Howitzer m 30 series. Military Observer

Su-122 based on M-30

M-30 in the museum on Sapun Mountain

TTX M-30
Weight in firing position
Longest firing range
Maximum elevation angle
Greatest declination angle
Horizontal firing angle
Number of alternating charges
Rate of fire is practical	5-6 rounds per minute
Highway transport speed

Among other artillery systems, the Red Army inherited from the Russian army a 122-mm howitzer of the 1909 model and a 122-mm howitzer of the 1910 model, designed respectively by the German concern Krupp and the French company Schneider. By the 1930s, these guns were clearly outdated. The modernizations carried out (in 1930 for howitzers model 1910 and in 1937 for model 1909) significantly improved the firing range of these howitzers, but the modernized guns still did not meet the requirements of their time, especially in terms of mobility, maximum elevation angle and aiming speed. Therefore, already in 1928, the Journal of the Artillery Committee raised the question of creating a new divisional howitzer of 107–122 mm caliber, adapted for towing by mechanical traction. On August 11, 1929, an order was issued to develop such a weapon.

In order to speed up the design, it was decided to borrow advanced foreign experience. KB-2, led by German specialists, began design work. In 1932, testing began on the first experimental model of the new howitzer, and in 1934 this weapon was put into service as the “122-mm howitzer mod. 1934." It was also known as "Lubok", from the name of the theme combining two projects to create a 122 mm divisional howitzer and a 107 mm light howitzer. Barrel of a 122 mm howitzer mod. 1934 had a length of 23 calibers, the maximum elevation angle was +50°, the horizontal aiming angle was 7°, the mass in the traveling and combat position was 2800 and 2250 kg, respectively. Like the guns of the First World War, the new howitzer was mounted on a single-beam carriage (although carriages of a more modern design with sliding frames had already appeared at that time). Another significant drawback of the gun was its wheel travel - metal wheels without tires, but with suspension - which limited the towing speed to twelve kilometers per hour. The gun was produced in 1934–1935 in a small series of 11 units, of which 8 entered trial operation (two four-gun batteries), and the remaining three were sent to the Red commanders’ training platoon.

However, in 1936, the GAU experienced a serious change in views on the divisional howitzer - the Lubok project in its original form was no longer considered promising. In particular, the gunners were no longer satisfied with the single-beam carriage, and they demanded sliding frames. In addition, there was talk of a transition from 122 mm to 107 mm caliber on the grounds that everyone abroad had switched from 120 mm to 105 mm guns. Due to all this, the Lubok was never accepted into service, and the 122-mm howitzer model remained in production. 1910/30

By 1937, it became clear that in the event of a transition to the 107-mm caliber, the artillery would begin to experience a starvation of shells - the production capacity for the production of 107-mm ammunition was too small. For the same reason, the project to replace divisional three-inch guns with 95-mm guns was rejected.

In March 1937, at a Moscow meeting of representatives of the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA), it was decided to accept Marshal Egorov's proposal to develop a more powerful 122-mm howitzer. In September 1937, a separate design group of the Motovilikha plant under the leadership of F. F. Petrov received the task of developing such a weapon.
The M-30 howitzer project was received by the GAU on December 20, 1937. The gun borrowed a lot from other types of artillery weapons; in particular, the design of the barrel bore was close to a similar unit of the Lubok howitzer, and the recoil brake and limber were taken from it. Despite the GAU requirement to equip the new howitzer with a wedge breech, the M-30 was equipped with a piston breech, borrowed unchanged from the 122-mm howitzer mod. 1910/30 The wheels were taken from the F-22 cannon. Prototype The M-30 was completed on March 31, 1938, but factory testing was delayed due to the need to modify the howitzer. Field tests of the howitzer took place from September 11 to November 1, 1938. Although, according to the commission's conclusion, the gun did not withstand field tests (during the tests the frames broke twice), it was nevertheless recommended to send the gun for military trials.

On September 29, 1939, the M-30 was put into service under the official name “122-mm divisional howitzer mod. 1938"

Production of M-30 howitzers began in 1940. Initially, it was carried out by two plants - No. 92 (Gorky) and No. 9 (UZTM). Plant No. 92 produced the M-30 only in 1940; in total, this enterprise produced 500 howitzers.
In addition to the production of towed guns, M-30S barrels were produced for installation on SU-122 self-propelled artillery mounts (SAU).
Serial production of the gun continued until 1955. The successor to the M-30 was the 122-mm howitzer D-30, which was put into service in 1960.

The M-30 had a fairly modern design for its time, with a carriage with sliding frames and sprung wheel travel. The barrel was a prefabricated structure consisting of a pipe, a casing and a screw-on breech with a bolt. The M-30 was equipped with a single-stroke piston bolt, a hydraulic recoil brake, a hydropneumatic knurler, and had separate cartridge loading. The bolt has a mechanism for forced extraction of the spent cartridge case when it is opened after a shot. The descent is made by pressing the trigger on the trigger cord. The gun was equipped with a Hertz artillery panorama for firing from closed positions; the same sight was also used for direct fire. The carriage with sliding frames is equipped with a balancing mechanism and a shield cover. Metal wheels with rubber tires, leaf springs. The transportation of a weapon by mechanical traction was usually carried out without a limber directly behind the tractor; the maximum permissible transportation speed was 50 km/h on the highway and 35 km/h on cobblestone roads and country roads. The horse-drawn howitzer was transported behind the front by six horses. When the frames are retracted, the suspension is turned off automatically; if there is no space or time to retract the frames, shooting is allowed with the frames retracted in the stowed position. The horizontal firing angle is reduced to 1°30′.

The M-30 fired a full range of 122mm howitzer shells, including a variety of old Russian and imported grenades. After the Great Patriotic War, new types of ammunition were added to the range of projectiles listed below, for example, the 3BP1 cumulative projectile. The 53-OF-462 steel high-explosive fragmentation grenade, when the fuse was set to fragmentation action, created about 1000 lethal fragments, the effective radius of destruction of manpower was about 30 meters.

The M-30 was a divisional weapon. According to the 1939 staff, the rifle division had two artillery regiments - a light one (a division of 76-mm cannons and two mixed divisions of two batteries of 122-mm howitzers and one battery of 76-mm cannons in each) and a howitzer (a division of 122-mm howitzers and a division 152 mm howitzers), a total of 28 122 mm howitzers. In June 1940, another division of 122-mm howitzers was added to the howitzer regiment, making a total of 32 of them in the division. In July 1941, the howitzer regiment was expelled, the number of howitzers was reduced to 16. Soviet rifle divisions spent the entire war in this state. In the guards rifle divisions from December 1942 there were 3 divisions with 2 batteries of 76 mm cannons and one battery of 122 mm howitzers each, for a total of 12 howitzers. Since December 1944, these divisions had a howitzer artillery regiment (5 batteries), 20 122-mm howitzers. Since June 1945, rifle divisions were also transferred to this state. In the mountain rifle divisions in 1939–1940 there was one division of 122 mm howitzers (3 batteries of 3 guns each), a total of 9 howitzers. Since 1941, a howitzer artillery regiment (2 divisions of 3 four-gun batteries each) was introduced instead, and the number of howitzers became 24. Since the beginning of 1942, only one two-battery division remained, a total of eight howitzers. Since 1944, howitzers have been excluded from the staff of mountain rifle divisions. The motorized division had 2 mixed divisions (a battery of 76 mm cannons and 2 batteries of 122 mm howitzers each), with a total of 12 howitzers. IN tank division there was one division of 122 mm howitzers, 12 in total. Until August 1941, cavalry divisions had 2 batteries of 122 mm howitzers, a total of 8 guns. Since August 1941, divisional artillery from the composition cavalry divisions was excluded. Until the end of 1941, 122 mm howitzers were in rifle brigades - one battery, 4 guns. 122-mm howitzers were also part of the howitzer artillery brigades of the reserve of the Supreme High Command.

The M-30 was used for firing from closed positions at entrenched and openly located enemy personnel. It was also successfully used to destroy enemy field fortifications (trenches, dugouts, bunkers) and to make passages in wire fences when it was impossible to use mortars. Defensive fire of the M-30 battery fragmentation- high explosive shells posed a certain threat to enemy armored vehicles. The fragments formed during the explosion were capable of penetrating armor up to 20 mm thick, which was quite enough to destroy armored personnel carriers and the sides of light tanks. For vehicles with thicker armor, shrapnel could damage chassis components, guns, and sights. To destroy enemy tanks and self-propelled guns in self-defense, a cumulative projectile, introduced in 1943, was used. In his absence, the artillerymen were ordered to fire high-explosive fragmentation shells at the tanks with the fuse set to high-explosive action. For light and medium tanks, a direct hit from a 122-mm high-explosive shell was fatal in many cases, even leading to the turret being torn off its shoulder strap.

At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, a significant number (several hundred) of M-30s were captured by the Wehrmacht. The weapon was adopted by the Wehrmacht as a heavy howitzer 12.2 cm s.F.H.396(r) and was actively used in battles against the Red Army. Since 1943, the Germans even launched mass production of shells for this gun (as well as a number of earlier captured Soviet howitzers of the same caliber). In 1943, 424 thousand shots were fired, in 1944 and 1945. – 696.7 thousand and 133 thousand shots, respectively. Captured M-30s were used not only on the Eastern Front, but also in the defenses of the Atlantic Wall on the northwestern coast of France.

The M-30 howitzer is probably known to everyone. The famous and legendary weapon of the workers' and peasants', Soviet, Russian and many other armies. Any documentary about the Great Patriotic War almost necessarily includes footage of an M-30 battery firing. And even today, despite its age, this weapon is in service in many armies of the world.

By the way, it’s like 80 years...

So, today we will talk about the 122-mm howitzer of the 1938 model M-30. About the howitzer, which many artillery specialists call an era. And foreign experts say it is the most common weapon in artillery (about 20 thousand units). A system where old solutions, tested by many years of operation of other tools, and new, previously unknown solutions were combined in the most organic way.

In the article preceding this publication, we talked about the most numerous howitzer of the Red Army of the pre-war period - the 122-mm howitzer of the 1910/30 model. It was this howitzer that was already replaced in number by the M-30 in the second year of the war. According to data from various sources, in 1942 the number of M-30s was already greater than its predecessor.

There is a lot of material on creating the system. Literally all the nuances of competition between different design bureaus, the tactical and technical characteristics of guns, design features, etc. are discussed. The points of view of the authors of such articles are sometimes diametrically opposed.

I would not like to go into all the details of such disputes. Therefore, we will “denote the historical part of the story with a dotted line,” leaving readers the right to own opinion on this issue. The authors' opinion is just one of many and cannot serve as the only correct and final one.

So, the 122-mm howitzer of the 1910/30 model was outdated by the mid-30s. That “small modernization” that was carried out in 1930 only extended the life of this system, but did not return its youth and functionality. That is, the weapon could still serve, the whole question is how. The niche of divisional howitzers would soon be empty. And everyone understood this. The command of the Red Army, state leaders and the designers of artillery systems themselves.

In 1928, there was even quite a heated discussion on this issue after the publication of an article in the Journal of the Artillery Committee. Disputes took place in all directions. From combat use and gun design, to the necessary and sufficient caliber of howitzers. Based on the experience of the First World War, several calibers were quite reasonably considered at once, from 107 to 122 mm.

The designers received the task of developing an artillery system to replace the outdated divisional howitzer on August 11, 1929. In studies on the issue of howitzer caliber, there is no clear answer regarding the choice of 122 mm. The authors are inclined to the simplest and most logical explanation.

The Red Army had enough ammunition of this caliber. Moreover, the country had the opportunity to produce these ammunition in the required quantities at existing factories. And third, the logistics of delivering ammunition was simplified as much as possible. The most numerous howitzer (model 1910/30) and the new howitzer could be supplied “from one box.”

There is no point in describing the problems during the “birth” and preparation for serial production of the M-30 howitzer. This is beautifully described in the “Encyclopedia of Domestic Artillery”, probably the most authoritative artillery historian A. B. Shirokorad.

The Red Army Artillery Directorate announced the tactical and technical requirements for the new divisional howitzer in September 1937. The requirements are quite strict. Especially in the shutter part. The AU required a wedge valve (promising and having great potential for modernization). Engineers and designers understood that this system was not reliable enough.

The development of the howitzer was carried out by three design bureaus at once: the Ural Machine-Building Plant (Uralmash), Plant No. 172 named after Molotov (Motovilikha, Perm) and Gorky Plant No. 92 (Nizhny Novgorod Machine-Building Plant).

The howitzer samples presented by these factories were quite interesting. But the Ural development (U-2) was significantly inferior to the Gorky (F-25) and Perm (M-30) in ballistics. Therefore, it was not considered promising.

Howitzer U-2

Howitzer F-25 (highly likely)

We will look at some performance characteristics of the F-25/M-30.

Barrel length, mm: 2800 / 2800
Rate of fire, rpm: 5-6 / 5-6
Initial projectile speed, m/sec: 510 / 515
HV angle, degrees: -5...+65 / -3...+63
Firing range, m: 11780 / 11800
Ammunition, index, weight: OF-461, 21, 76
Weight in firing position, kg: 1830 / 2450
Calculation, persons: 8 / 8
Issued, pcs: 17 / 19 266

It is no coincidence that we have listed part of the performance characteristics in one table. It is in this version that one can clearly see the main advantage of the F-25 - the weight of the gun. Agree, the difference of more than half a ton is impressive. And, probably, it was this fact that became the main one in Shirokorad’s definition of this design as the best. The mobility of such a system is undeniably higher. This is a fact.

True, there is a “buried dog” here too, in our opinion. The M-30s provided for testing were somewhat lighter than the serial ones. Therefore, the gap in mass was not so noticeable.

The question arises about the decision taken. Why M-30? Why not the lighter F-25.

The first and main version was voiced back on March 23, 1939 in the same “Journal of the Artillery Committee” No. 086: “The 122-mm F-25 howitzer, developed by Plant No. 92 on its own initiative, is currently of no interest to the AU, since it is already Field and military tests of the M-30 howitzer, more powerful than the F-25, have been completed."

Agree, such a statement at that time puts a lot into place. There is a howitzer. The howitzer has been tested and there is no point in wasting people’s money on developing a weapon that no one needs. Continuing further work in this direction was fraught for the designers with “moving to some kind of sharashka” with the help of the NKVD.

By the way, the authors in this regard agree with some researchers on the issue of installing not a wedge valve on the M-30, but the good old piston valve. Most likely, the designers committed a direct violation of the AU requirements precisely because of the reliability of the piston valve.

At that time, problems with the semi-automatic wedge bolt were also observed in smaller caliber guns. For example, the F-22, a universal divisional 76-mm gun.

The winners are not judged. Although, this is how you look at it. Of course they took risks. In November 1936, the head of the Motovilikha plant design bureau, B.A. Berger, was arrested and sentenced to 5 years in prison; a similar fate befell the leading designer of the 152-mm ML-15 howitzer-gun, A.A. Ploskirev, in January of the following year.

After this, it is understandable that the developers want to use a piston valve that has already been tested and debugged in production in order to avoid possible accusations of sabotage if problems arise with its wedge-type design.

And there is one more nuance. The lighter weight of the F-25 howitzer compared to its competitors was ensured by the machine and the carriage of the 76-mm cannon. The gun was more mobile, but had a shorter service life due to a more “flimsy” carriage. It is quite natural that the 122 mm projectile gave a completely different recoil impulse than the 76 mm one. The muzzle brake, apparently, at that time did not provide adequate reduction in impulse.

It is obvious that the lighter and more mobile F-25 was preferred to the more durable and longer-lasting M-30.

By the way, we found further confirmation of this hypothesis in the fate of the M-30. We often write that structurally successful field guns were soon “transplanted” onto already used or captured chassis and continued to fight as self-propelled guns. The same fate awaited the M-30.

Parts of the M-30 were used to create the SU-122 (on the captured StuG III chassis and on the T-34 chassis). However, the cars turned out to be unsuccessful. The M-30, for all its power, turned out to be quite heavy. The cabinet installation of weapons on the SU-122 took up a lot of space in the fighting compartment of the self-propelled gun, creating significant inconvenience for the crew. The large forward reach of the anti-recoil devices with their armor made it difficult for the driver to see from the driver's seat and did not allow a full-fledged manhole for him to be placed on the front plate.

But the main thing is that the base of the medium tank was too fragile for such a powerful weapon.

The use of this system was abandoned. But the attempts did not end there. In particular, in one of the variants of the now famous airborne self-propelled gun "Violet" the M-30 was used. But they preferred the universal 120 mm gun.

The second disadvantage for the F-25 could just be its lower mass in combination with the already mentioned muzzle brake.

The lighter the weapon, the greater its chances of being used to directly support friendly forces with fire.

By the way, it was in this role that at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War the M-30, poorly suited for such purposes, played more than once or twice. Not from a good life, of course.

Naturally, powder gases deflected by the muzzle brake, raising dust, sand, soil particles or snow, will more easily give away the position of the F-25 compared to the M-30. And even when firing from closed positions at a short distance from the front line at a low elevation angle, the possibility of such unmasking had to be taken into account. Someone in the AU may well have taken all this into account.

Now directly about the design of the howitzer. Structurally, it consists of the following elements:

A barrel with a free pipe, a casing covering the pipe approximately to the middle, and a screw-on breech;

A piston valve that opened to the right. Closing and opening the shutter was done by turning the handle. A striking mechanism with a linearly moving firing pin, a screw mainspring and a rotating hammer was mounted in the bolt; to cock and lower the firing pin, the hammer was pulled back with a trigger cord. The spent cartridge case was ejected from the chamber when the bolt was opened using an ejector in the form of a cranked lever. There was a safety mechanism that prevented premature unlocking of the bolt during prolonged shots;

The carriage included a cradle, recoil devices, an upper machine, aiming mechanisms, a balancing mechanism, a lower machine with sliding box frames, combat travel and suspension, sighting devices and shield cover.

The cage-type cradle was placed with pins in the sockets of the upper machine.

Recoil devices included a hydraulic recoil brake (under the barrel) and a hydropneumatic knurler (above the barrel).

The upper machine was inserted with a pin into the socket of the lower machine. The shock absorber of the pin with springs ensured the suspended position of the upper machine relative to the lower one and facilitated its rotation. A screw rotary mechanism was mounted on the left side of the upper machine, and a sector lifting mechanism was mounted on the right side.

Combat drive - with two wheels, shoe brakes, switchable transverse leaf spring. The suspension was switched off and on automatically when the frames were moved apart and moved.

Sights included a gun-independent sight (with two shooters) and a Hertz panorama.

There are still many blank spots in the history of this legendary howitzer. The story continues. Contradictory, largely incomprehensible, but history. The brainchild of the design team under the leadership of F. F. Petrov is so harmonious that it still serves today. Moreover, it fits perfectly not only into rifle formations, but also into tank, mechanized and motorized units.

And not only our army in the past, but also at the present time. More than two dozen countries continue to have the M-30 in service. Which indicates that the weapon was more than successful.

Having taken part in almost all wars, starting with World War II, the M-30 has proven its reliability and unpretentiousness, having received the highest praise from Marshal of Artillery G. F. Odintsov: “Nothing can be better than it.”

Of course it can.

After all, all the best that was in the M-30 howitzer was embodied in the 122-mm howitzer D-30 (2A18), which became a worthy successor to the M-30. But, naturally, there will be a separate conversation about it.

We thank the administration of the Museum of the Patriotic military history in Padikovo for the provided copy of the howitzer.

D-30 is Soviet howitzer 122 mm caliber, developed in the early 60s. It was one of the most popular artillery systems in the Soviet army and was actively exported. Currently, the D-30 is in service with several dozen armies around the world. In 1978, the D-30 howitzer was modernized.

In addition to the USSR, the 122-mm D-30 howitzer was produced in Egypt, Iraq, China and Yugoslavia. In Russia, production of this weapon ceased in 1994.

The D-30 has participated (and is participating) in dozens of military conflicts, demonstrating high reliability and efficiency. Without exaggeration, this howitzer can be called the most famous Soviet artillery weapon. The D-30 has excellent shooting accuracy, as well as excellent loading speed and maneuverability. Today in service different countries in the world (excluding the CIS) there are about 3,600 units of this artillery piece.

Several were created on the basis of the D-30 self-propelled guns, both domestic and foreign. The most famous of them is the 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery mount.

It is the D-30 howitzer that is used in St. Petersburg for the daily noon shot.

History of the D-30 howitzer

A howitzer is a type of artillery weapon designed to fire along a mounted trajectory from closed positions beyond the line of sight of the enemy. The first examples of such weapons appeared in Europe back in the 14th century. Initially, they were not very popular; artillerymen of that time preferred to shoot at the enemy with direct fire.

The heyday of howitzers began around the 17th century with the advent of various types explosive ammunition. Howitzer artillery was used especially often during the assault or siege of enemy fortresses.

The “finest hour” for howitzers was the First World War. The positional nature of the fighting was perfectly suited for the use of such artillery. They were used en masse by all parties to the conflict. In the First World War, the number of deaths from enemy shells far exceeded the losses from small arms or poisonous gases.

The Soviet army had high-quality and numerous artillery. She played a vital role in the defeat of the Nazi invaders. The most famous howitzer of the Great Patriotic War was the M-30 122 mm caliber.

However, after the end of the war the situation changed somewhat. The nuclear and missile era has begun.

First Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Khrushchev believed that the outcome modern warfare can be solved with the help of missiles; he considered artillery an anachronism. In a thermonuclear war, guns generally seemed superfluous to him. This point of view turned out to be clearly erroneous, but it slowed down the development of domestic barrel artillery for decades. It was only in the early 60s that the development of new self-propelled and towed artillery systems was initiated.

It was during this period that the development of a new divisional howitzer of 122 mm caliber began. It was supposed to replace the legendary M-30, which was designed even before the start of the war by the talented designer Fedor Petrov.

The development of the new D-30 howitzer was also entrusted to Petrov, at that time he headed the Design Bureau of Plant No. 9. The M-30 had some shortcomings that the designers needed to take into account when working on a new one. artillery system. These included insufficient accuracy of fire and the inability to conduct all-round fire.

The main feature of the new howitzer was the unusual design of the carriage, the design of which was different from any other guns adopted by the Soviet army earlier. The D-30 howitzer had a carriage consisting of three frames, which allowed the gun to fire in a circular manner. The method of towing the gun was also unusual: a pin beam for hooking was attached to the howitzer's muzzle brake.

In 1963, the 122-mm howitzer D-30 was put into service. In 1978, the gun was modernized, but it was insignificant. The pivot beam, to which the howitzer was hooked during transportation, received a rigid structure, and the muzzle brake was also changed. If previously it had five pairs of large slits and one pair of small ones, now a muzzle brake with two chambers was installed on the gun.

Turn signals and side lights were installed on the armor plate for greater convenience in transporting the howitzer in a column. The new modification of the gun received the designation D-30A.

Serial production of the D-30 was established at plant No. 9. Production of the gun was discontinued in the early 90s. Talks about removing the howitzer from service Russian army have been carried out since the beginning of the 2000s, but such a decision was made only a few years ago. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that the D-30s were sent to storage bases back in 2013. They are planned to be replaced by a 152-mm Msta-B towed howitzer and Akatsiya self-propelled guns.

They plan to leave the D-30 only in the airborne forces and air assault units. The military explains this decision by saying that the howitzers available to the troops are very worn out and require serious repairs. It is much easier to send them to storage bases and switch to a single caliber 152 mm, which is also more powerful.

Howitzer D-30 design

The 122-mm howitzer D-30 is designed to destroy enemy personnel in open areas or in field shelters, suppress fire weapons, including self-propelled and towed artillery, destroy enemy fortifications and make passages in obstacles and minefields.

The D-30 howitzer consists of a carriage, a barrel, recoil devices and sighting devices. Loading of the gun is separate-case loading. The shells are supplied manually. Combat crew - 6 people.

The gun barrel consists of a pipe, a breech, muzzle brake, two fastening hooks and a bolt. The muzzle brake is removable.

Recoil devices D-30 – knurling and brake.

The design of the carriage includes a cradle, a balancing mechanism, an upper and lower machine, aiming drives (vertical and horizontal), wheels, suspension mechanisms, and mounting the gun in the stowed position.

Sights D-30 – telescopic and panoramic sights.

The howitzer can be divided into swinging, rotating and stationary parts. The swinging structure includes a cradle, a barrel, recoil devices and sighting devices. This part of the gun moves relative to the axis of the trunnions and provides vertical guidance of the howitzer. The swinging part, together with the wheels and the shield, forms a rotating part that moves around the combat pin of the upper machine and ensures horizontal aiming of the gun.

The lower machine with frames and a hydraulic jack forms the stationary part of the howitzer.

The D-30 has a semi-automatic wedge bolt, which provides a high rate of fire (about 8 rounds per minute). The barrel layout with the brake and knurler located on top significantly reduces the gun's line of fire (up to 900 mm), which reduces the size of the howitzer and makes it less noticeable. In addition, the small line of fire allows the D-30 to be used in anti-tank defense.

Transferring the howitzer to a combat position takes only two to three minutes. One bed remains stationary, the other two move apart by 120 degrees. This carriage arrangement allows all-round fire without moving the gun.

The standard traction device for the D-30 howitzer is the Ural-4320 vehicle. On hard-surfaced roads (asphalt, concrete), the permissible speed for transporting the gun is 80 km/h. A ski mount is used to move the howitzer through the snow, although it is impossible to fire from it. The small overall and weight characteristics of the gun can be attributed to one of the main advantages of the D-30. They allow the howitzer to be dropped by parachute or transported by helicopter.

To fire, the D-30 can use a wide range of ammunition. The most common is the high-explosive fragmentation projectile, the maximum firing range is 16 kilometers. In addition, the gun can fire anti-tank cumulative shells, fragmentation, smoke, illumination and special chemical ammunition. The D-30 howitzer can also use active rockets, in which case the firing range increases to 22 km.

Modifications of the D-30 gun

D-30. Basic modification, adopted in 1963

D-30A. Howitzer variant after modernization in 1978. The gun was equipped with a new two-chamber muzzle brake, brake lights and side lights were installed on the dashboard

DA18M-1. Modification with rammer

D-30J. Modification developed in Yugoslavia

Saddam. Version of the gun created in Iraq

Type-96. Chinese modification of howitzer

Khalifa. Sudanese modification

Semser. A modification developed in Israel for the army of Kazakhstan. It is a self-propelled gun based on KAMAZ-63502 with a D-30 gun

Khalifa-1. Modification developed in Sudan: self-propelled guns on a KAMAZ-43118 chassis with a D-30 gun

Use of the D-30 howitzer

The D-30 is one of the most successful examples of Soviet artillery weapons. Its main advantages are simplicity, reliability, good accuracy of fire, sufficient firing range, high speed movement and mobility.

The howitzer is perfect for highly mobile units. For the Soviet landing, a technique was developed for dropping the D-30 by parachute; preparing the gun for landing takes only a few minutes. The D-30 can be transported on the external sling of a Mi-8 helicopter.

The howitzer has been used in dozens of different conflicts in many parts of the world. It was actively used Soviet troops in Afghanistan, federal forces used the D-30 during the first and second Chechen campaigns, today the howitzer is used in the Syrian conflict, Ukrainian troops use it in anti-terrorism operations in the east of the country.

Characteristics of the D-30 howitzer

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them

In many films about the war, on various posters dedicated to that difficult time, you can see an image of the famous 122-mm howitzer of the 1938 model M-30. After defeating Nazi Germany many experts recognized it as not only the best among howitzers, but also unmatched among all the cannon artillery of the Second World War.

The weapon did not lose its relevance even after World War II, remaining in demand in many countries. It can be found in all corners of the world, isn’t this a recognition of its perfection?

From prerequisites to creation

Even before the First World War, Russia purchased 48-line howitzers for the army - guns designed to fire heavy high-explosive shells. This type of weapon was specially designed to combat enemy fortifications.

For infantry hidden in trenches or behind a rampart, heavy shells flying along a steep trajectory are very dangerous. It should be clarified that in Russian units of measurement - 48 lines correspond to 4.8 inches or 121.92 mm, reduced to the usual 122 mm, this caliber is still considered optimal for light field howitzers.

Howitzers of the 1909 - 1910 model, developed by the Krupp concern and the French company Schneider, respectively, coped well with the responsibilities and tasks assigned to them. Moreover, the mass production of ammunition for them subsequently played a role in equipping the Soviet army.

At the end of the twenties, the artillery park of the Red Army became morally and physically obsolete.

The modernizations carried out in 1930 of the Krupp howitzers, and in 1937 of the French howitzers, could not satisfy all the requirements for modern artillery. The government's policy of mechanization in the army clearly showed all their imperfections.

Even moving without suspension and on wooden wheels faster than 10 km/h was impossible. And the firing range increased during modernization remained below the required one.

The “Journal of the Artillery Committee” in 1928 was the first to formulate the requirements for the next generation divisional howitzer. After publication, on August 11, 1929, technical specifications for its development were issued. It was decided to make the caliber within the range of 107-122 mm, based on the performance characteristics of English and German howitzers that have a similar purpose.

In addition, the gun had to be adapted for towing by mechanized means.

A separate point included the possibility of maneuvering a gun on the battlefield using crew forces.

The theme of creating a new weapon was called “Lubok”. There weren't enough developers Civil war severely undermined competent engineering personnel. It was necessary to entrust the work on "Lubok" to German specialists from the Weimar Republic who served in KB-2, which structurally belonged to the All-Union Weapons and Arsenal Association of the People's Commissariat of Heavy Industry.

It should be noted that the help of German specialists was invaluable at that time, since the country of the Soviets lacked not only engineers, but also production capacity. There were difficulties even with machine workers.

The result of the work was a 122 mm howitzer on a single-beam carriage. Sprung metal wheels made it possible to reach speeds of up to 10 km/h, because the use of tires was not provided. The vertical angle of the barrel (length 23 caliber) did not exceed +50°, and the horizontal angle – 7°. In the stowed position the system weighed 2.8 tons, in the combat position - 2.25 tons. For those times, a pretty good result.

However, the material and technical capabilities of the factories were not taken into account. Only 11 howitzers were produced. The Nazis' rise to power in Germany led to the liquidation of KB-2. In 1936, the project was closed because the requirements for modern guns changed.

The artillery department demanded the creation of a howitzer with rubber wheels for the Red Army.

The carriage must be designed with sliding frames. The rubber travel and suspension made it possible to increase the towing speed of the gun; the sliding frames, in turn, made the structure heavier, but gave the gun greater fire maneuverability.

Again we considered calibers 107 and 122 mm, but with the requirement to increase all aiming angles. It was assumed that it was even possible to make a howitzer-gun. The 122 mm caliber won, although the production of 107 mm guns would have been much cheaper.

The fact is that the arsenals had accumulated a large stock of shells for 122 mm guns; in addition, unlike the 107 mm shell, which had to be developed and created almost from scratch, for the production of 122 mm shells and charges there were ready-made and operating production lines.

Such weapons have more power. The new concrete-piercing projectile also required a large caliber. Thus, the next step was the creation of the legendary M-30.

Creation, fielding and production of the M-30

Three groups of designers received the development task at once:

F.F. Petrov, with the design group of the Motovilikha plant in Perm, this team had extensive experience in the design of heavy artillery systems. Until 1917, the plant was engaged in the production of guns for tsarist army. The project received the index - M-30.
Plant No. 92, under the leadership of the talented and young designer V.G. Grabin at that time. Initiative development for the competition. Internal index of the F-25 plant.
Plant No. 9, known as the Ural heavy engineering plant with the U-2 howitzer (the weapon, by the way, turned out to be quite successful). Attempts were made to equip tanks and heavy vehicles with them. self-propelled units.

In a difficult competition, the M-30 project won. U-2 failed the tests (frame deformation) and dropped out of further participation in the competition. Despite several rather interesting solutions and findings.

With the F-25, not everything is so simple. The gun was practically equivalent to the M-30. The design used developments from the Lubok, in addition, a muzzle brake was used, the bolt was of a horizontal wedge type. The weight is slightly lower than that of the M-30, but, nevertheless, the F-25 was rejected.

Perhaps the commission was guided by the following advantages of F. F. Petrov’s brainchild:

barrel without a muzzle brake (less unmasking and improves crew working conditions);
many well-developed components (piston bolt, barrel bore, recoil brake and front end are similar to the Lubok);
the possibility of using the carriage for more powerful systems (later it was used for).

Based on the results of the competition and testing, a howitzer designed by F.F. was selected. Petrova.

In 1939, the gun was put into mass production under the name 122 mm divisional howitzer mod. 1938.

Since 1940, the howitzer has been mass-produced by two factories. The first one is No. 92 in the mountains. Gorky and No. 9, known as the Ural Heavy Engineering Plant.

The Gorky people produced the M-30 for only one year and produced 500 pieces; in 1941-1942, the plant mastered the production of the M-30S, a howitzer version for installation in the SU-122, but after its production ceased, the gun was no longer produced. UZTM continued production until 1955.

Design features and changes during production

Like most classical-type guns, the divisional howitzer mod. 1938 consists of the following elements:

The barrel is a metal monoblock pipe, there is no muzzle brake. The barrel has 36 grooves.
Breech, with piston lock. The barrel is screwed into a massive breech. A mounting system to the carriage is also installed on it.
Carriage (M-30S – stand)

Components of the carriage:

cradle;
recoil devices;
upper machine;
aiming mechanisms;
balancing mechanism;
lower machine with sliding frames, there are also mounts for entrenching tools and spare parts;
chassis, wheels with stamped discs and solid rubber tires;
leaf springs;
sighting devices;
shield cover, made of several elements.

The frame cradle is placed with trunnions into special sockets of the upper machine. The socket of the lower machine includes a pin from the upper one, made with shock absorbers that hang the upper machine and make it easier to turn. The upper machine has rotating (left) and lifting (right) mechanisms.

Recoil devices consist of a hydraulic recoil brake (under the barrel) and a hydropneumatic knurl (above the barrel).
A Hertz panorama was inserted into a special socket of an independent (two arrows) sight, through which direct fire and indirect fire were fired.

Over the entire production period, the howitzer underwent minor changes.

This is reflected in the 1948 Service Manual, but without issue numbers or dates. Changes were introduced to simplify and reduce the cost of production as much as possible. So around 1945, riveting on frames was replaced by welding. After modernization, the breech was increased in size and its strength was increased.

The trigger travel stop and the loading mechanism were removed. The grease fittings of the cradle rollers and the oil seals of the recoil and retractor brakes have undergone changes.

After the start of production of the 152 mm D-1, the carriage for two systems was unified. The design of sights and panoramas changed.

Combat use and performance characteristics of the M-30

Performance characteristics:

Caliber	121.92 mm
Total issued	19 266
Calculation	8 people
Rate of fire	5 - 6 rounds/min
Permissible highway speed	50 km/h
Fire line height	1200 mm
Barrel length	2800 mm \ 22.7 cal.
Bore length	2278 mm \ 18.7 cal.
Weight in stowed position,	2900 - 3100 kg
Weight in firing position	2360-2500 kg
Length	5900 mm (with front end 8600)
Width	1975mm
Height	1820 mm
Clearance	330-357 mm
Elevation angle	from −3 to +63.3°
Horizontal angle	49°

Types of ammunition:

Index shot	Index projectile	Weight Projectile (kg)	Weight of explosives/explosives (kg)	Fuse brand	Initial projectile speed, (m/s)	Maximum firing range, (km)
Cumulative
53-VBP-463	53-VBP-463	14,83	2,18	State Bills	570	4
53-VBP-463A	53-BP-460A	13,34		B-229	335	2
3VBK1	53-BK-463(M)(U) (UM)	21,26	2,15	GPV-1, GPV-2, GKN	500
3VBK11	53-BK-463U (M)	21,26	2,15	GPV-2	515
Fragmentation
53-VO-462A	53-О-462А	21,76	3,0	D-1, RGM(-2), RG-6, GVZM	380	9,34
53-VO-463A	53-O-460A	21,76		D-1-U, RGM-2, MGNS-2	458	10,77
53-VO-463AM	53-О-462А	21,76	3,0	D-1, RGM(-2), RG-6, GVZM	458	10,77
High-explosive fragmentation
53-VOF-462	53-OF-462(Zh)	21,76	3,67	D-1, RGM(-2), RG-6, GVZM	380	9,34
53-VOF-463	53-OF-462(Zh)	21,76	3,67	D-1, RGM(-2), RG-6, GVZM	515	11,8
53-VOF-463M	53-OF-462(Zh)	21,76	3,67	D-1-U, RGM-2(M), V-90, AR-5	515	11,8
3VOF7	3OF7/3OF8	21,76	2,98	AR-30	515	11,8
3VOF31	3OF24(W)	21,76	3,97	RGM-2(M), V-90, AR-5	515	11,8
3VOF46	53-OF-462(Zh)	21,76	3,67	RGM-2(M), V-90, AR-5	515	11,8
3VOF80	3OF56(-1)	21,76	4,31	RGM-2(M), V-90, AR-5	515	11,8
Shrapnel
3VSh1	3VSh1	21,76	2,075	DTM-75	515
Chemical
	53-ХН-462		3,1
	53-ХС-462У		1,9
	53-ХСО-462		1,9
	53-ХСО-462Д	23,1	3,3
	53-ХСО-463Б	22,2	1,325
Smoke
3-VD-462	53-D-462	22,55	3,6	KT(M)-2	380	9,34
53-VD-463	53-D-462	22,55	3,6	KT(M)-2	515	11,8
53-VD-463A	53-D-462A	22,77	3,6	RGM-2(M)	458	10,77
53-VD-463M	53-D-462S	22,55	3,6	KTM-2, RGM-2(M)	515	11,8
3VD1	3D4(M)	21,76	3,6	RGM-2(M)	515	11,8
Lighting
53-VS-462	53-VS-462	22,3	0,02	T-6	361	7,12
53-VS-463	53-VS-462	22,3	0,02	T-6	479	8,5
53-VS-463M	53-S-463(Zh)	22,0	0,02	T-7	515	11,0
3ВС10	3S4(Zh)	21,8	-	T-90	515
Propaganda
53-VA-462	53-A-462	21,5	-	T-6	366	7,2
53-VA-463	53-A-462	21,5	-	T-6	431	8,0
3VA1	3A1(D)(W)(J)	21,5	-	T-7	515

According to the requirements of artillery science, divisional howitzers were assigned the following tasks:

destruction of field-type fortifications;
combating enemy fire weapons;
counter-battery shooting;
destruction of enemy manpower and means of delivering it to the front line.

If absolutely necessary, divisional reinforcement systems could also operate at direct fire. In this case, 122 mm howitzer shells simply broke through the armor of enemy medium tanks, the lungs turned over and overturned from nearby explosions.

Subsequently, in order to combat heavily armored enemy vehicles, cumulative projectiles were introduced into the ammunition load of the M-30S, and subsequently the towed versions of the gun.

During the Second World War, they towed a three-ton howitzer in a variety of ways. Horses, and all kinds of trucks, tractors “Stalinets” STZ-5 or Y-12. In battle, the gun was simply rolled by hand.

M30 service abroad

The quality of our guns can be judged by the fact that several hundred M-30 howitzers captured by the Germans in 1941 were put into service by them and, under the name 12.2 cm s.F.H.396(r), were actively used both on the eastern front and and in France. Even mass production of ammunition for them was established in 1943.

In total, German factories produced 12,573,000 shells for the M-30.

According to some reports, the Germans even installed our guns on captured French armored vehicles.

During the battles, 41 guns were left to the Finns, who did not have their own artillery production Finnish army used all the trophies creatively and fully. Renamed 122 H/38, the guns were used against the Red Army, and in 1944, the gun barrels were turned against Germany.
As a reserve, the Finns kept it until the 80s of the last century.

The Chinese howitzer type 54 almost completely replicates the M-30 device. The changes are minor and only concern the standardization of production.
In the post-war period, the howitzer was supplied to more than thirty countries around the world. Most of them continue to be in service today.

The legendary 122-mm howitzer of the 1938 model M-30 can be called an entire era in the history of artillery. Having taken part in almost all wars, starting with World War II, she proved her reliability and unpretentiousness, receiving the highest praise from Marshal of Artillery G. F. Odintsov: “Nothing can be better than her.”

Video

The Russian Ministry of Defense has decided to decommission the 122-mm towed howitzers D-30 in service Ground Forces. Artillery guns will be replaced with more powerful Msta-B towed howitzers and Akatsiya self-propelled guns of 152 mm caliber. However, the light D-30 howitzers will remain in service with the Airborne Forces and a separate air assault brigade of the Southern Military District.

Howitzer D-30 in Dagestan during the second Chechen campaign

The development of a new 122 mm howitzer in the USSR began shortly after the end of World War II to replace the successful M-30, designed back in 1938 by engineer Fedor Petrov. The creation of the D-30 was also entrusted to Petrov and the Sverdlovsk design bureau OKB-9, which he headed, and this choice was not accidental: the guns and howitzers created by the engineer (including the M-30) played a vital role during the war. In addition, Petrov participated in the development of self-propelled artillery units of various calibers, as well as tank guns of 85, 100 and 122 mm caliber.

Towed howitzer D-30 (2A18) designed to destroy enemy personnel (located both openly and in shelters), as well as fire weapons, command posts, weapons and military equipment.

The D-30 howitzer fires separately loaded projectiles, including high-explosive fragmentation, anti-tank (armor-piercing up to 460 mm), smoke, chemical, illumination and reactive shells. The crew of the D-30 howitzer is six people.

With a barrel length of 4.87 meters, the D-30 howitzer can impart initial speed up to 740 m/s. The gun's rate of fire reaches 8 rounds/minute.
The howitzer can go from traveling to combat position in just one and a half to two minutes. In winter, instead of wheels, the D-30 can be equipped with skis.

The D-30 howitzer entered service with the USSR Armed Forces in the early 1960s. At the same time, its mass production began. Compared to the M-30, the firing range of the D-30 increased by one and a half times: from 10-11 km (depending on the type of projectile) to almost 16 km. Missiles The D-30 could fire at a distance of up to 22 km. In addition, the howitzer had a full horizontal firing angle (360 degrees) versus 49 degrees for the M-30 and, unlike its predecessor, was equipped with a muzzle brake.

To tow the D-30 howitzer, ZIL-157, ZIL-131 and Ural-375D trucks, as well as . Due to its relatively small weight (about 3.2 tons), the howitzer can even be transported on the external sling of a helicopter and parachuted. In the 1970s, the USSR decided to develop a self-propelled artillery mount based on the D-30. It received the designation 2S1 “Gvozdika” and was based on the MT-LB chassis.

Howitzer D-30, installed in Moscow at the intersection of Pleshcheev and Leskov streets in memory of the war in Afghanistan

Now the D-30 howitzer is in service with more than 30 countries, including the CIS countries, India, Pakistan, Iran, China and Israel. In several countries, including, for example, Yugoslavia, it was produced under license. The Iraqi version of the D-30 was called "Saddam". In Egypt and Syria, the D-30 was mounted on a chassis from the T-34 tank.

The D-30 howitzer has survived most modern armed conflicts and was actively used by Soviet artillerymen in Afghanistan. In the 1990s, howitzers were used to fight Chechen militants. In the 2000s, the remnants of the Soviet D-30 were used by the Afghan National Army in military operations against the Taliban.

In service with Russia, according to open sources, there are now about 5,000 D-30 howitzers. Of these, the vast majority are on the balance sheet of the Ground Forces. However, as the Izvestia newspaper notes, there are few serviceable guns left in the troops, especially since the D-30 howitzers stopped being produced in the early 1990s. It was proposed to write off obsolete howitzers back in the early 2000s, but they have not yet decided to seriously get rid of them. In June 2009, they decided to emphasize the historical importance of the D-30 for the Armed Forces by transferring two howitzers (1968 and 1978) to St. Petersburg for a ceremonial midday shot.

Midday shot from a D-30 howitzer in St. Petersburg

As Izvestia writes with reference to the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate (GRAU) of the Ministry of Defense, the head of the military department Sergei Shoigu ordered the transfer of all D-30 howitzers from the Ground Forces to storage bases by the end of 2013. As a representative of the Ministry of Defense explained to the publication, the howitzers are badly worn out and require overhaul. « It’s easier to write them off and switch to a single artillery caliber 152 millimeters“, assured the publication’s interlocutor.

Besides 122 mm howitzers are significantly inferior in power to artillery guns with a barrel diameter of 152 mm. As the artillerymen note, the latter only need one shot to destroy a long-term fortification or house, while the D-30 requires several salvos for this. Most foreign armies, including the US, UK and India, have long switched to 155 mm howitzers.

Towed howitzer 2A65 "Msta-B" 152 mm caliber is designed to destroy enemy artillery, destroy defensive structures, suppress command posts, as well as destroy manpower, weapons and equipment. Gun crew - 8 people.

"Msta-B" is towed by an MT-LB tracked tractor or a URAL-4320 truck. The howitzer is designed to carry 60 rounds of ammunition, each weighing 43.5 kg. The gun's rate of fire is up to 8 rounds/minute. Firing range - up to 30 km.

At the same time, the D-30 howitzer is significantly superior to its larger-caliber counterparts in terms of accuracy of fire and is more suitable for aimed fire. In addition, the Msta-B howitzers proposed to replace the D-30 weigh 7 tons, which makes it difficult to transport them on the external sling of helicopters and parachute landing. The 152 mm caliber shells themselves also have a large mass, which also does not simplify transportation.

Towed howitzer 2A65 "Msta-B" 152 mm caliber

« 122 mm shells are, of course, weaker than 152 mm shells, but they also have adequate tasks. In many situations, it is more profitable from a supply point of view to use 122 mm guns. For example, if to solve one problem you need three trucks of 122 mm shells or four trucks of 152 mm shells. It's better, of course, to choose the first one“,” said Vyacheslav Tseluiko, an expert on modern armed conflicts. According to him, D-30 howitzers will still be useful Airborne troops, A motorized rifle brigades they are not needed.

Self-propelled artillery unit "Acacia" 152 mm caliber

The refusal of the Ministry of Defense from the D-30 howitzers did not come as a surprise, rather the opposite. In the USSR, and then in Russia, preference in most cases was given to self-propelled artillery installations due to their greater mobility. In addition, the military department has recently become less and less willing to undertake the resuscitation of old weapons and equipment - it is very expensive.

For the same reason, the military will probably refuse modernization and start buying new ones. On the other hand, the Msta-B and Akatsiya howitzers proposed to replace the D-30 cannot be called new either - the first has been in service for a quarter of a century, and the second for more than 40 years.