The 107-mm cannon of the 1910/30 model is a heavy Soviet artillery gun of the interwar period. It was a modernization of the 107-mm cannon, which was created with the participation of French designers for the tsarist army back in 1910. In the Soviet Union, the gun was produced until the mid-1930s. The 107-mm cannon of the 1910/30 model, along with the even rarer Soviet 107-mm M-60 cannon, was used during the Great Patriotic War, first as part of the corps artillery, and then as part of the RVGK artillery. However, the use was rather limited, as no more than 863 of these guns were fired.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the French company Schneider gained control over the Russian Putilov plant. Among the projects that were being developed at the enterprise at that time, there was also a project for a new 107-mm field gun, designed to replace the old 107-mm and 152-mm guns. The project was finalized in France, and the first batch of new 107-mm cannons was also manufactured here. Subsequently, their production was established in the Russian Empire in St. Petersburg at the Putilov and Obukhov plants. Official name: "42-line heavy field cannon, model 1910".
At the time of its creation, in terms of ballistic characteristics, this gun was one of the best in the world. The gun was actively used during the First World War, as well as during the Civil War in Russia. Later, on its basis, the Schneider company released a 105-mm gun with an improved weighted carriage for the French army. This weapon was also used until the outbreak of World War II.
Among the other guns in service with the tsarist army, the 107-mm cannon of the 1910 model was left in service with the Red Army after the end of the Civil War in Russia. By the end of the 1920s, it became finally clear to the Soviet military leadership that the weapons of the First World War were rapidly becoming obsolete. Therefore, a broad modernization of the existing tsarist legacy was undertaken, which affected most of the artillery weapons of the Red Army. The creation at the turn of the 1930s of a large number of new models of artillery weapons seemed impossible for two main reasons: general youth and lack of experience in the Soviet design school, which was weakened by the revolutionary events and the subsequent Civil War, and the general poor state of the newly emerging Soviet industry.
The project for the modernization of the 107-mm cannon of the 1910 model was developed by the Armament and Arsenal Trust (OAT) and the Design Bureau of the Scientific and Technical Committee of the Main Artillery Directorate (Design Bureau NTK GAU). The main task of the ongoing modernization was to increase the firing range of the gun to 16-18 km. Prototypes were made according to their designs. The prototype of the gun, created by the designers of the OAT, had a barrel with a length of 37.5 calibers, an enlarged charging chamber, a muzzle brake and a special balancing weight placed in the breech of the barrel. The sample of the KB NTK GAU gun was quite close to the OAT sample, differing from the latter by a longer barrel (38 calibers), as well as a number of minor changes.
Based on the results of the tests carried out, it was decided on the serial production of a sample of the KB NTK GAU, which was supplemented with a mechanism for balancing the swinging part of the weapon according to the type of sample proposed by the designers of the OAT. In the process of modernization, the barrel of the gun was lengthened by 10 calibers, as a result of which the initial flight speed of the projectile increased to 670 m / s. The barrel received a slotted muzzle brake with an efficiency of 25%. Moreover, in some cases, the gun could be operated from without a muzzle brake. During the modernization, the charging chamber was lengthened, and the unitary loading was replaced by a separate-sleeve one. Also, an elongated long-range projectile was created specifically for the cannon. The weight of the explosive charge in it increased from 1, 56 to 2, 15 kg. The gun thus modernized was officially adopted by the Red Army in 1931 under the designation 107-mm gun mod. 1910/30
The modernized gun received a separate-case loading, two types of propelling charges were relied on it - full and reduced. It was forbidden to use a full charge when using old high-explosive grenades, smoke shells, shrapnel, as well as with the muzzle brake removed. The ammunition load of the 107-mm cannon of the 1910/30 model included various types of shells, which made the gun quite flexible in use. The OF-420U high-explosive fragmentation projectile with a fuse set for fragmentation action, when bursting, provided a continuous destruction zone of 14 × 6 meters (at least 90% of targets are hit) and an actual hit zone of 40 × 20 meters (at least 50% of targets are hit). In the event that the fuse was set for high-explosive action, when the projectile hit the soil of medium density, a funnel 40-60 cm deep and 1-1.5 meters in diameter was formed. The tabular firing range of such a projectile was 16 130 meters. Shrapnel was an effective means against openly positioned enemy infantry - the Sh-422 projectile contained more than 600 bullets, which created an engagement zone measuring 40-50 meters in front and up to 800 meters in depth.
The 107-mm armor-piercing blunt-headed caliber projectile B-420 could also be used with the gun. At a distance of 100 meters, it provided penetration of 117 mm of armor at a meeting angle of 90 degrees and 95 mm at a meeting angle of 60 degrees. At a distance of a kilometer, such a projectile, fired from a 107-mm gun of the 1910/1930 model, pierced 103 mm of armor located at right angles. Despite the good ballistics and armor penetration, which made it possible to fight the Tiger tanks, the use of the gun as an anti-tank gun was extremely difficult due to the small angles of horizontal guidance and separate loading.
The 107-mm cannon of the 1910/1930 model was not a very significant alteration of the gun during the First World War, therefore it retained most of the shortcomings that were inherent in the guns of that time period. The main ones were: a small angle of horizontal guidance (only 3 degrees in each direction), which was due to the design of a single-bar carriage, and a low speed of transporting the gun due to the lack of suspension, which significantly limited mobility. The maximum speed of transporting the gun on the highway was only 12 km / h.
The S-65 tractor-tractor tows a 107-mm cannon of the 1910/1930 model
By the end of the 1930s, despite the modernization carried out, the maximum firing range was also no longer sufficient. By the beginning of World War II, the 107-mm cannon of the 1910/1930 model was undoubtedly an outdated artillery system. For comparison, the closest German analogue - the 10.5 cm K.18 cannon - had a sprung carriage with sliding beds, it provided a horizontal guidance angle of 60 degrees. The transport speed of the gun reached 40 km / h, and the maximum firing range was 19 km.
At the same time, the Soviet weapon had its own merits. It was light enough (two times lighter than its German counterparts), corresponding in this parameter to the 122-mm divisional howitzer M-30, which allowed the gun to be less dependent on the presence of mechanical thrust. Instead of specialized tractors, 107-mm guns could tow heavy trucks or horses. Eight horses could carry the gun, six more horses carried a 42-shot charging box. If wooden wheels were installed on the gun, the towing speed did not exceed 6 km / h. If metal with rubber weights were used, the speed increased to 12 km / h.
The 107-mm cannons of the 1910/30 model, despite the fact that they were produced according to various estimates from 828 to 863 pieces, were actively used throughout the first half of the 20th century, taking part in almost all military conflicts of those years. The modernized guns were used by Soviet troops in battles with the Japanese on the Khalkhin-Gol River, while 4 guns were lost. They were also used during the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940, according to both parties involved in the conflict, these guns had no losses.
Red Army gunners push 107-mm gun 1910/30 to combat position
In June 1941, there were 474 such guns in the western military districts of the USSR. At that time, they were organizationally part of the corps artillery. In 1941, the Red Army had 3 options for organizing corps artillery regiments: 2 battalions of 152-mm howitzer-guns ML-20 (24 guns) and 1 battalion of 107-mm guns (12 guns); 2 battalions of 152 mm ML-20 cannon howitzers (24 guns) and 2 battalions of 107 mm guns or 122 mm A-19 guns (24 guns); 3 battalions of 152 mm ML-20 howitzer-guns (36 guns).
107-mm cannons of 1910/1930 were actively used by Soviet troops during the Great Patriotic War, while in 1941-1942 a significant part of them was lost. In September 1941, the rifle corps were abolished along with the corps artillery. 107-mm cannons began to be used as part of the artillery of the reserve of the Supreme High Command (RVGK). Starting in 1943, when the formation of rifle corps began again, they were returned to the corps artillery. The 490 remaining at that time 107-mm cannons of all types (mainly of the 1910/1930 model) were transferred to it, which fought in the Red Army until the end of the war.
The 107-mm cannon of the 1910/30 model that has survived to this day can be seen in the open area of the Museum of Artillery and Engineering Troops in St. Petersburg. Also, another such cannon was installed as a monument to Soviet soldiers and partisans in the village of Gorodets, Sharkovshchinsky District, Vitebsk Region, on the territory of the Republic of Belarus.
The performance characteristics of the 107-mm cannon mod. 1910/30:
Overall dimensions (firing position): length - 7530 mm, width - 2064 mm, height - 1735 mm.
Caliber - 106.7 mm.
Barrel length - 38 calibers, 4054 mm (without muzzle brake).
The height of the line of fire is 1175 mm.
Mass in the stowed position - 3000 kg.
Weight in firing position - 2535 kg.
Vertical guidance angles: from -5 to + 37 °.
Horizontal guidance angle: 6 °.
The maximum firing range is 16.1 km.
Rate of fire - 5-6 rds / min.
Calculation - 8 people.
