The largest caliber gun in the world. The world's largest cannon is intimidating but useless

Artillery is not in vain called the "god of war." Since its appearance on the battlefield, it has become one of the main and most important strike force ground forces.

Tsar Cannon
The "Tsar Cannon" is decorated with intricate patterns, several inscriptions are engraved on it. Experts are confident that the gun was fired at least once, but historical evidence for this has not been found. Today, the Tsar Cannon is listed in the Guinness Book of Records, it is one of the main Moscow attractions.

Self-propelled mortar "Karl"
This is a German self-propelled gun from the Second World War. "Karl" had a caliber of 600 mm and a weight of 126 tons. In total, seven copies of this weapon were built, which would be more correctly called a self-propelled mortar. The Germans built them to destroy enemy fortresses or other heavily fortified positions. Initially, these guns were developed to storm the French Maginot Line, but due to the transience of the campaign, they were never used. For the first time, mortars were used on the Eastern Front, the Nazis used them during the assault Brest Fortress, and then during the siege of Sevastopol. At the end of the war, one of the mortars was captured by the Red Army, and today anyone can see this self-propelled gun in the armored museum in Kubinka near Moscow.

"Mad Greta"
"Mad Greta" is one of the few large-caliber medieval forged guns that have survived to this day. The cannon fired stone cannonballs, its barrel consists of 32 forged steel strips fastened with numerous hoops. The dimensions of the Greta are really impressive: its barrel length is 5 meters, its weight is 16 tons, and its caliber is 660 mm.

Howitzer "Saint-Chamon"
This cannon was so large that it had to be mounted on a railway platform. The total weight of the structure was 137 tons, the gun could send shells weighing 641 kg to a distance of 17 km. True, in order to equip a position for Saint-Chamond, the French were forced to lay railroad tracks.

Faule Mette
Unfortunately, none of these guns has survived to this day, so the characteristics of the gun can only be restored from the descriptions of its contemporaries. "Lazy Metta" was made in the German city of Braunschweig at the beginning of the 15th century. Its creator is the master Henning Bussenshutte. The cannon had impressive dimensions: weight about 8.7 tons, caliber from 67 to 80 cm, the mass of one stone core reached 430 kg. For each shot in the cannon, it was necessary to lay about 30 kg of gunpowder.

"Big Bertha"
The famous German large-caliber gun of the First World War. The gun was developed at the beginning of the last century and manufactured at the Krupp factories in 1914. "Big Bertha" had a caliber of 420 mm, its projectile weighed 900 kg, the firing range was 14 km. The gun was intended to destroy especially strong enemy fortifications. The gun was made in two versions: semi-stationary and mobile. The weight of the mobile modification was 42 tons; the Germans used steam tractors to transport it. During the explosion, the projectile formed a funnel with a diameter of more than ten meters, the rate of fire of the gun was one shot in eight minutes.

Mortar "Oka"
Soviet self-propelled large-caliber mortar "Oka", developed in the mid-50s. At that time, the USSR already possessed a nuclear bomb, but had difficulties with the means of its delivery. Therefore, Soviet strategists decided to create a mortar capable of firing nuclear charges. Its caliber was 420 mm, the total weight of the vehicle was 55 tons, and the firing range could reach 50 km. The Oka mortar had such a monstrous return that its production was abandoned. In total, four self-propelled mortars were manufactured.

Little David
"Little David" was intended to destroy especially powerful enemy fortifications and was developed for the Pacific theater of operations. But, in the end, this gun never left the range. The barrel was installed in a special metal box dug into the ground. "David" fired special cone-shaped shells, the weight of which reached 1678 kg. After their explosion, a funnel with diameters of 12 meters and a depth of 4 meters remained.

"Dora"
This gun was created by Krupp engineers in the mid-30s. She had a caliber of 807 mm, was installed on a railway platform and could shoot at 48 km. In total, the Germans managed to make two "Dora", one of them was used during the siege of Sevastopol, and possibly during the suppression of the uprising in Warsaw. The total weight of one gun was 1350 tons. The gun could make one shot in 30-40 minutes. It should be noted that the combat effectiveness of this monster raises doubts among many experts and military historians.

Basilica or Ottoman cannon
It was made in the middle of the 15th century by the Hungarian craftsman Urban, specially commissioned by Sultan Mehmed II. This artillery piece had colossal dimensions: its length was approximately 12 meters, its diameter was 75-90 cm, total weight- about 32 tons. The bombard was cast in bronze; 30 bulls were needed to move it. In addition, the “calculation” of the gun included another 50 carpenters, whose task was to make a special platform, as well as up to 200 workers who moved the gun. The firing range of the Basilica was 2 km.

In the army, size has always mattered and does matter. Perhaps the most big tank was not the most maneuverable, and the largest bomber - the most effective, but do not forget about psychological impact on the enemy. Today we present the seven largest guns.

"Little David"

During World War II, the Americans created the Little David mortar, which is still considered the largest caliber gun (914 mm). At first, a sample was made that helped to test new aviation bombs, whose size is constantly increasing. And then the designers had the idea to use such guns to attack Japanese islands, where american army assumed to face the strong fortifications of the enemy.

The first tests took place in the autumn of 1944. "Little David" sent a projectile weighing more than one and a half tons to a distance of 9500 meters. The funnel from such a projectile was up to four meters deep and twelve meters in diameter. Another thing is that, like any mortar, "Little David" did not give the required accuracy. In addition, it took about 12 hours to prepare for firing. First, for a giant cannon with an eight-meter barrel, it was necessary to prepare the foundation. After all, the entire structure weighed 82 tons. It was moved by tank tractors.

As a result, it was decided to abandon the "Little David". The mortar remained in one copy. In 1946 the project was closed.

Tsar Cannon

Of the medieval cannons, we will only mention the Tsar Cannon with a caliber of 890 mm. Strictly speaking, this gun cannot be called a gun, since the gun has a barrel length of 40-80 calibers. (In the Middle Ages, smooth-bore devices with a barrel length of 20 calibers or more were called cannons.) The barrel of a bombard was 5-6 calibers long, mortars - at least 15 calibers, howitzers - from 15 to 30 calibers.

Because what the Russian magician poured Andrey Chokhov in 1586, there is a typical bombardment, but tourists taking pictures against the background of a bronze gun don't care. Let's also say that the mass of the gun is 2400 pounds, that is, about 40 tons.

Cast-iron cannon balls and a cast-iron carriage still perform decorative functions to this day. In the 16th century, stone cannonballs were fired. If the cannon is loaded with cast-iron shells and fired, it will be blown to pieces.

Experts are inclined to believe that the Tsar Cannon was never fired at all, and it was installed solely to intimidate the ambassadors of the Crimean Tatars.

"Fat Gustav" and "Dora"

Two artillery giants were created by the Germans in 1941. These are Dora and Fat Gustav. The guns were as high as a four-story house and weighed 1344 tons. Moved them around railway tracks, which significantly limited the possibility of using the tool. Usually they arrived at the place of deployment when the hostilities there had already been completed. The barrel length of the guns was 30 meters, the caliber was 800 mm. The firing range is from 25 to 40 kilometers.

The whole complex moved on five trains. This is more than a hundred wagons. More than four thousand people made up the attendants, including forty women of easy virtue from the brothel.

The Dora was used by the Nazis during the siege of Sevastopol. It was in 1942. Soviet aviation managed to damage the gun, and she was transported to Leningrad, where she stood idle.

30 shots were fired from the Dora in 1944, when the Nazis tried to suppress the Warsaw Uprising. Continuing to retreat, the Nazis blew up both guns in 1945.

Mortar "Karl"

One of the largest self-propelled mortars in the world was the Karl mortar, which had a caliber of 600 mm. The installation, created at the end of the 30s, was on caterpillar tracks, which allowed it to move independently, however, at a speed of no more than ten kilometers per hour. Armor weighed the entire complex up to 126 tons. For stability when firing, the car fell on its belly. This took no more than 10 minutes. It took the same amount of time to recharge. Firing range - up to 6700 meters.

A total of six installations were produced. They were being trained to take part in the French campaign, but it ended too quickly. It is known that, like the Dora, the Karl self-propelled mortars were used by the Nazis during the shelling of Sevastopol.

As a result, two installations were captured by the allies, one by the Soviet troops, and three more were destroyed by the Germans themselves.

"Big Bertha" with an anchor

The largest artillery piece of World War I was the German Big Bertha. This mortar had a caliber of 420 mm. She fired at 14 kilometers, sometimes breaking through two-meter concrete ceilings. The crater from a high-explosive projectile was more than ten meters in diameter. fragmentation shells scattered into 15 thousand metal pieces, and at a distance of up to two kilometers. It took about eight minutes to recharge. In total, nine "Big Burts" were built, which were also called fort killers.

Interestingly, a large anchor was attached to the frame of the gun. Before firing, the calculation deepened it into the ground. Anchor and took on a terrible return.

Howitzer "Saint-Chamon"

One of the first railway artillery installations in 1915 was the French Saint-Chamond howitzer. The 400-mm gun fired at 16 kilometers. loaded guns high-explosive shells weighing over 600 kilograms. Before firing, the platform was reinforced with side supports. They saved the wheels from deformation. In a state of combat readiness, the complex weighed 137 tons.

Frightening Soviet "Condenser"

In 1957, at a parade on Red Square, the Soviet self-propelled gun "Condenser" was revealed to the world. Her caliber was 406 mm. The gun made an indelible impression on all who saw it. Moreover, the foreign press suspected our leaders of wanting to splurge. The "capacitor", which, as was said, could fire nuclear projectiles, seemed to them to be a sham. However, it was real military equipment that was shelled at the training ground. The large caliber was dictated by the fact that Soviet science had not yet figured out how to make a nuclear projectile more compact.

A total of four installations were made. They fired regularly, but the recoil force was such that each time the Capacitor rolled back several meters. In addition, the accuracy of shooting depended on the preparedness of the location of the gun, which took a lot of time. It was not possible to eliminate all the problems, therefore, in 1960, work on the project was curtailed.

Snapshot at the opening of the article: Dora gun, 1943 / Photo: imgkid.com

Artillery is not in vain called the main participant in the war. From the very beginning of its history, it has become an important and integral part of any ground forces. Even despite the high-tech developments in the field of missile weapons and air aviation, gunners have enough work, and this state of affairs will not change in the foreseeable future.

In the army, size has always mattered, and regardless of the type of troops. Large bombers or massive tanks are not the most maneuverable, and sometimes not as effective tools of attack or defense, but do not forget about the psychological effect they have on enemies.

So, we present to your attention a list of the largest guns in the history of mankind, which includes artillery pieces from different eras and times. All of them have survived to this day in one form or another, and inspire fear already in museum visitors, and not in enemies on the battlefield.

1. Ottoman Basilica.
2. German Dora.
3. Russian Tsar Cannon.
4. American gun "Little David".
5. Soviet mortar "Oka".
6. German "Big Bertha".

Let's consider each participant in more detail.

"Basilica"

On the place of honor of our list is the Ottoman cannon "Basilica". Casting began at the beginning of the 15th century at the request of the ruler Mehmed II. The work fell on the shoulders of the famous Hungarian master Urban, and a few years later the most big gun peace in the history of war.

The bronze gun turned out to be colossal in its dimensions: the length of the warhead was 12 meters, the diameter of the barrel was 90 cm, and the weight exceeded the 30-ton mark. For that time, it was a heavy colossus, and at least 30 tall bulls were required to move it.

Distinctive features of the gun

The calculation of the gun was also impressive: 50 carpenters to make a platform at the shooting site and 200 people to aim at the target. The firing range of the largest cannon in the world was about 2 kilometers, which at that time was an unimaginable distance for any weapon.

"Basilica" did not please its generals for long, because literally after a few days of a difficult siege, the cannon cracked, and after a couple of days it stopped firing altogether. Nevertheless, the gun did its service to the Ottoman Empire and brought a lot of fear to the enemies, from which they could not recover for a long time.

"Dora"

It's very hard german gun considered to be the largest cannon in the World War II world. It all started in the 30s of the last century, when the engineers of the Krupp company began to design this colossus.

A gun with a caliber of 807 mm had to be mounted on a special platform that went by rail. The maximum distance to hit targets fluctuated around 50 kilometers. German designers managed to make only two guns, and one of them took part in the siege of Sevastopol.

The total weight of the "Dora" fluctuated within 1.3 tons. With about a half-hour delay, the gun fired one shot. Despite the fact that many military analysts and specialists had a lot of doubts about the combat effectiveness and practicality of such a monster, the gun really inspired panic and disoriented the enemy troops.

Tsar Cannon

Bronze in the list of the largest artillery pieces was given to the national pride - the Tsar Cannon. The gun saw the light in 1586 thanks to the efforts of the weapons designer of those years, Andrei Chokhov.

The dimensions of the cannon make an unforgettable impression on tourists: a length of 5.4 meters, a caliber of a military gun of 890 mm and a weight of more than 40 tons will frighten any enemy. The world's largest cannon rightfully received the respectful treatment of the Tsar.

Above the appearance of the guns also tried. The cannon is decorated with complex and interesting patterns, and several inscriptions can be read around the perimeter. Military experts are confident that the Tsar Cannon once opened fire on the enemy, despite the fact that this was not confirmed in historical documents. Our gun got into the famous Guinness Book of Records and became the most visited attraction of the capital on a par with Lenin's mausoleum.

"Little David"

This cannon from the United States is a legacy of World War II and is considered the world's largest cannon in terms of caliber diameter. "Little David" was developed as a tool for the elimination of particularly powerful enemy installations on the Pacific coast.

But the gun was not destined to leave the range, where it was successfully tested, so the gun inspired fear and respect only in photographs of the foreign press.

Before firing, the barrel was mounted on a special metal frame, which was dug into the ground by a quarter. The gun fired non-standard cone-shaped projectiles, the weight of which could reach one and a half tons. At the site of the explosion of such ammunition, a deep depression remained 4 meters deep and 10-15 meters in circumference.

Mortar "Oka"

In fifth position in the list of the largest guns in the world is another domestic development of the Soviet era - the Oka mortar. In the middle of the last century, the USSR already had nuclear weapons, but experienced some problems with delivering them to the target site. Therefore, the Soviet designers were given the task of creating a mortar that could fire nuclear warheads.

As a result, they got a kind of monster with a caliber of 420 mm and a weight of almost 60 tons. The firing range of the mortar varied within 50 kilometers, which, in principle, was sufficient for mobile tank equipment of those times.

Despite the theoretical success of the enterprise, mass production of the Oka was abandoned. The reason for this was the monstrous recoil of the gun, which nullified all mobility: for a normal shot, it was necessary to properly dig in the mortar and build stops, and this took too much time.

"Big Bertha"

Another weapon of German designers, but already at the beginning of the last century, when the First World War. The gun was developed at the already mentioned Krupp plant in 1914. The gun received a main combat caliber of 420 mm, and each individual projectile weighed almost one ton. Having at the same time a firing range of 14 kilometers, such indicators were quite acceptable.

"Big Bertha" was designed to destroy especially strong enemy fortifications. Initially, the gun was stationary, but after some time, it was finalized and made possible to use on a mobile platform. The first option weighed about 50 tons, and the second about 40. For transporting the guns, steam tractors were involved, which with great difficulty, but coped with their task.

At the landing site of the projectile, a deep depression was formed with a diameter of up to 15 meters, depending on the selected ammunition. The rate of fire of the gun was surprisingly high - one shot in eight minutes. The gun was a real disaster and a headache for the allies. Machina inspired not only fear, but also demolished even the strongest walls with fortifications.

But despite their lethal force, "Big Bertha" was vulnerable to enemy artillery. The latter was more mobile and faster-firing. During the assault on the Osovets fortress in eastern Poland, the Germans, although they pretty much battered the fort, lost two of their guns. While the Russian soldiers repulsed the onslaught with great success, while damaging only one standard artillery unit (the naval Kane).

Here is the news today:

Artillery units of the Eastern Military District (VVO) received a batch of 203-mm Pion self-propelled artillery mounts.

This was reported to Interfax-AVN on Thursday by the head of the press service of the district, Colonel Alexander Gordeev. »Today, the Pion self-propelled gun is considered the most powerful self-propelled artillery mount in the world. Its main armament is a 203-mm cannon, weighing more than 14 tons. It is located in the aft part of the installation. The gun is equipped with a semi-automatic hydraulic loading system, which allows this process to be carried out at any elevation angles of the barrel,” A. Gordeev said.

He noted that in the development of the undercarriage of the installation, components and assemblies of the T-80 tank were used. “The self-propelled gun has an individual torsion bar suspension,” the officer specified.

Learn more about this weapon:

On August 29, 1949, the first Soviet atomic bomb: both opposing groups began to possess nuclear weapons. With the build-up of strategic nuclear weapons by both sides of the conflict, it became clear that an all-out nuclear war was unlikely and pointless. The theory of "limited nuclear war» with limited use of tactical nuclear weapons. In the early 1950s, the leaders of the opposing sides faced the problem of delivering these weapons. The main means of delivery were B-29 strategic bombers, on the one hand, and Tu-4, on the other; they could not effectively strike at the advanced positions of enemy troops. Hull and divisional artillery systems, tactical missile systems and recoilless guns were considered as the most suitable means.

The first Soviet artillery systems armed with nuclear weapons were the 2B1 self-propelled mortar and the 2A3 self-propelled gun, however, these systems were bulky and could not meet the requirements for high mobility. With the beginning of the rapid development of rocket technology in the USSR, work on most of the samples of classical artillery was stopped at the direction of N. S. Khrushchev.

Photo 3.

After Khrushchev was removed from the post of First Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU, work on artillery topics was resumed. By the spring of 1967, a preliminary design of a new heavy-duty self-propelled artillery mount (ACS) based on the Object 434 tank and a full-size wooden model were completed. The project was an ACS closed type with cutting installation guns design OKB-2. layout received negative feedback from representatives of the Ministry of Defense, however, the Ministry of Defense of the USSR became interested in the proposal to create a self-propelled guns of special power, and on December 16, 1967, by order No. 801 of the Ministry of Defense Industry, research work was begun to determine the appearance and basic characteristics of the new self-propelled guns. The main requirement put forward for the new self-propelled guns was the maximum firing range - at least 25 km. The choice of the optimal caliber of the gun, at the direction of the GRAU, was carried out by the M. I. Kalinin Artillery Academy. In the course of the work, various existing and developed artillery systems were considered. The main ones were the 210 mm S-72 gun, the 180 mm S-23 gun and the 180 mm coastal gun MU-1. According to the conclusion of the Leningrad Artillery Academy, the ballistic solution of the 210-mm S-72 gun was recognized as the most suitable. However, despite this, the Barrikady plant, in order to ensure the continuity of manufacturing technologies for the already developed B-4 and B-4M guns, proposed reducing the caliber from 210 to 203 mm. This proposal was approved by the GRAU.

Simultaneously with the choice of caliber, work was carried out on the choice of chassis and layout for the future self-propelled guns. One of the options was the chassis of the MT-T multi-purpose tractor, made on the basis of the T-64A tank. This option received the designation "Object 429A". A variant based on the T-10 heavy tank was also worked out, which received the designation "216.sp1". According to the results of the work, it turned out that an open installation of the gun would be optimal, while none of the existing types chassis due to high strength recoil resistance of 135 tf when firing. Therefore, it was decided to develop a new undercarriage with the maximum possible unification of the nodes with the tanks in service with the USSR. The resulting studies formed the basis of the R&D under the name "Peony" (GRAU index - 2C7). "Pion" was supposed to enter service with the artillery battalions of the reserve of the Supreme High Command to replace the 203-mm B-4 and B-4M towed howitzers.

Photo 4.

Officially, work on the new self-propelled guns of special power was approved on July 8, 1970 by the Decree of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR No. 427-161. The Kirov Plant was appointed the lead developer of the 2S7, the 2A44 gun was designed in OKB-3 of the Volgograd plant "Barricades". March 1, 1971 were issued, and by 1973 approved tactical and technical requirements for a new self-propelled guns. According to the assignment, the 2S7 self-propelled gun was supposed to provide a ricochet-free firing range from 8.5 to 35 km with a high-explosive fragmentation projectile weighing 110 kg, while it should have been possible to fire a 3VB2 nuclear round intended for the 203 mm B-4M howitzer. The speed on the highway had to be at least 50 km / h.

The new chassis with a stern gun mount received the designation "216.sp2". In the period from 1973 to 1974, two prototypes of the 2S7 self-propelled guns were manufactured and sent for testing. The first sample passed sea trials at the Strugi Krasnye training ground. The second sample was tested by firing, but could not fulfill the requirements for the firing range. The problem was solved by selecting the optimal composition powder charge and type of shot. In 1975, the Pion system was put into service. Soviet army. In 1977, at the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Technical Physics, nuclear weapons were developed and put into service for the 2S7 self-propelled guns.

Photo 5.

Serial production of self-propelled guns 2S7 was launched in 1975 at the Leningrad plant named after Kirov. The 2A44 gun was produced by the Volgograd plant "Barricades". 2S7 production continued until the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1990 in Soviet troops the last batch of 66 2S7M vehicles was transferred. In 1990, the cost of one 2S7 self-propelled artillery mount was 521,527 rubles. Over 16 years of production, more than 500 2C7 units of various modifications were produced.

In the 1980s, there was a need to modernize the ACS 2S7. Therefore, development work was started under the code "Malka" (GRAU index - 2S7M). First of all, the question was raised about replacing the power plant, since the B-46-1 engine did not have sufficient power and reliability. For the Malka, the V-84B engine was created, which differed from the one used in the T-72 tank by the features of the engine layout in the engine compartment. With the new engine, the self-propelled guns could be refueled not only with diesel fuel, but also with kerosene and gasoline.

Photo 6.

The undercarriage of the car was also upgraded. In February 1985, the self-propelled guns with a new power plant and upgraded undercarriage were tested. As a result of the modernization, the ACS motocross resource was increased to 8,000-10,000 km. To receive and display information from the vehicle of the senior battery officer, the gunner’s and commander’s positions were equipped with digital indicators with automatic data reception, which made it possible to reduce the time it took to transfer the vehicle from traveling to combat position and back. Thanks to the modified design of the stowage, the ammunition load was increased to 8 rounds. The new loading mechanism made it possible to load the gun at any angle of vertical pumping. Thus, the rate of fire was increased by 1.6 times (up to 2.5 rounds per minute), and the mode of fire - by 1.25 times. To monitor important subsystems, routine control equipment was installed in the car, which carried out continuous monitoring of weapon components, the engine, the hydraulic system and power units. Serial production of self-propelled guns 2S7M began in 1986. In addition, the crew of the car was reduced to 6 people.

In the late 1970s, on the basis of the 2A44 gun, a project was developed for a shipborne artillery mount under the code "Pion-M". The theoretical weight of the artillery mount without ammunition was 65-70 tons. The ammunition load was to be 75 rounds, and the rate of fire was up to 1.5 rounds per minute. The Pion-M artillery mount was supposed to be installed on Project 956 ships of the Sovremenny type. However, due to the fundamental disagreement of the leadership of the Navy with the use of a large caliber, they did not advance beyond the project of work on the Pion-M artillery mount.

Photo 7.

armored corps

The 2S7 Pion self-propelled gun was made according to a turretless scheme with an open installation of the gun in the aft part of the self-propelled guns. The crew consists of 7 (in the modernized version 6) people. On the march, all crew members are housed in the ACS hull. The body is divided into four sections. In the front part there is a control compartment with a place for a commander, a driver and a place for one of the crew members. Behind the control compartment is the engine compartment with the engine. Behind the engine-transmission compartment there is a calculation compartment, in which the stacks with shells are located, the gunner's place for the marching and places for 3 (in the modernized version 2) members of the calculation. In the aft compartment there is a folding coulter plate and a self-propelled gun. The hull 2S7 is made of two-layer bulletproof armor with a thickness of outer sheets of 13 mm, and internal sheets of 8 mm. The calculation, being inside the self-propelled guns, is protected from the consequences of the use of weapons mass destruction. The case weakens the effect of penetrating radiation by a factor of three. The loading of the main gun during the operation of the self-propelled guns is carried out from the ground or from a truck using a special lifting mechanism installed on the platform, on the right side of the main gun. In this case, the loader is located to the left of the gun, controlling the process using the control panel.

Photo 8.

Armament

The main armament is a 203-mm 2A44 cannon, which has a maximum rate of fire of 1.5 rounds per minute (up to 2.5 rounds per minute on the upgraded version). The gun barrel is a free tube connected to the breech. A piston valve is located in the breech. The barrel of the gun and recoil devices are placed in the cradle of the swinging part. The swinging part is fixed on the upper machine, which is mounted on the axis and fixed with basting. The recoil devices consist of a hydraulic recoil brake and two pneumatic knurlers located symmetrically with respect to the bore. Such a scheme of recoil devices makes it possible to reliably hold the recoil parts of the gun in the extreme position before firing a shot at any angles of vertical guidance of the gun. The recoil length when fired reaches 1400 mm. Lifting and turning mechanisms of the sector type provide gun guidance in the range of angles from 0 to +60 degrees. vertically and from -15 to +15 degrees. along the horizon. Guidance can be carried out both by hydraulic drives powered by the SAU 2S7 pumping station, and by manual drives. The pneumatic balancing mechanism serves to compensate for the moment of imbalance of the swinging part of the tool. To facilitate the work of crew members, the self-propelled guns are equipped with a loading mechanism that ensures that shots are fed to the loading line and delivered to the gun chamber.

The hinged base plate, located in the stern of the hull, transfers the forces of the shot to the ground, providing greater stability to the self-propelled guns. On charge number 3, "Pion" could fire direct fire without installing an opener. The portable ammunition of the Pion self-propelled gun is 4 shots (for the modernized version 8), the main ammunition of 40 shots is transported in the transport vehicle attached to the self-propelled guns. The main ammunition includes 3OF43 high-explosive fragmentation shells, in addition, 3-O-14 cluster shells, concrete-piercing and nuclear ammunition can be used. Additionally, the 2S7 self-propelled guns are equipped with a 12.7 mm NSVT anti-aircraft machine gun and portable anti-aircraft guns. missile systems 9K32 "Strela-2".

Photo 9.

To aim the gun, the gunner's position is equipped with a PG-1M panoramic artillery sight for firing from closed firing positions and an OP4M-99A direct-fire sight for firing at observed targets. To monitor the terrain, the control department is equipped with seven TNPO-160 prismatic periscope observation devices, two more TNPO-160 devices are installed in the hatch covers of the calculation department. For operation at night, some of the TNPO-160 devices can be replaced by TVNE-4B night vision devices.

External radio communication is supported by the R-123M radio station. The radio station operates in the VHF band and provides stable communication with stations of the same type at a distance of up to 28 km, depending on the height of the antenna of both radio stations. Negotiations between crew members are carried out through the intercom equipment 1V116.

Photo 10.

Engine and transmission

The 2C7 used a V-shaped 12-cylinder four-stroke V-46-1 liquid-cooled supercharged diesel engine with an HP 780 power as a power plant. The V-46-1 diesel engine was created on the basis of the V-46 engine installed on the T-72 tanks. Distinctive features B-46-1 were small layout changes associated with its adaptation for installation in the engine compartment of the 2S7 self-propelled guns. Of the main differences was the changed location of the power take-off shaft. To make it easier to start the engine winter conditions in the engine compartment, a heating system was installed, developed on the basis of a similar system of the T-10M heavy tank. In the course of modernization on self-propelled guns 2S7M power point was replaced by a V-84B multi-fuel diesel engine with an HP 840 power. The transmission is mechanical, with hydraulic control and a planetary rotation mechanism. It has seven forward and one reverse gears. The engine torque is transmitted through a bevel gear with a gear ratio of 0.682 to two onboard gearboxes.

Photo 11.

Chassis 2S7 is made on the basis of the main tank T-80 and consists of seven pairs of dual rubber-coated support rollers and six pairs of single support rollers. In the rear of the machine are the guide wheels, in the front - the drive. In the combat position, the guide wheels are lowered to the ground to make the ACS more resistant to the loads during firing. Lowering and raising is carried out with the help of two hydraulic cylinders fixed along the axles of the wheels. Suspension 2C7 - individual torsion bar with hydraulic shock absorbers.

Photo 12.

Special equipment

The preparation of the position for firing was carried out with the help of an opener in the aft part of the self-propelled guns. Raising and lowering the coulter was carried out using two hydraulic jacks. Additionally, the 2S7 self-propelled gun was equipped with a 9R4-6U2 diesel generator with an HP 24 power. The diesel generator was designed to ensure the operation of the main pump of the ACS hydraulic system during parking, when the vehicle's engine was turned off.

Machines based

In 1969, in the Tula NIEMI, by decree of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR of May 27, 1969, work began on the creation of a new anti-aircraft missile system S-300V front-line link. Studies conducted at the NIEMI together with the Leningrad VNII-100 showed that there was no chassis suitable for carrying capacity, internal dimensions and cross-country ability. Therefore, KB-3 of the Kirov Leningrad Plant was given the task of developing a new unified tracked chassis. The requirements for development were: full mass- no more than 48 tons, carrying capacity - 20 tons, ensuring the operation of equipment and crew in the conditions of the use of weapons of mass destruction, high maneuverability and maneuverability. The chassis was designed almost simultaneously with the 2S7 self-propelled gun and was unified with it as much as possible. The main differences include the rear location of the engine compartment and the drive wheels of the caterpillar mover. As a result of the work carried out, the following modifications of the universal chassis were created.

- "Object 830" - for self-propelled launcher 9A83;
- "Object 831" - for self-propelled launcher 9A82;
- "Object 832" - for radar station 9C15;
- "Object 833" - in the basic version: for the multi-channel missile guidance station 9S32; performed by "833-01" - for the radar station 9S19;
- "Object 834" - for command post 9C457;
- "Object 835" - for launchers 9A84 and 9A85.
The production of prototypes of universal chassis was carried out by the Kirov Leningrad Plant. Serial production was transferred to the Lipetsk Tractor Plant.
In 1997 by order Engineering Troops The Russian Federation developed a high-speed trench machine BTM-4M "Tundra" for making trenches and digging in frozen soil.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in Russia, the financing of the armed forces was sharply reduced, and military equipment practically ceased to be purchased. Under these conditions, a conversion program was carried out at the Kirov Plant military equipment, within the framework of which, on the basis of the ACS 2S7, civil engineering machines were developed and began to be produced. In 1994, the highly mobile crane SGK-80 was developed, and four years later its modernized version appeared - SGK-80R. The cranes weighed 65 tons and had a lifting capacity of up to 80 tons. By order of the Department of Traffic Safety and Ecology of the Ministry of Railways of Russia in 2004, self-propelled tracked vehicles SM-100 were developed, designed to eliminate the consequences of rolling stock derailments, as well as to carry out rescue operations after natural and man-made disasters.

Photo 13.

Combat use

During the period of operation in the Soviet army, Pion self-propelled guns were never used in any armed conflict, however, they were intensively used in high-capacity artillery brigades of the GSVG. After the signing of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, all Pion and Malka self-propelled guns were withdrawn from service. armed forces Russian Federation and relocated to the Eastern Military District. The only episode combat use ACS 2S7 was the war in South Ossetia, where the Georgian side of the conflict used a battery of six ACS 2S7. During the retreat, Georgian troops hid all six self-propelled guns 2S7 in the Gori region. One of 5 discovered Russian troops ACS 2S7 was captured as a trophy, the rest were destroyed.
In November 2014, Ukraine, in connection with armed conflict began re-preservation and bringing into combat condition the 2S7 installations it had.

In the 1970s, the Soviet Union attempted to re-equip the Soviet army with new models artillery weapons. The first example was the self-propelled howitzer 2S3, presented to the public in 1973, followed by: 2S1 in 1974, 2S4 in 1975, and in 1979 the 2S5 and 2S7 were introduced. Thanks to new technology Soviet Union significantly increased the survivability and maneuverability of their artillery troops. By the time the mass production of the 2S7 self-propelled guns began, the 203-mm self-propelled gun M110 was already in service with the United States. In 1975, the 2S7 was significantly superior to the M110 in terms of the main parameters: the firing range of the OFS (37.4 km versus 16.8 km), the ammunition load (4 shots versus 2), power density(17.25 hp / t versus 15.4), however, at the same time, the 2S7 self-propelled guns served 7 people versus 5 on the M110. In 1977 and 1978, the US Army received improved M110A1 and M110A2 self-propelled guns, which were distinguished by a maximum firing range increased to 30 km, however, they could not surpass the 2S7 self-propelled guns in this parameter. An advantageous difference between the Pion and the M110 self-propelled guns is a fully armored chassis, while the M110 only has an armored engine compartment.

In North Korea, in 1978, on the basis of the Type 59 tank, a 170-mm self-propelled gun "Koksan" was created. The gun made it possible to fire at a distance of up to 60 km, but had a number of significant drawbacks: low barrel survivability, low rate of fire, low chassis mobility and the lack of portable ammunition. In 1985, an improved version was developed, this weapon is appearance and layout resembled a self-propelled gun 2S7.

Attempts to create systems similar to the M110 and 2C7 were made in Iraq. In the mid-1980s, the development of the 210 mm AL FAO self-propelled gun began. The gun was created as a response to the Iranian M107, and the gun had to be significantly superior to this self-propelled gun in all respects. As a result, it was made, and in May 1989 it was demonstrated prototype ACS AL FAO. self-propelled artillery mount was a chassis self-propelled howitzer G6, which was equipped with a 210 mm gun. The self-propelled unit was capable of speeds up to 80 km/h on the march. The barrel length was 53 caliber. Shooting could be carried out both with conventional 109.4-kg high-explosive fragmentation shells with a bottom notch and a maximum firing range of 45 km, and shells with a bottom gas generator with a maximum firing range of up to 57.3 km. However, the economic sanctions against Iraq that followed in the early 1990s prevented the further development of the gun, and the project did not go beyond the prototype stage.

In the mid-1990s, the Chinese company NORINCO based on the M110 developed a prototype 203-mm self-propelled gun with a new artillery unit. The reason for the development was the unsatisfactory firing range of the M110 self-propelled guns. The new artillery unit made it possible to increase the maximum firing range of high-explosive fragmentation shells to 40 km, and of active-reactive shells to 50 km. In addition, the self-propelled guns could fire guided, nuclear projectiles, as well as cluster anti-tank mines. Further, the production of a prototype development did not advance.

As a result of the completion of the Pion R&D, the Soviet Army received an SPG, which embodied the most advanced design ideas self-propelled guns high power. For its class, the 2S7 self-propelled guns had high operational characteristics(maneuverability and relatively little time transfer of self-propelled guns to combat position and back). Thanks to the 203.2 mm caliber and maximum range firing high-explosive fragmentation shells, the Pion self-propelled gun had a high combat effectiveness: so, in 10 minutes of a fire raid, self-propelled guns are capable of "delivering" about 500 kg of explosive to the target. The modernization carried out in 1986 to the level of 2S7M allowed this self-propelled guns to meet the requirements for advanced artillery weapons systems for the period up to 2010. The only drawback noted by Western experts was the open installation of the gun, which did not allow the crew to be protected from shell fragments or enemy fire when working in position. Further improvement of the system was proposed to be carried out by creating guided projectiles of the "Smelchak" type, the firing range of which could be up to 120 km, as well as improving the working conditions of the ACS crew. In fact, after the withdrawal from the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and redeployment to the Eastern Military District, most of the self-propelled guns 2S7 and 2S7M were sent for storage, and only a small part of them remained in operation.

Photo 14.

But look at what an interesting sample of weapons:

Photo 16.

Experimental self-propelled artillery mount. The development of the ACS was carried out by the Central Design Bureau of the Uraltransmash plant, chief designer— Nikolai Tupitsyn. The first prototype of the self-propelled guns was built in 1976. In total, two copies of the self-propelled guns were built - with a gun from the Acacia self-propelled guns of 152-mm caliber and with a gun of the Hyacinth self-propelled guns. ACS "object 327" was developed as a competitor to the ACS "Msta-S", but turned out to be very revolutionary, it remained an experimental self-propelled gun. The self-propelled guns were distinguished by a high degree of automation - reloading of the gun was carried out regularly by an automatic loader with an external location of the gun with the placement of the ammunition rack inside the body of the self-propelled guns. During tests with guns of two types, the self-propelled guns showed high efficiency, but preference was given to more "technological" samples - 2S19 "Msta-S". Testing and design of ACS were discontinued in 1987.

The name of the object "puck" was unofficial. The second copy of the self-propelled guns with the 2A37 gun from the self-propelled guns "Hyacinth" since 1988 stood at the training ground and was preserved in the Uraltransmash museum.

There is also such a version that the prototype of the self-propelled guns shown in the photo is the only mock-up image that was also worked out on the topics “object 316 ″ (prototype self-propelled guns “Msta-S“), “object 326″ and “object 327″. During the tests, guns with different ballistics were installed on a rotating platform tower. The presented sample with a gun from the self-propelled gun "Hyacinth" was tested in 1987.

Photo 17.

Photo 18.

Today we will tell you about the largest in the world, which was created during the Second World War - we will talk about a unique super-heavy railway artillery piece German army called "Dora".

If you are well acquainted with history, then you probably remember that after the First World German artillery it was almost impossible - the reason for this was the Treaty of Versailles, according to which Germany was forbidden to have a gun whose caliber exceeded 150 mm. The Nazi leaders felt that the need had come to create a new large-caliber weapon that would overshadow all that existed in the world - this, among other things, would help raise Germany's prestige in the eyes of other states.

During his next visit to the Krupp plant in 1936, Hitler, at a meeting with the leadership, demanded the creation of a new super-powerful weapon that could easily destroy the French and Belgian border posts. Its maximum range was to reach about 45 kilometers, and the projectile itself could penetrate a 30-meter layer of soil, 7 m of concrete or 1 m of armor. The project was completed in 1937 and at the same time an order was placed for its manufacture at the Krupp plant. In 1941, the first gun was built, which it was decided to call "Dora" - in honor of the wife of the wife of the chief designer. A few months later, a second gun was created (it was much smaller than the first), the name of which was given in honor of the director of the plant - "Fat Gustav". In total, it took Germany more than 10 million Reichsmarks to create weapons, some of which was used to create a third weapon. It, however, was never completed.

Some characteristics of the Dora: length - 47.3 m, width - 7.1 m, height - 11.6 m, barrel length - 32.5 m, weight - 1350 tons. In order to prepare the weapon for battle, about 250 people and 2500 additional personnel were used, who did this in 54 hours. The weight of one projectile is 4.8 tons (high-explosive) or 7 tons (concrete-piercing), caliber - 807 mm. The number of shots - no more than 14 per day, maximum speed projectile - 720 m / s (concrete-piercing) or 820 m / s (high-explosive), effective range- up to 48 kilometers, depending on the projectile.

In order to deliver the Dora to one place or another, several locomotives were used (for example, it was brought to Sevastopol on five trains in 106 wagons). At the same time, all the necessary personnel barely fit in 43 wagons. Interestingly, in regular time only a couple of thousand people were enough to serve the Dora, but during the war this figure at least doubled.

One of the most famous uses of "Dora" - near Sevastopol. The Germans transported the gun to the Crimea. There was chosen firing position near the village of Duvankoy. The assembly of the gun and its preparation for firing took the staff about 6 weeks. She fired her first projectile (concrete-piercing) on ​​June 5 in the northern part of Sevastopol. Unfortunately for the Germans, the attack did not have the effect that the Nazis expected - for all the time only one successful hit was recorded, which caused the explosion of one of the ammunition depots. At the same time, the damage from the gun could be colossal, but only if the projectile hit exactly on target, which did not happen. But in order to set an exact target, it was necessary to keep the Dora practically near the city itself, which the Germans could not afford. In total, the shelling lasted 13 days, during which 53 shells were fired. Then the gun was dismantled and transported to Leningrad.

In 1945, American troops, while passing through the forests near the town of Auerbach, stumbled upon the remains of a huge metal structure, which was damaged by an explosion. A little further they found two trunks of incredible size. After questioning the prisoners of war, it turned out that these were the remains of "Dora" and "Gustav". After the investigation was completed, the remains of the guns were sent to be melted down.