Howitzer: technical characteristics. Self-propelled howitzer (photo)

Since the appearance of artillery in the arsenals of armies of different countries, there arose a need for specialization of different types of guns for their purpose. Continuous improvement of defensive fortifications, offensive techniques and tactics of combat led to the division of powerful weapons into classes.

Ancient stone stones

Actually, the siege devices - the distant ancestors of artillery pieces - helped attacking warriors capture castles and fortresses long before the mass use of gunpowder began. In catapults and ballistae, to impart initial velocity to projectiles (which were usually stones, vessels with boiling resin, large steels or logs), they used the elastic properties of stretchable ropes into which metal wire was woven. The momentum accumulated during the twisting was released when the special lock was released. Then the word "howitzer" appeared. The technical characteristics of the "stone-grinding machine" (so the word Haubitz translated from the German language) was very modest, they shot at a couple of dozen meters and produced more psychological impact, although under certain conditions and good training calculations could well have caused a fire (if the projectile was incendiary) . Progress in the field of lethal devices has led to an increase in the role of means of remote damage.

Artillery classes

Since the fourteenth century, European armies have begun to use artillery. Mortars at that time became the most powerful class of guns. Even their very ominous name (derived from the Dutch mortier, in turn borrowing the Latin root mort - "death") indicated a high lethal efficiency. Further downward was a howitzer whose technical characteristics (shell weight and range) were somewhat inferior to those of mortars. The most common and mobile class was the canon. Calibers were different, but it was not just them. The main feature of the class of guns was the design of the trunk, which determines their purpose. According to the structure of the artillery of the army of this or that state, it was already possible to draw conclusions about the strategic plans and military doctrine of his government.

The evolution of mortars and howitzers

In the First World War, the positional character of the hostilities prompted the belligerents to use heavy siege weapons. The word "mortar" disappeared shortly after the victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. Short-barreled fat freaks gave way to lighter large-caliber mortars and assault bomber aircraft. After the inclusion of almost all missile countries in arsenals, including ballistic ones, the need to use heavy, hard-to-transport and slow-moving guns was completely exhausted. The latest attempts to apply them were the attempts of German designers to create some monstrous monsters like "Karl", which had a caliber of 600 mm. The main difference of this obsolete class was a short trunk with thick walls. The large elevation angle roughly corresponded to the modern mortar index. The kartuzny way of loading, which remained today mainly from powerful ship and coastal guns, also did not contribute to the popularity of mortars. Explosives have a large specific surface, they are hygroscopic, and in conditions of a real front it is practically impossible to provide storage conditions at a fixed humidity. But the mass of the projectile and the firing range of the howitzer became such that it became possible for this class of artillery to impose those functions that were previously performed by the mortar.

Parabolic trajectories, or Why are howitzers?

To answer this question, we first need to consider the ballistic trajectories of different gun classes. Everyone knows that a physical body released at an initial linear speed, whether it's a regular pebble or a bullet, flies not in a straight line, but in a parabola. The parameters of this figure may be different, but with the same starting pulse, increasing the elevation angle will result in a decrease in the horizontal distance to which this object will fly. The height will be maximum at the right angle to the horizontal, but in this case there is a risk that the launched projectile (or the same stone) will fall directly on the head of the thrower. The steepness of the trajectory is what distinguishes a howitzer from a gun. It also determines the purpose of the gun.

In which cases and from what to shoot

If we assume that the enemy is trying to take over the positions of an army, then we should expect an attack from him. On the previously shelled fortified area, tanks and infantry supported by assault aircraft will rush. In response, the defending side will use countermeasures, fire from its own artillery and small arms. But if the attack is expected, then the appropriate field fortifications will be erected beforehand, ditches of the full profile are dug, bunkers and bunkers are built, sectors of shelling which will make it difficult to clear the defensive line. In general, each side will do its best to obstruct the enemy's actions. In this situation, fire on the defensive units deep into the ground can only be conducted along a trajectory called a hinged one. The flooring (that is, practically parallel to the horizon) shooting will prove to be ineffective: enemy soldiers are securely sheltered behind parapets and other protective structures. Almost useless will be an ordinary gun. The howitzer, whose characteristic is hinged, will help "smoke" the defenders from trenches and dugouts, bringing shells on their heads right from the sky. Of guns, those who defend themselves are firing. They need to destroy as many enemy tanks and soldiers as they can to positions. They are trying to repulse the attack.

The howitzer caliber

The tasks of modern howitzer artillery went far beyond the previously outlined circle. The hanging trajectory of the projectile is good not only for the destruction of manpower, hidden in trenches and dugouts, but also for other purposes. The fortified areas are often protected by a thick layer of reinforced concrete and are deeply buried in the ground. The frontal armor of tanks and other armored vehicles is capable of withstanding the impact of many armor piercing weapons, while at the same time there are more vulnerabilities on top of it. If a conventional gun has high accuracy due to the large initial velocity of the projectile, one of the conditions for achieving the latter parameter is the relatively small weight of this shell itself. A large caliber - this is how a howitzer differs from a cannon. For this class of guns, 100 mm shells are needed, and there are also larger ones.

B-4

The howitzer is a heavy weapon, and this property, combined with an offensive designation, creates certain difficulties. An example of its fairly successful application can serve as the famous B-4 (52-G-625), created in the thirties and lasted throughout the war. The weight of the gun, including the gun carriage, the trunk with roll-out parts and the swinging part, exceeds 17 (!) Tons. In order to move it, you need a tractor-tractor. In order to reduce the specific load on the ground, a crawler chassis is used. The caliber of this gun is 203 mm, or 8 inches. The projectile is difficult to lift, it weighs from a centner to 145 kilograms (concrete version), so the supply of ammunition is carried out on a special roller table. The calculation consists of fifteen people. With a relatively low initial velocity of the projectile (from 300 to 600 m / s), the firing range of the B-4 howitzer exceeds 17 km. The maximum rate of fire is one shot in two minutes. The gun had a tremendous destructive force, which was demonstrated during the storming of the Mannerheim Line during the Winter War with Finland. However, within a few years it became clear that the future belongs to self-propelled artillery systems.

SU-152

The next step, made by Soviet designers in the direction of creating the most advanced self-propelled plants, was SU-152. It served as a kind of response to the emergence of heavily armored German tanks, equipped with long-barreled guns, allowing fire on our equipment from long distances (kilometer or more). The surest way to destroy a well-protected target was to cover it with a heavy projectile flying along a curved parabolic trajectory. The 152 mm ML-20 howitzer mounted on the tank (KV) undercarriage with fixed wheelhouse and equipped with turnstile mechanisms proved to be a means capable of solving this problem.

"Carnation"

The post-war period in the military-technical aspect is characterized as the time of rapid growth of technological capabilities. Piston aircraft engines are replaced by jet thrust. Part of the tasks traditionally entrusted to artillerymen are beginning to be solved by missile men. However, at the same time, there is a reassessment of the relationship between efficiency and price. In a certain sense, the Cold War was also a competition of economic systems. The times when they "did not stand behind the price" have passed. It turned out that the cost of an artillery shot is significantly lower than the launch of a tactical missile at approximately equal efficiency, expressed in destructive power. In the USSR this was not understood right away: the Khrushchev leadership fell into a certain euphoria after the appearance in the arsenal of the Soviet Army of missile delivery vehicles. In 1967, the Kharkov tractor (of course) plant was developed "Carnation" - the first Soviet "flower" self-propelled howitzer. Technical characteristics significantly exceeded the parameters of all artillery guns produced by the military-industrial complex of the USSR earlier. The use of active-rocket projectiles (a certain hybrid of artillery ammunition with a rocket) was envisaged, in this case the range of fire increased from 15.3 kilometers to 21.9. Charges could be different: cumulative, high-explosive, electronic (creating interference), smoke and other, including special (chemical). A large distance to the end point of the trajectory made it possible to use weapons of mass destruction. In the lightly armored case there was an ammunition of forty shells.

"Acacia"

The howitzer, developed in the mid to late sixties, entered service in 1970. It can shoot at a distance of 20-30 km (depending on the modification). The car itself is light enough, weighs much less than the average tank, which was achieved by reducing the mass of armor. It is also possible to conduct direct fire, but the main purpose remains the same - remote defeat of targets. The undercarriage is made on the front-engine scheme, which justified itself in the war years. The design takes into account the experience of creating the SAU-100, and the motive for reminiscence was the Americans' possession of the M-109 gun, capable of shooting a low-power nuclear tactical charge (TNT equivalent 100 tons). The answer was "Acacia" - a howitzer with no worse characteristics.

The Czech "Dana"

Most often, the armies of the socialist countries were armed with Soviet military equipment, but there were exceptions. Evidently, recalling the former glory (and before World War II, Czechoslovakia was one of the leading arms manufacturers in Europe and the world), engineers from Czechoslovakia in the mid-seventies designed and manufactured a new artillery gun with a number of outstanding for that time tactical and technical data. Self-propelled howitzer "Dana" was characterized by high rate of fire (one shot per minute), had a relatively small calculation (6 people), but its main advantage was the remarkable chassis "Tatra", with high cross, maneuverability and speed. The leadership of the country even considered the possibility of acquiring this Czech miracle for the needs of the Soviet Army, but knowing that our country is working on creating its own, even more advanced howitzer guns, this idea was abandoned, limited to buying a few copies to study "brotherly experience ". The self-propelled howitzer "Dana" is still in service with the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Libya and several other countries, where this weapon was delivered already after the collapse of the USSR. During the Georgian-Ossetian conflict, the Russian Army seized three "Dans" as trophies.

D-30: Artillery Classics

With all the abundance of self-propelled artillery systems, the cheapest option remains the usual wheel howitzer. The 152-mm cannon of Soviet manufacture is known for its characteristic silhouette throughout the world. In the combat position, the carriage, unfolding, completely rests against the ground with three racks, so that the wheels do not touch the ground, which ensures - on the one hand - a reliable stop, and on the other - allows for round-robin fire. The main characteristic of the D-30 howitzer is the shot distance up to 5.3 km, which in most cases is quite enough. Transportation of the gun is not a problem: it weighs 3.2 tons, which makes it possible to transport it almost across all bridges, and as a tractor, you can use the usual "Ural". Simplicity, reliability and high efficiency are the characteristics of Russian weapons. D-30 and D-30A willingly buy for defense needs different countries, and some of them (China, Yugoslavia, Egypt, Iraq) found it necessary to purchase documentation for their production. And another important function is this howitzer. Photo, which in the Peter and Paul Fortress is given a traditional midday salvo, is sure to adorn this gun.

Shield and sword

Howitzer Russia - an indispensable component of the artillery and rocket shield of the country. Their offensive appointment does not speak about the aggressiveness of military doctrine, but in fact not one army of the world does not exclude the possibility of attacking or pre-empting strikes, right? In addition, not a lot of artillery has undergone such significant changes and universalization of functionality, as howitzer. The technical characteristics of this weapon allow it to be used also for firing along a flat trajectory, that is, to use for defense, including anti-tank weapons.

A powder must always be kept dry.