We often use the worn-out expression "God of War". An expression born too long ago to be true to us. Just a cliché. Just words. In an age where huge intercontinental missiles are stationed in the mines, equipped with nuclear warheads, smart and deadly inevitable.
When huge killers of not only ships, but entire countries are hiding in the depths of sea waters, and on the surface there are entire airfields capable of single-handedly providing air support to entire armies.
When a simple infantryman is able to destroy not only enemy soldiers, but also tanks, armored vehicles, bunkers and bunkers. When even automatic weapons are perceived as an addition to powerful weapon systems. A soldier with a machine gun is no longer perceived as a serious force.
It would seem, how can a barrel gun be "God" in an age of such powerful weapons? Produce about the same effect on a person? Not even with shots. Just by its very existence. God, too, does not show miracles to many. This does not prevent others from believing. And even unbelievers, somewhere in the depths of their souls, think about its existence. Look for other names, definitions for your own faith.
"Hyacinth" in any form brings a person back to the understanding that artillery is really the God of war. Next to such a weapon, you understand the pride of the gunners and the horror of the enemies. As you already understood, today we will talk about the 152-mm self-propelled gun 2S5 "Hyacinth" and its sister - the towed gun 2A36 "Hyacinth-B".
Armament is constantly being improved. Systems are emerging that can deliver strikes from such distances, at which it is impossible to counter-strike with existing systems for technical reasons. The firing range makes the enemy feel relatively safe.
It is clear that the presence of other types of weapons can compensate for this imbalance. However, only guns will be able to completely neutralize the capabilities of enemy weapons. Simply because the use of other types of weapons may be impossible for various reasons.
The understanding of this fact by the leadership of the USSR Armed Forces, as well as the strengthening of the potential enemy's artillery systems, forced the Soviet designers to begin work on the creation of a long-range gun. On November 21, 1968, the Ministry of Defense Industry issued order # 592 on the development of a new long-range 152-mm cannon.
The order concerned three defense "monsters" at once. The artillery unit was entrusted to the legendary "Motovilikha" - the Perm machine-building plant. The chassis for the SPG was to be developed by the Sverdlovsk Transport Engineering Plant (SZTM). The ammunition was to be developed by the V. V. Bakhirev Scientific Research Machine-Building Institute (NIMI).
The main developer of the ACS was SZTM (today UZTM).
GS Efimov became the chief designer of the chassis.
The chief designer of the 2A37 cannon was Yu. N. Kalachnikov.
The chief designer of 152-mm ammunition is A. A. Kallistov.
According to the order of the Ministry of Defense Industry, the SKB of the Motovilikhinsky plant should develop both versions of the gun at once - towed and self-propelled. Moreover, both versions must have identical performance characteristics and use identical ammunition. The rest of the designers did not make any special restrictions.
Those who follow our publications on the history of Soviet artillery systems have already seen two innovations that were not present in the design and production of previous products.
Firstly, the new weapons were not created for the already existing and in service ammunition. Involvement in the design of NIMI meant that the ammunition for "Hyacinth" was originally designed "from scratch." The gunsmiths understood that it was not realistic to create a more or less "light" long-range SPG that could fire conventional ammunition. The range needed to be increased precisely due to the new ammunition.
Secondly, for the first time, Motovilikha designed not only towed, but also self-propelled systems at once. In all earlier systems, the algorithm was different. The already proven towed guns were installed on the chassis. That is, the designers were forced to "fit" these systems to the chassis. In this case, two identical guns were initially designed - a towed 2A36 and for installation on an ACS - 2A37.
The preliminary projects were presented already in September 1969. Moreover, the future cars were developed in three versions at once. In the open, conning tower and tower. After a detailed consideration of all the options, the most promising was the option of the open arrangement of the gun on the chassis.
Based on the results of the consideration of preliminary projects on June 8, 1970, Resolution No. 427-151 was adopted, according to which it was proposed to intensify the work on the Hyacinth ACS. In fact, this decree authorized full-scale work on the project.
The first two experimental ballistic installations of the 152-mm Hyacinth cannon were ready in late March and early April 1971. However, the subcontractors let them down - NIMI. Scientists were not able to submit new casings for testing in time. The delay in time due to their fault was six months.
But in September 1971, the tests still began. Ballistic installations had a barrel length of 7.2 meters. In the course of numerous tests, the following results were shown - on a full charge, an initial speed of 945 m / s and a range of 28.3 km, on an enhanced charge - 975 m / s and 31.5 km, respectively.
During the tests, a very strong muzzle wave pressure was noted. In this regard, it was decided to reduce the weight of the full charge from 21.8 kg to 20.7 kg and lengthen the barrel by 1000 mm by introducing a smooth nozzle.
Tests of ballistic installations ended in March 1972, and on April 13, 1972, the Hyacinth projects were presented in self-propelled and towed versions. The "Hyacinth-B" cannon was adopted by the Soviet army in 1976.
Knowing the history of "Motovilikha", one is asking a natural question: is SKB really satisfied with the 2A37 gun? It is clear that the separate-case loading is approved "from above". It is clear that the main work was carried out in this direction. What other options?
Indeed, the SKB designers were developing another weapon - the 2A43 "Hyacinth - BK". In this version, the gun was loaded with caps. However, after being shown by the government commission, it was deemed unpromising.
Two more experimental guns had cartouz loading. 2A53 "Hyacinth-BK" and 2A53M "Hyacinth-BK-1M" …
There was also "Dilemma - 2A36". Gun 2A36M. This weapon was equipped with an additional battery, a NAP unit, a satellite receiver, an antenna unit, a self-orienting gyroscopic goniometric system, a computer, and a mechanical speed sensor.
The performance characteristics of the 152-mm gun "Hyacinth-B":
Calculation, people: 8
Combat weight, kg: 9760
Charging: separately - sleeve
The main types of ammunition: high-explosive fragmentation, active-reactive, cumulative anti-tank shells
Initial speed of OFS, m / s: 590-945
OFS weight, kg: 46
Angle of vertical guidance, degrees: -2 … + 57
Horizontal guidance angle, degrees: -25 … + 25
Rate of fire, rds / min: 5-6
Maximum range, m: 28,500
Transfer time from traveling position
in combat, min: 2-4
It is transported by ATT, ATS, ATS-59 tractors, KamAZ trucks.
The barrel consists of a pipe, casing, breech and muzzle brake. The muzzle brake is slotted multi-chamber. The muzzle brake efficiency is 53%.
Horizontal wedge gate, with semiautomatic rolling pin type. The alternate ramming of the projectile and the cartridge case with the charge is carried out by a chain rammer with a hydraulic drive. The rammer automatically returns to its original position after sending the projectile and the cartridge case.
The rammer's hydraulic drive is powered by a hydropneumatic accumulator that recharges when the tool rolls back. Thus, when the first shot is fired, the bolt is opened and the ramming is done manually.
The recoil devices consist of a hydraulic recoil brake and a hydropneumatic knurler. When rolling back, the recoil device cylinders are stationary.
The balancing mechanism is pneumatic, pushing type. Lifting and turning mechanisms of sector type. Box-shaped beds, welded.
The cannon is fired from the pallet. The wheels of the implement are hung out. The lifting and lowering of the implement onto the pallet is carried out using hydraulic jacks.
Double disc wheels with pneumatic tires. Torsion-type suspension.
Now let's go back to the SPG. Let's start with the 2A37 "Hyacinth - S" cannon. The first experimental guns were delivered to SZTM at the end of 1972. The ACS was put into serial production in 1976.
The barrel of the 2A37 gun consists of a monoblock pipe, breech and muzzle brake. The multi-bore slotted muzzle brake is screwed onto the tube. The muzzle brake efficiency is 53%. Horizontal wedge gate with semiautomatic rolling pin type.
Rollback brake hydraulic groove type, pneumatic knurler. The recoil device cylinders roll back together with the barrel. The longest rollback length is 950 mm, the shortest is 730 mm.
Chain rammer with electric drive. The ramming is done in two steps - a projectile, and then - a sleeve.
Lifting and turning mechanisms of the sector-type cannon. The balancing mechanism is pneumatic, pushing type.
The rotating parts are a center pin machine that connects the machine to the chassis.
The gun has a light shield, which serves to protect the gunner and parts of the mechanisms from bullets, small fragments and the action of a muzzle wave when firing. The shield is a stamped sheet structure and is fixed on the left cheek of the upper machine.
The gun sights consist of a D726-45 mechanical sight with a PG-1M gun panorama and an OP4M-91A optical sight.
Ammunition is located inside the body. The loaders feed projectiles and charges from the vehicle manually.
When firing, the ACS is stabilized using a hinged base plate. The transition time from the traveling position to the combat position is no more than 4 minutes.
So let's summarize. Performance characteristics of ACS 2S5 "Hyacinth-S".
In serial production since 1976. It was put into service in 1978.
Developer:
- swinging part: Special Design Bureau of the Perm Machine-Building Plant named after V. I. V. I. Lenin (Perm, Motovilikha), - KB PO "Uraltransmash", Sverdlovsk.
Serial production: PA "Uraltransmash", Sverdlovsk.
It is intended for counter-battery warfare, destruction of long-term firing points and field structures, for combating heavy self-propelled artillery and enemy tanks.
Armament:
152-mm cannon 2A37.
Shooting range:
OFS 3OF29: 28, 4 km
OFS 3OF59: 30 km
ARS: 33, 1 km
minimum: 8.6 km.
Rate of fire - 5-6 rds / min.
Angle GN: +/- 15 degrees.
HV angle: -2.5 … + 58 deg.
Loading: separate-sleeve, semi-automatic.
Ammunition: 30 rounds.
There is a possibility of using a nuclear weapon with a capacity of 0, 1-2 kt.
Calculation: 5 people, when served from the ground: 7 people.
Installation weight in the stowed position: 28, 2 tons.
Engine - diesel V-59.
Engine power - 520 HP
Fuel capacity - 850 liters.
Speed: 60-63 km / h. The power reserve is 500 km.
Overcoming obstacles:
rise: 30 degrees
roll: 25 degrees
ditch width: 2, 55 m
wall: 0.7 m
ford: 1.05 m.
Like most Soviet artillery systems, the Hyacinth has combat experience. Quite a little time has passed since the start of production of this gun, when the gun had to fulfill its purpose in Afghanistan. It was from there that the second name of this system came - "Genocide". The soldier will always find the most accurate designation of the weapon that helps him to beat the enemy.
We did not find official data on the use of these guns in both variants. However, there are photographic documents that confirm this fact.
Used "Hyacinths" and in Chechnya. Then in the events in South Ossetia. At least as part of the army, they entered the territory of this republic.
There is also information that the Ukrainian army used these guns in the civil war in the Donbass.
Be that as it may, after the collapse of the USSR, this system became the property of several countries at once. There are cannons in Belarus, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Finland.
In general, this gun is currently quite comparable with the best Western models. And to serve her for a long time. "God of War", he is God. As long as there are wars on the planet, there will be a God of War. This is banal, but still true.
