operation Desert Storm.

Mortars

Modern Russian artillery is unthinkable without mortars of various purposes and calibers. Russian models of this class of weapons are extremely effective means of suppression, destruction and fire support. The troops have the following types of mortar weapons:

• Automatic 2B9M "Cornflower" (82 mm).
• 2B14-1 “Tray” (82 mm).
• Mortar complex 2S12 “Sani” (120 mm).
• Self-propelled 2S4 “Tulpan” (240 mm).
• M-160 (160 mm) and M-240 (240 mm).

Characteristics and Features

If the “Tray” and “Sleigh” mortars repeat the designs of the models of the Great Patriotic War, then the “Cornflower” is a fundamentally new system. It is equipped with automatic reloading mechanisms, allowing it to fire at an excellent rate of fire of 100-120 rounds per minute (compared to 24 rounds per minute for the Tray mortar).

The Russian artillery can rightfully be proud of the Tulip self-propelled mortar, which is also an original system. In the stowed position, its 240-mm barrel is mounted on the roof of an armored tracked chassis; in the combat position, it rests on a special plate resting on the ground. In this case, all operations are performed using a hydraulic system.

History of the development of artillery equipment

Artillery guns originally appeared in Europe around the end of the 12th century. During the Reconquista, the Spaniards received the first cannons as trophies, and then introduced them into the Spanish army. The Spaniards (Kingdom of Aragon) were also the first to use cannons in a naval battle against the French (County of Anjou). Europe, which had been at war with each other throughout history, liked the guns, and the guns began to spread throughout all European countries. Already in the 14th century, artillery was used in all European wars - from England to Russia. According to the chronicles, in 1382, during the siege of Moscow, Dmitry Donskoy used “mattresses” against the Tatars.

The first guns were welded by forging metal strips into a tube. Accordingly, the quality was not so good. For a long time, artillery was used on equal terms along with ballistas and trebuchets. Moreover, so-called gunpowder pulp was used in cannons. They did not yet know how to make gunpowder in grains. However, by this time self-propelled artillery had also begun to emerge. At the Battle of Beveruzfeld on May 3, 1382, the Ghent people placed “insolent men” in the advancing army, about which an eyewitness of the battle wrote that these were tall two or four-wheeled carts covered with iron, equipped with iron lances in front and carrying three or four small cannons.

By the middle of the 15th century, they learned to grain gunpowder by pouring alcohol, vinegar, or “the urine of a drinking person” over the powder pulp. Oxygen penetrating between the grains provided a higher burning rate, which led to an increase in the power of the shot. By that time, the armies of the Central Powers of Europe already numbered several hundred guns.

At first, vertical aiming of cannon barrels was carried out by placing wooden wedges under them, and only towards the end of the 15th century the first vertical aiming devices appeared. At the same time, the artillery is finally gaining mobility. Thus, in 1494, King Charles VIII of France marched through the Alps and Apennines at the head of his army to Italy. Charles's army had almost a thousand guns.

Until the end of the 14th century, that is, before the arrival of cast iron in Europe, tools were made of bronze. Preparing cores from stone or lead took a long time, so the transition to cast iron gave a strong impetus to the development of gun production. Due to cast iron cores, it became possible to reduce calibers and increase the length of barrels. This, in turn, caused an increase in firing range and power.

In Russia, artillery also received great attention. In 1591, an English diplomat who visited Russia wrote that artillery reserves in Russia were greater than in Europe.

The Tsar Cannon that fired. Exhibit of the Perm Artillery Museum

In 1695, in the Preobrazhensky Regiment, Peter I, as part of his transformations of Russia, established a bombardment company. Moreover, he became the official commander of this company. In 1699, in Peter's new army, the position of chief of all the country's artillery was introduced - general-feldtzeichmeister. The production of cannons in the Urals also increased.

In 1759, a howitzer was created, the main projectile of which was buckshot.

In the second half of the 19th century, the first rifled guns appeared. Smokeless gunpowder was tested and began to be used.

During World War I, artillery began to earn its title as the “God of War.” Artillery fire already accounted for 75% of the enemy's manpower and equipment destroyed. A division into subordination levels of artillery units appeared. For example, artillery, which was located at the level of infantry defensive lines for direct support of defense or offensive, usually with a caliber of up to 76.2 mm and more powerful guns and howitzers, divisional and above levels.

During the Second World War, mortars and specialized anti-tank artillery began to be widely used. Rocket artillery appeared. Before the war, there were many experiments with recoilless rifles.

After the victory in the Great Patriotic War, an artillery flower garden was adopted - self-propelled guns and howitzers "Gvozdika", "Acacia", "Hyacinth", "Peony", and a self-propelled mortar "Tulip". By the 80s, the self-propelled or towed howitzer Msta-S or Msta-B, respectively, was developed, a name that stands out from the flower garden.

In the 1980s, the development of adjustable projectiles guided by a reflected laser beam began. Currently, target reconnaissance and automated fire control systems have been developed.

Russian Coastal Artillery

Coastal troops in the Russian Federation as a branch of independent forces of the Navy were formed in 1989. The basis of its firepower is made up of mobile missile and artillery systems:

• "Redoubt" (rocket).
• 4K51 "Rubezh" (missile).
• 3K55 "Bastion" (missile).
• 3K60 "Bal" (rocket).
• A-222 "Bereg" (artillery 130 mm).

These complexes are truly unique and pose a real threat to any enemy fleet. The newest "Bastion" has been in combat duty since 2010, equipped with Onyx/Yakhont hypersonic missiles. During the Crimean events, several “Bastions”, demonstratively placed on the peninsula, thwarted plans for a “show of force” by the NATO fleet.

Russia's newest coastal defense artillery, the A-222 Bereg, operates effectively against small-sized high-speed vessels moving at a speed of 100 knots (180 km/h), medium surface ships (within 23 km from the complex), and ground targets.

Heavy artillery as part of the Coastal Forces is always ready to support powerful complexes: the Giatsint-S self-propelled gun, the Giatsint-B howitzer gun, the Msta-B howitzer gun, D-20 and D-30 howitzers, and MLRS.

Artillery of Russia and the world, guns photos, videos, pictures watch online, along with other states, introduced the most significant innovations - the transformation of a smooth-bore gun, loaded from the muzzle, into a rifled gun, loaded from the breech (lock). The use of streamlined projectiles and various types of fuses with adjustable settings for the response time; more powerful propellants such as cordite, which appeared in Britain before the First World War; the development of rolling systems, which made it possible to increase the rate of fire and relieved the gun crew from the hard work of rolling into the firing position after each shot; connection in one assembly of a projectile, propellant charge and fuse; the use of shrapnel shells, which, after the explosion, scatter small steel particles in all directions.

Russian artillery, capable of firing large shells, acutely highlighted the problem of weapon durability. In 1854, during the Crimean War, Sir William Armstrong, a British hydraulic engineer, proposed a method of scooping wrought iron gun barrels by first twisting iron rods and then welding them together using a forging technique. The gun barrel was additionally reinforced with wrought iron rings. Armstrong created a company where they made guns of several sizes. One of the most famous was his 12-pounder rifled gun with a 7.6 cm (3 in) barrel and a screw lock mechanism.

The artillery of the Second World War (WWII), in particular the Soviet Union, probably had the largest potential among European armies. At the same time, the Red Army experienced the purges of Commander-in-Chief Joseph Stalin and endured the difficult Winter War with Finland at the end of the decade. During this period, Soviet design bureaus adhered to a conservative approach to technology. The first modernization efforts came with the improvement of the 76.2 mm M00/02 field gun in 1930, which included improved ammunition and replacement barrels on parts of the gun fleet, the new version of the gun was called the M02/30. Six years later, the 76.2 mm M1936 field gun appeared, with a carriage from the 107 mm.

Heavy artillery of all armies, and quite rare materials from the time of Hitler’s blitzkrieg, whose army crossed the Polish border smoothly and without delay. The German army was the most modern and best equipped army in the world. The Wehrmacht artillery operated in close cooperation with the infantry and aviation, trying to quickly occupy territory and deprive the Polish army of communication routes. The world shuddered upon learning of a new armed conflict in Europe.

The artillery of the USSR in the positional conduct of combat operations on the Western Front in the last war and the horror in the trenches of the military leaders of some countries created new priorities in the tactics of using artillery. They believed that in the second global conflict of the 20th century, mobile firepower and precision fire would be the decisive factors.

Multiple launch rocket systems

Since the Second World War, Russian rocket artillery, as the legal successor of the USSR, has a powerful group of MLRS. In the 50s, the 122 mm 40-barrel BM-21 Grad system was created. The Russian Ground Forces have 4,500 such systems.

The BM-21 Grad became the prototype of the Grad-1 system, created in 1975 to equip tank and motorized rifle regiments, as well as the more powerful 220-mm Uragan system for army artillery units. This line of development was continued by the long-range Smerch system with 300-mm projectiles and the new Prima divisional MLRS with an increased number of guides and increased-power rockets with a detachable warhead.

Procurement is underway for a new Tornado MLRS, a bi-caliber system mounted on the MAZ-543M chassis. In the Tornado-G variant, it fires 122-mm rockets from the Grad MLRS, being three times more effective than the latter. In the Tornado-S version, designed to fire 300-mm rockets, its combat effectiveness coefficient is 3-4 times higher than that of the Smerch. The Tornado hits targets with a salvo and single high-precision rockets.

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Soviet anti-tank artillery played a vital role in the Great Patriotic War, accounting for about 70% of all German tanks destroyed. Anti-tank warriors, fighting “to the last”, often repelled Panzerwaffe attacks at the cost of their own lives.

The structure and equipment of anti-tank units were continuously improved during combat operations. Until the fall of 1940, anti-tank guns were part of rifle, mountain rifle, motorized rifle, motorized and cavalry battalions, regiments and divisions. Anti-tank batteries, platoons and divisions were thus interspersed into the organizational structure of the formations, being their integral part. The rifle battalion of the pre-war state rifle regiment had a platoon of 45 mm guns (two guns). The rifle regiment and motorized rifle regiment had a battery of 45 mm cannons (six guns). In the first case, the means of traction were horses, in the second - specialized Komsomolets tracked armored tractors. The rifle division and the motorized division included a separate anti-tank division of eighteen 45 mm guns. The first anti-tank division was introduced into the staff of a Soviet rifle division in 1938. However, maneuvering with anti-tank guns was possible at that time only within a division, and not on the scale of a corps or army. The command had very limited capabilities to strengthen anti-tank defense in tank-dangerous directions.

Shortly before the war, the formation of anti-tank artillery brigades of the RGK began. According to the staff, each brigade was supposed to have forty-eight 76-mm guns, forty-eight 85-mm anti-aircraft guns, twenty-four 107-mm guns, sixteen 37-mm anti-aircraft guns. The brigade's staff strength was 5,322 people. By the beginning of the war, the formation of the brigades was not completed. Organizational difficulties and the general unfavorable course of hostilities did not allow the first anti-tank brigades to fully realize their potential. However, already in the first battles, the brigades demonstrated the wide capabilities of an independent anti-tank formation.

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the anti-tank capabilities of the Soviet troops were subjected to severe tests. Firstly, most often rifle divisions had to fight while occupying a defensive front that exceeded the statutory standards. Secondly, Soviet troops had to face the German “tank wedge” tactics. It consisted in the fact that a tank regiment of a Wehrmacht tank division was striking in a very narrow sector of defense. At the same time, the density of attacking tanks was 50–60 vehicles per kilometer of front. Such a number of tanks on a narrow front inevitably saturated the anti-tank defenses. Large losses of anti-tank guns at the beginning of the war led to a decrease in the number of anti-tank guns in the rifle division. The July 1941 state rifle division had only eighteen 45-mm anti-tank guns instead of fifty-four in the pre-war state. According to the July staff, a platoon of 45-mm guns from an infantry battalion and a separate anti-tank division were completely excluded. The latter was restored to the staff of the rifle division in December 1941. The shortage of anti-tank guns was to some extent compensated for by the recently adopted anti-tank guns. In December 1941, an anti-tank rifle platoon was introduced into the rifle division at the regimental level. In total, the division had 89 anti-tank rifles throughout the state. In the field of artillery organization, the general trend at the end of 1941 was to increase the number of independent anti-tank units. On January 1, 1942, in the active army and reserve of the Supreme High Command Headquarters there were: one artillery brigade (on the Leningrad Front), 57 anti-tank artillery regiments and two separate anti-tank artillery divisions. As a result of the autumn battles, five VET artillery regiments received the rank of guards. Two of them received the Guard for the battles near Volokolamsk - they supported the 316th Infantry Division of I.V. Panfilov. 1942 became a period of increasing the number and consolidation of independent anti-tank units. On April 3, 1942, the State Defense Committee issued a decree on the formation of a fighter brigade. According to the staff, the brigade had 1,795 people, twelve 45-mm guns, sixteen 76-mm guns, four 37-mm anti-aircraft guns, 144 anti-tank guns. By the next decree of June 8, 1942, the twelve formed fighter brigades were united into fighter divisions, each with three brigades. A milestone for the anti-tank artillery of the Red Army was the order of the USSR NKO No. 0528, signed by I.V. Stalin, according to which: the status of anti-tank destroyer units was increased, personnel were given a double salary, a cash bonus was established for each damaged tank, all command and personnel anti-tank artillery units were placed on special registration and were to be used only in the specified units.

The distinctive insignia of the anti-tank fighters was a sleeve insignia in the form of a black diamond with a red border and crossed gun barrels. The increase in the status of anti-tank fighters was accompanied by the formation of new anti-tank fighter regiments in the summer of 1942. Thirty light (twenty 76 mm guns each) and twenty anti-tank artillery regiments (twenty 45 mm guns each) were formed. The regiments were formed in a short time and immediately thrown into battle on threatened sectors of the front. In September 1942, ten more anti-tank fighter regiments of twenty 45-mm guns were formed. Also in September 1942, an additional battery of four 76-mm guns was introduced into the most distinguished regiments. In November 1942, part of the anti-tank fighter regiments was united into fighter divisions. By January 1, 1943, the anti-tank artillery of the Red Army consisted of 2 fighter divisions, 15 fighter brigades, 2 heavy anti-tank fighter regiments, 168 anti-tank fighter regiments, 1 anti-tank fighter division.

The improved anti-tank defense system of the Red Army received the name “Pakfront” from the Germans. RAK is the German abbreviation for anti-tank gun - Panzerabwehrkannone. Instead of a linear arrangement of guns along the defended front, at the beginning of the war they were united in groups under a single command. This made it possible to concentrate the fire of several guns on one target. The basis of anti-tank defense were anti-tank areas. Each anti-tank area consisted of separate anti-tank strong points (PTOPs), located in fire communication with each other. “Being in fire communication with each other” means the ability of neighboring anti-tank missile launchers to fire at the same target. PTOP was saturated with all types of fire weapons. The basis of the PTOP's fire system were 45-mm guns, 76-mm regimental guns, partly cannon batteries of divisional artillery and anti-tank artillery units.

The finest hour of anti-tank artillery was the battle on the Kursk Bulge in the summer of 1943. At that time, 76-mm divisional guns were the main weapon of anti-tank units and formations. "Sorokapyatki" made up about a third of the total number of anti-tank guns on the Kursk Bulge. A long pause in hostilities at the front made it possible to improve the condition of units and formations due to the receipt of equipment from industry and the addition of personnel to anti-tank regiments. The last stage in the evolution of the Red Army's anti-tank artillery was the consolidation of its units and the appearance of self-propelled guns in the anti-tank artillery. By the beginning of 1944, all fighter divisions and separate combined arms fighter brigades were reorganized into anti-tank fighter brigades. On January 1, 1944, the anti-tank artillery included 50 anti-tank brigades and 141 anti-tank regiments. By order of NKO No. 0032 of August 2, 1944, one SU-85 regiment (21 self-propelled guns) was introduced into fifteen anti-tank destroyer brigades. In reality, only eight brigades received self-propelled guns. Particular attention was paid to the training of personnel of anti-tank brigades; targeted combat training of artillerymen was organized to combat new German tanks and assault guns. In anti-tank units, special instructions appeared: “Memo to an artilleryman who destroys enemy tanks” or “Memo on fighting Tiger tanks.” And in the armies, special rear training grounds were equipped, where artillerymen trained in shooting at mock-up tanks, including moving ones.

Simultaneously with the increase in the skill of the artillerymen, tactics were improved. With the quantitative saturation of troops with anti-tank weapons, the “fire bag” method began to be used more and more often. The guns were placed in “anti-tank nests” of 6-8 guns within a radius of 50-60 meters and were well camouflaged. The nests were located on the ground to achieve flanking at long distances with the possibility of concentrating fire. Missing the tanks moving in the first echelon, fire opened suddenly, on the flank, at medium and short distances. During the offensive, anti-tank guns were quickly pulled up after the advancing units in order to support them with fire if necessary. The history of anti-tank artillery in our country began in August 1930, when, as part of military-technical cooperation with Germany, a secret agreement was signed, according to which the Germans pledged to help the USSR organize the gross production of 6 artillery systems. To implement the agreement, a front company was created in Germany (limited liability company “Bureau for Technical Work and Research”). Among the other weapons proposed by the USSR was a 37 mm anti-tank gun. The development of this weapon, bypassing the restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles, was completed in 1928. The first samples of the gun, which received the name Tak 28 (Tankabwehrkanone, i.e. anti-tank gun - the word Panzer came into use later) entered testing in 1930, and in 1932 deliveries to the troops began. The Tak 28 gun had a 45-caliber barrel with a horizontal wedge breech, which ensured a fairly high rate of fire - up to 20 rounds/min. The carriage with sliding tubular frames provided a large horizontal aiming angle - 60°, but the chassis with wooden wheels was designed only for horse traction. In the early 30s, this weapon penetrated the armor of any tank, and was perhaps the best in its class, far ahead of developments in other countries. After modernization, having received wheels with pneumatic tires that could be towed by a car, an improved carriage and an improved sight, it was put into service under the designation 3.7 cm Pak 35/36 (Panzerabwehrkanone 35/36). Remaining until 1942 the main anti-tank weapon of the Wehrmacht. The German gun was put into production at the Moscow region plant named after. Kalinina (No. 8), where she received the factory index 1-K. The enterprise mastered the production of a new gun with great difficulty; the guns were made semi-handicraft, with parts being manually fitted. In 1931, the plant presented the customer with 255 guns, but did not deliver any due to poor build quality. In 1932, 404 guns were delivered, and in 1933, another 105.

Despite problems with the quality of the guns produced, the 1-K was a fairly advanced anti-tank gun for 1930. Its ballistics made it possible to hit all tanks of that time, at a distance of 300 m, the armor-piercing projectile normally penetrated 30 mm armor. The gun was very compact; its light weight made it easy for crews to move it around the battlefield. The gun's shortcomings, which led to its rapid removal from production, were the weak fragmentation effect of the 37-mm projectile and the lack of suspension. In addition, the guns produced were of low build quality. The adoption of this weapon was considered as a temporary measure, since the leadership of the Red Army wanted to have a more universal gun that combined the functions of an anti-tank and battalion gun, and the 1-K, due to its small caliber and weak fragmentation projectile, was poorly suited for this role. 1-K was the first specialized anti-tank gun of the Red Army and played a big role in the development of this type of weapon. Very soon it began to be replaced by a 45-mm anti-tank gun, becoming practically invisible against its background. At the end of the 30s, 1-K began to be withdrawn from the troops and transferred to storage, remaining in service only as training ones. At the beginning of the war, all the guns in stock were thrown into battle, since in 1941 there was a shortage of artillery to equip a large number of newly formed formations and make up for huge losses. Of course, by 1941, the armor penetration characteristics of the 37-mm 1-K anti-tank gun could no longer be considered satisfactory; it could only confidently hit light tanks and armored personnel carriers. Against medium tanks, this weapon could only be effective when fired at the side from close (less than 300 m) distances. Moreover, Soviet armor-piercing shells were significantly inferior in armor penetration to German shells of a similar caliber. On the other hand, this gun could use captured 37 mm ammunition, in which case its armor penetration increased significantly, even exceeding the similar characteristics of the 45 mm gun. It was not possible to establish any details of the combat use of these guns; probably, almost all of them were lost in 1941.

The very great historical significance of 1-K lies in the fact that it became the founder of the series of the most numerous Soviet 45-mm anti-tank guns and Soviet anti-tank artillery in general. During the “liberation campaign” in western Ukraine, several hundred Polish 37-mm anti-tank guns and a significant amount of ammunition for them were captured.

Initially they were sent to warehouses, and at the end of 1941 they were transferred to the troops, since due to heavy losses in the first months of the war there was a large shortage of artillery, especially anti-tank. In 1941, the GAU published a “Brief Description, Operating Instructions” for this gun.

The 37-mm anti-tank gun, developed by Bofors, was a very successful weapon, capable of successfully fighting armored vehicles protected by bulletproof armor.

The gun had a fairly high initial projectile velocity and rate of fire, small dimensions and weight (which made it easier to camouflage the gun on the ground and roll it onto the battlefield by crew forces), and was also adapted for rapid transportation by mechanical traction. Compared to the German 37 mm Pak 35/36 anti-tank gun, the Polish gun had better armor penetration, which is explained by the higher muzzle velocity of the projectile. In the second half of the 30s, there was a tendency to increase the thickness of tank armor; in addition, the Soviet military wanted to get an anti-tank gun capable of providing fire support to infantry. To do this, it was necessary to increase the caliber. The new 45-mm anti-tank gun was created by placing a 45-mm barrel on the carriage of a 37-mm anti-tank gun mod. 1931. The carriage was also improved - wheel suspension was introduced. The semi-automatic shutter basically repeated the 1-K scheme and allowed 15-20 shots per minute.

The 45-mm projectile had a mass of 1.43 kg and was more than 2 times heavier than the 37-mm. At a distance of 500 m, the armor-piercing projectile normally penetrated 43-mm armor. At the time of adoption, the 45-mm anti-tank gun mod. 1937 penetrated the armor of any existing tank at that time. When exploded, a 45-mm fragmentation grenade produced about 100 fragments, which retained their destructive power when scattered along the front at 15 m and at a depth of 5-7 m. When fired, grapeshot bullets form a damaging sector along the front at up to 60 m and at a depth of up to 400 m Thus, the 45-mm anti-tank gun had good anti-personnel capabilities.

From 1937 to 1943, 37,354 guns were produced. Shortly before the start of the war, the 45-mm cannon was discontinued, since our military leadership believed that the new German tanks would have a thickness of frontal armor that would be impenetrable for these guns. Soon after the start of the war, the gun was put into production again. 45-mm cannons of the 1937 model were assigned to anti-tank platoons of rifle battalions of the Red Army (2 guns) and anti-tank battalions of rifle divisions (12 guns). They were also in service with separate anti-tank regiments, which included 4-5 four-gun batteries. For its time, the “forty-five” was quite adequate in terms of armor penetration. Nevertheless, the insufficient penetration ability against the 50-mm frontal armor of the Pz Kpfw III Ausf H and Pz Kpfw IV Ausf F1 tanks is beyond doubt. This was often due to the low quality of armor-piercing shells. Many batches of shells had technological defects. If the heat treatment regime in production was violated, the shells turned out to be too hard and, as a result, split on the tank’s armor, but in August 1941 the problem was solved - technical changes were made to the production process (localizers were introduced).

To improve armor penetration, a 45 mm sub-caliber projectile with a tungsten core was adopted, which penetrated 66 mm armor at a distance of 500 m, and 88 mm armor when fired at a dagger fire distance of 100 m. With the advent of sub-caliber shells, the later modifications of the Pz Kpfw IV tanks became tough for the “forty-five”. The thickness of the frontal armor did not exceed 80 mm. At first, new shells were specially registered and issued individually. For unjustified consumption of sub-caliber shells, the gun commander and gunner could be court-martialed. In the hands of experienced and tactically skilled commanders and trained crews, the 45 mm anti-tank gun posed a serious threat to enemy armored vehicles. Its positive qualities were high mobility and ease of camouflage. However, to better destroy armored targets, a more powerful weapon was urgently required, which was the 45-mm cannon mod. 1942 M-42, developed and put into service in 1942.

The 45-mm M-42 anti-tank gun was obtained by modernizing a 45-mm gun of the 1937 model at plant No. 172 in Motovilikha. The modernization consisted of lengthening the barrel (from 46 to 68 calibers), strengthening the propellant charge (the mass of gunpowder in the cartridge case increased from 360 to 390 grams) and a number of technological measures to simplify mass production. The thickness of the shield cover armor was increased from 4.5 mm to 7 mm to better protect the crew from armor-piercing rifle bullets.

As a result of modernization, the initial velocity of the projectile increased by almost 15% - from 760 to 870 m/s. At a distance of 500 meters normal, an armor-piercing projectile penetrated -61mm, and a sub-caliber projectile penetrated -81mm of armor. According to the recollections of anti-tank veterans, the M-42 had very high shooting accuracy and relatively low recoil when fired. This made it possible to fire at a high rate of fire without correcting the aiming. Serial production of 45 mm guns mod. 1942 was started in January 1943 and was carried out only at plant No. 172. During the busiest periods, the plant produced 700 of these guns monthly. In total, 10,843 model guns were manufactured between 1943 and 1945. 1942. Their production continued after the war. New guns, as they were produced, were used to re-equip anti-tank artillery regiments and brigades that had 45-mm anti-tank guns mod. 1937.

As it soon became clear, the armor penetration of the M-42 to combat German heavy tanks with powerful anti-shell armor Pz. Kpfw. V "Panther" and Pz. Kpfw. VI "Tiger" was not enough. More successful was firing with sub-caliber shells at the sides, stern and chassis. Nevertheless, thanks to well-established mass production, mobility, ease of camouflage and low cost, the weapon remained in service until the very end of the war. At the end of the 30s, the issue of creating anti-tank guns capable of hitting tanks with projectile-resistant armor became acute. Calculations showed the futility of the 45-mm caliber from the point of view of a sharp increase in armor penetration. Various research organizations considered calibers of 55 and 60 mm, but in the end it was decided to settle on a caliber of 57 mm. Guns of this caliber were used in the tsarist army and navy (Nordenfeld and Hotchkiss guns). A new projectile was developed for this caliber - a standard cartridge case from a 76-mm divisional gun was used as its case, with the barrel of the case recompressed to a 57 mm caliber.

In 1940, the design team headed by Vasily Gavrilovich Grabin began designing a new anti-tank gun that met the tactical and technical requirements of the Main Artillery Directorate (GAU). The main feature of the new gun was the use of a long barrel of 73 calibers. At a distance of 1000 m, the gun penetrated armor 90 mm thick with an armor-piercing projectile

A prototype of the gun was manufactured in October 1940 and passed factory tests. And in March 1941, the gun was put into service under the official name “57-mm anti-tank gun mod. 1941" In total, about 250 guns were delivered from June to December 1941.

57-mm cannons from experimental batches took part in combat operations. Some of them were installed on the light tracked tractor “Komsomolets” - this was the first Soviet anti-tank self-propelled gun, which, due to the imperfections of the chassis, was not very successful. The new anti-tank gun easily penetrated the armor of all German tanks that existed at that time. However, due to the position of the GAU, production of the gun was stopped, and the entire production base and equipment were mothballed. In 1943, with the advent of heavy tanks by the Germans, production of the gun was restored. The 1943 model gun had a number of differences from the 1941 model guns, aimed primarily at improving the manufacturability of the gun's production. However, the restoration of mass production was difficult - technological problems arose with the manufacture of barrels. Mass production of a gun under the name “57-mm anti-tank gun mod. 1943" ZIS-2 was organized by October - November 1943, after the commissioning of new production facilities provided with equipment supplied under Lend-Lease. From the moment production resumed until the end of the war, more than 9,000 guns were delivered to the troops.

With the restoration of production of the ZIS-2 in 1943, the guns were supplied to anti-tank artillery regiments (iptap), 20 guns per regiment.

Since December 1944, ZIS-2s have been introduced into the staff of guards rifle divisions - into regimental anti-tank batteries and into the anti-tank fighter division (12 guns). In June 1945, regular rifle divisions were transferred to a similar staff.

The capabilities of the ZIS-2 made it possible, at typical combat distances, to confidently hit the 80-mm frontal armor of the most common German medium tanks Pz.IV and StuG III assault self-propelled guns, as well as the side armor of the Pz.VI Tiger tank; at distances less than 500 m, the frontal armor of the Tiger was also damaged. In terms of cost and manufacturability of production, combat and service characteristics, the ZIS-2 became the best Soviet anti-tank gun during the war.

Source

Flak

Russian anti-aircraft artillery is represented by the following self-propelled small-caliber systems:

• Quad self-propelled gun "Shilka" (23 mm).
• Self-propelled twin installation "Tunguska" (30 mm).
• Self-propelled twin launcher "Pantsir" (30 mm).
• Towed twin unit ZU-23 (2A13) (23 mm).

The self-propelled guns are equipped with a radio instrument system that provides target acquisition and automatic tracking and generation of guidance data. Automatic aiming of guns is carried out using hydraulic drives. "Shilka" is exclusively an artillery system, while "Tunguska" and "Pantsir" are also armed with anti-aircraft missiles.

Post-war Soviet anti-aircraft artillery. Part 2

In the USSR, despite numerous design works in pre-war and wartime, anti-aircraft guns with a caliber larger than 85 mm were never created. The increase in speed and flight altitude created by bombers in the west required urgent action in this direction.

As a temporary measure, it was decided to use several hundred captured German anti-aircraft guns of 105-128 mm caliber. At the same time, work on the creation of 100-130 mm anti-aircraft guns was accelerated. In March 1948, a 100-mm anti-aircraft gun of the 1947 model (KS-19) was adopted. It ensured combat against air targets with speeds of up to 1200 km/h and altitudes of up to 15 km. All elements of the complex at the combat position are connected to each other by electrical wires. The gun is aimed at the lead point by a hydraulic power drive GSP-100 from PUAZO, but it is possible to aim it manually.

Anti-aircraft 100-mm gun KS-19
Anti-aircraft 100-mm gun KS-19
The KS-19 gun is mechanized: installing a fuse, chambering a cartridge, closing the bolt, firing a shot, opening the bolt and extracting the cartridge case. Rate of fire 14-16 rounds per minute. In 1950, in order to improve combat and operational properties, the gun and hydraulic power drive were modernized. The GSP-100M system is designed for automatic remote guidance in azimuth and elevation angle of eight or fewer KS-19M2 guns and automatic input of values ​​for setting the fuse according to PUAZO data. The GSP-100M system provides the ability for manual guidance on all three channels using indicator synchronous transmission and includes GSP-100M gun sets (according to the number of guns), a central distribution box (CDB), a set of connecting cables and a battery giving device. The source of power supply for GSP-100M is a standard power supply station SPO-30, which generates three-phase current with a voltage of 23/133 V and a frequency of 50 Hz. All guns, SPO-30 and PUAZO are located within a radius of no more than 75 m (100 m) from the CRY. The KS-19 - SON-4 gun-targeting radar is a two-axle towed van, on the roof of which there is a rotating antenna in the form of a round parabolic reflector with a diameter of 1.8 m with asymmetric rotation of the emitter. It had three operating modes: - all-round visibility for detecting targets and monitoring the air situation using the all-round visibility indicator; — manual control of the antenna to detect targets in the sector before switching to automatic tracking and for rough determination of coordinates; — automatic target tracking by angular coordinates for precise determination of azimuth and angle together in automatic mode and slant range manually or semi-automatically. The detection range of a bomber when flying at an altitude of 4000 m is at least 60 km. Accuracy of coordinate determination: at a distance of 20 m, at azimuth and elevation: 0-0.16 d.u.

From 1948 to 1955, 10,151 KS-19 guns were manufactured, which, before the advent of air defense systems, were the main means of combating high-altitude targets. But the massive adoption of anti-aircraft guided missiles did not immediately supplant the KS-19. In the USSR, anti-aircraft batteries armed with these guns were available at least until the end of the 70s.

Abandoned KS-19 in Panjer Province, Afghanistan, 2007
Abandoned KS-19 in Panjer Province, Afghanistan, 2007
KS-19s were supplied to countries friendly to the USSR and participated in the Middle East and Vietnam conflicts. Some of the 85-100 mm guns being removed from service were transferred to avalanche control services and used as hail-breakers. In 1954, mass production of the 130-mm KS-30 anti-aircraft gun began. The gun had a height reach of 20 km and a range of 27 km. Rate of fire - 12 rounds/min. Loading is separate-case, the weight of the loaded cartridge case (with charge) is 27.9 kg, the weight of the projectile is 33.4 kg. Weight in combat position - 23500 kg. Weight in stowed position - 29,000 kg. Calculation - 10 people.

130-mm KS-30 anti-aircraft gun
130-mm KS-30 anti-aircraft gun
To facilitate the crew's work on this anti-aircraft gun, a number of processes were mechanized: installing a fuse, bringing out the tray with shot elements (projectile and loaded cartridge case) to the loading line, sending shot elements , closing the bolt, firing a shot and opening the bolt with extraction of the spent cartridge case. The gun is aimed by hydraulic servo drives, synchronously controlled by the PUAZO. In addition, semi-automatic guidance can be carried out using indicator devices by manually controlling hydraulic drives.

130-mm anti-aircraft gun KS-30 in the stowed position, next to an 85-mm anti-aircraft gun mod.
1939 130-mm anti-aircraft gun KS-30 in the stowed position, next to an 85-mm anti-aircraft gun mod.
1939. Production of the KS-30 ended in 1957, with a total of 738 guns produced. The KS-30 anti-aircraft guns were very bulky and poorly mobile.

They covered important administrative and economic centers. Often the guns were placed in stationary concrete positions. Before the advent of the S-25 Berkut air defense system, about a third of the total number of these guns was deployed around Moscow. On the basis of the 130-mm KS-30, the 152-mm KM-52 anti-aircraft gun was created in 1955, which became the most powerful domestic anti-aircraft artillery system.

152-mm anti-aircraft gun KM-52
152-mm anti-aircraft gun KM-52
To reduce recoil, the KM-52 was equipped with a muzzle brake, the effectiveness of which was 35 percent.
The wedge shutter is of horizontal design; the shutter operates from the reeling energy. The anti-aircraft gun was equipped with a hydropneumatic recoil brake and a knurler. The wheel drive with carriage is a modified version of the KS-30 anti-aircraft gun. The weight of the gun is 33.5 tons. Reachability in height – 30 km, in range – 33 km. Calculation: 12 people. Loading is separate-sleeve. The power and supply of each of the elements of the shot was carried out independently by mechanisms located on both sides of the barrel - on the left for shells and on the right for cartridges. All drives of the power and feed mechanisms were powered by electric motors. The store was a horizontally located conveyor with an endless chain. The projectile and cartridge case were located in the magazines perpendicular to the firing plane. After the automatic fuse setter was triggered, the feed tray of the projectile feed mechanism moved the next projectile to the ramming line, and the feed tray of the cartridge feed mechanism moved the next cartridge to the ramming line behind the projectile. The layout of the shot took place on the dispensing line. The chambering of the assembled shot was carried out by a hydropneumatic rammer, cocked during the roll-up. The shutter was closed automatically. Rate of fire 16-17 rounds per minute. The gun successfully passed the test, but was not launched into large production. In 1957, a batch of 16 KM-52 guns was manufactured. Of these, two batteries were formed, stationed in the Baku region. During the Second World War, there was a “difficult” level of altitude for anti-aircraft guns from 1500 m to 3000. Here the planes were out of reach for light anti-aircraft guns, and for the guns of heavy anti-aircraft artillery this altitude was too low. In order to solve the problem, it seemed natural to create anti-aircraft guns of some intermediate caliber. The 57-mm S-60 anti-aircraft gun was developed at the TsAKB under the leadership of V.G. Grabina. Serial production of the gun began in 1950. 57-mm S-60 anti-aircraft gun in the Israeli museum at the Hatzerim airbase 57-mm S-60 anti-aircraft gun in the Israeli museum at the Hatzerim air base
The S-60 automatic operated due to recoil energy with a short recoil of the barrel. The gun is fed by magazine, with 4 rounds in the magazine. The recoil brake is hydraulic, spindle type. The balancing mechanism is spring, swinging, and pulling type. On the platform of the machine there is a table for a clip with chambers and three seats for calculations. When shooting with a sight, there are five crew members on the platform, and when the PUAZO is working, there are two or three people. The movement of the cart is inseparable. Torsion bar suspension. Wheels from a ZIS-5 truck with sponge filling tires. Weight of the gun in firing position is 4800 kg, rate of fire is 70 rounds/min. The initial speed of the projectile is 1000 m/s. The weight of the projectile is 2.8 kg. Reachability in range - 6000 m, in height - 4000 m. Maximum speed of an air target is 300 m/s. Calculation: 6-8 people. The ESP-57 battery set of servo drives was intended for guidance in azimuth and elevation angle of a battery of 57-mm S-60 guns, consisting of eight or fewer guns. When firing, the PUAZO-6-60 and the SON-9 gun guidance radar were used, and later the RPK-1 Vaza radar instrument system. All guns were located no more than 50 m from the central distribution box. The ESP-57 drives could carry out the following types of gun aiming: - automatic remote aiming of battery guns according to PUAZO data (the main type of aiming); -semi-automatic aiming of each gun according to the automatic anti-aircraft sight; - manual aiming of battery guns according to PUAZO data using zero indicators of fine and coarse readings (indicator type of aiming). The S-60 received its baptism of fire during the Korean War in 1950-1953. But the first pancake was lumpy - a massive failure of the guns immediately became apparent. Some installation defects were noted: breaks in the extractor legs, clogging of the power magazine, failures of the balancing mechanism. Subsequently, non-positioning of the bolt on the automatic sear, misalignment or jamming of the cartridge in the magazine during feeding, movement of the cartridge beyond the loading line, simultaneous feeding of two cartridges from the magazine to the loading line, jamming of the clip, extremely short or long barrel rollbacks, etc. were also noted. The S-60 was fixed, and the gun successfully shot down American planes.

S-60 in the Vladivostok Fortress Museum
S-60 in the Vladivostok Fortress Museum
Subsequently, the 57-mm S-60 anti-aircraft gun was exported to many countries around the world and was repeatedly used in military conflicts. Guns of this type were widely used in the air defense system of North Vietnam during the Vietnam War, showing high efficiency when firing at targets at medium altitudes, as well as by Arab states (Egypt, Syria, Iraq) in the Arab-Israeli conflicts and the Iran-Iraq war. Morally obsolete by the end of the 20th century, the S-60, in case of massive use, is still capable of destroying modern fighter-bomber class aircraft, which was demonstrated during the 1991 Gulf War, when Iraqi crews used these guns to shoot down several American and British airplanes. According to the Serbian military, they shot down several Tomahawk missiles from these guns. //'); //]]> S-60 anti-aircraft guns were also produced in China under the name Type 59. Currently, in Russia, anti-aircraft guns of this type are mothballed at storage bases. The last military unit to be armed with the S-60 was the 990th anti-aircraft artillery regiment of the 201st motorized rifle division during the Afghan War. In 1957, on the basis of the T-54 tank using S-60 assault rifles, serial production of the ZSU-57-2 began. Two guns were installed in a large turret open at the top, and the parts of the right machine gun were a mirror image of the parts of the left machine gun.

ZSU-57-2
ZSU-57-2
Vertical and horizontal guidance of the S-68 gun was carried out using an electro-hydraulic drive. The guidance drive was powered by a DC electric motor and used universal hydraulic speed controllers.

The ZSU's ammunition consisted of 300 cannon rounds, of which 248 rounds were loaded into clips and placed in the turret (176 rounds) and in the bow of the hull (72 rounds).
The remaining shots in the clips were not loaded and were placed in special compartments under the rotating floor. The clips were fed manually by the loader. Between 1957 and 1960, about 800 ZSU-57-2 were produced. ZSU-57-2 were sent to arm the anti-aircraft artillery batteries of two-platoon tank regiments, 2 units per platoon. The combat effectiveness of the ZSU-57-2 depended on the qualifications of the crew, the training of the platoon commander, and was due to the absence of a radar in the guidance system. Effective lethal fire could only be fired from a stop; firing “on the move” at air targets was not provided. ZSU-57-2 were used in the Vietnam War, in the conflicts between Israel and Syria and Egypt in 1967 and 1973, as well as in the Iran-Iraq War. Bosnian ZSU-57-2 with a makeshift armored cabin on top, which suggests its use as a self-propelled gun. Bosnian ZSU-57-2 with a makeshift armored cabin on top, which suggests its use as a self-propelled gun.
Very often during local conflicts, the ZSU-57-2 was used to provide fire support for ground units. To replace 25-mm anti-aircraft guns with clip-loading, the 23-mm ZU-23-2 installation was adopted into service in 1960. It used shells previously used in the Volkov-Yartsev (VYa) aircraft cannon. An armor-piercing incendiary projectile weighing 200 grams penetrates 25 mm armor at a normal distance of 400 m.

ZU-23-2 in the Artillery Museum, St. Petersburg
ZU-23-2 in the Artillery Museum, St. Petersburg
The ZU-23-2 anti-aircraft gun consists of the following main parts: two 23-mm 2A14 machine guns, their machine, platform with movement , lifting, rotating and balancing mechanisms and anti-aircraft automatic sight ZAP-23. The machines are powered by tape. The belts are metal, each of them is equipped with 50 cartridges and placed in a quickly replaceable cartridge box.

The design of the machines is almost the same, only the details of the feed mechanism differ. The right machine has right power supply, the left one has left power supply. Both machines are fixed in one cradle, which, in turn, is located on the upper machine of the carriage. On the base of the upper carriage there are two seats, as well as a rotating mechanism handle. In the vertical and horizontal planes, the guns are aimed manually. The rotary handle (with brake) of the lifting mechanism is located on the right side of the gunner's seat. The ZU-23-2 uses very successful and compact manual drives for vertical and horizontal guidance with a spring-type balancing mechanism. Brilliantly designed units allow you to transfer the trunks to the opposite side in just 3 seconds. The ZU-23-2 is equipped with a ZAP-23 anti-aircraft automatic sight, as well as a T-3 optical sight (with 3.5x magnification and a 4.5° field of view), designed for firing at ground targets. The installation has two trigger mechanisms: foot (with a pedal opposite the gunner's seat) and manual (with a lever on the right side of the gunner's seat). Machine gun fire is fired simultaneously from both barrels. On the left side of the trigger pedal there is a brake pedal for the rotating installation unit. Rate of fire - 2000 rounds per minute. Installation weight - 950 kg. Firing range: 1.5 km in height, 2.5 km in range. A two-wheeled chassis with springs is mounted on road wheels. In the firing position, the wheels are raised and tilted to the side, and the gun is mounted on the ground on three support plates. A trained crew is able to transfer the charger from the traveling position to the combat position in just 15-20 s, and back in 35-40 s. If necessary, the ZU-23-2 can fire from wheels and even on the move - right when transporting the ZU behind a car, which is extremely important for a short-lived combat encounter. The installation has excellent mobility. The ZU-23-2 can be towed behind any army vehicle, since its weight in the stowed position, together with covers and loaded ammunition boxes, is less than 1 ton. The maximum speed is allowed up to 70 km/h, and on off-road conditions - up to 20 km/h . There is no standard anti-aircraft fire control device (FCU), which provides data for firing at air targets (lead, azimuth, etc.). This limits the capabilities of anti-aircraft fire, but makes the weapon as cheap as possible and accessible to soldiers with a low level of training.

The effectiveness of firing at air targets has been increased in the modification ZU-23M1 - ZU-23 with the Strelets kit installed on it, which ensures the use of two domestic MANPADS of the Igla type. The ZU-23-2 installation has gained rich combat experience; it has been used in many conflicts, both against air and ground targets.

During the Afghan War, the ZU-23-2 was widely used by Soviet troops as a means of fire cover when driving convoys, mounted on trucks: GAZ-66, ZIL-131, Ural-4320 or KamAZ. The mobility of an anti-aircraft gun mounted on a truck, coupled with the ability to fire at high elevation angles, proved to be an effective means of repelling attacks on convoys in the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan.

In addition to trucks, the 23-mm installation was installed on a variety of chassis, both tracked and wheeled.

This practice was developed during the “Counter-Terrorist Operation”; ZU-23-2 were actively used to destroy ground targets. The ability to conduct intense fire turned out to be very useful when conducting combat operations in the city.

The airborne troops use the ZU-23-2 in the Skrezhet version of the gun mount based on the tracked BTR-D.
The production of this anti-aircraft gun was carried out by the USSR, and then by a number of countries, including Egypt, China, the Czech Republic/Slovakia, Bulgaria and Finland. The production of 23 mm ZU-23 ammunition was carried out at various times by Egypt, Iran, Israel, France, Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and South Africa. In our country, the development of anti-aircraft artillery has followed the path of creating self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery systems with radar detection and guidance systems (Shilka) and anti-aircraft gun and missile systems (Tunguska and Pantsir). Based on materials: Shirokorad A. B. Encyclopedia of domestic artillery. https://www.telenir.net/transport_i_aviacija/tehnika_i_vooruzhenie_1998_07/p6.php Author: Sergey Linnik