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Katyusha rocket launcher. Weapon of Victory: multiple launch rocket system "Katyusha"

Unique weapon times of the Great Patriotic War, popularly nicknamed "Katyusha", has long become a legend, and unusual name, which was dubbed the rocket launcher during the war years, and stuck with it. Front-line soldiers say that when shooting from a formidable weapon began, Soviet citizens often started a record with the song "Katyusha" ...

The deafening howl that accompanied the flight of the rocket literally drove me crazy. Those who did not die during the shelling often could no longer resist, as they were shell-shocked, stunned, and psychologically depressed.

origin of name

Why did the terrible front-line weapon receive such an affectionate nickname "Katyusha"? And why exactly Katyusha?

There are several versions about this.

The first belongs to the veterans. Like, just before the war, the song of Matusovsky and Blanter about the girl Katyusha was very popular, and the beautiful Russian name somehow by itself stuck to the new jet installation.

The second version was put forward by military experts. Reading an article in Pravda, they speculated what kind of weapon was used near Orsha? A whole salvo! This means that the gun is automatic and multi-barrelled. The report indicated that everything was on fire in the affected area. It is clear: shells are incendiary - thermal. Fire tails?! Those are rockets. And who was then considered their "father", the experts perfectly knew: Andrey Kostikov. The polygoners called "BM-13" in their own way: "Kostikovsky automatic thermal", abbreviated - "KAT". And among the front-line soldiers who came to the training grounds, the word "kat" took root quickly. The fighters took this word to the front line, and even there it remained close to the Katyusha beloved by everyone.

Another version of the version, generated by specialists, suggests that the nickname is associated with the “K” index on the mortar body - the installations were produced by the Comintern plant ...

The third version is even more exotic and requires special explanation. On the chassis of the car, the BM-13 installations had guides, which in technical language were called slopes. A projectile was installed above and below each slope. Unlike cannon artillery, where the calculation of the gun is divided into a loader and a gunner, in rocket artillery the calculation did not have official names, but over time, the division of the soldiers serving the installation according to the functions performed was also determined. A 42-kilogram projectile for the M-13 installation was usually unloaded by several people, and then two, harnessed to straps, dragged the projectiles to the installation itself, raised them to the height of the slopes, and a third person usually helped them, pushing the projectile so that it would definitely enter into guides. Two soldiers were holding a heavy projectile, and for them at that moment the “pusher-roll-katyusha” signal that the projectile stood-rolled-rolled into the guide slopes meant the successful completion of a very important part of the work on equipping the installation for a volley. Of course, all the soldiers carried shells and each did the hard work of lifting them to the slopes. There was no specially designated person responsible for installing the projectile into the ramps. But the work itself led to the fact that at the last moment someone had to take on the role of "Katyusha" to push the projectile onto the guides, taking responsibility for the successful completion of the operation. It is clear that there were cases of shells falling to the ground, and then it had to be lifted from the ground and started all over again if the Katyusha was wrong about something.

One more thing. The installations were so classified that it was forbidden even to give the commands "plee", "fire", "volley" and the like. Instead, the commands were: "sing" and "play." Well, for the infantry, volleys of rocket launchers were the most pleasant music, which meant that today the Germans would get the first number, and there would be almost no losses among their own.

Creation of "Katyusha"

The history of the appearance of the first rockets in Russia goes back to the fifteenth century. Pyrotechnic rockets became widespread in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, this period is associated with the activities of Peter the Great, during which the first fireworks laboratories were created. In 1680, a special "rocket plant" was organized in Moscow for the production of fireworks, lighting and signal rockets.

In 1717, a one-pound lighting rocket grenade was adopted by the Russian army, rising to a height of more than 1 kilometer. In 1810, the Russian military department instructed the Military Scientific Committee under the Main Artillery Directorate to deal with the creation of combat missiles for use in combat operations.

In 1813, the talented Russian scientist General A. D. Zasyadko created several types of combat missiles with a caliber from 2 to 4 inches. Created by another prominent representative of the Russian artillery school, General K.I. Konstantinov, 2-, 2.5- and 4-inch rockets were adopted by the Russian army, and had more high precision firing, better reliability, and withstood longer storage periods. However, at that time combat missiles could not compete with rapidly improving artillery due to restrictions on the range of projectiles and their significant dispersion during shelling.

As a result, in January 1886, the Artillery Committee decided to stop the production of combat missiles in Russia.

Nevertheless, it was impossible to stop the development of progress in rocket science, and in the years before the First World War, attempts were made in Russia to create rockets to destroy enemy airplanes and balloons. Former vice-director of the Putilov plant I.V. Volovsky in April 1912 submitted to the Russian War Ministry a promising project of a new type of rotating missiles and a project of two “Throwing Apparatuses” for launching missiles from an airplane and a car. Despite a number of positive results obtained in the field of jet weapons at the beginning of the twentieth century, this project did not find application. The reason was that the level of scientific knowledge in the field of rocket science during this period was still low. Most of the inventors of solid rockets were not familiar with the theoretical works of K.E. Tsiolkovsky and other scientists in the field of rocket science. But, the main drawback of all rocket projects of the early twentieth century was the use of low-calorie and heterogeneous fuel - black smoke powder - as an energy source.

A new word in the improvement of rocket weapons was said in 1915, when the teacher of the Mikhailovsky Artillery Academy, Colonel I.P. Grave, first proposed a new solid fuel - smokeless pyroxylin powder, which provides the rocket with a large carrying capacity and flight range.

A new life-giving breath in the development of domestic rocket science came in Soviet times. Understanding the importance and significance of rocket technology for the country's defense capability, the state created a special rocket laboratory in Moscow in 1921 to develop rockets using smokeless powder. It was headed by engineer N.I. Tikhomirov and his associate and associate V.A. Artemiev. On March 3, 1928, after many studies and experiments, tests, the first successful launch was made, designed by N.I. Tikhomirov and V.A. Artemyev, rockets with an engine charge of coarse smokeless powder. With the creation of this first rocket on smokeless powder, the foundation was laid for the development of rockets for guards mortars - for the famous Katyushas. The range of shells even then reached 5-6 kilometers, but they had large deviations from the target, and the problem of ensuring satisfactory accuracy of fire turned out to be the most difficult. Many have been tried various options, but long time tests did not give positive results.

In the fall of 1937, the RNII began to put into practice the idea of mechanized rocket launchers. A department was created at the institute under the leadership of I. I. Gvai. The design team included A.P. Pavlenko, A.S. Popov, V.N. Galkovsky. Now it is these scientists who are considered the "fathers" of the legendary Katyusha rocket launcher. It is difficult to find out exactly who exactly came up with the idea to install a jet system on a truck. At the same time, they decided to use the Flute-type structure, which had previously been developed for aviation, as guides for rockets.

In a week, a team of authors prepared a technical design of the installation, which included twenty-four Flute-type guides. They were supposed to be arranged in two rows on a metal frame installed across the longitudinal axis of a typical ZIS-5 truck. It was intended to aim the reactive system horizontally with the help of the truck itself, and vertically - with a special manual mechanism. In the summer of 1938, in strict secrecy, the first two prototype jet system salvo fire mounted on ZIS-5 vehicles. In December 1938, new types of installations passed military tests already at another training ground, where they were tested by the State Military Commission. The tests took place in thirty-five degrees of frost. All systems worked perfectly, and the missiles hit the calculated targets. The Commission appreciated the new kind weapons, and December 1938 can be considered the month and year of the birth of the legendary Katyushas.

On June 21, 1941, the installation was demonstrated to the leaders Soviet government and on the same day, just a few hours before the start of World War II, a decision was made to urgently deploy the mass production of M-13 rockets and a launcher, which was officially named BM-13 (combat vehicle 13).

Thus, a highly maneuverable, high-speed combat vehicle was created, capable of conducting single, group and salvo fire.

What the Russian "Katyusha" is, the German - "hell flames." The nickname that the Wehrmacht soldiers gave to the Soviet rocket artillery combat vehicle was fully justified. In just 8 seconds, a regiment of 36 BM-13 mobile units fired 576 shells at the enemy. A feature of salvo fire was that one blast wave was superimposed on another, the law of addition of impulses came into force, which greatly increased the destructive effect.

Fragments of hundreds of mines, heated to 800 degrees, destroyed everything around. As a result, an area of 100 hectares turned into a scorched field, riddled with craters from shells. It was possible to escape only to those Nazis who, at the time of the salvo, were lucky enough to be in a securely fortified dugout. The Nazis called this pastime a "concert." The fact is that the volleys of "Katyushas" were accompanied by a terrible roar, for this sound the Wehrmacht soldiers awarded rocket mortars with another nickname - "Stalin's organs".

The birth of "Katyusha"

In the USSR, it was customary to say that the “Katyusha” was created not by any individual designer, but by the Soviet people. The best minds of the country really worked on the development of combat vehicles. In 1921, N. Tikhomirov and V. Artemiev, employees of the Leningrad Gas Dynamics Laboratory, began to create rockets on smokeless powder. In 1922, Artemiev was accused of espionage and the following year he was sent to serve his term in Solovki, in 1925 he returned to the laboratory.

In 1937, the RS-82 rockets, which were developed by Artemiev, Tikhomirov and G. Langemak, who joined them, were adopted by the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army. air fleet. In the same year, in connection with the Tukhachevsky case, all those who worked on new types of weapons were subjected to a “cleansing” by the NKVD. Langemak was arrested as a German spy and shot in 1938. In the summer of 1939, aircraft rockets developed with his participation were successfully used in battles with Japanese troops on the Khalkhin Gol River.

From 1939 to 1941 employees of the Moscow Reactive Research Institute I. Gvai, N. Galkovsky, A. Pavlenko, A. Popov worked on the creation of a self-propelled multiply charged rocket launcher. On June 17, 1941, she took part in a demonstration of the latest types of artillery weapons. The tests were attended by People's Commissar of Defense Semyon Timoshenko, his deputy Grigory Kulik and Chief of the General Staff Georgy Zhukov.

Self-propelled rocket launchers were shown last, and at first, trucks with iron guides fixed on top did not make any impression on the tired representatives of the commission. But the volley itself was remembered by them for a long time: according to eyewitnesses, the commanders, seeing the rising column of flame, fell into a stupor for a while. Timoshenko was the first to come to his senses, he sharply turned to his deputy: “Why were they silent and did not report about the presence of such weapons?” Kulik tried to justify himself by saying that this artillery system had simply not been fully developed until recently. On June 21, 1941, just a few hours before the start of the war, the Supreme Commander-in-Chief Joseph Stalin, after inspecting rocket launchers, decided to deploy their mass production.

The feat of Captain Flerov

Captain Ivan Andreevich Flerov became the first commander of the first Katyusha battery. The country's leadership chose Flerov to test top-secret weapons, among other things, because he showed himself well during the Soviet-Finnish war. At that time, he commanded a battery of the 94th howitzer artillery regiment, whose fire managed to break through the Mannerheim Line*. For his heroism in the battles near Lake Saunajärvi, Flerov was awarded the Order of the Red Star.

A full-fledged baptism of fire "Katyusha" took place on July 14, 1941. Rocket artillery vehicles under the leadership of Flerov fired volleys at the Orsha railway station, where a large number of enemy manpower, equipment and provisions were concentrated. Here is what Franz Halder, Chief of the General Staff of the Wehrmacht, wrote in his diary about these volleys: “On July 14, near Orsha, the Russians used hitherto unknown weapons. A fiery flurry of shells burned down the Orsha railway station, all trains with personnel and military equipment of the arrived military units. The metal melted, the earth burned.

Adolf Hitler met the news about the appearance of a new Russian miracle weapon very painfully. The chief of the Abwehr ** Wilhelm Franz Canaris received a thrashing from the Fuhrer for the fact that his department had not yet stolen the blueprints for rocket launchers. As a result, a real hunt was announced for the Katyushas, to which the main saboteur of the Third Reich, Otto Skorzeny, was involved.

Flerov's battery, meanwhile, continued to smash the enemy. After Orsha followed successful operations near Yelnya and Roslavl. On October 7, Flerov and his Katyushas were surrounded in the Vyazma cauldron. The commander did everything to save the battery and break through to his own, but in the end he was ambushed near the village of Bogatyr. Finding themselves in a hopeless situation, Flerov *** and his fighters accepted an unequal battle. The Katyushas fired all the shells at the enemy, after which Flerov self-detonated the rocket launcher, the rest of the batteries followed the example of the commander. To take prisoners, as well as to receive an "iron cross" for the capture of top-secret equipment, the Nazis failed in that battle.

Flerov was posthumously awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st class. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Victory, the commander of the first Katyusha battery was awarded the title of Hero of Russia.

Katyusha" against "donkey"

Along the front lines of the Great Patriotic War, the Katyusha often had to exchange salvos with a Nebelwerfer (German Nebelwerfer - “fog thrower”) - a German rocket launcher. For the characteristic sound that this six-barreled 150 mm mortar made when firing, soviet soldiers They called him "the donkey". However, when the soldiers of the Red Army fought off enemy equipment, the contemptuous nickname was forgotten - in the service of our artillery, the trophy immediately turned into a “vanyusha”. True, the Soviet soldiers did not have tender feelings for this weapon. The fact is that the installation was not self-propelled, the 540-kilogram jet mortar had to be towed. When fired, his shells left a thick plume of smoke in the sky, which unmasked the positions of the artillerymen, who could immediately be covered by the fire of enemy howitzers.

The best designers of the Third Reich did not manage to design their analogue of the Katyusha until the end of the war. German developments either exploded during tests at the training ground, or did not differ in firing accuracy.

Why was the volley fire system nicknamed "Katyusha"?

Soldiers at the front liked to give names to weapons. For example, the M-30 howitzer was called "Mother", the ML-20 howitzer gun - "Emelka". BM-13, at first, was sometimes called "Raisa Sergeevna", as the front-line soldiers deciphered the abbreviation RS (rocket). Who and why was the first to call the rocket launcher "Katyusha" is not known for certain. The most common versions link the appearance of the nickname:

With M. Blanter's song, popular during the war years, to the words of M. Isakovsky "Katyusha";
- with the letter "K" embossed on the installation frame. Thus, the plant named after the Comintern marked its products;
- with the name of the beloved of one of the fighters, which he wrote on his BM-13.

Katyusha - a unique combat vehicle of the USSR unparalleled in the world. It was developed during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45, the unofficial name of the barrelless systems of field rocket artillery (BM-8, BM-13, BM-31 and others). Such devices have been actively used Armed Forces USSR during World War II. The popularity of the nickname turned out to be so great that "Katyushas" in colloquial speech they often began to refer to post-war MLRS on automobile chassis, in particular BM-14 and BM-21 Grad.

"Katyusha" BM-13-16 on the ZIS-6 chassis

The fate of the developers:

On November 2, 1937, as a result of a “war of denunciations” within the institute, the director of RNII-3 I. T. Kleymenov and the chief engineer G. E. Langemak were arrested. On January 10 and 11, 1938, respectively, they were shot at the Kommunarka NKVD training ground.
Rehabilitated in 1955.
By decree of the President of the USSR M. S. Gorbachev dated June 21, 1991, I. T. Kleymenov, G. E. Langemak, V. N. Luzhin, B. S. Petropavlovsky, B. M. Slonimer and N. I. Tikhomirov were posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor.

BM-31-12 on the ZIS-12 chassis in the Museum on Sapun Mountain, Sevastopol

BM-13N on a Studebaker US6 chassis (with lowered exhaust protection armor plates) at the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War in Moscow

Origin of the name Katyusha

It is known why the BM-13 installations began to be called "guards mortars" at one time. The BM-13 installations were not actually mortars, but the command sought to keep their design secret for as long as possible. When soldiers and commanders asked the representative of the GAU to name the “genuine” name of the combat installation at the firing range, he advised: “Call the installation as an ordinary artillery piece. It's important to maintain secrecy."

There is no single version of why BM-13s began to be called "Katyushas". There are several assumptions:
1. By the name of Blanter's song, which became popular before the war, to the words of Isakovsky "Katyusha". The version is convincing, since for the first time the battery fired on July 14, 1941 (on the 23rd day of the war) at the concentration of Nazis on the Market Square of the city of Rudnya, Smolensk Region. She shot from a high steep mountain - the association with a high steep bank in the song immediately arose among the fighters. Finally, the former sergeant of the headquarters company of the 217th separate communications battalion of the 144th rifle division of the 20th army, Andrei Sapronov, is now alive, now a military historian who gave her this name. The Red Army soldier Kashirin, having arrived with him after the shelling of Rudny on the battery, exclaimed in surprise: “This is a song!” “Katyusha,” Andrey Sapronov answered (from the memoirs of A. Sapronov in the newspaper Rossiya No. 23 of June 21-27, 2001 and in Parliamentary Newspaper No. 80 of May 5, 2005). Through the communication center of the headquarters company, the news about the miracle weapon named "Katyusha" within a day became the property of the entire 20th Army, and through its command - of the whole country. On July 13, 2011, the veteran and “godfather” of Katyusha turned 90 years old.

2. There is also a version that the name is associated with the “K” index on the mortar body - the installations were produced by the Kalinin plant (according to another source, the Comintern plant). And the front-line soldiers liked to give nicknames to weapons. For example, the M-30 howitzer was nicknamed "Mother", the ML-20 howitzer gun - "Emelka". Yes, and BM-13 at first was sometimes called "Raisa Sergeevna", thus deciphering the abbreviation RS (missile).

3. The third version suggests that this is how the girls from the Moscow Kompressor plant, who worked at the assembly, dubbed these cars.
Another exotic version. The guides on which the shells were mounted were called ramps. The forty-two-kilogram projectile was lifted by two fighters harnessed to the straps, and the third usually helped them, pushing the projectile so that it exactly lay on the guides, he also informed the holders that the projectile had risen, rolled, rolled onto the guides. It was supposedly that they called him “Katyusha” (the role of those who held the projectile and rolled up was constantly changing, since the calculation of the BM-13, unlike barrel artillery, was not explicitly divided into loader, pointer, etc.)

4. It should also be noted that the installations were so secret that it was even forbidden to use the commands “plee”, “fire”, “volley”, instead of them they sounded “sing” or “play” (to start it was necessary to turn the handle of the electric coil very quickly) , which, perhaps, was also associated with the song "Katyusha". And for our infantry, the volley of Katyushas was the most pleasant music.

5. There is an assumption that initially the nickname "Katyusha" had a front-line bomber equipped with rockets - an analogue of the M-13. And the nickname jumped from an airplane to a rocket launcher through shells.

IN German troops these machines were called "Stalin's organs" because of resemblance jet plant with a pipe system of this musical instrument and the powerful staggering roar that was produced when the rockets were launched.

During the battles for Poznan and Berlin, the M-30 and M-31 single launchers received the nickname "Russian faustpatron" from the Germans, although these shells were not used as an anti-tank weapon. With "dagger" (from a distance of 100-200 meters) launches of these shells, the guardsmen broke through any walls.

BM-13-16 on the chassis of the STZ-5-NATI tractor (Novomoskovsk)

Soldiers loading the Katyusha

If Hitler's oracles had looked more closely at the signs of fate, then July 14, 1941 would certainly have become a landmark day for them. It was then that in the area of the Orsha railway junction and the crossing over the Orshitsa River, Soviet troops for the first time used BM-13 combat vehicles, which received the affectionate name "Katyusha" in the army environment. The result of two volleys on the accumulation of enemy forces was stunning for the enemy. The losses of the Germans fell under the column "unacceptable".

Here are excerpts from the directive to the troops of the Nazi high military command: "The Russians have an automatic multi-barreled flamethrower gun ... The shot is fired by electricity ... Smoke is generated during the shot ..." The obvious helplessness of the wording testified to the complete ignorance of the German generals regarding the device and technical characteristics of the new Soviet weapons - jet mortar.

A vivid example of the effectiveness of the guards mortar units, and their basis was the "Katyusha", can serve as a line from the memoirs of Marshal Zhukov: "Rocket shells by their actions produced complete devastation. I looked at the areas that were being shelled, and saw the complete destruction of defensive structures ... "

The Germans developed a special plan to capture new Soviet weapons and ammunition. In the late autumn of 1941, they managed to do this. The "captured" mortar was really "multi-barreled" and fired 16 rocket mines. His firepower several times more effective than the mortar, which was in service with the fascist army. Hitler's command decided to create an equivalent weapon.

The Germans did not immediately realize that the Soviet mortar they captured was truly unique phenomenon, opening a new page in the development of artillery, the era of multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS).

We must pay tribute to its creators - scientists, engineers, technicians and workers of the Moscow Reactive Research Institute (RNII) and related enterprises: V. Aborenkov, V. Artemyev, V. Bessonov, V. Galkovsky, I. Gvai, I. Kleimenov, A. Kostikov, G. Langemak, V. Luzhin, A. Tikhomirov, L. Schwartz, D. Shitov.

The main difference between the BM-13 and similar German weapons was an unusually bold and unexpected concept: mortars could be relatively inaccurate jet mines reliably hit all targets of a given square. This was achieved precisely due to the salvo nature of the fire, since each point of the shelled area necessarily fell into the affected area of one of the shells. German designers, realizing the brilliant "know-how" of Soviet engineers, decided to reproduce, if not in the form of a copy, then using the main technical ideas.

Copy "Katyusha" as a combat vehicle was, in principle, possible. Insurmountable difficulties began when trying to design, develop and establish mass production of similar rockets. It turned out that German gunpowder cannot burn in the engine chamber. rocket projectile just as stable and stable as the Soviet ones. The analogues of Soviet ammunition designed by the Germans behaved unpredictably: either sluggishly descended from the guides to immediately fall to the ground, or they started flying at breakneck speed and exploded in the air from an excessive increase in pressure inside the chamber. Only a few units made it to the target.

The point turned out to be that for effective nitroglycerin powders, which were used in Katyusha shells, our chemists achieved a spread in the values of the so-called heat of explosive transformation no higher than 40 conventional units, and the smaller the spread, the more stable the powder burns. Similar German gunpowder had a spread of this parameter even in one batch above 100 units. This led to unstable operation of rocket engines.

The Germans did not know that ammunition for the "Katyusha" was the fruit of more than a decade of activity of the RNII and several large Soviet research teams, which included the best Soviet powder factories, outstanding Soviet chemists A. Bakaev, D. Galperin, V. Karkina, G. Konovalova, B Pashkov, A. Sporius, B. Fomin, F. Khritinin and many others. They not only developed the most complex recipes for rocket powders, but also found simple and effective ways their mass, continuous and cheap production.

At a time when the production of Guards rocket launchers and shells for them was being developed at an unprecedented pace at Soviet factories according to ready-made drawings and literally increased daily, the Germans had only to carry out research and design work on MLRS. But history didn't give them time for that.

The Soviet multiple launch rocket system "Katyusha" is one of the most recognizable symbols of the Great Patriotic War. In terms of popularity, the legendary Katyusha is not much inferior to the T-34 or PPSh assault rifle. Until now, it is not known for certain where this name came from (there are numerous versions), the Germans called these installations "Stalin's organs" and were terribly afraid of them.

"Katyusha" is the collective name of several rocket launchers from the times of the Great Patriotic War. Soviet propaganda presented them as exclusively domestic "know-how", which was not true. Work in this direction was carried out in many countries and the famous German six-barreled mortars are also MLRS, however, of a slightly different design. Rocket artillery was also used by the Americans and the British.

Nevertheless, the Katyusha became the most efficient and most mass-produced vehicle of its kind in World War II. BM-13 is a real weapon of Victory. She took part in all significant battles on the Eastern Front, clearing the way for infantry formations. The first volley of Katyushas was fired in the summer of 1941, and four years later, BM-13 installations were already shelling besieged Berlin.

A bit of history of the BM-13 "Katyusha"

Several reasons contributed to the revival of interest in rocket weapons: firstly, more advanced types of gunpowder were invented, which made it possible to significantly increase the range of rockets; secondly, rockets were perfect as weapons for combat aircraft; and thirdly, rockets could be used to deliver poisonous substances.

The last reason was the most important: based on the experience of the First World War, the military had little doubt that the next conflict would certainly not do without war gases.

In the USSR, the creation of rocket weapons began with the experiments of two enthusiasts - Artemiev and Tikhomirov. In 1927, smokeless pyroxylin-TNT gunpowder was created, and in 1928, the first rocket was developed that managed to fly 1300 meters. At the same time, the targeted development of missile weapons for aviation began.

In 1933, experimental samples of aviation rockets of two calibers appeared: RS-82 and RS-132. The main drawback of the new weapon, which did not suit the military at all, was their low accuracy. The shells had a small tail, which did not go beyond its caliber, and a pipe was used as guides, which was very convenient. However, to improve the accuracy of the missiles, their plumage had to be increased and new guides had to be developed.

In addition, pyroxylin-TNT gunpowder was not very well suited for the mass production of this type of weapon, so it was decided to use tubular nitroglycerin gunpowder.

In 1937, they tested new missiles with increased plumage and new open rail-type guides. Innovations significantly improved the accuracy of fire and increased the range of the rocket. In 1938, the RS-82 and RS-132 rockets were put into service and began to be mass-produced.

In the same year, designers were given new task: create a reactive system for ground forces, taking as a basis a 132 mm caliber rocket.

In 1939, the 132 mm high-explosive projectile M-13, it had a more powerful warhead and increased flight range. It was possible to achieve such results by lengthening the ammunition.

In the same year, the first MU-1 rocket launcher was also manufactured. Eight short guides were installed across the truck, sixteen rockets were attached to them in pairs. This design turned out to be very unsuccessful, during the volley the car swayed strongly, which led to a significant decrease in the accuracy of the battle.

In September 1939, tests began on a new rocket launcher, the MU-2. The three-axle truck ZiS-6 served as the basis for it, this vehicle provided the combat complex with high maneuverability, allowing you to quickly change positions after each salvo. Now guides for missiles were located along the car. In one volley (about 10 seconds), the MU-2 fired sixteen shells, the weight of the installation with ammunition was 8.33 tons, and the firing range exceeded eight kilometers.

With this design of the guides, the rocking of the car during the salvo became minimal, in addition, two jacks were installed in the rear of the car.

In 1940, state tests of the MU-2 were carried out, and it was accepted into service under the designation "BM-13 rocket launcher".

The day before the start of the war (June 21, 1941), the USSR government decided to mass-produce BM-13 combat systems, ammunition for them, and form special units for their use.

The very first experience of using the BM-13 at the front showed them high efficiency and contributed to the active production of this type of weapon. During the war, Katyusha was produced by several factories, and mass production of ammunition for them was launched.

Artillery units armed with BM-13 installations were considered elite, immediately after the formation they received the name of the guards. The reactive systems BM-8, BM-13 and others were officially called "guards mortars".

The use of BM-13 "Katyusha"

The first combat use of rocket launchers took place in mid-July 1941. Orsha, a large junction station in Belarus, was occupied by the Germans. It accumulated a large amount of military equipment and manpower of the enemy. It was for this purpose that the battery of rocket launchers (seven units) of Captain Flerov fired two volleys.

As a result of the actions of the artillerymen, the railway junction was practically wiped off the face of the earth, the Nazis suffered severe losses in people and equipment.

"Katyusha" was used in other sectors of the front. New soviet weapons was a very unpleasant surprise for the German command. Especially strong psychological impact the pyrotechnic effect of the use of shells on the Wehrmacht military personnel: after the Katyusha salvo, literally everything that could burn was burned. This effect was achieved through the use of TNT checkers in the shells, which, during the explosion, formed thousands of burning fragments.

Rocket artillery was actively used in the battle near Moscow, Katyushas destroyed the enemy near Stalingrad, they were tried to be used as anti-tank weapons on the Kursk salient. To do this, special recesses were made under the front wheels of the car, so the Katyusha could fire direct fire. However, the use of the BM-13 against tanks was less effective, since the M-13 rocket was high-explosive fragmentation, and not armor-piercing. In addition, "Katyusha" has never been distinguished by high accuracy of fire. But if her projectile hit the tank, all the attachments of the vehicle were destroyed, the turret often jammed, and the crew received a severe shell shock.

Rocket launchers were used with great success until the Victory itself, they took part in the storming of Berlin and other operations of the final stage of the war.

In addition to the famous BM-13 MLRS, there was also the BM-8 rocket launcher, which used 82 mm caliber rockets, and over time, heavy jet systems that launched 310 mm rockets.

During the Berlin operation, Soviet soldiers actively used the experience of street fighting they gained during the capture of Poznan and Königsberg. It consisted in firing single heavy rockets M-31, M-13 and M-20 direct fire. Special assault groups were created, which included an electrical engineer. The rocket was launched from machine guns, wooden caps, or simply from any flat surface. The hit of such a projectile could well destroy the house or guaranteed to suppress the enemy's firing point.

During the war years, about 1400 BM-8 installations, 3400 BM-13 and 100 BM-31 installations were lost.

However, the history of the BM-13 did not end there: in the early 60s, the USSR supplied these installations to Afghanistan, where they were actively used by government troops.

Device BM-13 "Katyusha"

The main advantage of the BM-13 rocket launcher is its extreme simplicity both in production and in use. The artillery part of the installation consists of eight guides, a frame on which they are located, swivel and lifting mechanisms, sights and electrical equipment.

The guides were a five-meter I-beam with special overlays. In the breech of each of the guides, a locking device and an electric fuse were installed, with which a shot was fired.

The guides were mounted on a swivel frame, which, using the simplest lifting and turning mechanisms, provided vertical and horizontal aiming.

Each Katyusha was equipped with an artillery sight.

The crew of the car (BM-13) consisted of 5-7 people.

The M-13 rocket projectile consisted of two parts: a combat and a jet powder engine. The warhead, in which there was an explosive and a contact fuse, is very reminiscent of the warhead of a conventional high-explosive fragmentation projectile.

The powder engine of the M-13 projectile consisted of a chamber with a powder charge, a nozzle, a special grid, stabilizers and a fuse.

The main problem faced by the developers missile systems(and not only in the USSR), the accuracy of the accuracy of the accuracy of rockets became low. To stabilize their flight, the designers went in two ways. German rockets of six-barreled mortars rotated in flight due to obliquely located nozzles, and flat stabilizers were installed on Soviet PCs. To give the projectile greater accuracy, it was necessary to increase its initial speed; for this, the guides on the BM-13 received a greater length.

The German method of stabilization made it possible to reduce the dimensions of both the projectile itself and the weapon from which it was fired. However, this significantly reduced the firing range. Although, it should be said that the German six-barreled mortars were more accurate than the Katyushas.

The Soviet system was simpler and allowed firing at considerable distances. Later, the installations began to use spiral guides, which further increased the accuracy.

Modifications of "Katyusha"

During the war years, numerous modifications of both rocket launchers and ammunition for them were created. Here are just a few of them:

BM-13-SN - this installation had spiral guides that gave the projectile a rotational motion, which significantly increased its accuracy.

BM-8-48 - this rocket launcher used 82 mm caliber shells and had 48 guides.

BM-31-12 - this rocket launcher used 310 mm caliber projectiles for firing.

310 mm caliber rockets were originally used for firing from the ground, only then did a self-propelled gun appear.

The first systems were created on the basis of the ZiS-6 car, then they were most often installed on cars received under Lend-Lease. It must be said that with the beginning of Lend-Lease, only foreign vehicles were used to create rocket launchers.

In addition, rocket launchers (from M-8 shells) were installed on motorcycles, snowmobiles, and armored boats. Guides were installed on railway platforms, tanks T-40, T-60, KV-1.

To understand how massive the Katyusha weapons were, it is enough to give two figures: from 1941 to the end of 1944, Soviet industry produced 30 thousand launchers various types and 12 million shells for them.

During the war years, several types of 132 mm caliber rockets were developed. The main areas of modernization were to increase the accuracy of fire, increase the range of the projectile and its power.

Advantages and disadvantages of the BM-13 Katyusha rocket launcher

The main advantage of rocket launchers was the large number of shells they fired in one salvo. If several MLRS were working on the same area at once, then the destructive effect increased due to the interference of shock waves.

Easy to use. "Katyushas" were distinguished by their extremely simple design, they were also simple sights this installation.

Low cost and ease of manufacture. During the war, the production of rocket launchers was established at dozens of factories. The production of ammunition for these complexes did not present any particular difficulties. Especially eloquent is the comparison of the cost of the BM-13 and a conventional artillery gun of a similar caliber.

Installation mobility. The time of one BM-13 volley is approximately 10 seconds, after the volley the vehicle left the firing line, without being exposed to enemy return fire.

However, this weapon also had disadvantages, the main one was the low accuracy of fire due to the large dispersion of shells. This problem was partially solved by the BM-13SN, but it has not been finally solved for modern MLRS either.

Insufficient high-explosive action of M-13 shells. "Katyusha" was not very effective against long-term defensive fortifications and armored vehicles.

Short firing range compared to cannon artillery.

Large consumption of gunpowder in the manufacture of rockets.

Strong smoke during the salvo, which served as an unmasking factor.

The high center of gravity of the BM-13 installations led to frequent rollovers of the vehicle during the march.

Specifications "Katyusha"

Characteristics of the combat vehicle

Characteristics of the M-13 rocket

Video about MLRS "Katyusha"

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After the 82-mm air-to-air missiles RS-82 (1937) and the 132-mm air-to-ground missiles RS-132 (1938) were adopted by aviation, the Main Artillery Directorate set before the projectile developer - Reactive Research Institute - the task of creating a reactive field multiple launch rocket system based on RS-132 shells. An updated tactical and technical assignment was issued to the institute in June 1938.

In accordance with this task, by the summer of 1939, the institute developed a new 132-mm high-explosive fragmentation projectile, which later received the official name M-13. Compared to the aviation RS-132, this projectile had a longer flight range and a much more powerful warhead. The increase in flight range was achieved by increasing the amount of propellant, for this it was necessary to lengthen the rocket and head parts of the rocket projectile by 48 cm. The M-13 projectile had slightly better aerodynamic characteristics than the RS-132, which made it possible to obtain higher accuracy.

A self-propelled multiply charged launcher was also developed for the projectile. Its first version was created on the basis of the ZIS-5 truck and was designated MU-1 (mechanized installation, first sample). Conducted in the period from December 1938 to February 1939, field tests of the installation showed that it did not fully meet the requirements. Taking into account the test results, the Reactive Research Institute developed a new MU-2 launcher, which in September 1939 was accepted by the Main Artillery Directorate for field tests. Based on the results of field tests that ended in November 1939, the institute was ordered five launchers for military testing. Another installation was ordered by the Artillery Directorate Navy for use in the coastal defense system.

On June 21, 1941, the installation was demonstrated to the leaders of the CPSU (6) and the Soviet government, and on the same day, just a few hours before the start of World War II, it was decided to urgently deploy the mass production of M-13 rockets and the launcher, which received the official name BM-13 (combat vehicle 13).

The production of BM-13 installations was organized at the Voronezh plant. Comintern and at the Moscow plant "Compressor". One of the main enterprises for the production of rockets was the Moscow plant. Vladimir Ilyich.

During the war, the production of launchers was urgently deployed at several enterprises with different production capabilities, in connection with this, more or less significant changes were made to the design of the installation. Thus, up to ten varieties of the BM-13 launcher were used in the troops, which made it difficult to train personnel and adversely affected the operation of military equipment. For these reasons, a unified (normalized) BM-13N launcher was developed and put into service in April 1943, during the creation of which the designers critically analyzed all the parts and assemblies in order to increase the manufacturability of their production and reduce the cost, as a result of which all the nodes received independent indexes and became universal. Composition

The BM-13 "Katyusha" includes the following combat means:

Combat vehicle (BM) MU-2 (MU-1);
Rockets.
Rocket M-13:

The M-13 projectile consists of a warhead and a powder jet engine. The head part in its design resembles an artillery high-explosive fragmentation projectile and is equipped with an explosive charge, which is detonated using a contact fuse and an additional detonator. The jet engine has a combustion chamber in which a propellant charge is placed in the form of cylindrical pieces with an axial channel. Pirozapals are used to ignite the powder charge. The gases formed during the combustion of powder pellets flow through the nozzle, in front of which there is a diaphragm that prevents the pellets from being ejected through the nozzle. Stabilization of the projectile in flight is provided by a tail stabilizer with four feathers welded from stamped steel halves. (This method of stabilization provides lower accuracy compared to stabilization by rotation around the longitudinal axis, however, it allows you to get a longer range of the projectile. In addition, the use of a feathered stabilizer greatly simplifies the technology for the production of rockets).

The flight range of the M-13 projectile reached 8470 m, but at the same time there was a very significant dispersion. According to the firing tables of 1942, with a firing range of 3000 m, the lateral deviation was 51 m, and in range - 257 m.

In 1943, a modernized version of the rocket was developed, which received the designation M-13-UK (improved accuracy). To increase the accuracy of fire of the M-13-UK projectile, 12 tangentially located holes are made in the front centering thickening of the rocket part, through which, during the operation of the rocket engine, a part of the powder gases comes out, causing the projectile to rotate. Although the range of the projectile was somewhat reduced (up to 7.9 km), the improvement in accuracy led to a decrease in the dispersion area and to an increase in the density of fire by 3 times compared to the M-13 projectiles. The adoption of the M-13-UK projectile into service in April 1944 contributed to a sharp increase in the firing capabilities of rocket artillery.

Launcher MLRS "Katyusha":

A self-propelled multiply charged launcher was developed for the projectile. Its first version - MU-1 based on the ZIS-5 truck had 24 guides mounted on a special frame in a transverse position with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. Its design made it possible to launch rockets only perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, and jets of hot gases damaged the elements of the installation and the body of the ZIS-5. Security was also not ensured when controlling fire from the driver's cab. The launcher swayed strongly, which worsened the accuracy of firing rockets. Loading the launcher from the front of the rails was inconvenient and time consuming. The ZIS-5 car had limited cross-country ability.

A more advanced MU-2 launcher based on a ZIS-6 off-road truck had 16 guides located along the axis of the vehicle. Each two guides were connected, forming a single structure, called "spark". A new unit was introduced into the design of the installation - a subframe. The subframe made it possible to assemble the entire artillery part of the launcher (as a single unit) on it, and not on the chassis, as it was before. Once assembled, the artillery unit was relatively easy to mount on the chassis of any brand of car with minimal modification of the latter. The created design made it possible to reduce the complexity, manufacturing time and cost of launchers. The weight of the artillery unit was reduced by 250 kg, the cost - by more than 20 percent. Both the combat and operational qualities of the installation were significantly increased. Due to the introduction of reservations for the gas tank, gas pipeline, side and rear walls of the driver's cab, the survivability of launchers in battle was increased. The firing sector was increased, the stability of the launcher in stowed position, improved lifting and swivel mechanisms made it possible to increase the speed of targeting the installation. Before launch, the MU-2 combat vehicle was jacked up similarly to the MU-1. The forces swinging the launcher, due to the location of the guides along the chassis of the car, were applied along its axis to two jacks located near the center of gravity, so the rocking became minimal. Loading in the installation was carried out from the breech, that is, from the rear end of the guides. It was more convenient and allowed to significantly speed up the operation. The MU-2 installation had swivel and lifting mechanisms the simplest design, a sight mount with a conventional artillery panorama and a large metal fuel tank mounted at the rear of the cockpit. The cockpit windows were covered with armored folding shields. Opposite the seat of the commander of the combat vehicle on the front panel was mounted a small rectangular box with a turntable, reminiscent of a telephone dial, and a handle for turning the dial. This device was called the "fire control panel" (PUO). From it came a harness to a special battery and to each guide.

With one turn of the PUO handle, the electrical circuit was closed, the squib placed in front of the rocket chamber of the projectile was fired, the reactive charge was ignited and a shot was fired. The rate of fire was determined by the rate of rotation of the PUO handle. All 16 shells could be fired in 7-10 seconds. The time for transferring the MU-2 launcher from traveling to combat position was 2-3 minutes, the angle of vertical fire was in the range from 4 ° to 45 °, the angle of horizontal fire was 20 °.

The design of the launcher allowed it to move in a charged state with quite high speed(up to 40 km / h) and rapid deployment in a firing position, which contributed to the delivery of surprise attacks on the enemy.

A significant factor that increased the tactical mobility of rocket artillery units armed with BM-13N launchers was the fact that a powerful American Studebaker US 6x6 truck, which was supplied to the USSR under Lend-Lease, was used as a base for the launcher. This car had an increased cross-country ability, provided by a powerful engine, three driven axles (6x6 wheel formula), a demultiplier, a winch for self-pulling, a high location of all parts and mechanisms that are sensitive to water. With the creation of this launcher, the development of the BM-13 serial combat vehicle was finally completed. In this form, she fought until the end of the war.

Tactical and technical characteristics MLRS BM-13 "Katyusha"
Rocket M-13
Caliber, mm 132
Projectile weight, kg 42.3
Warhead mass, kg 21.3
Mass of explosive, kg 4.9
Firing range - maximum, km 8.47
Volley production time, sec 7-10
Fighting vehicle MU-2
Base ZiS-6 (8x8)
Mass of BM, t 43.7
Maximum speed, km/h 40
Number of guides 16
Angle of vertical fire, degrees from +4 to +45
Angle of horizontal fire, degrees 20
Calculation, pers. 10-12
Year of adoption 1941

Testing and operation

The first battery of field rocket artillery, sent to the front on the night of July 1-2, 1941, under the command of Captain I.A. Flerov, was armed with seven installations manufactured by the Reactive Research Institute. With its first salvo at 15:15 on July 14, 1941, the battery wiped out the Orsha railway junction, along with the German trains with troops and military equipment on it.

The exceptional effectiveness of the actions of the battery of Captain I. A. Flerov and the seven more such batteries formed after it contributed to the rapid increase in the pace of production of jet weapons. Already in the autumn of 1941, 45 divisions of three-battery composition with four launchers in the battery operated on the fronts. For their armament in 1941, 593 BM-13 installations were manufactured. As military equipment arrived from industry, the formation of rocket artillery regiments began, consisting of three divisions armed with BM-13 launchers and an anti-aircraft division. The regiment had 1414 personnel, 36 BM-13 launchers and 12 anti-aircraft 37-mm guns. The volley of the regiment was 576 shells of 132mm caliber. At the same time, the manpower and military equipment of the enemy were destroyed on an area of over 100 hectares. Officially, the regiments were called Guards Mortar Artillery Regiments of the Reserve of the Supreme High Command.

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