Transportation of howitzers m 30 horse-drawn. Military history, weapons, old and military maps. Design features and changes during production

In many films about the war, on various posters dedicated to that difficult time, you can see the image of the famous 122-mm howitzer of the 1938 model M-30. After the victory over fascist Germany, many experts recognized it as not only the best among howitzers, but also unparalleled among all barreled artillery of the Second World War.

The gun did not lose its relevance after the Second World War, remaining in demand in many countries. It can be found in all corners of the world, is this not a recognition of its perfection?

From prerequisites to creation

Even before the First World War, Russia purchased 48-line howitzers for the army - guns designed for mounted firing with heavy high-explosive shells. This kind of guns was specially designed to fight the enemy fortifications.

For infantry sheltered in trenches or behind a rampart, heavy shells flying along a steep trajectory are very dangerous. It should be clarified that in Russian units of measurement - 48 lines corresponds to 4.8 inches or 121.92 mm, reduced to the usual 122 mm, this caliber is still considered optimal for light field howitzers.

The howitzers of the 1909-1910 model, developed by the Krupp concern and the French firm Schneider, respectively, did an excellent job with the duties and tasks assigned to them. Moreover, the mass production of ammunition for them subsequently played a role in equipping the Soviet army.

At the end of the twenties, the artillery park of the Red Army was morally and physically obsolete.

The upgrades carried out in 1930 by Kruppovsky, and in 1937 - by French howitzers could not meet all the requirements for modern artillery. The policy pursued by the government for mechanization in the army visibly showed all their imperfections.

Even moving without suspension and on wooden wheels faster than 10 km / h was impossible. And the firing range increased during the modernization remained below the required one.

The "Journal of the Artillery Committee" in 1928 was the first to formulate the requirements for the next generation divisional howitzer. After the publication, on August 11, 1929, the terms of reference for its development were issued. It was decided to make the caliber within the limits of 107-122 mm, based on the performance characteristics of English and German howitzers with a similar purpose.

In addition, the gun had to be adapted for towing by mechanized means.

A separate point was the possibility of maneuvering the gun on the battlefield by calculation forces.

The theme of creating a new gun was called "Lubok". There were not enough developers, the Civil War severely crippled competent engineering personnel. I had to entrust the work on Lubka to German specialists from the Weimar Republic, who served in KB-2, which structurally belonged to the All-Union Weapons and Arsenal Association of the People's Commissariat of Heavy Industry.

It should be noted that the help of German specialists was invaluable at that time, since the country of the Soviets lacked not only engineers, but also production capacities. There were difficulties even with machine operators.

The result of the work was a 122 mm howitzer on a single-bar carriage. The sprung metal wheels made it possible to reach speeds of up to 10 km / h, because. tires were not included. The vertical aiming angle of the barrel (length 23 caliber) did not exceed + 50 °, and horizontal - 7 °. In the stowed position, the system weighed 2.8 tons, in combat - 2.25 tons. At that time, a pretty good result.

However, the material and technical capabilities of the plants were not taken into account. Released only 11 copies of the howitzer. The coming of the Nazis to power in Germany led to the liquidation of KB-2. In 1936, the project was closed because the requirements for modern guns had changed.

The artillery department demanded the creation of a howitzer with rubber wheels for the Red Army.

The carriage must be designed with sliding beds. The rubber running and suspension made it possible to increase the speed of towing the gun, the sliding beds, in turn, made the structure heavier, but gave the gun greater fire maneuverability.

Again, calibers 107 and 122 mm were considered, but with the requirements to increase all aiming angles. It was assumed that even a howitzer cannon could be made. The caliber of 122 mm won, although the manufacture of 107 mm guns would have been much cheaper.

The fact is that the arsenals accumulated a large stock of shells for 122 mm guns, in addition, unlike the 107 mm shell, which had to be developed and created practically from scratch, for the production of 122 mm shells and charges, there were ready-made and operating production lines.

These guns have more power. The new concrete-piercing projectile also required a large caliber. Thus, the next step was the creation of the legendary M-30.

Creation, commissioning and production of the M-30

Three groups of designers received the task for development at once:

1. F.F. Petrov, with the design team of the Motovilikha plant in Perm, this team had rich experience in designing heavy artillery systems. Until 1917, the plant was engaged in the production of guns for the tsarist army. The project received an index - M-30.
2. Plant No. 92, under the leadership of the talented and young at that time designer Grabin V.G. Initiative development for the competition. Internal index of the plant F-25.
3. Plant No. 9, known as the Ural heavy engineering plant with the U-2 howitzer (the gun, by the way, turned out to be quite successful). Attempts were made to equip them with tanks and heavy self-propelled guns.

In a tough competition, the M-30 project won. U-2 failed the tests (deformation of the beds) and dropped out of further participation in the competition. Despite some rather interesting solutions and findings.

With the F-25, not everything is so simple. The gun was practically equivalent to the M-30. The design used developments according to Lubko, in addition, a muzzle brake was used, the shutter was of a horizontal type, wedge. The weight is slightly lower than that of the M-30, but, nevertheless, the F-25 was rejected.

Perhaps the commission was guided by the following advantages of the brainchild of F. F. Petrov:

• a barrel without a muzzle brake (unmasks less and improves the working conditions of the calculation);
• many well-developed units (piston valve, barrel bore, recoil brake and front end are similar to the "Lubok");
• the possibility of using the carriage for more powerful systems (later it was used for).

According to the results of the competition and testing, a howitzer designed by F.F. Petrov.

In 1939, the gun was put into mass production under the name 122 mm divisional howitzer mod. 1938.

Since 1940, the howitzer has been mass-produced by two factories. The first - No. 92 in the mountains. Gorky and No. 9, known as the Ural Heavy Engineering Plant.

The Gorky residents produced the M-30 for only one year and produced 500 pieces, in 1941-1942, the factory mastered the manufacture of the M-30S, a variant of the howitzer for installation in the SU-122, but after the cessation of its production, the gun was no longer produced. UZTM continued to produce until 1955.

Design features and changes during production

Like most guns of the classical type, the divisional howitzer mod. 1938 consists of the following elements:

1. Barrel, metal monoblock tube, no muzzle brake. There are 36 grooves in the bore.
2. The breech, with a piston lock. The barrel is screwed into a massive breech. It also installs a mounting system to the gun carriage.
3. Carriage (M-30S - pedestal)

Components of the gun carriage:

• cradle;
• anti-recoil devices;
• upper machine;
• aiming mechanisms;
• balancing mechanism;
• lower machine with sliding beds, there are fastenings for entrenching tools and spare parts;
• undercarriage, wheels with stamped discs and solid rubber bandage;
• leaf springs;
• sighting devices;
• shield cover, from several elements.

The cradle with pins is placed in special sockets of the upper machine. The socket of the lower machine includes a pin of the upper one, made with shock absorbers that hang the upper machine and make it easier to turn. Rotary (left) and lifting (right) mechanisms are mounted on the upper machine.

The recoil devices consist of a hydraulic recoil brake (under the barrel) and a hydropneumatic knurler (above the barrel).
A Hertz panorama was inserted into a special nest of an independent (two arrows) sight, through which direct fire is fired and from closed firing positions.

For the entire time of release, the howitzer underwent minor changes.

This is reflected in the 1948 Service Manual, but without issue numbers or dates. The changes were introduced in order to simplify and reduce the cost of production as much as possible. So around 1945, riveting on the beds was replaced by welding. The breech after modernization was increased in size and increased its strength.

The trigger stowage stop and the loading assistance mechanism were removed. The oilers of the cradle rollers and the oil seals of the recoil and knurler brakes have undergone a change.

After the start of production of 152 mm D-1, the carriage was unified for two systems. The design of sights and panoramas changed.

Combat use and performance characteristics of the M-30

Tactical and technical characteristics:

Caliber	121.92 mm
Total Issued	19 266
Payment	8 people
rate of fire	5 - 6 rounds / min
Permissible highway speed	50 km/h
Line of fire height	1200 mm
barrel length	2800 mm \ 22.7 cal.
bore length	2278 mm \ 18.7 cal.
Mass in the stowed position,	2900 - 3100 kg
Weight in combat position	2360-2500 kg
Length	5900 mm (with limber 8600)
Width	1975mm
Height	1820 mm
Clearance	330-357 mm
Elevation angle	-3 to +63.3°
Angle of horizontal aiming	49°

Types of ammunition:

Index shot	Index projectile	Weight projectile (kg)	Mass of explosives / explosives (kg)	Fuse brand	The initial velocity of the projectile, (m/s)	Maximum firing range, (km)
Cumulative
53-VBP-463	53-VBP-463	14,83	2,18	STB	570	4
53-VBP-463A	53-BP-460A	13,34		B-229	335	2
3VBK1	53-BK-463(M)(U) (UM)	21,26	2,15	GPV-1, GPV-2, GKN	500
3VBK11	53-BK-463U (M)	21,26	2,15	SAP-2	515
fragmentation
53-VO-462A	53-O-462A	21,76	3,0	D-1, RGM(-2), RG-6, GVZM	380	9,34
53-VO-463A	53-O-460A	21,76		D-1-U, RGM-2, MGNS-2	458	10,77
53-VO-463AM	53-O-462A	21,76	3,0	D-1, RGM(-2), RG-6, GVZM	458	10,77
High-explosive fragmentation
53-VOF-462	53-OF-462(W)	21,76	3,67	D-1, RGM(-2), RG-6, GVZM	380	9,34
53-VOF-463	53-OF-462(W)	21,76	3,67	D-1, RGM(-2), RG-6, GVZM	515	11,8
53-VOF-463M	53-OF-462(W)	21,76	3,67	D-1-U, RGM-2(M), V-90, AR-5	515	11,8
3VOF7	3OF7/3OF8	21,76	2,98	AR-30	515	11,8
3VOF31	3OF24(W)	21,76	3,97	RGM-2(M), V-90, AR-5	515	11,8
3VOF46	53-OF-462(W)	21,76	3,67	RGM-2(M), V-90, AR-5	515	11,8
3VOF80	3OF56(-1)	21,76	4,31	RGM-2(M), V-90, AR-5	515	11,8
Shrapnel
3VSh1	3VSh1	21,76	2,075	DTM-75	515
Chemical
	53-ХН-462		3,1
	53-XC-462U		1,9
	53-XSO-462		1,9
	53-XSO-462D	23,1	3,3
	53-XSO-463B	22,2	1,325
Smoke
3-VD-462	53-D-462	22,55	3,6	KT(M)-2	380	9,34
53-VD-463	53-D-462	22,55	3,6	KT(M)-2	515	11,8
53-VD-463A	53-D-462A	22,77	3,6	RGM-2(M)	458	10,77
53-VD-463M	53-D-462S	22,55	3,6	KTM-2, RGM-2(M)	515	11,8
3VD1	3D4(M)	21,76	3,6	RGM-2(M)	515	11,8
Lighting
53-VS-462	53-VS-462	22,3	0,02	T-6	361	7,12
53-VS-463	53-VS-462	22,3	0,02	T-6	479	8,5
53-VS-463M	53-S-463(W)	22,0	0,02	T-7	515	11,0
3BC10	3С4(W)	21,8	-	T-90	515
Campaign
53-BA-462	53-A-462	21,5	-	T-6	366	7,2
53-BA-463	53-A-462	21,5	-	T-6	431	8,0
3VA1	3А1(D)(W)(J)	21,5	-	T-7	515

According to the requirements of artillery science, the following tasks were assigned to divisional howitzers:

• destruction of fortifications of the field type;
• combating enemy firepower;
• counter-battery shooting;
• destruction of enemy manpower and means of its delivery to the front line.

In case of emergency, divisional reinforcements could also work on direct fire. In this case, the shells of 122 mm howitzers simply broke through the armor of the enemy’s medium tanks, the lungs turned over and overturned from close gaps.

In the future, to combat heavily armored enemy vehicles, cumulative projectiles were also introduced into the M-30S ammunition, and subsequently towed versions of the gun.

During the Second World War, they just didn’t tow a three-ton howitzer. Horses, and all kinds of trucks, tractors "Stalinets" STZ-5 or I-12. In combat, the gun was simply rolled by hand.

M30 service abroad

The quality of our guns can be judged by the fact that several hundred M-30 howitzers captured by the Germans in 1941 were put into service by them and under the name 12,2 cm sFH396 (r) were actively used both on the eastern front and and in France. Even the mass production of ammunition for them was established in 1943.

In total, German factories produced 12,573,000 shells for the M-30.

According to some reports, the Germans even put our guns on captured French armored vehicles.

41 guns were left to the Finns during the battles, the Finnish army, which did not have its own artillery production, creatively and fully used all the trophies. Renaming them 122 H/38, the guns were used against the Red Army, and in 1944, gun barrels turned against Germany.
As a reserve, the Finns kept until the 80s of the last century.

Chinese howitzer type 54, almost completely repeats the M-30 device. The changes are minor and concern only the standardization of production.
In the post-war period, the howitzer was supplied to more than thirty countries of the world. Most of them continue to be in service today.

A whole era in the history of artillery can be called the legendary 122-mm howitzer of the 1938 model M-30. Having taken part in almost all wars, starting with the Second World War, she proved her reliability and unpretentiousness, having received the highest rating from Marshal of Artillery G.F. Odintsov: “Nothing can be better than her.”

Video

Completely equipped artillery shot of separate-sleeve loading for a 122-mm howitzer
arr. 1938 consists of a projectile with a fuse or a remote tube, a propellant charge from the main package and several equilibrium beams of two types with smokeless pyroxylin powder in a metal sleeve with a primer sleeve. A flash suppressor is provided as an optional component of the shot. Let us consider in more detail the components of artillery rounds for the 122 mm M-30 howitzer used in the Great Patriotic War.
The main purpose shells for the system were high-explosive fragmentation and fragmentation grenades of the 462 family. In 1942, the "armor-burning" (cumulative) projectile BP-460A was added to them.
The OF-462 high-explosive fragmentation long-range steel grenade was developed at the Artillery Research Institute (ANII) in the mid-1930s. Its components are the body, the leading belt and the bursting charge of trinitrotoluene (TNT) weighing 3675 g. Other explosives were also used for the latter, most often ammotol. The body has an aerodynamically advantageous pointed (ogival) shape with a zapoyaskovy cone fairing, as well as two polished centering bulges for better alignment of the projectile axis with the axis of the channel during firing and increasing the accuracy of the battle as a result. The grenade was equipped with fuses of the RG-6, RGM or RGM-2 types, which could be set to instantaneous (fragmentation) action, low deceleration and high-explosive action. When installed on a fragmentation action, a grenade with an RGM type fuse had an advantage over a grenade with an RG-6 fuse. Since 1942, it could be used together with the D-1 remote fuse or the GVMZ fuse. In the post-war period, the ammunition received an iron-ceramic leading belt instead of a copper one and, accordingly, a new postfix in the name - OF-462Zh.
The installation of the OF-462 grenade fuse for fragmentation action is used to fire at openly located enemy manpower, at its firing points and artillery, as well as at tanks from closed positions. In this case, after the rupture, about 1000 fragments of various masses and shapes are formed. Of these, 400-500 are lethal, flying at speeds up to 1 km / s. The area of ​​the actual defeat (the probability of a fragment hitting a growth figure is 50%) was indicated as 60 m along the front and 20 m
in depth. The area of ​​a continuous lesion (the probability of hitting a growth figure is 90%) was estimated as a rectangular area of ​​18 × 8 m. For simplicity, approximate characteristics of a fragmentation lesion were later given - 40 × 8 m. Individual fragments retain their lethal effect at distances up to 250-300 m. When firing with the use of "small deceleration" the ammunition has time to go deeper into the barrier. This property is taken into account when shooting at field-type fortifications, including dugouts and bunkers, at solid wooden buildings, as well as at direct fire tanks, if there are no HEAT shells. When an OF-462 grenade ruptures into medium-density soil with this fuse installation, a funnel is formed up to 1 m deep, up to 2.8-3 m in diameter and 2.0-2.25 m3 in volume. Setting the fuse to a delayed high-explosive action, when the projectile is even deeper into the obstacle, is used when destroying more durable field shelters, stone and brick buildings, as well as for firing on ricochets.

The O-462A steel-cast iron fragmentation grenade was also developed by the ARI in 1930-1935 as a more technologically advanced and cheaper version of the OF-462 steel grenade already put into production. Until 1941, it was also considered high-explosive fragmentation and had the designation OF-462A. The external forms of these shells are identical, but they differ in wall thickness and body material. As the name implies, the O-462A grenade was made by casting from steel cast iron; its walls are much thicker compared to OF-462, and the explosive charge is reduced in weight to 3 kg. When broken, it gives fragments of a slightly different shape than a steel grenade, and smaller, but in larger quantities. Shooting with an O-462A grenade is allowed on the first or less powerful charges. The fuses used are the same as in the case of the OF-462, but when firing at hard ground, they cannot be set to delayed action. Due to the lower strength of the hull compared to the O-462A steel projectile, it will simply crack without
explosion. The main-purpose shells (in today's sense; during the Great Patriotic War they meant only grenades) also included the "armor-burning" (cumulative) projectile BP-460A with a B-229 instantaneous fuse. It was developed in 1942. When a projectile hits the target, the detonation of an explosive charge from an explosive with a conical recess leads to the formation of a high-speed recess from the gaseous products of the explosion and part of the material of the metal lining of the recess (up to 10-12 km / s in the head part, about 2 km / s - in the tail) and a high-temperature jet (gases - up to 3500 ° C, metal - up to 600 ° C), which has a significant penetrating ability - up to 120 mm of armor when it hits along the normal.
In addition, the BP-460A projectile was distinguished by its effective fragmentation action, and the strong shock wave formed during its rupture could flow through open hatches, loopholes or other
openings with a large area inside a combat vehicle or fortification, inflicting additional barotraumatic damage to the crew or garrison. However, the 122-mm howitzer mod. 1938 does not look the best as an anti-tank gun due to the low muzzle velocity of the HEAT projectile itself (problems with fuse sensitivity forced it to fire only on the fourth charge) and the lack of a specialized sight for direct fire. To this we can add a fairly high dispersion of projectiles and the need for high training of the gunner in order to take into account the curvature of his trajectory and the necessary lead. The cross in the field of view of the panorama of howitzers of early releases could not help in this, but with the introduction of aiming marks-corners, the task
became somewhat easier. A good illustration of this is the test firing from the M-30 at a fixed trophy tank from a distance of 500 m, carried out in 1943. Of the fifteen released
None of the projectiles hit the target. On the other hand, in battles, the successful use of the BP-460A cumulative projectile by crews of towed M-30s and self-propelled artillery mounts (ACS) SU-122 against enemy armored vehicles was also recorded. It is also worth noting that, even without HEAT shells, hitting an enemy light or medium tank with a conventional high-explosive fragmentation grenade was in most cases fatal, while a heavy tank had a significant chance of receiving serious damage, up to the loss of combat capability. As an example, we can mention an episode in the summer of 1943, when the 80-mm side armor of the turret was broken at the 80-mm side armor of the turret, which came under fire from several SU-122s.
Special-purpose shells for 122-mm howitzer mod. 1938 included campaign, smoke and lighting ammunition.
Steel smoke projectile D-462 (developed by the ARI until 1935 as a subspecies of chemical munitions) had
a case with a screw head and a fuse of the KTM-2 type, which had to be installed necessarily for instantaneous action (the cap was removed). When hitting an obstacle, a small bursting charge of pressed TNT blocks opens the projectile body in its head part and sprays 3580 g of smoke composition (white phosphorus) into the environment. Burning in atmospheric oxygen, phosphorus gives a dense low opaque cloud of white smoke 10-15 m high and 6-8 m wide. Depending on the strength and direction of the wind, it lasts 5-10 minutes, and then dissipates. The effectiveness of the destruction of enemy manpower by hull fragments and burning smoke composition, as well as the incendiary effect of the D-462 projectile, were low. The consumption of 122-mm smoke shells for placing a smoke screen on a front about 500 m wide, held for 5 minutes, was, depending on the direction and strength of the wind, from 15 to 100 pieces. Later, the D-462 solid-hull version and the D-462A cast iron smoke projectile were adopted. The latter could not be fired at full charge due to the increased fragility of its body. During the Great Patriotic War, smoke ammunition for 122-mm howitzers was also equipped with KT-2 fuses.

In terms of their design, the A-462 campaign projectile and the C-462 illuminating parachute projectile were similar. They were developed at the very end of the 1930s, had a short-range form, and the first of them could not be fired at full charge. Under the action of a small expelling charge ignited by a T-6 remote tube, either a torch with a parachute or campaign material, most often leaflets, is thrown out of their case from behind. Accordingly, the A-462 shells had access to their chamber through a bottom detachable from the body for laying leaflets before firing. The installations for firing the C-462 lighting projectile were calculated in such a way that the tube fired at a height of about 500 m. Its torch gives 400,000 candela of light for 45 s. For propaganda munitions, the triggering of the tube is set at a height of 100-150 m, and in the absence of wind, precipitation and ascending air currents, leaflets are scattered in a strip from 15 to 50 m wide
and lengths from 300 to 600 m. Chemical projectiles stand apart in the family of 122-mm howitzer ammunition. For reasons of secrecy, information about them was not given in the service manuals and firing tables, however, they were made so that their ballistic properties did not differ much from regular high-explosive fragmentation grenades or smoke shells. With the latest chemical projectiles were similar in design, since they had a common purpose - the release of a smoke formulation or a poisonous substance (OS) into the environment.
122 mm howitzer mod. 1938 could fire chemical projectiles of the KhS-462 and KhN-462 types (ballistically equivalent to the long-range OF-462 grenade) and chemical fragmentation projectiles OX-462. The letters "C" and "H" in the nomenclature correspond to persistent and unstable agents. Chemical artillery ammunition with the XH index of the interwar period was equipped with phosgene, a suffocating agent, with the XC index, with lewisite, related to skin blistering and general poisonous agents. One 122-mm howitzer projectile could hold up to 3.3 kg of OM. Persistence of phosgene infection in winter - up to several hours, in summer - up to an hour. As follows from the classification, this parameter is much higher in lewisite, and special measures must be taken to degas the area contaminated by it, even days and weeks after use.
According to the AU instructions adopted in 1938, all grenades and shells were painted gray, with the exception of shrapnel and propaganda shells. The first had a yellow body, and the second - red. The type of projectile was indicated by colored stripes on the ogival part. In wartime, it was envisaged that there was no coloring of ammunition at all, and their protection against corrosion was supposed to be done with grease from cannon fat.
However, during the Great Patriotic War, coloring was introduced in an intermediate color between dark gray and protective for all shells and the designation of a number of their types with colored stripes on the cylindrical part of the body. For example, steel-cast iron grenades were marked with a black stripe, and lighting projectiles were marked with white. Having completed the review of shells for the M-30, we will briefly mention the types of fuses used in them. Until 1939, the OF-462 and O-462A grenades were equipped with head fuses of the safety type RG-6, RGM and the obsolete UGT-2. The first two provided instantaneous action, as well as operation with small and large deceleration (selection by installing a valve and screwing the cap), the latter - instantaneous or "ordinary" action (cap removed or put on). During the Great Patriotic War, they were supplemented by the RGM-2 fuse of the same type with similar modes of action, the D-1 fuse for remote and impact action, as well as the GVMZ type fuse, which were supposed to fire without a cap (i.e., installation only on fragmentation action). With smoke shells, fuses of the semi-safety type KT-2 and KTM-2 were used, for which, like for the GVMZ, it was necessary to screw caps before firing them. Agitation and lighting ammunition was completed with a double-action T-6 tube (operation after a certain time and on impact), the main purpose of which was to complete shrapnel shots that were not provided for the M-30. For the cumulative projectile, a highly sensitive instantaneous head fuse V-229 was developed. Let us dwell in more detail on the device and characteristics of propellant charges for the 122-mm howitzer mod. 1938. They were placed in a brass or steel sleeve (GAU index G-463) with an internal diameter of 127.5 mm. The solid-drawn brass sleeve was lacquered from the inside to protect against corrosion, and in the absence of cracks after use and subsequent re-compression in dies, it could be reused several times. The steel sleeve was rolled up, and it was also allowed to reuse it, but a smaller number of times compared to brass. An igniter was installed in the sleeve - capsule sleeve No. 4, which can withstand pressure up to 3100 kgf / cm2.
It could be used up to two times after restoration, but the pressure in the bore in this case was allowed no more than 2350 kgf / cm2. The propellant charge (GAU index - Zh-463) was made from smokeless pyroxylin gunpowder, which was a tube from a gelatinized mass obtained after pyroxylin was treated with an alcohol-ether mixture. The tubes could have one or more channels along their axis and different thicknesses of simultaneously burning surface layers (i.e., the next layer ignited only after the previous one burned out). The thickness of the layer and the number of channels were indicated in the brand of gunpowder in the form of a fraction - in the numerator the first parameter in tenths of a millimeter, in the denominator - the second. For example, gunpowder from grains in the form of a tube with one channel along the axis and a thickness of the burning layer of 0.4 mm had a grade of 4/1, and from grains in the form of a cylinder with seven channels along the axis and a thickness of the burning
layer 0.7 mm - brand 7/7. During the operation of the system, it was necessary to strictly observe the temperature
and humidity conditions for storing ammunition, since due to the volatilization of the remnants of the alcohol-ether mixture from gunpowder or its dampening, the tabular muzzle velocity of the projectile was not achieved. As a standard measure to solve this problem, it was envisaged to seal the cartridge case with a cardboard reinforced lid filled with paraffin, as well as screwing in a lacquered primer sleeve. In 1938, for the same purpose, a special rubber cap was introduced to cover the sleeve. The design of the propellant charge included the following inserted into the sleeve:
. the main package with gunpowder grade 4/1 weighing 355 g and an igniter from smoky gunpowder weighing 30 g;
. four lower equilibrium beams with gunpowder brand 9/7 weighing 115 g each;
. four upper equilibrium beams with gunpowder brand 9/7 weighing 325 g each;
. decopper - lead skein
wire weighing 20 g;
. normal and reinforced covers.
All together they constituted a "full" charge. By sequentially removing from it, first the upper and then the lower equilibrium beams, the charges from the first to the eighth were obtained. There was an optional possibility of using flame retardant additives, which were inert salts (on-
an example is potassium chloride) in caps in the form of rings, which increase the ignition temperature of powder gases when fired.
As a result, there was no light flash when they flowed out of the barrel
after the shot. It was forbidden to use flame arresters during the day, because they gave increased smoke and unmasked the gun. In addition, when used, they heavily polluted the barrel, and it was necessary to ban it more often than usual. When conducting flameless shooting
on charges from full to six, it was required to take into account a decrease in the initial speed by 0.5%.
The least powerful seventh and eighth charges were intended for fragmentation and high-explosive fragmentation grenades of the 462 family with fuses of the RG-6 type, the production of which was discontinued after the end of World War II. These types of ammunition are still in the course of
military operations began to be equipped with less sensitive fuses of the RGM and D-1 types, and in the post-war period - with their improved versions of the RGM-2 and D-1-U. When firing on the seventh and eighth charges, the pressure of the powder gases did not ensure the cocking of the fuses of the RGM and D-1 families, which led to the absence of gaps when the shells hit the target or obstacle. In addition, there is a mention in the firing tables that these fuses could not work when fired even on the sixth charge. Therefore, after the war, the re-indexation of the Zh-463M charge was introduced to show the absence of charges No. 7 and 8 in it. However, they were physically in the configuration, since the two lower equilibrium beams were simply sewn to the main package. This was corrected in the charge of the new Zh11 device for the M-30 howitzer (introduced in the 1960s), which had four upper equilibrium beams, two lower equilibrium beams and a main igniter package. The grades of gunpowder remained unchanged compared to the charge of the Zh-463 composition. Thus, the charge Zh11 excluded the intentional composition of the seventh and eighth charges. The pressure of powder gases in the bore when firing the OF-462 grenade varied from 2350 kgf/cm2 (full charge) to 530 kgf/cm2 (charge No. 8). Instructions for calculations and command personnel prescribed, in order to save the resource of the howitzer barrel, to use the smallest possible charge in terms of power to solve a combat mission. When fired with a full charge, the barrel can withstand about 7,500 shots, when fired on charge No. 3, wear drops by 3.2 times, and on charge No. 6 - by 8.4 times.
These values ​​are quite high, since they have passed the entire Great
The M-30 howitzers gave the Patriotic War an average of 5,500 to 8,000 rounds per gun.
The shots were packed two by two in a complete capping in the form of a wooden box with a lid and partitions. Ammunition depots completed shots with the fourth (for the BP-460A cumulative projectile), the first (for grenades and cast iron shells) and full charges.
It was possible to fire with shots from a 122-mm howitzer mod. 1910/30 with charges of composition Zh-462. All the information necessary for this was given in the full firing tables with the index 146/140, while the full charge of the Zh-462 composition corresponded to charge No. 2 of the Zh-463 composition.
However, it was allowed to do this only in exceptional cases, because due to the shorter cartridge case for the 122-mm howitzer mod. 1910/30 there was a height of the M-30 chamber not far from the zapoyaskovy part of the projectile. During subsequent shooting, because of this, the sleeve of the regular
a shot for the M-30 was tightly extracted: it was simply pressed into the recesses formed in the front of the chamber.
Shots from 122-mm howitzers mod. 1938 were used only with them, but the OF-462 high-explosive fragmentation grenade could be fired from field, tank and self-propelled guns with the ballistics of a 122-mm gun mod. 1931. The cartridge case and propellant of such a cannon shot with a howitzer shell were completely incompatible with the M-30. In the post-war period, the improvement of ammunition for
122 mm howitzer mod. 1938 - a new O-460A steel-cast iron fragmentation projectile, an S-463 long-range illuminating projectile and a BP1 HEAT projectile with increased armor penetration were adopted.
All these shells were allowed to fire at full charge. With the development of new types of shots for the successor to the M-30 - the 122-mm howitzer D-30 (2A18) - the USSR did not forget to make their options for the honored veteran. For example, in the 1980s 122 mm howitzer mod. 1938, it gained the ability to fire a high-explosive fragmentation projectile of increased power 3OF24 with new types of fuses and a projectile with 3Sh1 swept ready striking elements.

Su-122 based on M-30

M-30 in the museum on Sapun Mountain

TTX M-30
Weight in combat position
The greatest firing range
Maximum elevation angle
The greatest angle of declination
Horizontal firing angle
Number of variable charges
Rate of fire practical	5-6 shots per minute
Highway speed

The legacy from the Russian army of the Red Army, among other artillery systems, was the 122-mm howitzer of the 1909 model of the year and the 122-mm howitzer of the 1910 model of the year, designed respectively by the German concern Krupp and the French company Schneider. By the 1930s, these guns were clearly outdated. The upgrades carried out (in 1930 for howitzers of the 1910 model and in 1937 for the 1909 model) significantly improved the firing range of these howitzers, but the modernized guns still did not meet the requirements of their time, especially in terms of mobility, maximum elevation angle and aiming speed. Therefore, already in 1928, the Journal of the Artillery Committee raised the issue of creating a new divisional howitzer of 107–122 mm caliber, adapted for mechanical towing. On August 11, 1929, an assignment was issued to develop such a weapon.

In order to speed up the design, it was decided to borrow advanced foreign experience. KB-2, which was led by German specialists, began designing. In 1932, tests began on the first experimental sample of the new howitzer, and in 1934 this gun was put into service as the “122-mm howitzer mod. 1934". It was also known under the name "Lubok", from the name of the theme that combines two projects to create a 122-mm divisional howitzer and a 107-mm light howitzer. Barrel of 122 mm howitzer mod. 1934 had a length of 23 calibers, the maximum elevation angle was + 50 °, the horizontal pickup angle was 7 °, the mass in the stowed and combat position was 2800 and 2250 kg, respectively. Like the guns of the First World War period, the new howitzer was mounted on a single-beam carriage (although at that time carriages of a more modern design with sliding beds had already appeared). Another significant drawback of the gun was its wheel drive - metal wheels without tires, but with suspension - which limited the towing speed to twelve kilometers per hour. The gun was produced in 1934-1935 in a small series of 11 units, of which 8 went into trial operation (two four-gun batteries), and the remaining three went to the training platoon of red commanders.

However, in 1936, a serious change in views on the divisional howitzer took place in the GAU - the Lubok project in its original form was no longer considered promising. In particular, gunners were no longer satisfied with a single-beam carriage, and they demanded sliding beds. In addition, there was talk of switching from 122 mm to 107 mm caliber on the grounds that everyone abroad had switched from 120 mm to 105 mm guns. Due to all this, the Lubok was never accepted into service, and the 122-mm howitzer mod. 1910/30

By 1937, it became clear that in the event of a transition to 107-mm caliber, artillery would begin to experience shell hunger - the production capacity for the production of 107-mm ammunition was too small. For the same reason, the project to replace the divisional three-inch guns with 95 mm guns was rejected.

In March 1937, at a Moscow meeting of representatives of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA), it was decided to accept Marshal Yegorov's proposal to develop a more powerful 122-mm howitzer. In September 1937, a separate design team of the Motovilikha Plant, led by F.F. Petrov, was given the task of developing such a weapon.
The project of the M-30 howitzer entered the GAU on December 20, 1937. The gun borrowed a lot from other types of artillery weapons; in particular, the bore arrangement was close to that of the Lubok howitzer, and the recoil brake and limber were also taken from it. Despite the requirement of the GAU to equip the new howitzer with a wedge breech, the M-30 was equipped with a piston breech borrowed unchanged from the 122-mm howitzer mod. 1910/30 The wheels were taken from the F-22 gun. The prototype M-30 was completed on March 31, 1938, but factory tests were delayed due to the need to refine the howitzer. Field tests of the howitzer took place from September 11 to November 1, 1938. Although, according to the conclusion of the commission, the gun did not pass the field tests (during the tests, the beds broke twice), it was nevertheless recommended to send the gun for military tests.

On September 29, 1939, the M-30 was put into service under the official name "122-mm divisional howitzer mod. 1938"

The production of M-30 howitzers began in 1940. Initially, it was carried out by two plants - No. 92 (Gorky) and No. 9 (UZTM). Plant No. 92 produced the M-30 only in 1940, in total this enterprise produced 500 howitzers.
In addition to the production of towed guns, M-30S barrels were produced for mounting on self-propelled artillery mounts (ACS) SU-122.
Serial production of the gun continued until 1955. The successor to the M-30 was the 122-mm D-30 howitzer, which was put into service in 1960.

The M-30 had a fairly modern design for its time with a carriage with sliding beds and sprung wheels. The barrel was a prefabricated structure of a pipe, a casing and a screw-on breech with a bolt. The M-30 was equipped with a piston single-stroke shutter, a hydraulic recoil brake, a hydropneumatic knurler and had a separate-sleeve loading. The shutter has a mechanism for the forced extraction of the spent cartridge case when it is opened after the shot. The descent is made by pressing the trigger on the trigger cord. The gun was equipped with a Hertz artillery panorama for firing from closed positions, the same sight was also used for direct fire. The carriage with sliding beds is equipped with a balancing mechanism and a shield cover. Metal wheels with rubber tires, leaf springs. Carriage of tools by mechanical traction was usually carried out without a limber directly behind the tractor, the maximum allowable transportation speed was 50 km / h on the highway and 35 km / h on cobbled bridges and country roads. The horse-drawn howitzer was transported behind the limber by six horses. When breeding beds, suspension is turned off automatically, in the absence of space or time for breeding beds, shooting is allowed with the beds flattened in the stowed position. The angle of horizontal fire is reduced to 1°30′.

The M-30 fired a full range of 122mm howitzer shells, including a variety of old Russian and imported grenades. After the Great Patriotic War, new types of ammunition were added to the range of shells indicated below, for example, the cumulative 3BP1 shell. The 53-OF-462 steel high-explosive fragmentation grenade, when the fuse was set to fragmentation action, created about 1000 lethal fragments when it exploded, the effective radius of destruction of manpower was about 30 meters.

The M-30 was a divisional weapon. According to the state of 1939, the rifle division had two artillery regiments - a light one (a division of 76-mm guns and two mixed divisions of two batteries of 122-mm howitzers and one battery of 76-mm guns each) and a howitzer (a division of 122-mm howitzers and a division 152 mm howitzers), a total of 28 pieces of 122 mm howitzers. In June 1940, another division of 122-mm howitzers was added to the howitzer regiment, in total there were 32 of them in the division. In July 1941, the howitzer regiment was expelled, the number of howitzers was reduced to 16. In this state, Soviet rifle divisions went through the entire war. Since December 1942, the guards rifle divisions had 3 divisions with 2 batteries of 76-mm guns and one battery of 122-mm howitzers each, 12 howitzers in total. Since December 1944, these divisions had a howitzer artillery regiment (5 batteries), 20 122-mm howitzers. From June 1945, rifle divisions were also transferred to this state. In the mountain rifle divisions in 1939-1940 there was one division of 122-mm howitzers (3 batteries of 3 guns), a total of 9 howitzers. Since 1941, a howitzer artillery regiment (2 divisions of 3 four-gun batteries each) has been introduced in its place, 24 howitzers have become. From the beginning of 1942, only one two-battery division remains, only eight howitzers. Since 1944, howitzers have been excluded from the state of mountain rifle divisions. The motorized division had 2 mixed divisions (a battery of 76-mm guns and 2 batteries of 122-mm howitzers in each), a total of 12 howitzers. The tank division had one battalion of 122-mm howitzers, 12 in total. Until August 1941, cavalry divisions had 2 batteries of 122-mm howitzers, a total of 8 guns. Since August 1941, divisional artillery was excluded from the composition of cavalry divisions. Until the end of 1941, 122-mm howitzers were in rifle brigades - one battery, 4 guns. 122-mm howitzers were also part of the howitzer artillery brigades of the reserve of the Supreme High Command.

The M-30 was used for firing from closed positions at dug-in and openly located enemy manpower. It was also successfully used to destroy enemy field fortifications (trenches, dugouts, bunkers) and make passages in barbed wire when it was impossible to use mortars. The barrage fire of the M-30 battery with high-explosive fragmentation shells posed a certain threat to enemy armored vehicles. The fragments formed during the break were capable of penetrating armor up to 20 mm thick, which was quite enough to destroy armored personnel carriers and the sides of light tanks. For vehicles with thicker armor, fragments could disable the elements of the undercarriage, guns, and sights. To destroy enemy tanks and self-propelled guns in self-defense, a cumulative projectile, introduced in 1943, was used. In his absence, the gunners were ordered to fire high-explosive fragmentation shells at tanks with the fuse set to high-explosive action. For light and medium tanks, a direct hit by a 122-mm high-explosive projectile in many cases was fatal, up to the turret being blown off the shoulder strap.

At the beginning of World War II, a significant number (several hundred) of M-30s were captured by the Wehrmacht. The gun was adopted by the Wehrmacht as a heavy howitzer 12.2 cm s.F.H.396(r) and was actively used in battles against the Red Army. Since 1943, for this gun (as well as a number of earlier captured Soviet howitzers of the same caliber), the Germans even launched mass production of shells. In 1943, 424 thousand shots were fired, in 1944 and 1945. - 696.7 thousand and 133 thousand shots, respectively. Captured M-30s were used not only on the Eastern Front, but also in the fortifications of the Atlantic Wall on the northwestern coast of France.

The most difficult thing is to talk about tools that have been around for a long time. In the pre-war period, according to this indicator, the first place should be given, without hesitation, to the 122-mm divisional howitzer of the 1910/30 model.

Probably, there is no military conflict of that time, where these howitzers would not light up. Yes, and on the footage of the chronicle of the Great Patriotic War, these guns are constant heroes of battles. And you can see them from both sides of the front. The command "fire" sounds in Russian, German, Finnish, Romanian. Opponents did not disdain to use trophies. Agree, this is a fairly important indicator of the reliability, quality and good combat characteristics of the gun.

First of all, it is necessary to explain the historical necessity of the appearance of this particular weapon. We have already talked about the problems of the Red Army of that time. As well as about the problems of the entire USSR. Deterioration of guns, lack of opportunities for the production of high-quality spare parts, moral and technical obsolescence of weapons.

Add to this the lack of engineering and design personnel in the industry, the obsolescence of production technologies, the absence of much of what was already used in the defense industry of Western countries.

And all this against the backdrop of an openly hostile encirclement of the country. Against the background of the West's frank preparations for war with the Soviet Union.

Naturally, the leadership of the Red Army and the USSR were well aware that without taking urgent measures to rearm the Red Army, the country in the fairly near future would not only be an outsider of the world's artillery powers, but would also be forced to spend huge amounts of money on the purchase of obviously outdated Western artillery systems. Modern artillery was needed here and now.

In the 20s, the Red Army was armed with two 48-line (1 line \u003d 0.1 inches \u003d 2.54 mm) field howitzers at once: samples of 1909 and 1910. Developments of firms "Krupp" (Germany) and "Schneider" (France). In the mid-20s, after the final transition to the metric system, it was these guns that became 122-mm howitzers.

Comparison of these howitzers is beyond the scope of the authors of this article. Therefore, the answer to the question of why the howitzer of the 1910 model was chosen for modernization will be voiced with only one comment. This howitzer was more promising and had more potential for further modernization in terms of range.

With equal, and sometimes better (for example, in terms of the mass of a heavy high-explosive grenade - 23 kg versus 15-17 for Western samples) indicators, the howitzer decently lost in firing range to Western models (the German 10.5 cm Feldhaubitze 98/09 system or the British Royal Ordnance Quick Firing 4.5 inch howitzer): 7.7 km vs. 9.7 km.

In the mid-20s, the understanding of the imminent possible backlog of Soviet howitzer artillery was transformed into a direct instruction to start work in this direction. In 1928, the Design Bureau of the Perm Ordnance Plant (Motovilikhinsky) was given the task of modernizing the howitzer and increasing its range to the level of the best examples. At the same time, the weight advantage of grenades must be maintained.

Vladimir Nikolaevich Sidorenko became the head of the design team.

What is the difference between a 1930 howitzer and a 1910 howitzer?

First of all, the new howitzer is distinguished by a chamber, which was lengthened by boring the rifled part of the barrel by one caliber. This was done in order to ensure the safety of firing new grenades. The required initial speed of a heavy grenade could only be obtained by increasing the charge. And this, in turn, increased the length of the ammunition by 0.64 calibers.

And then simple physics. There was either no room left in the standard case for all the beams, or there was not enough volume to expand the gases formed during the combustion of gunpowder if an increased charge was used. In the latter case, an attempt to shoot led to a rupture of the gun, because due to the lack of volume for the expansion of gases in the chamber, their pressure and temperature greatly increased, and this led to a sharp increase in the rate of the chemical reaction of gunpowder combustion.

The next change in design is caused by a decent increase in recoil when firing a new grenade. Strengthened the recoil devices, the lifting mechanism and the carriage itself. The old mechanisms could not withstand firing long-range ammunition.

From here came the next upgrade. The increase in range required the creation of new sights. Here, the designers did not reinvent the wheel. The so-called normalized sight was installed on the modernized howitzer.

The same sights were installed at that time on all modernized guns. The differences were only in cutting the distance scale and fastenings. In the modern version, the sight would be called single or unified.

As a result of all the upgrades, the total mass of the gun in combat position increased slightly - 1466 kilograms.

Modernized howitzers, which are today in various museums around the world, can be recognized by markings. Embossed inscriptions are obligatory on the trunks: "Elongated chamber". On the carriage - "reinforced" and "Mod. 1910/30" on the spindle, adjusting ring and back cover of the rollback.

It was in this form that the howitzer was adopted in 1930 by the Red Army. Produced at the same plant in Perm.

Structurally, the 122-mm howitzer mod. 1910/30 (the main series according to the drawings "letter B") consisted of:
- a barrel from a pipe fastened with a casing and a muzzle or a monoblock barrel without a muzzle;
- a piston valve that opens to the right. Closing and opening the shutter was carried out by turning the handle in one step;
- a single-bar carriage, which included a cradle, recoil devices assembled in a skid, a machine tool, guidance mechanisms, a running gear, sights and a shield cover.

The towing of the gun was carried out by horse (six horses) or mechanical traction. Be sure to use the front and charging box. The transport speed was only 6 km/h on wooden wheels. Springs and metal wheels appeared after being put into service, respectively, the towing speed increased.

There is another merit of the upgraded 122-mm howitzer. She became the "mother" of the Soviet self-propelled howitzer SU-5-2. The machine was created as part of the design of the divisional artillery triplex. Based on the chassis of the T-26 tank, the SU-5 installations were created.

SU-5-1 - self-propelled gun with 76 mm gun.
SU-5-2 - self-propelled gun with 122 mm howitzer.
SU-5-3 - self-propelled gun with 152mm mortar.

The machine was created at the experimental engineering plant named after S. M. Kirov (factory No. 185). Passed factory and state tests. It was recommended for adoption. 30 self-propelled guns were built. However, they were used to solve problems that were completely unusual for them.

Light tanks were intended for offensive operations. This means that tank units do not need howitzers, but assault guns. The SU-5-2 was used as an artillery support weapon. And in this case, the need for quick movements disappeared. Portable howitzers were preferable.

Nevertheless, these machines, even with such a small number, are combat. In 1938, five self-propelled howitzers fought with the Japanese at Lake Khasan as part of the 2nd mechanized brigade, the reviews of the brigade command were positive.

The SU-5-2 also took part in the campaign against Poland in 1939. But information about the hostilities has not been preserved. Most likely (considering that the vehicles were part of the 32nd Tank Brigade), things did not come to battle.

But in the first period of the Patriotic War, the SU-5-2 fought, but they didn’t do much weather. In total, there were 17 cars in the western districts, 9 in the Kiev district and 8 in the Western Special. It is clear that by the autumn of 1941 most of them were destroyed or taken as trophies by the Wehrmacht.

And how did the "classic" howitzers fight? It is clear that any weapon is best tested in combat.

In 1939, modernized 122-mm howitzers were used during the events at Khalkhin Gol. Moreover, the number of guns was constantly increasing. This is largely due to the excellent results of the work of Soviet artillerymen. According to Japanese officers, Soviet howitzers were superior to anything they had encountered before.

Naturally, the new Soviet systems became the subject of the "hunt" of the Japanese. The barrage of Soviet howitzers completely discouraged the Japanese soldiers from attacking. The result of such a "hunt" was quite tangible losses of the Red Army. 31 guns were damaged or irretrievably lost. Moreover, the Japanese managed to capture a fairly large number of trophies.

So, during a night attack on the positions of the 149th Infantry Regiment, on the night of July 7-8, the Japanese captured the battery of Lieutenant Aleshkin (6th Battery of the 175th Artillery Regiment). When trying to recapture the battery, the battery commander died, and the personnel suffered significant losses. Subsequently, the Japanese used this battery in their own army.

The finest hour of the 122-mm howitzers of the 1910/30 model was the Soviet-Finnish war. For various reasons, the howitzer artillery of the Red Army was represented by these guns. According to some reports, the number of howitzers only in the 7th Army (first echelon) then reached almost 700 (according to others 624) units.

In the same way as it happened at Khalkhin Gol, howitzers became a "tidbit" for the Finnish army. The losses of the Red Army in Karelia, according to various estimates, ranged from 44 to 56 guns. Some of these howitzers also became part of the Finnish army and were subsequently used by the Finns quite effectively.

By the beginning of World War II, the guns we are describing were the most common howitzers in the Red Army. According to various estimates, the total number of such systems reached 5900 (5578) guns. And the staffing of parts and connections was from 90 to 100%!

At the beginning of the war, only in the western districts there were 2752 122-mm howitzers of the 1910/30 model. But at the beginning of 1942, there were less than 2000 of them left (according to some estimates, 1900; there are no exact data).

Such monstrous losses played a negative role in the fate of these honored veterans. Naturally, the new production was created for more advanced guns. Such systems were the M-30. They became the main howitzers already in 1942.

But still, at the beginning of 1943, howitzers of the 1910/30 model accounted for more than 20% (1400 pieces) of the total number of such weapons and continued their combat path. And we made it to Berlin! Outdated, shattered by fragments, repeatedly repaired, but reached! Although it is difficult to see them on the victory chronicle. And then they also lit up on the Soviet-Japanese front.

Many authors claim that 122-mm howitzers of the 1910/30 model were outdated by 1941. And they were used by the Red Army "for poverty". But a simple, but logical, question arises: what criteria are used to determine old age?

Yes, these howitzers could not compete with the same M-30, which will be our next story. But the gun performed its tasks with sufficient quality. There is such a term - necessary sufficiency.

So, these howitzers had exactly the necessary efficiency. And in many ways, the possibility of increasing the M-30 fleet in the Red Army was facilitated by the heroic work of these old but powerful howitzers.

TTX 122-mm howitzer model 1910/30:

Caliber, mm: 122 (121.92)

Maximum range of fire with OF-462 grenade, m: 8,875

Gun weight
in the stowed position, kg: 2510 (with front end)
in combat position, kg: 1466

Transfer time to combat position, sec: 30-40

Angles of fire, deg.
- elevation (max): 45
- reduction (min): -3
- horizontal: 4.74

Calculation, people: 8

Rate of fire, rds / min: 5-6

We express our gratitude to the Museum of the Russian Military in Padikovo for the information provided.

The monument to the M-30 howitzer is installed at the northern entrance to Tula on Oktyabrskaya Street, inside the trolleybus reversal ring (the former terminus of route No. 4).
You can get to the monument by city and suburban public transport, more than ten routes of which pass in the immediate vicinity (stop "Northern Station").
The reversal ring is practically not used and is an excellent parking lot in the immediate vicinity of the monument.
Access is free, you can touch, climb. There is no security.
The pedestal of the monument (height is about 130 centimeters) is in a state of active repair. Armature sticks out.

all photos are clickable up to 3648x2736

"In this area in November-December 1941, artillery units were stationed, which fought to defeat the Nazi troops.
Installed in November 1966."

This is the fourth monument erected in November 1966.
(the first is a cannon, the second is an anti-aircraft gun, the third is a tank)

02.

122-mm howitzer of the 1938 model (M-30, GAU index - 52-G-463) - Soviet howitzer of the Second World War period.
This gun was mass-produced from 1939 to 1955, was or still is in service with the armies of many countries of the world, was used in almost all significant wars and armed conflicts of the middle and end of the 20th century.
The first Soviet large-scale self-propelled artillery mounts of the Great Patriotic War SU-122 were armed with this gun.
According to some artillery experts, the M-30 is one of the best designs of Soviet cannon artillery in the mid-20th century.
Equipping the artillery of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA) with M-30 howitzers played a big role in the defeat of Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War.
(hereinafter: wikipedia)

03.

The project of the M-30 howitzer entered the GAU on December 20, 1937.
The gun borrowed a lot from other types of artillery weapons; in particular, the bore arrangement was close to that of the Lubok howitzer, and the recoil brake and limber were also taken from it.
Despite the requirement of the GAU to equip the new howitzer with a wedge breech, the M-30 was equipped with a piston breech borrowed unchanged from the 122-mm howitzer mod. 1910/30
The wheels were taken from the F-22 gun.
The prototype M-30 was completed on March 31, 1938, but factory tests were delayed due to the need to refine the howitzer.
Field tests of the howitzer took place from September 11 to November 1, 1938.
Although, according to the conclusion of the commission, the gun did not pass the field tests (during the tests, the beds broke twice), it was nevertheless recommended to send the gun for military tests.

04.

The development of the gun was difficult.
On December 22, 1938, three modified samples were submitted for military trials,
again revealed a number of shortcomings.
It was recommended to modify the gun and conduct repeated ground tests,
and do not conduct new military tests.
However, in the summer of 1939, military tests had to be repeated.
Only on September 29, 1939, the M-30 was put into service under the official name “122-mm divisional howitzer mod. 1938"

05.

The M-30 was used for firing from closed positions at dug-in and openly located enemy manpower.
It was also successfully used to destroy enemy field fortifications (trenches, dugouts, bunkers) and make passages in barbed wire when it was impossible to use mortars.
The barrage fire of the M-30 battery with high-explosive fragmentation shells posed a certain threat to enemy armored vehicles.
The fragments formed during the break were capable of penetrating armor up to 20 mm thick, which was quite enough to destroy armored personnel carriers and the sides of light tanks.
For vehicles with thicker armor, fragments could disable the elements of the undercarriage, guns, and sights.

06.

To destroy enemy tanks and self-propelled guns in self-defense, a cumulative projectile, introduced in 1943, was used.
In his absence, the artillerymen were instructed to fire at the tanks with high-explosive fragmentation shells.
with the installation of a fuse for high-explosive action.
For light and medium tanks, a direct hit by a 122-mm high-explosive projectile was fatal in many cases,
up to the failure of the tower from the shoulder strap.
Heavy "Tigers" were a much more stable target, but in 1943 the Germans recorded a case of heavy damage to tanks of the PzKpfw VI Ausf H "Tiger" type during a combat collision with Soviet SU-122 self-propelled guns armed with M-30 howitzers.

07.

The M-30 howitzer had a fairly modern design for its time with a carriage with sliding beds and sprung wheels.
The barrel was a prefabricated structure of a pipe, a casing and a screw-on breech with a bolt.
The M-30 was equipped with a piston single-stroke shutter, a hydraulic recoil brake, a hydropneumatic knurler and had a separate-sleeve loading.

08.

The younger takes pictures of the beds.

09.

The shutter has a mechanism for the forced extraction of the spent cartridge case when it is opened after the shot.
The descent is made by pressing the trigger with the help of a trigger cord connected to it.

10.

The gun was equipped with a Hertz artillery panorama for firing from closed positions, the same sight was also used for direct fire.

11.

The breech of the gun on the right side.

12.

Anti-recoil devices - otkatnik and knurler.

14.

Muzzle cut of the barrel. You can see the rifling strips.

15.

Flywheel for vertical aiming of the gun. The wooden handle has survived.

16.

Toothed sector of the vertical aiming mechanism of the gun.