In a previous article I compared the history of almost any gun start 20 century detective. Who would not just detective, I intend to treat the fans favorite artillery something more. Honestly, I do not even know, how to call this story. But let's go on the road slowly and calmly.
so, 76-mm gun F-22. copy, which is in the photo, UMMC is in a museum in the town of Verkhnyaya Pyshma and feels just fine. What can be said about the history of guns.
If you look at most of the main sources of, the F-22 is as a sort of first pancake, which came out lumpy. My main task - to dispel this myth frankly stupid. rifle (like all, designed by the great Grabin) It has been canceled.
But - in order. And if so, then back to the 1931-th.
Over the Red Army while not vital to the spirit of the night, said Tukhachevsky. Frankly stupid and not at all healthy human head, but endowed with the highest confidence. During his short, glory to Stalin, career, he inflicted such damage and the army, and Finance, that the wall, to which was made Marshal, It could be made of platinum.
FROM 1931 Tukhachevsky years has served as chief of the Red Army weapons, and 1934 he became deputy of the USSR People's Commissar of Defense for Armaments and Munitions.
In these positions he has had all the opportunities to develop tanks and artillery, but somehow Tukhachevsky threw all forces on the, to produce utterly useless monsters.
There enormous and useless tanks T-35 and at least useless, but tiny tančík T-27. But the champions of the extermination of money became famous dinamoreaktivny gun Kurchevsky. You can add here also work on polygonal shells, also quite meaningless.
But I mean another masterpiece inflamed imagination Tukhachevskogo, namely a project to create a universal anti-divisional gun. The creation of this miracle, and in fact, monsters, They were thrown thousands of people in virtually all artillery KB. CB "Red Putilovets" plant, CB plant number 8, GKB-38, CB plant number 92. Everyone started to create monsters at the command of Marshal. And who would have tried to argue?
I tried to argue Grabin. A man of the old school, Basil Gavrilovic openly protested against the creation of a universal do not understand what, which should deal with the tanks, pillboxes and even carry a barrage of aircraft.
But Grabin was a specialist with a capital letter ... Because did not seek adventure, and created a frank freak, gun F-20 (A-51), which was not a universal, a (Only in those years could exist such a formulation) "semi-universal!
It was a monster weighing nearly 2 tons, almost 700 kg heavier then stood on the sample divisional gun arms 1902/1930 years.
Plus genius Tukhachevsky insisted, so that the gun was required to support the pallet, to fire up, connecting the shot gun with soil. During transport pallet gun was supposed to be under the bed. In the transition from traveling to combat it must be quickly removed, lower ground, to roll on the pallet gun, and only then can you to fire.
masterpiece, true? Given the state of roads and availability while, one could say with certainty that, that after the first transport of cannon cease even be semi-universal, since coming to the position without pallet, that is actually unable to shoot.
About the price, we are silent, because it does not know, but suspect, that the cost of F-20 was as tri divizionki. But when the little things confused Tukhachevskogo?
The cost of semi-universal gun going to be significantly higher specific. those benefits, she were prescribed tactical and technical requirements, not atoned for its obvious shortcomings.
In short, smart people are in KB Grabin knew full handicap semi-universal gun. Therefore, we create a project, reported, forgotten and do real work.
Grabin associates to proactively developed its own version of the divisional gun. The project was very promising, but came idiots Tukhachevskogo Grabin and forced to make a field gun and anti-aircraft simultaneously, that is, the idea of a semi-again fiercely triumphant.
Elevation angle was adjusted to 75 °. Initially the F-22 was equipped with a muzzle brake, for it has developed a new 76-mm projectile with a more powerful powder charge, increased Camorra.
Grabin considered (and who we are, not to believe his calculations?), that the gun was a good start to armor penetration of existing tanks of foreign countries and even had some prospects for the future.
When it came to Smotrin, miracle occurred. Stalin and Voroshilov and Budyonny supply Tukhachevsky and Yegorov told to settle down in terms of versatility and ordered Grabin engage divisional guns, and Makhanova - antiaircraft.
Gritting teeth anger, Tukhachevsky and the company took a gun to the test. Here they are lucky, test failed, what Tukhachevsky happily reported to the Kremlin. But Stalin ordered to continue work on the gun Grabin, because the, obviously, better than the minister understood the value of guns for the army.
As a result, forces F-22 went, but in what form! Muzzle Brake removed, replaced the bolt on the old, by divizionki, abandoned in favor of a new shell of the old 76-mm sample 1902/30 gg. AND, the main thing, not allowed to reduce the angle of elevation with 75 to 45 degrees, To simplify the design tools.
That's the favored weapon of the Red Army Tukhachevsky. This was the first Soviet gun, not copied from imported sample, not having a basis in the form of pre-revolutionary release tools. The first Soviet gun.
say, it was possible to complete F-22, as usual, "during"? Yes, can. If we are given the opportunity Grabin, surely the result would be. Grabin but then dismissed, They are sent to work at another factory, Basil Gavrilovic finally broke down and got a heart attack in hospital.
Again Stalin intervened, ryknuv "fuck off!», and Grabit, finally, behind. But his health was already undermined, And nerves of steel.
In fact, it was time, a gift from our enemies. If not for the struggle for health, lightweight version of the F-22 USV would have appeared much earlier, and not in 1940 year. And many improvements Grabin would be more useful at the beginning of the war. But - we have, that we have.
On 22 June 1941 Red Army, there were arms on 3041 divisional F-22. Yes, ever, enjoyed a reputation as unreliable and inconvenient.
And then there was a war, and a new piece of Wonderland.
At the beginning of the war the Germans seized approximately 1300-1500 guns F-22. Since the Wehrmacht guys were thoroughly pragmatic, the gun went to Kummersdorf, Wehrmacht on artpolyhon.
And while the bulk of guns, dubbed 7,62 cm F.K. 296(r), We fought on all fronts, at the site was a work of understanding. As a result, German engineers have come to the conclusion, that actually alter the F-22 in a more powerful anti-tank gun, with which the Germans had problems. That is the problem with the T-34 and KV were, and guns were not.
And the German engineers have done is what:
- Moved the handle pointing guns drives on one side with an eye.
- to reduce the angle of elevation with 75 to 18 degrees (that is something, about shouting Grabin!).
- Removed AC rollback mechanism, absolutely not necessary now.
- Install a new shield cover reduced height.
- lavishing the bolt to fire more powerful charge. Soviet sleeve had a length 385,3 mm and a diameter of flange 90 mm, new German sleeve had a length 715 mm diameter flange 100 mm. The volume of propellant grew 2,4 fold.
- Returned to the barrel muzzle brake.
- to adjust the release of ammunition.
new ammunition was designed for guns, includes both conventional armor-piercing, and piercing shells and cumulative.
Cannon was named Pak 39(r) yet 36(r). Alteration was to 1944 of the year, just when the F-22 with the Germans ended. There were redone 1454 guns, including for installation in ACS (Then 36(r)).
It turned, that the gun is simply gorgeous. Then 36(r) It was used throughout the war as an anti-tank gun. On the intensity of use by the figures spent armor piercing ammunition.
AT 1942 year: 49 000 PC. armor and 8 170 PC. sabots.
AT 1943 year: 151 390 PC. armor-piercing shells.
for comparison: «Their» Pak 40 (75-mm) I spent in 1942 year 42 430 PC. armor and 13 380 PC. HEAT projectiles, at 1943 year - 401 100 PC. armor and 374 000 PC. HEAT projectiles). comparable.
Guns were used on the Eastern Front and North Africa. By March 1945 , the Wehrmacht still possessed 165 Pak guns 36(r) yet 39(r)
Then 36(r) It can be considered one of the best anti-tank guns of World War II. Its capacity allows you to confidently hit all types of medium and heavy tanks of the time on the real battlefield distances. Soviet soldiers called it an instrument of "Cobra" or "viper".
Only appeared at the end of the war the IS-2 tanks in some cases (especially in the forehead) not infected by such a weapon.
Yes, Then 36(r) inferior Pak 40, as had slightly less armor and large dimensions and weight. However, the creation Pak 36(r) It was certainly justified, as rework cost was much cheaper than the cost of new tools.
Speaking about installing guns on ACS, worth mentioning, that it did not only Germans. At all, Germans for the installation of the modified F-22 self-propelled guns, and took just designed a new self-propelled. we wrote, that Marder II, created by this tool, but name, almost I had nothing to do with the Marder I.
Romanians are also not left behind, receiving F-22, created their own self-propelled gun based on the Soviet light tank T-60, under the trademark ACS TACAM T-60.
Generally, the practice of shows, Germans showed more common sense, artupravlenie than all the Red Army led by Tukhachevsky. Glory to Comrade Stalin, which gave Tukhachevsky "devour" Grabin, Grabin glory, as soon as possible to create a new magnificent weapon, which we know as the ZIS-3.
Pity, of course, that the F-22 and has remained in our history as a bad job Grabin. Meanwhile, the work was not just a successful. For without the F-22 would not be modernized F-22 USV, and, as a result - the emergence of ZIS-3 masterpiece.
So the F-22, although it was the first Soviet gun, call it "the first pancake komovatym" can not be. Genius - even in Africa genius. A vasiliy grabin was just a genius and create anyhow he could not. A-priory.
Pity, of course, that his best hand F-22, dovedennaya to mind, demonstrated, shooting at the Soviet and British tanks. sincerely sorry.
TTX 76.2 mm divisional gun F-22 sample 1936 of the year:
Caliber, mm: 76,2.
copies: 2 932.
Calculation, people: 6.
rate of, rounds / min: 17-21 (correcting crosstalk 6-12).
Carrying speed on highway, kmh: to 30.
The height of the line of fire, mm: 1027.
The mass in the stowed position, kg: 2820.
Dimensions in the stowed position.
Length, mm: 7120.
Width, mm: 1926.
Height, mm: 1712.
Clearance, mm: 320.
The angles of fire:
angle HV, city: -5 to + 75 °.
Ugol GN, city: 60°.
Cannon and chuck exhibited at the Museum of military equipment to UMMC g. Pyshma Sverdlovsk region.
