203-mm howitzer sample B-4 1931 year formed the basis of Soviet artillery and special high power RVGK. According to many military experts, including German, This howitzer was an unusual, but very effective artillery gun. weapons development was started design office in Artkoma GAU 1927 g. in accordance with the decision of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR of rearming artillery large and extra power to the new domestic material part.
Heavy 203mm howitzer B-4 – video
Initially, the work on its creation led F.F Designer. Lander, and after his death to the designers were connected production plants. After long polygon and military trials in 1933 by howitzer was adopted by the Red Army under the designation "203-mm howitzer sample 1931 of the year". Howitzer designed to destroy high-strength concrete, concrete and armored constructions, to combat large-lasting erections, or sheltered enemy artillery and long-range goals for the suppression.
A special feature is the howitzer gun carriage to the track course. The successful design of the mast, howitzer provides a sufficiently high permeability and allows firing from the ground without the use of special machines, It became unified for the whole family of high-power tools. Using this unified mast allowed to accelerate the development and introduction of new instruments of great capacity.
Upper mast machine howitzer B-4 was a riveted steel structure. Pin receptacle upper machine puts on the lower pin combat machine and rotated on it under the action of a turning mechanism. Provided at this firing sector was small and was only about ± 4 °. For aiming guns in the horizontal plane at a greater angle needed to rotate in the appropriate direction all instrument. The lifting mechanism has a toothed sector. attached to the cradle. With the help of an instrument could inducing in a vertical plane over an angular range from 0 ° to + 60 °. To quickly bring the trunk to corner loading gun had a special mechanism.
Device recoil system includes a hydraulic recoil buffer and recuperator hydropneumatic. All recoil device with reel remained motionless. Stability when shooting guns also provides opener, attached to the lower part of the machine Hobotova. In the front part of the bottom of the machine have been secured alloy clogs, in which the inserted axle combat. On the cone axis combat worn caterpillars.
Howitzer B-4 had two types of trunks: bonded without liner and with liner, and-one-piece barrel with a liner. Replacing the liner could be made in the field. Regardless of the type of barrel length thereof was 25 calibres, the threaded portion of the length - 19,6 calibres. In the barrel were performed 64 rifling constant slope. The gate was a piston, used as a two-stroke, and trehtaktnye closures. Mass barrel with the shutter was 5200 kg.
The howitzer can fire a variety of high-explosive shells and betonoboynymi, including shells, Shipped from UK to Russia during the First World War. It involves the use of a complete and 11 variable charges. Thus the total charge weight was 15,0-15,5 kg powder, 11 and the - 3,24 kg. When firing projectiles total charge of P-625D, T-620 and T-620SH had initial velocity 607 m / s and provide targets defeat, remote at a distance 17 890 m. Due to the large angle of elevation (60 °) and variable charges, giving 12 different muzzle velocity, It shall be possible to choose the optimal trajectory to hit a variety of purposes. The loading was carried out by means of a manually operated crane. Rate of fire was 1 shot at 2 minutes.
Dlya transportations howitzer razbiralasy two parts: trunk, shot with a gun carriage and laid on a special wagon, and connected with the front fascia tracked carriage - the carriage wagon. A short distance howitzer can be transported in the form of undismantled. (This mode of transportation is sometimes used in the fighting for the nomination of howitzers for direct fire on the enemy reinforced concrete defensive structures.) For transportation of used crawler tractors of the "Kommunar", maximum permissible speed of movement on the road was 15 kmh.
howitzers sample 1931 , the mass-produced on 3 artillery "Bolshevik" factory, "Barricades" and Novokramatorsky plant. Because, that each plant engineers have adapted the design to the howitzer manufacturing capabilities of the factory, received on the weapons RKKA howitzer significantly different from each other. It did not eliminate it, and carried out in 1937 g. work for the production of uniform for all plants drawings.
just to 1941 g. it was produced 977 howitzers samples 1931 of the year (B-4) Standard modifications BM (high-power) and 31 howitzer modifications MM (low power). differ on the barrel with a reduced 3 gauge length. We should also mention the 203-mm self-propelled howitzer C-74, developed in the 1943 g. designers bureau headed by VG. Grabit. It was a tank chassis KV-1S, in which the rotating part has been mounted openly howitzer B-4. Installation has been tested at the beginning of 1944 city, but adopted the Red Army did not accept.
Howitzer B-4 participated in the Finnish war of 1939-1940. On 1.03.1940 g. Finnish Front had 142 gaubitsы B-4. Lost or out of order 4 gaubitsы B-4 (one in December 1939 and three years in January and February 1940 of the year). TO 22 June 1941 , there were in the Red Army 849 howitzer B-4, of which 41 howitzer was in need of major repairs.
By the beginning of the war howitzer B-4 were only howitzer artillery regiments high power RVGK. In the state Regiment (from 19.02.1941 city) it had four divisions trehbatareynogo composition. Each battery consisted 2 gaubitsы, respectively, it was considered one howitzer platoon. All in the regiment had 24 gaubitsы. 112 tractor, 242 car. 12 motorcycles and 2304 personnel of the (of them 174 officer). TO 22.06.1941 g. There was a part of RVGK 33 regiments gaubitsami B-4. that is, all of the staff 792 gaubitsы, and in fact consisted in the regiments 727 howitzer. FROM 22 June 1 December 1941 year was lost 75 howitzer B-4. and by the industry received in the course of the war 105 howitzer.
At the beginning of the war, several howitzers B-4 was captured by the Germans. So. in g. Dubno was captured by the Germans 529 th howitzer artillery regiment of high power. Due to lack of trucks, our troops were sent in good condition 27 203-mm howitzer B-4. Captured German howitzer received designation 20,3 see HaubiUe 503 (g). They were in service of several heavy artillery battalions GSC Wehrmacht.
As for the Soviet howitzer artillery regiments of high power, the majority of them from the beginning of the war was diverted to the rear. They began to actively use in combat operations since the end of 1942 city, when the strategic initiative in the hands of the Red Army. TO 1 May 1945 g. at 30 teams and 4 separate artillery regiments RVGK great power there 760 203-mm sample howitzers 1931 of the year.
Tactical; Technical characteristics gaubitsы B-4
Caliber, mm…………………………………………………………..—203,4
Barrel length gauges…………………………………………………25
The highest elevation angle, city……………………………….+60
angle of declination, city ………………………………………………………..0
Horizontal angle of fire, city………………………………….8
Weight in firing position, kg…………………………………..17 700
The mass in the stowed position, kg……………………………..19 000
explosive projectile Weight, kg………………………………………….100
The initial velocity of the projectile, m / s……………………………………607
Most firing range, m …………………………..17 890
Photo gaubitsы B-4
