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The first domestic rocket-propelled grenade – 70 years

The first domestic rocket-propelled grenade - 70 years Rocket-propelled grenade RPG-2.

Today, at the mention of the phrase rocket-propelled grenade in the mind of many materializes RPG-7 image. Put into service in another 1961 , the grenade is familiar to many of the films, news stories from different corners of the planet and computer games.

but RPG-7 It was not the first such weapons in our country. Also in 1949 , his predecessor, was adopted by the Soviet Army - the first native Serial rocket-propelled grenade RPG-2.

From "panzerschreck" to RPG

RPG predecessors could appear on the Red Army before the start of the Great Patriotic War. Work in this direction were carried out for almost all of the 1930s. One of the first examples of such weapons was 65-mm rocket gun, developed by the Soviet designer Sergei Borisovich Petropavlovsk, who headed the Gas Dynamics Laboratory. Weapons were promising and looks more reminiscent of the German development, appeared in the World War II, primarily grenade "panzerschreck".

Soviet development 1931 year already contained a number of important elements of perspective:

  • light alloys;
  • the possibility of shooting from the hip;
  • presence shield to protect the hand from impacts propellant gases (Germans thought of it at once);
  • igniter of the solid rocket motor.

Unfortunately, continuation of work on this promising project, without exaggeration, has prevented the death of the designer in 1933 year, Sergei Peter and Paul suddenly died of galloping consumption, ill during trials of new missiles in field conditions.

Another project, that even in the short term was adopted by the, It was 37-dinamoreaktivny mm gun structure Leonid Vasilievich sample Kurchevsky 1932 of the year. Dinamoreaktivny Kurchevsky anti-tank gun was put into production in 1934 year, launched production at a factory in Leningrad №7. In normal position the firing of weapons was carried out with a tripod, the opportunity to fire off the shoulder had, but it was very uncomfortable.

In the future, weapons modernized, in particular on a tripod changed wheeled carriage. At the same weapon it was unreliable and had a number of technical problems, that it was not possible to eliminate. AT 1937 , Leonid Kurchevsky got under millstones of Stalin's repression and was shot. Work in the field of recoilless (dinamoreaktivny) guns were rolled, and guns themselves at the end of the 1930s was removed from service.

The first domestic rocket-propelled grenade - 70 years

As a result, at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the most common anti-tank weapons were simple Soviet infantry anti-tank grenades and ersatz weapon in the form of firebombs, and adopting and launched into mass production of 14.5-mm anti-tank guns were not an accomplishment, including in terms of reliability and efficiency.

A good impression on the Soviet fighters and commanders have made the German anti-tank 88 mm grenade launchers RPzB. 43 "Ofenror" and RPzB. 54 "Panzerschreck", the creation of which inspired the Germans captured in North Africa American grenade launchers "Bazooka". Thus to attach to "devil-pipe" guard Germans only guessed 1944 year, in fact this innovation was the main difference between "panzerschreck" from "Ofenrora".

Captured by the Red Army in commercial quantities anti-tank rocket launchers and grenades to them, as well as simpler and more common faustpatron, already actively used in the battles against the German units, but own of such developments, the Red Army until the end of the war and has not received.

At the same time the use of a large number of captured rocket-propelled grenades and received by Lend-Lease limited batches grenade American and British production will become familiar with their structure, develop the use of tactics, identify strengths and weaknesses in arms. And the experience and design solutions used in the future when creating your own samples antitank weapons.

Need to create their own models of antitank grenade was understood by all, primarily specialists GAU, which was given the task to create a domestic dinamoreaktivny grenade (but not disposable, and reusable) even during the war years. The tests of the first Soviet rocket-propelled grenade, the designation RPG-1, took place in 1944-1945 years. Further development of this model and it has not been completed, therefore adopted the grenade launcher was not taken.

The first domestic rocket-propelled grenade - 70 years German soldiers with "panzerschreck"

AT 1947 year Soviet industry has introduced more successful version of the new weapons - Grenade RPG-2. It was created by the design bureau engaged experts GSKB-30 Ministry of Agricultural Engineering (previously belonged to the People's Commissariat CB munitions industry), overall management of the work carried out A. AT. Smolyakov. In the course of Soviet designers was created by 40-mm grenade launcher and 80mm grenade for him nadkalibernaya, equipped with a starting powder charge.

Conducted field tests confirmed the effectiveness of the new grenade launcher, and already at 1949 , the weapon was adopted by the Soviet Army under the designation of rocket-propelled grenade RPG-2, a grenade to it was designated PG-2.

Design features RPG-2

Rocket-propelled grenade RPG-2 was a reusable system dinamoreaktivny. Structurally weapons consisted of a powerful trunk, which allows the shooter to re-use the grenade launcher, the firing hammer type mechanism, which is housed in the pistol grip fire control, and the most cumulative grenades.

Barrel grenade produced from rolled steel pipe and was rifled. To protect it from clogging the ground on the breech screwed fuse. This allows the shooter accidentally bury a grenade launcher in the ground without any consequences for future use. In order to avoid scald your hands at the time of the shot on the barrel grenade launcher specially installed linings made of wood.

Bottom to welded steel barrel ears, for securing the trigger, and on top - the base of the front sight and sighting frames. In the RPG-2 designers set trigger mechanism with a hammer type mechanism Boikov. This solution provides arms high reliability and ease of shot.

The first domestic rocket-propelled grenade - 70 years

Standard sights allow grenade confident of striking targets at a distance of up to 150 m. The sighting device consisted of an open hinged flip sighting scope and flies. On sighting frame had three windows, intended for aiming at 50, 100 and 150 meters respectively.

AT 1957 by sighting opportunities weapons were greatly enhanced by the introduction of a new night sight NSP-2. launcher, equipped with night sight, He was named RPG-2H.

For firing a grenade launcher RPG-2 was used 82-mm antitank grenade cumulative GHG-2, which made it possible to hit targets with the reservation to 180-200 mm, while pomegranate has a very small flight speed - all 84 m / s. Antitank grenade was cumulative directly from the shaped-charge warhead, bottom fuze, stabilizer and propellant charge.

The grenade was dinamoreaktivny, the shot was made at bezotaktnoy scheme. On the stabilizer antitank grenade had 6 flexible feathers, in the stowed position feathers were wound around the tube, they were developed only after the grenade leaves the barrel when a shot. The starting powder charge itself fastened to the garnet by means of a threaded joint.

The propellant charge is a paper sleeve, which was filled with smoky gunpowder (formed after firing smoky cloud unmask position rocket launcher). The garnet designers have realized the function of remote arming fuse, thus ensuring the safety of the arrow when a shot.

The first domestic rocket-propelled grenade - 70 years

Cumulative grenade used have the same damaging effect on all of the available shooting ranges. Although the effective engagement of moving armored targets at a distance of more than 100 meters were very difficult, including due to the low speed of flight grenades. Low airspeed directly affects the accuracy of shooting, which is heavily dependent on weather conditions and wind speed, first side. This is partly offset by a sufficiently high rate of fire weapons, shooter could recharge the launcher and again bombard the goal.

Opportunities RPG-2

At the time of adopting the RPG-2 was a formidable and quite perfect weapon, which significantly increases the possibility of a simple infantryman to fight enemy armor. Sights are allowed to hit targets, located at a distance of up to 150 meters from the shooter.

In this case, using the RPG-2 could contend not only with tanks, self-propelled unit, enemy armored vehicles, but also from stationary targets, which attributed armored covers and field fortifications, and from it you can fire at the embrasures bunkers.

Staffing a new rocket-propelled grenade RPG-2 was supposed to be in every department of motorized rifle, grenade calculation consisted of two people: of the hand-grenade throwers and ammunition porters. shooter himself bore grenade, Spare parts and three grenades to it in a special pack, his assistant, three grenades. assistant also was armed with an automatic weapon, and could cover up their fire rocket launcher.

The first domestic rocket-propelled grenade - 70 years

The possibility of weapons allow you to effectively fight the enemy tanks, with which the soldiers could meet in battle those years. Maximum reached broneprobitie 200 mm, whereas the thickness of armor most numerous American tanks M26 «Pershing" and replaced it M46 «Patton" tanks and M47 «Patton II of" not more than 102 mm.

For many years it was an RPG-2 was the most widely used in the Soviet Army anti-tank grenade launcher. Because of its reliability, simple design and low price guns has become very popular and are widely exported to the Soviet Union countries. Grenade became the participant of local wars and conflicts 1950-1960-ies, in particular, it is widely used North Vietnamese forces against the Americans during the Vietnam War.

/Sergey Yuferev, topwar.ru/

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