Previously, many issues were used to introduce the small history of the barrel artillery used and equipped by the German III in World War II. Whether the word "artillery" is appropriate, let's not get entangled in it. I just wanted to use this word to distinguish the ** that I'm going to introduce today. The protagonist today is precisely the mortar that is convenient for the infantry.
During World War II, the German armed forces had a large number of mortars of different calibers. These mortars are used to deliver a variety of munitions, including anti-personnel, armor-piercing, and smoke grenades.
When the German III surrendered, German-made mortars were in service with many countries. These mortars are still widely used in local conflicts during the Cold War. For example, the US military used German-made 81-mm mortars.
German rotational stabilized rocket mortars also had a significant impact in the post-war period. These mortars use rotary-stabilized rockets with long range, high accuracy, and good lethal effects. In the later period, it was copied by many countries and used in their own armies.
In 1934, Rheinmetall-Borg supplied a 50-mm mortar for troop trials, which it was planned to assign to infantry companies. The mortar has a "dumb" design, all parts are mounted on a single mount. The barrel is 460 mm long, other machinery is mounted on the support plate. For aiming is an axis with adjustable height and direction.
The weight of the mortar in a combat position is 14 kg. Vertical pitch angle: from 42 ° to 90 °. Horizontal: 4°. Rough aiming is done by turning the support plates. It consists of three people: the commander, the aimed, and the loader. It is also possible to equip ammunition carriers.
50 mm platoon mortars 5 cm legr.w.The 3650 mm platoon mortar was commissioned in 1936 under the designation 5 cm legr.w.36 (German: 5 cm Leichte Granatwerfer 36 50 mm light mortar model 1936).
The mortar needs to be disassembled when transported, and it is carried in a bag along with attachments and ammunition. It also had to carry a supply of ammunition, a total of 5 boxes containing 5 shells.
When shooting, use a weight of 091 kg of fragmentation shells with a charge of 115 grams of cast explosives. The fragmentation range of cast shells is up to 5 meters.
50-mm mortar shells.
A 50-mm mortar shell leaves the barrel at a speed of about 75 meters and can fly to a distance of 575 meters. The minimum firing range is 25 meters. A well-trained computing squad can fire 20 shells per minute. The combat rate of fire did not exceed 12 rounds.
According to the 1939 establishment, each German infantry company was armed with three 50-mm mortars, each with an infantry platoon. Each infantry division was supposed to have 84 50-mm mortars.
The use of 50-mm mortars in the German army
The Germans had high hopes for 50-mm mortars, which were mass-produced for a certain period of time. By September 1, 1939, the troops were armed with about 6,000 platoon-sized mortars. On April 1, 1941, there were 14,913 50-mm mortars and 31982200 shells.
Despite their large number, 50-mm mortars were not popular among the troops, largely due to the unreliability and insufficient safety of mortar shells. It often happens that shells fall into soft soil, mud and deep snowdrifts without **. Alternatively, it occurs immediately after the launch, which could result in the death of the launcher. Due to the excessive sensitivity of the fuse, it is forbidden to shoot in rain or snow.
In addition, this mortar of complex design had a short firing range, the launcher had to get close to the enemy, often suffering losses from rifle and machine-gun fire. The fragmentation effect of artillery shells was not ideal, and the ** effect was not enough to destroy light field fortifications and barbed wire.
Due to inefficiency and poor security, 5 cm le.gr.w.36 Mortar production ceased in 1943. However, the remaining 50-mm mortars in the troops were used until the end of the war.
The USSR often captured German 50-mm mortars, but their use was limited due to low combat performance. As a rule, they will shoot at the enemy with the remaining ammunition, and then turn 5 cm legr.w.36 Throw away or hand over to the seizure** collection point.
Soviet partisans used captured platoon-level mortars to conduct harassing fire at German strongholds in the occupied territories. A relatively light mortar is well suited for this purpose. After firing ** ten shells, you can quickly retreat.
At the end of 1944, experts who conducted an analysis of combat experience suggested that captured 50-mm mortars should be actively used in the tank units of the Soviet Red Army for the suppression of enemy infantry hiding in attics and bunkers where direct fire could not be fired at in urban battles.
After the surrender of Germany, German-made 50-mm mortars, despite their shortcomings, were in service with Romania, Bulgaria and Spain for some time.
In the German Army, 8 cm sg.w.34 (German: 8-cm granatwerfer 34) battalion-level mortars were widely used. The mortar was designed by Rheinmetall-Borsig AG in the early 30s of the 20th century and was officially commissioned in 1934.
5 cm legr.w.36 different, this ** uses the classic "false triangle" (stoke-brandt system) design, consisting of a barrel, a tail, a support plate, a tripod and a scope.
81-mm mortar 8 cm sg.w. 34Bipod
8 cm s.g.w.The bipod of the 34 consisted of two identical support legs. Due to the hinged connection, rough vertical pitch angle settings can be done with this bipod. Precise settings require the use of a lifting mechanism. The vertical pitch angles range from 45 ° to 87 °. The horizontal pitch angle is 10 °.
Weight
When preparing the firing position, 8 cm sg.w.The weight of 34 is 62 kg. There is also a version with a support plate made of light alloy and a weight of 57 kg. Without corrective aiming, the rate of fire is up to 25 rounds.
Ammunition
Weight 3The 5-kilogram shell was fired from a 1,143 mm barrel at a muzzle velocity of 211 m s and could hit targets at a range of 2,400 m. During the Second World War, an enhanced propellant with a range of up to 3,000 meters was introduced. Ammunition depots can include fragmentation, smoke grenades, and rangefinder shells, which produce flashes of light and smoke clouds that can be seen at a distance.
German 81-mm shells
81 mm fragmentation projectile 8 cm wgr34 and 8 cm wgr38 was loaded with 480 to 530 grams of cast explosives or amatol. 8 cm wgr.39 fragmentation ricochet warheads were loaded with casting explosives and head gunpowder. The explosives weighed 390 grams, and the pyrotechnics weighed 16 grams. The fragmentation killing range can reach 25 meters.
In total, the German industry produced more than 70,000 doors 8 cm sg.w.34 mortars, which were used on all fronts. According to the establishment of the Wehrmacht, each infantry battalion was armed with six 81-mm mortars.
In addition, in the period 1942-1943, a shortened and lightened 81-mm mortar Kurzer 8 cm Granatwerfer 42 (kz 8 cm gr.w. 42)。
81-mm mortar kz 8 cm gr.w. 42
kz. 8 cm gr.w.The 42 was originally designed for paratrooper units, but was also partially intended to replace the less successful 50-mm mortars in ** infantry units.
kz. 8 cm gr.w.The combat weight of 42 was 265 kg. The barrel is 747 mm long and has a maximum firing range of up to 1100 meters. The rate of fire is up to 25 rounds. A total of 1591 doors were produced.
On September 1, 1939, the army had 4,624 battalion-sized mortars. As of June 1, 1941, the Wehrmacht's infantry divisions had 11,767 81-mm mortars. On January 1, 1945, the active army had 16,454 doors 8 cm sg.w.34 mortars.
For the first time, Soviet troops captured German 81-mm mortars in the summer of 1941. In mid-1942, some infantry battalions of the Soviet Red Army received mortar batteries equipped with trophy mortars.
In Russian ** edition 8 cm sg.w.34 operating and combat instruction manuals and shooting tables.
The Soviets actively used captured 81-mm mortars throughout the war, and after the surrender of Germany, a large number of usable mortars and shells were sent to storage.
After the war, several thousand doors 8 cm sg.w.34 served in Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Norway, Spain, Portugal, Yugoslavia, Finland and France.
Subsequently, 81-mm mortars by Czechoslovakia ** appeared in the Middle East and were used in the Arab-Israeli war. The Portuguese army used German-made mortars in its African colonies in the 1960-1970s.
During the war in Southeast Asia, 81-mm mortars were used by the Vietnamese army. These mortars were used against the American and South Vietnamese forces.
When Germany invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, the German armed forces did not have 120-mm mortars.
105-mm mortar 10,5 cm nebelwerfer 35, the structure of which was an 81-mm mortar 8 cm sg.w.The enlarged version of the 34, originally developed for the launch of chemical munitions, did not perform well. 105-mm fragmentation and high-explosive shells weigh 726-7.35 kg, not enough to reliably destroy civil fortifications and open a passage in a barbed wire barrier.
In terms of firing range, the 105-mm mortar was slightly superior to the 8 cm sg.w.34, but weighs almost twice as much. Due to poor firing range and excessive weight, in 1941, the production of 10,5 cm Nebelwerfer 35 was discontinued.
At the same time, the Soviet 120-mm mortar PM-38 impressed the German infantry. The PM-38 has a range of up to 5700 meters and can fire 15 shells per minute. Taking into account the weight of 120-mm shells 157 kg, containing up to 3 kg of explosives, a direct hit is enough to effectively destroy bunkers, pillboxes and open passages in barbed wire obstacles.
In 1941, the Germans captured a large number of PM-38s during the offensive and used them as 12 cm granatwerfer 378 (R). From January 1943, the German plant in Brno at the Waffenwerke Brünn began mass production of the 12 cm Granatwerfer 42, an imitation of the Soviet PM-38.
120 mm mortar 12 cm grw.42 in firing positionsThe German 120-mm mortar differed from the PM-38 in several ways. The first is the parts associated with different production processes, as well as sighting devices. The transporter frame has become stronger and adapted to mechanical traction.
The weight of the mortar reached 280 kg in a combat state. Due to the use of a more powerful projectile and a shell with a weight reduction of 100 grams, the maximum firing range increased to 6050 meters. 12 cm wgr.The initial velocity of the 42 shell was 283 m s, while the initial velocity of the Soviet PM-38 was 273 m s. At the same time, in the case of corrections, it was possible to shoot from German mortars with Soviet-made shells, and German-made 120-mm shells from Soviet mortars.
From January 1943 to April 1945, a total of 8461 120-mm mortars gr. were producedw. 42。
An interesting fact is that in the Soviet army, 120-mm mortars were often used in regimental units, while the Wehrmacht tried to use them with 12 cm grw.The 42 mortar replaced the more powerful but also more expensive 150 mm heavy infantry gun 15 cm sig33, such guns were in serious short supply after 1942.
At the final stage of the war, Soviet troops captured several hundred 120-mm mortars produced in Czechoslovakia. Taking into account the German 12 cm grw.Both the 42 and the Soviet PM-38 could be fired with the same shells, so the ammunition ** did not experience difficulties. After the war, the Czechoslovak enterprise Zbrojovka Brno continued to produce 120-mm mortars, ** to domestic or to foreign customers**.
It is clear that small calibers can no longer meet the needs of the war. Now they are demanding a larger caliber, better firepower and destruction.
During the war, rockets were being developed in many countries**. In this regard, rocket artillery is a very promising **, which is reflected in the name of the first mass-produced 150-mm rocket launcher in Germany - "Smoke Projector" (Nebelwerfer) or "D-type smoke mortar".
Later, this device was named 15 cm Nebelwerfer 41 (15 cm NB.).w.41), mainly for firing fragmentation high-explosive shells, shells containing a smoke agent are used only if necessary to set up a covering smoke screen.
Tests of a 150-mm six-barreled mortar and rocket began in 1937. By the beginning of 1940, 15 cm nbw.41 rocket artillery and its ammunition have reached the required level of reliability and refinement. This ** was first used by the Germans in the French campaign.
150 mm rocket artillery 15 cm nbw.41 in firing positionsThe rocket artillery consisted of six tubular guides 1300 mm long, combined into a single assembly, mounted on the battery of the modified 37-mm anti-tank gun 3,7 cm Pak 35 36.
In combat condition, the wheels were suspended, and the gun carriage was supported on the brackets of telescopic mounts and collapsible front supports. Reloading from the muzzle. Sometimes for better stability, the hubs of rocket launchers are removed. There is a vertical sighting mechanism with a maximum elevation angle of 45 °, a rotating mechanism that provides a horizontal firing sector of 24 °.
The weight in combat state reached 770 kg, and in the marching state - 515 kg. At short distances, the installation could be rolled by the artillery crew. The salvo lasts about 10 seconds. After aiming the rocket artillery, the artillery crew retreated into the bunker and fired in units of 3 rockets using the launcher. The shock fuse is remotely ignited in the battery of the transport vehicle from the towed rocket launcher. A skilled artillery crew that can reload rocket artillery in 90 seconds.
If there is nothing special about the design of the towed six-pipe unit, then 15 cm NBw.The ammunition of the 41 rocket launcher had a revolutionary design for that time. The stability of the 15 cm wurfgrane turbojet fragmentation high-explosive shell is to rotate in orbit at a speed of about 1000 rpm, which is provided by the inclined nozzle of the jet engine.
Unlike the Soviet M-8 and M-13 rockets (stabilized by rudders), 15 cm NBw.The stability of the 41 does not depend on the initial speed of the rocket, and the turbojet warhead has greater accuracy, since this stabilization makes it possible to simultaneously compensate for the eccentricity of the engine. In addition, shorter rails can be used.
However, due to the fact that part of the exhaust gases is used to rotate the warhead, the firing range is shorter than that of a rudder rocket.
The fragmentation charge of the fragmentation high-explosive shell consisted of 2 kg of explosives, located in the tail of the projectile, and in the front part was a solid-fuel jet engine with a perforated bottom with 28 nozzles inclined 14 °.
The maximum firing range of the fragmentation high-explosive projectile is 6700 meters, the take-off mass is 3415 kg. The maximum flight speed is 340 meters per second. In the case of fragmentation high-explosive shells**, the dispersal range of anti-personnel fragments is 40 meters from the front. Large fragments are still lethal at distances of more than 200 meters.
At a distance of 6000 meters, the dispersion of the rocket is 60-90 meters, and the range is 80-100 meters. Compared to other rocket artillery systems, the German six-barreled mortar had a higher accuracy of fire and could be used to attack not only area targets, but also point targets. Of course, it was much less effective than ordinary 150-mm guns.
At the beginning of 1942, the German armed forces had three rocket artillery regiments (each with three battalions), as well as nine separate battalions. A battalion consisted of three fire companies, each with six installations. From 1943, the 150-mm rocket artillery company began to be incorporated into the light artillery battalion of the light artillery regiment of the infantry division, replacing the 105-mm field howitzers in it. In general, a division had two rocket artillery batteries, but in some cases their number increased to three.
In total, the German industry produced 5283 doors of 15 cm nbw.41 rocket artillery and 5.5 million fragmentation high-explosive and smoke grenades.
The enemy used enough six-barrel rocket artillery, which was often captured by Soviet fighters after Germany switched to the strategic defense.
In the early days of the war, Soviet units super-allocated captured German six-barrel rocket launchers to regimental and divisional artillery units. In 1943, the Soviet Red Army managed to form the first artillery battery equipped with German six-barrel rocket launchers. In order to guarantee the combat effectiveness of the equipment of captured rocket artillery systems, the Soviet army organized the collection and centralized management of ammunition, as well as translated the firing tables and instructions for use into Russian.
A combat report on the use of captured rocket artillery by units of the 347 Division. The report mentions that from November 1944, each infantry regiment of the 347th Division had a "six-barrel rocket artillery battery", which was used as "mobile artillery" to move positions after firing a single salvo. The report notes that a surprise strike on German infantry units preparing for a countershock was especially effective.
In addition to causing obvious personnel **, rocket artillery fire caused a great degree of psychological deterrence on enemy soldiers. In March 1945, the command of the 49th Army issued an order requiring the artillery units of all armies and divisions to intensify the use of captured rocket artillery systems for the destruction of enemy defensive positions, anti-tank and barbed wire.
With the US Air Force occupying air supremacy, German six-barrel rocket launchers with good tactical mobility showed themselves better than the Soviet "Katyusha". These rocket launchers can be propelled by a calculator or towed using horses.
In addition, the German rocket artillery system was smaller in size and easier to conceal than the Soviet BM-13N self-propelled rocket launcher. German rocket artillery with turbojet ammunition had a significant impact on the development of Soviet rocket artillery systems.
For example, in 1952, the Soviet Union adopted the BM-140 rocket launcher with 14-mm turbojet ammunition. The system is mounted on the chassis of ZIS-151, ZIL-157, GAZ-63, GAZ-66 and ZIL-131 all-wheel drive trucks. In addition, an RPU-16 towed launcher with 14 rails was produced for the Airborne Forces.
Towed launcher 14In Poland, according to 140 rockets, eight WP-8 launchers were developed, which could be towed by a light all-wheel drive car.
Towed launcher WP-8In the mid-60s of the 20th century, the Chinese side began to produce 107-barreled Type 12 rocket launchers of 63 mm caliber.
Type 63 rocket launcher
These rocket artillery systems were adopted by the German 15 cm NBw.41 rocket artillery turbojet ammunition technology, and after the war developed into the main rocket artillery system in their respective countries.
Towed launcher Type 63Type 63 rocket artillery was mass-produced and actively exported. At the same time, Yugoslavia developed and equipped the 128-mm rocket launcher M-63 Plamen, which was between Type 14 and Type 63 in caliber and weight.
Towed launcher M-63 PlamenThe first version of the Yugoslav rocket artillery was towed and could be loaded with 12 shells. Later, a launch unit with 32 rails was developed and equipped in both towed and self-propelled versions.
Of course, the inclusion of such a small artillery rocket system in this article seems somewhat inappropriate. The two belong to completely different attributes. However, there seems to be a little continuation from the system of the German three.
Katyusha "rocket artillery began to be massively deployed from the end of 1943.
Related to this is an interesting story related to Su Cizong's own refusal to share the invention with the allies.
Replenish the German-style ammunition box, there are also 3 ammunition boxes. Probably, it still depends on the caliber. In 1943, the Skoda company in Czechoslovakia and the Gustav plant in Germany developed a 150-mm mortar for the German armed forces.
15-cm-granatwerfer 43In 1943, the Skoda company developed a 150-mm mortar for the German armed forces, called the 15-cm-granatwerfer 43.
The mortar is made of steel tubes, weighs 900 kg and has a firing range of 5000 meters.
The German side believed that the mortar was too heavy and had insufficient firing range, so it was not installed.
In comparison, the Soviet Union was armed with a 160-mm mortar in 1943, which weighed 1,557 kg and had a firing range of 5,000 meters.
The Czechoslovak company was not reconciled and continued to develop a 150-mm mortar. They adopted the design concept of the Soviet 160-mm mortar, which was mounted on a wheeled chassis and reloaded from the muzzle instead.
As a result, the weight of the mortar increased to 2800 kg, and the firing range also increased to 6300 meters. However, only 200 mortars of this type were produced before the end of the war.
The USSR was developed after the war on the basis of 5 cm maschinengranatwerfer m 19
The USSR, after the Second World War, continued research on the German automatic mortar 5 cm maschinengranatwerfer M 19.
They want to transform this type of mortar into an automatic mortar for permanent firing points.
After many years of research, the USSR finally developed the 1960-mm 82-mm automatic mortar 2 in the early 9s.
The mortar of this type used an automatic reloading system of 5 cm maschinengranatwerfer M 19 with a rate of fire of up to 120 rounds per minute.
Autumn and Winter Check-in Challenge