Despite the development of armies, equipment and technologies, during the Great Patriotic War, wire barriers remained a serious problem for the troops. To overcome them, a special tool might be required, which is not always easy and convenient to use. In 1943, enthusiasts from the troops invented and implemented an original device for fighting wire. It performed its functions perfectly, had an extremely simple design and was actually integrated into the standard weapon.
Initiative from below
Long before the start of the Great Patriotic War, the Red Army was created and adopted for supplying various means of combating barbed wire. First of all, these were scissors and cutters of several types. In addition, in some situations, it was proposed not to cut the wire, but to raise it with a special slingshot. Finally, any armored vehicle could act as a means of fighting the wire.
Infantry means of overcoming obstacles often did not differ in their small size and weight, which made it difficult to carry and use them in a combat situation. In this regard, various alternative solutions have been proposed. Some of them became widespread.
In the summer of 1943, engineer-captain S. M. Frolov from the 2nd Guards Engineer Brigade of Special Purpose. The documents for the new development went to the higher command for consideration. In August 1943, a new device was tested, according to the results of which it was highly appreciated.
Bullet versus wire
The main idea of the project S. M. Frolova was to create a wire cutting tool based on the infantryman's standard armament. Instead of separate scissors or other devices, the fighter was asked to carry a submachine gun with a small additional device. The latter was designated as a "wire-breaking device".
Early project documents described the design of a device for installation on a PPD submachine gun. In this case, the device consisted of a clamp with a screw and nut, as well as a metal strip with a hole bent in a "V" shape. With the help of the legs in the rear part, the bar was installed under the barrel casing and fixed in place with a clamp. After that, in front of the muzzle of the weapon, there was a curved part of the bar with a hole.
The simplest design could be adapted for use on other weapons. To do this, it was necessary to change the shape of the parts, taking into account the contours of the submachine gun. Only the front curved strip with a hole should have remained unchanged.
The principle of operation of the device was quite simple. The wire had to be placed in the V-shaped part of the bar, as a result of which it was near the muzzle. Then a shot was required, and the bullet broke through the wire. If necessary, the device made it possible to quietly raise the barrier elements to a small height.
Based on test results
In August 1943, the engineering committee produced prototypes of the original device and tested them on real wire fences. The test showed the high efficiency of the product. In addition, the design itself, which was distinguished by its simplicity and manufacturability, received a good rating.
It was found that the device of the design of the engineer-captain Frolov is really capable of cutting the wire from the barrage. The energy of the bullet was enough to guarantee interruption of the intertwined barbed wire. In addition, the efficiency was equally high regardless of the wire tension.
The device was extremely simple and could be manufactured and mounted on weapons by the forces of military workshops. Also, the command highly appreciated the possibility of adapting the design for use on different types of weapons. As a result, the proposal of S. M. Frolov was approved, and in September 1943, the wire-breaking device was recommended for use in the troops.
By the forces of military workshops
Simple documentation on the original device began to be distributed among the military workshops. They were required to provide the fighters with a sufficient number of devices. They were made from available materials - this was facilitated by the absence of special requirements for raw materials or characteristics.
There is information about the small-scale production of Frolov's devices for submachine guns PPD and PPSh. Apparently, each specific workshop made only those devices that were compatible with the weapons of its part. Due to the peculiarities of the weapons of the Red Army at that time, the bulk of the devices were intended for the PPSh.
As the devices were released, their design was refined. In particular, two versions of simplified devices for PCA are known. They have some differences from the base product and from each other, associated with the design features of the weapon and the technological capabilities of the workshops.
In the project of S. M. Frolov, a device from a bar and a clamp was proposed. In military workshops, they were often made in the form of a single piece of sheet metal. Also, the device could only consist of a curved strip, simply welded to the barrel casing. In fact, it was necessary to save only the curved part in front of the muzzle, while the other elements could be of any shape and size.
As far as is known, devices for breaking the wire for submachine guns were made in significant quantities and were massively mounted on weapons. However, the pace of production was limited and did not allow to re-equip all available weapons. As a result, only a few percent of the PPD and PPSh had regular means of dealing with the wire.
Despite the small number, wire-breaking devices have survived and are available to those interested. Several weapons with such equipment are kept in domestic and foreign museums. In addition, submachine guns with additional devices are occasionally found on the battlefield. However, in terms of their number, such samples are seriously inferior to weapons in the basic configuration.
Simple and effective
Due to the limited capabilities of the workshops and due to the limited needs of the troops, the Frolov device and its derivatives were produced in relatively small quantities and were not installed on all infantry weapons. However, the manufactured samples did an excellent job with their work and ensured overcoming enemy obstacles. With their help, it was possible to quietly lift the wire or quickly and noisily break through it.
Due to the limited quantity, Frolov's device could not significantly squeeze scissors and other tools, but it perfectly complemented them. The Red Army received a tool that was simple in production and operation for solving not the most noticeable, but important task and effectively used it until the end of the war.
