The best guns of the Second World War. Anti-tank guns. series. god of War

“Artillery is the god of war,” J.V. Stalin once said, speaking about one of the most significant branches of the military. With these words, he tried to emphasize the enormous importance that this weapon had during the Second World War. And this expression is true, since the merits of artillery are difficult to overestimate. Its power allowed Soviet troops to mercilessly crush enemies and bring the much-desired Great Victory closer.

Later in this article, we will look at the artillery of World War II, which was then in service with Nazi Germany and the USSR, starting with light anti-tank guns and ending with super-heavy monster guns.

Anti-tank guns

As the history of the Second World War has shown, light guns, by and large, turned out to be practically useless against armored vehicles. The fact is that they were usually developed in the interwar years and could only withstand the weak protection of the first armored vehicles. But before World War II, technology began to rapidly modernize. The armor of tanks became much thicker, so many types of guns turned out to be hopelessly outdated.

Mortars

Perhaps the most accessible and effective infantry support weapon was mortars. They perfectly combined properties such as range and firepower, so their use could turn the tide of the entire enemy offensive.

German troops most often used the 80mm Granatwerfer-34. This weapon earned a dark reputation among the allied forces for its high speed and extreme accuracy of fire. In addition, its firing range was 2400 m.

The Red Army used the 120mm M1938, which entered service in 1939, for fire support of its infantrymen. It was the very first mortar of this caliber ever produced and used in world practice. When German troops encountered this weapon on the battlefield, they appreciated its power, after which they put a copy into production and designated it “Granatwerfer-42”. The M1932 weighed 285 kg and was the heaviest type of mortar that infantrymen had to carry with them. To do this, it was either disassembled into several parts or pulled on a special trolley. Its firing range was 400 m less than that of the German Granatwerfer-34.

Self-propelled units

In the very first weeks of the war, it became clear that the infantry was in dire need of reliable fire support. The German armed forces encountered an obstacle in the form of well-fortified positions and a large concentration of enemy troops. Then they decided to strengthen their mobile fire support with a 105-mm Vespe self-propelled artillery mount mounted on a PzKpfw II tank chassis. Another similar weapon, the Hummel, was part of motorized and tank divisions starting in 1942.

During the same period, the SU-76 self-propelled gun with a 76.2 mm cannon appeared in service with the Red Army. It was installed on a modified chassis of the T-70 light tank. Initially, the SU-76 was intended to be used as a tank destroyer, but during its use it was realized that it had too little firepower for this.

In the spring of 1943, Soviet troops received a new vehicle - the ISU-152. It was equipped with a 152.4 mm howitzer and was intended both for the destruction of tanks and mobile artillery, and for supporting infantry with fire. First, the gun was installed on the KV-1 tank chassis, and then on the IS. In battle, this weapon proved to be so effective that it remained in service with the Warsaw Pact countries until the 70s of the last century.

This type of weapon was of great importance during combat operations throughout the Second World War. The heaviest artillery then available in service with the Red Army was the M1931 B-4 howitzer with a caliber of 203 mm. When Soviet troops began to slow down the rapid advance of the German invaders across their territory and the war on the Eastern Front became more static, heavy artillery was, as they say, in its place.

But the developers were always looking for the best option. Their task was to create a weapon that would, as harmoniously as possible, combine such characteristics as low weight, good firing range and the heaviest projectiles. And such a weapon was created. It was the 152-mm howitzer ML-20. A little later, a more modernized M1943 gun with the same caliber, but with a heavier barrel and a larger muzzle brake, entered service with the Soviet troops.

Defense enterprises of the Soviet Union then produced huge batches of such howitzers, which fired massive fire at the enemy. The artillery literally devastated German positions and thereby thwarted enemy offensive plans. An example of this is Operation Hurricane, which was successfully carried out in 1942. Its result was the encirclement of the German 6th Army at Stalingrad. To carry it out, more than 13 thousand guns of various types were used. Artillery preparation of unprecedented power preceded this offensive. It was she who greatly contributed to the rapid advancement of Soviet tank troops and infantry.

German heavy weapons

According to after the First World War, Germany was prohibited from having guns with a caliber of 150 mm or more. Therefore, Krupp specialists who were developing a new gun had to create a heavy field howitzer sFH 18 with a 149.1 mm barrel, consisting of a pipe, breech and casing.

At the beginning of the war, the German heavy howitzer was moved by horse traction. But later, its modernized version was pulled by a half-track tractor, which made it much more mobile. The German army successfully used it on the Eastern Front. By the end of the war, sFH 18 howitzers were installed on tank chassis. Thus, the Hummel self-propelled artillery mount was created.

The Rocket Forces and Artillery are one of the divisions of the ground armed forces. The use of missiles during WWII was mainly associated with large-scale combat operations on the Eastern Front. Powerful rockets covered large areas with their fire, which compensated for some of the inaccuracy of these unguided guns. Compared to conventional projectiles, the cost of the missiles was much lower, and they were produced very quickly. Another advantage was the relative ease of their operation.

Soviet rocket artillery used 132mm M-13 shells during the war. They were created in the 1930s and by the time Nazi Germany attacked the USSR, they were available in very small quantities. These missiles are perhaps the most famous of all such missiles used during the Second World War. Gradually, their production was established, and by the end of 1941, the M-13 was used in battles against the Nazis.

It must be said that the rocket troops and artillery of the Red Army plunged the Germans into a real shock, which was caused by the unprecedented power and deadly effect of the new weapon. The BM-13-16 launchers were placed on trucks and had rails for 16 shells. These missile systems would later be known as Katyusha. Over time, they were modernized several times and were in service with the Soviet army until the 80s of the last century. With the advent of the expression “Artillery is the god of war” began to be perceived as truth.

German rocket launchers

The new type of weapon made it possible to deliver combat explosive parts over both long and short distances. Thus, short-range projectiles concentrated their firepower on targets located on the front line, while long-range missiles struck targets located in the enemy rear.

The Germans also had their own rocket artillery. “Wurframen-40” is a German rocket launcher, which was mounted on the Sd.Kfz.251 half-track vehicle. The missile was aimed at the target by turning the vehicle itself. Sometimes these systems were introduced into battle as towed artillery.

Most often, the Germans used the Nebelwerfer-41 rocket launcher, which had a honeycomb design. It consisted of six tubular guides and was mounted on a two-wheeled carriage. But during the battle, this weapon was extremely dangerous not only for the enemy, but also for its own crew due to the nozzle flame escaping from the pipes.

The weight of the shells had a huge impact on their flight range. Therefore, the army whose artillery could hit targets located far behind the enemy line had a significant military advantage. Heavy German rockets were useful only for overhead fire, when it was necessary to destroy well-fortified objects, such as bunkers, armored vehicles or various defensive structures.

It is worth noting that the firing range of the German artillery was much inferior in range to the Katyusha rocket launcher due to the excessive weight of the shells.

Super heavy weapons

Artillery played a very important role in Hitler's armed forces. This is all the more surprising since it was almost the most important element of the fascist military machine, and for some reason modern researchers prefer to focus their attention on studying the history of the Luftwaffe (air force).

Even at the end of the war, German engineers continued to work on a new grandiose armored vehicle - the prototype of a huge tank that would dwarf all other military equipment. The P1500 “Monster” project was never implemented. It is only known that the tank was supposed to weigh 1.5 tons. It was planned that it would be armed with an 80-centimeter Gustav cannon from Krupp. It is worth noting that its developers always thought big, and artillery was no exception. This weapon entered service with the Nazi army during the siege of the city of Sevastopol. The cannon fired only 48 shots, after which its barrel wore out.

The K-12 railway guns were in service with the 701st artillery battery, stationed on the English Channel coast. According to some reports, their shells, which weighed 107.5 kg, hit several targets in southern England. These artillery monsters had their own T-shaped track sections necessary for mounting and aiming at the target.

Statistics

As previously noted, the armies of the countries that participated in the hostilities of 1939-1945 entered the fight with outdated or partially modernized guns. All their ineffectiveness was fully revealed by the Second World War. The artillery urgently needed not only updating, but also increasing its number.

From 1941 to 1944, Germany produced more than 102 thousand guns of different calibers and up to 70 thousand mortars. By the time of the attack on the USSR, the Germans already had about 47 thousand artillery barrels, and this does not include assault guns. If we take the United States as an example, they produced about 150 thousand guns over the same period. Great Britain managed to produce only 70 thousand weapons of this class. But the record holder in this race was the Soviet Union: during the war years, more than 480 thousand guns and about 350 thousand mortars were fired here. Before this, the USSR already had 67 thousand guns in service. This figure does not include 50mm mortars, naval artillery and anti-aircraft guns.

During the years of World War II, the artillery of the warring countries underwent great changes. The armies constantly received either modernized or completely new guns. Anti-tank and self-propelled artillery developed at a particularly rapid pace (photos from that time demonstrate its power). According to experts from different countries, about half of all ground force losses are due to the use of mortars during battle.

70 mm battalion gun Type 92 1932 This gun is the most famous artillery piece of the Japanese army during World War II, it could be used both as a mortar and as a regular field gun. Lightweight and easy to handle, it was easily operated by several people; during transportation, it was disassembled, carried in parts, or transported entirely on a horse or mule. The carriage had a pneumohydraulic recoil device, the wheels were attached to the cranked axles, so that for better stability the gun could be lowered straight... 152 mm howitzer D-1 1943 The accumulated experience of unification and standardization of various artillery systems allowed Soviet designers to quickly create new types of guns necessary to arm the army. At the end of 1942, Soviet troops switched to offensive operations and to support formations they needed a fairly maneuverable 152-mm hull howitzer with a relatively light weight. Its development was entrusted to the design bureau under the leadership of F.F. Petrova. Engineers used already proven... 128-mm anti-tank self-propelled gun "Jдgdtiger" ("Yagdtiger") 1944 Following the tradition of using an existing tank to convert it into a self-propelled gun by installing a larger caliber gun on its chassis, the Germans immediately saw a potential self-propelled gun in the heavy Tiger II. Since the tank was armed with an 88-mm cannon, it should, following the logic, be equipped with a more powerful 128-mm gun. The muzzle velocity of its 28.3-kilogram projectile was less than that of the 88-mm cannon, but at a greater range its armor penetration was higher... 200 mm rocket-propelled mortar type 4 Although imperial Japan on the eve of World War II lagged behind European countries in terms of the development of traditional types of weapons, during subsequent battles it was largely able to catch up thanks to the technical assistance provided by Nazi Germany. However, Japan was unable to establish mass production of such modern weapons as jet aircraft and rocket-propelled gun mounts due to the limited industrial potential and low-skilled workforce.... 82 mm mortar BM-36 1936 In 1935–1936, small-scale production of 82-mm battalion mortars began. By November 1, 1936, the Red Army had 73 82-mm battalion mortars, although according to the states they were supposed to have 2586 pieces. In 1937, 1587 82-mm mortars were produced, in 1938 - 1188, in 1939 - 1678. In the first and third quarters of 1940, three NKV factories (No. 7, 106 and 393), as well as the Kirovsky, Gorlovsky and " Red October" was given the task to produce 6,700 82-mm mortars. By August 1st... 75 mm field gun type 38 1905 Entering the 20th century, imperial Japan, remote from the countries of Europe and America, had no experience in developing heavy weapons. Therefore, she purchased licenses for its production from famous gunsmiths in Europe, in particular from Krupp. One of these acquisitions in 1905 was a Type 38 cannon of 75 mm caliber. Minor changes were made to the design of the gun due to the peculiarities of Japanese production technology at that time. Thus, the carriage frames acquired a square cross-section... Rocket launcher BM-13 1941 On July 14, 1941, the German command received a panicked report from the front: “The Russians used a battery with an unusual number of guns. The troops fired at by the Russians testify: the fire raid is like a hurricane. The loss of life is significant." All this commotion was caused by just one battery of captain I.A. Flerov, armed with seven BM-13 rocket launchers, later known as Katyusha. The development of 82-mm and 132-mm rockets began in the USSR in 1930... 90 mm anti-aircraft gun M1 1940 In 1938, the US Ordnance Command realized that the 76.2 mm M3 anti-aircraft gun was no longer powerful enough and ordered a heavier gun capable of firing shells weighing at least 21 pounds (9.5 kg). Preliminary studies showed that a 90 mm gun with 24 lb (10.9 kg) shells was quite acceptable in this regard, and in 1938 the development of the model was approved. The gun was put into service in March 1940 under the designation M1; it had a biaxial carriage and a special... 75 mm gun Type 35 1902 By the beginning of World War II, the 75-mm Type 35 cannon was the most modern artillery piece of the Japanese army. It was designed based on the experience of military operations in Manchuria and China. The gun carriage had a sliding ploughshare and seats for the crew; it was probably the last of the field guns with such seats. Guns of this type were supposed to replace horse-drawn field guns of the 1908 model, but the volume of their production fell far short of the requirements of the army, so the arrival... 20-mm anti-aircraft gun Polsten (Polsten) 1937 This gun was designed by Polish engineers who were trying to simplify the design of the famous Oerlikon cannon, making it even faster, lighter and cheaper. The Poles even managed to produce the first prototype, but in 1939 the Germans occupied Poland. The sample, along with the drawings, was secretly taken out of the country, and eventually ended up in England, along with some of the Polish developers. Here the designers managed to complete their work, and the gun was put into production... 75-mm anti-tank self-propelled gun "Jдgdpanzer IV" ("Yagdpanzer" IV) 1944 The Jgd Pz IV was originally designed as an analogue of the StuG III assault gun, but only on the basis of the “four” and the factory capacities of the companies involved in its production. (Hence the second name StuG neuer Art mit 7.5cm PaK L/48 auf Fahrgestell PzKpfw IV). The lead company for this tank model, Krupp-Gruzon, received the task. Almost simultaneously, the Fomag company also took up construction. In October 1943, she presented to the selection committee a sample made of non-armored steel.... 240 mm gun St.Chamond 1884 This French weapon was originally intended as a coastal and siege weapon. However, at the end of 1914, when the need for heavy artillery was extremely high, many of these guns were removed from the fortresses, and the Saint-Chamon company made a fairly convenient stationary carriage for them. After this, the gun could be transported in two parts (barrel and carriage), which were then installed in place using a winch. The gun turned out to be quite successful, and the Saint-Chamon company received an order... 76.2 mm anti-aircraft gun Q.F. 3-in 20cwt 1914 Q.F. The 3-dm was the first British gun specifically designed as an anti-aircraft gun. It was originally intended to arm ships and was put into production in early 1914. An unusual name indicating the weight of the gun (20 centners or 1 British ton) - a way to distinguish it from other 3-inch guns with which the British army and navy were equipped in abundance. The gun was mounted on a massive pedestal with the possibility of circular rotation; this pedestal could be rotated using bolts... 140 mm B.L. gun 5.5-in 1942 The Mk 2 BL 5.5-inch gun was designed to replace the British 60-pounder gun, and the 5.5-inch (140 mm) caliber was chosen to give the projectile a better ballistic shape. At first, to compensate for the weight of the heavy barrel, it was planned to equip the gun with a special pneumohydraulic mechanism, but this gave rise to a number of problems, and as a result, instead of pneumohydraulics, conventional spring balancing devices were used, the “horns” of which noticeably rose above the barrel. First... 203 mm howitzer B.L. 8-in Mk.VII 1916 Britain entered the First World War with very few heavy guns, so one of its main concerns was establishing the production of such guns. Since the equipment for the production of 203-mm (8-inch) guns was available in large quantities, their production was established quite quickly, and standard carriages for them were also developed at the same time. The guns turned out to be heavy, with riveted iron frames of rectangular cross-section and large wheels. Since the system is open... 88 mm anti-tank gun Pak.43/41 1943 The Pak-43/41 gun was one of the most powerful anti-tank weapons of the Second World War. In terms of armor penetration, only the Soviet 100-mm cannon mod. 1944 and the German 128 mm Pak-44. The contract for the development of an 88-mm anti-tank gun under the designation “product 5-809” was received by Krupp and Rheinmetall-Borzig in mid-1942, and in the spring of 1943 a new anti-tank gun under the designation “Pak-43/41” began P... 150 mm field howitzer sFH.18 1918 Before the outbreak of World War II, the artillery regiment of the Wehrmacht infantry division included a heavy artillery battalion equipped with 12 150 mm sFH.18 howitzers. Separate divisions of the German RGK were also armed with guns of this type. Heavy howitzers "arr. 18" were produced by Krupp and Rheinmetall, and in mid-1941 the German troops had over 2800 of these guns, designed to destroy enemy rear targets and destroy their debts... 122 mm hull gun A-19 1931 During the First World War, heavy field artillery was divided into divisional and corps. The corps included long-range 100–110 mm cannons and 150–155 mm howitzers, designed to destroy pillboxes, rear structures and fortifications, as well as enemy communications nodes. In 1927, the command of the Red Army, having at its disposal a 107-mm hull gun mod. 1910, required the development of a more powerful 122 mm artillery system. Four years later on... 105 mm howitzer M3 1943 In 1941, the US Army felt the need for a 105 mm howitzer suitable for air transport. Such a gun would weigh 2,500 pounds (1,134 kg) and have a firing range of at least 7,000 yards (6,400 m) and would be used by airborne units. A gun with the required characteristics was created by increasing the barrel caliber of the 68.6 mm (2.7 in) M2A1 howitzer to 105 mm and mounting it on the carriage of the standard 75 mm (2.95 in) M3A1 howitzer. Significantly improved... 65 mm mountain gun 65/17 mod.13 1913 Adopted by the Italian army in 1913, the 65 mm (2.5 inch) mountain gun could be quickly disassembled into 6 parts for transport on mules. In exceptional cases, the weapon could also be carried by people. However, if conditions allowed, the cannon was transported by horses or some other means of transport. Like other mountain guns, this gun did not have any frills, it was made as light and simplified as possible, since it was intended to be used in difficult-to-reach areas in harsh conditions... 1 Next page...End

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The Germans gave the female name “Dora” to a giant cannon of World War II. This 80 centimeter caliber artillery system was so huge that it could only be moved by rail. She traveled half of Europe and left an ambiguous opinion about herself.

Dora was developed in the late 1930s at the Krupp plant in Essen. The main task of the super-powerful weapon is to destroy the forts of the French Maginot Line during a siege. At that time these were the strongest fortifications that existed in the world.

"Dora" could fire projectiles weighing 7 tons at a distance of up to 47 kilometers. When fully assembled, Dora weighed about 1,350 tons. The Germans developed this powerful weapon as they prepared for the Battle of France. But when fighting began in 1940, the biggest gun of World War II was not yet ready. In any case, Blitzkrieg tactics allowed the Germans to capture Belgium and France in just 40 days, bypassing the Maginot Line defenses. This forced the French to surrender with minimal resistance and the fortifications did not have to be stormed.

"Dora" was deployed later, during the war in the East, in the Soviet Union. It was used during the siege of Sevastopol to fire at coastal batteries heroically defending the city. Preparing the gun from the traveling position for firing took a week and a half. In addition to the immediate crew of 500 people, a security battalion, a transport battalion, two trains for the supply of ammunition, an anti-aircraft battalion, as well as its own military police and a field bakery were involved.

The German gun, the height of a four-story building and 42 meters long, fired concrete-piercing and high-explosive shells up to 14 times a day. To push out the largest projectile in the world, a charge of 2 tons of explosives was needed.

It is believed that in June 1942, "Dora" fired 48 shots at Sevastopol. But due to the large distance to the target, only a few hits were obtained. In addition, if the heavy ingots did not hit the concrete armor, they would go 20-30 meters into the ground, where their explosion would not cause much damage. The supergun showed completely different results than the Germans, who poured a lot of money into this ambitious miracle weapon, had hoped for.

When the barrel expired, the gun was taken to the rear. After repairs, it was planned to use it under besieged Leningrad, but this was prevented by the liberation of the city by our troops. Then the supergun was taken through Poland to Bavaria, where in April 1945 it was blown up so that it would not become a trophy for the Americans.

In the XIX-XX centuries. there were only two weapons with a large caliber (90 cm for both): the British Mallet mortar and the American Little David. But “Dora” and the same type “Gustav” (which did not take part in the hostilities) were the largest caliber artillery that took part in the battles. They are also the largest self-propelled units ever built. However, these 800 mm guns went down in history as “a completely useless work of art.”

The 37-mm anti-tank gun model 1930 (1-K) was developed by the German company Rheinmetall and, under an agreement between Germany and the USSR, was transferred to the latter. In essence, it was similar to the German Pak-35/36 anti-tank gun with interchangeable ammunition: armor-piercing, fragmentation shells and buckshot. A total of 509 units were produced. TTX guns: caliber 37 mm; trunk length – 1.6 m; height of the firing line - 0.7 m; firing range - 5.6 km; initial speed – 820 m/s; rate of fire - 15 rounds per minute; armor penetration - 20 mm at a distance of 800 m at an impact angle of 90°; calculation – 4 people; transportation speed on the highway is up to 20 km/h.

Airborne gun mod. 1944 had a shortened recoil barrel and was equipped with a specially created 37-mm BR-167P sub-caliber projectile (weight - 0.6-07 kg). The gun was disassembled into three parts: the swinging part, the machine and the shield. The two-wheeled machine had sliding beds with constant and driving coulters. The shield in a traveling position on wheels was placed along the movement of the gun. The gun was transported in Willys (1 gun), GAZ-64 (1 gun), Dodge (2 guns) and GAZ-A (2 guns), as well as in the sidecar of a Harley Davidson motorcycle. It was possible to fire from a motorcycle at speeds of up to 10 km/h. In 1944-1945 472 guns were manufactured. TTX guns: caliber – 37 mm; trunk length – 2.3 m; weight – 217 kg; projectile weight – 730 g; height of the firing line – 280 mm; maximum firing range – 4 km; rate of fire - 15-25 rounds per minute; initial projectile speed – 865 – 955 m/s; armor penetration with a caliber armor-piercing projectile at an angle of 90° at a distance of 500 m - 46 mm, with a sub-caliber projectile - 86 mm; shield thickness – 4.5 mm; calculation – 4 people; the time it takes to transfer a gun from traveling to combat is 1 minute.

The 1932 model gun was created by replacing the barrel of a 1930 model 37-mm anti-tank gun. The gun was transported both by horse traction and mechanically. In the transport position, a single-axle ammunition box was attached, and behind it the gun itself. The 19-K gun had wooden wheels. The gun, adapted for installation in a tank, received the factory designation “20-K” (32.5 thousand guns were produced). In 1933, the gun was modernized - the weight in firing position was reduced to 414 kg. In 1934, the gun received pneumatic tires, and the weight increased to 425 kg. The gun was produced in 1932-1937. A total of 2,974 guns were fired. TTX guns: caliber - 45 mm; length – 4 m; width – 1.6 m; height – 1.2 m; ground clearance – 225 mm; trunk length – 2.1 m; weight in combat position - 560 kg, in stowed position - 1.2 tons; firing range - 4.4 km; rate of fire - 15-20 rounds per minute; armor penetration - 43 mm at a distance of 500 m; calculation – 5 people; transportation speed on the highway on wooden wheels is 10 - 15 km/h, on rubber wheels - 50 km/h.

Gun arr. 1937 was put into service in 1938 and was the result of the modernization of the 19-K anti-tank gun. The gun was mass produced until 1942.

It differed from the previous model in the following innovations: semi-automatic operation worked when firing all types of ammunition, a push-button release and suspension were introduced, and a car wheel was installed; cast machine parts are excluded. Armor penetration - 43 mm at a distance of 500 m. To improve armor penetration, a 45 mm sub-caliber projectile was adopted, which penetrated 66 mm armor at a distance of 500 m, and 88 mm armor when fired at a distance of 100 m. A total of 37,354 guns were manufactured. TTX guns: caliber – 45 mm; length – 4.26 m; width – 1.37 m; height – 1.25 m; trunk length – 2 m; weight in combat position - 560 kg; traveling - 1.2 t; rate of fire - 20 rounds per minute; initial projectile speed – 760 m/s; direct shot range – 850 m; armor-piercing projectile weight – 1.4 kg, maximum firing range – 4.4 km, carriage speed on the highway – 50 km/h; calculation - 6 people.

The 1942 model gun (M-42) was created as a result of the modernization of the 45-mm gun mod. 1937 Modernization consisted of lengthening the barrel (up to 3.1 m) and strengthening the propellant charge. 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 muzzle velocity of the projectile increased from 760 to 870 m/s. A total of 10,843 units were produced. TTX guns: caliber - 45 mm; length – 4.8 m; width – 1.6 m; height – 1.2 m; trunk length – 3 m; weight in combat position - 625 kg; traveling – 1250 kg; projectile weight - 1.4 kg; initial speed – 870 m/s; maximum firing range – 4.5 km; direct shot range – 950 m; rate of fire - 20 rounds per minute; transportation speed on the highway – 50 km/h; armor penetration - 51 mm at a distance of 1000 m; calculation – 6 people.

The 57-mm anti-tank gun model 1941 (ZIS-2) was created under the leadership of V.G. Grabin in 1940, but its production was suspended in 1941. Only with the advent of heavily armored German tanks in 1943 was mass production resumed under a new designation. The 1943 model gun had a number of differences from the 1941 model guns, aimed at improving the manufacturability of the gun's production. The gun was towed at the beginning of the war by the semi-armored Komsomolets tractor, GAZ-64, GAZ-67, GAZ-AA, GAZ-AAA, ZIS-5 vehicles; from the middle of the war, those supplied by land were used -Lease Dodge WC-51 semi-trucks and Studebaker US6 all-wheel drive trucks. On the basis of the ZIS-2, the ZIS-4 and ZIS-4M tank guns were created, which were installed on the T-34. The gun was also used to arm the ZIS-30 anti-tank self-propelled guns. The gun was equipped with ammunition in the form of a unitary cartridge with shells: caliber and sub-caliber armor-piercing; fragmentation and buckshot. The weight of the projectile ranged from 1.7 to 3.7 kg depending on its type, the initial speed ranged from 700 to 1270 m/s; armor penetration - 109 mm at a distance of 1000 m at a meeting angle of 90°. A total of 13.7 thousand guns were fired. TTX guns: caliber – 57 mm; length – 7 m; width – 1.7 m; height – 1.3 m; trunk length – 4.1 m; ground clearance - 350 mm; weight in combat position - 1050 kg; traveling – 1900 kg; rate of fire - 25 rounds per minute; transportation speed on the highway – up to 60 km/s; height of the firing line – 853 mm; firing range - 8.4 km; direct shot range - 1.1 km; the thickness of the shield cover was 6 mm; calculation – 6 people.

Structurally, the ZiS-3 was a superposition of the barrel of the F-22USV divisional gun model on the light carriage of the ZiS-2 57-mm anti-tank gun. The gun had suspension, metal wheels with rubber tires. To be moved by horse traction, it was equipped with a standardized limber model 1942 for regimental and divisional guns. The gun was also towed by mechanical traction: trucks of the ZiS-5, GAZ-AA or GAZ-MM types, three-axle all-wheel drive Studebaker US6, light all-wheel drive Dodge WC. The ZIS-3 gun was put into service in 1942 and had a dual purpose: a divisional field gun and an anti-tank gun. Moreover, the weapon was used more in the first half of the war to fight tanks. The SU-76 self-propelled guns were also armed with a cannon. During the war, the divisional artillery had 23.2 thousand guns, and the anti-tank units had 24.7 thousand. During the war, 48,016 thousand guns were produced. TTX guns: caliber – 76.2 mm; length – 6 m; width – 1.4 m; barrel length – 3; weight in traveling position - 1.8 tons, in combat position - 1.2 tons; rate of fire - 25 rounds per minute; armor penetration of a projectile weighing 6.3 kg with an initial speed of 710 m/s - 46 mm at a distance of 1000 m; barrel survivability - 2000 shots; maximum firing range – 13 km; transition time from transport to combat position – 1 minute; transportation speed on the highway is 50 km/h.

47 days before the Great Patriotic War, Stalin said the words that later became famous: “Artillery is the most important branch of the military. Artillery is the god of modern war.” For artillery, the 20th century, with its two major wars, became a new stage of development. By that time, it had already traveled a centuries-old path and, along with the infantry and cavalry, was the oldest branch of the military. Already from the first days of World War II, artillery showed itself to be quite effective in the new conditions. Anti-aircraft and anti-tank artillery became the force that was capable of neutralizing the two main threats of that war - tanks and aircraft.

A wonderful documentary series of 4 episodes filmed by the Wings of Russia studio. See also their other docs. movies tagged " ".

Episode 1 god of War

On May 5, 1941, a formal reception was held in the Kremlin dedicated to the graduation of students from military academies. After the official part, at the banquet, Stalin uttered the famous words: “Artillery is the god of modern war!” There were 47 days left before Germany invaded the USSR. With what artillery weapons did our country approach the beginning of this tragic period in our history? This series focuses on divisional artillery, both Soviet and German.

Episode 2. Difficult target

Having started the Second World War, Germany relied on tank troops and aviation as the main tools of blitzkrieg tactics. Anti-aircraft and anti-tank artillery were supposed to neutralize these two main threats. Before the first raid on Moscow, Field Marshal Kesselring promised the pilots an “easy ride.” However, in this raid, 22 aircraft were shot down, almost half of them were by air defense. And the Soviet artillery, unlike the German, was well prepared to fight tanks. And in the initial, most difficult period of the war, many air defense guns were used as anti-tank weapons. During the Battle of Moscow, the crew of one anti-aircraft gun under the command of Gaik Shadunts stopped the attack of 23 German tanks.

Episode 3. Artillery duel

During the Second World War, German heavy artillery operated at full capacity only in the Soviet Union. This meant one thing - the German victorious blitzkrieg tactics were over. The Wehrmacht began to use heavy-duty artillery pieces, including the 800-millimeter Dora railway mount. Its shell weighed over 7 tons. And the Red Army successfully fought with the domestic ML-20 howitzer gun with a caliber of only 152 mm. To combat tanks, its shells did not even require a direct hit.

Episode 4 New weapons

During the Great Patriotic War, the Red Army acquired two new types of weapons - rocket and self-propelled artillery. Already in mid-July 1941, the Orsha railway station was attacked by BM-13 rocket artillery combat vehicles - the legendary Katyushas. All attempts by German designers to produce such weapons did not lead to success. And the creation of self-propelled artillery was due to a turning point in the course of the war: mobile guns were most needed precisely in the offensive. This is how the legendary self-propelled guns - SU-76, SU-122, SU-85, SU-100, as well as the famous “St. John's worts” - ISU appeared in the arsenal of our army.