The human brain is strangely arranged. It is worth mentioning the name of Stalin in any article, as a dispute immediately begins about the personality of this person and his role in the history of the USSR and the world in general. At the same time, what is discussed in the article does not matter at all. Today I will deliberately start about Stalin, more precisely, about his role in the mortar business.
This is not a press show. This is not a speech at a rally or convention. This is generally not intended for publication, a speech at a secret meeting of the commanding staff to summarize the experience of hostilities against Finland on April 17, 1940. Therefore, it is not very well known to the general reader.
Even then, after a not very successful military campaign, the USSR seriously thought about creating large-caliber mortars. The mortar as "infantry pocket artillery" became a really special type of artillery. JV Stalin's opinion was then heard by many designers and directors of factories.
Immediately four design bureaus of different factories began to develop large-caliber mortars. Moreover, the main calibers were immediately 160 mm and 240 mm. But work on large-caliber mortars was not a "Stalinist order." Rather, a wish. Without any privilege or special responsibility for the breakdown.
One important detail should be noted. The design bureau had no restrictions on the design of the mortar. Therefore, the projects that the designers periodically presented differed quite dramatically. It is enough to list some of the most famous projects. For some, prototypes were even created and field tests were carried out.
Muzzle-loading smooth-bore 160-mm divisional mortar "7-17", 160-mm divisional mortar IS-3, 160-mm divisional mortar of the Kukushkin system (barrel almost 2 m, mine weight 40 kg), 160-mm divisional mortar S-43 …
Stalin closely followed the tests of new mortar models. I came to see the most successful ones personally. It was Stalin's "personal acquaintance" with one of the mortars that led to the appearance on the Soviet-German front of the most powerful mortar of the Great Patriotic War, the 160-mm MT-13. "Dads" are the hero of our article.
We will not describe the MT-13 mortar. Suffice it to say about the psychological impact of this weapon on the Germans. Often, when firing these mortars, the enemy announced an air raid. And in the battles for Berlin, MT-13 showed themselves as a terrible weapon of destruction. It is enough that when a mine hits the roof, it "falls through" 2-3 floors down and explodes there.
Despite the fact that the mortar was produced for a rather short time, from 1944 to 1947, 1557 copies of this gun were produced. Despite their considerable age, mortars are still in service in some armies of Southeast Asia.
Already in 1945, the designers were given the task of modernizing the MT-13 mortar. In the summer of 1945, the MT-13D mortar was introduced. In parallel, its direct competitor, the SKB-21 mortar of the Kolomna SKB GA, under the leadership of B. I. Shavyrin, was tested.
During the tests, it turned out that the SKB-21 has a longer firing range and is more unpretentious in operation. Thus, it was decided to launch SKB-21 into series. It was this mortar that received the name 160-mm divisional mortar M-160 arr. 1949. MT-13D was produced only in an experimental series of 4 units.
So, the Soviet 160-mm divisional mortar M-160 of the 1949 model is a large-caliber breech-loading artillery system that entered service with Soviet motorized rifle divisions.
The main purpose of the gun is the destruction of well-fortified long-term and field fortifications in the front zone, the accumulation of enemy manpower and military equipment in closed positions. The main damaging effect is achieved by firing along a steep hinged trajectory and using high-power mines.
The 160-mm M-160 mortar is a rigid (without recoil devices), breech-loading smooth-bore system on a wheel chassis. Recoil when fired is perceived by the soil through the base plate. To reduce the destructive effect of the forces arising from the shot, the mortar has a spring shock absorber.
The mortar consists of the following main parts: a barrel with a bolt, a breech with a shock absorber, a machine with a rotary and lifting and balancing mechanisms, a boom with a winch and wheel travel, a base plate, a pivot paw and a sight.
The barrel is a smooth-walled tube fixed in a trunnion cage, pivotally connected to the shock absorber.
The travel wheels are filled with spongy rubber. The spring-type suspension of the mortar does not turn off when firing.
The base plate is a die-welded structure; it is designed to transfer the recoil force of the mortar to the ground when fired.
The paw is attached to the muzzle of the barrel; it serves to connect the mortar to the hook of the tractor during transportation.
The mortar is equipped with a panoramic MP-46 optical mortar sight, which is fixed in the bracket of the sight leveling mechanism.
The mortar is loaded from the breech, for which the barrel is brought into the loading position (approximately in the horizontal position) and is held by the stand.
Firing from a mortar is made by an F-852 high-explosive mine with a GVMZ-7 fuse. The fuse has installations for fragmentation and high-explosive action. The weight of the finally equipped mine (with a fuse) is 41, 14 kg. The combat charge consists of a full variable, long-range and ignite charge.
The device of the mine was similar to conventional 82mm and 120mm Soviet mines. Twelve 160-mm high-explosive mine F-852 weighed 40, 865 kg and contained 7, 78 kg of explosive charge. Fuse head GVMZ-7.
The principal difference between the mortar shot and all other domestic mortars was the short sleeve into which the mine stabilizer was inserted. The sleeve was introduced to obturate the powder gases when fired.
The total variable charge consists of an igniting charge and three additional equilibrium beams. The long-range charge consists of an igniting charge and a special additional beam. The igniting charge is inserted into the mine stabilizer tube.
Additional beams of both variable and long-range charges are attached to the stabilizer tube using cords. From a full variable charge with one, two or three additional beams, the first, second or third numbers of charges are collected, respectively.
Basic data of the 160-mm mortar M-160:
Ballistic data
Caliber - 160 mm;
The greatest firing range is 8040 m.
The smallest firing range is 750 m.
The maximum mine velocity is 343 m / sec.
The initial mine speed is the smallest - 157 m / s.
Weight data
The weight of the mortar in the firing position is 1300 kg.
The weight of the mortar in the stowed position is 1470 kg.
Base plate weight 260 kg.
The weight of the finally equipped mine is 41, 14 kg.
Design data
The greatest angle of elevation of the trunk is 80 °.
The smallest elevation angle of the trunk is 50 °.
Rate of fire - 3 rounds per minute.
Calculation - 7 people.
The mortar was transported by towing vehicles GAZ-63 and ZIL-157.
Currently, M-160 mortars are in service with several armies of the world. Despite the fact that the serial production of the M-160 divisional mortar was deployed at two plants (plant number 535, and since 1952 - plant number 172) for the entire production period (production was discontinued in 1957), only 2353 copies were produced.
