152 mm gun M1910/30
152-mm gun model 1910/30 | |
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Type | heavy gun |
Place of origin | USSR |
Production history | |
Manufacturer | Krasniy Putilovets, Barrikady, Bolshevik |
No. built | 152 |
Specifications | |
Mass | combat: 2,580 kg (5,688 lb) travel: 3,230 kg (7,121 lb) |
Barrel length | 4.3 m (14 ft 1 in) L/29 (without muzzle brake) |
Caliber | 152.4 mm (6.00 in) |
Breech | interrupted screw |
Recoil | hydro-pneumatic |
Carriage | single trail |
Elevation | -6° to 39° |
Traverse | 4° |
Rate of fire | 2-4 rounds per minute |
Effective firing range | 9,850 m (6,12 mi) |
152-mm gun model 1910/30 was a Soviet gun, a modernization of World War I era 152-mm siege gun M1910. The gun was briefly used by RKKA in the German-Soviet War.
Description[]
M1910/30 was powerful long range gun with big (40°) maximum elevation. It was equipped with interrupted screw breechblock and recoil system consisting of hydraulic buffer and hydro-pneumatic recuperator. The carriage was of single trail type and had metal wheels with solid tires. The crew was protected by 7 mm shield.
In transportation, the barrel was removed and transported separately. It took some 10–15 minutes to set the gun up for combat and up to 23 minutes to make it ready for transportation.
Development and production history[]
The gun resulted from a modernization of the 152-mm siege gun M1910, initially developed by Schneider. The upgrading project was prepared by the design bureau of the Main Artillery Directorate, its main purpose was to increase range. The changes included:
- Lengthened chamber
- Mounting of muzzle brake
- Reduced (from 1,000 mm to 950 mm) recoil distance
- The trail was lengthened (to 2 m)
- Trunnion rings were moved 50 mm forward
In 1930 the modernized gun was adopted as 152-mm gun model 1910/30 (Russian: 152-мм пушка образца 1910/30 годов).
The production began in 1930 at Krasniy Putilovets plant. Later Barrikady and Bolshevik plants joined the production effort. In addition to newly built pieces, all existing M1910 guns were converted to the new standard; the conversion was finished by 1 November 1936.
Since the upgrade of 1930 didn't address a problem of limited mobility, in 1934 additional modernization was performed, resulting in 152-mm gun M1910/34. In 1935 the production of M1910/30 was stopped.
Organization and service[]
According to RKKA organization, 152-mm guns were employed by corps artillery and by the Reserve of the Main Command, typically instead of 152-mm gun-howitzer M1937 (ML-20). Heavy gun regiments of Reserve of the Main Command had 24 pieces each.
By the outbreak of the German-Soviet War RKKA possessed some 120-150 M1910/30s.[1] They undoubtfully saw combat in the war, though due to their limited number the details of their service are unknown.
One piece was captured by the Finnish Army. That gun is currently on display in Hämeenlinna The Artillery Museum of Finland. The Germans assigned the M1910/30 the designation 15.2cm K 438(r).[2]
Summary[]
The M1910/30 was a result of limited modernization of World War I era weapon, which didn't address its insufficient mobility (due to lack of suspension and separate transportation of barrel) and limited traverse.
On the other hand, RKKA liked the ballistic characteristics of the gun. Subsequent modernizations, which concentrated mostly on the gun carriage, resulted in improved M1910/34 and eventually in the famous ML-20.
Ammunition[]
Available ammunition[3] | |||||
Type | Model | Weight, kg | HE weight, kg | Muzzle velocity, m/s | Range, m |
Armor-piercing shells | |||||
APHE | BR-540 | 48.8 | 0.66 | 600 | 4,000 |
APBC (from late 1944) | BR-540B | 46.5 | 0.48 | 600 | 4,000 |
Naval semi-AP | model 1915/28 | 51.07 | 3.2 | 573 | 5,000 |
HEAT | BP-540 | 27.44 | 680 | 3,000 | |
Anti-concrete shells | |||||
Anti-concrete howitzer shell | G-530 / G-530Sh | 40.0 | 5.1 | 665 | 15,600 |
Anti-concrete gun shell | G-545 | 56.0 | 4.2 | ||
High-explosive and fragmentation shells | |||||
Gun shells | |||||
HE-Fragmentation, steel | OF-540 | 43.6 | 5.9-6.25 | 650 | 16,800 |
HE-Fragmentation, steel | OF-540Zh | 43.6 | 5.9-6.25 | ||
HE, old | F-542 | 38.1 | 5.86 | 660 | 13,800 |
HE, old | F-542G | 38.52 | 5.83 | ||
HE, old | F-542ShG | 41.0 | 5.93 | ||
HE, old | F-542Sh | 40.6 | 6.06 | 650 | 12,800 |
HE, old | F-542ShU | 40.86 | 5.96 | ||
HE, old | F-542U | 38.36 | 5.77 | ||
Howitzer shells | |||||
HE-Fragmentation, steel | OF-530 | 40.0 | 5.47-6.86 | ||
HE-Fragmentation, steely iron | OF-530A | 40.0 | 5.66 | ||
HE, old | F-533 | 40.41 | 8.0 | ||
HE, old | F-533K | 40.68 | 7.3 | ||
HE, old | F-533N | 41.0 | 7.3 | ||
HE, old | F-533U | 40.8 | 8.8 | ||
HE, steely iron, old French | F-534F | 41.1 | 3.9 | ||
HE for 152-mm mortar model 1931 | F-521 | 41.7 | 7.7 | ||
HE, British, for Vickers 152-mm howitzer | F-531 | 44.91 | 5.7 | ||
Shrapnel shells | |||||
Shrapnel with 45 sec. tube | Sh-501 | 41.16-41.83 | 0.5 (680—690 bullets) | ||
Shrapnel with Т-6 tube | Sh-501T | 41,16 | 0.5 (680—690 bullets) | ||
Illumination shells | |||||
Illumination, 40 sec. | S 1 | 40.2 | |||
Chemical shells | |||||
Fragmentation-chemical gun shell | OH-540 | ||||
Chemical howitzer shell | HS-530 | 38.8 | |||
Chemical howitzer shell | HN-530 | 39.1 | |||
Chemical (post-war) | ZHZ |
Armour penetration table[4] | ||
APHE shell BR-540 | ||
Distance, m | Meet angle 60°, mm | Meet angle 90°, mm |
500 | 105 | 125 |
1000 | 95 | 115 |
1500 | 85 | 105 |
2000 | 75 | 90 |
APBC shell BR-540B | ||
Distance, m | Meet angle 60°, mm | Meet angle 90°, mm |
500 | 105 | 130 |
1000 | 100 | 120 |
1500 | 95 | 115 |
2000 | 85 | 105 |
Naval semi-AP model 1915/28 | ||
Distance, m | Meet angle 60°, mm | Meet angle 90°, mm |
100 | 110 | 136 |
500 | 104 | 128 |
1000 | 97 | 119 |
1500 | 91 | 111 |
2000 | 85 | 105 |
This data was obtained by Soviet methodics of armour penetration measurement (penetration probability equals 75%). It is not directly comparable with western data of similar type. |
Notes[]
- ^ 121 according to http://www.soldat.ru/doc/mobilization/mob/table17.html, 150 according to Ivanov
- ^ Chamberlain, Peter (1975). Heavy artillery. Gander, Terry. New York: Arco. ISBN 0668038985. OCLC 2143869.
- ^ Shirokorad A. B. - Encyclopedia of the Soviet Artillery
- ^ Shirokorad A. B. - Encyclopedia of the Soviet Artillery
References[]
- Shirokorad A. B. - Encyclopedia of the Soviet Artillery - Mn. Harvest, 2000 (Широкорад А. Б. Энциклопедия отечественной артиллерии. — Мн.: Харвест, 2000., ISBN 985-433-703-0)
- Ivanov A. - Artillery of the USSR in Second World War - SPb Neva, 2003 (Иванов А. Артиллерия СССР во Второй Мировой войне. — СПб., Издательский дом Нева, 2003., ISBN 5-7654-2731-6)
- Shunkov V. N. - The Weapons of the Red Army - Mn. Harvest, 1999 (Шунков В. Н. - Оружие Красной Армии. — Мн.: Харвест, 1999., ISBN 985-433-469-4)
- World War II field artillery
- World War II artillery of the Soviet Union
- 152 mm artillery
- Kirov Plant products
- Military equipment introduced in the 1930s