Hello to all lovers of huge calibers!
We decided to start this article not quite traditionally. Simply because they considered it appropriate to talk about one of the little-known episodes of the war on the Karelian Isthmus. Due, probably, to the absence of more or less crucial battles in this area, we generally say little about the Karelian front. So, a story about the work of Captain Ivan Vedemenko, in the future - Hero of the Soviet Union.
Captain Vedemenko commanded a battery of the Karelian Sculptors. This is the name that the 203-mm howitzers of special power B-4 received during the Soviet-Finnish war. We got it deservedly. These howitzers were perfectly "disassembled for parts" by Finnish bunkers. What remained after the bombardment with heavy bunker shells looked really bizarre. Pieces of concrete with reinforcement sticking out in all directions. So, the soldier's name of the howitzer is well deserved and honorable.
But we will talk about a different time. June 1944. It was at this time that our army launched an offensive on the Karelian Isthmus. During the offensive, the assault group entered the inaccessible Finnish bunker "Millionaire". Inaccessible in the literal sense of the word. The thickness of the walls of the bunker was such that it was not realistic to destroy it even with heavy aircraft bombs - 2 meters of reinforced concrete!
The walls of the bunker went into the ground for 3 floors. The top of the pillbox, in addition to reinforced concrete, was protected by an armored dome. Flanks covered smaller pillboxes. The bunker was built as the main defense center of the region. However, enough has been written about Sj5 and his brothers, including here.
The battery of Captain Vedemenko came to the aid of the assault group of Nikolai Bogaev (group commander). Two B-4 howitzers were located 12 kilometers from the bunker in closed positions.
The commanders placed their NP at a short distance from the bunker. Practically in a minefield (the bunker was surrounded by several rows of minefields and barbed wire). Morning has come. Combat Vedemenko began zeroing in.
The first shell tore off the embankment of the bunker, exposing the concrete wall. The second shell bounced off the wall. The third got into the corner of the bunker. This was enough for the battalion commander to make the necessary amendments and begin shelling the structure. By the way, it is worth noting one circumstance.
The proximity of the NP not only made it possible for the battery commander to adjust each shot, but also provided an "unforgettable experience" for everyone who was on the NP. Shells weighing 100 kg, with a corresponding roar, flew towards the bunker at a low altitude above our commanders and soldiers.
Let's just say that the participants in the events could understand from their own experience that there is "direct support of heavy artillery."
It was possible to break through the wall only with about the 30th shell. The reinforcement rods became visible through the binoculars. In total, as we wrote above, 140 shells were used, of which 136 hit the target. "Karelian sculptors" created their next work, and "Millionaire" actually turned into an architectural monument.
And now we turn directly to the "architects" and "sculptors", the V-4 howitzers of special power.
The story about these unique weapons should start from afar. In November 1920, under the Artillery Committee, headed by the former Lieutenant General of the Tsarist Army Robert Avgustovich Durlyakher, aka Rostislav Avgustovich Durlyakhov, the Artillery Design Bureau was created under the leadership of Franz Frantsevich Linder. We have already talked about this person in one of the previous articles.
Robert Avgustovich Durlyakher
Franz Frantsevich Linder
In accordance with the decision of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR to re-equip artillery of large and special power for a new domestic materiel, Linder's design bureau on December 11, 1926 was tasked to develop a project of a 203-mm long-range howitzer within 46 months. Naturally, the project was headed by the head of the design bureau.
However, on September 14, 1927, F. F. Linder passed away. The project was transferred to the Bolshevik plant (formerly the Obukhov plant). A. G. Gavrilov was assigned to lead the project.
The design of the howitzer was completed on January 16, 1928. Moreover, the designers presented two projects at once. The bodies of the guns and ballistics in both versions were the same. The difference was in the presence of a muzzle brake. When discussing options, preference was given to a howitzer without a muzzle brake.
The reason for this choice, as well as when choosing other high-power guns, was the unmasking factor. The muzzle brake created a column of dust visible from miles away. The enemy could easily detect the battery using aircraft and even visual observation.
The first prototype of the B-4 howitzer was manufactured in early 1931. It was this gun that was used at NIAP in July-August 1931 when conducting firing in order to select charges for the B-4.
After lengthy field and military tests in 1933, the howitzer was adopted by the Red Army under the designation "203-mm howitzer model 1931". The howitzer was intended for the destruction of especially strong concrete, reinforced concrete and armored structures, to combat large-caliber or sheltered by strong structures enemy artillery and to suppress long-range targets.
A feature of the howitzer is a tracked carriage. The successful design of this gun carriage, which provided the howitzer with a sufficiently high cross-country ability and allowed firing from the ground without the use of special platforms, became unified for a whole family of high-power guns. The use of this unified carriage also made it possible to accelerate the development and introduction into production of new high-power guns.
The upper gun carriage of the B-4 howitzer was a riveted steel structure. With a pin socket, the upper machine was put on the combat pin of the lower machine and rotated on it when operated by a rotary mechanism. The firing sector provided at the same time was small and amounted to only ± 4 °.
To aim the gun in a horizontal plane at a greater angle, it was necessary to turn the entire gun in the appropriate direction. The lifting mechanism had one toothed sector. attached to the carrycot. With its help, the gun could be guided in a vertical plane in the range of angles from 0 ° to + 60 °. To quickly bring the barrel to the loading angle, the gun had a special mechanism.
The recoil device system included a hydraulic recoil brake and a hydropneumatic knurler. All recoil devices remained motionless when rolling. The stability of the gun during firing was also ensured by a coulter attached to the trunk of the lower machine. In the frontal part of the lower machine, cast shoes were fixed, into which the combat axle was inserted. Tracks were put on the cone of the combat axle.
Howitzers B-4 had two types of barrels: fastened without a liner and with a liner, as well as monoblock barrels with a liner. The liner could be replaced in the field. Regardless of the type of barrel, its length was 25 calibers, the length of the rifled part was 19.6 calibers. 64 constant-steepness grooves were made in the bore. The shutter was piston, both two-stroke and three-stroke valves were used. The weight of the barrel with the shutter was 5200 kg.
The howitzer could fire a variety of high-explosive and concrete-piercing shells, including shells supplied from Great Britain to Russia during the First World War. Provided for the use of full and 11 variable charges. In this case, the mass of the full charge was 15, 0-15, 5 kg of gunpowder, and on the 11th - 3, 24 kg.
When firing with a full charge, the F-625D, G-620 and G-620Sh shells had an initial velocity of 607 m / s and ensured the destruction of targets located at a distance of up to 17 890 m. Due to the large elevation angle (up to 60 °) and variable charges, giving 12 different initial velocities of projectiles, provided the ability to choose the optimal trajectories to hit a variety of targets. Loading was carried out using a manually operated crane. The rate of fire was 1 shot every 2 minutes.
For transportation, the howitzer was disassembled into two parts: the barrel, removed from the gun carriage and laid on a special vehicle, and a tracked carriage connected to the front end - a gun carriage. For short distances, the howitzer was allowed to be transported unassembled. (This method of transportation was sometimes used during combat to deploy howitzers for direct fire at enemy reinforced concrete defenses.)
Caterpillar tractors of the "Kommunar" type were used for transportation, the maximum permissible speed of movement on the highway was 15 km / h. At the same time, the caterpillar track made it possible to increase the off-road cross-country ability of the guns. Sufficiently heavy guns easily crossed even swampy areas of the terrain.
By the way, the successful design of the carriage was used for other artillery systems. In particular, for intermediate samples of 152-mm guns Br-19 and 280-mm mortars Br-5.
Naturally, the question arises about the differences in the design of howitzers. Why and how did they appear? The difference in the design of specific guns was obvious. Moreover, these were B-4 howitzers.
In our opinion, there were two reasons. The first and the main one is the small production capacity of Soviet factories, the lack of the possibility of implementing projects. Simply put, the equipment of the factories did not allow the production of the required products. And the second reason is the presence directly in the production of a whole galaxy of outstanding designers who could adapt projects to the capabilities of a particular plant.
This is exactly what happened in the case of the B-4. The serial production of howitzers began at the Bolshevik plant in 1932. In parallel, the task was set to start production and the "Barricades" plant. Both factories could not mass-produce howitzers according to the project. Local designers were finalizing projects for production capabilities.
"Bolshevik" presented the first serial howitzer for delivery in 1933. But he could not hand it over to the state commission until the end of the year. "Barricades" in the first half of 1934 fired two howitzers. Further, the plant, with its last strength, was able to release 15 more guns (1934). Production was stopped. The only manufacturer was Bolshevik.
The Bolshevik designers have modified the howitzer. The new version received a longer barrel with improved ballistics. The new gun received a new index-B-4 BM (high power). The guns produced before the modernization were called-B-4 MM (low power). The difference between BM and MM was 3 caliber (609 mm).
If you look closely at the B-4 of these two factories, you get a strong impression that these are two different weapons. Perhaps our opinion is controversial, but different howitzers entered service with the Red Army under the same designation. However, for the soldiers and officers of the artillery units, this was not particularly important. The guns were the same in most respects.
But the "Bolshevik" could not boast of success in the production of B-4. In 1937, howitzers began to be assembled at the Barricades again. Moreover, another plant was involved in production - Novokramatorsky. Thus, by the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the production of howitzers was deployed at three factories. And the total number of guns that entered the artillery units was 849 pieces (of both modifications).
The B-4 howitzer received its baptism of fire on the Soviet-Finnish front during the Winter War with Finland. On March 1, 1940, there were 142 B-4 howitzers there. At the beginning of the article, we mentioned the soldier's name for this gun. "Karelian sculptor". Lost or disabled during this war were 4 howitzers. The indicator is more than worthy.
Howitzers B-4 were only in the howitzer artillery regiments of high power RVGK. According to the state of the regiment (from 19.02.1941), it had four divisions of three-battery composition. Each battery consisted of 2 howitzers. One howitzer was considered a platoon. In total, the regiment had 24 howitzers. 112 tractors, 242 cars. 12 motorcycles and 2304 personnel (including 174 officers). By 1941-22-06, the RVGK had 33 regiments with B-4 howitzers. That is, in total, there are 792 howitzers in the state.
The Great Patriotic War B-4 began in fact only in 1942. Although, in fairness, it should be noted that in 1941 we lost 75 howitzers. Of those that could not be sent to the eastern regions.
At the beginning of the war, several B-4 howitzers were captured by the Germans. So. in Dubno, the 529th howitzer artillery regiment of high power was captured by the Germans. Due to the lack of tractors, our troops abandoned 27 203-mm B-4 howitzers in good condition. The captured howitzers received the German designation 20.3 cm HaubiUe 503 (g). They were in service with several heavy artillery divisions of the Wehrmacht RKG.
Most of the guns were destroyed during the war, but according to German sources, even in 1944, 8 more of these guns worked on the eastern front.
The losses of the B-4 howitzers in 1941 were compensated for by an increase in production. The factories produced 105 guns! However, their delivery to the front was suspended due to the impossibility of using them during the retreat period. The Red Army was accumulating strength.
By May 1, 1945, 30 brigades and 4 separate high-power artillery regiments of the RVGK had 760 203-mm howitzers of the 1932 model.
The performance characteristics of the heavy 203-mm howitzer model 1931 B-4
Caliber - 203 mm;
Overall length - 5087 mm;
Weight - 17,700 kg (in a combat-ready position);
Angle of vertical guidance - from 0 ° to + 60 °;
Horizontal guidance angle - 8 °;
The initial velocity of the projectile is 557 (607) m / s;
Maximum firing range - 18025 m;
Projectile weight - 100 kg.;
Calculation - 15 people;
Ammunition - 8 shots.
Trays on a gun carriage for shells
On the eve of the celebration of the 75th anniversary of our victory at the Kursk Bulge, I would like to tell you one more combat episode from the combat biography of the legendary howitzer. In the area of the Ponyri station, scouts found a German self-propelled gun "Ferdinand". The commander decided to destroy the German with his own artillery.
However, the power of the guns was not enough for guaranteed destruction even in the event of a hit. B-4 came to the rescue. A well-trained howitzer crew skillfully aimed the gun and with one shot, actually hitting a shell in the Ferdinand's turret, blew the enemy's vehicle to shreds.
By the way, this battle is still considered one of the most original ways of using howitzers in war. Many original things happen in war. The main thing is the effectiveness of such originality. 100 kilograms of originality per head of German self-propelled gunners …
And one more episode. From the Battle of Berlin. B-4s took part in street battles! Probably the most epic footage of the capture of Berlin was filmed with their participation. 38 guns in the Berlin streets!
One of the guns was installed 100 meters from the enemy at the intersection of Linden Strasse and Ritter Strasse. The infantry could not advance. The Germans prepared the house for defense. The cannons could not destroy machine-gun nests and artillery firing positions.
Our losses were enormous. It was necessary to take risks. Risk the artillerymen.
The calculation of B-4, in fact, with direct fire, destroyed the house with 6 shots. Accordingly, together with the garrison of the Germans. Turning the gun down, the battery commander simultaneously destroyed three more stone buildings prepared for defense. Thus providing the opportunity for the advancement of the infantry.
By the way, an interesting fact that we once wrote about. In Berlin, there was only one building that survived the blows of the B-4. This is the famous air defense tower in the area of the zoo - Flakturm am Zoo. Our howitzers were able to destroy only the corner of the tower. The garrison actually defended itself until the declaration of surrender.
After the end of the war, the howitzer was removed from service. Alas, the advantage of the caterpillar track played a disservice in peacetime.
But this is not the end of the story. Just an episode. The gun was put into service again! But now the designers were given the task of modernizing it. It was necessary to increase the transport speed of the gun.
In 1954, such a modernization was carried out at the Barricades plant. The B-4 howitzer became wheeled. The wheel drive significantly increased the towing speed of the gun, the overall maneuverability, and reduced the time to transfer from the traveling position to the combat position by eliminating the separate transportation of the gun carriage and the barrel. The gun was renamed B-4M.
Serial production of this weapon was not carried out. In fact, the existing howitzers were being modernized. We were unable to find out the exact number of such weapons.
But the fact that in 1964 it was for the B-4 that a nuclear weapon was created speaks volumes. Be that as it may, the B-4 were in service until the early 80s. Almost half a century of service!
Agree, this is an indicator of the value of the tool. A weapon that rightfully takes its place among the best examples of artillery engineering and design thought.
