Armor-piercers. PTR is a weapon worthy of respect

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In 1942, it fell into the hands of the Allies. most interesting example anti-tank weapons, developed for the German army and actively used on all fronts of the Second World War since 1941. Its main difference from other anti-tank rifles and cannons was the conical barrel, the caliber of which at the breech was greater than the caliber at the muzzle.

Officially, the gun was called “2.8 cm schwere Panzerbüchse 41 (2.8 cm s.Pz.B. 41).” According to German documents, the gun belonged to small arms, but the Main Artillery Directorate of the Red Army, as well as the military ministries of Great Britain and the USA, classified s.Pz.B. 41 as an anti-tank gun. The reason for such a different classification was that this type of weapon has all the signs of an artillery gun: a carriage (upper and lower machine), a shield cover, a cradle with a recoil device; however, aiming was carried out manually, by moving the shooter’s body and tilting the barrel up and down using special handles.

Trophy anti-tank gun 2.8 cm s.Pz.B. 41 being tested in the USSR (TsAMO)

Samples of the gun were captured by the Allies in different times and were tested at test sites independently of each other. In the USSR, the tests were supervised by the State Autonomous Agrarian University. The guns were disassembled and carefully studied; detailed instructions on assembly and disassembly and drawings were drawn. It is interesting that the documents of the GAU, the Americans and the British are similar to each other and almost exactly repeat the German data. In the USSR s.Pz.B. 41 was tested and described in 1942; the British included a description of the gun in the list of enemy weapons, which was published in December of the same 1942.

History of creation

At the beginning of the 20th century, in 1903–1907, German professor Karl Puff carried out work to increase the initial speed of the projectile. He proposed making barrels of variable caliber, with a slight taper (the breech has a larger caliber than the muzzle). To ensure that the projectile did not get stuck in the barrel, it had a special guide skirt in the middle of the body, which made it possible to fit tightly to the rifling of the barrel at the beginning of the shot. As the projectile moved along the bore, the skirt was gradually compressed and wrinkled into a special groove on the projectile body. Such a projectile most efficiently used the energy of powder gases and received a higher initial velocity compared to traditional systems. The disadvantages of the design were the complexity of manufacturing the barrel and its short service life.

Gerlich bullet and tapered barrel designs (US Patent 1944883 US Patent and Trademark Office)

After the end of World War I, in the 1920s, Hermann Gerlich continued Karl Puff's experiments in creating rifle-caliber infantry weapons with high muzzle velocity. The main difference from previous designs was that instead of one skirt on the bullet, Gerlich used two: one in the middle and the second at the bottom of the bullet. This made it possible to increase the stability of the bullet in flight, while maintaining its high initial speed. In the late 20s and early 30s, several carbines were created and tested using conical barrels and Gerlich bullets. The records for the muzzle velocity of bullets set when firing from them have not yet been broken, but the main problems (manufacturing cost and low resource) have not been overcome.

In 1934, Gerlich died under rather strange circumstances, and all technical documentation and the results of his experiments ended up in the hands of the engineers of the Mauser company in Oberndorf. By 1939, they created a light infantry universal tool, based on the Gerlich principle, with a conical barrel of 28/20 mm caliber, designated Gerät 231 and MK.8202. Initially, the system was developed as automatic, but later automation was abandoned.

Captured 2.8 cm s.Pz.B gun. 41 on a carriage of the first type, tested in the USSR (TsAMO)

In the summer of 1940, an experimental batch was produced and sent for military testing. Based on the test results, after minor modifications, the gun was adopted by the Wehrmacht in February 1941 under the designation 2.8 cm schwere Panzerbüchse 41.

During the war against the USSR, the Wehrmacht encountered T-34 and KV tanks, and it turned out that, although under certain conditions the s.Pz.B. 41 and can knock out these types of tanks, but the likelihood of this is very low. By 1943, it became obvious that the gun did not at all meet the requirements for anti-tank weapons, so production was discontinued in 1943. However, it continued to be used by troops until the end of the war as a means of combating lightly armored targets and trucks, as well as suppressing machine gun nests and guns.

Gun s.Pz.B. 41 on a carriage with wheels. The carriage structure and the layout of the shield cover are visible (http://ww2photo.se)

Production of the 2.8 cm schwere Panzerbüchse 41 was carried out at the Mauser plant in Oberndorf, the cost per unit was 4,500 Reichsmarks, and by year of production the output was distributed as follows:

• 1940 - 90 pieces;
• 1941 - 339 pieces;
• 1942 - 1029 pieces;
• 1943 - 1324 pieces.

In 1942, based on the 2.8 cm s.Pz.B. 41, a tank version was made - 2.8 cm Kampfwagenkanone (2.8 cm KwK 42), intended for installation instead of the 2 cm Kampfwagenkanone (2 cm KwK) tank gun. A total of 24 units were produced, but in 1942 it was inappropriate to equip tanks with them, and they were abandoned.

Technical characteristics of 2.8 cm s.Pz.B. 41

The weapon is designed to combat tanks and armored vehicles, as well as to destroy armored and unarmored firing points. Thanks to the ease of aiming and loading and the relatively low weight and size, the gun met the requirements for maximum mobility and maneuverability.

Diagram of a barrel with a breech (Enemy weapons. Part III. German light anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns. The War Office. December 1942)

The gun was equipped with a quarter-automatic mechanism that closed the bolt, which ensured a rate of fire of 10 rounds per minute (according to German data), but according to the GAU KA, the number of aimed shots was slightly higher - 12-15 (non-aimed - 20). The opening force of the shutter on the handle is about 5 kg. The loading operation was completed in 0.8–1 second.

The barrel was quick-detachable, was a monoblock pipe with a removable muzzle brake, and was connected to the breech using a cracker connection, which, in turn, was locked with a latch.

Longitudinal section of the trunk of s.Pz.B. 41 (TsAMO)

The breech was connected to a cradle, inside of which there were recoil devices. The wedge bolt, with horizontal movement, was equipped with a safety catch for triggering and prolonged shots. The shutter opened manually and closed automatically when the cartridge was chambered.

The first samples were equipped with an open sight with a permanent installation at all ranges, mounted on the counterweight of the cradle. Later s.Pz.B. 41 began to be equipped optical sight. With any type of sight, shooting was carried out only at direct fire.

For delivery to the position where s.Pz.B. 41 could not get on wheels; it was disassembled (without the use of tools) into parts that could be carried by crews. Regardless of the type of carriage, there were five main parts: a shield cover (two shields), a barrel with a muzzle brake, a cradle with a breech, a counterweight and a bolt, a lower and upper machine, a wheel drive/trailer.

The crew of the gun consisted of five people: the commander, the first number (gunner), the second number (loader), the third and fourth numbers (ammunition carriers). The shot was very loud, so earplugs had to be worn during shooting.

Transportation of s.Pz.B. 41 disassembled to a position in the mountains (http://tonnel-ufo.ru)

When carrying a disassembled gun, the commander carried the barrel with a muzzle brake, the first and second number transported the upper and lower carriage mountings, the third number took the cradle with the breech, and the fourth number was responsible for the shields. Wheel drive or trailer were not carried. Ammunition was carried in a 12-shot box (the box was identical in appearance to that for the 3.7 cm Pak, only the markings on the lid were different).

The gun had the following characteristics:

• initial projectile speed - about 1400 m/s;
• practical firing range – up to 500 m;
• trunk length – 1.7 m;
• number of grooves - 12;
• caliber (conical) – 28/20 mm;
• projectile weight: armor-piercing - 121 g, high-explosive fragmentation - 91 g (according to GAU KA - 93 g);
• barrel weight with muzzle brake (according to GAU KA) – 37 kg;
• weight of the shield cover (both shields) – 22 kg;
• barrel survivability - 500 shots.

Shells 2.8 cm Sprgr.-Patr. 41 and 2.8 cm Pzgr.Patr. 41 – illustration from “Artillery ammunition of the former German army. Directory. GAU USSR Armed Forces. Military Publishing House of the Ministry armed forces USSR, 1946"

Types of ammunition used:

• 2.8 cm Panzergranatpatrone 41 (2.8 cm Pzgr.Patr. 41) – armor-piercing;
• 2.8 cm Panzergranatpatrone 41 (Üb) (2.8 cm Pzgr.Ptr. 41 (Üb)) – practical;
• 2.8 cm Sprenggranatpatrone 41 (2.8 cm Sprgr.-Patr. 41) – high-explosive fragmentation;
• 2.8 cm Platzpatrone (2.8 cm Pl. Patr) – single;
• 2.8 cm Exerzierpatrone (2.8 cm Ex. Patr.) – training.

Armor penetration of the 2.8 cm Pzgr.Patr. gun. 41 was as follows:

Armor penetration, according to Soviet data, was not determined on the basis of actual firing, but was calculated using Jacob de Marre's formula for cemented armor with a coefficient of K = 2400.

Shield cover

The crew's protection consisted of two shields independent of each other - the main shield and the gunner's shield. Each of them, in turn, consisted of two sheets of armor 4.5 and 5.5 mm thick, located with a gap from each other. The armor plates of the shields were fastened to each other with bulletproof bolts, similar to those used in the shields of the Pak 38 and Pak 40 guns. The gap between the armor at the main shield was 46 mm. The edges of the shield were made wavy, irregular shape, which contributed to better camouflage of the gun.

Two s.Pz.B guns 41 show a slight difference in shields: on the left is the first type, on the right is the second (Canadian War Museum in Ottawa and the French Tank Museum in Saumur, respectively)

The main shield was located in front and covered the crew, and was attached by means of spring-loaded pins to the upper machine of the carriage. The gunner's shield was installed on the breech and was intended to protect the gunner's head when firing. Both shields are removable; during transportation, the gunner's shield was attached on top of the main shield. The main shield of the first 90 guns differed slightly from that of the later s.Pz.B. 41 (the shape of the gun loophole has been changed)

Cradle

Box-type, the pins attached to the upper machine were permanently connected to the cradle. The top cover of the cradle served as a guide for the movement of the sliding parts. A copier for cocking the firing pin during recoil and a counterweight for balancing the swinging part of the gun were attached to the cradle. The trigger mechanism and sight were assembled on the counterweight. The counterweight is hollow; spare parts and accessories were placed inside the counterweight boxes.

Cradle with counterweight (TSAMO)

At the rear, the counterweight formed two handles that served to direct the gun at the target; the trigger mechanism was connected to them to fire a shot. The design of the handles was very comfortable; the size and shape of the handles corresponded to the shape and size of the hand. The gunner held the gun firmly and reliably and had the opportunity to press the trigger at any necessary moment without taking his hands off the handles.

To point the barrel in a vertical plane, it was necessary to apply a force of 3–5 kg to the counterweight handles, and to rotate it in a horizontal plane – only 1–2 kg. Due to the ease of aiming, the gun could be rotated 60–70° horizontally by the gunner in one second, whereas similar actions using a rotating mechanism takes 15–20 seconds. An experienced gunner aimed the gun at a newly designated target in 2–3 seconds, while the 3.7 cm Pak or the Soviet 45 mm anti-tank gun with a lifting and rotating mechanism took 6–12 seconds (average time 8–9 seconds).

Gun carriage

Two types of carriages were developed for the gun, which differed from each other (the barrel and cradle were the same). The upper and lower machines were different.

Lafette mit Fahrgestell - carriage with wheels. It consisted of a cradle with recoil devices, an upper movable machine with dampers, a lower fixed machine with sliding frames, a shield cover, sighting devices and a sprung combat wheel.

Sprung combat wheel travel (CAMO)

The box-section beds were exactly the same, with the exception of the parts connecting them together in the stowed position. In the middle part they were connected by a hinged beam, limiting the angle of separation. Openers were welded to the rear ends of the frames.

The beds were attached to the lower machine, which served as the basis for the upper machine with mechanisms and for connection with the wheel drive.

Beds, upper and lower machine (TsAMO)

The upper machine could rotate relative to the lower one and was intended to install the swinging part of the gun (cradle with breech and barrel), vibration damper and main shield.

Firing could be carried out either with or without wheels when the lower machine was installed on the ground (this significantly reduced the profile of the gun); in both cases, sliding frames were used for emphasis. The wheels were unified with the Infanteriekarren 8 infantry cart.

The gunner's working posture depended on the position in which the gun was installed (with or without wheels). In the first case, the gunner worked from his knee; in the second case, shooting was possible only from a prone position.

Firing position with wheels removed (TSAMO)

The wheel drive was equipped with a spring and rubber tires, filled with a sponge chamber, and was intended for movement of s.Pz.B. 41 for short distances. Very often the gun was attached to an Infanteriekarren 8 trolley, which was used as a charging box. Two people could easily transport a gun on wheels over a distance of 300–500 meters or more, sometimes walking and sometimes running. At the GAU KA training ground, fighters moved the gun over loose sand over a distance of 500 meters in 5.5 minutes. Bringing s.Pz.B. 41 to the “combat” position when firing from a wheeled vehicle took only 5–7 seconds.

For long-distance transportation on roads, the Sd.Ah.32/2 trailer (Sonderanhänger für schwere Panzerbüchse 41) was used, equipped with special ladders for rolling up s.Pz.B. 41 on wheels.

Gun s.Pz.B. 41 and the Infanteriekarren 8 trolley - in this form it was transported from location to position (http://www.istmira.com)

Only 90 of these carriages were produced. Surprisingly, it is on this version of the carriage that the s.Pz.B. 41 were captured by both the Red Army and the British.

Technical characteristics of s.Pz.B. 41 on a carriage of the first type:

• gun length with carriage – 2580 mm;
• weight with wheels – 223.2 kg;
• weight without wheels – 162.22 kg;
• horizontal firing angle – 60°;
• vertical firing angle – from +25° to −15°;
• weight of the lower and upper machine – 57 kg.

Gun s.Pz.B. 41 mountain rangers in transport position on Sd.Ah.32/2 (https://forum.ioh.pl)

After the release of the first 90 units and their testing, it became clear that the design solution used up to that point did not meet the requirements of the army and was too heavy. Therefore, from the 91st unit of s.Pz.B. 41 began to be equipped with a different type of carriage.

Leichter Feldlafette (leFl) - a lightweight field carriage, distinguished by a different upper and lower machine and a modified wheel travel. Due to the use of a tubular structure and light alloys, it was possible to significantly reduce the weight of the carriage. Due to the different design of the carriage, the angles of vertical and horizontal aiming have changed.

Lightweight s.Pz.B gun carriage 41, boxes with cartridges below (Waffen Revue No. 19)

Instead of a sprung wheel travel, removable wheels of small diameter were attached to the lower machine in a lightweight version; the weight of each wheel with an axle was only 5 kg. Small wheels were enough to move from location to position.

Sliding frames were also abandoned. Instead, there was one removable tubular bipod, reinforced at the bottom with a brand, ending in a wide coulter. Two oval pipes, bent into a complex profile, were welded to the lower machine as side supports. And the lower machine itself was simplified as much as possible. The top machine was now a cast swivel. The functions of the lower and upper machines have not changed.

Gun s.Pz.B. 41 on a lightweight carriage. The wheels are folded, the structure of the rear bipod of the carriage is visible

Firing was possible both with and without attached wheels (in this case, the profile of the gun was reduced and stability increased). To install the carriage on the ground, it was not necessary to completely remove the wheels; it was enough to loosen the corresponding screw (no tools were required for this) and turn the wheel around the axis. The total length of the gun with the carriage remained the same, the weight of the gun with and without wheels was 147 and 137 kg, respectively.

For long-distance travel, a lightweight Sonderanhänger für schwere Panzerbüchse 41 auf leichter Feldlafette (Sd. Ah. 32/3) trailer was developed, weighing 85 kg. Wheels from the Infanteriekarren 8 trolley were used as wheels.

Lightweight trailer Sd. Ah. 32/3 for transporting s.Pz.B. 41 with a lightweight carriage (Tank Museum of Saumur)

Thus, the s.Pz.B. gun 41 with a new carriage and trailer for road transport Sd. Ah. 32/3 began to weigh a little more than the gun on the carriage of the first version on wheels without taking into account the weight of the Sd trailer. Ah. 32/2.

After the s.Pz.B. was put into service. 41 went to motorized units, tank divisions, SS troops, separate anti-tank divisions, parachute and mountain ranger units.

Gun s.Pz.B. 41 on an armored personnel carrier Sd.Kfz. 250 of the Grossdeutschland Division (“Schützenpanzer” by Bruse Culver & Uwe Feist. Ryton Publications)

The practice of installing these guns in lightly armored vehicles on various homemade devices and stands has become widespread. There are a lot of photographs with installation options for various modifications of Sd.Kfz.250, Sd.Kfz.251, Sd.Kfz.221.

The last time this type of weapon was used in World War II was in street fighting in Berlin in 1945.

Detailed photo review of the museum specimen s.Pz.B. 41 can be viewed.

Sources and literature:

• Documents of the GAU KA Foundation, TsAMO
• "Schützenpanzer" by Bruse Culver & Uwe Feist, Ryton Publications
• Lehrmaterial. Grundlehrgang für Truppführer. Deutsche Artilleriewaffen des 2. Weltkrieges und ihre Geschosse. Sprengschule Dresden
• Documentation W 127: Datenblätter für Heeres Waffen Fahrzeuge Gerat. Karl. R. Pawlas, publizistisches Archiv für Militär- und Waffenwesen
• Enemy weapons. Part III. German light anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns. The War Office. December 1942
• Handbook on German military forces. War Department technical manual TM-E 30–451. War Department 03/15/1945. US Government Printing Office. Washington, 1945
• Waffen Revue No. 19. Dez.-Febr. 1975/1976
• Handbook of German artillery. Military publishing house NPO. Moscow, 1945
• Artillery ammunition of the former German army. Directory. GAU USSR Armed Forces. Military Publishing House of the USSR Ministry of Armed Forces, 1946

The Swiss arms company Waffenfabrik Solothurn, a subsidiary of the German company Rheinmetall, in the late 20s. XX century has achieved significant success in the field of creating anti-tank rifles. At the base German developments This company produced a 7.92 mm anti-tank rifle. In addition, the company was instructed to create a similar weapon, but of 20 mm caliber.
By 1939, a small batch of 20 mm anti-tank rifles was produced, designated S18-1000. But soon, the created model was replaced by a more advanced anti-tank rifle of the same caliber, while maintaining the old designation. PRT S 18-1000 (under a new designation) was adopted by the armies of many European countries. Large batches of guns were sent to Italy, where 2-3 pieces were sent. they were planned to be included in the armament of each infantry battalion. Only a small batch of such guns was delivered to the Wehrmacht, but after the capitulation of Italy in September 1943, all S 18-1000 guns in service with the Italian infantry were transferred to units of the German army.

The S18-1000 anti-tank rifle was a very powerful weapon, capable of penetrating an armor plate with a thickness of 20-22 mm located at an angle of 6° at a distance of 100 m, and up to 18 mm at a distance of 300 m. The weapon was semi-automatic, that is, the shooter could not be distracted by reloading the gun, since this was done for him by the automatic mechanisms, which operated due to the recoil energy of the barrel. The shooting was carried out with mixed 20x115 mm cartridges and an armor-piercing bullet. Food was supplied from a box magazine with a capacity of five or ten rounds, attached to the bottom of the receiver. The standard PRT of this design was created for firing single shots. But there were modifications that made it possible to fire in automatic mode.
The strong recoil, due to the use of a fairly powerful cartridge, was somewhat reduced by a muzzle brake and a soft shock absorber on the butt. The PRT had a bipod and a stop mounted on the butt. Some of the guns were made on a wheeled carriage.
The mechanical sight of the S 18-1000 shotgun was often complemented by a 2.75x optical sight, which made it possible to accurately hit various targets at a distance of up to 1500 m. Due to heavy weight The gun crew serving it consisted of two people, but the mobility of this gun on the battlefield was assessed as extremely insufficient.

Tactical and technical characteristics of PRT S 18-1000
Shotgun caliber............20 mm
PTR weight without cartridges........ 50 kg
Dimensions:
Length with barrel......2160 mm
Barrel length PTR............1300 mm
PTR rate of fire......20 rds/min
Armor penetration:
at a distance of 100 m............22 mm
at a distance of 300 m...........18 mm
Efficient sighting range guns......1500 m

The first month of the war showed that the Soviet infantry, apart from grenades and Molotov cocktails, no longer had any other light and effective means necessary for her to fight enemy armored vehicles.
The reason for the situation that arose was that our unfortunate analysts before the war mistakenly believed that the Wehrmacht had only thick-armored tanks in its arsenal, against which not only guns, but even “magpies” would be powerless.
That is why in pre-war years In the USSR, the main emphasis was on the development and production of guns such as the 76 mm F-22 and 57 mm ZIS-2, and suddenly, with the outbreak of the war, it became clear that for these guns in 1941. there were simply no worthy targets on the battlefield, since the bulk German tanks did not have thick enough armor and could even be hit by 12.7 mm armor-piercing bullets DShK machine gun.
True, it is necessary to pay tribute, the anti-tank problems of the Soviet infantry very quickly reached the very top and already at the very beginning of July 1941. The country's leadership set the task of gunsmiths to create a mass-produced lightweight anti-tank weapon.
According to the memoirs of D.F. Ustinov, Stalin at one of the GKO meetings proposed entrusting the development to “one more, and for reliability - two designers.”
The assignment for the design of the PTR was issued in July to gunsmith designers V.A. Degtyarev and S.G. Simonov. It was impossible to hesitate; German tanks were rapidly advancing towards Leningrad and Moscow.
Soon on August 29, 1941, after a demonstration to members of the State Defense Committee, Degtyarev’s single-shot model and Simonov’s self-loading model were put into service under the designations PTRD and PTRS, respectively. Due to the urgency of the issue, this was done before the end of the tests - the PTR survivability tests took place on September 12-13, and the final tests of the modified PTR on September 24. The new anti-tank rifles were supposed to fight medium and light tanks and armored vehicles at ranges of up to 500 m.
A minimum of parts, the use of a stock pipe instead of a frame simplified the production of anti-tank rifles, and the automatic opening of the bolt increased the rate of fire. The PTRD successfully combined simplicity, reliability and efficiency.
The speed of setting up production had in those conditions great value. The first batch of 300 PTRDs was completed in October and sent to Rokossovsky's 16th Army in early November. They were first used in battle on November 16th. Already by December 30, 1941. 17,688 PTRDs were produced, and in 1942. - 184,800.
Another model, a self-loading PTRS, was created on the basis of an experimental Simonov self-loading rifle from 1938. according to the scheme with the removal of powder gases. It consisted of a barrel with a muzzle brake and a gas chamber, a receiver with a butt, a bolt, a trigger guard, reloading and trigger mechanisms, sights, a magazine and a bipod. The bore was similar to the PTRD.
Both guns had their pros and cons; the PTRD was almost 3 kg lighter than the PTRS; however, this gun was single-shot. But the PTRS had a magazine for as many as 5 rounds, so where the newsreel footage shows fighters carrying a gun together, this is a PTRS, while one person at a time was carrying mostly a PTRD.
Since December 1941 PTR companies were introduced into rifle regiments (27, then 54 guns), and from the fall of 1942. in battalions - anti-tank rifle platoons (18 rifles each).


In January 1943 The PTR company was included in the motorized rifle and machine gun battalion (later - the battalion of machine gunners) tank brigade- only in March 1944, when the role of the PTR decreased, these companies were disbanded, and the “armor-piercers” were retrained as tankers. PTR companies were introduced into anti-tank fighter divisions, and PTR battalions into anti-tank fighter brigades.
Thus, they sought to ensure close interaction of the PTR not only with infantry, but also with tank and artillery units.
With the advent of anti-tank units, special tactics for their use were developed, as a result of which the so-called gap between the “anti-tank” capabilities of infantry and anti-tank artillery was eliminated.
In battle, the commander of a rifle regiment or battalion could leave an anti-tank rifle company entirely at his disposal or assign it to rifle companies, leaving at least an anti-tank rifle platoon in the regiment's anti-tank zone as his reserve in defense.
The PTR platoon could operate in in full force, split into sections of 2-4 guns or half-platoons. An anti-tank rifle squad, operating as part of a platoon or independently, had to “choose a firing position in battle, equip and camouflage it; quickly prepare for shooting and accurately hit enemy tanks (armored vehicles); quickly and covertly change firing position during the battle.”
Firing positions they were chosen behind natural or artificial obstacles, although often the crews had to simply take cover in the grass or bushes. The positions were supposed to provide all-round fire at a range of up to 500 m and occupy a flank position to the direction of probable movement of enemy tanks. Cooperation was organized with rifle units and other PTS. At the position, depending on the availability of time, a full-profile trench with a firing platform, a trench for all-round firing with or without a platform, or a small trench for firing in a wide sector without a platform was prepared - in this case, shooting was carried out with the bipod folded in or removed.
Fire on PTR tanks was opened, depending on the situation, from 250-400 m, preferably, of course, at the side or stern, but at infantry positions the armor-piercing soldiers often had to “hit them head-on.” PTR crews were divided along the front and in depth at intervals and distances of 25-40 m at an angle forward or backward, when firing flanking fire - in a line. The front of an anti-tank rifle squad is 50-80 m, that of a platoon is from 250 to 700 m.
It was recommended to concentrate the fire of several anti-tank guns on a moving tank, when approaching a tank - along its turret, when the tank overcomes a barrier, scarp, embankment - along the bottom, when moving a tank towards a neighbor - along the side and engine part, external tanks, when moving the tank - to the stern .
Taking into account the increased armor of enemy medium tanks, fire from anti-tank guns was usually opened from 150-100 m. When tanks approached positions directly or penetrated into the depth of the defense, armor-piercers fought them together with “tank destroyers” with anti-tank grenades and incendiary bottles.
During the offensive, the anti-tank rifle platoon moved in rolling formations in the battle formation of a rifle company (battalion) in readiness to meet enemy tanks with fire from at least two squads. PTR crews took positions ahead in the intervals between rifle platoons. When attacking with an open flank, they tried to keep the armor-piercing units on this flank. An anti-tank rifle squad usually advanced in the gaps or on the flanks of a rifle company, and an anti-tank rifle platoon - in a ryuta or battalion. From position to position, the crews moved along hidden approaches or under the cover of infantry and mortar fire. http://www.plam.ru/transportavi/tehnika_i_vooruzhenie_2002_02/p4.php
Many people ask the question, what was the real effectiveness of the combat work of PTR crews? Simply put, what could have been knocked out or what military or other equipment could have been destroyed from the then Soviet anti-tank missiles with their real armor penetration of 35 to 40 mm of armor?
Efficiency of this weapon assessed differently, in Russian literature recent years It is customary to focus on their shortcomings and consider that they only had “ psychological significance"in conditions of a clear shortage of anti-tank artillery.
However, our opponents assess the role of the PTR somewhat differently, as former Wehrmacht Lieutenant General E. Schneider wrote: “In 1941, the Russians had a 14.5-mm PTR... which caused a lot of trouble for our tanks and the light armored personnel carriers that appeared later.”
Former Major General F. von Mellenthin noted: “It seemed that every infantryman had an anti-tank rifle or anti-tank gun. The Russians were very clever in disposing of these funds and, it seems, there was no place where they were not found.”
In general, in a number of German works about the Second World War and memories German tank crews Soviet anti-tank rifles are mentioned as “respectable” weapons, but credit is also given to the courage of their crews. Soviet commanders already in 1942 noted new features of the Germans’ attacks involving tanks and assault guns- they sometimes stopped 300-400 m from the forward trenches and supported their infantry with fire from the spot. And these are the ranges from which Soviet anti-tank rifles opened fire. As you can see, the fire of anti-tank rifles had more than just “psychological significance.” http://nnm.me/blogs/Dmitry68/protivotankovye_ruzhya/


It is known from Soviet sources that PTR units operated as part of reconnaissance and forward detachments, especially in rough terrain, where it was difficult to carry out more heavy weapons. In the forward detachments, armor-piercing units successfully complemented the tanks - so on July 13, 1943, in the Rzhavets area, the advanced detachment of the 55th Guards. tank regiment with fire from tanks and anti-tank rifles successfully repelled a counterattack of 14 enemy tanks, knocking out half of them. http://www.plam.ru/transportavi/tehnika_i_vooruzhenie_2002_02/p4.php
On October 30, 1944, the chief of staff of the 1st Baltic Front, Colonel General V.V. Kurasov, reported: “The experience of using anti-tank guns during Patriotic War shows that they had the greatest effect in the period before July 1943, when the enemy used light and medium tanks, and battle formations our troops were comparatively less saturated anti-tank artillery.
Starting from the second half of 1943, when the enemy began to use heavy tanks and self-propelled guns with powerful armor protection, the effectiveness of anti-tank guns decreased significantly. The main role in the fight against tanks is currently performed entirely by artillery. Anti-tank rifles, which have good fire accuracy, are now used mainly against enemy firing points, armored vehicles and armored personnel carriers.”
Unit commanders successfully used the main advantages of anti-tank rifles - maneuverability, the ability to constantly be in the battle formations of small units, ease of camouflage - both in 1944 and in 1945. For example, during a battle surrounded by populated areas, when capturing and securing bridgeheads when it was not possible to use artillery. http://nnm.me/blogs/Dmitry68/protivotankovye_ruzhya/
Having played a large role in the PTO in 1941-1942, the PTR by the summer of 1943 - with the increase in armor protection of tanks and assault guns over 40 mm - had lost their positions
There were, however, cases of successful combat by infantry PTS even with heavy tanks in pre-prepared defensive positions.
An example of this is the duel between the armor-piercing gunner of the 151st Infantry Regiment Ganja and the Tiger tank. The first shot to the forehead did not produce any results, the armor-piercer put the anti-tank gun into the trench and, letting the tank pass above him, shot at the stern and immediately changed position, and when the tank turned around and moved to the trench, Ganja set it on fire with a third shot into the side.
However, this was the exception rather than the rule. If in January 1942 the number of anti-tank rifles in the troops was 8,116, in January 1943 - 118,563, in 1944 - 142,861, which increased 17.6 times in two years, then in 1944. it began to decline, and by the end of the war Active Army had only about 40,000 anti-tank rifles (their shared resource was on May 9, 1945. 257,500). The largest number of anti-tank rifles was submitted to the Red Army in 1942. - 249,000 pieces, but for the first half of 1945. Only 800 PTR were submitted. The same picture is observed in relation to 12.7- and 14.5-mm cartridges: in 1942 their production was six times higher than the pre-war one, but decreased noticeably by 1944. However, production of 14.5 mm anti-tank guns continued until January 1945, and in total about 471,500 of them were produced during the war. PTR was a weapon leading edge, which explains the high losses - during the entire war, about 214,000 anti-tank missiles of all models were lost, i.e. 45.4% of the total resource. The highest percentage of losses was in 1941 and 1942 - 49.7 and 33.7%, respectively. Material losses also reflect the level of personnel losses.
The following figures indicate the intensity of the use of anti-tank rifles in the middle of the war. During the defensive operation on Kursk Bulge on the Central Front, 387,000 rounds of anti-tank rifle ammunition were spent (or 48,370 on the day of the battle), and on Voronezh 754,000 (68,250 on the day of the battle) And for the entire Battle of Kursk 3.6 million rounds of anti-tank rifle ammunition were spent. In addition to tanks - main goal- PTRs could fire at firing points and embrasures of bunkers and bunkers at ranges of up to 800 m. against aircraft - up to 500 m.
In the third period of the war, PTRD and PTRS were used to combat light armored vehicles and lightly armored self-propelled guns. widely used by the enemy, as well as with firing points, especially in urban battles, right up to the storming of Berlin. They were often used by snipers to hit distant targets or enemy shooters behind armor shields. PTRD and PTRS were also used in battles with the Japanese in August 1945, and here they could be useful given the relatively weak armor Japanese tanks, but it was the Japanese who used tanks against Soviet troops little.http://www.plam.ru/transportavi/tehnika_i_vooruzhenie_2002_02/p4.php


The most effective Soviet armor-piercing soldiers in WWII:

Yablonko’s crew and Serdyukov together destroyed 22 tanks;
Armor-piercing officer Private Startsev F.G. (2 battalions of the 58th mechanized brigade) in a battle near the village of Dyadin (Rostov region) in January 1943, in 40 minutes of battle, knocked out 11 German tanks. In just 10 days at the front, Startsev’s crew knocked out 17 enemy tanks. F.G. Startsev himself died in battle on January 18, 1943. http://poltora-bobra.livejournal.com/53079.html
Sergeant Ivan Derevyanko - 10 tanks;
Private Ilya Makarovich Kaplunov (4th Guards Regiment) - 9 tanks. Killed on December 21, 1942;
Private Semyon Antipkin - 8 tanks and 1 aircraft;
Armor-piercing officer Ivan Knyazev (310 Guards Regiment) - 67 armored targets, machine guns, guns and mortars;
Jr. Sergeant Pyotr Osipovich Boloto (84 Guards Regiment) - 8 tanks;
Sergeant Pavel Illarionovich Bannov (19th grade) - 8 tanks;
Armor-piercer Roman Semenovich Smishchuk - 6 tanks;
Petty Officer Kadi Abakarovich Abakarov (1054 rifle regiment) - 6 tanks;
Private Blinov (98 Guards Regiment) - 6 tanks;
Armor-piercer Malenkov (95 rifle division) - 6 tanks;
Armor-piercer Pavel Ivanovich Ershov (24th Guards Regiment) - 6 tanks. Died in January 1944.
Sergeant Oboldin Saveliy Savelyevich (32nd Marine Brigade) - captured 4 tanks and 4 tanks in good condition, destroyed several. dozens of soldiers;
Junior Sergeant Ivan Petrovich Kondratiev (4th Guards Infantry Brigade) - 4 tanks, 2 armored vehicles, 3 trucks;
Private Sabir Akhtyamovich Akhtyamov (4th Guards Marine Brigade) - 4 tanks, 2 armored personnel carriers, 2 trucks;
Private Kovtun Vasily Semenovich (902nd regiment) - 4 tanks, 1 armored personnel carrier, more than 20 machine guns, several soldiers;
Private Alexander Nikitich Logunov (490th regiment) - 5 tanks and large number infantrymen.
Armor-piercer A. Denisov shot down two fascist bombers near Orel on July 14 and 15, 1943. http://www.militarists.ru/?p=5193
Thus, the use of anti-tank rifles in the Red Army put a new powerful fire weapon into the hands of our soldiers, thereby significantly improving the morale of the defending infantrymen.
This weapon was relatively easy to handle by one armor-piercing fighter, but the crew of the anti-tank rifle consisted of two soldiers, a gunner and an assistant gunner. The assistant handed the gunner cartridges, helped carry the gun and ammunition to him, open trenches, observe the enemy, and, if necessary, he himself fired from the anti-tank rifle.
In a difficult battle situation, when soldiers in the trenches were attacked by enemy armored vehicles clanking and firing intensely, it was necessary to have great courage not to panic, to take aim carefully, wait until the tank came to the most advantageous distance, and fire striking shot.
Fight on short distances, the lack of time to fire several targeted shots during the time it takes for the tank to travel the 100-200 meters required for destruction, led in some cases to the frequent death of tank destroyers. Therefore, along with weapons, the armor-piercing soldier needed great personal courage, and only with the presence of these two factors was it possible efficient use anti-tank rifles.
The main commandment of Soviet armor-piercing soldiers was: “Patience, endurance, eye - the key to success. Bring the enemy tank closer and hit him with an accurate shot.” Most armor piercers acted this way, but many of them, unfortunately, were not always able to outwit death.
It is known that it was very rare to find those who served in armor-piercing units alive after the war, as were all those fighters who bore the proud title of anti-tank artilleryman.

The Mauser Tankgewehr is the first ever anti-tank rifle, developed in Germany in 1918. The gun is single-shot, reloading is carried out using a longitudinally sliding bolt. The barrel is locked by turning the bolt onto 2 radial lugs. The stock with a pistol grip was made of wood; a bipod for an MG-08/15 machine gun was attached to the front of the stock. During the war the gun was used by some Western countries. A total of 15.8 thousand units were produced, but by the beginning of the war only about a thousand had survived. Shotgun performance characteristics: caliber – 13.2 mm; length – 1680 mm; barrel length – 984 mm; weight without bipod – 15.9 kg; sighting range – 500 m; ammunition - 13x92 mm cartridges; armor penetration - 22 mm at a distance of 100 m at an angle of 90°; calculation – 2 people.

The Pz.B-38 single-shot shotgun was produced by Gustloff Werke in 1938-1939. The weapon was based on a 7.92mm “rifle” caliber cartridge with a high-volume case, specially designed for anti-tank rifles, known as Patrone-318. The gun was single-shot, had a rather complex design and considerable mass. It used a vertically sliding wedge valve. Boxes with 10 spare cartridges each could be attached to both sides of the receiver. The stock and bipod are foldable. 112 guns were installed on universal machines. A total of 1.6 thousand pieces were produced. Shotgun performance characteristics: caliber - 7.92 mm; length – 1615 mm; barrel length – 1260 mm; weight – 16.2 kg; ammunition - 7.92x94 mm cartridges; initial bullet speed – 1210 m/s; armor penetration - 30 mm from a distance of 100 m with an encounter angle of 90°; sighting range – 400 m; rate of fire - 12 rounds per minute.

PzB-39 - a simplified and lightweight version of the Pz.B-38, produced in 1939-1942. The appearance of the new weapon model was similar to the previous one, but the operating principle was changed. The moving barrel and semi-automatic bolt stop were abolished. A vertical delay was now used to stop the shutter. However, the bolt did not have a self-opening automatic and independent ejection of cartridges. The shutter was reloaded using the trigger lever. Trigger-type impact mechanism. The hammer was cocked when the bolt was lowered. The flag-type fuse was located in the rear of the receiver. To stabilize during shooting and reduce the size of the gun in the stowed position, a bipod folding bipod was attached to the barrel, structurally similar to the bipod of the MG-Z4 machine gun. For carrying, there was a side-folding handle mounted on top above the center of gravity of the weapon. To reduce its size in the stowed position and reduce recoil, the gun had a folding metal stock with a shock absorber cushion. The fixed sights were sighted at 400 meters. Some of the guns were later converted into GrB-39 grenade launchers. A total of 39.2 thousand pieces were produced. Shotgun performance characteristics: caliber – 7.92 mm; length - 1600 mm (1255 with folded butt); weight – 12.1 kg; armor penetration - 30 mm from a distance of 100 m with an encounter angle of 90°; calculation – 2 people.

Anti-tank rifle, appearance rather reminiscent of an artillery gun, it is built on a method of increasing the speed of a projectile in a conical barrel. In this case, the initial diameter of the gun barrel was 28 mm, and at the muzzle of the barrel - 20 mm. The weapon was put into service in 1940 as a heavy anti-tank single-shot rifle with a wedge bolt and was produced by Mauser until 1943. The recoil energy was so great that the gun was placed on a wheeled carriage. The gun did not have a lifting or turning mechanism. At the same time, a vertical firing angle of up to 30° was ensured, and a horizontal firing angle of within 60°. Shooting could be carried out both from a wheeled vehicle and from a bipod. The transition time from wheels to bipod and back was 30-40 seconds.

If necessary, the gun could be disassembled into 5 parts without the use of tools (the weight of the heaviest was 62 kg). For use in airborne troops there was a lightweight version of the gun with a carriage welded from steel pipes sPzB 41 leFl 41). The gun could also be mounted on armored personnel carriers and armored cars. Also known is the tank version of the “2.8/2 cm KwK-42” gun, produced in 24 copies. A total of 2.8 thousand units were produced. Shotgun performance characteristics: caliber - 28/20 mm; length - 2690 mm; barrel length - 1714 mm; width – 965 mm; height – 838 mm; ground clearance – 250 mm; weight without cartridges - 229 kg; initial bullet speed – 1400 m/s; magazine capacity – 10 rounds; armor penetration - 75 mm at a distance of 100 m; sighting range – 500 m; height of the firing line – 420 – 700 mm; rate of fire - 12 - 15 rounds per minute; calculation – 3 – 5 people; transportation speed on the highway is up to 40 km/h.

The PzB M.SS-41/PzB-41(t) shotgun was developed in Czechoslovakia (Waffenwerke Brunn) occupied by German troops and was adopted by the Waffen SS troops in 1941, but by mid-1942 it had largely lost its effectiveness against tanks allies. The gun was made according to the “Bullpup” design - the impact mechanism and the magazine are located in the butt behind the trigger. Thanks to this arrangement, it is possible to increase the barrel length without increasing the overall length and weight of the weapon, which has a positive effect on range and accuracy. The bolt of the gun was stationary and rigidly connected to the body of the weapon, and the barrel moved for reloading. The gun was equipped with a developed muzzle brake and a shock-absorbing cushion on the butt; in the front of the metal stock there was a folding bipod. Non-adjustable sights are located on folding stands and are sighted at 500 meters. The gun was first used as a large-caliber sniper rifle with an optical sight, the main task of which was to destroy long distances machine gun embrasures of bunkers and bunkers, sniper positions, crews of machine guns, mortars and light field artillery. In total, about 3 thousand units were produced. Shotgun performance characteristics: caliber – 7.92 mm; length - 1360 mm; barrel length - 1100 mm; weight – 13 kg; magazine capacity – 5 or 10 rounds of 7.92x94 mm; rate of fire - 20 rounds per minute; armor penetration - 30 mm from a distance of 100 m with an encounter angle of 90°.

The Second World War became finest hour» tank troops. The massive use of armored vehicles and the improvement of their basic combat characteristics also required the improvement of means of combating them. One of the simplest, yet effective ways To stop tanks opposing infantry units is an anti-tank rifle (ATR).

Infantry vs tanks

The main burden of the advance of tank armadas fell on the infantry, which did not have powerful means to resist armored vehicles, especially in the early stages of the Second World War. In the context of highly maneuverable combat operations of mobile enemy units, conducted with previously unprecedented intensity and scope, the “queen of the fields” was in dire need of its own simple, accessible, cheap anti-tank weapons that could be used in battle formations, fighting tanks, armored vehicles and other equipment in close combat.

The role of infantry close-combat anti-tank weapons (PTS) remained significant throughout the course of the war, even when the warring parties introduced en masse more and more armored and protected tank models. The war gave birth to such new specialties of fighters in the infantry as “armor piercer”, “tank destroyer”, whose main weapon was an anti-tank rifle.

Anti-tank weapons

Dramatic changes occurred in the arsenal of close combat PTS and in the methods of their use during the Second World War. If at the beginning of the Second World War the main anti-tank weapons of the infantry were anti-tank rifles, which were simple in design, then by the end of the war there appeared prototypes guided anti-tank weapons.

High-explosive grenades and bundles of hand grenades, incendiary bottles. By the middle of the military campaign, cumulative grenades, mounted and hand-held anti-tank grenade launchers of recoilless and rocket launchers were already being used.

Purpose of PTR

Anti-tank rifles of the Second World War played a very significant role in the victory. Of course, the main burden of anti-tank defense (ATD) fell on guns (guns) of all kinds. However, when the course of the battle took on a complex, highly maneuverable and “confusing” character with the massive use of armored vehicles, the infantry needed its own armor-piercing weapons. At the same time, it is important that soldiers are able to use them directly in combat formations and fight tanks and armored vehicles in close combat. Soviet engineers, under the leadership of outstanding weapons designers Simonov, Degtyarev, Rukavishnikov, presented the soldiers with simple but reliable means against armored vehicles.

The term "anti-tank gun" is not entirely correct. A more accurate designation is “anti-tank rifle.” However, it developed historically, apparently as a literal translation of “panzerbuchse” from German.

Ammunition

A few words should be said about the anti-tank rifle cartridge and its damaging effect. Ammunition was developed for PTR larger caliber than traditional types small arms. IN domestic samples armor-piercing bullets of 14.5 mm caliber were used. Her kinetic energy enough to penetrate 30 mm armor or damage weakly protected armored vehicles.

The action of an armor-piercing bullet (projectile) on a target consists of an armor-piercing (impact) action and a damaging action behind the armor (behind the armor action). The action of PTR bullets is based on their kinetic effect on armor and its penetration by the body or solid core. The higher the kinetic energy of the projectile (bullet) thrown at the moment of collision with the armor, the higher the thickness of the penetration protection. Due to this energy, work is done to pierce the metal.

Damaging armor effect

The WWII anti-tank rifle was very effective. Of course, with its help it was impossible to overcome the armor protection of the turret and hull of medium and heavy tanks, however, any vehicle has vulnerable areas, which were hit by experienced shooters. The armor only protects the engine, fuel tanks, mechanisms, weapons, ammunition and crew of the combat vehicle, which, in fact, need to be hit. In addition, anti-tank rifles were used against any equipment, including lightly armored ones.

The action of the damaging element and armor on each other is mutual, the same energy is spent on the destruction of the bullet itself. Therefore, the shape and lateral load of the projectile, the strength of its material and the quality of the armor itself are also of decisive importance. Since the kinetic energy formula includes mass in the first power and speed in the second, the final velocity of the ammunition is of particular importance.

Actually, it is the speed of the bullet and the angle of its meeting with the armored barrier that are the most important factors, which determine the armor-piercing effect. Increasing the speed is preferable to increasing the mass of the projectile also from the point of view of accuracy:

• the flatness of the trajectory increases, and hence the range of a direct shot at a “tank” type target, when shooting is carried out on one sight setting;
• The flight time of the bullet to the target also decreases, along with it the amount of drift by the side wind and the movement of the target during the time from the start of the shot to the expected meeting of the striking element with the target.

On the other hand, mass is directly related to lateral load, so the armor-piercing core must still have a high density.

Pre-armor action

It is no less important than armor-piercing. Having penetrated the armor, a bullet, solid projectile or armor-piercing core causes damage due to fragmentation and incendiary action. Their highly heated fragments, along with fragments of armor with high speed penetrate inside the vehicle, affect the crew, mechanisms, ammunition, tanks, power pipelines, lubrication systems, and are capable of igniting fuels and lubricants.

To increase efficiency, cartridges with armor-piercing incendiary and armor-piercing tracer bullets were used, which had armor-piercing and armor-piercing effects. The high initial velocity of the bullet was achieved by using a powerful cartridge and a large relative barrel length (from 90 to 150 mm).

History of the creation of domestic anti-tank rifles

In the USSR, back in 1933, Kurchevsky’s “dynamo-reactive” 37-mm anti-tank rifle was adopted, but it remained in service for about two years. Before the war, PTRs did not arouse keen interest among Soviet military leaders, although there was experience in their development and production. Soviet designers S. Korovin, S. Vladimirov, M. Blum, L. Kurchevsky created samples in the 30s that were superior foreign analogues. However, their designs and characteristics were imperfect due to the lack of a clear vision of what exactly they should be.

With the adoption of specific requirements for this type of weapon, the situation has changed. It was then that the caliber of the anti-tank rifle was increased to 14.5 mm, the bullet weight was 64 g, and the initial projectile speed was 1000 m/s. In 1938, the basic armor-piercing cartridge B-32 was developed, subsequently improved. At the beginning of 1941, ammunition appeared with an armor-piercing incendiary bullet equipped with steel core, and in August - a cartridge with a metal core.

PTR Rukavishnikov

On October 7, 1939, the USSR Defense Committee approved the adoption of an anti-tank 14.5-mm gun designed by Comrade. Rukavishnikova. Kovrov Plant No. 2 was given the task of manufacturing the Rukavishnikov PTR (also known as PTR-39) in the amount of 50 pieces. in 1939 and 15,000 in 1940. Mass production of 14.5 mm cartridges was entrusted to plant No. 3 in Ulyanovsk and No. 46 in Kuntsevo.

However, work on organizing serial production of the Rukavishnikov PTR was delayed by a number of circumstances. At the end of 1939, the Kovrov plant carried out an urgent task to organize large-scale production of the PPD submachine gun due to the Soviet-Finnish War, which required an urgent increase in the number of individual automatic weapons in the troops. Therefore, before the “big” war, these guns were clearly in short supply.

Specifications

Rukavishnikov's anti-tank rifle had an automatic gas engine with the removal of powder gases through a transverse hole directly in the barrel wall. The gas piston stroke is long. The gas chamber was located at the bottom of the barrel. The channel was locked by the gate gate. On the left side of the receiver there was a receiver for a 5-round clip (pack). PTR had muzzle brake, a stock with a sponge rubber shock absorber and a folding shoulder pad, a pistol grip, a folding bipod, and carrying handles.

The trigger allowed firing only single shots and included a non-automatic safety lever, the lever of which was located on the right side of the trigger. The impact mechanism was of the striker type; the mainspring was located inside a massive striker. The combat rate of fire reached 15 rounds/min. The sighting device included an open sector sight and a front sight on a bracket. The sight was notched at a range of up to 1000 m. With a barrel length of 1180 mm, the Rukavishnikov PTR had a length of 1775 mm and weighed 24 kg (with cartridges).

At the beginning of the war, seeing a lack of anti-tank weapons, the army leadership hastily began to take adequate measures. In July 1941, the most prominent Soviet weapons designers V. Degtyarev and his talented student S. Simonov were brought in to quickly develop anti-tank rifles. At the end of the month, V. Degtyarev proposed 2 options for a 14.5 mm gun, which had already passed field tests. The system was called PTRD - Degtyarev anti-tank rifle. Although the gun received universal approval at the training ground, in trench conditions, with insufficient care, it often jammed.

Greater success was achieved when creating a repeating self-loading rifle of the S. Simonov system. Only the trigger device and the mechanics of burst charging were changed. Based on positive test results, on August 29, 1941, the USSR State Defense Committee decided to adopt the Simonov repeating self-loading anti-tank rifle (PTRS) and the Degtyarev single-shot 14.5 mm caliber rifle.

Despite a number of “growing pains” - design flaws that were corrected throughout the war and after it - guns became a powerful argument against tanks in the hands Soviet soldiers. As a result, PTRD and PTRS are still used effectively in regional conflicts.

High efficiency

The need for these weapons was so high that sometimes guns went straight from the factory workshop to the front lines. The first batch was sent to the 16th Army, to General Rokossovsky, who was defending Moscow northwest of the Soviet capital, in the Volokolamsk direction. The application experience was a success: on the morning of November 16, 1941, near the settlements of Shiryaevo and Petelino, soldiers of the 1075th Infantry Regiment of the Eighth Guards Division holding the front section shot at a group of German tanks from 150-200 m, 2 of which burned completely.

The role that Degtyarev’s (and Simonov’s) anti-tank rifle played in the defense of the Soviet capital is evidenced by the fact that V. Degtyarev himself and many factory workers who organized the production of weapons lethal to armored vehicles were awarded the medal “For the Defense of Moscow.”

As a result combat use gun systems, designers have made significant improvements to their mechanics. The production of guns increased every day. If in 1941 17,688 units of the V. Degtyarev system and only 77 units of the S. Simonov system were manufactured, then in 1942 the number of guns increased respectively to 184,800 and 63,308 units.

PTRD device

The single-shot PTRD (Degtyarev anti-tank rifle) consisted of the following components:

• trunk;
• cylindrical receiver;
• rotary valve of longitudinally sliding type;
• butt;
• trigger box;
• sighting device;
• bipod.

Technical characteristics of PTRD

Degtyarev developed the anti-tank rifle in a record (for many unthinkable) 22 days. Although the designer took into account the developments of the creators of previous models of the 30s, he managed to embody in metal the basic requirements of the military: simplicity, lightness, reliability and low cost of manufacture.

The barrel is 8-rifled, with a rifling stroke length of 420 mm. The active muzzle brake of the box-type system is capable of absorbing most of the recoil energy (up to 2/3). The rotating (“piston type”) cylindrical bolt is equipped with two lugs in the front part and a straight handle in the rear part. It contained a striking mechanism, a reflector and an ejector.

The impact mechanism activates the firing pin and the mainspring. The striker could be cocked manually by the protruding tail or put on safety - to do this, the tail had to be pulled back and turned to the right by 30°. In the receiver, the bolt was held in place by a stop located on the left side of the receiver.

The bolt was unlocked and the spent cartridge was extracted automatically, the bolt remained open, and to prepare for the next shot, all that remained was to manually insert a new cartridge into the upper window on the receiver, insert and lock the bolt. This made it possible to increase the combat rate of fire with coordinated work of a crew of two people. The butt is equipped with a soft cushion-shock absorber. A folding stamped bipod was attached to the barrel. Degtyarev anti-tank rifle with ammunition and additional equipment weighed up to 26 kg (17 kg net weight without cartridges). Precision shooting- 800 m.

PTRS device

The gun was equipped with an automatic gas engine with gas exhaust through a transverse hole in the barrel wall, a gas chamber open type, strengthened from the bottom of the trunk. The gas piston stroke is short. The general design and bore are generally similar to the PTRD, which is logically explained by the standardized ammunition.

Simonov's anti-tank rifle had the barrel locked at an angle downwards from the bolt frame. The bolt stem, complemented by a handle, locked and unlocked the channel. The “reloading mechanism” was the name given to the weapon’s automatic parts, namely a three-mode gas regulator, a rod, a piston, a tube and a pusher with a spring. After the shot, the pusher moved backward under the pressure of the powder gases, transmitted impulse to the bolt stem, and itself returned forward. Under the action of the bolt stem moving backward, the frame unlocked the barrel, after which the entire bolt moved backward. The spent cartridge case was removed by the ejector and reflected upward by a special protrusion. When the cartridges were used up, the bolt was set to stop, mounted in the receiver.

The trigger is installed on the trigger guard. The non-automatic safety catch blocked the trigger when the flag was turned back. The permanent magazine (lever type feeder) is attached to the bottom of the receiver, the magazine cover latch is located on the trigger guard. The magazine is loaded with a pack (clip) of 5 rounds, placed in a checkerboard pattern.

Simonov's 1941 anti-tank rifle is 4 kg heavier than Degtyarev's model, due to the multi-charge automatic rifle (21 kg without cartridges). Sight shooting - 1500 m.

The barrel length of both PTRs is the same - 1350 mm, as well as armor penetration (average indicators): at a killing distance of 300 m, the B-32 bullet penetrated 21 mm of armor, and the BS-41 bullet - 35 mm.

German anti-tank rifles

German anti-tank rifles developed according to a slightly different scenario. Back in the mid-20s, the German command abandoned large-caliber anti-tank rifles in favor of the 7.92 mm “rifle” caliber. The bet was made not on the size of the bullet, but on the power of the ammunition. The effectiveness of the specialized P318 cartridge was sufficient to combat armored vehicles of potential opponents. However, like the USSR, in the Second world Germany entered with a small amount anti-tank rifles. Subsequently, their production was increased many times over, and the developments of Polish, Czech, Soviet, British, and French gunsmiths were used.

Typical example of 1939-1942. there was a model Panzerbuchse 1938 - an anti-tank rifle, the photo of which can often be seen in archival military photographs. Pz.B 38 (short name), and then Pz.B 39, Pz.B 41 were developed in the city of gunsmiths Sula by designer B. Bauer.

The Pz.B 38 barrel was locked with a vertical wedge bolt. To soften the recoil, the barrel-bolt clutch was moved back in the box. The recoil was used to unlock the bolt, similar to what is done in semi-automatic artillery pieces. The use of such a scheme made it possible to limit the barrel stroke to 90 mm and reduce the overall length of the weapon. The large flatness of the bullet trajectory at a distance of up to 400 m made it possible to install a permanent sighting device.

The design of the weapon showed a common desire for the end of 1930 to switch to mass production technologies - the box, in particular, was assembled from two stamped halves, equipped with stiffening ribs and connected by spot welding. The system was subsequently refined several times by Bauer.

Conclusion

The first anti-tank rifles appeared along with the tanks themselves - in the First World War. Before the start of the Second World War, both Germany and the USSR did not realize their obvious importance, giving priority to other types of weapons. However, the very first months of the clash between infantry units and the Wehrmacht tank armada showed how erroneous the underestimation of mobile, cheap, and effective anti-tank rifles was.

In the 21st century, the “good old” anti-tank rifle still remains in demand, the modern purpose of which is fundamentally different from that of the Great Patriotic War models. Considering that tanks can withstand several RPG hits, a classic anti-tank rifle is unlikely to hit an armored vehicle. In fact, anti-tank rifles have evolved into a class of “heavy” universal sniper rifles, in the image of which the outlines of anti-tank rifles can be discerned. They are designed to hit drones, manpower at a considerable distance, radar, rocket launchers, protected firing points, communications and control equipment, unarmored and lightly armored mobile equipment and even hovering helicopters.

At first, they were carried out mainly with 12.7 mm ammunition from heavy machine guns. For example, the American M82A1 “Barrett”, M87 and M93 “McMillan”, the British AW50, the French “Hecate II”, the Russian ASVK and OSV-96. But in the 2000s, within the families of large-caliber cartridges 12.7x99 (.50 Browning) and 12.7x108, special “sniper” cartridges appeared. Such cartridges were included, for example, in the same Russian 12.7-mm sniper systems OSV-96 and ASVK (6S8), and the American M107. Rifles chambered for more powerful cartridges are also presented: the Hungarian “Cheetah” (14.5 mm), the South African NTW (20 mm), the American M-109 (25 mm) and others. The start taken at the beginning of the 20th century continues!