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Artillery gun: types and range of fire. Review of artillery pieces from ancient to modern

Do you know what kind of troops are respectfully called the "God of War"? Of course, the artillery! Despite the development of rocket weapons over the past fifty years, the role of high-precision modern barrel systems is still extremely high.

History of development

The father of guns is considered to be the German Schwarz, but many historians agree that his merits in this matter are rather dubious. So, the first mention of the use of barrel artillery on the battlefield is attributed to the year 1354, but in the archives there are many papers in which 1324 is mentioned.

There is no reason to believe that some artillery gun was not used before. By the way, the most mention of such weapons can be found in old English manuscripts, and not at all in the German primary sources. So, especially noteworthy in this respect is the rather well-known treatise "On the Duties of Kings", which was written for the glory of Edward III.

The author was a teacher of the king, and the book itself was written in 1326 (the time of Edward's murder). In the text there are no detailed explanations of engravings, and therefore it is necessary to focus only on the subtext. So, one of the illustrations shows, undoubtedly, a real gun resembling a large vase. It is shown how from the neck of this "jug" a large arrow, enveloped by smoke, flies out, and a knight who has just set fire to a gun with a red-hot rod stands at a distance.

First appearance

As for China, in which, most likely, they invented gunpowder (and the medieval alchemists discovered it three times, no less), then there is every reason to suppose that the first artillery guns could even have been experienced before the beginning of our era. Simply put, artillery, like all firearms, is probably much older than is commonly believed.

In the era of Charles the Bold, these tools were already widely used in the siege of fortresses, the walls of which by that time were no longer so effective means of protection for the besieged.

Chronic stagnation

So why did the ancient peoples not conquer the whole world with the help of the "god of war"? Everything is simple - guns of the beginning of the 14th century. And the 18th century. Little differ from each other. They were unwieldy, too heavy, they provided very poor accuracy. It was not for nothing that the first guns were used to destroy the walls (it was difficult to miss!), And also to shoot at large enemy concentrations. In an era when the enemy armies marched against each other in colorful columns, this also did not require high accuracy of the cannons.

We do not forget about the disgusting quality of gunpowder, as well as its unpredictable properties: during the war with Sweden, Russian gunners sometimes had to increase the norm three times, so that the cores would inflict at least some damage to the enemy fortresses. Of course, on the reliability of guns this fact was frankly bad. There were many cases when from artillery calculation as a result of the explosion of the gun in general there was nothing left.

Other reasons

Finally, metallurgy. As in the case of locomotives, only the invention of rolling mills and deep research in the field of metallurgy gave the necessary knowledge for the production of truly reliable trunks. The creation of artillery shells for a long time provided the troops with "monarchical" privileges on the battlefield.

Do not forget about the caliber of artillery guns: in those years they were calculated, both from the diameter of the used cores, and taking into account the parameters of the trunk. There was an incredible confusion, and therefore the armies simply could not adopt something truly unified. All this hampered the development of the industry.

The main varieties of ancient artillery systems

Now let us examine the main types of artillery pieces, which in many cases really helped to change history, breaking the course of the war in favor of a single state. As of 1620 it was decided to distinguish between the following types of guns:

  • Guns in caliber from 7 to 12 inches.
  • Perierres.
  • Falconettes and minions ("falcons").
  • Wearable tools with state charging.
  • Robinets.
  • Mortars and bombardments.

This list displays only "true" guns in a more or less modern sense. But at that time in the army there were relatively many ancient cast-iron tools. The most typical of their representatives are the kulevrin and semiculerines. By that time it was already clear that the giant cannons, which were to a large extent prevalent in earlier periods, are worthless: the accuracy is disgusting, the risk of a barrel explosion is extremely high, and there is a lot of time to recharge.

If we turn again to the times of Peter, then the historians of those years note that for each "unicorn" battery (varieties of kulevrin) hundreds of liters of vinegar were required. It was used in diluted water to cool the barrels overheated from shots.

Seldom there was an ancient artillery gun with a caliber of more than 12 inches. Most often used kulevriny, the core of which weighed about 16 pounds (about 7.3 kg). In the field, falconies were very common, the core of which weighed only 2.5 pounds (about a kilogram). And now let's look at the types of artillery pieces that were distributed in the past.

Comparative characteristics of some ancient tools

Name of the tool

Trunk length (in calibers)

Projectile weight, kilogram

Approximate range of effective shooting (in meters)

Musket

There is no specific standard

0.45

50-75

Falconet

thirty

1.36

70-100

Sacra

28

4-5,4

About 400

"Aspid"

20-25

4-5,4

1000-1067

Standard Cannon

17-21

9-45,4

Up to 1300

Semi-Cannon

There is no specific standard

13.6

Up to 200

Kulevrin (an ancient artillery gun with a long barrel)

33

9-22.7

230-250

The "half-baked" kulevrin

32

5,4-13,6

150-170

Serpentine

No data

24

About 300

Bastard

No data

18.6

400-700

Rockstone

9-45,4

900-1000

If you carefully scanned this table and saw the musket there, do not be surprised. So called not only those slow and heavy guns, which we remember from the movie about the Musketeers, but also a full-fledged artillery gun with a long barrel of small caliber. After all, imagine a "bullet" weighing 400 grams is very problematic!

In addition, do not be surprised at the stone on the list. The fact is that, for example, the Turks in the days of Peter vengeance used artillery, shooting with cores, carved from stone. They are much less likely to pierce enemy ships at gunpoint, but more often cause serious damage to the latter from the first volley.

Finally, all the data given in our table are approximate. Many types of artillery pieces will remain forever forgotten, and ancient historians often did not understand the characteristics and names of those guns that were massively used in the siege of cities and fortresses.

Innovators-inventors

As we have already said, barrel artillery for many centuries was a weapon that seemed to have frozen forever in its development. However, everything quickly changed. Like in many cases of innovations in military affairs, the idea belonged to the officers of the fleet.

The main problem of the barrel artillery on the ships was the serious limitations of space, the complexity of performing any maneuvers. Seeing all this, Mr. Melville and Mr. Gascoigne, who was in charge of the production that he owned, managed to create an amazing cannon, which historians today know as "Karonada." On its trunk there was absolutely no trunnion (fastenings for the carriage). But there was a small eye on it, into which it was easy and quick to insert a steel rod. He firmly clung to the compact machine gun.

The gun was light and short, easy to handle. The approximate range of effective shooting from it was about 50 meters. In addition, due to some of its design features, it became possible to fire shells with incendiary mixture. "Karonada" became so popular that Gascoigne soon moved to Russia, where talented masters of foreign origin were always waiting, received the rank of general and the post of one of the advisers of Catherine. It was in those years that Russian artillery began to be developed and produced in hitherto unseen scales.

Modern artillery systems

As we noted at the very beginning of our article, in the modern world artillery had to "squeeze" a little under the influence of rocket weapons. But this does not mean that the barrel and reactive systems do not have any room left on the battlefield. By no means! The invention of precision guided missiles with GPS / GLONASS guidance makes it possible to state with certainty that "natives" from the distant 12th-13th century will continue to keep the enemy in awe.

Barrel and reactive artillery: who is better?

Unlike traditional barrel systems, rocket launchers practically do not give a significant return. This is what distinguishes them from any self-propelled or towed cannon, which, in the process of bringing it to the combat position, must be firmly secured and entrenched in the terrain, since otherwise it can even be tipped over. Of course, there is no question of any rapid change of attitude here, in principle, even if a self-propelled artillery gun is used.

Reactive systems are quick and mobile, can change their combat position in a few minutes. In principle, such machines can fire even when moving, but the accuracy of the shot is bad. The disadvantage of such installations is in their low accuracy. The same "Hurricane" can literally plow a few square kilometers, destroying almost all living things, but this will require a whole battery of installations with rather expensive shells. These artillery pieces, photos of which you will find in the article, are especially loved by domestic developers ("Katyusha").

A volley of one howitzer with a "smart" projectile is capable of destroying any modern tank from one attempt, while a battery of rocket launchers may require more than one volley. In addition, "Smerch", "Hurricane", "Grad" or "Tornado" at the time of launch can not be detected unless the blind soldier, as a cloud of smoke in that place is formed noble. But such installations in one shell can contain up to several hundred kilograms of explosive.

The barrel artillery, by virtue of its accuracy, can be used to fire the enemy at the moment of his being close to his own positions. In addition, a barrel self-propelled artillery can fire counterbattery fire, doing this for hours. The systems of volley fire quite quickly wear out trunks, which does not contribute to their long-term use.

By the way, in the first Chechen campaign "Grads" were used, which managed to fight in Afghanistan. Wear of their trunks was such that the shells scattered at times in unpredictable directions. This often led to the "cover" of their own soldiers.

The best systems of volley fire

Leaders inevitably go to the artillery guns of Russia "Tornado". They shoot with shells 122 mm in size to a distance of 100 kilometers. For one volley can be produced up to 40 charges, which cover an area of 84 thousand square meters. The power reserve is no less than 650 kilometers. Coupled with high reliability of the chassis and speeds of up to 60 km / h, this allows you to transfer the battery "Tornado" in the right place and with minimal time.

The second most effective is the domestic MLRS 9K51 Grad, which is notorious after the events in the South-East of Ukraine. Caliber - 122 mm, 40 trunks. Shoots at a distance of up to 21 kilometers, for a single call can "process" an area of up to 40 square kilometers. The power reserve at a top speed of 85 km / h is as much as 1.5 thousand kilometers!

The third place is occupied by an artillery gun HIMARS from the American manufacturer. The ammunition has an impressive caliber of 227 mm, but only six guides somewhat spoil the impression of the installation. The range of the shot - up to 85 kilometers, at one time covering the area of 67 square kilometers. The speed of movement is up to 85 km / h, the power reserve is 600 kilometers. Well proved in the land campaign in Afghanistan.

In the fourth position is the Chinese installation WS-1B. The Chinese did not begin to waste time on trifles: the caliber of this intimidating weapon is 320 mm. In appearance, this MLRS is reminiscent of the Russian S-300 SAM system and has only four trunks. The range is about 100 kilometers, the affected area is up to 45 square kilometers. At the maximum speed of movement, these modern artillery pieces have a range of approximately 600 kilometers.

In the last place is located the Indian MLRS Pinaka. In the design - 12 guides for shells of 122 mm caliber. Range of fire - up to 40 km. At a maximum speed of 80 km / h the car can travel up to 850 kilometers. The affected area is as much as 130 square kilometers. The system was developed with the direct participation of Russian specialists, excellently proved itself in the course of numerous Indian-Pakistani conflicts.

Cannon

This weapon is far removed from its long-standing predecessors, who ruled the fields of the Middle Ages. The caliber of guns, which are used in modern conditions, ranges from 100 (anti-tank artillery gun "Rapier") to 155 mm (TR, NATO).

The assortment of shells used by them is also unusually wide: from standard high-explosive shots to programmable projectiles, which can hit a target at a distance of up to 45 kilometers with an accuracy of tens of centimeters. True, the cost of one such shot can be up to 55 thousand US dollars! In this regard, Soviet artillery guns are much cheaper.

Comparative characteristics of the most common guns produced by the USSR / RF and Western models

Name

Manufacturer country

Caliber, mm

Weight of the implement, kg

Maximum firing range (depending on the type of projectile), km

GHN-45

Belgium

155

8900

30-39

GC 45

Belgium

155

8222

30-39

BL 5.5 inch (disarmed almost everywhere)

England

140

5851

16.5

Zoltam M-68 / M-71

Israel

155

9500

21

WA 021 (the actual clone of the Belgian GC 45)

China

155

9500

30-39

M-46

the USSR

130

8450

27th

2A36 "Hyacinth-B"

the USSR

152

9800

27th

"Rapier"

the USSR

100

2800

3

Soviet artillery pieces C-23

the USSR

180

21450

30.5

D-20

the USSR

152

5700

17-24

"Sprut-B"

Russia

125

6575

12.2

G5

South Africa

155

13500

thirty

Mortars

Modern mortar systems conduct their ancestry from ancient bombardments and mortars, which could release a bomb (up to hundreds of kilograms by weight) over a distance of 200-300 meters. Today, their design and maximum range of application have changed noticeably.

In most armed forces of the world, the combat doctrine for mortars takes them into account as an artillery gun for hanging firing at a distance of about a kilometer. The effectiveness of the use of these weapons in urban conditions and in the suppression of disparate, mobile enemy groups is noted. In the Russian army, mortars are state-of-the-art weapons, they are used at every minor serious military operation.

And during the Ukrainian events, both sides of the conflict demonstrated that even obsolete 88 mm mortars are an excellent tool for both guerrilla warfare and counteraction to it.

Modern mortars, like other barrel artillery, are now developing in the direction of increasing the accuracy of each shot. So, last summer, the well-known arms corporation BAE Systems for the first time demonstrated to the world public high-precision mortar shells of 81 mm caliber that were tested on one of the English ranges. It is reported that such ammunition can be used with all possible efficiency in the temperature range from -46 to +71 ° C. In addition, there is information about the planned production of the widest range of such shells.

Special hopes for the military associated with the development of high-accuracy mines caliber 120 mm with increased power. New models developed for the US Army (XM395, for example), with a range of up to 6.1 km have a deflection of not more than 10 meters. It is reported that such shots used the crews of armored vehicles Stryker in Iraq and Afghanistan, where the new ammunition proved to be the best.

But the most promising for today are the development of guided missiles with active self-homing. So, the domestic artillery guns "Nona" can use a projectile "Kitolov-2", with which you can hit almost any modern tank at a distance of up to nine kilometers. Given the cheapness of the gun itself, such developments are expected to be of interest to the military around the world.

Thus, the artillery gun to this day is a formidable argument on the battlefield. New models are being constantly developed, and more and more promising projectiles are being produced to existing trunk systems.

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