It turns out like a paradox - the "organs" planted, which disorganized the work of the military design bureaus, and then created their own design bureaus in order to continue the same areas of research. And here, let's make a reservation - the "organs" really imprisoned, but they did it not on their own initiative, but on orders from above from the party leadership, according to their official rules, circulars, etc. Remove or leave such prominent figures as Bukharin and Tukhachevsky , Stalin personally decided, and not People's Commissar Yezhov, and even more so not ordinary employees of his People's Commissariat. But to lead the arrests of tens or even hundreds of thousands ordinary people Stalin physically could not. Arrests began with denunciations. Actors denounced actors and directors, engineers denounced engineers, etc. Employees of the lower and middle levels of the NKVD were illiterate in those years and often could not understand the "ninth wave" of denunciations. By the way, even now there are more than enough denunciations “where it should be”. After the publication in the mid-1990s of the book “Rockets over the Sea” and a number of articles, about two dozen denunciations were written against me in the FSB. Competitors who prepared similar publications wrote, wrote researchers from Okhta and from Tula, left without work and from idleness engaged in denunciations. In the end, it turned out that I had not disclosed any state secrets, and, by law, I could not be a defendant in a case of disclosure of state secrets. But all these gray-haired "Pavliki Morozovs" remained unpunished. What am I, Duma deputy Korzhakov exposed the informer-TV presenter, and he still flickers on the TV screen. Priest Gleb Yakunin exposed a number of high-ranking church fathers, and part-time agents of the KGB. So those "fathers" also remained on television, and Yakunin was excommunicated, like Stenka Razin and Leo Tolstoy.

By the way, even in pre-Petrine Russia there was a proverb: "The first whip to the scammer." Indeed, in most cases, the investigation in the Robbery Order began with the rise of the scammer on the rack. Yes, and during the "cult of personality" scammers accounted for a significant percentage of the repressed.

So, the engineers denounced, the "organs" were planted, and in the end it was decided to use the repressed engineers for their intended purpose.

Another factor that prompted the NKVD to take up the design of artillery systems was a complete mess in our artillery. Something the reader already knows. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. The indefatigable Tukhachevsky gave free rein to his fantasies and brought our artillery literally to the handle.

During the war years 1914-1917. special anti-aircraft guns 76-mm Lender arr. 1914, as well as 37-mm Maxim and 40-mm Vickers machine guns were not at the front, but something had to be defended from German airplanes. As a result, several dozen types of handicraft or semi-handicraft installations are being created, on which 76-mm field guns were rolled and fired at aircraft at an elevation angle of up to 50–60 °. So, for example, staff captain Rekalov converted into an anti-aircraft gun ... a horse thresher. In total, during the First World War, 96 76-mm guns mod. 1902 and 762 76 mm guns mod. 1900

There is no data on the results of the fire of improvised installations, and if they managed to shoot down anyone, then these aircraft can be counted on the fingers. Another question is that it was often possible to drive away enemy aircraft or reduce the accuracy of bombing. This was due to the low speed and maneuverability of the aircraft, low survivability, the lack of parachutes and the inexperience of the pilots.

In the early 1930s, materials appeared in the open press in the United States and England about the creation in these countries of universal (divisional anti-aircraft) guns. Whether it was the stupidity of the military leadership of these countries, or deliberate misinformation, is now difficult to find out, and hardly necessary. In any case, the leadership of the Red Army had no data either about the testing of these guns, or about the start of their mass production abroad.

And so Tukhachevsky decided to create a universal anti-aircraft field (divisional) gun. The best artillery design bureaus and 4 artillery factories have been working on a universal gun for almost 4 years. Several dozen prototypes were tested, but they all went to the metal. Tukhachevsky did not pay attention to anti-aircraft guns, and the scammers of plant No. 8 (named after Kalinin) were unable to establish mass production of even 20-mm and 37-mm machine guns from Rheinmetall. Although the production technology, prototypes and semi-finished products for several systems were presented to them on a silver platter. True, it cost the Soviet Union 5 million dollars. As a result, by the beginning of World War II, units of the Red Army had 7.62-mm machine guns as the only means of air defense.

At the end of 1932, at the suggestion of Tukhachevsky, work on the creation of towed guns of special power was stopped, and instead, the design of a triplex on the SU-7 self-propelled gun began. The triplex was supposed to include a 400-mm mortar, a 305-mm howitzer and a 203-mm cannon, all of these guns had pretty decent ballistic data for their time. And if they were allowed to finish in a towed version, then they would go into production in the worst case in 1935. But the great theorist said: "The future war will be a war of motors." From 1932 to December 1937, several million rubles swelled on a self-propelled gun, and only wooden layout.

On November 19, 1937, the chief designer of the Bolshevik plant, E. G. Rudyak, sent a letter to Marshal Kulik, stating: “The attitude of the Artillery Administration to the design of the SU-7 was ugly ... All taken together gives reason to think about the deliberate delay in the production of a prototype.”

The SU-7 self-propelled gun itself could neither cross the existing bridges, nor cross even small rivers. It was necessary to create a special tractor capable of pulling out a stuck SU-7 self-propelled gun. It also requires the creation of a special railway platform for its transportation by rail. The self-propelled gun fit into the railway gauge of the 3rd class, that is, it required the closure of oncoming traffic.

In November 1937, work on the triplex at SU-7 was terminated.

The political leadership tried to rectify the situation by starting negotiations with the Czech company Skoda on the purchase of a transportable duplex consisting of a 210-mm cannon and a 305-mm howitzer.

By order of People's Commissar of Internal Affairs Lavrenty Beria No. 00 240 dated April 20, 1938, the Main Artillery Design Bureau was organized in Leningrad, which later became the second largest artillery design bureau after the TsAKB, headed by V. G. Grabin.

The appendix to Beria's order stated that the design bureau was organized "for the purpose of making full use of imprisoned specialists to carry out special design work of defense significance.

The main task of the Design Bureau is to eliminate emerging design defects in naval and coastal artillery systems manufactured according to the drawings of the Leningrad Bolshevik plant, as well as to develop projects and working drawings of new artillery systems in service with the fleet and coastal defense. The design bureau is working according to the plan approved by the 3rd Main Directorate of the People's Commissariat for the Defense Industry.

The place for the design office was chosen in the "Crosses".

The first head of the OTB was a military engineer of the 1st rank Lomotko, and in post-war years- lieutenant colonel Balashov and lieutenant colonel (then colonel) Bespalov.

The working premises of the OTB were located on the territory of the "Crosses" in a four-story building with a blank end facing Komsomol Street. There was a carpentry in the basement.

Former prisoner S. I. Fomchenko, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in October 1937, later recalled: “... a closed funnel takes me to Kresty. Sometime in the middle of the day, I was called and led across the courtyard to the dining room, a spacious semi-basement with vaulted ceilings lined with long tables. There were chairs at the tables, not benches, as would have been appropriate for our brother. But that wasn't what struck me. In front of me was a deep enameled bowl filled to the brim with sliced ​​hot sausages drizzled with tomato sauce. That's not how they get food in prisons. They took me to the bathhouse, where I was bathing alone that time, gave me clean linen and took me to the bedroom. The bedroom, like a number of other similar ones, was located in a small one-story building, at the gate overlooking Komsomol Street. If it were not for the heavy prison door (albeit without the “feeder”) and the bars on the window, then it was a typical student dormitory room. Four iron beds with armored nets at the corners, an office table by the window overlooking the outer wall, a wardrobe by the door. Moreover, a fifth bed is placed in the middle - this is for me. Everything is neatly laid out, clean linen. Nobody here. My neighbors arrived in the evening. Immediately dinner, in the same dining room.

In the dining room, I was the only one in a padded jacket - suits, shirts, ties ... My God, where did I go? ..

The tables were covered with white tablecloths, and dinner was served by waiters in white jackets. (As I found out later, these were also prisoners, home workers.) A small blank piece of paper was prepared for each device. The neighbors explained to me that this was for an order for tomorrow.

The possibilities of ordering are sufficiently characterized by the fact that some avoided ordering fried chicken in order not to fiddle with the bones and get their hands dirty. Everything was served in plates (not aluminum bowls!), hot, straight off the stove.”

Here, for example, is the meeting of the OTB team in December 1939, dedicated to the bureau's annual report. Excerpts from the section “States of hired specialists”: “Replenishment to the budgeted staff was carried out over two quarters of the year with great difficulty, and only during the 3rd and 4th quarters did we manage to bring the number to 146 people. specialists and 12 people. serving up to 158 people. The average payroll during the year is expressed as 136 people, and the estimate provided for 130 people.

And further: “Comrades, the program of work for 1940 is intense, it requires us to exert effort and maximum energy to carry it out. Our collective is quite healthy and, I would say, well-solidified, and is not afraid of any difficulties, and therefore, we, Bolsheviks, party and non-Party, must say our weighty word that the plan of work for 1940 will be honestly and of high quality ahead of schedule, to this, comrades, and I call on you all.”

I am sure that many middle-aged and older readers often heard such stereotyped words at work.

From Muravyov’s speech (it is not clear from the report whether he was a prisoner or a civilian): “We must also fulfill the work offered to us by the party and the government for 1940 with honor and ahead of schedule, for this we all need to take on specific practical socialist obligations.”

As you can see, by the end of 1939, 136 convict specialists worked in the OTB. It was not possible to establish the names of all the prisoners, since all documentation related to the OTB is still classified. However, a number of surnames can already be named. These are Viktor Leonidovich Brodsky, Eduard Eduardovich Papmel, Antony Severinovich Tochinsky, Alexander Lazarevich Konstantinov, Andrey Mitrofanovich Zhuravsky, Nikolai Sergeevich Koshlyakov and Mikhail Yuryevich Tsirulnikov. From the beginning of its operation, the leading designer of the OTB was Sergey Ivanovich Lodkin, who previously worked as a designer at the Baltic and Metal Plants and was arrested in 1933. Lodkin was accused of transferring information about the Soviet Navy to Czech intelligence and sentenced to 10 years. Until 1937, Sergei Ivanovich drove a wheelbarrow at the construction of the White Sea-Baltic Canal, where he fell ill with tuberculosis, and then was sent to Leningrad, where in 1938 he headed the OTB.

In the pre-war period, a restaurant food system was organized in the OTB. The imprisoned specialists received a salary of 50-240 rubles per month. They were given free clothes - suits, shirts, ties, as prisoners often went on business trips to factories, mainly to Bolshevik.

The imprisoned specialists were given access to secret work. The imprisoned project managers and senior engineers were accompanied by plainclothes escorts when they went to factories, production meetings or field tests. But they were not allowed to enter the production meetings, or the workshops, or the shooting range. The guards waited for their wards at the checkpoint or in the 1st department. It never occurred to anyone that the specialists who arrived were prisoners, since they were all well dressed, cut and shaved. I note that OTB has always had a good hairdresser.

Looking ahead, I’ll say that when, at the end of the 1940s, the prisoners’ ten-year terms began to end, they faced a difficult choice: to remain working in the sharaga, but already as a civilian employee, or to go 101 kilometers from Moscow, Leningrad and others major cities and at the same time have restrictions in the choice of work. A lot of people chose sharaga and received special passes from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. S. I. Fomchenko recalled: “One of our designers jumped off a tram on Liteiny, just opposite the Big House, and on the sidewalk, as if it were a sin, a policeman:“ Your documents. The loser holds out a pass. The guard, after a brief glance, returns and, taking it under his visor, with a sigh, sadly comments: “You write the laws yourself, you break them yourself.” In KB, of course, fun.

In July 1941, the evacuation of the OTB from Leningrad began.

Documents covering this process, alas, are stored in the secret archives of the FSB. It is only known that prisoners from the "Crosses" ended up in both Tomsk and Molotov (until 1938 and since 1957 Severodvinsk), where they worked in the 20th department of the STP at shipbuilding plant No. 402.

By the summer of 1942, most of the OTB staff was concentrated in Perm (the city was called Molotov from 1940 to 1957, but I will use a more familiar name for readers). In Perm, OTB officers were scattered over several buildings in different parts of the city, at least one of them was located on the territory of artillery plant No. Molotov. According to the name of this plant, OTB was renamed OKB-172. I will immediately note that at plant No. 172, both before 1942 and after, there was a design bureau, where civilian engineers worked. To distinguish between them, I wrote OKB-172 and OKB Plant No. 172 in the Encyclopedia of Russian Artillery.

In December 1944 OKB-172 returned to Leningrad to its old premises in Kresty. There, in May 1945, the 20th department of plant No. 402 was transferred from Molotov in full force.

The work in the OKB was intense, I had to work 10 hours a day. The first time after returning to Leningrad, the supply and nutrition of imprisoned specialists was poor, but after May 9, 1945, everything returned to normal. The working day was reduced to 8 hours, food improved, days off appeared and holidays, two or three times a month a bath was arranged for the prisoners. The daily routine was approximately the following: rise at 7 o'clock, breakfast at 8 o'clock, lunch at 14 o'clock, dinner at 19 o'clock, lights out at 23 o'clock. Living rooms were for 3-4 people.

The Design Bureau had a wonderful technical library, which received technical journals both in Russian and in foreign languages. The library did not receive newspapers, but the radio worked there.

Guns for leaders and destroyers 1938–1945

In 1938–1953 in OTB (OKB-172) several dozen artillery systems were designed. It is physically impossible to tell about all of them because of the volume of the publication, and the author was unable to find information on many systems. Therefore, only the most interesting systems will be discussed here, and the reader will be able to find information about the rest in the “List of OKB-172 Works” at the end of the chapter.

The first and very important task assigned by the government to the OTB was the creation of new tower installations for leaders and destroyers. In the late 1930s, the leadership of the USSR decided to create an ocean-going fleet, but, alas, there were no artillery systems necessary for its armament. Thus, the 130/50 mm B-13 cannon in a shield mount, which entered service with the leaders of projects I and 38 and the destroyers of projects 7 and 7U, had a number of design flaws and was not suitable for anti-aircraft fire.

The first version of the tactical and technical specifications for the 130-mm twin-turret mount was issued on April 15, 1936. The draft design was approved on October 19, 1938. The installation was intended for the leaders of projects 20, 48 and destroyers of project 30. For both leader projects, rigid drums were originally designed under the 130-mm B-31 artillery systems, which never left the design stage, in which both barrels were in the same cradle.

A new technical project was produced by OTB and approved on February 16, 1939. The unit was named B2-LM (two-gun turret for leaders and destroyers). The swinging part of the installation was manufactured by the Bolshevik plant (No. 232), and the remaining parts of the installation were manufactured by the Leningrad Metal Plant (Fig. 8.1).

Rice. 8.1. 130 mm B-2-LM turret for leaders and destroyers.

Factory tests of the B-2-LM prototype were carried out at the LMZ in July - August 1940. Field tests were carried out in two stages: from December 4, 1940 to January 27, 1941 and from April 27 to May 27, 1941. Total fired 240 shots. According to the test results, the installation was recommended for adoption.

By July 8, 1941, three B-2-LM turrets were installed on the leader "Tashkent" instead of the B-13. State ship tests were carried out on it in July 1941 in the Sevastopol Bay. Due to the hasty evacuation at the plant number 198 (Nikolaev), 5 B-2-LM towers were left. In 1942, the State Defense Committee ordered the People's Commissariat of the Shipbuilding Industry (NKSP) to organize the production of B-2-LM installations at plant No. 402 (Molotov).

In the post-war period, the production of B-2-LM was carried out until 1953 at the Bolshevik factories, the Starokramatorsky machine-building plant and at plant No. 75 (Yurga).

In addition to "Tashkent", B-2-LM was installed on destroyers of projects 30K and 30bis and one destroyer of project 7.

For merits in the creation of the B-2-LM her chief designer Lodkin was released ahead of schedule in 1943, awarded two orders and the Stalin Prize. After his release, he remained to work at OKB-172 until it was disbanded, and then until his death in 1955 he worked at OKB-43.

The B-2-LM installation had a monoblock barrel with deep cutting. Two-stroke piston valve. At the right and left guns, the shutters opened to the left. Although the project provided for the pneumatic opening of the shutter, they were opened manually. Each gun had its own cradle. The swinging part is similar to the B-13. The vertical and horizontal guidance mechanisms had electric drives.

The lifting of ammunition in the rotating part was carried out through the feed shafts by carriages separately for each gun (chain-type feed). The shaft passed through the combat table and the turret compartment and was attached to the deck of this compartment through a centering pin. The transfer of ammunition from a fixed part to a rotating part was carried out manually.

The bow ("high") and stern ("low") turrets of the destroyers differed in the height of the rigid drum (4075 mm and 3700 mm, respectively).

The B-2-LM installation was equipped with the MB-6 sight.

Installation data B-2-LM

Caliber, mm - 130

Barrel length, mm/klb - 6581/50.6

Liner length, mm/clb - 6450/49.6

The length of the threaded part, mm - 5199

Chamber volume, dm3 - 17.53

Number of grooves - 40

Depth of grooves, mm - 2.7

Groove width, mm - 6.0

Field width, mm - 4.2

Shutter weight, kg - about 133

Liner weight, kg - 487

Barrel weight, kg - 3680

Barrel weight with breech and bolt, kg - 5070

VN angle, deg - ?5; +45

Loading angle, hail -? 5; +45

Angle GN, degrees - 360

HV speed, deg / s: from the electric motor - 9.85

manually - 6

Speed ​​GN, deg / s: from the electric motor - 9.7

manually - 2.3

Lifting sector radius, mm - 915

Ball diameter, mm - 76.2

Number of balls - 120

Number of vertical rollers - 9

Tower length, mm - 5283

Tower width, mm - 4316

Sweeping radius, mm: on trunks - 5210

on rotating armor - 3180

Booking, mm:

Tower walls - 8

Barbet - 5

Weight of recoil parts (one gun), kg - 5400

The weight of the swinging part (one gun), kg - 7400

PUS tower weight, kg - 1600

Weight of electrical equipment, kp of the rotating part - 1200

fixed part - 1400

Armor weight, kg - 7000

Fixed base weight, kg - 5325

The weight of the rotating part of the tower, kg - 42,000

Weight of the fixed part of the tower, kg - 6600

Total weight towers, kg - about 49 000

Rate of fire per barrel, rds / min - 12

Calculation of the tower, people - 23

Cellar capacity (per turret): 300 shells

charges - 300

Control device - BAS

Sight - MB-6

Number of sights - 1

Chemical protection of the tower - Individual

Transportation by rail... Assembled without top feed, as oversized cargo. Ammunition and ballistics of the B-2-LM completely coincided with the shells and ballistics of the 130-mm gun B-13.

In December 1938, OTB presented draft diagrams of 130-mm turret mounts for cruisers and B-2-KM monitors. The B-2-KM installations were 80% unified with the B-2-LM. The B-2-KM project was not accepted, although it received a good assessment from the leadership of the Navy.

On May 2, 1942, the GKO ordered the NKSP (decree No. 1684ss) to organize the production of 130-mm turrets for monitors and destroyers of project 30: a total of 16 turrets at plant No. 402.

It was unrealistic to manufacture two fundamentally different installations for plant No. 402 in wartime conditions. In this regard, OKB-172 developed a technical and working design for a monitor installation, which received the B-2-LMT index (T - heavy). The B-2-LMT installations were 80% unified with the B-2-LM. All work on the design of the B-2-LMT was completed by the end of 1943.

Six B-2-LMT turrets, manufactured at factory No. 402, were installed on the Sivash and Perekop monitors.

The trunks of the B-2-LMT installation were identical to those of the B-28 installation.

Two swinging parts were mounted in the installation. The basis of each swinging part was a light cradle with trunnions. The liner was changed without removing the oscillating part from the turret. There was a pneumatic rammer in the tray. When the shutter was closed, the tray leaned back to the breech, and when the shutter was opened, it was installed on the forwarding line.

The recoil devices consisted of a hydraulic recoil brake and a hydropneumatic knurler. Vertical and horizontal guidance had two drives: the main one from the electric motor and the backup manual.

The lifting of ammunition in the rotating part was carried out through the supply shafts by carriages separately for each gun. Supply of ammunition chain type. The feed shaft passed through the combat table to the turret compartment and was attached to the deck of this compartment through a centering pin.

The transfer of ammunition from the fixed part to the rotating part was done manually. The shells went directly to the turret compartment, where they were manually transferred to the upper feed shell trays. The feed had electric and manual drives.

Installation data B-2-LMT

Angle VN, deg -5; +45

Angle GN, deg - ±150

HV speed, deg / s: from the electric motor - 10

manually - 6

Speed ​​GN, deg / s: from the electric motor - 10

manually - 2

Rollback length maximum, mm - 505

The excess of the axis of the tool over the axis of the trunnions, mm - 6

The height of the line of fire above the deck, mm - 2227

The height of the axis of the gun above the floor of the fighting compartment, mm - 1540

The height of the tower from the bottom pin to the top of the roof, mm - 5400

The height of the roof of the tower above the deck, mm - 3140

Tower length, mm - 5283

Tower width, mm - 4316

Sweep radius on trunks, mm - 5210

Sweeping radius on rotating armor, mm - 3180

Tower diameter on a fixed base, mm - 3550

Booking, mm: Forehead - 100

Rear plate - 100

Swinging Shield - 8

The weight of the swinging part of one gun, t - 7.4

Total weight of the tower, t - 90.9

Tower sight - VB-1

Tower sight - MB-6

Calculation, people: without cellars - 21

with cellars - 27

Ammunition, shots / barrel - 150

The shots and ballistics of the B-2-LMT mount are identical to the B-2-LM mount.

The B-2-LM turrets, like the B-13, were not suitable for anti-aircraft fire. This was due to the low (45°) elevation angle, low rate of fire, cap loading, etc. For new destroyers in 1939, OTB received performance requirements for a two-gun turret universal mount. The preliminary design of such an installation was completed by the OTB on December 26, 1939. The installation was called B-2-U (two-gun universal turret), I note that the swinging part of the installation was also called B-2-U.

B-2-U had a barrel length of 55 calibers with a free pipe and a horizontal wedge gate with spring-type semi-automatic. The cradle is individual for each trunk. The installation stabilized in the horizontal plane.

For the first time in Soviet naval guns, an automatic tube (fuze) installer was used. The tower of the installation had armor around 8 mm, with the exception of 10 mm of the rear wall, which was done to balance the system. The installation had a "Change" fire control system, an MB-6 / VB-1 sight.

Installation data B-2-U

Caliber, mm - 130

Barrel length, mm / klb - 7150/55

Liner length, mm - 6750

The length of the threaded part, mm - 5540

The volume of the charging chamber, dm3 - 17.13

The steepness of the rifling, klb - 30

Number of grooves - 40

Cutting depth, mm - 2.7

Cutting width, mm - 6.0

Field width, mm - 4.2

Liner weight, kg - 965

Barrel weight with bolt, kg - 3420

Barrel survivability, rds - 600

Angle VN, deg. - ?5; +85

Angle GN, deg. - 360

Speed ​​from the electric motor, deg / s: VN - 12

The excess of the axis of the tool above the axis of the trunnions - 30

The height of the axis of the gun from the deck, mm - 1930

The distance between the axis of the pins and the axis of the tower, mm - 270

Distance between axes of guns, mm - 960

Tower height from deck, mm - 3175

The length of the tower on the armor, mm - 5310

The width of the tower on the armor, mm - 4400

Ball ring diameter, mm - 3400

Installation rate, volleys per minute - 13

Muzzle velocity, m/s - 900

Firing range, km - 28.6

Ceiling, km - 13

In April 1940, the People's Commissar of the Navy ordered that the Project 35 destroyer being designed (displacement - 2000 tons) be armed with three B-2-U installations. It was decided to start building the lead destroyer in 1942.

In 1940, the Bolshevik plant, together with plant No. 371 named after. Stalin began to manufacture a prototype B-2-U, but with the outbreak of war, work on it was stopped.

In the fall of 1942, the design of the Project 40 destroyer with a displacement of 2700 tons began. In 1943, OKB-172 developed a modernized version of the 130-mm B-2-U-TL universal mount for it. The construction of Project 40 destroyers was supposed to begin in 1946, but already in 1945, work on them and on B-2-U-TL was stopped.

180 mm mount MU-1

The performance specification for the installation of the MU-1 with the ballistics of the 180-mm gun B-1-P was issued in 1939, in the same year the OTB designed it.

In 1940, work on the MU-1 was suspended due to the acceleration of work on the MU-2 and resumed in 1943. In 1943, OKB-172 developed a technical design, which was approved by the head of the Art Administration on June 22, 1944.

According to GKO Decree No. 7849 dated March 16, 1945, the MU-1 series was manufactured without preliminary construction and testing of the prototype. The Barrikady plant produced a series of 12 MU-1 oscillating parts in 1947.

Twelve MU-1 installations were manufactured by the Leningrad Metal Plant. Moreover, the riveted barrel was replaced with a welded one. In the 4th quarter of 1947 LMZ completed 8 installations and in the 1st quarter of 1948 - 4 installations.

The prototype MU-1 (barrel No. 3, machine No. 2) was tested at the range in two stages from October 26 to December 3, 1947 and from February 19 to March 20, 1948. A total of 352 shots were fired. The results were considered satisfactory, and the MU-1 was recommended for adoption.

The first four MU-1 installations (No. 5, 6.7 and 8) in accordance with the Council of Ministers of December 30, 1949 No. 5924-2227ss, were mounted in 1952 on battery No. 127 in Port Arthur. The battery was built from 1950 to 1953. State tests of the battery were carried out from November 1953 to January 1954. By order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy dated April 9, 1954 No. 00137, a 180-mm four-gun battery MU-1 with the Moskva-2s launcher -CM" was accepted into the coastal defense of Port Arthur.

In 1953, in Kamchatka, near Cape Bezymyanny, the construction of battery No. 41 began, consisting of four MU-1 installations. Battery No. 41 was commissioned in 1957. By the Directive of the General Staff of the Navy dated March 12, 1974, the battery was disbanded.

In the deck version, the MU-1 was supposed to be installed on ships, and in the coastal version - in single-gun turrets. In addition, the swinging part of the MU-1 could be installed on the TM1-180 railway conveyor, on the MO-1-180 coastal shield installation and on the MB-2-180 coastal tower installation.

At the end of 1946, OKB-172 developed drawings for the left and right swing parts of the MU-1-B and MB-2-180.

The barrel of the MU-1 installation is lined. The shutter is a two-stroke piston action, when opened, the shutter leans upwards. The shutter was opened from an electric drive, automatic switch on which was carried out with the help of an electrical contact at the end of the gun roll. The drive motor is mounted on a foundation fixed on the left side of the cradle. The mailing was carried out by a spring rammer of a throwing type.

The serial installation MU-1 was intended for stationary coastal batteries. In addition, it could be used to create temporary batteries. In this case, instead of the central supply of ammunition from the reloading compartment, a device is provided for external towing and loading of shells through the windows in the armor.

The reloading compartment was in a concrete block. The thickness of the concrete ceiling of the cellar is 1600 mm. Cellar capacity - 200 shots. The supply of ammunition is only manual.

Through the cavity of the combat pin, a projectile feed shaft, a charging pipe, electrical cables and hoses for supplying compressed air passed from the reloading compartment.

The fixed base - the support of the rotating part - served to fasten it to the embedded parts of the concrete block. It was a cast ring with a flange and stiffeners.

Sighting devices- B-13–1 and LB-13–1. PUS "Moscow" system.

MU-1 barrel data

Caliber, mm - 180

Barrel length, klb - 57

Chamber volume, dm - 52.27

The steepness of the rifling (constant), klb - 25

Number of grooves - 40

Depth of grooves, mm - 3.6

The width of the rifling, mm - 8.9

Field width, mm - 5.24

Table 35

The ammunition and ballistics of the MU-1 mount are the same as the ammunition and ballistics of the 180 mm B-1-P gun.

Table 36

Note: When firing a remote grenade with a BM-16 tube, the firing range with an initial velocity of 920 m/s is 29,447 m, and with an initial velocity of 800 m/s, it is 25,606 m.

The maximum pressure in the bore is 3157 kg/cm2.

152 mm mount MU-2

In March 1939, the terms of reference for the design of a 152/57-mm open deck and coastal installation (later called MU-2) were developed. According to the terms of reference, the installation should have a barrel and ballistic data of the 152-mm B-38 gun, which was used in the MK-5 installations of the Project 68 cruisers. A pin-type machine with a box shield (Fig. 8.2).

Rice. 8.2. 152/75-mm open deck and coastal installation MU-2 (longitudinal section).

By order of the People's Commissar of the Armed Forces of September 21, 1939 No. 254ss, the OTB was entrusted with the design of a 152 / 57-mm installation with a swinging part of the B-38.

On December 8, 1939, a technical meeting on the MU-2 was held at the OTB, where two installation options were considered: with changes to the swinging part of the B-38 and without changes. The first option had the following advantages: pneumatic shutter drive; the use of a rammer without air consumption according to the B-2-LM type; the layout of the system and its mechanisms are more compact. The second option is faster to design, and it was possible to issue working drawings as early as April 1940. The meeting decided to make the installation unchanged (according to the second option).

In fact, the MU-2 barrel had a breech of a fundamentally different type than that of the B-38, which is why the MU-2 and B-38 barrels required various types machine tools.

The agreement between the Artillery Directorate of the Navy and the Design Bureau for the development of a technical project was concluded on March 21, 1940, and immediately the Bolshevik plant was ordered a head series of 20 installations.

For the first time for open installations (in coastal and ship versions), the supply of ammunition through the pin was designed.

Table 37. Weight data MU-2

The first battery of coastal guns MU-2 (out of 20 ordered) was manufactured at the Bolshevik plant according to the drawings and TU OTB. The lead sample MU-2 was presented to the commission on June 26, 1941. The sample was delivered to the NIAP on June 29, 1941, firing tests were carried out from July 4 to July 11, 1941. The liner of the MU-2 is the same as that of the B-38.

In September 1941, the 152-mm MU-2 system was tested there on the B-64 railway transporter. At the beginning of the war, the NIAP carried out control firing of six swinging parts of the MU-2.

In 1940, ANIMI gave an order to plant No. 172 for the design of a 152-mm mechanized cannon based on the MU-2 with a swinging part of the B-38, with a technical project completion date of the IV quarter of 1941.

In 1941, OKB-172 developed draft schemes: MU-2 / B-4 - installation of MU-2 on a B-4 carriage; MU-2/P - installation MU-2 on a transportable base.

In 1944, OKB-172 carried out an adjustment to the working drawings of the MU-2 before launching it into a series. In 1945–1946 at the Bolshevik plant, the head series MU-2 was manufactured in a coastal version.

In 1947, OKB-172 carried out a new adjustment of the drawings of the MU-2 based on the results of the manufacture of the lead batch. Constructive and technological change, somehow: the forged breech was replaced by a cast one, a welded one was introduced instead of a riveted combat table, most of the parts began to be made by stamping, etc.

After that, the installations, made according to the modified drawings of the 1947 issue, became known as the MU-2 gun mounts of the II series.

The description of the MU-2-IIc installation, published in 1952, refers only to a manual vertical guidance drive. Nevertheless, in the drives of vertical and horizontal guidance, the levers for switching from manual to electric drives were preserved.

In 1946, the Bolshevik plant delivered 18 MU-2 units, in 1947 - 32, in 1948 - 16, and in 1950 - 16 units.

As of January 1, 1991, the Navy had 15 MU-2 II series installations. Of these, 4 units are installed on the batteries of the Northern Fleet (battery No. 10), 4 - on the batteries of the Black Sea Fleet and 7 - in the central warehouses.

In 1948, the technical design of the MU-2M, developed by OKB-172, was approved. The MU-2M installation was intended for stationary coastal defense batteries and was an upgrade of the MU-2-IIc. The modernization consisted in the introduction of a spring rammer of the MU-1 type and in the establishment of circular armor protection.

A prototype MU-2M with circular armor was manufactured by the Bolshevik plant and passed factory tests in 1952. During these tests, the liner was displaced, and a number of other design flaws were identified. The project was decided to be finalized in the design bureau of the plant (chief designer T. D. Vylkost). At the end of 1952, it was decided to assign a new "Bolshevik" index "B-140" to the system. But for some reason, this index did not take root, and the installation received the index MU-2MB. The elevation angle remained -2°; +40°.

There were still no electric drives, but the loading angle became + 10 °; +25° instead of 0°; +12°. Accordingly, the rate of fire at large angles has increased. MU-2MB was supposed to have a Bureya or Moskva launcher.

In 1955, the MU-2MB installation passed factory and field tests, and at this point all work on it was stopped.

The barrel of the MU-2 installation consisted of a liner, a monoblock, a bolt sleeve and a breech. Piston shutter, two-stage, two-stroke action, opened to the right. Shutter drive only manual. Shooting mechanism BS-9.

The projectile and semi-charges were sent manually. The time of sending the projectile was about 2 s and the charge was also about 2 s. The installation was equipped with B-13-1 and LB-13-1 sights and the Moskva PUS system. All ammunition supply drives were only manual.

By rail, the installation was transported without feed mechanisms. The maximum weight of the transported parts is about 45 tons.

MU-2 barrel data

Caliber, mm - 152.4

The full length of the barrel from the breech cut, mm / klb - 8950 / 58.9

Channel length, mm/klb - 8690/57.0

The length of the threaded part, mm - 6980

Chamber length, mm: without ramps - 1455

with slopes - 1637.5

Chamber volume, dm - 32.8

Number of grooves - 40

Depth of grooves, mm - 3.05

The width of the rifling, mm - 7.5

Field width, mm - 4.47

Shutter weight, kg - 583

Liner weight, kg - 1100

Barrel weight without breech and bolt, kg - 7045

Barrel weight with breech and bolt, kg - 11 780

Table 38. Data of the MU-2 installation

* Technical design and working drawings.

Ammunition and ballistic data of the MU-2 coincided with the 180-mm ship and coastal installations.

Universal 100–130 mm ship mounts

In 1946, OKB-172 developed a technical design for the BL-109 two-gun universal turret mount for leaders and destroyers. In the first quarter of 1947, OKB-172 completed the working drawings of the BL-109 with the expectation of installation on Project 30bis destroyers.

The production of BL-109 was planned at the LMZ, and the swinging parts - at the Bolshevik plant. However, it was later decided that Bolshevik would manufacture the installations completely. The Bolshevik plant manufactured six units.

The installation of the BL-109 on the destroyers of the 30bis project required refinement in the technical design of the ship, which the Ministry of the Shipbuilding Industry did not agree to, and the old B-2-LM towers were again installed on the destroyers.

In 1948, OKB-172 produced a draft design of two BL-109A towers intended for installation on Stalin-type line icebreakers.

It was planned to install 6 BL-109A towers on the project 82 heavy cruisers under construction. In March 1953, work on the project 82 cruisers was stopped. By that time, the Bolshevik plant had delivered 12 BL-109A oscillating parts. In the summer of 1953, the BL-109 system was renamed 2M-109.

The BL-109 barrel consisted of a free tube, casing and breech. Shutter wedge horizontal, semi-automatic copy type. Manual drive. The bore of the BL-109 is identical to the bore of the SM-2–1. Ammunition and ballistic data are fully consistent with the SM-2-1.

The supply of ammunition was carried out by a constantly moving chain. The rammer is hydropneumatic. The knurler is pneumatic.

Fire control was carried out using the Sirius B radar (SHTAG-B). Guidance drive control remote (BL-200 system), local and manual.

Installation data BL-109

Trunk

Caliber, mm - 130

Barrel length full, mm/klb - 7810/60.1

Channel length, mm/clb - 7050/54.2

The length of the threaded part, mm - 5927

Chamber length, mm: without ramps - 817.5

with slopes - 1224

Chamber volume, dm - 19.6

The steepness of the rifling (constant), klb - 25

Number of grooves - 28

Depth of grooves, mm - 2.7

The width of the rifling, mm - 8.3

Field width, mm - 6.3

Shutter weight, kg - 150

Free pipe weight, kg - 1177

Barrel weight with breech and bolt, kg - 4880

Installation

Angle VN, deg -? 8; +83

Angle GN, deg - ±320

manually - 5

manually - 1.2

Rollback length, mm - 600

Distance between the axes of the gun, mm - 1000

Ball diameter, mm - 75

Diameter along the axes of the rollers of the combat pin, mm - 3280

Rigid drum diameter, mm - 3700/3930

Booking options

Frontal, rear and side walls, mm - 81 225

Roof, mm - 81 225

Swinging shield, mm - 8812

Shelf, mm - 668

Turret dimensions with 8 mm armor

Tower length, mm - 5846

Tower width, mm - 4536

Roof height above deck, mm - 3013

for armor - 450

Weight summary

Retractable part of one gun, t - 6.1

The swinging part of one gun, t - 5.25

The fixed part of the tower, t - 6.2

Options with armor thickness: - 8 mm - 12 mm - 25 mm

Rotating part weight, t - 49.8 - 51.8 - 59.0

Weight of the entire installation, t - 56.0 - 58.0 - 65.2

Operating data

Rate of fire (one barrel) with loading:

from the electric motor, rds / min - 15

manually, rds / min - 8

The number of innings per minute, shots - 2x17

Calculation of the tower, people - 23

Calculation with cellars, people - 27

Sights - VB-I, MB-1

With a projectile weight of 33.4 kg, a charge weight of 12.92 kg and an initial speed of 950-1000 m / s, the firing range was 32,390 m, the reach was 22.4 km.

Loading separately-sleeve. Sleeve weight 27.8 kg.

In 1946, OKB-172 developed a technical design for the BL-110 130-mm universal turret mount, and in November 1947 it was supposed to submit its working drawings. The manufacture of the BL-110 towers was planned at the LMZ, and the swinging parts - at the Bolshevik plant.

The BL-110 towers were planned to be installed on the Project 82 cruisers and Project 24 battleships. The guns and ballistic data of the BL-110 coincided with those of the BL-109.

The working drawings of the BL-109 and BL-110 installations were made in 1950–1951. In the summer of 1953, the BL-110 system was renamed 2M-110.

In 1953, the Bolshevik plant manufactured prototype BL-110, and in the same year they conducted factory tests of the installation. After the liquidation of OKB-172, OKB-43 took part in the work on the 2M-110.

In 1954, the 130-mm installation 2M-110 was tested by shooting at Rzhevka. Shooting results May 5, 1954: Shooting was carried out with a projectile of drawing No. 2-4172 weighing 33.14 kg. The weight of the 130/58BP brand charge was 14.37 kg. Average length rollback at the same time amounted to 533 mm.

Soon, work on 2M-110 was stopped.

Installation data BL-110

Angle VN, deg -? 8; +83

Angle GN, deg - ±320

HV speed, deg / s: from the electric motor - 20

manually - 5

Speed ​​GN, deg / s: from the electric motor - 20

manually - 0.7

Rollback length, mm - 600

Height of the line of fire, mm: above deck - 1945

above the flooring of the fighting compartment - 1400

Distance between axes of guns, mm - 1000

Ball ring diameter, mm - 3600

Ball diameter, mm - 75

Tower length, mm - 5990

Tower width, mm - 4680

Tower height above deck, mm - 3195

Sweeping radius, mm: along the trunk - 6600

for armor - 3520

Booking options: BL-110* - BL-110A**

Frontal, rear and side walls, mm - 50* - 80**

Roof, mm - 70* - 70**

Swinging shield, mm - 30* - 30**

Shelf, mm - 20* - 20**

Weight summary

Retractable part of one gun, t - 6.1* - 6.1**

Swinging part, t - 9.5* - 9.5**

Fixed part of the tower, t - 6.2* - 6.2**

Rotating part, t - 83.8* - 92.8**

Whole unit, t - 90.0* - 99.0**

* For the cruiser "Kirov".

** For battleships.

Operational and other data

Rate of fire of one barrel, rds / min:

with charging from an electric motor - 15

with manual loading - 8

Calculation without cellars and overloads, people - 19

Sights - VB-1, MB-6

In 1949, OKB-172 completed the design of the BL-127 100-mm four-gun turret (Fig. 8.3).

Rice. 8.3. BL-127 100-mm four-gun turret mount, designed to replace the SM-5 mount with the pro cruisers. 68bis

The installation was not accepted for service, but it should be considered as original constructive solution. Its four trunks were located in two cradles, and in one common cradle the trunks were placed one above the other. The barrel was taken from the SM-5 installation. BL-127 could be installed on battleships, cruisers and patrol ships (except destroyers). For example, on Project 68bis cruisers, instead of 6 SM-5-1 gun mounts, 6 BL-127 mounts were placed (without any special design changes), which doubled the number of 100-mm anti-aircraft guns without a significant increase in displacement. (According to calculations for 1949, the overload of the cruiser when replacing the SM-5–1 with the BL-127 would have been no more than 1.5–2% of the standard displacement.)

Installation data BL-127

Angle VN, deg -? 5; +85

Angle GN, deg - ±320

Rolling target tracking

with guidance speed, deg / s: VN - 20

The height of the line of fire of the lower gun from the deck, mm - 1480

Tower height from deck (without radar), mm - 3270

Drum height, mm - 2080

Drum diameter, mm - 3950

Tower width, mm - 4560

Horizontal distance between the axes of the guns, mm - 1600

Tower length, mm - 6040

The radius of sweeping over the armor, mm - about 3640

Turret weight with bulletproof armor, t - 66

Calculation, persons - 19

Of them in the tower, people - 14

Rate of fire, rds / min - 16–18

The ammunition and ballistics of the BL-127 installation completely coincided with the ammunition and ballistics from the SM-5.

Modeled after BL-127 in 1949–1950 A project of a 130-mm four-turret BL-132 was created. Two 130-mm barrels were placed one above the other in a common cradle. Four BL-132 installations were supposed to be installed on the projected light cruiser of the MLK 16 ... 130 type.

Anti-aircraft ship machines

On February 25, 1945, ANIOLMI issued to the industry a tactical and technical assignment for a 25-mm twin deck automatic installation 2M-3, designed to arm torpedo boats of projects 183 and 184. The specified tactical and technical assignment was approved by the Deputy Commander of the Navy on March 14, 1947.

OKB-43 took over the design of the installation, but work on its model, which received the index 2M-3, was difficult, and on December 31, 1949, the Ministry of Armaments sent letters to OKB-172 with instructions to develop a similar 25-mm twin installation, and already On February 21, 1950, OKB-172 presented a project for the BL-130 installation. A. L. Konstantinov was the lead designer of the installation.

By this time, engineer lieutenant colonel A. V. Androshchuk became the head of OKB-172, and L. M. Alaverdyants became the lead engineer.

Installation BL-130 pedestal with a horizontal arrangement of trunks. Anti-corrosion materials are used in the installation. Like 2M-3, the BL-130 uses 110-P assault rifles, but their design includes a device for pneumocharging and a special pneumohydraulic device for shock absorption.

The installation had local armor, streamlined armor with a thickness of 3-4 mm. The weight of the unit without shock-absorbing devices is 1200 kg, and with shock-absorbing devices - 1400 kg.

In terms of a number of characteristics, the BL-130 was superior to the 2M-3, but at the end of 1950 it was decided to put the 2M-3 into mass production, since its degree of readiness was higher than that of the BL-130.

At the end of the 1940s, for arming heavy cruisers of project 82 (10 installations per ship) and destroyers, OKB-172 developed 25-mm quad automatic installations BL-120-I and BL-120-II, differing in power supply systems (for direct and alternating currents). The first two units BL-120–1 were manufactured in 1950 at plant No. 535. The drives for guiding the units are electro-hydraulic. The food is obsolete. There are 4 cartridges in the clip. The barrels are air-cooled (Fig. 8.4).

Rice. 8.4. 25 mm BL-120 quadruple automatic mount.

Data of BL-120 installations

Caliber, mm - 35

Barrel length, klb - 80

Angle VN, deg -? 5; +90

Angle GN, degrees - 360

VN speed, deg / s - 30

Speed ​​GN, deg / s - 40

Armor, mm - 610

Tower weight, t - 4.0

The rate of fire of one barrel, rds / min - 270–300

In 1953, the BL-120-1 and BL-120-P installations were renamed 4M-120-1 and 4M-120-II for known reasons. Work on the installation from the disbanded OKB-172 was transferred to OKB-43.

In 1954, two 4M-120-1 installations were mounted on the destroyer of the project 41 "Neustrashimy" for state tests. A few years later, both installations were removed from the Project 41 ship and replaced with a 45-mm SM-20ZIF. 4M-120s were not put into mass production.

152 mm turret mounts for cruisers and monitors

In 1946, OKB-172 developed preliminary designs for 152-mm turret mounts: the two-gun BL-115 and the three-gun BL-118. The installations were intended to arm the designed cruisers. The ballistics and shells of the BL-115 and BL-118 mounts were taken from the 152 mm B-38 guns. But, unlike the MK-5 installation, the OKB172 installations were universal, that is, they had the ability to fire at aircraft. This was achieved by increasing the maximum elevation angle from 45 ° to 80 ° and increasing the rate of fire of one barrel from 7 rds / min to 12-17 rds / min. Instead of cap loading on the B-38 cannon, the 152-mm OKB-172 installations had separate-sleeve loading (Fig. 8.5).

Rice. 8.5. Preliminary design of the MLK-8-152 cruiser, armed with four twin 152-mm BL-115 turrets.

In 1950, OKB-5, OKB-172 and OKB-196 of the IV Special Department of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs (also scribbles) developed preliminary designs for several light cruisers. The MLK-8-152 project cruiser was armed with four BL-115 two-gun turrets, and the MLK-9-152 project cruiser was armed with three BL-118 three-gun turrets. The standard displacement of the cruisers was 7980 tons and 8243 tons, respectively.

In addition, the BL-118 installations were part of one of the weapons options for the heavy cruiser Stalingrad of project 82.

In 1947, the preliminary design of the BL115 and BL-118 installations was completed, and in 1953-1954. - a technical project, and work began on the manufacture of prototypes of installations. However, at the end of 1954 - beginning of 1955, all work on the BL-115 and BL-118 was stopped.

Table 39. Data of BL-115 and BL-118 units

In the table, the thickness of the armor and the weight of the installations are given according to the preliminary design of 1947. In the projects of light cruisers of 1950, the thickness of the armor is less: the forehead is 100 mm, the side walls are 50 mm and the roof is 50 mm. In the BL-118 variant for the Project 82 cruiser, the armor is thicker: the forehead is 200 mm, the side walls are 150 mm and the roof is 100 mm. Accordingly, the weight of the tower increased to 320 tons.

Tower installations BL-115 and BL-118 were supposed to be equipped with a radio range finder.

In 1946, OKB-172 designed 152-mm turret mounts: a single-gun BL-113 for small project 303 monitors and a two-gun BL-112 for large Danube monitors of project 311.

In both installations, the oscillating parts were created on the basis of the oscillating parts of the 152-mm ML-20 army howitzer (Model 1937).

Significantly increased the rate of fire in the new installations. 6 rounds per minute versus 3-4 rounds per minute for the ML-20 were achieved by introducing a wedge bolt (instead of a piston) and an automatic rammer of shells and devices that provide ammunition. To reduce the dimensions of the towers, the rollback length was reduced from 1250 mm to 500 mm. By the way, this also gave a small gain in rate of fire.

In the BL-112 installation, the vertical guidance mechanism had only a manual drive, and the horizontal guidance mechanism had an electric drive. The BL-113 installation had two versions: with a manual drive of the horizontal guidance mechanism and with an electric drive. Vertical guidance in both installations was manual.

In the BL-112 installation, each gun was placed in its own cradle.

Table 40. Project 303 and 311 monitor tower data

Note. The ammunition and ballistics of the BL-113 and BL-112 installations were the same as the ML-20. Loading separately-sleeve.

Railway installations TP-1 and TG-1

The beginning of the history of the creation of a new generation of Soviet railway installations should be considered the decision of the Defense Committee of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR No. 6ss of May 5, 1937 on the creation of a system of large and special power guns, which also included heavy-duty railway installations.

On February 8, 1938, Kulik, head of the Red Army Artillery Directorate, approved the tactical and technical requirements for railway installations - a 356-mm TP-1 cannon and a 500-mm TG-1 howitzer. The caliber of the howitzer was chosen after a serious study carried out at the ARI at the end of 1937. Variants of 450 mm, 475 mm and 500 mm howitzers were considered. The calculations performed showed that the 450-mm howitzer would have the best ballistic qualities. The action along the coast was supposed to be approximately the same for all howitzers, but the action on the ground was supposed to be better for the 500-mm howitzer. She was given preference.

The situation was different with the 356 mm gun. They took a 356-mm naval gun as a prototype, but not a 356/52-mm gun for Izmail-class cruisers mounted on TM-1-14, but a 356/54-mm gun designed for MK-12 turrets on battleships of the " B". Work on the ship installation was stopped in 1938, and the 356/54 mm gun was developed only for the TG-1 railway installations.

Unlike the transporters TM-1-14, TM-2-12, TM-312 and others, the creation of the TP-1 and TG-1 was exclusively in charge of the Artillery Directorate of the Red Army. The leadership of the Navy was only informed about the progress of work, and even then selectively.

According to the tactical and technical specifications, the TP-1 railway battery was intended both "to combat the battle fleet and enemy monitors" and to operate "on the land front." Transporters TG-1 were supposed to operate only on the land front. This explained the fact that the TP-1 was designed both for firing from rails and for firing from a concrete base, the same type as the base for the TM-1-14.

OTB was appointed as the lead developer of the project. It also developed the documentation for the swinging part of the installation.

The design of the transporters was entrusted to TsKB-19 (contract No. 2-118 dated 04/10/1938 with the Artillery Directorate of the Red Army). The work was carried out by the chief engineer of TsKB-19 Dukelsky. Issues of external and internal ballistics were dealt with by NII13, and projectile design - by NII-24.

In August 1938, by a decree of the Defense Committee, manufacturers were identified: the main enterprise that assembles railway systems and the entire gun mount as a whole is Novokramatorsk Mechanical Plant (NKMZ); the swinging part was supposed to be manufactured by plant No. 221 "Barricades"; railway bogies, balance beams with movement mechanisms - the Krasny Profintern plant; the electrical part was entrusted to the Kharkov Electrotechnical Plant (HETZ); Jenny couplings (universal speed controllers) - to the plant named after. Kirov in Leningrad; cellar cars and a power station car were to be built by the Krasny Profintern plant; engines "Comintern" were ordered to the plant number 183 (KhPZ); PUAO was supposed to make plant No. 212; sights - plant number 172; shells - Factory No. 3, and charges - Factory No. 40 and No. 59.

The design of TP-1 and TG-1 was slowed down due to the position of TsKB-19. On July 23, 1938, TsKB-19 submitted a draft design of the transporter to the Artillery Directorate of the Red Army; on August 2, 1938, the project was reported to Kaganovich and approved by him. Further, TsKB-19 stated that the draft design was developed in such detail that the need for a technical design was no longer needed. And in October, the head of TsKB-19, Manukhov, decided to mothball the work on the conveyor, referring to naval orders for the design of ships of projects 29, 30, 59, 68 and 69. That is, TsKB-19 decided to receive 1.16 million rubles under contract No. 2–118.

According to the project, preliminary tests of TP-1 and TG-1 were supposed to be carried out on a mobile universal testing machine TPG - a simplified design conveyor, which was supposed to have the same overall dimensions, bogies, balancers, main beam, guidance and feed mechanisms, etc., as and military transporters.

The TP-1 and TG-1 prototypes were included in the 1939 order with a completion date of the 3rd quarter of 1940. According to the original plans, by the end of 1942, it was planned to produce 16 howitzers and 14 guns.

At the beginning of 1939, OTB issued working drawings of the TP-1 and TG-1 barrels in two versions: with a liner and with a free pipe. The variant with the liner was finally accepted.

The shutters of both systems were the same in design - piston push-pull, opened up. In the final version, the cargo balancing of the shutters was adopted. The loading was designed capped.

According to the project, the TP-1 could fire in two positions: from a railway track and from a concrete base. When firing from the path, the conveyor relied on 16 axles of carts, on supporting legs up to 10 m long and on the prefabricated base of the system. For TP-1, one pair of legs is provided, and for TG-1, two pairs. The prefabricated base of the system - a supplied foundation with underlay rails - was fiddling with systems on special platforms, which were removed during firing. "When firing, the conveyor had to rest with its base through wooden beams and rails on the track, which experienced a specific pressure of 6 kg / cm2.

The concrete base had to be interchangeable with the base adopted by the Navy, and the TP-1 had to be able to fire from the bases already built.

For TP-1 and TG-1, following the example of the Navy transporters, a 220 V direct current electrical network was adopted.

A battery of three TP-1s was supposed to be transferred along all normal (1524 mm) railway tracks of the USSR at a speed of up to 50 km / h and be able to switch to a narrow European gauge (1435 mm). The conveyor had to pass turnout curves with a radius of 200 m.

The TP-1 railway battery was to include 3 artillery transporters; 3 cars - power stations (one per gun); 6 cellar cars (two per gun) with 24 shots in each car; 1 car - battery post (type TM-3-12), 1 car - central post (type TM-3-12). In addition, the mobile base was supposed to have 2 spare cellar cars per gun, an installation for changing the liner (later it was abandoned) and means for restoring the destroyed track 40 m long.

The air defense of the TP-1 battery was supposed to consist of a division of a three-battery composition on mechanical traction.

For the carriage of artillery transporters, cellar wagons and other wagons, steam locomotives of the "E" type were to be used.

The batteries of the TP-1 and TG-1 guns, like the batteries of railway transporters, were supposed to have a battery post with a collapsible tower and a central post.

For the 500-mm howitzer, two ammunition was developed - concrete-piercing with a projectile weight of 2050 kg and explosive - 205 kg and high-explosive (1450 kg and 276 kg, respectively). At an angle of incidence of 70, a concrete-piercing projectile could penetrate a concrete floor 4.4 m thick.

For a concrete-piercing projectile, 4 charges are provided for initial velocities of 490, 430, 380 and 340 m/s. When firing with a full charge weighing 210 kg, the range was 19,500 m.

The high-explosive projectile had 6 charges for speeds of 600, 540, 480, 430, 390 and 450 m/s. When firing with a full charge weighing 233 kg, the firing range of a high-explosive projectile is 24,820 m.

For 356-mm guns, 4 types of shells were developed - armor-piercing, high-explosive, long-range and "combined".

Armor-piercing and high-explosive shells had the same weight of 750 kg and differed in the weight of the explosive. At a distance of 11 km, an armor-piercing projectile was supposed to penetrate 440 mm cemented armor along the normal, and at a distance of 30 km - 230 mm. The long-range projectile was an ordinary high-explosive projectile, only of a lower weight (495 kg). In the 1920–1940s, a sub-caliber projectile was considered combined. The weight of the sub-caliber projectile with a pallet was 234.4 kg, and the weight of the "active projectile" with a diameter of 230 mm was 126.8 kg. Interestingly, a special liner with a steeper cut was designed for the sub-caliber projectile.

Table 41

At the end of 1939, the Barrikady plant began manufacturing the TP-1 and TG-1 oscillating parts, and in the spring of 1941 both oscillating parts were sent to Kramatorsk. By April 24, 1941, the installation of the TPG conveyor was completed at NKMZ with the swinging part of the TG-1 placed on it, and factory tests of all mechanisms were carried out without firing.

To conduct field tests, the TPG and both swinging parts were delivered to the ANIOP, where at the end of the summer of 1941 both systems were to be fired.

According to the plan, by the end of 1942, 16 howitzers and 14 guns were to be manufactured on railway installations. However, the production of systems was behind schedule, as many factories were loaded with work to create a "big fleet". By the beginning of the war, only two swinging parts (one TG-1 and one TP-1) and one universal conveyor were manufactured.

The war interrupted work on the TP-1 and TG-1. The manufactured material part was mothballed, and prototypes of the TP-1 and TG-1 were lying around at the training ground near Leningrad for several years. In the post-war period, serious work on the resuscitation of these systems was not undertaken.

Table 42

Regimental, divisional and anti-tank guns

By the beginning of World War II, 45-mm anti-tank guns mod. 1932 and arr. 1937 was considered not to meet the requirements, which primarily concerned ballistics and armor penetration. Along with the design of anti-tank guns of a new caliber (57 mm), plant No. 7 (Arsenal) was working on a new 45-mm anti-tank gun "7-1", which had more powerful ballistics than guns mod. 1932 and arr. 1937

With the outbreak of war, work on the creation of more powerful anti-tank guns was interrupted for several months, but at the very end of 1941 it resumed again. The design bureau of plant No. 8 developed a project for a new 45-mm anti-tank gun 101K and manufactured its prototype. In the design bureau of plant No. 172, where civilian engineers worked, they developed a project for a 45-mm M-6 anti-tank gun. It was a completely new system that had no interchangeability with the 53K gun, except for semi-automatic and wheels. Ballistics and ammunition were identical to the M-42 gun.

At the end of 1942, the 45-mm M-6 gun passed factory tests at the Ural training ground, and on February 19, 1943, four M-6 guns arrived at the Gorokhovets training ground (near the city of Gorky) for field testing. From March 12 to March 23, 1943, these four guns passed military tests in the Moscow Military District. According to the results of field and military tests, the M-6 was recommended for adoption. However, the authorities preferred another 45 mm anti-tank gun, the M-42.

In January - March 1942, OKB-172 developed a project for a 45-mm M-42 anti-tank gun. In the spring of 1942, a prototype was made at plant No. 172. In August - September 1942, the M-42 passed field and military tests and was put into service under the name "45-mm anti-tank gun mod. 1942". Gross production of the M-42 was started at Factory No. 172 in January 1943.

Data of the 45 mm gun M-42

Caliber, mm - 45

Sample - arr. 1942

Factory index - M-42

Barrel length full, mm / klb - 3087 / 68.6

Channel length, mm/klb - 2985/66.3

The length of the threaded part, mm - 2660

The steepness of the rifling, klb - 25

Chamber volume, l - 0.54

Number of grooves - 16

Cutting depth, mm - 0.5

Cutting width, mm - 6.5

Field width, mm - 2.5

Shutter weight, kg - 7.87

Barrel weight with bolt, kg - 159

Angle VN, deg -? 8; +25

Angle GN, degrees - 60

limit - 780

The height of the line of fire, mm - 710

The length of the gun with shifted beds, mm - 4885

Width of the gun, mm: with shifted beds - 1634

Stroke width, mm - 1400

Shield thickness, mm - 7

Wheel diameter, mm - 925

Weight of retractable parts, kg - 175

Weight of the swinging part, kg - 222

Shield weight, kg - 53.6

Carriage weight without guns and shield, kg - 406

System weight in combat position, kg - 625

Rate of fire, rds / min - 15–20

Highway carriage speed, km/h - 50–60

In 1943, plant No. 172 manufactured 4151 45-mm anti-tank guns, in 1944 - 4628, in 1945 - 2064, in 1946 - 140. In total, since January 1943, the plant has manufactured 10,983 45-mm antitank guns.

Project of the 76-mm regimental gun OB-25 mod. 1943 was developed in OKB-172 in February 1943. The carriage for the regimental gun was taken from the 45-mm anti-tank gun mod. 1942 (M-42). Prototypes were made at plant number 172.

Field tests of the prototype OB-25 were carried out at the Gorohovets training ground from June 18 to June 26, 1943 in the amount of 157 shots. The tests revealed: unsatisfactory accuracy, poor performance of the recoil devices (the length of the rollback reached 800 mm, and the roll forward occurred with a knock), the combat axle bent. The prototype did not pass field tests. Nevertheless, at the end of July 1943, military tests of prototypes of the OB-25 were started, on which reinforced combat axles were installed. In the course of military tests, barrels with a cutting steepness of 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 calibers were fired. As a result, we settled on the steepness of 15 calibers.

By August 12, 1943, military trials were over. The OB-25 was put into service by a GKO decree of September 4, 1943. The 76-mm regimental gun mod. 1943 was launched at the end of 1943 at two factories: No. 172 and No. 106. Factory No. 172 produced 2,730 guns in 1944, and 1,434 in 1945, and this was the end of OB-25 production. And plant No. 106 produced 464 guns in 1944, 494 in 1945 and 30 guns in 1946. In total, 5152 OB-25 guns were manufactured at both factories.

Despite its low weight and relatively good mobility, the OB-25 proved to be an unsuccessful regimental gun in general, and with the end of the war it was removed from production, and the development of new regimental guns began.

In 1944, OKB-172 developed the BL-11 project - a 76-mm regimental gun mod. 1943 wedge bolt. A prototype BL-11 was made. However, the gun was not adopted.

The barrel of the OB-25 gun consisted of a monoblock pipe and a screw-on breech. Piston bolt from 76-mm regimental gun mod. 1927 Trough-shaped cradle. Rollback brake hydraulic. The recoil brake cylinder recoiled along with the barrel when fired. The knurler is spring, consisted of four springs. The lifting mechanism had one sector. Rotary mechanism of sector type.

The lower machine is pivotally connected to the combat axle, which made it possible to level the guns when located on uneven terrain. The gun had sliding beds. In the divorced position, the beds were disengaged from the combat axis. In the reduced position, both frames with their fork-shaped ends tightly covered the combat axis and thus created a rigid and stable position for the gun carriage on the march. The combat axis is slightly curved (almost straight).

Suspension was provided by coil springs. Wheels of the automobile type ZIK-1 (with spokes) or GAZ-AA (disk type). Wheel data: weight of GAZ-AA type wheels 59–61 kg, tire size 6.5–20 mm, wheel diameter 870 mm.

The gun front was taken from a 45 mm anti-tank gun. The tray boxes have been changed, and three rounds fit into each tray-box, for a total of 3x8 = 24 rounds in the front end. The gun limber could also be used as a charging box (forward and reverse).

Data of the 76-mm regimental gun OB-25 mod. 1943

Trunk

Caliber, mm - 76.2

Barrel length, mm/klb - 1480/19.41

Channel length, mm/klb - 1394/18.3

The length of the threaded part, mm - 1214.7

The length of the chamber (from the breech cut to the beginning of the rifling), mm - 179.3

Chamber volume, dm3 - 0.408

The steepness of the rifling (constant), klb - 15

Number of grooves - 24

Grooving depth, mm - 0.762

Groove width, mm - 7.0

Field width, mm - 3.0

Shutter weight, kg - 12.5

Barrel weight with bolt, kg - 136

Carriage design data

Angle of vertical guidance, hail -? 8; +25

Angle of horizontal guidance, hail - 60

Rollback length, mm: normal - 640–780

limit - 780

The height of the line of fire, mm - 718

The length of the system in combat position with flattened beds, mm - 3540

Width of the system with reduced beds, mm - 1634

The height of the gun on the shield, mm - 1300

Stroke width, mm - 1400

Clearance, mm - 275

Wheel diameter, mm - 814

Weight summary, kg

Retractable carriage parts - 26

Retractable parts with a barrel - 162

Swinging part - 210

Non-recoiling part of the carriage - 438

Carriage without gun - 464

System in combat position - about 600

System in stowed position with limber - about 1300

Operating data

Rate of fire, rds / min - 10–12

Transition time from traveling to combat position, min - 1

Number of rounds: in the front end - 24

in the charging box - 48

Number of horses for carriage: gun carriage - 4

charging box - 4

Carriage speed, km / h: on the highway - up to 30–35

on a good dirt road - up to 10

Loading with a unitary cartridge. There are no interchangeable cartridges with other guns. Brass sleeve weighing 0.89 kg.

Table 43

* Range of a direct shot at a target height of 2 meters.

In 1944, OKB-172 designed a 76-mm anti-tank and divisional gun BL-14 and made a prototype.

BL-14 had a screw lifting mechanism and a two-chamber muzzle brake. The barrel is a free pipe. The shutter is vertical wedge. Rollback brake hydraulic. Hydropneumatic knurler.

The shield consisted of two sheets. Tubular stands. Torsion suspension.

Data of the 76-mm gun BL-14

Caliber, mm - 76.2

Barrel length, klb - 60

Angle VN, deg -? 5; +28

Angle GN, deg - 54

System weight in combat position, kg - 1300

An armor-piercing projectile weighing 6.5 kg had an initial velocity of 900 m/s and a range of 14,000 m. A piercing projectile weighing 3.02 kg had an initial velocity of 1260 m/s.

An armor-piercing projectile from a distance of 500 m at an angle of 0 ° pierced armor 117 mm thick, and a sub-caliber projectile - 230 mm armor.

In 1944, OKB-172 designed the 85 mm BL-19 anti-tank gun.

Project gun data:

Caliber, mm - 85

Barrel length, klb - 66.8

Angle VN -? 5; +25

Angle GN - ±29

System weight in combat position, kg - 2100

Rate of fire, rds / min - 20

An armor-piercing projectile weighing 9.2 kg had an initial velocity of 1,000 m/s and a range of 16,000 m; a 4.3 kg sub-caliber projectile had an initial velocity of 1,380 m/s. Armor penetration at a distance of 500 m at an angle of 0 °: armor-piercing projectile - 157 mm, sub-caliber projectile - 245 mm.

Work on the gun was completed at the stage of technical design. In 1944, OKB-172 designed the 85-mm anti-tank and divisional gun BL-25.

The gun had a monoblock barrel with a removable breech and a muzzle brake. There was a clip for attaching the knurled cylinder to the barrel. The shutter is vertical wedge with semi-automatic mechanical (copy) type.

The cradle is cylindrical cast with welded clips. The recoil brake is placed inside the cradle. The recoil devices consisted of a spindle-type hydraulic recoil brake and a hydropneumatic knurler.

The lifting mechanism is screw type, located on the left side of the upper machine. The rotary mechanism - screw, pushing type, is located on the left side of the top machine. The balancing mechanism is spring, pulling type. Each of the two columns had three springs.

The cast combat axle was also the lower machine. An upper machine with guidance mechanisms, a shield and sliding beds were mounted on it. Torsion suspension was mounted in the cavity of the combat axle. The wheels were taken from a GAZ-AA car. Beds sliding box-shaped, welded design. The coulters are equipped with a parallelogram device, which provides a four-point installation of the implement on uneven terrain.

The cartridge case and shells were taken from an 85-mm anti-aircraft gun mod. 1939. The shutter and semi-automatic are taken completely from the 85-mm tank gun mod. 1944 ZIS-S-53. The balancing mechanism is made according to the type of the 76 mm F-22 gun.

A prototype of the BL-25 cannon was manufactured by plant No. 172, factory tests began on November 6, 1944. - due to the failure of the lifting mechanism and a number of other malfunctions, the testing of the gun was discontinued. The system has not been run in.

According to the report of the commission dated April 2, 1945, the BL-25 gun did not pass field tests and needs to be improved. Soon, work on the cannon was stopped.

Data of the 85 mm gun BL-25

Structural data of the barrel

Caliber, mm - 85

Barrel length full, mm / klb - 4573 / 53.8

Channel length, mm/klb - 4150/48.8

The length of the threaded part, mm - 3495

The steepness of the rifling, klb - 25

Number of grooves - 24

Depth of grooves, mm - 0.85

The width of the rifling, mm - 7.5

Field width, mm - 3.7

Barrel weight with bolt, kg - 602.5

Carriage design data

Angle VN, deg -? 8.5 + 35.5

Angle GN, deg - 54

Rollback length, mm: normal - 880–960

limit - 1150

The height of the line of fire, mm - 880

Dimensions in the stowed position, mm: length without limber - 7420

width - 1735

Stroke width, mm - 1490

Clearance, mm - 310

Wheel diameter, mm - 800

Weight summary

Retractable parts with a barrel, kg - 670

Swinging part, kg - 865

Carriage without gun, kg - 1018

System in combat position, kg - 1620

Operating data

Transition time from traveling to combat position, min - about 1

Highway carriage speed, km/h - 50

In tests of the BL-25, when firing with an armor-piercing projectile, an initial velocity of 792 m / s was obtained, and a high-explosive fragmentation projectile weighing 9.54 kg - 652 m / s and a range of 12,170 m (at an elevation angle of 30).

High power guns

In April 1939, OTB, on its own initiative, began to develop a project for a 203-mm hull howitzer according to the tactical and technical data of the Artistic Directorate of the Red Army, approved on February 2, 1938.

In June 1939, the GAU reviewed the design of the 203-mm BL-39 corps howitzer and recognized the project as generally satisfactory, but made a number of comments. In particular, it was proposed to leave a 100-kg projectile, and take the same 80-kg long-range projectile as the B-4. The bolt opening upwards had a complex locking mechanism drive and a complex balancing mechanism, so the GAU proposed to put the bolt from the B-4 without changes.

On February 10, 1940, the GAU concluded an agreement with plant No. 172 for the manufacture of one prototype of the BL-39 howitzer. On May 10, 1940, the head of the OTB turned to the GAU with a request to manufacture not one, but two experimental BL-39 howitzers, the GAU agreed.

Both barrels for the BL-39 howitzer were manufactured at Barrikady Factory No. 221 and delivered on August 7, 1940 to Factory No. 172.

Prototypes of BL-39, manufactured by plant number 172, had a number of differences:

Table 44

In addition, the samples had different springs, different mounts for the stowed beds and different limbers.

Factory tests of the carriage of the first sample BL-39 were started on October 15, 1940, and firing on November 4. The next day on the 16th shot when shooting at an angle of 72 ° 5? after the shot, the barrel fell to an angle of + 16 °, and the lifting mechanism failed. The system was withdrawn from testing.

In 1940, things did not come to military trials of the BL-39. Since the barrel of the BL-39 had the same cutting steepness as the M-40 and U-3, in December 1940 Marshal Kulik ordered not to carry out military tests of the BL-39, but to make three free pipes for it with a cutting steepness of 25, 30 and 35 klb. They were supposed to be manufactured by January 15, 1941. Apparently, no new tests of the BL-39 could be carried out before April 1942, and in April 1942 the system arrived at the Gorokhovets training ground. From May 5 to June 15, 1942, comparative ground-troop tests of 203-mm BL-39 and U-3 corps howitzers were carried out there. 395 shots were fired from BL-39. The carriage was carried out behind the Voroshilovets tractor at a speed of 20–0 km/h.

The conclusions of the commission based on the test results: the BL-39 203-mm howitzer did not pass the range-troop tests.

The main disadvantages of the system:

1. Howitzer is too heavy for corps artillery

2. The complexity of the design of the chassis and the lack of permeability of the system.

3. Unsatisfactory chassis design.

4. Unsatisfactory design of the recoil brake, which failed during testing.

5. Insufficient strength of the parts of the lifting mechanism. According to the commission, the revision of the BL-39 is inappropriate.

For BL-39 howitzers, all regular shells from the B-4 howitzer were used. With a projectile weight of 100 kg, the initial velocity was 475 m / s, the range was 14,000 m, and the pressure in the bore was 2253 kg / cm2. With a projectile weight of 146 kg, the initial velocity was 355 m / s, and the range was 10,500 m.

Howitzer data BL-39

Caliber, mm - 203.4

Barrel length without muzzle brake, klb - 18.4

Barrel type - Loose pipe

The length of the threaded part of the channel, mm - 2970

Chamber volume, dm - 13.69

The steepness of the rifling, klb - 20

Number of grooves - 64

Depth of grooves, mm - 2.0

Groove width, mm - 6.0

Field width, mm - 3,974

Angle VN, deg - 0; +75

Angle GN, deg - 50

Rollback length, mm: long from 0° to +12° - 1250 (permanent)

The height of the line of fire, mm - 143!

Panorama eyepiece height, mm - 1574

Howitzer length with extended beds at an angle of 0 °, mm - 7310

Width of the system along the axis of travel, mm - 2452

Stroke width, mm - 1900

Clearance, mm - 351

Wheel diameter, mm - 1104

Weight of recoil parts - 2800

System weight, kg: in combat position - 8250

in the stowed position - 9250

The speed of carriage by the Kommunar tractor (estimated), km / h - 40

The 152 mm gun BL-7 was designed by OKB-172 at the beginning of 1944. Initial index of the OBM-43 system. BL-7 was an overlay of a modified Br-2 barrel on a modernized ML-20 carriage.

The gun had a barrel with an active muzzle brake (60%) and a piston breech.

Plant No. 172 completed a prototype gun by November 1944. Field tests of the system were completed in April 1945. The BL-7 was not put into service.

BL-7 gun data

Caliber, mm - 152.4

Barrel length, klb - 47.5

Angle VN, deg -? 2; +50

Angle GN, deg - ±29

System weight in combat position, kg - 7880

Rate of fire, rds / min - 5

Muzzle energy, tm - 1715

A projectile weighing 43.5 kg at an initial velocity of 880 m/s had a range of 25,700 m.

In 1946, OKB-172 upgraded the 152-mm ML-20 howitzer gun, which received the BL-29 index. In particular, a cast breech and a wedge gate were used in the new gun. A prototype was made and tested.

In 1946, OKB-172 completed a draft design of the 203-mm rifled mortar BL-24, and in 1947 its technical design was developed.

203-mm mortar BL-24 was a rifled recoilless rifle mounted fire on a rigid carriage (without recoil devices), made according to a completely new scheme, fundamentally different from the usual schemes of guns in service. The rotating part of the gun was mounted on a massive base plate, equipped with pointed spurs along the bottom surface. All the recoil energy during the shot was absorbed by the shock deformation of the base plate. The guidance mechanism and trunnions at the time of the shot were completely unloaded by resting the breech in the arc shoulder straps of the heel located perpendicular to the axis of the bore (along the arc) with a gap to the breech within 0.5 mm.

The barrel of the mortar was a monoblock with a screw-on breech. The muzzle brake was missing. Loading separately-sleeve. The volume of the chamber is the same as the 203 mm B-4 howitzer. The shutter is horizontal wedge. A cradle of a cage type with windows for better cooling of the barrel.

The machine was a welded structure, consisting of two cheeks and a base in the form of a blind drum. The base of the machine had lower and upper sockets for placing rollers, which serve to facilitate the movement of the rotating part of the tool. The mortar had sector-type lifting and turning mechanisms and a pull-type spring balancing mechanism.

Reverse (carriage) consisted of a frame and two wheels of the trolley type 8TB with a modified hub. Swivel type front. Suspension of the reverse course is torsion bar, and the forward course (front end) is spring-loaded.

The ammunition load of the BL-24 mortar included shells from the 203-mm B-4 howitzer: concrete-piercing G-620 weighing 100 kg, concrete-piercing G-620T weighing 146 kg and high-explosive weighing 100 kg.

As charges for the B-024, charges from the B-4 howitzer were used: for 100-kg shells - from No. 2 to No. 11 (their weight is 13–3.24 kg); for shells weighing 146 kg - charges No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 (their weight is 11–9 kg).

The shell for the mortar was taken from the 203-mm E-16 howitzer, but in the future it had to be replaced with a special shell.

A prototype of the BL-24 mortar was manufactured by factory No. 172 in April 1948. There it passed factory tests by firing 47 rounds and driving a distance of 190 km.

On December 31, 1948, the mortar was sent by rail to the GNIAP on Rzhevka. There, from February 18 to December 26, 1949, the mortar passed field tests in the amount of 251 shots, 58 of them on a reinforced charge, and a carriage over a distance of 839 km.

Tests revealed some instability when fired, caused by errors in the design of the base plate and trunk. There were flaws in the guidance mechanisms and the balancing mechanism.

The GNIAP report of December 31, 1949 states that the BL-24 mortar compared to the B-4 howitzer with the same projectile power had a weight of almost 3.5 times less, a much simpler design, significantly cheaper and much more mobile.

Additional tests on the stability of the BL-24 prototype were carried out at the GNIAP on February 17 and 18, 1950 in the amount of 20 shots.

These tests showed that:

1. The stability of the system at an elevation angle of 50 ° from solid ground is unsatisfactory, since at this angle there was a large waste of the system back, reaching an average of 595–517 mm per shot.

2. The stability of the system at elevation angles of 60° and 70° from the frozen ground is satisfactory; at an angle of 60°, the withdrawal of the system in one shot was in the range of 23–100 mm; at an angle of 70° there was practically no withdrawal.

The strength of the base plate was still unsatisfactory.

According to the results of additional tests, many changes were made to the design of the mortar, especially the carriage. At the end of 1953, Plant No. 172 began manufacturing the upgraded BL-24 mortar. However, in December 1953, work was suspended due to defects in the base plate. It was supposed to redo the design of the plate again. The further fate of the BL-24 is unknown to the author, in any case, it was not adopted for service.

Mortar data BL-24 (according to field tests)

Caliber, mm - 203

Barrel length, klb - 26

Angle VN, deg - +50; +75

Loading angle, deg - 0

Angle GN, hail - 30

System weight, kg: in combat position - 5415

in the stowed position - 8655

Rate of fire, rds / min - 0.8

Transition time, min: from traveling to combat - 9.5

from combat position to marching - 14

Highway carriage speed, km/h - up to 40

Calculation - 8 people. + gun commander

Ballistic data (standard G-620 projectile)

Projectile weight, kg - 100

Initial speed, m/s - 524

Range, m - 15 921

Tank and self-propelled guns

In the second half of 1942, OKB-172 developed the 45 mm VT-42 gun for the T-70 light tank. The VT-42 gun had a 68.5-caliber barrel, the same as the barrel of the 45-mm M-42 anti-tank gun mod. 1942 Ammunition and ballistics of both guns were identical. The angle of the VN gun VT-42 was? 4 °; +19°. Rollback length 230–275 mm. The cradle of the gun is rectangular, made of sheet steel. The lifting mechanism is a screw attached to the turret mask.

The weight of the gun with a machine gun, but without a lifting mechanism, was 499 kg. Ammunition 90 shells. Estimated rate of fire 30 rds / min.

A prototype of the VT-42 cannon was manufactured by plant No. 235. From May 19 to June 1, 1943, this sample passed field tests in the T-70 tank at the Gorohovets training ground. During the tests, the accuracy of fire of the VT-42 turned out to be better than that of the regular gun of the T-70 tank - a 45-mm gun mod. 1934 (20K), but worse than the 45 mm M-42 anti-tank gun.

The OKB-172 did not begin to modify the VT-42 cannon, and instead it was designed a 45-mm VT-43 cannon for the T-80 light tank. The data of the new gun are close to the VT-42, the main difference is in a larger elevation angle: -6°; +70°.

The prototype was manufactured at plant number 235 and in September 1943 passed field tests at the Gorohovets training ground. The BT-43 was not accepted into service, since there was no longer a special need for light tanks.

At the end of 1943, OKB-172 was given the task of creating more powerful guns for ISU-type self-propelled guns than the existing regular guns with ballistics of the 152-mm ML-20 howitzer gun and 122-mm A-19 gun.

At the beginning of 1944, OKB-172 designed the BL-8 152 mm high power gun. The barrel of the gun had a smooth-walled nozzle and a muzzle brake. Piston lock. The gun was equipped with a system for purging the bore after being fired with compressed air from special cylinders. Loading separately-sleeve. Rollback brake hydraulic spindle type, hydropneumatic knurler.

The BL-8 cannon was manufactured at factory No. 172 and installed in an artillery self-propelled gun manufactured by factory No. 100. Later it was called ISU-152-1.

A self-propelled gun with a gun arrived at the field tests on July 22, 1944. During the tests, the gun fired regular 152-mm shells OF-540 weighing 48.6 kg, Br-540 weighing 48.8 kg and G-530 weighing 40 kg. In total, by August 17, 1944, 501 shots were fired and a run-in was made for 52 km.

During the tests, it turned out that the 152-mm armor-piercing projectile Br-540 is able to penetrate a 203-mm plate (k = 2300) along the normal from a distance of 600–700 m and a 180-mm plate (k = 2350) at an angle of 30 ° to the normal from a distance of 200 m. However, most of the shells were destroyed during the passage of the armor, that is, the shells were of poor quality, not the gun, and the destroyed shell with fragments quite effectively hit the inside of the tank.

Muzzle velocity: OF-540 - 851 m/s, Br540 - 826 m/s and G-530 - 866 m/s. The maximum firing range of the OF-540 projectile was 17 km at an elevation angle of 17 °.

According to the test results, the BL-8 gun was found to be satisfactory, and the actions of the shells were considered unsatisfactory.

Data guns BL-8 in self-propelled IS

Caliber, mm - 152

Barrel length, mm/klb: with muzzle brake - 7910/52

without muzzle brake - 7540/49.6

The steepness of the rifling (constant), hail - 7 ° 18?

VN angle, deg - ?3°10?; +17°45? (according to TU +20°)

Angle GN, deg - to the right 5°27?, to the left 2°24? (according to TU 7° and 3° respectively)

The height of the line of fire, mm - 1655

Rollback length, mm - 870 + 25 according to specifications, and on tests up to 928

Ammunition, shots - 21 Maximum speed, km / h - 30–34

Rate of fire for a high-explosive fragmentation projectile, for 100 s - 1 shot at the range; according to TU 2 rds / min

Self-propelled gun weight, t - 47

Transition time from traveling to combat position (for small transitions), s - 25

Crew, people - 5

Following the BL-8, the Design Bureau began designing a more powerful 152 mm BL-10 gun. The new gun had a semi-automatic wedge bolt, due to which the rate of fire increased by 2 times (up to 3 rds / min). The creation of a semi-automatic shutter for a gun of this power was a great technical success for 1944. The length of the gun barrel was 48.5 calibers. Angle of vertical guidance? 2 °; +20°. Angle of horizontal guidance to the right 7°, to the left 3°. The weight of the swinging part of the gun is 4.9 tons. When firing the Br-540 armor-piercing projectile, the initial velocity was 880 m/s.

A prototype of the BL-10 cannon was manufactured by factory No. 172. The cannon was installed on the ISU-152-2 artillery self-propelled gun and sent to field tests, which it passed with satisfactory results. But the BL-10 was not accepted into service. The main reason for this was the end of the war.

In parallel with 152-mm high-power guns for artillery self-propelled guns, OKB-172 also designed 122-mm high-power guns. So, at the beginning of 1944, the project of the 122-mm gun BL-9 was completed. The gun had a wedge semi-automatic shutter and a separate-sleeve loading. I note that the desire of the designers of OKB-172 to have a regular cartridge case, and not to design a new one, led to the fact that the entire charge did not go crazy in the cartridge case, and additional beams had to be put into the chamber in front of the cartridge case.

A prototype of the 122-mm gun BL-9 was manufactured in May 1944 at factory No. 172, and in June it was installed on the ISU-122-1 artillery self-propelled gun, manufactured by Factory No. 100. In September 1944, BL-9 with self-propelled guns passed tests. Shooting was carried out with armor-piercing and high-explosive fragmentation shells weighing 25 kg. The initial speed for an armor-piercing projectile at the range was 987 m / s (estimated 1000 m / s). The firing range of the high-explosive fragmentation projectile was 10,700 m. The estimated rate of fire was 3 rds / min, but it was not tested at the training ground.

During state tests in May 1945, during firing, a BL-9 gun barrel ruptured due to a metal defect. This episode, as well as the end of the war, served as the reason for the refusal of the serial production of BL-9.

Data gun BL-9 self-propelled IS

Caliber, mm - 122

Barrel length, mm/klb - 7240/59.3

Channel length, mm/klb - 6934/56.8

The length of the threaded part, mm - 5884

The steepness of the rifling, klb - 30

Number of grooves - 38

Cutting depth, mm - 2.0

Cutting width, mm - 8.0

Field width, mm - 5.67

Barrel weight with bolt, kg - 3270

Weight of retractable parts, kg - 3312

Weight of the swinging part, kg - 5060

Angle VN, deg -1; +16

Angle GN, degrees - 10

Rollback length maximum, mm - 810–900

The height of the line of fire, mm - 1820

Ammunition, shots - 24

Time of transition from traveling to combat position, min:

for a long transition - 7.5–8.5

for a small transition - 1.5–2

Self-propelled gun weight, t - 47

Crew, people - 5

Maximum speed, km / h: on the highway - 31–34

by area - 16

Curiously, in 1944 OKB-172 designed the BL-20 high-powered 122-mm cannon, designed for the chassis of the T-34 medium tank. The BL-20 gun had the same ballistics as the BL-9. The elevation angle reached + 25 °, and the horizontal guidance angle - 20 °. The weight of the swinging part is 4 tons. The rate of fire is 10 rds / min. However, work on the BL-20 ended at the stage of preliminary design.

Gun mounts for fortified areas

In 1940, the OTB developed a draft design for the 45-mm BUR-20 installation, which was a collapsible turret. It took one and a half to two hours to assemble and disassemble the tower. The dismantled parts of the tower were carried by hand, their weight did not exceed 150–200 kg. The turret was not put into service.

In the same year, the OTB designed a 45-mm single-gun universal hidden turret for the fortified areas BUR-30. The case ended with a sketch.

The rotating part of the BUR-30 was divided into:

a) a rotating fixed part, consisting of an armored dome with a combat barrel, guidance mechanisms, etc., lying on the balls of a normal type support unit;

b) the lifting part, consisting of a cannon and a machine gun, enclosed in an armored box, which slides along the guides of the rotating part, and rotates with it in a horizontal plane.

The guidance was carried out in open position.

Installation data BUR-30

Caliber, mm - 45

Angle of vertical guidance, hail -12; +85

Angle of horizontal guidance, hail - 360

Installation lifting height, mm - 900

Ascent or descent time, s - 4–5

Turret armor, mm - 125–200

Machine guns in the turret - 7.62 mm type DS

Installation weight, tons - 35.0

Rate of fire, rds / min - 30–35

Calculation of the tower, people - 8

Projectile weight, kg - 1.3

Muzzle velocity, m/s - 650

On March 22, 1939, the GAU issued tactical and technical requirements for the design of the 76-mm BUR-76 turret. The requirements stated that the height of the tower above the armored barbette should not exceed 1200 mm, the calculation is 6-7 people, of which 3 people are in the tower. The swinging part should be a standard L-11 cannon with a coaxial 7.62 mm Silin machine gun.

The roof armor must withstand normal hits of one 152-mm howitzer projectile with an initial velocity of up to 350 m/s. The side armor must withstand normal hits by a 76 mm armor-piercing projectile at an initial velocity of up to 650 m/s. The armor covering the barrel must withstand a 45-mm armor-piercing projectile with an initial velocity of up to 760 m/s.

In addition, the tower as a whole must withstand a 203-mm projectile that fell directly at the tower, and ensure the stability of the rotating part of the tower when hit by a T-28 tank at a speed of 10 km / h.

The design of the BUR-76 was carried out in the OTB. On August 25, 1939, the OTB reported to the GAU: “When designing the BUR-76, we adopted the following units: a 76-mm L-11 tank gun from the L-17 mount, a 7.62-mm DS machine gun, a KT-45 sight and a PTFC periscope ".

In 1940, the BUR-76 project was modified by the OTB designers and received a new BUR-10 index. The KT-45 sight was replaced by the KT-6.

In the middle of 1941, a prototype BUR-10 was completed at the Kirov Plant and installed in a combat position on the outskirts of Leningrad. Several shells hit the tower, however, the installation operated until the blockade was broken.

In 1943, OKB-172 developed a draft design for the modernization of the BUR-10 with its re-equipment with an 85-mm cannon (BUR-10s).

Data from the BUR-10 installation (for 1940)

Caliber, mm - 76.2

Barrel length, klb - 30.5

Rollback resistance, t - 14.2

Angle of vertical guidance, hail -12; +12

Angle of horizontal guidance, hail: on the gun - ± 6

on the tower - 360

Elevation speed, degree per flywheel revolution - 1.5

Horizontal guidance speed, degree per 1 turn of the flywheel - 1

Tower armor thickness, mm - 100–125

Installation weight, t - 42.0

Rate of fire, rds / min - 18

Calculation with cellars, people - 7

A projectile weighing 6.23 kg at an initial velocity of 635 m/s had a range of 7100 m.

In 1946, OKB-172 designed the BL-106 100-mm single-gun turret designed for fortified areas. The working drawings of the towers were handed over in October 1946 and handed over to Plant No. 7 on January 15, 1949. A prototype was made at the end of 1949.

OKB-172 intended to use the oscillating part of the 100-mm D-10T tank gun in the BL-106 installation. In the design bureau of plant No. 7, they decided to replace it with a swinging part from a 100-mm ZIF-25 gun.

Installation data BL-106

Caliber, mm - 100

Barrel length, klb - 56

Recoil force, t - 30.16

Angle VN, deg -8; +20

Angle GN, degrees - 360

Elevation speed, degree per flywheel revolution - 1

Horizontal guidance speed, deg / s - 20.2

Tower armor thickness, mm - 125–200

Installed in the tower: 7.62-mm machine gun "Maxim" - 1

sight GTUR-5 - 1

stabilized periscope PBUR-1 - 1

Installation weight, t - 85.7

Calculation with cellars, people - 5

Rate of fire, rds / min - 15

Fire mode (including cooling), rds / hour - 240

In 1947, OKB-172 designed the BL-107 100-mm single-gun concealed turret for fortified areas. The case ended with a technical project.

The rotating part of BL-107 was divided into:

a) a rotating non-lifting part, consisting of an armored dome with a combat barrel, guidance mechanisms, etc., lying on the balls of a normal-type support unit;

b) the lifting part, consisting of a cannon and a machine gun, enclosed in an armored box, which slid along the guides of the rotating part and rotated with it in a horizontal plane.

The guidance is carried out in a hidden position. The tower was raised and lowered using hydraulic devices for 5 seconds, there was also a backup manual drive.

Installation data BL-107

Caliber, mm - 100

Barrel length, klb - 56

Rollback resistance force, t - 22.5

Angle VN, deg -6; +10

Angle GN, degrees - 360

Vertical guidance speed, deg per 1 turn of the flywheel - 1

Horizontal guidance speed, deg / s - 20

Tower lifting height, mm - 1030

Rise and descent time, s - 5

Tower armor thickness, mm - 100–200

Machine gun "Maxim" is installed in the tower - 1

Installation weight, t - 78.0

Rate of fire, rds / min - 20

Fire mode (including cooling), rounds / hour - 315

Calculation, persons - 6

A projectile weighing 15.6 kg at an initial velocity of 900 m/s had a range of 15,000 m.

An armor-piercing projectile normally penetrated 150 mm armor at a distance of 1000 m, and 100–120 mm at a distance of 2000 m.

OKB-172 designed the BL-117 single-turret mount for fortified areas. As of 1947, the technical design was completed and the production of working drawings began. The project had two options: for a 100 mm gun and for a 130 mm gun.

An interesting feature of the turret was the movement of the armored dome by means of a torsion-wedge device when a projectile hit the turret.

The rotary mechanism of the tower had an electric drive with an amplitude control circuit.

Table 45

Table 46

In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the design of tower installations for fortified areas continued. Plant No. 172 projects are known: 100-mm M-67 guns and 122-mm M-66 guns for turret installations.

The work of OKB-172 was noted in a top secret report to Stalin, dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the operation of the OKB. This report deserves to be quoted almost in its entirety.

“It has been 10 years since the founding and organization of a SPECIAL DESIGN BUREAU in the system of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR and the Ministry of Defense of the USSR for the design of artillery systems by the forces of imprisoned specialists.

During its activity, the SPECIAL DESIGN BUREAU of the 4th Special Department of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs (OKB-172) completed the most important government tasks for the design of artillery weapons, developing 23 major projects and completing over 60 research projects.

OKB-172 developed designs for the following artillery systems: 45-mm anti-tank gun model 1942 (M-42), 76-mm regimental gun (OB-25), 130-mm two-gun turret artillery mount (BL-2LM), 130- two-gun tower artillery mount for monitors (B-2-LMT), 152 mm naval mount (MU-2), 100 mm turret for fortifying areas (BUR-10).

These systems were put into service and used during World War II, showing excellent results.

Currently, Special Design Bureau No. 172 is successfully designing new powerful artillery installations for the Navy, fortified areas and ground forces Soviet Army: in 1948, tests were completed at the test site of a new 180-mm single-gun coastal artillery turret (MU-1) and successfully continues to work on projects: 130-mm twin-gun universal ship turrets (BL-109 and BL-110), 152-mm three-gun universal turret (BL-118), 130-mm armored turret for strengthening areas (BL-117), etc.

Taking into account the great and fruitful work carried out by the Special Design Bureau No. 172 during its activity, we ask for your consent to submit:

1. For the award of OKB-172 with the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.

2. The most distinguished operational officers of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs and civilian employees of OKB-172 are awarded orders and medals of the Soviet Union in the amount of 30 people.

3. Particularly distinguished specialists working after serving their sentences in OKB-172 on a freelance basis, to the CLEARANCE of a conviction in the amount of 10 people.

(MINISTER OF ARMAMENTS of the USSR) ((Ustinov)) (MINISTER OF INTERIOR AFFAIRS of the USSR) ((Kruglov)) (COMMANDER OF ARTILLERY OF LAND FORCES CHIEF MARSHAL OF ARTILLERY) ((Voronov)) (COMMANDER OF NAVAL FORCES ADMIRAL) ((Yumashev)) (CHIEF OF ENGINEERING TROOPS ST. MARSHAL OF ENGINEERING TROOPS) ((Vorobiev)")

Liquidation of OKB-172

On March 5, 1953, Stalin died. In April 1953, the Soviet government decides to disband OKB-172. This decree itself and the accompanying documents are still top secret, but by indirect evidence it can be assumed that L.P. Beria became the initiator of the dissolution of the Design Bureau.

As V.K. Akulov recalled: “In early May, several“ funnels ”entered the territory of the Design Bureau, and they began to load us into them for transportation to other camps.” Indeed, some of the prisoners were convoyed to the Metallostroy camp zone (Camp of the Leningrad UITLK, now US20 / 5 institution), where they were used in the design bureau working on civilian orders (based on the Giproniinerud Institute). Some of the prisoners were released in April-May 1953.

The released prisoners, along with civilian employees, were transferred to OKB-43 of the Ministry of Defense Industry. I will talk about this KB in the next chapter.

List of works of OKB-172 from 1938 to 1947

I. Ship and coastal guns

1938–1940

B-31- 130mm twin turret for leaders. Work was stopped in August 1940 at the stage of technical design.

B-2-U- 130mm twin turret for leaders. See text.

PS-305- Polygon machine for shooting 305-mm guns B-50. In 1940, the manufacture of the machine began.

MU-2- 152 mm gun. See text.

1941

MK-15- Three-gun 305-mm turret for heavy cruisers of the Kronstadt type. The working draft is not finished (Fig. 8.6).

Rice. 8.6. MK-15 305 mm turret for cruisers, project 69.

MB-20- Three-gun 305-mm turret (based on MK-15) for coastal installations. The working draft has not been completed.

BPU-14- Single-gun 356-mm coastal turret. Sketch diagram completed.

MU-2- Installation on a railway conveyor. A battery of such guns fought near Stalingrad.

1942

VM-42- 45 / 68 mm / klb universal semi-automatic deck installation weighing 720 kg.

OB-21- Twin 152mm monitor turret. A draft design has been developed.

OB-23- 152-mm deck installation for mobilized ships of the merchant fleet.

1943

B-2-LMT

B-2-U-TL- 130 mm installation. See text.

1944

U-2–130- Two-gun 130-mm universal turret installation.

BL-104- 85-mm universal gun for submarines based on the 85-mm anti-aircraft gun mod. 1944 A draft diagram was completed.

BL-105- 130-mm single-gun installation. An advance project has been completed.

1945

BL-101- Two-gun 130 mm stabilized turret. Completed technical project.

BL-102- 130-mm single-gun installation with cartridge loading. Sketch design completed.

MU-1- 180 mm installation. See text.

BL-111- Single-gun 130-mm universal installation. Sketch design completed.

BL-114- Single-gun 122 mm turret for river monitors. Released draft.

1946

BL-109

BL-110- Two-gun 130-mm universal turret installation. See text.

BL-112- Two-gun 152 mm turret for river monitors. See text.

BL-113- Single-gun 152 mm turret for river monitors. See text.

BL-115

BL-118- 152 mm installation. See text.

1947

MU-1-B- MU-1 in a turret. See text.

BL-200- Remote control system for guidance mechanisms for 130-mm gun mounts BL-109 and BL-110. Experimental samples have been made.

II. Fortified area artillery

1940

BUR-10- Single-gun 76-mm installation. See text.

BUR-20

BUR-30- 45 mm installation. See text.

1941

BMB-1- Armored turret for 120mm mortar. (Work of the Tomsk group.)

1943

BUR-US- Turret 85-mm installation. See text.

1946

BL-106

1947

BL-107- 100 mm installation. See text.

BL-116- Hidden turret for two Maxim machine guns and an air grenade launcher. Armor thickness - 40–90 mm. Tower lifting height - 500 mm. Installation weight - 9.5 tons. Calculation - 2 people.

BL-117 - 100mm and 130mm mounts. See text.

III. Ground Forces Artillery

1939

BL-39- 203 mm howitzer. See text.

BL-40- 85 mm automatic anti-aircraft gun. Sketch design completed.

CEA- Shells with a pallet for extra long-range firing to CEA barrels. Studies have been carried out and prototypes have been created.

1940

BL-140- Twin 100-mm stationary anti-aircraft gun, designed for coastal defense and air defense of the country. The installation mechanisms had electric drives. Ammunition and ballistics from a 100 mm 73K anti-aircraft gun. The production of a prototype BL-140 was started at the Kirov plant in Leningrad, but was discontinued in July 1941.

1941 Works of the Tomsk group

BK-76

BK-45- Sub-caliber armor-piercing projectile. The work was carried out from the end of 1941.

B-38-T- 152-mm ship gun B-38 on a railway conveyor. Sketch design completed.

B-24- 100-mm ship gun B-24 on a field carriage. Sketch design completed.

MU-2/B-4- Installation of a ship's 152-mm gun MU-2 on a caterpillar carriage from a 203-mm B-4 howitzer. Sketch design completed.

MU-2/P- Installation of the ship's 152-mm gun MU-2 on a portable base. Sketch design completed.

B-38/B-4- 152-mm ship gun B-38 on the carriage of a B-4 howitzer. Sketch design completed.

RS-450- Rocket 450-mm projectile. Sketch design completed.

OM-450- 450 mm mortar with recoil devices. Sketch design completed.

M-400- 400 mm mortar. Sketch design completed.

BM-450- Recoilless 450 mm mortar. Sketch design completed.

1942 Works of OKB-172 in Perm

M-42- 45 mm PTP arr. 1942 See text.

B-42

OB-22- 450 mm mortar. (In some documents it was called OB-20.) Barrel length - 11 klb. System weight - 14.5 tons. Rate of fire - 1 rds / min. A mine weighing 750 kg had an initial speed of 257 m and a range of 6 km. Technical project completed.

PM-1 and PM-2- Overlaying the barrel of a 122-mm mortar on the carriage of a regimental gun mod. 1927 Prototypes were made.

1943

VT-43- 45 mm tank gun. See text.

OB-25- 76-mm regimental gun mod. 1943 See text.

OB-24- 76 mm infantry gun. Sketch design completed.

OB-45- 45 / 30-mm anti-tank gun with a conical barrel (modeled on German guns). Sketch design completed.

OB-46- 57 mm anti-tank gun. Barrel length 106 klb (!). Angle ВН?5°; +25°, GN 54°. Weight in combat position 1170 kg. An armor-piercing projectile weighing 3.14 kg had an initial velocity of 1175 m/s, and a sabot projectile weighing 1.76 kg had an initial velocity of 1490 m/s and armor penetration of 200 mm along the normal. Completed technical project.

MT- 450-mm heavy-duty mortar on a railway conveyor. Sketch diagram completed.

PM-3- The imposition of the barrel of a 122-mm mortar on the carriage of a 76-mm regimental gun. Technical project completed.

OB-30- 122 mm light hull gun. Sketch diagram completed.

SU-2–122- Twin 122 mm self-propelled howitzer. Sketch diagram completed.

SU-2–76- Twin 76mm self-propelled gun. Sketch diagram completed.

BK-203- 203-mm concrete-piercing cumulative projectile. A working draft has been completed.

ZIS-Z-V- Modernization of the 76-mm divisional gun ZIS-3. A prototype has been made.

OB-29- 240 mm heavy mortar. Mines weight - 125 kg. Firing range - from 250 to 7000 m. Weight in combat position - 3.5 tons. A draft design has been completed.

1944

BL-7- 152 mm gun. See text.

BL-8- 152 mm gun. See text.

BL-9- 122 mm gun. See text.

BL-10- 152 mm gun. See text.

BL-11- 76-mm heavy gun mod. 1943 wedge bolt. A prototype has been made.

BL-12- 152-mm self-propelled gun ML-2 °CM.

BL-14- 76 mm anti-tank gun. See text.

BL-17- 120 mm assault mortar. Sketch design completed.

BL-18- 50 mm semi-automatic assault mortar. Sketch design completed.

BL-19- 85 mm anti-tank gun. See text.

BL-20- 122 mm self-propelled gun. See text.

OB-40- Experimental 122 mm barrel with a conical nozzle. A prototype has been made.

M-42-P- Simplified semi-automatic for 45-mm anti-tank gun mod. 1942 Launched into gross production.

1945

BL-25- 85-mm divisional gun. See text.

BL-26- 45/30-mm experimental conical barrel and shells for it. A prototype has been made.

BL-28- Experimental installation of automatic fastening of trunks. A working draft has been completed.

1946

BL-15- 76 mm aviation automatic gun. Completed technical project.

BL-24- 203 mm mortar. See text.

BL-29- A barrel with a cast breech and a wedge breech for a 152 mm ML-20 howitzer gun. A prototype has been made.

BL-33- 50 mm smooth barrel for anti-aircraft installations. Factory No. 92 produced a prototype. Barrel length - 150 calibers (!!!). The weight of the projectile is 2.2 kg, the initial speed is 1700–1920 m. The working pressure in the bore is 5200 kg/cm2.

BL-123- 23 mm automatic aircraft gun with a rate of fire of 700-800 rds / min. Projectile weight - 200 g, initial speed - 910–920 m / s. Gun weight - 31 kg. In 1946, a working draft was completed. The further fate of the gun is unknown.

Notes:

Cm. Khalikov A. Kh. Mongols, Tatars, Golden Horde and Bulgaria. - Kazan: Feng, 1994.

Miftakhov 3.3. A course of lectures on the history of the Tatar people (1225–1552). - S. 261.

OGPU - United State political administration, since 1934 included in the NKVD (People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs) and renamed the Main Directorate of State Security.

VSNKh - the Supreme Council of the National Economy.

Stetsovsky Yu. History of Soviet repressions. - M.: 1997. T. 2. S. 166–167.

Korzhakov A.V. Yeltsin: from dawn to dusk. - M.: Interbuk, 1997.

By January 1, 1917, all these guns were in the air defense system ... of Tsarskoe Selo, where German airplanes could not physically fly.

Formally, the divisions were also armed with 76-mm anti-aircraft guns mod. 1931 (by Rheinmetall), but most divisions did not have them, and besides, they could not fight low-flying aircraft.

The B-24 was developed for submarines, but the guns were also installed on coastal batteries in the Far East, the Baltic States and the Crimea. It was equipped with an armor shield and an easily removable monoblock barrel. During the defense of Sevastopol in the spring of 1941, B-24s in semi-towers manufactured at Sevastopol factories were installed in pillboxes on the land bypass of the city's defense. TTX guns: caliber - 100 mm; barrel length - 5.1 m; weight - 5.5 tons; initial speed - 872 m / s; rate of fire - 12 rounds per minute; calculation - 5 people.

The B-7 ship gun was also used on coastal batteries, where it was installed on a concrete base with a diameter of 4.8 m, sometimes without shields. The height of the line of fire is 1.7 m from the concrete base. Loading - kartuznoe. The ammunition of the gun included ammunition with high-explosive, diving, lighting shells and shrapnel. TTX guns: caliber - 130 mm; barrel length - 7 m; weight - 17.1 tons; projectile weight - 36.8 kg; initial speed - 861 m / s; rate of fire - 8 rounds per minute; maximum firing range - 20 km.

Single-gun naval gun mounts "B-13" and two-gun mounts were also used in coastal defense. TTX guns: caliber - 130 mm; barrel length - 6.5 m; shield height - 2.2 m; width - 2.7 m; frontal armor thickness - 13 mm; weight - 12.8 tons; projectile weight - 33 kg; initial speed - 870 m / s; rate of fire - 8 rounds per minute; maximum firing range - 25 km; calculation - 11 people.

The gun was developed in France and, according to the acquired documentation, was produced at the Obukhov plant. The first guns were put into service in 1897. On coastal batteries, the gun was installed behind parapets about 2 m high. To be able to shoot direct fire at fast moving targets, a special pedestal was designed because of such a high parapet. The gun could have a shield cover. TTX guns: caliber - 152 mm; height - 1.1 m; barrel length - 6.8 m; weight - 16.2 tons; mass of unitary ammunition - 225 kg; projectile weight - 41 kg; initial speed - 777 km / h; rate of fire - 7 rounds per minute; maximum firing range - 18 km; calculation - 10 people.

The gun was developed by upgrading the 152-mm gun mod. 1910, made in France by Schneider for Russia. There were two modifications - on metal wheels and with wheels on trucks and suspension. The carriage of the gun was carried out separately (the barrel was removed from the carriage and transported on a separate barrel wagon). The transition time from traveling to combat was 10-15 minutes, back - up to 23 minutes. The gun had a shield 7 mm thick. The gun fired the entire range of 152 mm cannon and howitzer shells, including old Russian and foreign-made grenades. In 1935, the production of the gun was discontinued. A total of 152 guns were produced. TTX guns: caliber - 152.4 mm; length - 6.8 m; width - 1.5 m; barrel length - 4.3 m; weight - 5.1 t; rate of fire - 4 rounds per minute; height of the line of fire - 1.6 m; clearance - 500 mm; highway transportation speed - 12 km / h; calculation - 9 people.

The gun was obtained as a result of the modernization of the 152 mm gun mod. 1910/30, which consisted in imposing the barrel group of the gun on the carriage of the 122-mm A-19 gun. The carriage had sliding beds, metal wheels with weights, leaf springs. The carriage of the guns was carried out inseparably. A total of 275 guns were made. Guns captured by the Wehrmacht were designated 15.2 cm K.433/2(r). TTX guns: caliber - 152.4 mm; length - 8.1 m; width - 2.3 m; height - 1.9 m; barrel length - 4.4 m; weight - 7.8 tons;; rate of fire - 4 rounds per minute; fire line height - 1.4 m; clearance - 335 mm; highway transportation speed - 20 km / h; calculation - 9 people.

The siege gun was put into service in 1904. A total of 200 guns were fired. Since 1937, guns were taken out of service in the USSR, but a certain number of captured guns were used by Finland in World War II. TTX guns: caliber - 152.4 mm; barrel weight - 3.2 tons; gun weight - 5.4 tons; charge mass - 6.7 kg; initial speed - 623 m / s; rate of fire - 1 shot in 4 minutes; firing range - 14 km.

"Br-2" is a long-barreled gun mounted on a single-beam caterpillar carriage. The carriage has a special hydropneumatic balancing mechanism of the pusher type. For short distances, the gun could move unassembled at a speed of 5-8 km / h, for long distances the system moved disassembled - the barrel separately on a special gun cart, the gun carriage separately. The time for the transition of the gun from traveling to combat with separate carriage ranged from 45 minutes to 2 hours. The gun was towed by Voroshilovets tracked tractors, barrel carts - by less powerful Komintern tracked tractors. The Br-2 cannon fired only its own ammunition, specially designed for it. The range of shells included high-explosive fragmentation (weight - 49 kg; explosive weight - 6.5 kg; initial speed - 880 m / s, range - 25 km) and concrete-piercing (weight - 49 kg) shells. The charges are arranged in caps. 3 charges were used: full, No. 1 and No. 2. In total, at least 37 guns were fired. TTX guns: caliber - 152.4 mm; length - 11.5 m; width - 2.5 m; barrel length - 7.1 m; weight - from 11 to 13 tons, depending on the method of transportation; rate of fire - 1 shot in 2 minutes; clearance - 320 m; the speed of transportation on the highway in separate form - 15 km / h; calculation of 15 people.

Coastal single-gun shield installation "MO-1-180" was manufactured at the plant. Marty in Nikolaev and was put into service in 1934. By June 1941, 42 MO-1-180 systems were installed on coastal batteries. The MO-1-180 installations had a 180/57 mm B-1-P cannon with fine or deep (since 1938) cutting. There was a modification of the installation - "MO-8-180" in the amount of 9 units, built by inserting a new 180-mm pipe into the barrels of 203/50-mm naval guns. The ballistics and ammunition of the 180/56 mm guns are identical to the B-1-P. Driven by electric motor or manually. Cartridge loading. The installation had a tower-like shield with a visor at the back. Armor thickness: forehead 100 mm, sides and roof 50 mm, visor 25 mm. The ammunition cellar was located in the lower floor of a reinforced concrete block, where 230 shells and 462 semi-charges were placed. The gun ammunition included ammunition with armor-piercing, high-explosive, high-explosive fragmentation, concrete-piercing shells. TTX guns: caliber - 180 mm; barrel length - 10.8 m; weight - 192 tons; projectile weight - 97 kg; rate of fire - 4 rounds per minute; initial speed - 930 m / s; firing range - 37 km.

The two-gun turret was created on the basis of the B-1-P guns. The first barrels were made bonded, subsequently lined with fine, and then with deep cutting were used. The installations were put into operation from the end of 1936. During the war, 20 installations were in service with the fleet. The fixed part of the installation consisted of a rigid drum, fastened from steel sheets in the form of 2 concentric cylinders, and a foundation frame with a steel cup. A rigid drum, being mounted on the ledges of a concrete block and embedded with its protruding ribs into the concrete. The drum inside is divided by vertical bulkheads into 18 compartments designed to store shells and access to the tower from the interior of the concrete block. The rotating part consisted of a table and a feed pipe. The installation rotated on 120 steel balls with a diameter of 101.6 mm. Tower cellar capacity: 408 rounds, 819 semi-rounds. Ballistics and ammunition are identical to B-1-P.

Naval gun 8 ″ / 50 (203 mm) arr. 1905

The gun was developed by Vickers for the battleships of the Russian fleet in 1905 and put into service in 1911. The gun was also manufactured at the Obukhov plant. Since 1915, guns have been used as coastal guns in two-gun turrets and single-gun shield mounts. As of June 1941, there were 36 such guns in the coastal defense. The ammunition included ammunition with semi-armor-piercing, high-explosive, diving shells and shrapnel. TTX guns: caliber - 203 mm; installation weight - 39.9 tons; the mass of the tower-like shield is 6.2 tons; barrel length - 10.1 m; the mass of the barrel with the shutter - 14.3 tons; ammunition weight - 246 kg; projectile weight - 112 kg; explosive mass - 12 kg; initial speed - 807 m / s; rate of fire - 4 rounds per minute; firing range - 24 km.

"Br-17" - the development of the company "Skoda", purchased in 1938. For the stowed position, the gun was disassembled into three main parts, which were transported on sprung carts. Three wagons were used to transport the guns, one three-ton vehicle for transporting the lining of the pit and sapper tools, and four three-ton trailers for transporting the rest of the property. The trailers were transported in the form of a train by the Voroshilovets tractor. Cartridge loading. A high-explosive projectile (weight - 133 kg, initial speed - 800 m / s, firing range - 28 km) on sandy soil formed a funnel 1.52 m deep and 55.5 m in diameter. Concrete-piercing projectile along the normal at an initial speed of 555 m / s pierced a 2.5-meter concrete wall, and at an initial speed of 358 m / s at an angle of 60, it pierced a concrete wall 2 meters thick. A total of 9 guns were made. TTX guns: caliber - 210 mm; rate of fire - 1 shot in 2 minutes; speed of transportation on the highway - 30 km / h; weight in the stowed position - 20 tons, in combat - 44 tons; the transition time from traveling to combat and back is about 2 hours.

The gun was produced in the USA under license from a British company from 1914. In 1915, at least 14 guns were delivered to Russia. TTX guns: caliber - 233.7 mm; barrel length - 3 m; projectile weight - 131 kg; initial speed - 362 m / s; maximum firing range - 9 km.

The first gun was fired in 1899, and a total of 89 guns were made. In the process of their operation, the modernization of machine tools was carried out more than once. By the beginning of the war in the USSR there were only 7 guns located in Kronstadt. Their ammunition included 721 high-explosive and 1457 armor-piercing shells. The rotary chain mechanism allowed circular firing. On part of the machines there was a shield. The gun was mounted on a concrete base. TTX guns: caliber - 254 mm; barrel and bolt weight - 53 tons; projectile weight - 225 kg; initial speed - 777 m / s; rate of fire - 1 shot per minute; shield thickness - 50.8 mm; firing range - 14 km.

Marine gun 305 mm/52 (12″) and its barrel

Eight 12/52-inch guns were put into service in 1913 - 4 installations each in the forts of Ino and Krasnaya Gorka. Another 12 installations were released by 1916. In 1917, one battery was captured by the Germans, and in 1918, two batteries were taken by the French. And only the battery of the Krasnaya Gorka fort took an active part in the defense of Leningrad. The installation provided circular firing. The ammunition of the gun included ammunition with armor-piercing, high-explosive shells and shrapnel. The projectile and semi-charges were sent manually by a breaker. The supply of ammunition to the delivery line was carried out using manual feed. TTX guns: caliber - 305 mm; installation weight - 190 tons; armor thickness - 50 mm; projectile weight - from 446 to 470 kg; explosive mass - from 12 kg to 61 kg; initial speed - from 762 to 853 m / s; rate of fire - 2 shots in three minutes; firing range - from 19 to 28 km; calculation - 38 people.

The MB-2-12 installation was designed and manufactured by the Leningrad Metal Plant (gun mounts and some of the mechanisms were used from battleships) in the period from 1925 to 1939. A total of 14 installations were released. They were mounted in the forts of Ino, Krasnaya Gorka, the cities of Sevastopol, Ust-Dvinsk and Vladivostok. The installation was armed with two 305-mm guns, which could conduct circular fire and were aimed independently of each other. Each gun had its own lift for shells and charges. The turrets were rotated, the guns were raised and the projectiles were fed by electric motors. Each tower had its own power plant. The thickness of the walls of the concrete blocks in which the guns were installed reached 2-3 m. Semi-charges were stored in cellars in regular metal cases on honeycomb-type racks. All interior spaces were separated by armored doors 15-30 mm thick. Performance characteristics of the installation: weight of the installation - 1 thousand tons, incl. armor - 300 tons; tower length - 11 m, height - 2.2 m; side armor - 300 mm; roof armor - 200 mm; gun barrel length - 15.3 m; gun weight - 53 tons; projectile weight - 471 kg, firing range - up to 42 km; calculation of 300 people and 120 infantry for all-round defense.

12/52-inch guns were removed from battleships in 1925-1939. and used in coastal defense. Almost all turret mechanisms were taken from battleships. The first installation "MB-3-12" was put into operation in 1933 in the Far East, the second in 1934. The performance characteristics of the guns are similar to 12/52-inch guns.

Coastal range gun 14″/52

In 1917, the Vickers company delivered 9 guns, which the USSR had at the start of the war. The only stationary gun was installed at the NIMAP training ground on a machine of the Durlyakher system and during the war took part in the defense of Leningrad. A concrete base was used to install the gun. The ammunition of the gun included ammunition with armor-piercing and high-explosive shells. TTX gun: caliber - 356 mm; weight - 86.8 tons; projectile weight - 747 kg; explosive mass - from 20 to 88 kg; charge mass - 258 kg; initial speed - 731 m / s; maximum firing range - 27 km; rate of fire - 1 shot in 7 minutes.

The 16-inch gun "B-37" was designed to arm battleships of the "Soviet Union" type. To test the gun, the MP-10 test site was created at the test site near Leningrad. In connection with the cessation of the construction of ships in 1941, the production of guns was stopped. An experienced cannon from the NIMAP training ground during the war fired 81 shots during the defense of Leningrad. "MP-10" was installed on a reinforced concrete base weighing 720 tons, which withstood recoil when fired more than 500 tons.

The rotating part of the MP-10 installation was located on 96 balls with a diameter of 203 mm, located on a ball shoulder strap with a diameter of 7.5 m. circular firing. The ammunition of the gun included ammunition with armor-piercing (length - 1.9 m, mass of explosives - 25 kg) and semi-armor-piercing (length - 2 m, mass of explosives - 88 kg) shells. After the explosion of the projectile, a funnel with a diameter of 12 m and a depth of 3 m remained. Performance characteristics of the installation: caliber - 406.4 mm; barrel length - 20.7 m; the largest diameter of the trunk along the casing - 1.2 m; weight of the barrel with the shutter - 136 tons; projectile weight - 1.1 t; charge mass - 320 kg; initial projectile speed - 830 m / s; rate of fire - 1 shot in 4 minutes; maximum firing range - 45.6 km; calculation - 100 people.

By the mid-1950s, cruisers, destroyers, and TFRs with classic artillery weapons were being replaced by missile cruisers, large anti-submarine ships, and boats of various displacements. To equip them, universal small-caliber ship artillery mounts (30-, 57-, 76.2-mm) with radar fire control systems were created. In 1956, the design of a 30-mm twin automatic installation KL-302 (KL - OKB-43 index) was started. After the reform of OKB-43, its work and employees were transferred to TsKB-34, and the machines were transferred to OKB-16. S.A. Kharykin was the chief designer of the installation. The revolver-type machine was created by A.E. Nudelman and V.Ya. Nemenov, and the name HH-30 was formed from the initial letters of their surnames. The production of automatic weapons was entrusted to the Tula Machine-Building Plant (No. 535), and the guidance drives were produced at the Moscow Plant No. 710.

Three installations of AK-230 different
degree of understaffing

Fairing and its fastening. Fan hoods - later version

AK-230, №74415

State tests of the KL-302 were carried out on the lead missile boat of project 205. In addition to the P-15 cruise missiles, he received two new-type artillery mounts. In the early 1960s, the boat and its systems were tested in the Gulf of Riga and in the Baltiysk region.
"The long duration of this stage, apparently, was determined by the fact that at that time the tests of the P-15 complex were being completed on the Black Sea. It was desirable to take their results into account to refine the equipment supplied to the large boat. The resulting "time-out" could be used for thorough testing and fine-tuning of traditional shipbuilding systems and boat assemblies." Source: V. Asanin "Missiles of the domestic fleet" ("Equipment and weapons" No. 7/2009)
After the completion of state tests, artillery mounts under the designation AK-230 were put into service. Guidance mechanisms control - remote, from the MR-104 "Lynx" fire control radar, used to detect and automatically track air and surface targets. During the period of serial production (from 1959 to 1983), more than 1000 of these installations were transferred to the Navy. This is the second most common Soviet naval artillery machine. In the first place is the twin 37-mm V-11 (1872 units of all modifications).

A brief concept of the features of the AK-230 assault rifles will be given by a quote from A. Shirokorad's book "Weapons of the Russian Navy": " The barrel is cooled from the outside by a liquid circulating between the outer surface of the barrel and the inner surface of the pipe put on the barrel. The barrel at the rear inside and the breech at the front inside are cooled after each shot by injecting liquid into the bore at the rear and into the breech chambers at the front and then evaporating it there. The presence of four chambers makes it possible to distribute the preparation and production of a shot between the chambers as follows: the first chamber, located directly against the bore, is used to fire a shot; the second chamber, counting by the rotation of the breech, for ejection of the spent cartridge case by powder gases discharged from the muzzle of the machine gun; the third and fourth chambers - for sending the cartridge into the chamber. Such a scheme makes it possible to combine in time a shot with the ejection and sending of a cartridge into the chamber and thereby increase the rate of fire. All parts of the machine are in the casing. The machine is mounted on the installation by the casing at two points, its front mount is power, rear - supporting."

No fairing

Remains of cooling system hoses visible

Numbers of automatic machines HH-30: 74691 and 74693

An attempt to determine at least the type of ship from the nameplates and serial numbers found was unsuccessful. On three installations, the only readable plate was found, which gives a minimum of information: AK-230, No. 74415. The search for any features in the design of the three AK-230 exhibited in the museum did not give any result either. There are some differences: Gun mounts, depending on the year of release, had some external differences. So, two visors located on the fairing, covering the fans, providing the suction of powder gases formed under the fairing during firing, had, depending on the time of manufacture of the gun mount, different shape(the diagram shows one of the last options).
In front of the fairing there is a loophole for the passage of machine gun barrels, closed by a seal shield. The window in the seal shield for the passage of machine gun barrels is closed with a cover. Initially, a canvas cover was placed, which was tightened with a cord. Later, canvas covers were used, and belts were used to tighten the cover. On the latest gun mounts, the cover was made of metal." Source: V.V. Osintsev, "Artillery armament of modern Russian ships"
In this case, nothing useful for identifying a particular ship (or at least its type) could be found. Found only a few clues. First: the window of the sealing shield was covered with a cloth cover (now lost), i.e. early type. Later they began to put metal. Second: the absence of the letter "M" (low magnetic) on the surviving nameplate means that these installations were not on minesweepers. Third: on one of the installations, the visors of the fans of the space under the fairing of the machines are of an early type. So early that you can only find a photo of a similar installation after a long search on the net. Fourth: the presence in the exposition of the museum of the antenna array of the Rangout radar. From here, with a big stretch, it can be assumed that the AK-230 installations could stand on Project 205 missile boats.

The hinged part of the fairing is missing

Early form of canopies covering fans
removal of powder gases

Visor - close-up

Later visor

Well, since we are already talking about the combination of the 205 project and the AK-230, I can’t help but quote: " The main disadvantage of the RK pr.205 and its modifications, which emerged by the end of the 1960s, in particular, in local conflicts, was the weakness of artillery weapons, since the 30-mm AK-230 guns, due to the short firing range, turned out to be ineffective in combating aircraft and helicopters, as well as in artillery duels with enemy boats, as a rule, armed with 40-mm machine guns (and since the beginning of the 1970s with 76-mm rapid-fire guns). This circumstance forced to place on Soviet boats pr. 205 and pr. 205U MANPADS "Strela-2" (later "Strela-3"), and in 1977 to start building the Republic of Kazakhstan, pr. 206MR with 76-mm gun AK-176. By the end of the 1970s, Project 205 boats became obsolete, they began to be gradually withdrawn from the Soviet fleet and sold abroad or dismantled for metal." Source: Yu.V. Apalkov, "Ships of the Navy of the USSR. Small missile ships

Instance No. 4 130-mm installation of mobile coastal artillery SM-4 (S-30). The production of this gun began at factory No. 221 in 1947, and was completed in 1949. The gun in the photo is from the 201st separate coastal mobile battery, which was undergoing state tests near Riga. The SM-4-1 has already gone into the series with a modified rammer and sleeve deflector.

General form installations SM-4

muzzle brake

Under the barrel - two cylinder recoil devices

The SM-4-1 installation was put into service in 1951 and discontinued in 1958 (according to other sources - in 1955). Production was carried out at plant No. 221 "Barricades" (Stalingrad) and from 1952 to 1954 at SKMZ (Kramatorsk). A total of 140 such artillery mounts were built. Some of them are stored at the bases, and some are still in the army. So, according to A. Shirokorad, on 01/01/1984 there were 32 guns on conservation batteries and 108 in warehouses.

Vertical wedge gate

In the lower right corner - a handle for opening the shutter

SM-4 model 1948

Gun #4

So, the successor of the experimental gun exhibited in the museum, the SM-4-1 installation, was put into service in 1951. The fire control of this installation was carried out with the help of the Moskva-TsN PUS and the Zalp-B ARS. Direct fire was carried out using a panorama and aiming tube MVSh-M-1. However, the speed of high-speed naval targets increased and the old fire control system no longer met the requirements for shooting accuracy. It is not surprising that further improvement of the system was carried out in the direction of improving fire control devices.

Central aiming receiving device - setting the full angle of horizontal aiming. The upper scale is coarse, the lower is fine

In 1955, after passing the State tests of a prototype of the Bureya MT-4 PUS system, artillery mounts received the SM-4-1B index and began to be equipped with the Bureya PUS and Burun ARS of the centimeter range. Interestingly, the artillery radar was paired with the Nickel-K "friend or foe" identification station. The target tracking range has increased to 60 kilometers.
In the same 1955, the Mys surface target detection radar with a range of up to 183 km was put into service. At a distance of up to 90 km, it operated at a frequency of 1240 Hz, and then 604 Hz. Radar "Cape" was also paired with identification equipment "friend or foe" "Nickel-K". Radar "Mys" and ARS "Burun" were placed on wheeled trailers APM-598 weighing 14.8 tons, which were transported by AT-S tractors.

Chassis consists of front and rear dual-slope moves. In a combat position, they are hung on spinal beds and, with their weight, they increase stability when fired.

Central aiming receiver - setting the full vertical aiming angle (the angle between the horizontal plane and the elevation line). At the top right is a rough reading scale. In the center - the scale of the exact reading

Device 61 - signal indicator

Very little is known about the use of 130 mm SM-4-1 coastal artillery guns. Several Egyptian CM-4-1s were captured by the Israelis during the 1967 Six-Day War in the Sharm el-Sheikh area and dropped into the Red Sea. One of the captured installations is exhibited in the Israeli Air Force Museum, where it depicts a large-caliber anti-aircraft gun.
Partially modernized installations SM-4-1 still serve in the coastal defense of North Korea. Reliable shelters were carved for them in the coastal rocks, a set of camouflage measures was taken, including false positions, etc. On the Internet, it is easy to find reportage photographs in which their great leader and teacher poses with artillerymen. The background is one of the North Korean SM-4-1, deployed in a firing position. Unfortunately, it is just as easy to find online reports of the rate of fire of North Korean artillerymen demonstrating their skills during "exchange of courtesies" with South Korean colleagues.

Battery power handle

At the end of the beds, jacks are mounted to level the installation, to perceive the overturning moment when fired

Two side frames, right and left, are hinged to the body, and the other two (spinal) are rigidly connected

12.7 mm coaxial machine gun mount 2M-1

A very interesting exhibit. Searching for the name "TU-2M-1" indicated on the plate does not return any results. We look at the Soviet 12.7-mm machine gun mounts in the second part of Shirokorad's book "Domestic heavy machine guns"(published in the journal "Technology and Armament", No. 3 / 1998). Quote: " Turrets MTU-2 were designed for torpedo, patrol and other types of boats. MSTU (TsKB-14) and 2-UK (OKB-43). All of them were of an open type, there were no guidance mechanisms, and the aiming was carried out by the shooter manually. At the end of the war, an experimental quad installation DShKM-4 was manufactured at plant No. 2, and an experimental 12.7-mm mine installation P-2K was created at OKB-43. designed for submarines. In the stowed position, she retracted inside the boat. In 1945, a 12.7-mm double-barreled 2M-1 deck mount with an annular sighting device was adopted."
Products MTU-2, MSTU, 2-UK do not match the appearance of the exhibit. Let's try to use the fact that the first Soviet post-war project 254 minesweepers were armed with 2M-1 installations. There are enough photographs of these ships. Two machine-gun mounts are clearly visible on them, located on the side near the chimney. On modern photographs of the MTShch of project 254, which are still part of the Chinese and Alabani fleets, it is just as clearly visible that the 2M-1 is with a horizontal arrangement of trunks. But in the photographs and diagrams of the project 254M minesweepers, the location of the trunks is already vertical, i.e. like an exhibit in a museum. At the same time, the performance characteristics of minesweepers still indicate 12.7 mm 2M-1.

On the barrel of the DShK, instead of the usual muzzle brake, there is a flame arrester

Installation number: 477H

Fence for collecting cartridge cases

Cutout of a vertical armor shield - a place for a sight

We open the book by Alexander Shirokorad "Secrets of Russian Artillery", we read the chapter on the developments of OKB-43: " In August 1941 OKB-43 was evacuated from Leningrad to Yoshkar-Ola (Mari Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic). There, the design office was located in the building of the Palace of Pioneers with an area of ​​540 m2 and in a specially built building with an area of ​​53 m2. The mechanical shop is located in the building of the power plant. By September 20, 1941, 23 machines were put into operation and the installation of the rest continued. During the war years, a large place was given to the marine theme in the work of OKB-43. As already mentioned, through the fault of Tukhachevsky and K °, the production of anti-aircraft guns in the USSR began only in 1939, and they began to enter the army and navy at the end of 1940. At the same time, 37-mm 70K naval guns are the only guns that were in service of our fleet - had a number of fundamental shortcomings, and there were very few of them. Due to the lack of anti-aircraft guns, the Soviet fleet suffered heavy losses.
...
As early as March 14, 1946, the leadership of the Navy approved the tactical and technical assignment for the design of three two-machine gun mounts with 14.5-mm Vladimirov machine guns. The development of all three installations was entrusted to OKB-43. The parallel development of three installations was caused not by the desire to arrange a competition, but by the design of the ships for which the installations were designed. Thus, the 2M-5 installation was designed for torpedo boats, 2M-6 for armored boats, and 2M-7 for minesweepers.
...
A prototype of the 2M-7 pedestal installation was manufactured at OKB-43 in September 1947. The swinging part of the 2M-7 consisted of two cradles (upper and lower), interconnected by a parallelogram rod. The swinging part with the machine was mounted on a fixed pedestal attached to the deck of the ship. The installation had two armored shields 8 mm thick. The KMT-14.5 collimator sight allowed firing at targets with a speed of up to 200 m/s. For firing at targets moving at a speed of 200 to 300 m / s, a mechanical ring sight was used. When conducting intense fire every 100 shots, the barrels were replaced or cooled.
Factory tests of the installation took place in May 1948. State field tests of the 2M-7 were carried out from August 7 to 28, 1948. The installation was presented on them in two versions: with a height of the line of fire of the lower machine gun of 650 and 850 mm. Based on the test results, the commission recommended adopting a higher installation. Ship tests of 2M-7 were carried out in two stages: from November 22 to December 7, 1948 on boat No. 141 of the MO-4 type, and in 1950 - on boats of the M-123bis and TD-200bis types. The 2M-7 installation was adopted by Council of Ministers No. 1400–703ss of July 28, 1951 and by order of the Minister of the Navy No. 00 248 of August 15, 1951. The cost of one unit is 157.3 thousand rubles in 1950 prices. Preparation for gross production of all three installations began in 1950 at the Tula Machine-Building Plant (No. 535). And the next year, the delivery of serial installations began. The plant has been in production for about 10 years.
In the post-war years, heavy machine guns were not installed on large ships. This was due, on the one hand, to an increase in the speed and survivability of aircraft, and on the other hand, with the advent of relatively effective anti-aircraft guns 25-mm 2M-ZM, and then 30-mm AK-230. But 14.5-mm machine guns are widely used on boats of all classes. So, the 2M-5 installations received torpedo boats of projects 123bis and 184; 2M-6 - project 191M armored boats and part of project 1204 boats; 2M-7 - patrol boats of the "Grif" type of project 1400 and project 368T, minesweepers of projects 151, 361T, etc."

Piston tube missing (should be under the barrel)

Upper machine gun marking: 1950 L27

Sight settings table

Marking of the lower machine gun: 1950 L48

It turns out that in front of us is a shield and a pedestal of a 14.5-mm 2M-7 installation in combination with 12.7-mm DShK barrels. From the idea that we have a homemade mutant, I was taken away by scans of drawings from the GDR magazine "Modelbau heute" dated December 1984. The product depicted on the German drawings corresponded to the appearance of the exhibit from Tolyatti. The caption under the illustrations read: "WKN-12.7-mm-Fla-MG Typ MK-7". Attempts to find this issue of the journal and a search by title were unsuccessful. But a search on the forums led to guns.ru, in the topic Model of an anti-aircraft gun. The topic discussed a photograph of the 1970s, taken at the seaside airfield in Baltiysk. The product in the picture repeated appearance"Tolyatti" machine-gun mount: the shape of the armor shield and the vertical arrangement of 12.7-mm barrels with a characteristic gas outlet. The conclusion was: " DShK machine guns on a pedestal 2M-1. "I suppose that in the museum there is a modification of a machine gun mount based on a unified pedestal.

Butt plate of the upper DShK

Butt plate of the lower DShK

Fencing - for collecting shells

General view of the installation

In 2016, while in St. Petersburg, I stumbled upon a fully completed copy of a machine-gun pedestal mount. It is exhibited in a branch of the Central Naval Museum, more precisely, in an extension to the submarine D-2 Narodovolets.

45-mm semi-automatic universal gun 21-KM

We open the orange book "Soviet naval artillery" published back in 1995. This was the first open publication on the topic, also valuable because it was a "creatively reworked" departmental reference book poked by Shirokorad. For those who are not satisfied with the quality of scans of pages printed in 1995, I recommend the "Encyclopedia of Russian Artillery" (published in 2000). The material is generally duplicated. However, back to the exhibit: Artillery system 21-K, according to the project documentation, was a fixture of a 45-mm anti-tank gun mod. 1932 to the marine machine. The body of the gun was entirely borrowed from the 19-K gun and consisted of a fastened barrel and casing. Mass production 45-mm guns 21-K was launched at the plant number 8 in 1934. In the absence of other anti-aircraft guns, 21-K guns were installed on all classes of ships of the Soviet fleet - from patrol boats and submarines to cruisers and battleships.
In 1944, a modification of the 21-KM gun was put into production. work on the modernization of the 21-K gun was started at OKB-172 in 1942 under the symbol VM-42. The lead series of 25 barrels was successfully tested in September 1943, after which the 21-KM gun was put into mass production. The modernization of the gun resulted in an increase in the rifled part of the barrel by 1010 mm, the replacement of inertial automation with a copier, the hardening of the barrel and recoil devices, and the installation of a shield (shield cover). Up to the present day (2000s), 21-KM guns have been used on ships of the Russian Navy as salute guns."

The body of the 21-K gun, borrowed from the 19-K gun, consists of a fastened barrel and casing. Later, a monoblock barrel was introduced

45-mm universal gun 21-KM in the series from 1944 to 1947 Year of issue of the exhibit: 1945

The machine tool is an ordinary pedestal. Shield cover was introduced on 21-KM, but it is absent on this gun

"A serious drawback of the gun (including its modification 21-KM) was the low rate of fire (25 rounds per minute) and the absence of a remote fuse on the shells, so that the target could only be hit by a direct hit (due to the continuous increase in aircraft speeds in 1930- over the years it has become almost impossible). The consequence of these shortcomings of the gun was its extremely low anti-aircraft effectiveness. For this reason, already during the Great Patriotic War, as the troops received domestically produced 37-mm 70-K assault rifles, as well as Oerlikon (20-mm) and Bofors (40-mm) guns - under Lend-Lease, - the widespread replacement of 21-K guns on ships began."

Initially, the 21-K guns did not have a semi-automatic shutter. After 1935, semi-automatic inertial type was introduced. Since 1944, on the 21-KM, inertial automation was replaced with a copy

Toothed sector of the vertical guidance mechanism

If it is interesting to look at the 21-K in excellent condition - look at the photographs from the branch of the Central Naval Museum submarine D-2 "Narodovolets", St. Petersburg. Of course, it's even better to just visit D-2, and at the same time, in the annex to the boat, inspect the "magpie".

37-mm automatic anti-aircraft artillery mount 70-K

Exhibited in the museum, the 70-K is a shipborne modification of the widely used Soviet automatic anti-aircraft gun 61-K. When you search the Internet for information on installing 70-K, you usually stumble upon fragments of text borrowed from Shirokorad, where a lot of reproaches are made against the ancestors. They say that the GAU made a mistake and before the Great Patriotic War they adopted a 37-mm anti-aircraft gun instead of a more effective 45 mm caliber. The German 37-mm Flak 37 and Flak 43, the American 37-mm M1A2 L / 53.5, the 40-mm English QF 2 pdr AA ("pom-pom"), as well as the "mother" of the Soviet gun - 40- mm Bofors L60 model 1936. By the way, the last of these is still used on Lockheed AC-130 gunships for firing at ground targets, as well as on military boats of some countries.

Another accusation of Shirokorad was the thesis that the leadership of the Soviet Navy "constantly copied" the decisions of the GAU and generally did not pay attention to naval air defense, as well as large-caliber anti-aircraft artillery. Indeed, in the pre-war period, there were plenty of mistakes and "fashionable ideas" in the GAU - Kurchevsky recoilless rifles, a 107-mm light howitzer, as well as beautiful theme universal anti-aircraft divisional gun. It is clear that mobility and the weight of ammunition are not as important for a ship gun as for an army anti-aircraft gun. Alas, the highly specialized systems of the USSR of the 1930s could not afford. Like it or not, it was a rather poor country with a low literacy rate and a very young industry. However, according to the logic of Shirokorad, the sailors had to go against the chosen standard and develop their own anti-aircraft gun, incompatible with ammunition and spare parts with land systems. At the same time, the abundantly cited historian of artillery forgets about the rather modest capabilities of Soviet industry. The release of the long-awaited 37-mm anti-aircraft guns 61-K was significantly behind the plan, and by the beginning of the war, the Red Army received about a quarter of their required number: about 1200 pieces in the army and 133 in the Navy. A similar shortage happened with 37-mm shells.
More details about the history of the issue can be found by clicking on the link Anti-aircraft artillery in the Technical Museum, Togliatti.

As for examples of combat use, I will give two fragments from the memoirs of the commander of the leader of the destroyers "Tashkent" captain 3rd rank Eroshenko Vasily Nikolayevich. I must say that by the beginning of the war on this ship, the 21-K anti-aircraft semi-automatic guns were replaced by 37-mm 70-K automatic guns. In total, six such assault rifles were installed on the leader, and later the anti-aircraft armament was strengthened by adding 76-mm 39-K from the unfinished destroyer Ognevoy. Before moving on to quotes, let me remind you that the 37 mm 70-K barrels were air-cooled, so the overheated barrel had to either be changed (about 15 minutes per operation) or cooled for an hour and a half. Whether the anti-aircraft gunners of "Tashkent" had those one and a half hours - judge for yourself.

June 24, 1942: " - The break is over, they're going again ... - Orlovsky announces half an hour later. The sharp-sighted first mate, who had hardly looked up from his binoculars all this time, was the first to notice a new group of aircraft, ahead of the signalmen. These are Heinkels again, perhaps the same ones that managed to refuel and hang up bombs. Again divided into two groups. And now the height is different, no more than a thousand meters. They know that we are already without cover, and behave more impudently ...
The bombs fall closer than the first time. Making sharp turns, "Tashkent" cuts off the water columns that did not have time to settle. They crash onto the deck, the superstructures, the bridge. Blinded by the "shower" that poured over me as well, I missed the moment when an anti-aircraft shell hit the bomber. Shaking off the water, I hear screams of delight on the deck and only then I notice the falling plane. Well done Makukhin! However, it is likely that Gimmelman's machine guns helped him.
There is a respite, but it is short - there is another group of bombers ahead. I turn right on them, it's more profitable. Meanwhile, the signalers manage to contact the Unsullied. There, like ours, there are no losses or damage.
We fight off a new attack. The general fire of naval and army anti-aircraft weapons merges into a deafening crack. But fire is fire, and no less means maneuver. I try not to miss the moment when the first bombers approach the bomb drop point, and I turn the ship sharply to the left. The turn helps out - the bombs fall to the side. And another plane smoked. Well, today is the day for our anti-aircraft gunners! And this group of bombers did not reach the “Impeccable” - it was discharged on the “Tashkent”, without achieving anything."

June 27, 1942, in the last days of the defense of Sevastopol, "Tashkent" took out the evacuees to Novorossiysk. Starting from 5 o'clock in the morning until 9 o'clock, the leader was subjected to continuous attacks by enemy aircraft (about 90 aircraft). Over 300 bombs were dropped on it. " With flooded compartments, with a jammed steering wheel, "Tashkent" continues to fight. This fight is very unequal. After all, the strength of our ship is in the combination of fire with maneuver. And now, for the leader, sharp, rapid turns are no longer possible. Dodging bombs, the ship manages to turn right or left only twenty to thirty degrees. Since the maneuver is limited, it is necessary to intensify anti-aircraft fire as soon as possible. But the barrels of the machine guns were already so hot that they had to be poured with water. A group of Sevastopol women stood up to supply water to the anti-aircraft gunners, armed some with a boatswain's canvas bucket, some with a soup tank."

37-mm twin gun mount B-11

The project to create a 37-mm automatic anti-aircraft gun for the Soviet Navy (two 70-K assault rifles are installed in one cradle) appeared back in 1940. Despite the huge need for shipborne air defense systems, work on the B-11 dragged on until 1944. Briefly, this story is set out in the same book of Shirokorad: " The contract for the manufacture of a prototype unit was concluded with plant No. 4 on May 30, 1941. The working drawings of the installation were completed in 1942. The prototype was manufactured and shipped by factory #4 on March 2, 1944. Field tests of the B-11 took place at NIMAP from April 15 to May 18, 1944 in the amount of 1193 shots. On field tests, after a continuous burst of 83 shots, the water in the casing boiled, and after 166, it completely turned into steam. According to the project, the stabilization mechanism was supposed to have an electric drive, and the prototype and serial samples were equipped only with a manual one. State ship tests of the V-11 installation took place on the large hunter "Shturman" in the Northern Fleet from July 16 to August 12, 1944. The V-11 gun mount was adopted by Order of the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy No. 0155 of July 25, 1946.
In general, the B-11 was the first to use continuous water external cooling of the barrels during firing, which made it possible to increase the length of the continuous burst by 2 times. At the same time, they got rid of a significant limitation: after 100 shots, the air-cooled barrel either had to be changed (which took at least 15 minutes), or wait for it to cool for about an hour and a half. Another innovation - the stabilization of the axis of the pins in the plane of the horizon and additional stabilization in the plane of fire, had no effect - the presence of manual aiming drives affected. However, the main problem of the B-11 (as well as its predecessor 70-K) was the lack of automation of combat work, since the supply of cartridges from the ship's elevators, as well as the aiming of the artillery mount, were carried out manually. Hence the weak ability to deal with high-speed air targets and the practical rate of fire is 2-3 times lower than the technical one.

The barrel shroud serves as a reservoir for sea water circulation in the cooling system

Mechanisms of vertical and horizontal guidance only manual, have two speeds

Two assault rifles with 70-K gun ballistics mounted in one cradle

The knurler is spring, assembled on the water cooling casing

And again Shirokorad, "Weapons of the Russian Navy": " In the post-war period, the V-11 installation was modernized and received the V-11M index. The V-11 and V-11M installations were placed on the cruisers of projects 26, 68, 68bis; destroyers of projects 30K and 30bis, as well as minesweepers of project 254. The V-11M installation has an automatic sight AZP-37-2M. By 1991, the Soviet Navy had over 1,000 V-11 and V-11M gun mounts. The production of V-11M installations was discontinued in the early 80s. The V-11 and V-11M installations from 1944 to 1953 were manufactured at plant No. 4, and since 1952 at plant No. 614. Such a long production of V-11 installations is explained not by some of their exceptional qualities, but rather by inertia thinking of the leadership of the fleet. As already mentioned, machine guns of the 70-K type had many design flaws and, on the whole, were very mediocre weapons. Nevertheless, during the war years, they were the basis of the air defense of the ground forces and navy, and they accounted for the majority of German aircraft shot down by anti-aircraft artillery.". On this, slightly howling note, we will end the topic of installing the B-11.

25-mm twin gun mount 2M-3M

In 1945, OKB-43 received the task of developing a 25-mm two-gun deck-mounted automatic installation 2M-3, designed to arm minesweepers and boats of projects 183, 201. For this installation, OKB-16 (chief designer Nudelman) developed an automatic machine 110-PM. Vertical and horizontal guidance was carried out using two hydraulic motors, one of which is connected to the HV gearbox, and the other to the GN gearbox. As a backup, there was also manual guidance, carried out by one gunner. Reloading was carried out using two power hydraulic cylinders. The cooling of the barrels during firing is air. When replacing magazines, water was supplied to the barrels through a hose with a nozzle from the breech for cooling. Water cooling time - at least 15 seconds. The power supply of the 110-PM machine gun is double-sided tape, but the machine guns of the first series also allowed for dual power. Loose metal tape.

25 mm installation 2M-3M

Breech of 25 mm assault rifles

Gunner's workplace

Mechanical ringfinder

In 1949, three prototypes were made, which did not pass the field and ship (project 183 boat) tests. In 1952, the 2M-3 passed state ship tests the second time and was put into service the following year. " Later, OKB-43 modernized the 2M-3 installation. In particular, engineer Sokolov K.I. redesigned the design of the 110-PM assault rifle, and as a result, the M-110 assault rifle was obtained with a rate of fire of 470-480 rounds / min. (on tests). In the 110-PM machine, the automation works only due to the recoil energy with a short barrel stroke, and in the new M-110 machine, the energy of the powder gases discharged from the bore is additionally used. This energy is used in the operation of a gas buffer designed to increase the rolling speed of moving parts. Power M-110 only right and only tape. The tape, magazine and cartridges are the same as those of the 110-PM." Source: A. Shirokorad, "Weapons of the domestic fleet"

The new installation received the index 2M-3M, and since 1950 both versions of the artillery system went into production at the Tula plant No. 535. Installations of this type were armed with torpedo boats pr. 183 and pr.
A few words about the combat use of 2M-3 installations. In the naval battles of the Arab-Israeli war of 1973, torpedo boats of project 183 and missile boats of project 183-R, supplied to Egypt and Syria, took part. In this relatively short-term conflict, the struggle at sea was of a secondary nature. Of the significant events, one can mention the naval battle near the Syrian port of Latakia and the military clashes between the Egyptians and the Israelis that occurred on October 9 and 16, 1973.

.

I will quote the article Arab-Israeli conflict of 1973 published in 2010 on the Rocketry website: " Israeli missile boats as part of small homogeneous and mixed attack groups (three to five missile and two to three torpedo or patrol boats) widely used raiding tactics. The mixed composition of strike groups increased combat stability and made it difficult for the enemy to identify the true composition of the attacking side. Basically, the battles were fought at night, which, in combination with other methods of camouflage (primarily by means of electronic warfare), contributed to the organization of sudden missile strikes from one or several directions. The starting position for the attack was chosen outside the range of coastal radars at a distance of 30-40 miles from the objects of attack. The group entered the position of rocket firing after tactical deployment at maximum speed, most often on a catch-up course. As a rule, a salvo missile attack was carried out on the main enemy targets. The firing was carried out from a range of 6-8 miles with the launch of six to eight Gabriel Mk1 missiles by each boat with the minimum possible interlaunch interval. After a missile salvo, the group went on to further rapprochement with the enemy to deliver an artillery strike from a distance of 2-6 miles."Since, due to the unsatisfactory condition of the materiel, even the fastest Egyptian boats developed a speed of no more than 24 knots, their withdrawal after a missile salvo was often fraught with danger. Israeli boats, whose maximum speed reached 30 knots, were able to catch up with the enemy and inflict effective rocket-artillery attack, which revealed the weak effectiveness of the 25-mm 2M-3 mount as a self-defense weapon against the 40-mm / 70 AU "Breda-Bofors" Mod.58 / 11 and the 76-mm AU "OTO Melara" Israeli boats.

57-mm twin gun mount ZIF-31B of the floating missile base pr.1798 "PRTB-33"

Before us is the first gun with the index "ZIF" (abbreviation "Plant named after Frunze"). In the post-war period, this plant became the main supplier of naval artillery weapons for the Soviet Navy. Let's make a small digression into the history of KB.
In 1942, Vasily Gavrilovich Grabin founded the Central Artillery Design Bureau near Moscow. The first deputy chief designer of the TsAKB, V. Grabin, was Ilya Ivanovich Ivanov, under whose leadership such well-known artillery systems as the 85-mm ZIS-S-53 tank gun and the 100-mm BS-3 anti-tank gun were created. I must say that even before the war, I.I. Ivanov was in charge of OKB-221 at the Stalingrad plant "Barricades", where he was engaged, among other things, in the marine theme. Among other installations, under his leadership, a 100-mm naval gun of the 1940 model was created, first installed on the Kirov cruiser and then widely used on Soviet warships.

In June 1944, I.I. Ivanov was appointed head of the Leningrad branch of the TsAKB. Among the developments was a project of a self-propelled system, which was supposed to dramatically increase the mobility of the duplex, which consisted of a 210-mm Br-17 gun and a 305-mm Br-18 howitzer. The basis of the system is a self-propelled gun of two T-34s connected to each other in the bow, while in the stowed position the barrel of the system was mounted on the rear hull. A year later, the branch was transformed into an independent Naval Artillery Central Design Bureau, and then, in March 1945, into TsKB-34, and Ivanov returned to work on the creation of naval and coastal artillery. One of the first developments of TsKB-34 was a 57-mm two-gun automatic installation for arming submarines.

57-mm twin gun mount ZIF-31B

Trunks of 57 mm machine guns

It must be said here that in 1945, Soviet specialists got acquainted with the captured submarines of the XXI series, as well as with their working drawings and the production process. Under the strong impression of them, the TTZ was formed for the medium submarine of project 613. In particular, under the impression of the trophies, the artillery armament of the new submarines was also determined. Anti-aircraft armament of German type XXI boats - twin 20-mm automatic guns were placed in tower installations, at the ends of the felling fence, being inscribed in its contours. In the submerged position, the towers were automatically retracted inside the cabin. The towers could be controlled both directly and with the help of electromechanical drives from inside the robust hull. Here, for the Soviet boats of project 613 in TsKB-34, they had to create a 57-mm twin automatic installation SM-24-ZiF.

In October 1949, a prototype SM-24 was tested at factory #4. It was transferred to the Frunze Plant (No. 7), which at the same time formed the Central Design Bureau No. 7, later renamed the Arsenal Design Bureau. The working documentation for the SM-24 was also transferred there from TsKB-34. In 1953, the SM-24-ZIF was put into service, and while it was being created, tested and fine-tuned, only a part of the artillery armament was put on the boats - a 25-mm twin automatic gun 2M-8. However, in 1956, artillery was removed from Soviet submarines due to a clear inability to deal with jet aircraft. The Arsenal Design Bureau continued to deal with ship gun mounts, so the exposition of the Technical Museum has a lot of guns with the ZIF index. In addition to work on the creation of mechanized turret artillery installations, in the 1950s, the designers of the Arsenal Design Bureau began a transition to missiles. The design bureau created the ZIF-101 and ZIF-102 deck-based ship launchers (Volna air defense system), ZIF-122 (OSA-M air defense system), as well as systems for setting decoys: PK-16, PK-2M ( ZIF-121). Separate components of these systems are presented in the museum exposition.

As for the Central Design Bureau No. 34 (the modern name is the Design Bureau of Special Machine Building), its engineers switched to the development of launch systems and complexes for the Strategic Missile Forces, Navy and Air Defense. Among the achievements are the train and the BZHRK launcher (created under the leadership of the chief designer V.F. Utkin).

TsAKB Grabin in 1946 was renamed the Central Research Institute of Artillery Weapons (TsNIIAV). By this time, the USSR had taken a course towards the priority development of rocket technology. It is not surprising that only one post-war development of Grabin was adopted - the S-60 anti-aircraft gun (1950). In 1955, a fundamentally new main task was set before the institute - the creation of atomic reactors. To manage these works, Academician Anatoly Aleksandrov (later President of the USSR Academy of Sciences) was appointed head, and Grabin was transferred to the post of head of the department. Vasily Gavrilovich made great efforts to defend the role and tasks of the institute, and in March 1956, already with the name TsNII-58, the institute returned to the Ministry of Defense Industry. Grabin was again appointed director and chief designer, and Alexandrov returned to his native Institute of Atomic Energy. In July 1959, TsNII-58, together with an experimental plant, was attached to the nearby OKB-1 S.P. Korolev, who demanded resources from the government to expand work on long-range solid-propellant missiles. Grabin was appointed to the advisory group under the Minister of Defense, and most of his former employees, under the leadership of Sergei Pavlovich, began designing strategic solid-propellant ballistic missiles.
Unfortunately, the attempt to solve all problems with the help of missiles led to the fact that domestic artillery began to seriously lag behind the artillery of the United States and other NATO countries. The lag was observed almost everywhere - from ship to self-propelled and tank guns.

The ZIF-31 installation was developed at TsKB-7, while the swinging part with small changes taken from the SM-24-ZIF1 anti-aircraft gun already known to us for submarines of the 613th project. Since 1955, many Soviet ships have been equipped with the ZIF-31 as an air defense system: the Project 264 sea minesweeper, Project 188 medium landing ships, Project 1171 Tapir large landing ships, etc.
"The Navy is armed with installations ZIF-31, ZIF-31S, ZIF-31 B and ZIF-31 BS, which mainly differ in the presence of remote control and vertical and horizontal guidance drive motors. The engines of the ZIF-31 and ZIF-31B units operate on a three-phase alternating current of 220 V or 380 V, and the ZIF-31 S and ZIF-31BS units operate on a direct current of 220 V. The ZIF-31 and ZIF-31 S units have a remote control from PUS "Foot-B". The ZIF-31B and ZIF-31BS installations do not have remote control, and fire is fired only at the AMZ-57-2 sight."
Source: A. Shirokorad, "Weapons of the domestic fleet"

Gun #07 FOR THE PROJECT 1798

Another marking: PR.1798

Traces of a failed career in the Indonesian Navy - warning labels in English

Warning labels are also in Russian /p>

The museum exhibits a modification of the ZIF-31B with the number on the nameplate: 07. It is interesting that the type of installation is stamped in Russian letters, and the rest of the inscriptions (current, voltage, etc.) are in English. Even more interesting is that English-language markings are applied to the control handles in a factory way. They are supplied with a handicraft Russian translation. Plates with safety requirements are found both in Russian and in English. However, the most useful inscription found is "FOR THE PROJECT 1798". In addition, during the re-examination of the exhibit, we managed to find another nameplate: "PR. No. 1798 POS. No. 1 SB 10/2 1".
Further identification is not difficult, because only one ship was built according to the 1798 project, this is the floating missile base "PRTB-33". Its artillery armament consisted of two 57-mm mounts (bow and stern) and two 2M-3M 25-mm gun mounts on the wings of the superstructure. Here is one of these 57-mm ZIF-31B twin artillery mounts that we observe in photographs from the museum. At the same time, the question remains open as to why the exhibit has the ordinal "No. 7" on the nameplate. As they say, this question is still waiting for its persistent researcher.

Factory inscription GUY VOLLEY, the translation is stamped below with a core: ZALP

Marking SM-24 - in memory of the development of an anti-aircraft installation for submarines

Machine numbers: 9195 and 14309

The idea of ​​​​creating such floating bases involved not only the prompt delivery of ammunition to replace that spent in a dashing sea battle. These ships were created rather for the dispersal of arsenals in a threatened period. It is obvious that the places of storage of ammunition should have been included in the number of targets for the first strikes of the enemy. Therefore, on alert, special weapons transports were to disperse along the coast, in their territorial waters. Preferably hiding in secluded bays. Nevertheless, there are references to the reloading of missiles on the high seas. For example, Soviet submarines, lying in a drift south of the island of Crete, successfully carried out loading of ammunition from our PRTB. Thus, the supply of rocket weapons to Soviet warships at dispersed base points was practiced.

Toothed sector of the cradle - part of the vertical guidance mechanism

The "PRTB-33" of interest to us was part of the 41st brigade of missile boats of the Black Sea Fleet, and repeatedly participated in combat services in the Mediterranean Sea. The history of her military service can literally fit in a couple of paragraphs. The floating missile-technical base was laid in Nikolaev at the shipbuilding plant No. 444 named after. I. Nosenko according to the original pr.1798. The weapons transport was intended for the transportation, storage and preparation for the issuance of P-15 cruise missiles to warships. It was assumed that the ship would be transferred to the Indonesian Navy in addition to the 12 transferred missile boats pr.183-R. This explains the abundance of English-language inscriptions on the artillery mount. However, by the time the construction was completed, the political situation had changed and in 1965 the floating base went to the Soviet Navy. This is how hastily made Russian translations appeared for English-language designations.

In the spring of 1971, at the same plant No. 444 (Nikolaev), "PRTB-33" began to be re-equipped according to the 2001 project. The modernization took about a year. Rocket technology developed rapidly and after some time the weapons transport was modernized according to the 2001M project in Kronstadt, at KMOLZ. Now the floating base could supply combat units of the fleet with Malakhit anti-ship cruise missiles.

In December 1998, the armament was removed and the floating base was reclassified into medium sea dry cargo transports (VTR-33) with a transfer to a civilian state. On January 1, 2004, the ship was decommissioned and excluded from the KChF. It was laid up at the Coal pier (Sevastopol) until January 2007, when the VTR-33 was towed to Inkerman for cutting into metal.

76.2-mm twin gun mount AK-726 (ZIF-67) of the training ship pr.887 "Khasan"

In 1954, a decision was made to develop a 76-mm twin-gun mount. By this time, automatic guns with a caliber over 57 mm were not in service with our army and navy. The installation was designed by TsKB-7. In 1958, a prototype ZIF-67 was manufactured by plant No. 7 and passed factory tests. In 1961, various installation options with the FUT-B launcher were tested in the Black Sea and the Baltic. To understand the context, it must be clarified that this period is characterized by the search in the Soviet Union for asymmetric ways to deal with the navies of the NATO countries, which were many times superior to the forces of the Soviet Navy. There was no money to equal the potential enemy in quantitative terms. Therefore, they relied on the use of nuclear power plants and guided missile weapons. The missiles were supposed to compensate for the lack of carrier-based aviation in our fleet, which limited its strike capabilities to the range of coastal-based aircraft. It was assumed that these ships would be able to go out alone against the adversary's AUG and smash them with rocket salvos from extreme distances. At the same time, the single-channel Volna air defense system (the naval version of the S-125 air defense system) will be able to provide the cruiser with effective air defense. Thus, in the USSR, a project of missile cruisers armed with the P-35 anti-ship missile system appeared.

In 1962, Grozny, the lead ship of Project 58, was tested in the White Sea, near Severodvinsk. Two experimental ZIF-67s with the Turel radar control system were also tested on it. It was planned to use them in order to combat light surface targets, as well as to strengthen air defense. It is interesting that not only artillery installations, but also the main armament - the P-35 complex and the Volna air defense system did not exist at the time of the laying of the cruiser. The ship and its weapons were created and tested in parallel. By the way, it was planned to build 16 Project 58 cruisers, but in fact only 4 were built, one for each of the fleets of the Soviet Navy. The last, fourth, cruiser of this type entered service in 1964. I refer those who are interested to the book of Kuzin and Nikolsky " Navy USSR 1945-1991".

The barrels fire at the same time. Synchronization of firing of machine guns is provided by a mechanical synchronizer in the trigger mechanism

The disadvantage of the tower was poor ventilation, so the fire was fired with open hatches

The unit is armored with a thickness of 5 mm

Vertical Angle guidance ranges from -10° to +85°

In the same year, 1962, two ZIF-67 installations with the Turel launcher were tested on the Black Sea on the Project 61 Komsomolets Ukrainy BOD. It was the lead ship of the series, the representatives of which, for the melodic whistle of gas turbines, were nicknamed "singing frigates" in the fleet. The context of its creation was as follows: nuclear missiles sea-based had a short range (hundreds of kilometers), which forced submarines to come close to the enemy's sea borders. The USSR understood that our fleet did not have adequate measures to counter modern American attack aircraft and nuclear submarines. It was decided to create a layered anti-submarine defense, where in the far zone the boats were intercepted by helicopter carriers (project 1123) and basic anti-submarine aviation, and in the near zone - by small missile patrol ships, the first of which was the project 61 ship. In addition, anti-submarine ships (this is in domestic terminology , but actually destroyers) were supposed to ensure the combat stability of their submarines deployed off the coast of the enemy (we will leave the question of the feasibility of this task beyond the scope).

Returning to the subject of project 61 BOD artillery weapons, we note that under the influence of "rocket euphoria" it was limited to two twin 76-mm machine guns. " The lack of medium-caliber artillery made it impossible for the ship to provide fire support landing and fire at various coastal targets. In the Russian Navy, the return of medium-caliber artillery to ships began only in the 70s".

Guns of the Soviet (former Imperial) battleships of the Baltic Fleet defended Leningrad

On September 8, 1941, the Germans captured Shlisselburg (Petrokrepost). All land routes leading to the city were cut off. From that moment on, the countdown of the blockade of Leningrad began. The successful defense of such a metropolis as the city on the Neva was at that time is a unique case in the history of wars. Various reasons are given due to which the city resisted, repulsed enemy attacks and survived in the monstrous conditions of the winter of 1941-42.
One of the little-known facts of the blockade is the presence in Leningrad of an unprecedented amount of naval artillery of large (120+ mm) calibers. According to this indicator, the battle for Leningrad was more like a major naval battle, although most of the shells were looking for ground targets.

After the ships of the Baltic Fleet broke into Kronstadt from encircled Tallinn at the end of August 1941, the number of naval artillery guns increased to 360 guns (of which 207 were coastal). It was tantamount to a large squadron defending the city, including dreadnoughts and heavy cruisers.

Railway installation TM-1-14 during testing at a training ground near Leningrad. From the archives of the KTOF Museum. stillshtill

And this statement is not far-fetched. 101 large caliber guns (28 percent of total guns) with a range of 28–45 km and 259 medium caliber guns (72 percent) with a range of 22–25 km. The field artillery of the Red Army could not provide such a range (only 10-12 km) and fired lighter shells (6-40 kg).
12 guns of the main caliber of the battleship "Marat" sent 470-kg shells up to 30 km. The guns mounted on railway installations fired 180-mm shells weighing 97 kg at a distance of up to 38 km.
In the most difficult time - November 1941 - February 1942, the accelerated construction of new batteries continued. During this time, 29 railway artillery batteries with 70 guns were built.
The production of barrels of 305-mm and higher caliber was discontinued by the domestic industry in 1917 and resumed only at the end of the 30s. Therefore, for the 356-mm TM-1-14 installations, the barrels that were available on the Izmail-class cruisers, which were produced in England for Russia in 1915-1917, were used. The TM-3-12 installations (Hanko defense) received 305/52-mm guns, lifted literally from the bottom of the sea, more precisely, from the Empress Maria battleship flooded in Sevastopol.

152-mm railway installation B-64
Produced since 1941. 152-mm naval gun was mounted on an armored four-axle platform
In June 1941, six 152-mm railway guns were part of two batteries of the 10th coastal artillery battalion in the Irben sector of coastal defense on the coast of the Gulf of Riga. In the future, all issued guns were sent to the Leningrad Front.

For comparison: the next most powerful coastal artillery is Sevastopol

Heavy shells from coastal batteries, ships of the Baltic Fleet and railway installations made an invaluable contribution to the failure of the German attempts to take the city in the fall of 1941. Among the chorus Soviet artillery even the 203-mm guns of the unfinished German heavy cruiser Lutzow, bought by the USSR shortly before the war, sounded. The Germans supplied a double set of shells for the cruiser, there was no point in sparing the barrels, and the Lützow-Petropavlovsk fired almost the most shells among the ships of the Baltic Fleet against former compatriots.
At the initial stage of the defense of the city, the task of the KBF artillery, primarily coastal artillery, was to assist the army units as much as possible in delivering long-range strikes against ground targets. In the autumn of 1941, the Red Army did not have the required number of guns, especially large calibers.
In September 1941, part of the railway artillery batteries was transferred to the command of the army. 12 batteries of railway artillery, armed with 56 guns, from September 1941 to January 1942 conducted 2170 firings, having spent 26,387 shells. The high intensity of firing led to the fact that at the end of January 1942, the barrels were replaced on all guns.

On January 8, 1942, all railway artillery batteries were consolidated into the 101st Naval Railway Artillery Brigade, which, in terms of the number of guns, was the most powerful artillery unit in Leningrad. It included 7 artillery battalions and a separate battery (a total of 28 batteries with 63 guns of 356–45 mm caliber.
To imagine the capabilities of the brigade, it is enough to say that a simultaneous salvo of all batteries of 100 mm caliber and above brought down 4,350 kg of metal on the enemy, and taking into account the rate of fire, it sent more than 28 thousand kg in one minute. (Volley of the main caliber of the battleship type "Iowa" in 1945 - about 11,250 kg, 2 rounds per minute.)

Gradually, after the Germans abandoned active offensive operations, large-caliber artillery began to play a special role in counter-battery combat against German guns, systematically shelling Leningrad.
In 1942, the enemy used up to 250 guns to shell Leningrad. Fire raids lasted 8-10 minutes, then there was a break from 1 to 3 hours. In January 1942, 2696 shells were fired at the city, in February 4771, in March 7380.

406-mm gun mount, designed for the first Soviet battleship "Soviet Union". After the rupture of a 406-mm projectile, a funnel 6 meters deep formed in the ground, and the flying fragments could hit the enemy’s manpower within a radius of 4 kilometers. Shooting from cannons of this caliber was so expensive, and the supply of shells was so small, that only the commander of the artillery of the Baltic Fleet could give permission for it. Naturally, this only happened in emergencies. For example, during the breakthrough of the blockade in 1943, battery No. 1 fired at Krasny Bor, where there was a strategic facility - a hydroelectric power station.

In total, in 1942, coastal and naval artillery used 60,440 shells of caliber from 406 to 100 mm for counter-battery combat, or 62 percent of all shells used in combat firing to assist the troops of the Leningrad Front. As soon as shells began to burst on the streets of Leningrad, at the general signal “Dragonfly” or “Thunder”, all the heavy artillery of the Leningrad Front, coastal batteries and ships fell upon warehouses, railway stations, headquarters, communication centers, accumulations of enemy manpower. In such cases, enemy artillery was forced to transfer fire to our batteries and thereby weaken or completely stop shelling the city.

Tarasevich. Fort Krasnaya Gorka. Delivery of shells to the gun by the Red Navy of the 311th battery of the Baltic Fleet. 1941

And what about the Germans?
By the end of 1942, the Germans decided to actively shoot the city. If at the beginning of the blockade the enemy mainly used guns whose caliber did not exceed 152 mm, then from the second half of 1942 heavy artillery operating near Sevastopol was redeployed to the Leningrad region, including mortars of 220 and 420 mm caliber and howitzers of 400 mm caliber . In addition, railway transporters with 210 mm guns arrived from France, Czechoslovakia and Germany.

French-made 400-mm howitzer 40-H(E)-752(f)

On January 1, 1944, the Wehrmacht had 256 guns with a caliber of more than 105 mm and howitzers (mortars) with a caliber of more than 150 mm near Leningrad.
Railway artillery consisted of five batteries. One of them, the 693rd battery, was armed with eight French-made 40-H(E)-752(f) 400mm howitzers. The other, numbered 459, is two 370mm 37-H(E)-711(f). As you can see from the index, also French. These guns had a very powerful projectile (the weight of a high-explosive fragmentation grenade was 500-600 kg), but a fairly modest firing range, about 16 km.

280-mm railway mount Short Bruno (28 cm Kz.Br.K. (E))

Two transporters with a K5 (E) gun were in service with the 686th battery. The 691st had a mixed composition: two "short Bruno" transporters of 280-mm caliber and two French 340-mm guns 34-K (E) -674 (f). 9 By the end of December, "short Bruno" shot up ammunition and was sent to Germany. "French" expected in the near future the same fate. And, finally, the third 691st battery was equipped with one 240-mm Czechoslovak transporter 24-K (E) -457 (t). Two other guns were sent to Plzeň to replace their barrels.

The dense railway network of the Leningrad region created exceptionally favorable conditions for the use of "guns on wheels". The German command attached appropriate importance to this type of artillery. According to the chronicle of the 215th Infantry Division, the extremely bloody battles in July-August 1942 for Uritsk and Staro-Panovo to a certain extent serve as an illustration of what has been said. The triangle of railways in this place connected the Peterhof-Uritsk branch with the rest of the railway network. Namely, on this site, transporters with large-caliber guns were maneuvering, shelling Leningrad and Kronstadt.

During the first quarter of 1943, our naval artillery fired 4,446 artillery fires with a consumption of 53,945 shells: 38 406 mm, 114 356 mm, 7 305 mm, 19 254 mm, 19 203 mm, 1084 152mm, 40225 130mm, 353 122mm, 2522 120mm, 692 102mm, 6608 100mm.
Of particular difficulty in suppressing the German batteries was their maneuverability, while the locations of our heavy naval guns and coastal artillery were unchanged and were taken into account by the Germans when planning their actions. Ceteris paribus, German artillery had the ability to strike from positions chosen taking into account the minimum vulnerability to fire from the same 305-mm guns of the Marat or the October Revolution. In the same cases, when the choice of positions outside the zone of action of the powerful fire of the entire Leningrad artillery was impossible, the German batteries were suppressed quite effectively. The shelling of the city continued until the very end of the blockade.

Funnel from a German shell on the streets of Leningrad

In the operation of breaking the blockade in January 1943, when breaking into a saturated defense in depth of the Germans, 11 stationary coastal artillery batteries (34 guns of 406-100 mm caliber), 16 railway batteries (32 guns of 356-100 mm caliber), 3 destroyers and 3 gunboats (22 130 mm guns).

Soviet officers inspect heavy German guns shelling Leningrad. These are two 305-mm M16 mortars of Czech production by Skoda.

Report from the head of the operational department of the headquarters of Army Group North to the head of the Operational Directorate of the Ground Forces dated November 21, 1943

In accordance with a telephone message from the Commander-in-Chief of Artillery, it is planned to remove two batteries with seven 210-mm K39 guns from the 768th division of the RGK.
The army group is compelled to report the following on this occasion:
The 768th division of the RGK with 1600 shots in cash is today the main instrument of influence on Leningrad. In addition to it, there are four 170-mm, two 240-mm and seven 210-mm K38 guns with a total ammunition capacity of 2300 rounds, as well as three K-5 with a minimum number of shells. Eight 150- and 155-mm (French-made) guns available in the "Schwerste Flachfeuer" group are used for counter-battery firing when firing heavy systems at targets in Leningrad.
When implementing this decision, the continuation of the shelling of the most important targets in Leningrad is called into question.

Cruiser "Kirov" salutes in honor of the final lifting of the blockade of Leningrad

Summing up, let's pay tribute to the naval artillery of Leningrad, which has become an important part of the unique in the world history of the successful defense of the metropolis. Despite all the difficulties associated with the peculiarity of the situation of the besieged city, the big guns of Leningrad helped to survive in the many years of struggle against a deadly and technically trained enemy.

The text is not a serious historical study (inaccuracies are possible) and takes on the task of popularizing the topic.

Quoted from the book: Perechnev Yu.G.
Soviet Coastal Artillery: A History of Development and Combat Use 1921–1945

Article "Dangerous adversary"
A.N. Zablotsky (Taganrog)
R.I. Larintsev (Severodvinsk)

At the beginning of the 18th century, Russia became one of the first maritime powers. The fleet grew into a powerful unit, and the transformations carried out by Peter I in the army and navy aroused the admiration of foreigners. When creating the fleet, Peter paid much attention to naval artillery, which at first consisted of cast-iron and copper guns no more than 24-pound caliber and copper 3-pound mortars for bombardment ships. Each cannon was relied on 500 cores.
In Peter the Great and post-Petrine times, the number of guns on the ships of the Russian fleet was very different: the ships of the Baltic Fleet were two- and three-deck with the number of guns from 74 to 110, on frigates, corvettes, brigs and schooners from 3 to 70. The number of guns on board changed: from 17 - for big ships and up to 6 for brigs and schooners. Large ships had three closed batteries: the lower one was a gondek, the middle one was a midship deck, and the third one was an operdeck. Two-deck ships had two batteries: gondek and operdek. The frigates had one closed battery deck - the operdeck. All ships had open batteries on the upper deck. Bombardier ships had up to 30 large-caliber guns on the closed deck (operdeke), including mortars. Galleys and smaller scampaways, which sailed mainly under oars, had one large-caliber cannon on the bow and up to 8 small ones along the sides. Peter I introduces the definition of the caliber of guns according to the artillery weight of the corresponding core: an artillery pound is taken as a unit of weight - the weight of a cast-iron core with a radius of one inch: for example, a 12-pounder gun is 4.8 inches, or 11.8 cm, a 36-pounder is 6.8 inches or 17.2 cm.
110-gun ships were armed as follows: the heaviest 30-pounder guns were placed on the gondeck, 18-pounders in the mid-deck, 12-pounders on the operdeck, and 6-pounders on the open deck.
Naval artillery changes and improves over short periods of time. Perhaps the change in the architecture of the ship did not go as fast as the development of artillery. All these changes in the armament of Russian military ships were determined by the Admiralty Regulations. Even before the regulations were approved in 1761, unicorns, or long howitzers, proposed by Shuvalov, who was then at the head of Russian artillery, were adopted by the ships of the Russian fleet. The new guns got their name from the emblem of Shuvalov engraved on them with the image of a mythical unicorn. The unicorn was a shortened cannon or a long howitzer, from which it was possible to fire explosive bombs and grenades, which could not be done when firing from long cannons, since the hollow body of bombs and grenades could not withstand the pressure of powder gases in long barrel guns and split, not having time to fly out of the barrel.
The desire to have cannons of large caliber for close combat and light enough to be installed on the upper decks on ships led to the invention of carronades, named after a factory in Scotland.
Carronades had a short barrel without trunnions, and below the barrel there was an eye through which a roll was passed, replacing the trunnions.
Carronades were cast from cast iron, had a small powder charge compared to a large caliber. In 1787, carronades were introduced on the ships of the Russian fleet and differed in the weight of the cores.
1805 brings new changes in ship artillery; a “regulation” was issued that determined the type and caliber of guns for different types of ships: 36-pound guns and 24-pound carronades were laid for ships, 24-pound guns for frigates. Brigs and lugers were armed only with carronades, bombardment ships were to have 5-pood mortars and 3-pood howitzers. In addition, the mentioned unicorns were preserved on military ships.
In 1833, after experimental firing in Kronstadt, a new weapon was installed on the ships of the Russian fleet - bomb cannons, which had great destructive power and a firing range of 2.5 km at an elevation angle of 15 °. As already mentioned, bombs were used only for firing mortars, howitzers and unicorns. The bomb cannon was a short, large-caliber cannon with a weighted breech. At first, it was cast in bronze, and then in cast iron.
At the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th century, sailing ships of the line were divided into four ranks, frigates - into three, corvettes - into two and brigs - into two ranks. Battleships of the 1st and 2nd ranks were armed with 100-135 guns, ships of the 3rd and 4th ranks - with 80-90 guns. Frigates had from 40 to 60 guns, corvettes - from 24 to 30, brigs - one open battery on deck with 18-20 guns and were used in fleets for messenger and reconnaissance service. In 1856, a new type of warship was introduced in Russia - a clipper, distinguished by sharp hull contours, large windage and a machine. Their artillery armament consisted of 6 guns: four 24-pound (15 cm) carronades and two 60-pound (19.6 cm) guns.
A revolution in armament and architecture is taking place with the use of steam engines, propellers as propellers, and rifled cannons, firing oblong and heavier projectiles than cannonballs.
The idea of ​​protecting ships with armor has excited sailors and inventors for a long time. So, during the siege of Gibraltar in 1782, the Spaniards, together with the French, used armored roofs made of leather and iron bars on their floating batteries. In the period from 1812 to 1829, several projects for armored ships were proposed, and in 1861 Russia ordered for itself in England the armored battery "Pervenets", protected by 4.5 inches (114 mm) of iron armor and armed with 22 smooth-bore 60-pounder ( 19.6 cm) with tools. Since then, armor has been widely used in military shipbuilding.
In the 19th century, smooth-bore artillery, which had existed for about five centuries, reached its highest development. Guns and shells are made with great precision. Tactical and technical requirements are being raised, the most advanced structural forms are being selected, and the greatest strength of guns is being achieved. All unnecessary decorations are cancelled.
Various gun calibers are rounded off. The manufacture of carronades and unicorns ceases, and they are gradually withdrawn from service.
After all the improvements in the early 50s of the 19th century, the Russian fleet had 15 thousand guns, half of which were cast back in the 18th century. The armament was the most diverse and differed in various types and calibers of guns. The following categories of guns were used on the ships: falconets, carronades, cannons, which were intended for flat firing with cannonballs and buckshot. Cannons and carronades could fire explosive grenades and bombs. Bomb cannons, unicorns (long howitzers) were also intended for flat firing with explosive bombs and grenades. In addition to explosive shells, they could fire buckshot and cannonballs. From unicorns it was possible to carry out mounted shooting at a small elevation angle. Mortars were intended for mounted firing of bombs and cannonballs and were mainly installed on bombardment ships and coastal forts. All of the listed guns were bronze and cast iron, differed from each other in weight, channel length and installation location.
In the middle of the 19th century, the most common calibers ship cannons were from 3 lb (76 mm) to 60 lb (19.6 cm).
In appearance, the guns differed depending on which factory and at what time they were cast. guns over early period had decorations in the form of friezes, belts, decorated with intricate casting. Cannons made later did not have these decorations. In 1863, a last attempt was made in Russia to achieve a strong armament with 15-inch smooth-bore cast-iron guns to arm the monitors. These guns were soon replaced by more powerful 9-inch caliber steel rifles. The appearance of armor, which began to be sheathed on the sides of ships, forced gunners to seek an increase in the destructive power of the projectile. Rifled guns appeared that fired not spherical, but oblong cylindrical shells and were loaded not from the muzzle, but from the breech. The gas pressure force increased, the initial velocity of the projectile increased, and, consequently, the impact force increased. Helical grooves were cut in the barrel of the gun, and a leading belt was put on the projectile. When fired, the belt along with the projectile rotated along the rifling of the barrel, thanks to this and its elongated shape, the projectile was lighter than the core, overcame air resistance, was stable in flight, had a greater range and accuracy of hitting the target. The invention, owned by the outstanding Russian engineer I. A. Vyshnegradsky, of a method for making prismatic gunpowder instead of black - smoky gunpowder greatly increased the range of guns.
Russian scientists, engineers and gunners play a leading role in the improvement and development of domestic artillery. The works of D. I. Mendeleev, N. V. Mayevsky, A. P. Gorlov and N. A. Zabudsky served as the basis for the development of rifled artillery, and many of their works are still relevant today.