Phillips Artillery of the Warsaw Pact (Weapons and Equipment of the Warsaw Pact, #3)

1. Auflage 2018
ISBN: 978-0-9955133-9-6
Verlag: Shilka Publishing
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 192 Seiten

Reihe: Weapons and Equipment of the Warsaw Pact

Considered to be 'the god of modern war' by the Soviet army, artillery played a vital role in the Cold War period.
The armies of the Warsaw Pact made artillery a cornerstone of their military strategies. And the importance they placed on this type of weaponry saw them use their technology and expertise to develop a wide range of munitions including mortars, rocket launchers, missiles and large-calibre guns.
Artillery of the Warsaw Pact provides a compelling and detailed account of the artillery used by Warsaw Pact countries and the important role it played during this period of suspicion, tension and unease. The powerful weapons created at this time had the potential to destroy significant enemy resources, posing a very real threat to NATO forces.
This book will allow you to gain an insight into the way in which artillery was used by the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact nations. Read about mortars ranging from light 50mm weapons to enormous 240mm breech-loaded versions capable of destroying fortified buildings from a distance.
Artillery of the Warsaw Pact also looks at the widespread use of towed guns as well as the growth in popularity of self-propelled guns. The book also details how Second World War weapons like multiple rocket launchers continued to play a key part in the Cold War hostilities, alongside newly-developed artillery, including tactical ballistic missiles which Khrushchev viewed as a critical part of his response to the threat posed by the United States.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Phillips, Russell

Leseproben

Artillery Vehicles
The Soviet Union developed several specialised vehicles for artillery command and control, and some fully tracked artillery prime movers, although artillery was more commonly towed by lorries, which would usually have all-wheel drive. Soviet lorry designations followed a standard formula, which began with an abbreviated form of the plant name. Before 1966, this abbreviation was followed by a number of up to three digits. The first digit related to the plant, and the second two were allotted in sequence, so that earlier designs had lower numbers. The plant abbreviations and digits were as follows: Gor'kiy: GAZ, first digit 0 (usually omitted)
Moscow: ZIL, first digit 1
Yaroslavl, Kremenchug: YaAZ, later KrAZ, first digit 2
Miass: Ural, first digit 3
Ul'Yanovsk: UAZ, first digit 4
Minsk: MAZ, first digit 5
Kutaisi: KAZ, first digit 6
Zaporozh'ye, Lutsk, Riga: ZAZ, first digit 9 A new designation system came into effect on 1st August 1966, although existing models kept their old designations. This new system included information on various aspects of the vehicle. The new system used the same plant abbreviation, followed by a number of four to six digits, with four being the most common. For lorries, the first digit indicated the gross tonnage, as follows: 1: Less than 1.2 tonnes
2: 1.2 to 2 tonnes
3: 2 to 8 tonnes
4: 8 to 14 tonnes
5: 14 to 20 tonnes
6: 20 to 40 tonnes
7: Over 40 tonnes For light vehicles or cars, the first digit referred to engine size, rather than gross tonnage: 1: Less than 1.2 litres
2: 1.2 to 2 litres
3: 2 to 4 litres
4: Over 4 litres The second digit denoted the vehicle type: 1: Passenger cars
2: Buses
3: Lorries with sides
4: Tractors
5: Dump lorries
6: Tanker lorries
7: Vans
8: Kept for future use
9: Special vehicles The third and fourth digits were assigned sequentially by design, usually starting with 01. Special sequences were used for ambulances, high mobility vehicles, and specially-heightened models. The fifth digit, where used, identified modifications or improvements to the basic design. The sixth digit, when used, applied to export models. A 6 denoted a standard export model, a 7 denoted models for export to the tropics. Experimental models had an E appended. This letter was omitted when the design was accepted for production. Engines for both cars and lorries had a similar system, using three or four digits. The first digit indicated the engine's displacement and type: 1: Less than 0.75 litres
2: 0.75 to 1.2 litres
3: 1.2 to 2 litres
4: 2 to 4 litres
5: 4 to 7 litres
6: 7 to 10 litres
7: 10 to 15 litres
8: Over 15 litres
9: Gas turbine engine The second and third were model numbers, and denoted the engine as petrol (0 to 39) or diesel (40 to 99). The fourth digit, if present, indicated modifications. MT-LBus
Often referred to in the West as the Artillery Command and Reconnaissance Vehicle (ACRV), this family of vehicles were developed alongside the 2S1 and 2S3 self-propelled howitzers. Variants were later developed for a range of specialised roles to support other arms. Based on the MT-LB, it shared a number of automotive components with both that vehicle and the 2S1.
1V16 The hull was of welded steel armour, thick enough to provide the crew with protection from small arms and shell splinters. The commander and driver were seated at the front, and each had a roof hatch that could be locked in the vertical position, and a large window with an armoured shutter. The driver had three periscopes, the commander one swivelling periscope. The engine was mounted behind the driver and commander. It had a torsion bar suspension with seven rubber-tyred road wheels on each side and the drive sprocket at the front. A single door was fitted at the rear, with a vision device and firing port. Roof hatches varied according to the role the vehicle was intended for. Seating was provided for seven, but the crew varied according to role, with all except the driver and commander in the rear. An auxiliary power unit was fitted, the vehicle had overpressure NBC protection, and was fully amphibious, propelled in the water by its tracks at a speed of up to 4.5km/hour. To prepare for swimming, the bilge pump was switched on, the trim vane erected, shrouds fitted to the hull side at the front, and the front road wheels were covered. Each 2S1 or 2S3 battery had two vehicles, for the battery commander and deputy commander. The battery commander's vehicle would serve as an observation post for the commander, and the deputy commander's vehicle would serve as the battery fire direction centre. The battalion command platoon had a vehicle for the battalion commander, and one for the deputy commander, which would serve as the battalion fire direction centre. Four variants with minor differences were used by 2S1 and 2S3 batteries. Known as the 1V12 series, they were designated 1V13 (battery fire direction centre), 1V14 (battery command vehicle), 1V15 (battalion command vehicle), and 1V16 (battalion fire direction centre). The 1V13 had a crew of six, and was fitted with a one-person cupola with vision equipment and a 12.7mm DShKM machine gun. The 1V14 had a crew of six, was fitted with whip antennas, and carried a dismountable range finder. The 1V15 had a crew of seven and was fitted with a 10m telescopic antenna, stowed horizontally on the upper left hull when in transit. The 1V16 had the same antenna as the 1V15, but was also fitted with an electronic field artillery computer. Specifications: MT-LBus
Combat weight: 15.5 tonnes
Length: 7.48m
Width: 2.85m
Height: 2.43m
Ground clearance: 0.4m
Maximum road speed: 62km/hour
Maximum road range: 500km
Gradient: 77%
Vertical obstacle: 0.7m
Armour:
Turret: 20mm
Hull: 15mm
PRP-3
This vehicle, also known as BMP-SON, was based on a BMP-1 hull. It entered service in the early 1970s and was used with 2S1 and 2S3 units. The original turret was replaced with a larger two-man turret, fitted with two single-piece hatch covers opening forward. Each hatch had periscopes and a large optical device in front of the hatch. The vehicle had a crew of five, and the only armament was a 7.62mm PKT machine gun in the turret. An antenna for the Small Fred battlefield surveillance radar was mounted on the rear of the turret, which was folded forward to the horizontal when not in operation. The Small Fred radar had a detection range of 20km and tracking range of 7km. There was a circular hatch and telescopic aerial on the left of the turret, toward the rear. A 90mm launcher for illumination rounds was fitted on the rear deck. Twenty illumination rounds were carried, which could be fired at ranges of 100m to 3,000m. Night vision devices and a laser rangefinder were also fitted. PRP-4
This was a further development of the PRP-3, which entered service in the 1980s with units equipped with 2S1 and 2S3 self-propelled guns. It was designed to carry out reconnaissance of both stationary and moving targets, including low-flying helicopters, under all weather conditions, at day and at night. Like the PRP-3, the hull was similar to that of the BMP-1, but with a larger, two-man turret, mounting a single 7.62mm PKT machine gun and optical devices. An antenna for an IRL-133-1 radar was fitted to the rear of the turret, and was folded down when not in use. The radar could detect and track MBT-sized targets at a range of 8-10km. A thermal imaging system was fitted on the left side of the turret, and an IR night vision device was fitted on the right side, along with a laser rangefinder. A man-portable laser rangefinder was carried inside the vehicle for use by dismounted teams. An auxiliary power unit was fitted to power the extensive communications and reconnaissance equipment. Like the BMP-1, the PRP-4 was amphibious, had NBC protection for the crew, and could create smoke by injecting diesel fuel into the exhaust outlet. Specifications: PRP-4
Crew: 5
Combat weight: 13.2 tonnes
Length: 6.74m
Width: 2.94m
Height: 2.15m
Ground clearance: 0.37m
Maximum road speed: 65km/hour
Maximum road range: 600km
Armament: 1x 7.62 PKT MG
SNAR-10
Originally thought by NATO to be an artillery location radar, the SNAR-10 (known to NATO as Big Fred) was actually a battlefield surveillance radar. Its primary role was the location of stationary and moving targets in the forward edge of the battle area. The radar antenna was mounted on a turret fitted on the rear of an MT-LB tracked vehicle. The antenna was folded forward to lie on top of the turret when in transit, and raised for use. It could detect moving targets at ranges of up to 16km, and plot artillery projectiles at up to 10km. The vehicle also had two R-123M radios, a PAB-2A aiming circle, a power generator and a TV-240 observation device for the commander. An improved version, the SNAR-10M, was introduced in 1982. The vehicle retained the NBC protection and machine gun turret of the standard MT-LB. Unlike the standard MT-LB, however, it was not amphibious. Specifications: SNAR-10
Combat weight: 12.6 tonnes
Length: 6.45m
Width: 2.86m
Ground clearance: 0.4m
Maximum road speed: 62km/hour
Maximum road range: 500km
Gradient: 60%
Vertical obstacle: 0.6m
Trench: 2.41m
Armament: 1x 7.62mm PKT machine gun (2,500 rounds)
Armour: 4-10mm
ARK-1 Rys
Like the SNAR-10, the ARK-1 mounted a radar at the rear of an MT-LB tracked...