152 Mm Howitzer M1938 (M-10)
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152-mm howitzer M1938 (M-10) () was a
Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
152.4 mm (6 inch)
howitzer The howitzer () is an artillery weapon that falls between a cannon (or field gun) and a mortar. It is capable of both low angle fire like a field gun and high angle fire like a mortar, given the distinction between low and high angle fire break ...
of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
era. It was developed in 1937–1938 at the '' Motovilikha Mechanical Plant'' by a team headed by F. F. Petrov, and produced until 1941. It saw combat with the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
until the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and remained in service until the 1950s. Captured pieces were used by
Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...
and the
Finnish Army The Finnish Army ( , ) is the army, land forces branch of the Finnish Defence Forces. The Finnish Army is divided into six branches: infantry (which includes armoured units), field artillery, anti-aircraft artillery, Combat engineering, engineer ...
. The latter kept the M-10 in service until 2000. In a tank-mounted variant, M-10T, the gun was mounted on the KV-2 heavy tank.


Development history

By the early 1930s the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Republic and, from 1922, the Soviet Union. The army was established in January 1918 by a decree of the Council of People ...
(RKKA) started to look for a replacement for the 152-mm howitzer M1909 and the 152-mm howitzer M1910. Those pieces, developed before
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, had unsprung fixed trail carriages and short barrels, which meant poor mobility, insufficient elevation and traverse angles and short range. Although both pieces were eventually modernized, resulting in the 152-mm howitzer M1909/30 and the 152-mm howitzer M1910/37 respectively, these were relatively minor upgrades which brought only limited improvement in some areas and didn't address others. It was clear that a completely new design was needed. At that time, the Soviets had little experience in developing modern artillery pieces. An initial attempt was made to overcome that issue through a collaboration with Germany. Constrained by the limitations of the
Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed on 28 June 1919. As the most important treaty of World War I, it ended the state of war between Germany and most of the Allies of World War I, Allied Powers. It was signed in the Palace ...
, Germany was looking for ways to proceed with weapons development and joint projects gave them such an opportunity. Among other weapons supplied by Germans was a heavy
howitzer The howitzer () is an artillery weapon that falls between a cannon (or field gun) and a mortar. It is capable of both low angle fire like a field gun and high angle fire like a mortar, given the distinction between low and high angle fire break ...
, designated 152-mm howitzer M1931 (NG) in the USSR. Soon the '' Motovilikha Mechanical Plant (MMZ)'' was tasked with the production of this gun. After only eight pieces had been completed in 1932–1934, production was stopped, as the design had proven to be too complicated for the Soviet industry of the early 1930s, similar to other designs like 122-mm howitzer M1934 or 20-mm and 37-mm
autocannon An autocannon, automatic cannon or machine cannon is a automatic firearm, fully automatic gun that is capable of rapid-firing large-caliber ( or more) armour-piercing, explosive or incendiary ammunition, incendiary shell (projectile), shells, ...
s. Also it was considered somewhat heavy at 5,445 kg in travelling configuration. But these early failures gave Soviet developers some valuable experience. In 1937, F. F. Petrov and his design team at the ''Plant No.172'' (another name for Motovilikha Plant) started work on a new design, the M-10. Technical papers were submitted to the Artillery Directorate on 1 August 1937 and on 2 November the first prototype was completed. Ground trials (19–25 October 1938) featured two pieces: No. 302 (L/25 barrel with constant
rifling Rifling is the term for helical grooves machined into the internal surface of a firearms's barrel for imparting a spin to a projectile to improve its aerodynamic stability and accuracy. It is also the term (as a verb) for creating such groov ...
) and No. 303 (L/20 barrel with progressive rifling). The No. 303 was found to be superior. The trials also revealed numerous defects in the gun construction: the howitzer suffered from insufficient upper carriage strength, leaks in the
recoil Recoil (often called knockback, kickback or simply kick) is the rearward thrust generated when a gun is being discharged. In technical terms, the recoil is a result of conservation of momentum, for according to Newton's third law the force requ ...
buffer, unreliable suspension etc. For army tests early in 1939, an improved design with a longer barrel was presented. Another series of army tests followed from 22 December 1939 to 10 January 1940, but even before it started—on 29 September 1939—the gun was adopted as 152 mm divisional howitzer model 1938. Later, the word ''divisional'' was removed from the designation.Shirokorad A. B. - ''Encyclopedia of the Soviet Artillery''.


Production history

The M-10 entered production at the ''Plant No. 172'' in 1939. Until the end of the year, four pieces were manufactured, 685 more in 1940 and 833 in 1941. About 340 barrels for KV-2 heavy tanks were also built (for 334 serial production tanks and a few prototypes and experimental vehicles).Kolomietz M. V. — ''KV. "Klim Voroshilov" breakthrough tank''. Soon after the outbreak of the war, mass production of the gun was halted. The following reasons are typically cited:.Shunkov V. N. - ''The Weapons of the Red Army''. * The M-10 was considered too heavy for divisional artillery and not powerful enough for corps artillery; * Problems with manufacturing process; * Lack of requirement for this type of weapon during the defensive phase of the war. Some found these arguments questionable. Later in the war, corps artillery employed the
152-mm howitzer M1943 (D-1) The 152 mm howitzer M1943 (D-1) () is a Soviet World War II-era 152.4 mm howitzer. The gun was developed by the design bureau headed by F. F. Petrov in 1942 and 1943, based on the carriage of the 122 mm howitzer M1938 (M-30) and using the b ...
with the same ballistics. Production rates were growing. Even early in the war, the Red Army wasn't passive, but tried to attack at every opportunity; moreover, howitzers are certainly useful in defensive combat too, e.g. for suppressing enemy howitzers. A historian M. Svirin offered the next explanation instead: * Shortage in powerful artillery tractors; * Problems with maintenance and repair; * Complexity and steel intensity of the carriage; * Soviet ordnance plants either were lost or were busy producing other equipment that had higher priority.


Description

The M-10 was much more advanced design compared to older Soviet 152 mm howitzers. It had a modern
split trail A gun carriage is a frame or a mount that supports the gun barrel of an artillery piece, allowing it to be maneuvered and fired. These platforms often had wheels so that the artillery pieces could be moved more easily. Gun carriages are also use ...
carriage which allowed for a much larger traverse. The trails were of riveted construction. The carriage was equipped with suspension and wheels from the ZiS-5, increasing towing speed. The barrel, much longer than that of older designs, was fitted with an
interrupted screw file:Breech 122m10 hameenlinna 2.jpg, Breech from Russian 122 mm M1910 howitzer, modified and combined with 105 mm H37 howitzer barrel An interrupted screw or interrupted thread is a mechanical device typically used in the Breech-loadi ...
breechblock A breechblock (or breech block) is the part of the firearm action that closes the breech of a breech loading weapon (whether small arms or artillery) before or at the moment of firing. It seals the breech and contains the pressure generated by ...
with
recoil Recoil (often called knockback, kickback or simply kick) is the rearward thrust generated when a gun is being discharged. In technical terms, the recoil is a result of conservation of momentum, for according to Newton's third law the force requ ...
devices consisting of a
hydraulic Hydraulics () is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counterpart of pneumatics, which concer ...
recoil buffer and hydro-pneumatic recuperator. The recoil travel was variable. A gun shield provided some protection from bullets and shell fragments. Unlike its eventual successor, the D-1, the M-10 was not equipped with a muzzle brake. While softening recoil and thus allowing for a lighter carriage, a muzzle brake has the disadvantage of redirecting some of the gases that escape the barrel toward the ground where they raise dust, revealing the gun position. The gun could be towed by an artillery tractor or a team of horses. In the latter case, a 400-kg limber was used. File:M10 helsinki 10.jpg, Factory marks on the barrel File:M10 Saint Petersburg 9.jpg, Breech, left side File:M10 Saint Petersburg 7.jpg, Breech, right side File:M10 helsinki 4.jpg, Breech and trails File:M10 helsinki 7.jpg, Interrupted screw breechblock File:M10 Saint Petersburg 3.jpg, Wheels File:M10 hameenlinna 4.jpg, Elements of the panoramic sight File:M10 Saint Petersburg 4.jpg, Gun shield


Organization and employment

Under the organization of 1939, each rifle division had a howitzer
regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...
with a 152-mm howitzer divizion (artillery battalion in Russian military vocabulary), 12 pieces. In July 1941 these regiments were cancelled. The same fate befell 152-mm howitzer divisions of motorized and armored divisions. In 1944, rifle corps of the Red Army had one artillery regiment each. Those regiment consisted of five batteries (totaling 20 pieces), equipped with 152-mm howitzers, 122-mm or 107-mm guns. Reserve of the Main Command included howitzer regiments (48 pieces) and heavy howitzer
brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...
s (32 pieces). Those could be merged to form artillery
divisions Division may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication * Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting of 10,000 t ...
. On 1 June 1941 the RKKA possessed more than thousand M-10s.1,058 according to Ivanov A. - ''Artillery of the USSR in Second World War'' and http://www.soldat.ru/doc/mobilization/mob/table17.html, 1,128 according to Isaev A. - ''Antisuvorov''. Many were lost in the early phase of the war, combined with a decision to stop the production it meant only limited quantity remained in service; these remaining guns in dwindling numbers were used for the remainder of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. The M-10 was used against personnel, fortifications and key objects in the rear. Many guns were captured by the
Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...
early in the war, and adopted as 15,2 cm sFH 443(r). The
Finnish Army The Finnish Army ( , ) is the army, land forces branch of the Finnish Defence Forces. The Finnish Army is divided into six branches: infantry (which includes armoured units), field artillery, anti-aircraft artillery, Combat engineering, engineer ...
captured 45 pieces and further 57 were purchased from Germany in 1944. In Finland the howitzer, designated 152 H 38, was issued to five heavy artillery battalions and actively used in battle. Finns rather liked the gun, but considered it somewhat heavy. After the end of the hostilities, the M-10 remained in the Finnish service; in the 1980s there were some considerations of modernizing it, but the idea was dropped; the guns were stored in the army depots until 2000 and then they were finally retired and scrapped. The surviving M-10 howitzers can be seen in various military museums and war memorials, for example in the: * Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineers and Signal Corps,
Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
, Russia, * Brest Fortress, *
US Army Ordnance Museum The United States Army Ordnance Training Support Facility (formerly known as the U.S. Army Ordnance Training and Heritage Center and U.S. Army Ordnance Museum) artifacts are used to train and educate logistic soldiers. It re-located to Fort Gre ...
, *
Helsinki Helsinki () is the Capital city, capital and most populous List of cities and towns in Finland, city in Finland. It is on the shore of the Gulf of Finland and is the seat of southern Finland's Uusimaa region. About people live in the municipali ...
Military Museum *
Hämeenlinna Hämeenlinna (; ; ; or ''Croneburgum'') is a city in Finland and the regional capital of Kanta-Häme. It is located in the southern interior of the country and on the shores of Vanajavesi, Lake Vanajavesi. The population of Hämeenlinna is appr ...
Finnish Artillery Museum, * National Military Museum, Romania,
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, * Military Museum, Dej, Romania. * Crisbecq Battery Museum, Saint-Marcouf-De-L'Îsle, France.


Variants

In addition to the towed howitzer, a vehicle-mounted variant was developed for use in KV-2 heavy tanks. This variant—152 mm tank howitzer M1938 (M-10T)—had a shorter barrel. A single prototype with powder bag loading was built in 1939.


Summary

The M-10 project provided the RKKA corps artillery with a modern 152-mm howitzer, which combined good firepower with good mobility (although, as the example of the D-1 shows, the latter characteristic could be improved without compromising the former). When compared to a typical contemporary howitzer of similar calibre, the M-10 had shorter range, but was lighter. E.g. the
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
15 cm sFH 18 had a range of 13,325 m—about one kilometer longer than that of the M-10—but also weighed much more (5,510 kg in traveling position). The same can be said about the US 155-mm howitzer M1 (14,600 m, 5,800 kg) or 149 mm howitzer Model 37 manufactured by the Italian Ansaldo (14,250 m, 5,500 kg). A German howitzer with characteristics similar to those of the Soviet one—the 15 cm sFH 36—didn't reach mass production. Compared to older pieces such as the French Schneider model 1917 (11,200 m, 4,300 kg), the M-10 had advantage in range and comparable weight.


Ammunition

The M-10 used separate-loading ammunition, with eight different charges. The charges ranges from the "full charge" Zh-536 and smaller charges ranging from the "first" to "sixth", which was the smallest. A "special charge" was used with the BP-540
HEAT In thermodynamics, heat is energy in transfer between a thermodynamic system and its surroundings by such mechanisms as thermal conduction, electromagnetic radiation, and friction, which are microscopic in nature, involving sub-atomic, ato ...
projectile. Propellant charges were produced in "full" and "third" variants in munitions factories. All other charges were derived from removing small gunpowder bags from the charge cartridge. For flash suppression there was a special chemical mixture which was inserted into cartridges before night firing.Ballistic Tables for the 152 mm Howitzer M1943. 152 mm projectiles for the M-10 weighed about 40 kg, making a difficult job for loaders, who had to carry the projectiles alone. When set to fragmentation mode, the OF-530 projectile produced fragments which covered an area 70 meters wide and 30 meters deep. When set to high-explosive (HE) action, the exploding shell produced a crater about 3.5 meters in diameter and about 1.2 meters deep. The OF-530 is still fired from modern 152 mm ordnance pieces of the Russian Army. The G-530 HEAC anti-concrete shell had a muzzle velocity of 457 m/s when fired with the "first" charge. At a range of one kilometer it had 358 m/s terminal velocity and was able to punch through up to 80 centimeters of
reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete, also called ferroconcrete or ferro-concrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having higher tensile strength or ...
before detonating a TNT charge which increased the total penetration to 114 centimeters. The G-530 could not be fired with a "full" charge without putting the crew at risk of having the shell explode in the barrel. A special version of the shell, the G-530Sh, was developed to allow use with the full charge. The BP-540 HEAT projectile was not used during World War II. It had an armour penetration of 250 millimeters at an incident angle of 90°, 220 millimeters at 60°, 120 millimeters at 30°.


Notes


References

* Shunkov V. N. - ''The Weapons of the Red Army'', Mn. Harvest, 1999 (Шунков В. Н. - ''Оружие Красной Армии.'' — Мн.: Харвест, 1999.) * Shirokorad A. B. - ''Encyclopedia of the Soviet Artillery'' - Mn. Harvest, 2000 (Широкорад А. Б. Энциклопедия отечественной артиллерии. — Мн.: Харвест, 2000., ) * Ivanov A. - ''Artillery of the USSR in Second World War'' - SPb Neva, 2003 (Иванов А. Артиллерия СССР во Второй Мировой войне. — СПб., Издательский дом Нева, 2003., ) * ''Ballistic Tables for the 152-mm Howitzer M1943'', M. MoD, 1968 - Таблицы стрельбы 152-мм гаубицы обр. 1943 г.. - М., Военное издательство министерства обороны, 1968. * Kolomietz M. V. — ''KV. "Klim Voroshilov" breakthrough tank'', Moscow, 2006, 136 pp. (Коломиец М. В. КВ. «Клим Ворошилов» — танк прорыва — М.: Коллекция, Яуза, ЭКСМО, 2006. — 136 с.:ил. ) * Isaev A. - ''Antisuvorov'' - 2004 (Исаев A. - Антисуворов - 2004) * http://www.soldat.ru/doc/mobilization/mob/table17.html


External links


Finnish Army 1918–45: Heavy Howitzers at Jaegerplatoon.net
{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 World War II howitzers World War II artillery of the Soviet Union 152 mm artillery Military equipment introduced in the 1930s