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Military equipment of the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945

Plan

Introduction

1. Aviation

2. Tanks and self-propelled guns

3. Armored vehicles

4. Other military equipment

Literature

Introduction

The victory over fascist Germany and its allies was achieved through the joint efforts of the states of the anti-fascist coalition, the peoples who fought against the occupiers and their accomplices. But the Soviet Union played a decisive role in this armed conflict. It was the Soviet country that was the most active and consistent fighter against the fascist invaders who sought to enslave the peoples of the whole world.

In the territory Soviet Union a significant number of national military formations with a total number of 550 thousand people, for whose arsenal about 960 thousand rifles, carbines and machine guns, more than 40.5 thousand machine guns, 16.5 thousand guns and mortars, over 2,300 aircraft, more than 1,100 tanks and self-propelled guns were donated. Considerable assistance was also provided in the training of national command personnel.

The results and consequences of the Great Patriotic War are enormous in scale and historical significance. It was not “military happiness”, not accidents that led the Red Army to a brilliant victory. Throughout the war, the Soviet economy successfully coped with providing the front with the necessary weapons and ammunition.

Soviet industry in 1942 - 1944. produced over 2 thousand tanks monthly, while German industry reached a maximum of 1,450 tanks only in May 1944; The number of field artillery guns in the Soviet Union was more than 2 times, and mortars 5 times more than in Germany. The secret of this “economic miracle” lies in the fact that, in fulfilling the intense plans of the military economy, the workers, peasants, and intelligentsia showed massive labor heroism. Following the slogan “Everything for the front! Everything for Victory!”, regardless of any hardships, home front workers did everything to give the army the perfect weapons, clothe, shoe and feed the soldiers, ensure the uninterrupted operation of transport and the entire national economy. The Soviet military industry surpassed the fascist German one not only in quantity, but also in the quality of the main types of weapons and equipment. Soviet scientists and designers radically improved many technological processes, tirelessly created and improved military equipment and weapons. For example, medium tank The T-34, which has undergone several modifications, is rightfully considered the best tank of the Great Patriotic War.

Mass heroism, unprecedented perseverance, courage and dedication, selfless devotion to the Motherland of the Soviet people at the front, behind enemy lines, the labor feats of workers, peasants and intelligentsia were the most important factor in achieving our Victory. History has never known such examples of mass heroism and labor enthusiasm.

One can name thousands of glorious Soviet soldiers who accomplished remarkable feats in the name of the Motherland, in the name of Victory over the enemy. The immortal feat of the infantrymen A.K. was repeated more than 300 times during the Great Patriotic War. Pankratov V.V. Vasilkovsky and A.M. Matrosova. The names of Yu.V. are inscribed in golden letters in the military chronicle of the Soviet Fatherland. Smirnova, A.P. Maresyev, paratrooper K.F. Olshansky, Panfilov heroes and many, many others. The names of D.M. became a symbol of unbending will and perseverance in the struggle. Karbyshev and M. Jalil. The names M.A. are widely known. Egorova and M.V. Kantaria, who hoisted the Victory Banner over the Reichstag. More than 7 million people who fought on the war fronts were awarded orders and medals. 11,358 people were awarded the highest degree of military distinction - the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Having watched various films about the war, having heard in the media mass media about the approaching 65th anniversary of the Great Patriotic War, I became interested in what kind of military equipment helped our people defeat Nazi Germany.

1. Aviation

In the creative competition of design bureaus that developed new fighters in the late thirties, the team led by A.S. Yakovlev achieved great success. The experimental I-26 fighter he created passed excellent tests and was branded Yak-1 was accepted into mass production. In terms of its aerobatic and combat qualities, the Yak-1 was among the best front-line fighters.

During the Great Patriotic War it was modified several times. On its basis, more advanced fighters Yak-1M and Yak-3 were created. Yak-1M - single-seat fighter, development of the Yak-1. Created in 1943 in two copies: prototype No. 1 and a backup. The Yak-1M was the lightest and most maneuverable fighter in the world for its time.

Designers: Lavochkin, Gorbunov, Gudkov - LaGG

The introduction of the aircraft did not go smoothly, since the aircraft and its drawings were still quite “raw”, not finalized for serial production. It was not possible to establish continuous production. With the release of production aircraft and their arrival at military units, wishes and demands began to be received to strengthen armament and increase the capacity of tanks. Increasing the capacity of gas tanks made it possible to increase the flight range from 660 to 1000 km. Automatic slats were installed, but the series used more conventional aircraft. Factories, having produced about 100 LaGG-1 vehicles, began to build its version - LaGG-3. All this was accomplished to the best of our ability, but the plane became heavier and its flight performance decreased. In addition, winter camouflage - a rough surface of the paint - worsened the aerodynamics of the aircraft (and the dark cherry-colored prototype was polished to a shine, for which it was called “piano” or “radiola”). The overall weight culture in the LaGG and La aircraft was lower than in the Yak aircraft, where it was brought to perfection. But the survivability of the LaGG (and then La) design was exceptional. LaGG-3 was one of the main front-line fighters in the first period of the war. In 1941-1943. factories built over 6.5 thousand LaGG aircraft.

It was a cantilever low-wing aircraft with smooth contours and a retractable landing gear with a tail wheel; it was unique among fighters of the time because it had an all-wood construction, with the exception of its metal frame and fabric-covered control surfaces; The fuselage, tail and wings had a wooden load-bearing structure, to which diagonal strips of plywood were attached using phenol-formaldehyde rubber.

More than 6,500 LaGG-3 aircraft were built, with later versions having a retractable tailwheel and the ability to carry jettisonable fuel tanks. Armament included a 20 mm cannon firing through the propeller hub, two 12.7 mm (0.5 in) machine guns, and underwing mounts for unguided rockets or light bombs.

The armament of the serial LaGG-3 consisted of one ShVAK cannon, one or two BS and two ShKAS, and 6 RS-82 shells were also suspended. There were also production aircraft with a 37-mm Shpitalny Sh-37 (1942) and Nudelman NS-37 (1943) cannon. The LaGG-3 with the Sh-37 cannon was called a “tank destroyer.”

In the mid-30s, there was, perhaps, no fighter that would have enjoyed such wide popularity in aviation circles as the I-16 (TsKB-12), designed by the team headed by N.N. Polikarpov.

In my own way appearance and flight qualities I-16 was sharply different from most of his serial contemporaries.

The I-16 was created as a high-speed fighter, which simultaneously pursued the goal of achieving maximum maneuverability for air combat. For this purpose, the center of gravity in flight was combined with the center of pressure at approximately 31% of the MAR. There was an opinion that in this case the aircraft would be more maneuverable. In fact, it turned out that the I-16 became practically insufficiently stable, especially during gliding, it required a lot of attention from the pilot, and reacted to the slightest movement of the handle. And along with this, there was, perhaps, no aircraft that would have made such a great impression on its contemporaries with its high-speed qualities. The small I-16 embodied the idea of a high-speed aircraft, which also performed aerobatic maneuvers very effectively, and compared favorably with any biplanes. After each modification, the speed, ceiling and armament of the aircraft increased.

The armament of the 1939 I-16 consisted of two cannons and two machine guns. The aircraft of the first series received a baptism of fire in battles with the Nazis in the skies of Spain. Using subsequent production vehicles with missile launchers, our pilots defeated the Japanese militarists at Khalkhin Gol. I-16s took part in battles with Nazi aviation in the first period of the Great Patriotic War. Heroes of the Soviet Union G. P. Kravchenko, S. I. Gritsevets, A. V. Vorozheikin, V. F. Safonov and other pilots fought on these fighters and won many victories twice.

I-16 type 24 took part in the initial period of the Great Patriotic War. I-16, adapted for dive bombing/

One of the most formidable combat aircraft of World War II, the Ilyushin Il-2 was produced in huge quantities. Soviet sources give the figure as 36,163 aircraft. Characteristic feature The two-seater TsKB-55 or BSh-2 aircraft, developed in 1938 by Sergei Ilyushin and his Central Design Bureau, had an armored shell that was integral with the fuselage structure and protected the crew, engine, radiators and fuel tank. The aircraft was perfectly suited to its designated role as an attack aircraft, as it was well protected when attacking from low altitudes, but it was abandoned in favor of a lighter single-seat model - the TsKB-57 aircraft, which had an AM-38 engine with a power of 1268 kW (1700 hp). s.), a raised, well-streamlined canopy, two 20 mm cannons instead of two of the four wing-mounted machine guns, and underwing missile launchers. The first prototype took off on October 12, 1940.

Serial copies designated IL-2, in general they were similar to the TsKB-57 model, but had a modified windshield and a shortened fairing at the rear of the cockpit canopy. The single-seat version of the Il-2 quickly proved itself to be a highly effective weapon. However, losses during 1941-42. due to the lack of escort fighters, they were very large. In February 1942, it was decided to return to the two-seat version of the Il-2 in accordance with Ilyushin's original concept. The Il-2M aircraft had a gunner in the rear cockpit under the general canopy. Two of these aircraft were flight tested in March, and production aircraft appeared in September 1942. A new version of the Il-2 Type 3 (or Il-2m3) aircraft first appeared in Stalingrad in early 1943.

Il-2 aircraft were used by the USSR Navy for anti-ship operations; in addition, specialized Il-2T torpedo bombers were developed. On land, this aircraft was used, if necessary, for reconnaissance and setting up smoke screens.

In the final year of World War II, Il-2 aircraft were used by Polish and Czechoslovak units flying alongside Soviet units. These attack aircraft remained in service with the USSR Air Force for several post-war years and for a slightly longer time in other countries of Eastern Europe.

To provide a replacement for the Il-2 attack aircraft, two different prototype aircraft were developed in 1943. The Il-8 variant, while maintaining a close resemblance to the Il-2, was equipped with a more powerful AM-42 engine, had a new wing, horizontal tail and landing gear, combined with the fuselage of the late-production Il-2 aircraft. It was flight tested in April 1944, but was abandoned in favor of the Il-10, which was a completely new development with an all-metal design and improved aerodynamic shape. Mass production began in August 1944, and evaluation in active regiments two months later. This aircraft first came into use in February 1945, and by the spring its production had reached its peak. Before the German surrender, many regiments were re-equipped with these attack aircraft; a significant number of them took part in short but large-scale actions against the Japanese invaders in Manchuria and Korea during August 1945.

During the Great Patriotic War Pe-2 was the most popular Soviet bomber. These aircraft took part in battles on all fronts and were used by land and naval aviation as bombers, fighters, and reconnaissance aircraft.

In our country, the first dive bomber was Ar-2 A.A. Arkhangelsky, which represented a modernization of the Security Council. The Ar-2 bomber was developed almost in parallel with the future Pe-2, but was put into mass production faster, since it was based on a well-developed aircraft. However, the SB design was already quite outdated, so there were practically no prospects for further development of the Ar-2. A little later, the St. Petersburg N.N. aircraft was produced in a small series (five pieces). Polikarpov, superior to the Ar-2 in armament and flight characteristics. Since numerous accidents occurred during flight tests, work was stopped after extensive development of this machine.

During the testing of the "hundredth" several accidents occurred. The right engine of Stefanovsky’s plane failed, and he barely landed the plane on the maintenance site, miraculously “jumping” over the hangar and the trestles stacked near it. The second plane, the “backup”, on which A.M. Khripkov and P.I. Perevalov were flying, also suffered an accident. After takeoff, a fire broke out on it, and the pilot, blinded by the smoke, landed on the first landing site he came across, crushing the people there.

Despite these accidents, the aircraft showed high flight characteristics and it was decided to build it in series. An experienced "weaving" was demonstrated at the May Day parade in 1940. State tests"hundreds" ended on May 10, 1940, and on June 23 the aircraft was accepted for mass production. The production aircraft had some differences. The most noticeable external change was the forward movement of the cockpit. Behind the pilot, slightly to the right, was the navigator's seat. The lower part of the nose was glazed, which made it possible to aim during bombing. The navigator had a rear-firing ShKAS machine gun on a pivot mount.

Serial production of the Pe-2 unfolded very quickly. In the spring of 1941, these vehicles began to arrive in combat units. On May 1, 1941, the Pe-2 regiment (95th Colonel S.A. Pestov) flew over Red Square in parade formation. These vehicles were “appropriated” by F.P. Polynov’s 13th Air Division, which, having independently studied them, successfully used them in battles on the territory of Belarus.

Unfortunately, by the beginning of hostilities the machine was still poorly mastered by the pilots. The comparative complexity of the aircraft, the dive-bombing tactics that were fundamentally new for Soviet pilots, the lack of twin-control aircraft, and design defects, in particular insufficient landing gear damping and poor fuselage sealing, which increased the fire hazard, all played a role here. Subsequently, it was also noted that takeoff and landing on the Pe-2 is much more difficult than on the domestic SB or DB-3, or the American Douglas A-20 Boston. In addition, the pilots of the rapidly growing Soviet Air Force were inexperienced. For example, in the Leningrad district, more than half of the flight personnel graduated from aviation schools in the fall of 1940 and had very few flight hours.

Despite these difficulties, units armed with the Pe-2 fought successfully already in the first months of the Great Patriotic War.

On the afternoon of June 22, 1941, 17 Pe-2 aircraft of the 5th Bomber Aviation Regiment bombed the Galati Bridge over the Prut River. This fast and quite maneuverable aircraft could operate during the day in conditions of enemy air superiority. So, on October 5, 1941, the crew of St. Lieutenant Gorslikhin took on nine German Bf 109 fighters and shot down three of them.

On January 12, 1942, V.M. Petlyakov died in a plane crash. The Pe-2 plane on which the designer was flying was caught in heavy snow on the way to Moscow, lost orientation and crashed into a hill near Arzamas. The place of chief designer was briefly taken by A.M. Izakson, and then he was replaced by A.I. Putilov.

The front was in dire need of modern bombers.

Since the autumn of 1941, the Pe-2 was already actively used on all fronts, as well as in the naval aviation of the Baltic and Black Sea fleets. The formation of new units was carried out at an accelerated pace. For this, the most experienced pilots were attracted, including test pilots from the Air Force Research Institute, from whom a separate regiment of Pe-2 aircraft (410th) was formed. During the counter-offensive near Moscow, Pe-2s already accounted for approximately a quarter of the bombers concentrated for the operation. However, the number of bombers produced remained insufficient. In the 8th Air Army at Stalingrad on July 12, 1942, out of 179 bombers, there were only 14 Pe-2s and one Pe-3, i.e. about 8%.

Pe-2 regiments were often transferred from place to place, using them in the most dangerous areas. At Stalingrad, the 150th regiment of Colonel I.S. Polbin (later general, commander of the air corps) became famous. This regiment performed the most important tasks. Having mastered dive bombing well, the pilots launched powerful strikes against the enemy during the day. For example, near the Morozovsky farm, a large gas storage facility was destroyed. When the Germans organized an “air bridge” to Stalingrad, dive bombers took part in the destruction of German transport aircraft at airfields. On December 30, 1942, six Pe-2s of the 150th regiment burned 20 German three-engine Junkers Ju52/3m aircraft in Tormosin. In the winter of 1942-1943, a dive bomber from the Baltic Fleet Air Force bombed the bridge across Narva, dramatically complicating the supply of German troops near Leningrad (the bridge took a month to restore).

During the battles, the tactics of Soviet dive bombers also changed. At the end of the Battle of Stalingrad, strike groups of 30-70 aircraft were already used instead of the previous “threes” and “nines”. The famous Polbinsk “pinwheel” was born here - a giant inclined wheel of dozens of dive bombers covering each other from the tail and taking turns delivering well-aimed blows. In conditions of street fighting, the Pe-2 operated from low altitudes with extreme precision.

However, there was still a shortage of experienced pilots. Bombs were dropped mainly from level flight; young pilots were poor instrument fliers.

In 1943, V.M. Myasishchev, also a former “enemy of the people”, and later a famous Soviet aircraft designer, creator of heavy strategic bombers, was appointed head of the design bureau. He was faced with the task of modernizing the Pe-2 in relation to new conditions at the front.

Enemy aviation developed rapidly. In the fall of 1941, the first Messerschmitt Bf.109F fighters appeared on the Soviet-German front. The situation required bringing the characteristics of the Pe-2 into line with the capabilities of new enemy aircraft. At the same time, it should be taken into account that the maximum speed of the Pe-2 produced in 1942 even decreased slightly compared to pre-war aircraft. This was also affected by the additional weight due to more powerful weapons and armor, and deterioration in the quality of assembly (the factories were mainly staffed by women and teenagers, who, despite all their efforts, lacked the dexterity of regular workers). Poor quality sealing of aircraft, poor fit of skin sheets, etc. were noted.

Since 1943, Pe-2s have taken first place in the number of vehicles of this type in bomber aviation. In 1944, Pe-2s took part in almost all major offensive operations of the Soviet Army. In February, 9 Pe-2s destroyed the bridge across the Dnieper near Rogachov with direct hits. The Germans, pressed to the shore, were destroyed by Soviet troops. At the beginning of the Korsun-Shevchenko operation, the 202nd Air Division launched powerful attacks on airfields in Uman and Khristinovka. In March 1944, Pe-2s of the 36th regiment destroyed German crossings on the Dniester River. Dive bombers also proved to be very effective in the mountainous conditions of the Carpathians. 548 Pe-2s took part in aviation training before the offensive in Belarus. On June 29, 1944, Pe-2s destroyed the bridge across the Berezina, the only way out of the Belarusian “cauldron.”

Naval aviation widely used the Pe-2 against enemy ships. True, the short range and relatively weak instrumentation of the aircraft hampered this, but in the conditions of the Baltic and Black Seas, these aircraft operated quite successfully - with the participation of dive bombers, the German cruiser Niobe and a number of large transports were sunk.

In 1944, the average bombing accuracy increased by 11% compared to 1943. The already well-developed Pe-2 made a significant contribution here.

We could not do without these bombers at the final stage of the war. They acted throughout Eastern Europe, accompanying the advance of Soviet troops. Pe-2s played a major role in the assault on Konigsberg and the Pillau naval base. A total of 743 Pe-2 and Tu-2 dive bombers took part in the Berlin operation. For example, on April 30, 1945, one of the targets of the Pe-2 was the Gestapo building in Berlin. Apparently, the last combat flight of the Pe-2 in Europe took place on May 7, 1945. Soviet pilots destroyed the runway at the Sirava airfield, from where german planes were planning to fly to Sweden.

Pe-2s also took part in a short campaign on Far East. In particular, dive bombers of the 34th Bomber Regiment, during attacks on the ports of Racine and Seishin in Korea, sank three transports and two tankers and damaged five more transports.

Production of the Pe-2 ceased in the winter of 1945-1946.

The Pe-2, the main aircraft of Soviet bomber aviation, played an outstanding role in achieving victory in the Great Patriotic War. This aircraft was used as a bomber, reconnaissance aircraft, and fighter (it was not used only as a torpedo bomber). Pe-2s fought on all fronts and in naval aviation of all fleets. In the hands of Soviet pilots, the Pe-2 fully revealed its inherent capabilities. Speed, maneuverability, powerful weapons plus strength, reliability and survivability were its hallmarks. The Pe-2 was popular among pilots, who often preferred this aircraft to foreign ones. From first to last day During the Great Patriotic War, “Pawn” served faithfully.

Airplane Petlyakov Pe-8 was the only heavy four-engine bomber in the USSR during World War II.

In October 1940, the diesel engine was chosen as the standard power plant. During the bombing of Berlin in August 1941, it turned out that they were also unreliable. It was decided to stop using diesel engines. By that time, the designation TB-7 had been changed to Pe-8, and by the end of serial production in October 1941, a total of 79 of these aircraft had been built; by the end of 1942, approximately 48 of the total number of aircraft were equipped with ASh-82FN engines. One aircraft with AM-35A engines made a magnificent flight with intermediate stops from Moscow to Washington and back from May 19 to June 13, 1942. The surviving aircraft were intensively used in 1942-43. for close-in support, and from February 1943 to deliver 5,000 kg bombs for precision attack on special targets. After the war, in 1952, two Pe-8s played a key role in the founding of the Arctic station, making non-stop flights with a range of 5,000 km (3,107 miles).

Making an airplane Tu-2(front-line bomber) began at the end of 1939 by a design team led by A.N. Tupolev. In January 1941, an experimental aircraft, designated "103", entered testing. In May of the same year, tests began on its improved version "103U", which was distinguished by stronger defensive weapons, a modified arrangement of the crew, which consisted of a pilot, a navigator (could, if necessary, be a gunner), a gunner-radio operator and a gunner. The aircraft was equipped with AM-37 high-altitude engines. During testing, the "103" and "103U" aircraft showed outstanding flight qualities. In terms of speed at medium and high altitudes, flight range, bomb load and the power of defensive weapons, they were significantly superior to the Pe-2. At altitudes of more than 6 km, they flew faster than almost all production fighters, both Soviet and German, second only to the domestic MiG-3 fighter.

In July 1941, it was decided to launch the "103U" into series. However, in the conditions of the outbreak of war and the large-scale evacuation of aviation enterprises, it was not possible to organize the production of AM-37 engines. Therefore, the designers had to remake the plane for other engines. They became M-82 A.D. Shvedkov, which have just begun to be mass-produced. Aircraft of this type have been used on the front since 1944. Production of this type of bomber continued for several years after the war, until they were replaced by jet bombers. A total of 2,547 aircraft were built.

Picked up from a front-line airfield, 18 red-star Yak-3 fighters met 30 enemy fighters over the battlefield on a July day in 1944. In a fast-paced, fierce battle, the Soviet pilots won a complete victory. They shot down 15 Nazi planes and lost only one. The battle once again confirmed the high skill of our pilots and the excellent qualities of the new Soviet fighter.

Airplane Yak-3 created a team headed by A.S. Yakovlev in 1943, developing the Yak-1M fighter, which had already proven itself in battle. The Yak-3 differed from its predecessor by a smaller wing (its area was 14.85 square meters instead of 17.15) with the same fuselage dimensions and a number of aerodynamic and design improvements. It was one of the lightest fighters in the world in the first half of the forties

Considering experience combat use the Yak-7 fighter, comments and suggestions from the pilots, A.S. Yakovlev made a number of significant changes to the car.

Essentially, it was a new aircraft, although during its construction the factories needed to make very minor changes to production technology and equipment. Therefore, they were able to quickly master the modernized version of the fighter, called the Yak-9. Since 1943, the Yak-9 has essentially become the main air combat aircraft. It was the most popular type of front-line fighter aircraft in our Air Force during the Great Patriotic War. In speed, maneuverability, flight range and armament, the Yak-9 surpassed all serial fighters of Nazi Germany. At combat altitudes (2300-4300 m), the fighter developed speeds of 570 and 600 km/h, respectively. To gain 5 thousand m, 5 minutes were enough for him. The maximum ceiling reached 11 km, which made it possible to use the Yak-9 in the country’s air defense system to intercept and destroy high-altitude enemy aircraft.

During the war, the design bureau created several modifications of the Yak-9. They differed from the main type mainly in their weapons and fuel supply.

The team of the design bureau, headed by S.A. Lavochkin, in December 1941 completed the modification of the LaGG-Z fighter, which was being mass-produced, for the ASh-82 radial engine. The alterations were relatively minor; the dimensions and design of the aircraft were preserved, but due to the larger midsection of the new engine, a second, non-functional skin was added to the sides of the fuselage.

Already in September 1942, fighter regiments equipped with vehicles La-5, participated in the battle of Stalingrad and achieved major successes. The battles showed that the new Soviet fighter had serious advantages over fascist aircraft of the same class.

The efficiency of completing a large volume of development work during the testing of the La-5 was largely determined by the close interaction of S.A. Lavochkin’s design bureau with the Air Force Research Institute, LII, CIAM and A.D. Shvetsov’s design bureau. Thanks to this, it was possible to quickly resolve many issues related mainly to the layout of the power plant, and bring the La-5 to production before another fighter appeared on the assembly line instead of the LaGG.

Production of the La-5 quickly increased, and already in the fall of 1942, the first aviation regiments armed with this fighter appeared near Stalingrad. It must be said that the La-5 was not the only option for converting the LaGG-Z to the M-82 engine. Back in the summer of 1941. a similar modification was carried out in Moscow under the leadership of M.I. Gudkov (the plane was called Gu-82). This plane received good review Air Force Research Institute. The subsequent evacuation and, apparently, underestimation at that moment of the importance of such work greatly delayed the testing and development of this fighter.

As for the La-5, it quickly gained recognition. High horizontal flight speeds, good rate of climb and acceleration, combined with better vertical maneuverability than LaGG-Z, determined a sharp qualitative leap in the transition from LaGG-Z to La-5. The air-cooled motor had greater survivability than the liquid-cooled motor, and at the same time was a kind of protection for the pilot from fire from the front hemisphere. Using this property, the pilots flying the La-5 boldly launched frontal attacks, imposing advantageous battle tactics on the enemy.

But all the advantages of the La-5 at the front did not immediately appear. At first, due to a number of “childhood diseases,” his fighting qualities were significantly reduced. Of course, during the transition to serial production, the flight performance of the La-5, compared to its prototype, deteriorated somewhat, but not as significantly as that of other Soviet fighters. Thus, the speed at low and medium altitudes decreased by only 7-11 km/h, the rate of climb remained almost unchanged, and the turn time, thanks to the installation of slats, even decreased from 25 to 22.6 s. However, it was difficult to realize the fighter's maximum capabilities in combat. Overheating of the engine limited the time for using maximum power, the oil system needed improvement, the air temperature in the cockpit reached 55-60°C, the emergency release system of the canopy and the quality of the plexiglass needed improvement. In 1943, 5047 La-5 fighters were produced.

The La-7, which entered mass production in the last year of the war, became one of the main front-line fighters. On this plane I.N. Kozhedub, awarded three gold stars of Hero of the Soviet Union, won most of his victories.

From the first days of their appearance at front-line airfields, La-5 fighters proved themselves to be excellent in battles with the Nazi invaders. The pilots liked the maneuverability of the La-5, its ease of control, powerful weapons, tenacious star-shaped engine, which provided good protection from fire from the front, and fairly high speed. Our pilots won many brilliant victories using these machines.

The design team of S.A. Lavochkin persistently improved the machine, which had justified itself. At the end of 1943, its modification, La-7, was released.

The La-7, which entered mass production in the last year of the war, became one of the main front-line fighters. On this plane, I.N. Kozhedub, awarded three gold stars of the Hero of the Soviet Union, won most of his victories.

2. Tanks and self-propelled guns

Tank T-60 was created in 1941 as a result of a deep modernization of the T-40 tank, carried out under the leadership of N.A. Astrov in the conditions of the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War. Compared to the T-40, it had enhanced armor protection and more powerful weapons - a 20-mm cannon instead of a heavy machine gun. This production tank was the first to use a device for heating engine coolant in winter. Modernization achieved an improvement in the main combat characteristics while simplifying the design of the tank, but at the same time the combat capabilities were narrowed - buoyancy was eliminated. Like the T-40 tank, the T-60 chassis uses four rubberized road wheels on board, three support rollers, a front drive wheel and a rear idler wheel. Individual torsion bar suspension.

However, in conditions of a shortage of tanks, the main advantage of the T-60 was its ease of production in automobile factories with the widespread use of automotive components and mechanisms. The tank was produced simultaneously at four factories. In just a short period of time, 6045 T-60 tanks were produced, which played an important role in the battles of the initial period of the Great Patriotic War.

Self-propelled gun ISU-152

The heavy self-propelled artillery unit ISU-122 was armed with a 122-mm field gun of the 1937 model, adapted for installation in the control unit. And when the design team headed by F. F. Petrov created a 122-mm tank gun of the 1944 model, it was also installed on the ISU-122. The vehicle with the new gun was called ISU-122S. The 1937 model gun had a piston breech, while the 1944 model gun had a semi-automatic wedge breech. In addition, it was equipped with a muzzle brake. All this made it possible to increase the rate of fire from 2.2 to 3 rounds per minute. The armor-piercing projectile of both systems weighed 25 kg and had an initial speed of 800 m/s. The ammunition consisted of separately loaded rounds.

The vertical aiming angles of the guns were slightly different: on the ISU-122 they ranged from -4° to +15°, and on the ISU-122S - from -2° to +20°. The horizontal aiming angles were the same - 11° each side. The combat weight of the ISU-122 was 46 tons.

The ISU-152 self-propelled gun based on the IS-2 tank was no different from the ISU-122 except for the artillery system. It was equipped with a 152-mm howitzer-gun, model 1937, with a piston bolt, the rate of fire of which was 2.3 rounds per minute.

The crew of the ISU-122, like the ISU-152, consisted of a commander, gunner, loader, locker and driver. The hexagonal conning tower is fully protected by armor. The gun mounted on the machine (on the ISU-122S with a mask) is shifted to the starboard side. In the fighting compartment, in addition to weapons and ammunition, there were fuel and oil tanks. The driver sat in front to the left of the gun and had his own observation devices. The commander's cupola was missing. The commander conducted observation through a periscope in the roof of the wheelhouse.

Self-propelled gun ISU-122

As soon as the IS-1 heavy tank came into service at the end of 1943, they decided to create a fully armored self-propelled gun on its basis. At first, this encountered some difficulties: after all, the IS-1 had a body noticeably narrower than the KV-1s, on the basis of which the SU-152 heavy self-propelled gun with a 152-mm howitzer gun was created in 1943. However, the efforts of the designers of the Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant and artillerymen under the leadership of F. F. Petrov were crowned with success. By the end of 1943, 35 self-propelled guns armed with a 152-mm howitzer gun had been produced.

The ISU-152 was distinguished by powerful armor protection and artillery system, and good driving characteristics. The presence of panoramic and telescopic sights made it possible to fire both direct fire and from closed firing positions. The simplicity of its design and operation contributed to its rapid mastery by crews, which was of utmost importance in wartime. This vehicle, armed with a 152 mm howitzer cannon, was mass-produced from the end of 1943. Its mass was 46 tons, its armor thickness was 90 mm, and its crew consisted of 5 people. Diesel with a capacity of 520 hp. With. accelerated the car to 40 km/h.

Subsequently, on the basis of the ISU-152 self-propelled gun chassis, several more heavy self-propelled guns were developed, on which high-power guns of 122 and 130 mm calibers were installed. The weight of the ISU-130 was 47 tons, the thickness of the armor was 90 mm, the crew consisted of 4 people. Diesel engine with a power of 520 hp. With. provided a speed of 40 km/h. The 130-mm cannon mounted on the self-propelled gun was a modification of the naval gun, adapted for installation in the conning tower of the vehicle. To reduce gas contamination in the fighting compartment, it was equipped with a system for purging the barrel with compressed air from five cylinders. The ISU-130 passed front-line tests, but was not accepted for service.

The heavy self-propelled artillery unit ISU-122 was armed with a 122-mm field gun

Heavy Soviet self-propelled artillery systems played a huge role in achieving victory. They performed well during street battles in Berlin and during the assault on the powerful fortifications of Koenigsberg.

In the 50s, ISU self-propelled guns, which remained in service with the Soviet Army, underwent modernization, like the IS-2 tanks. In total, Soviet industry produced more than 2,400 ISU-122 and more than 2,800 ISU-152.

In 1945, based on the IS-3 tank, another model of a heavy self-propelled gun was designed, which received the same name as the vehicle developed in 1943 - ISU-152. The peculiarity of this vehicle was that the general frontal sheet was given a rational angle of inclination, and the lower side sheets of the hull had reverse angles of inclination. The combat and control departments were combined. The mechanic was located in the conning tower and monitored through a periscope viewing device. A target designation system specially created for this vehicle connected the commander with the gunner and driver. However, despite many advantages, the large angle of inclination of the walls of the cabin, the significant amount of rollback of the howitzer gun barrel and the combination of compartments significantly complicated the work of the crew. Therefore, the ISU-152 model of 1945 was not accepted for service. The car was made in a single copy.

Self-propelled gun SU-152

In the fall of 1942, at the Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant, designers led by L. S. Troyanov created, on the basis of the KB-1s heavy tank, the SU-152 (KV-14) self-propelled gun, designed for firing at troop concentrations, long-term strongholds and armored targets.

Regarding its creation, there is a modest mention in the “History of the Great Patriotic War”: “On the instructions of the State Defense Committee, at the Kirov plant in Chelyabinsk, within 25 days (a unique period in the history of world tank building!), a prototype of the SU- self-propelled artillery mount was designed and manufactured. 152, which went into production in February 1943.”

The SU-152 self-propelled guns received their baptism of fire at the Kursk Bulge. Their appearance on the battlefield was a complete surprise for the German tank crews. These self-propelled guns performed well in single combat with the German Tigers, Panthers and Elephants. Their armor-piercing shells pierced the armor of enemy vehicles and tore off their turrets. For this, front-line soldiers lovingly called heavy self-propelled guns “St. John’s worts.” The experience gained in the design of the first Soviet heavy self-propelled guns was subsequently used to create similar fire weapons based on heavy IS tanks.

Self-propelled gun SU-122

On October 19, 1942, the State Defense Committee decided to create self-propelled artillery units - light ones with 37 mm and 76 mm guns and medium ones with a 122 mm gun.

Production of the SU-122 continued at Uralmashzavod from December 1942 to August 1943. During this time, the plant produced 638 self-propelled units of this type.

In parallel with the development of drawings for a serial self-propelled gun, work began on its radical improvement back in January 1943.

As for the serial SU-122, the formation of self-propelled artillery regiments with the same type of vehicles began in April 1943. This regiment had 16 SU-122 self-propelled guns, which continued to be used to accompany infantry and tanks until the beginning of 1944. However, this use was not effective enough due to the low initial velocity of the projectile - 515 m/s - and, consequently, the low flatness of its trajectory. The new self-propelled artillery unit SU-85, which entered the troops in much larger quantities since August 1943, quickly supplanted its predecessor on the battlefield.

Self-propelled gun SU-85

Experience with the use of SU-122 installations has shown that their rate of fire is too low to perform escort and fire support tasks for tanks, infantry and cavalry. The troops needed an installation armed with a faster rate of fire.

SU-85 self-propelled guns entered service with individual self-propelled artillery regiments (16 units in each regiment) and were widely used in the battles of the Great Patriotic War.

The IS-1 heavy tank was developed at the design bureau of the Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant in the second half of 1942 under the leadership of Zh. Ya. Kotin. The KV-13 was taken as the basis, on the basis of which two experimental versions of the new heavy vehicle IS-1 and IS-2 were manufactured. The difference between them was in their armament: the IS-1 had a 76-mm cannon, and the IS-2 had a 122-mm howitzer gun. The first prototypes of IS tanks had a five-wheel chassis, made similar to the chassis of the KV-13 tank, from which the hull outlines and general layout of the vehicle were also borrowed.

Almost simultaneously with the IS-1, production of the more powerfully armed model IS-2 (object 240) began. The newly created 122-mm D-25T tank gun (originally with a piston bolt) with an initial projectile speed of 781 m/s made it possible to hit all main types of German tanks at all combat distances. On a trial basis, an 85-mm high-power cannon with an initial projectile speed of 1050 m/s and a 100-mm S-34 cannon were installed on the IS tank.

Under the brand name IS-2, the tank entered mass production in October 1943, which was launched at the beginning of 1944.

In 1944, the IS-2 was modernized.

IS-2 tanks entered service with separate heavy tank regiments, which were given the name “Guards” during their formation. At the beginning of 1945, several separate guards heavy tank brigades were formed, including three heavy tank regiments each. The IS-2 was first used in the Korsun-Shevchenko operation, and then participated in all operations of the final period of the Great Patriotic War.

The last tank created during the Great Patriotic War was the heavy IS-3 (object 703). It was developed in 1944-1945 at pilot plant No. 100 in Chelyabinsk under the leadership of lead designer M.F. Balzhi. Serial production began in May 1945, during which 1,170 combat vehicles were produced.

IS-3 tanks, contrary to popular belief, were not used in combat operations of the Second World War, but on September 7, 1945, one tank regiment, which was armed with these combat vehicles, took part in the parade of Red Army units in Berlin in honor of the victory over Japan, and the IS-3 made a strong impression on the Western allies of the USSR in the anti-Hitler coalition.

Tank KV

In accordance with the resolution of the USSR Defense Committee, at the end of 1938, the Kirov plant in Leningrad began designing a new heavy tank with projectile-proof armor, called SMK (“Sergei Mironovich Kirov”). The development of another heavy tank, called the T-100, was carried out by the Leningrad Experimental Engineering Plant named after Kirov (No. 185).

In August 1939, the SMK and KB tanks were manufactured in metal. At the end of September, both tanks took part in the display of new models of armored vehicles at the NIBT Test Site in Kubinka, near Moscow, and on December 19, the KB heavy tank was adopted by the Red Army.

The KB tank showed itself with the best side, however, it quickly became clear that the 76-mm L-11 cannon was weak for combating pillboxes. Therefore, in a short time, they developed and built the KV-2 tank with an enlarged turret, armed with a 152-mm M-10 howitzer. By March 5, 1940, three KV-2s were sent to the front.

In fact, serial production of the KV-1 and KV-2 tanks began in February 1940 at the Leningrad Kirov Plant.

However, under the blockade it was impossible to continue producing tanks. Therefore, from July to December, the evacuation of the Kirov plant from Leningrad to Chelyabinsk was carried out in several stages. On October 6, the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant was renamed the Kirov Plant of the People's Commissariat of Tanks and Industry - ChKZ, which became the only manufacturing plant of heavy tanks until the end of the Great Patriotic War.

A tank of the same class as the KB - the Tiger - appeared with the Germans only at the end of 1942. And then fate played a second cruel joke on KB: it instantly became outdated. KB was simply powerless against the “Tiger” with its “long arm” - an 88-mm cannon with a barrel length of 56 calibers. "Tiger" could hit KB at distances prohibitive for the latter.

The appearance of the KV-85 allowed the situation to be somewhat smoothed out. But these vehicles were developed late, only a few were produced, and they were unable to make a significant contribution to the fight against German heavy tanks. A more serious opponent for the Tigers could be the KV-122 - the serial KV-85, experimentally armed with a 122-mm D-25T cannon. But at this time, the first tanks of the IS series had already begun to leave the ChKZ workshops. These vehicles, which at first glance continued the KB line, were completely new tanks, which in their combat qualities far surpassed the enemy’s heavy tanks.

During the period from 1940 to 1943, the Leningrad Kirov and Chelyabinsk Kirov plants produced 4,775 KB tanks of all modifications. They were in service with tank brigades of a mixed organization, and then were consolidated into separate breakthrough tank regiments. KB heavy tanks took part in the fighting of the Great Patriotic War until its final stage.

Tank T-34

The first prototype of the T-34 was manufactured by Plant No. 183 in January 1940, the second in February. In the same month, factory tests began, which were interrupted on March 12, when both cars left for Moscow. On March 17, in the Kremlin, on Ivanovskaya Square, tanks were demonstrated to J.V. Stalin. After the show, the cars went further - along the route Minsk - Kyiv - Kharkov.

The first three production vehicles in November - December 1940 were subjected to intensive testing by shooting and running along the route Kharkov - Kubinka - Smolensk - Kyiv - Kharkov. The tests were carried out by officers.

It should be noted that each manufacturer made some changes and additions to the tank design in accordance with its technological capabilities, so tanks from different factories had their own characteristic appearance.

Minesweeper tanks and bridge laying tanks were produced in small quantities. A command version of the "thirty-four" was also produced, the distinctive feature of which was the presence of the RSB-1 radio station.

T-34-76 tanks were in service with tank units of the Red Army throughout the Great Patriotic War and took part in almost all combat operations, including the storming of Berlin. In addition to the Red Army, T-34 medium tanks were in service with the Polish Army, the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia and the Czechoslovak Corps, which fought against Nazi Germany.

military equipment patriotic war

3. Armored vehicles

Armored car BA-10

In 1938, the Red Army adopted the BA-10 medium armored car, developed a year earlier at the Izhora plant by a group of designers headed by such famous specialists as A. A. Lipgart, O. V. Dybov and V. A. Grachev.

The armored car was made according to the classic layout with a front-mounted engine, front steering wheels and two rear drive axles. The BA-10 crew consisted of 4 people: commander, driver, gunner and machine gunner.

Since 1939, production of the modernized BA-10M model began, which differed from the base vehicle by enhanced armor protection of the frontal projection, improved steering, external location of gas tanks and a new radio station. In small quantities, BA-10zhd railway armored vehicles with a combat weight of 5 were produced for armored train units. 8 t.

The baptism of fire for the BA-10 and BA-10M took place in 1939 during the armed conflict near the Khalkhin Gol River. They made up the bulk of the fleet of armored cars 7, 8 and 9 and motorized armored brigades. Their successful use was facilitated by the steppe terrain. Later, BA 10 armored vehicles took part in the liberation campaign and the Soviet-Finnish war. During the Great Patriotic War, they were used by the troops until 1944, and in some units until the end of the war. They have proven themselves well as a means of reconnaissance and combat security, and when used correctly, they successfully fought against enemy tanks.

...

Military equipment from the Great Patriotic War, installed as monuments and museum exhibits in St. Petersburg.

Wall newspapers of the charitable educational project “Briefly and clearly about the most interesting things” (website website) are intended for schoolchildren, parents and teachers of St. Petersburg. They ship free to most educational institutions, as well as to a number of hospitals, orphanages and other institutions in the city. The project's publications do not contain any advertising (only founders' logos), are politically and religiously neutral, written in easy language, and well illustrated. They are intended as informational “inhibition” of students, awakening cognitive activity and the desire to read. Authors and publishers, without claiming to be academically complete in presenting the material, publish Interesting Facts, illustrations, interviews with famous figures of science and culture and thereby hope to increase the interest of schoolchildren in educational process. Send feedback and suggestions to: pangea@mail.. We thank the Education Department of the Kirovsky District Administration of St. Petersburg and everyone who selflessly helps in distributing our wall newspapers. We thank the “Book of Memory” project, the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering and Signal Corps, the Sestroretsk Frontier Museum and Exhibition Complex and Sergei Sharov for the materials provided in the issue. Thank you very much Alexey Shvarev and Denis Chaliapin for valuable comments.

This issue is dedicated to military equipment that fought on the fields of the Great Patriotic War, and is now installed as monuments in St. Petersburg. With the help of these tanks, ships, planes and guns, the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union defeated Nazi Germany, driving the enemy out of the territory of our country and liberating the peoples of Europe. These combat vehicles (and some of them remained in single copies) deserve to be carefully preserved, studied, remembered and proud of them. The issue was prepared in collaboration with the “Book of Memory” project, whose task is to find and systematize all monuments dedicated to the events of the Second World War of 1939–1945 in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region. “Behind the scenes” of the newspaper there are still post-war monuments: the T-80 tank on the Oil Road, “ rocket train"in the Museum of Railway Equipment, the submarine "S-189" on the Lieutenant Schmidt embankment, the aircraft "MIG-19" in the Aviator Park, the submarine "Triton-2M" in Kronstadt and some others. We plan to dedicate a separate newspaper to military equipment installed on pedestals in the Leningrad region. Also in a separate issue we will talk about the extensive collection of the Artillery Museum on Kronverksky Island.

Admiralteysky district

1. 305 mm railway artillery mount

Photo: Vitaly V. Kuzmin

The Museum of Railway Equipment at the former Warsaw Station displays many unique exhibits. One of the most interesting is a huge weapon. The explanatory plaque says: “Railway artillery mount TM-3-12. Gun caliber – 305 mm. The maximum firing range is 30 km. Rate of fire – 2 shots per minute. Weight – 340 tons. Built at the Nikolaev State Plant in 1938. A total of 3 installations of this type were built, using guns dismantled from the battleship Empress Maria. They took part in the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939–1940. From June to December 1941, they took part in the defense of the Soviet naval base on the Hanko Peninsula (Finland). They were disabled by Soviet sailors during the evacuation of the base, and subsequently restored by Finnish specialists using the guns of the Russian battleship Alexander III. They were in service until 1991, decommissioned in 1999. The installation arrived at the museum in February 2000.” The same artillery transporter stands in the Moscow museum on Poklonnaya Hill. Address: Obvodny Canal Embankment, 118, Museum of Railway Equipment.

2. Railway armored platform

This 22-ton armored platform was manufactured in 1935. During the Great Patriotic War, such armored platforms, equipped with anti-aircraft guns or machine guns, were used to protect trains from attacks by enemy aircraft. Address: Obvodny Canal Embankment, 118, Museum of Railway Equipment.

Vasileostrovsky district

3. Icebreaker "Krasin"

Photo: website, Georgy Popov

The icebreaker "Krasin" (until 1927 - "Svyatogor") was built in 1916 in England by order of the Russian government. For several decades, she was the most powerful Arctic icebreaker in the world. In 1928, Krasin rescued the surviving members of the expedition to the North Pole on the airship Italia, which crashed off the coast of Spitsbergen. After this, “Krasin” became known throughout the world. During World War II, the famous icebreaker acquired naval artillery and paved the way for “polar convoys.” This was the name given to caravans of ships with military and civilian cargo that our allies (the USA and Great Britain) sent to the USSR. The Krasin sailed dozens of ships through the ice of the Kara Sea, the Laptev Sea and White Sea. Over 300 Krasin residents received government awards for the courage and bravery shown during the piloting during the war years. Since 2004, the icebreaker has been a branch of the Museum of the World Ocean. Address: Lieutenant Schmidt embankment at the 23rd line of Vasilyevsky Island.

4. Main caliber turrets of the cruiser "Kirov"

Photo: website, Georgy Popov

The Soviet light artillery cruiser Kirov was built at the Baltic Shipyard No. 189 in Leningrad and launched in 1936. On the very first day of the war, he repelled an air raid on Riga with anti-aircraft caliber, then massive air raids on the Main Base of the Baltic Fleet in Tallinn. After the relocation of the Baltic Fleet squadron to Kronstadt and until the end of the war, the Kirov remained the flagship (this is the name given to the ship on which the commander is located). He actively participated in the defense of Leningrad. In total, during the war, Kirov repelled attacks by 347 enemy aircraft. In 1942–44, he occupied a position mainly between the Palace Bridge and the Lieutenant Schmidt Bridge, from where he conducted live fire. At the end of the war, it supported the offensive operations of our army with its main caliber. 100-kilogram shells fired from triple 10-meter-long guns hit the target at a then-record distance of 40 kilometers. More than a thousand crew members were awarded government awards for heroism and courage. In 1961, the Kirov was retrained as a training ship and regularly made trips with cadets along the Baltic Sea. After the ship was removed from the lists of the fleet in 1974, it was decided to install its two bow 180-mm turrets and propellers as a Memorial to the feat of the sailors of the Baltic Fleet. Installed in 1990. Address: Morskaya embankment, 15-17.

5. Torpedo boat of the Komsomolets project

Photo: lenww2.ru, Leonid Maslov

Although this boat on a granite-lined pedestal is post-war, it was installed in memory of the feat of the sailors of the torpedo boats of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet in the Great Patriotic War. Similar torpedo boats of the Komsomolets project of the Baltic Fleet sank 119 enemy ships and vessels during the war years. Installed in 1973. Address: Gavan, territory of the Lenexpo exhibition complex, Bolshoi Avenue of Vasilievsky Island, 103.

6. Submarine "Narodovolets"

Photo: website, Georgy Popov

This diesel-electric torpedo submarine was built at Baltic Shipyard No. 189 in Leningrad in 1929. At first, such boats were called “Narodovolets”, then they were renamed “D-2” (after the first letter of the name of the lead ship - “Decembrist”). The boat took a direct part in the battles of the Great Patriotic War. The first ships sunk by it were transports loaded with coal and a sea ferry. After the end of the war, the boat continued to serve in the Baltic Fleet, and was then based in Kronstadt as a training station. In 1989, after restoration work, the boat was installed on the shore as a monument to submarine heroes, scientists, designers and shipbuilders of the Great Patriotic War. The submarine museum opened in 1994. Address: Shkipersky Protok, 10.

Vyborg district

7. "Katyusha"

This legendary “Katyusha” (a multiple launch rocket system based on a 6-wheeled, 4-ton off-road truck “ZIS-6”) is a monument to the military and labor glory of the Karl Marx Machine-Building Association, on whose territory it was installed. At the enterprise, which traditionally produced spinning machines for cotton and wool, with the beginning of the war they began to make ammunition and weapons, including Katyushas. On the granite pedestal there is an inscription: “To you who left here for the front, to you who remained to forge the weapon of Victory, to the soldiers and workers of the Great Patriotic War, this monument was erected.” To the right and left behind the car are bronze groups of soldiers and workers. The monument was opened in 1985. Address: Bolshoi Sampsonievsky Avenue, 68.

8. ZIS-3 cannon on Muzhestva Square

Photo: lenww2.ru, Olga Isaeva

A memorial composition consisting of the legendary ZIS-3 cannon of the 1942 model and four anti-tank hedgehogs. Flowers on the pedestal are planted in the form of the inscription “Remember”. The 76-mm ZIS-3 divisional gun became the most popular Soviet artillery gun produced during the Great Patriotic War (a total of 103,000 guns were produced). This gun is also recognized by experts as one of the best weapons of the entire Second World War - due to its outstanding qualities, efficiency and simplicity. In the post-war period, the ZIS-3 was in service with the Soviet Army for a long time, and was also actively exported to a number of countries, in some of which it is still in service today. The memorial was opened in 2011. Address: Courage Square.

Kalininsky district

9. ZIS-3 gun on Metallistov Avenue

Photo: lenww2.ru, Olga Isaeva

During the war years, in the building of the North-West Regional Center of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defense, emergency situations and disaster relief), there was an MPVO school (local air defense) and artillery courses. In honor of this, a 76-mm ZIS-3 cannon, which took part in the defense of Leningrad, was installed in the park in front of the building on a granite slab. Eight stars are painted on the cannon shield - according to the number of enemy aircraft shot down. To the left of the gun, on a separate granite pedestal, there is a symbolic open book, the pages of which depict St. Isaac's Cathedral during the Siege and the Victory salute. Address: Metallistov Avenue, 119.

Kirovsky district

10. Tank "IS-2" on the territory of the Kirov plant

Photo: website, Georgy Popov

On the territory of the Kirov Plant association there is an IS-2 tank produced at the end of the war in Chelyabinsk. On a pedestal made of granite blocks there is a bronze plaque with the text: “1941–1945. This heavy tank is installed here in memory of the glorious deeds of the tank builders of the Kirov Plant.” "IS-2" was the most powerful and best armored of the Soviet serial tanks during the war and one of the strongest tanks in the world at that time. These tanks were produced since 1943 at the Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant, created in the shortest possible time on the basis of equipment evacuated from Leningrad. Tanks of this type played a big role in the battles of 1944–1945, especially distinguishing themselves during the assault on cities. After the end of the war, the IS-2s were modernized and were in service with the Soviet and Russian army up to 1995. The memorial was opened in 1952. Address: Stachek Avenue, 47.

11. Tank KV-85 on Stachek Avenue

Photo: website, Georgy Popov

This example (one of two known surviving ones) of the KV-85 tank was installed in 1951 on the initiative of the tank designer Joseph Kotin. “The Victorious Tank” is part of the “Kirov Val” memorial, which is part of the “Green Belt of Glory of Leningrad”. The heavy tank "KV" ("Klim Voroshilov") was produced at the Chelyabinsk Tank Plant from 1939 to 1942 and for a long time had no equal. The index “85” means the caliber of the gun in millimeters. Shells fired from standard German anti-tank guns bounced off him without leaving any damage to the armor. It was produced only in August-October 1943. A total of 148 vehicles of this type were manufactured. The predecessor of the IS heavy tank. Address: Stachek Avenue, 106–108.

12. “Izhora Tower” on Korabelnaya Street

Near the well-preserved bunker (Long-term firing point) there is the so-called “Izhora Tower” - an armored machine-gun turret for a heavy machine gun of the Maxim system of the 1910-1930 model. The tower was found by searchers on the Karelian Isthmus near the Yatka River. The thickness of the armor is 3 centimeters, weight is about 500 kilograms. Such machine-gun armored turrets were produced by the Izhora plant and were actively used on the defense lines of Leningrad. The memorial appeared here in 2011 with the support of the Kirov district administration. Address: Korabelnaya Street, in the park at the intersection with Kronstadt Street.

Kolpinsky district

13. “Izhora Tower” in Kolpino

Photo: lenww2.ru, Alexey Sedelnikov

The same armored turret was installed in Kolpino as part of the memorial to the “Armored Soldiers of the Izhora Plants”. The armored tower lay in the Sinyavinsky swamps for more than 50 years and was found by the Zvezda search team. It has marks from artillery shell fragments. The inscriptions on the stone, also brought from Sinyavino, read: “A low bow to all the creators of Russian armor at the Izhora factories” and “The memorial sign “To the armored workers of the Izhora factories” was installed in the year of the 100th anniversary of the birth of M.I. Koshkin, the general designer of the tank.” T-34"". Mikhail Koshkin insisted that the turret of his famous tank also be made of heavy-duty armor cast using Izhora technology. The memorial sign was installed in 1998. Address: Kolpino, at the intersection of Proletarskaya street and Tankistov street.

Krasnogvardeisky district

14. 406-mm gun at the Rzhev training ground

The barrel length of this unique B-37 cannon is 16 meters, a two-meter projectile weighs more than a ton, and the firing range is 45 kilometers. A sign is attached to the armored turret: “406 mm gun mount of the Navy USSR. This weapon of the Red Banner NIMAP (Scientific Test Naval Artillery Range) took an active part in the defense of Leningrad and the defeat of the enemy from August 29, 1941 to June 10, 1944. With accurate fire, it destroyed powerful strongholds and centers of resistance, destroyed military equipment and manpower of the enemy, supported the actions of units of the Red Army of the Leningrad Front and the Red Banner Baltic Fleet in the Nevsky, Kolpinsky, Uritsk-Pushkinsky, Krasnoselsky and Karelian directions.” Clarification from the NIMAP website: From this gun “in January 1944, during the breakthrough of the siege of Leningrad, 33 shells were fired at the enemy. One of the shells hit the building of power plant No. 8, occupied by the enemy. As a result of the hit, the building was completely destroyed. A crater from a 406-mm shell with a diameter of 12 m and a depth of 3 m was discovered nearby.” This experimental installation was the most powerful Soviet artillery system used during World War II. It was planned to arm four battleships of the Sovetsky Soyuz type, laid down in 1939–1940, with such guns in three-gun turrets. Due to the outbreak of war, none of the ships of this project could be built.

15. 305-mm gun at the Rzhev training ground

Photo: aroundspb.ru, Sergey Sharov

This naval cannon was manufactured on a Zhuravl-type testing machine at the Obukhov plant in 1914. Four such cannons made up one of the batteries of the Krasnaya Gorka fort during the Great Patriotic War. Two similar former Russian guns are currently in Finland, and only one has survived in Russia - this. Text on the plaque: “A 305-mm naval gun mount fired at Nazi troops during the defense of Leningrad from August 29, 1941 to June 10, 1944.” The most powerful weapon ever serially installed on ships of the Russian or Soviet navy. The Rzhev testing ground, called the “experimental artillery battery,” was established more than a century and a half ago with the purpose of testing new types of guns. Over time, the battery turned into the main artillery range of Tsarist Russia and then the Soviet Union. The Scientific Test Naval Artillery Range (NIMAP) today occupies a significant area northeast of St. Petersburg. Unique artillery pieces that took part in the defense of Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War are stored here. For now, the territory of the test site is closed to visitors, but the issue of assigning these famous guns the status of monuments of history and culture of the Russian Federation is being discussed.

16. Anti-aircraft gun "52-K"

Photo: lenww2.ru, Alexey Sedelnikov

85 mm anti-aircraft gun Model 1939 “52-K” - an exhibit of the State Museum of the History of St. Petersburg. This blockade military weapon, together with the “Traffic Controller” memorial sign, is part of memorial complex“The road of life is the 1st kilometer.” The memorial was installed in 2010. Address: Ryabovskoe highway, near house 129.

Krasnoselsky district

17. Plane, tank and anti-aircraft gun in the village of Khvoyny

Photo: lenww2.ru, Alexey Sedelnikov

The village of Khvoyny is a “piece” of the Krasnoselsky district of St. Petersburg, surrounded on all sides by the territory of the Gatchina district of the Leningrad region. This is a valid military unit, but access to the memorial is free. On a stele with a bas-relief depicting besieged Leningrad, quote from the speech of L.I. Brezhnev (leader of the USSR in 1966-1982) when presenting Leningrad with the “Golden Star of the Hero”: “...Legends of hoary antiquity and tragic pages of the not so distant past pale before that incomparable epic of human courage, perseverance and selflessness patriotism, such as the heroic 900-day defense of besieged Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War. This was one of the most outstanding, most stunning mass feats of the people and army in the entire history of wars on earth.” Nearby on the site is a T-34/85 tank (1944) with the inscription “For the Motherland”, a 130-mm KS-30 anti-aircraft gun (1948) and a model of the Yak-50P aircraft. Under the anti-aircraft gun there is a memorial plaque with the inscription: “To the anti-aircraft gunners who defended Leningrad during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945. Leningrad was saved by the courage of the brave. Eternal Glory heroes."

Kronstadt district

18. Torpedo boat of the Komsomolets project

Photo: wikipedia.org, Vasyatka1

Post-war torpedo boat of the Komsomolets project, similar to the one installed in Gavan. Here, in the area of the former Litke base, torpedo boats were based during the war. The boat's armament is clearly visible - two 450 mm torpedo tubes and a stern twin mount of 14.5 mm machine guns. “To the Baltic boat sailors,” it says on the sign. There is a park around the monument and linden trees are planted. Historical information from the newspaper “Kronstadt Bulletin”: “During the Great Patriotic War, the Baltic boats of torpedo boat brigades mainly took part in the combat operations of surface ships in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Finland, which was completely strewn with mines. They were fearless and daring, and their attacks caused great damage to the enemy. And many commanders of these small but formidable ships became Heroes of the Soviet Union. Both during the war and decades after it, trawling teams, which included special flat-bottomed boats - minesweepers, worked in the mine-strewn Gulf of Finland. During operations to clear the fairways, more than ten such ships and more than a hundred sailors were killed. This sign is erected in memory of the courage and dedication of the boat sailors.” The memorial was opened in 2009. Address: Kronstadt, Gidrostroiteley street, 10.

19. Artillery installation of the battleship "Gangut"

Photo: lenww2.ru, Oleg Ivanov

76-mm two-gun artillery mount 81-K of the battleship "Gangut" (after 1925 the battleship was called " October Revolution"). "Gangut" was laid down in 1909 at the Admiralty Shipyard in St. Petersburg under the leadership of the outstanding Russian shipbuilder A.N. Krylov. Took part in the First World War. During the Great Patriotic War, it took part in the defense of Leningrad and was damaged by German artillery fire and aircraft. Since 1954 it was used as a training ship, in 1956 it was expelled from the Navy and dismantled. The text of the plate on the gun: “Two-gun installation of the 1st class petty officer Ivan Tambasov.” The monument was opened in 1957. Address: Kronstadt, Kommunisticheskaya street, intersection with the Obvodny Canal. Nearby are two anchors of the famous battleship.

20. The cabin of the submarine “Narodovolets”

Photo: lenww2.ru, Leonid Kharitonov

Part of the fencing of the diesel-electric torpedo submarine of the Narodovolets series (D-2). Text on the plaque: “The first-born of Soviet submarine shipbuilding. Laid down in 1927 in Leningrad. It entered service in 1931. From 1933 to 1939 it was part of the Northern Military Flotilla. From 1941 to 1945, she conducted active military operations against the fascist invaders in the Red Banner Baltic Fleet. During the war, she sank 5 enemy ships with a total displacement of 40 thousand tons.” Located in the closed territory of the 123rd Red Banner Submarine Brigade.

Resort area

21. Artillery semi-caponier “Elephant”

Photo: lenww2.ru, Olga Isaeva

Caponier (from the French word “deepening”) is a defensive structure for conducting flanking (side) fire in both directions. Accordingly, the semi-caponier is designed to fire at the enemy in only one direction along the fortress wall. In the photo - artillery semi-caponier No. 1 (call sign - “Elephant”) of the forward line of the Karelian fortified area (“KaUR”), built to protect the old Soviet-Finnish border. The caponier is the main exhibit of the Sestroretsk Frontier museum and exhibition complex. During the Great Patriotic War, the “Elephant” swept with artillery fire the lowland from Kurort to Beloostrov, the approaches to the Sestra River and the railway bridge. The museum has restored the interior of the half-caponier and houses a collection of search finds. The outdoor exhibition includes various types of small fortifications: two reinforced concrete firing points delivered from the area of Beloostrov and Copper Lake, the already familiar Izhora tower, an observation tower of the 1938 model, firing points based on the turrets of the T-28 and KV tanks -1", "T-70", "BT-2", Finnish machine-gun armored cap, gouges, hedgehogs, barriers and other interesting exhibits. Address: Museum and exhibition complex “Sestroretsky Frontier”, Sestroretsk, not far from the intersection of Primorskoye Highway with the Kurort-Beloostrov railway.

22. Firing point from the hull of the T-28 tank

Photo: lenww2.ru, Olga Isaeva

This is a copy of a firing point discovered by search engines on the Karelian Isthmus. It was built from the body of a three-turreted T-28 medium tank, produced in 1933–1940 at the Kirov plant in Leningrad. The tank was turned over, placed on a wooden foundation and covered with earth. The entrance was through the removed radiator grille. This procedure was described in the book “Manual for Engineering Troops: Fortifications” in the chapter “Using an inverted tank hull to construct a machine gun blockhouse.” Museum and exhibition complex "Sestroretsky Frontier".

23. Firing point with the turret of the KV-1 tank

Photo: Sergey Sharov

This is a copy of the turret of the KV-1 tank, which was installed on a concrete casemate built in 1943 on the Karelian Isthmus. Such tower artillery installations with 76-mm cannons mounted in the turrets of KV tanks were intended to strengthen the anti-tank defense of fortified areas. Museum and exhibition complex "Sestroretsky Frontier".

24. Defensive-offensive armored sliders

Photo: Sergey Sharov

Two armored sliders are on display at the Sestroretsky Frontier museum and exhibition complex. It is known about one of them that he was armed with a casemate artillery mount based on a 76-mm tank gun of the 1938 model and had the call sign “Halva” (he is in the background in the photo). In B.V. Bychevsky’s book “City-Front” there is the following description: “...The creation of the so-called “armor belt” around Leningrad began. We have developed a technology for mass production of various types of prefabricated pillboxes. Once they brought a front-line machine gunner to the Izhora plant to check the squat structure that had just been made from armor plates. The machine gunner climbed under the hood, examined it inside and climbed out. “You know what, friend,” he turned to the welder, “let’s cut a wider hole in the bottom. We’ll make a frame out of logs for this thing and put it right on the trench.” “Or maybe we could also weld a towing hook to the wall? - suggested the welder. - Go on the offensive and take it with you. You can safely drag a tractor or a tank!” “And that’s true,” the machine gunner rejoiced. “He will be kind of like a slider for us: both for defense and offense.” That’s how we christened this design that day - “defensive-offensive armored slider.” Under this name she became widely known throughout the Leningrad Front.” Museum and exhibition complex "Sestroretsky Frontier".

Moskovsky district

25. T-34-85 tanks of the Pulkovo Frontier memorial

Photo: lenww2.ru, Alexey Sedelnikov

The Pulkovo Frontier Memorial is included in the Green Belt of Glory. It was here that the front line of the defense of Leningrad passed in 1941–1944. The memorial includes a mosaic panel dedicated to the military and labor exploits of Leningraders, a birch alley and concrete anti-tank pillars. On both sides of the memorial are two T-34-85 tanks with side numbers 112 and 113. T-34-85 is a Soviet medium tank of the Great Patriotic War period, adopted for service in 1944 and forming the basis tank troops Soviet army until the mid-1950s. The installation of a more powerful 85-mm cannon significantly increased the tank's combat effectiveness compared to its predecessor, the T-34-76. The memorial was opened in 1967. Address: 20th kilometer of Pulkovskoe highway.

Nevsky district

26. Tank "T-34-85" on the territory of the Zvezda plant

Photo: lenww2.ru, Olga Isaeva

The T-34-85 tank was installed on the territory of the Zvezda machine-building plant, which until recently was named after K.E. Voroshilov. On the pedestal there is a bronze plaque: “In memory of the military and labor feats of the Voroshilovites.” It was founded in 1932 in Leningrad on the basis of the Mechanical Engineering Department of the country's oldest enterprise - the Bolshevik plant (now the Obukhov Plant) and initially specialized in the production of tanks. In the pre-war period and during the Great Patriotic War, the plant produced about 14.5 thousand tanks. During the war, evacuated factory workers created almost 6 thousand T-34 tanks in Omsk and more than 10 thousand tank engines in Barnaul. In the workshops of the plant in besieged Leningrad, tanks were repaired, mines and armor shields were produced. The monument was opened in 1975. Address: Babushkina street, 123, on the territory of JSC Zvezda.

27. Firing point with the turret of the KV-1 tank

At the bunker of the Izhora defensive line there is a model of the KV tank turret installed. As the press service of the city administration reported, “during the war, a similar tower was located in the same place, as evidenced by the tank’s rotating mechanism mounted in the top of the pillbox. Enthusiasts, relying on historical drawings, restored the tank’s turret, returning the pillbox to its original appearance.” The memorial was restored in 2013. Address: Rybatskoye, Murzinskaya street, near the intersection with Obukhovskaya Defense Avenue.

Petrogradsky district

28. Cruiser "Aurora"

Photo: wikipedia.org, George Shuklin

Aurora, a 1st rank cruiser of the Baltic Fleet, was launched in 1900 at the New Admiralty shipyard, one of the oldest shipbuilding enterprises in Russia. Emperor Nicholas II ordered the ship to be named “Aurora” (the Roman goddess of dawn) in honor of the sailing frigate “Aurora”, which became famous during the defense of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky during the Crimean War of 1853–1856. During the Great Patriotic War, the cruiser was stationed in Oranienbaum and protected Kronstadt from air raids. Nine 130-mm guns removed from the cruiser (along with part of the crew) became part of the Duderhof battery, which heroically fought with German tanks. Monuments and memorials included in the “Green Belt of Glory” were built at the positions of the Aurora battery guns. Since 1948, the Aurora has been permanently moored at the Nakhimov Naval School. In 2010, the cruiser was withdrawn from the Navy and is a branch of the Central Naval Museum. In September 2014, the Aurora was towed to the repair dock of the Kronstadt Marine Plant, where it will remain until 2016.

29. “Three-inch” of the late 19th century in the Artillery Museum

Photo: VIMAIViVS

A 3-inch (76 mm) experimental rapid-fire field gun of the 1898 model on the outdoor display of the Artillery Museum. This is one of the first famous “three-inch” guns, which became famous as one of the best guns of its time. Previously, guns were loaded from the muzzle, which was time consuming and ineffective. Thanks to the efforts of outstanding Russian artillery scientists, a completely new weapon was developed at the Putilov plant in St. Petersburg. Thus, these guns were the first to use a high-speed piston bolt with locking, impact and ejection mechanisms and a fuse, an elastic carriage and opener, a recoil brake and an inclinometer. Excellent qualities new gun were confirmed on the fields of the Russian-Japanese (1904–1905) and the First World War (1914–1918). After modernization in 1930, these guns were actively used throughout the Great Patriotic War, turning out to be effective means fight against light German tanks. Address: Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops and Signal Corps, Kronverksky Island.

30. Guns from the 1930s in the Artillery Museum

Photo: Sergey Sharov

305 mm howitzer model 1939 (in the foreground) and 210 mm cannon model 1939. These powerful weapons were created by the famous Soviet designer Ilya Ivanov. The collection of cannons from the 1930s at the Artillery Museum is of particular interest - with these guns, so familiar to us from war films, the Red Army entered the Great Patriotic War. Their uniqueness also lies in the fact that they were created in record time. short time. Among the guns of the same period, it is worth noting the famous divisional (76-mm cannon of the 1936 and 1939 model, chief designer Vasily Grabin), and corps, army guns (107-mm cannon of the 1940 model and 152-mm howitzer-gun of the 1937 model, chief designer Fedor Petrov). There is also a weapon here (122-mm howitzer model 1938), which was in service with our country until the 1980s. Address: Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops and Signal Corps, Kronverksky Island.

31. Artillery 1941–1945 in the Artillery Museum

Photo: Sergey Sharov

These systems were created directly during the Great Patriotic War. During this period, excellent samples were produced using the high-speed method, taking into account the experience of combat use of artillery. Many of them are associated with the name of the famous Soviet designer Fedor Petrov. The photograph shows one of his developments, a 152-mm howitzer of the 1943 model D-1. It’s hard to imagine, but less than three weeks were spent on its creation, and it was in service for more than thirty years. Next to it are the first powerful 100-, 122- and 152-mm self-propelled artillery units - a threat to German tanks and self-propelled guns. Address: Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops and Signal Corps, Kronverksky Island.

Photo: Sergey Sharov

The 57-mm anti-tank gun of the 1943 model “ZIS-2” (left) is the most powerful weapon of this caliber during the Great Patriotic War. This gun had the ability to penetrate 145 mm of armor, so it could hit all German tanks. Special place Among the guns of the war years, the 76-mm divisional gun of the 1942 model, the famous ZIS-3 (in the center), ranks. It became more compact and as much as 400 kg lighter, and also significantly surpassed its predecessor of the 1939 model in all other respects. For the first time, a muzzle brake was used for divisional guns - a special device that made it possible to reduce the recoil of the barrel. Guns of this design were inexpensive to produce (three times cheaper than before). They were very maneuverable and reliable. All this was clearly confirmed in combat conditions. The formidable and beautiful gun earned respect even from enemies. Hitler's artillery consultant Wolf believed that it was the best gun of the Second World War, "one of the most ingenious designs in the history of barrel artillery." Address: Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops and Signal Corps, Kronverksky Island.

Photo: Sergey Sharov

It will be interesting to know that Soviet anti-aircraft artillery successfully hit not only air targets, but also ground targets, including tanks. This 14.5-mm quad anti-aircraft machine gun mount designed by Leshchinsky “ZPU-4” destroyed both aircraft (at altitudes up to 2000 meters) and lightly armored ground targets and enemy personnel. Its rate of fire is 600 rounds per minute. In the courtyard of the museum, almost all anti-aircraft guns that were created and were in service in the pre-war and war years are displayed. These are 25- and 37-mm automatic anti-aircraft guns of the 1940 and 1939 model and an 85-mm anti-aircraft gun of the 1939 model, which proved themselves well during the Great Patriotic War. Address: Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops and Signal Corps, Kronverksky Island.

Photo: pomnite-nas.ru, Dmitry Panov

Heavy self-propelled artillery unit based on the IS tank - ISU-152, model 1943. The main armament of the self-propelled gun was the 152-mm howitzer-cannon “ML-20”, the firepower of which made it easy to deal with “Tigers” and “Panthers” - the main enemy tanks. For this, the famous self-propelled gun received the nickname “St. John’s wort”. In the post-war period, the ISU-152 underwent modernization and was in service with the Soviet army for a long time. The development of ISU-152 was carried out under the leadership of Joseph Kotin, chief designer of the Chelyabinsk tractor plant, built on the basis of the evacuated Leningrad Kirov plant. Address: Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops and Signal Corps, Kronverksky Island.

32. Historical weapons in the Peter and Paul Fortress

Photo: website, Georgy Popov

152-mm howitzers of the 1937 model “ML-20” in the Peter and Paul Fortress on the square near the Naryshkin Bastion. “In 1992–2002, these howitzers served as signal guns for the Peter and Paul Fortress and carried out the traditional midday shot every day,” the information plaque says. Every Saturday (from late May to October) a guard of honor ceremony is held here five minutes before noon. The ML-20 howitzer takes pride of place among the best cannon artillery designs. These are the guns that were installed on the Zverovoi, powerful self-propelled artillery units. Address: Peter and Paul Fortress.

Frunze district

33. Firing point with the turret of the KV-1 tank

Photo: kupsilla.ru, Denis Chaliapin

A firing point covered with earth and construction debris was accidentally discovered by a local resident in the summer of 2014. Historians became interested in the find, achieved the status of a monument for the fortification, and raised money for its restoration. An exact copy of the turret of the KV-1 heavy tank was made, which was solemnly installed in its original place. This bunker was part of the Izhora defensive line, built in 1943. Kupchinsky local historian Denis Shalyapin commented on the opening of the monument: “A tank turret installed on a concrete casemate (which in itself is a rare case) on one of the central highways of the city will be noticed by everyone passing along the avenue. Thus, Kupchino will receive a unique monument, which can rightfully become one of the symbols of the region.” The monument was opened in 2015. Address: Slavy Avenue, opposite house 30.

-When I saw the Russians, I was surprised. How did the Russians get from the Volga to Berlin in such primitive machines? When I saw them and the horses, I thought this couldn't be true. The Germans were technically advanced and their artillery was very much inferior to Russian technology. Do you know why? Everything with us must be accurate. But snow and mud do not help accuracy. When I was captured, I had a Sturmgever, modern weapons, but he refused after three shots - sand hit... - Günter Kühne, Wehrmacht soldier

Any war is a clash not only of troops, but also of the industrial and economic systems of the warring parties. This question must be remembered when trying to evaluate the merits of certain types of military equipment, as well as the successes of troops achieved using this equipment. When assessing the success or failure of a combat vehicle, you need to clearly remember not only its specifications, but also the costs that were invested in its production, the number of units produced, and so on. Simply put, an integrated approach is important.
That is why the assessment of a single tank or aircraft and loud statements about the “best” model of war must be critically assessed every time. It is possible to create an invincible tank, but issues of quality almost always conflict with issues of ease of manufacture and mass availability of such equipment. There is no point in creating an invincible tank if the industry cannot organize its mass production, and the cost of the tank will be the same as that of an aircraft carrier. The balance between the combat qualities of the equipment and the ability to quickly establish large-scale production is important.

In this regard, it is of interest how this balance was maintained by the warring powers at different levels of the military-industrial system of the state. How much and what kind of military equipment was produced, and how this affected the results of the war. This article attempts to collect statistical data on the production of armored vehicles by Germany and the USSR during the Second World War and the immediate pre-war period.

Statistics.

The data obtained are summarized in a table, which requires some explanation.

1. Approximate numbers are highlighted in red. They mainly concern two types - trophy French technology, as well as the number of self-propelled guns produced on the chassis of German armored personnel carriers. The first is due to the impossibility of establishing exactly how many trophies were actually used by the Germans in the army. The second is due to the fact that the production of self-propelled guns on an armored personnel carrier chassis was often carried out by retrofitting already produced armored personnel carriers without heavy weapons, by installing a gun with a machine on the armored personnel carrier chassis.

2. The table contains information about all guns, tanks and armored vehicles. For example, in the line “assault guns” we take into account German self-propelled guns sd.kfz.250/8 and sd.kfz.251/9, which are an armored personnel carrier chassis with an installed short-barreled 75 cm caliber gun. The corresponding number of linear armored personnel carriers is excluded from the line “armored personnel carriers” and so on.

3. Soviet self-propelled guns did not have a narrow specialization, and could fight both tanks and support infantry. However, they are classified into different categories. For example, the closest to the German assault guns, as conceived by the designers, were the Soviet breakthrough self-propelled guns SU/ISU-122/152, as well as the infantry support self-propelled guns Su-76. And self-propelled guns such as the Su-85 and Su-100 had a pronounced anti-tank character and were classified as “tank destroyers.”

4. The “self-propelled artillery” category includes guns designed primarily for firing from closed positions beyond the direct line of sight of targets, including rocket-propelled mortars on armored chassis. On the Soviet side, only the BM-8-24 MLRS on the T-60 and T-40 chassis fell into this category.

5. Statistics include all production from 1932 to May 9, 1945. It was this technique, one way or another, that constituted the potential of the warring parties and was used in the war. The technology of earlier production was outdated by the beginning of the Second World War and is not of serious importance.

USSR

The data obtained fit well into the well-known historical situation. The production of armored vehicles in the USSR was launched on an incredible, massive scale, which was fully consistent with the aspirations of the Soviet side - preparation for a war of survival in vast areas from the Arctic to the Caucasus. To a certain extent, for the sake of mass production, the quality and debugging of military equipment was sacrificed. It is known that the equipment Soviet tanks the quality of communications, optics and interior decoration was significantly worse than that of the Germans.

The obvious imbalance of the weapons system is striking. For the sake of tank production, entire classes of armored vehicles are missing - armored personnel carriers, self-propelled guns, control vehicles, etc. Not least of all, this situation is determined by the desire of the USSR to overcome the serious gap in the main types of weapons, inherited after the collapse of the Republic of Ingushetia and civil war. Attention was focused on saturating the troops with the main striking force - tanks, while support vehicles were ignored. This is logical - it is stupid to invest effort in the design of bridge laying vehicles and ARVs in conditions where the production of the main weapons - tanks - has not been streamlined.

Ammunition transporter TP-26

At the same time, the USSR realized the inferiority of such a weapon system, and already on the eve of the Second World War they were actively designing a wide variety of support equipment. These include armored personnel carriers, self-propelled artillery, repair and recovery vehicles, bridge layers, etc. Most of this equipment did not have time to be introduced into production before the start of the Second World War, and already during the war its development had to be stopped. All this could not but affect the level of losses during the fighting. For example, the lack of armored personnel carriers had a negative impact on infantry losses and their mobility. Making multi-kilometer foot marches, the infantrymen lost strength and part of their combat effectiveness even before contact with the enemy.

Experienced armored personnel carrier TR-4

Gaps in the weapons system were partially filled by Allied supplies. It is no coincidence that the USSR supplied armored personnel carriers, self-propelled guns and self-propelled guns on the chassis of American armored personnel carriers. The total number of such vehicles was about 8,500, which is not much less than the number of tanks received - 12,300.

Germany

The German side followed a completely different path. Having been defeated in WWII, Germany did not lose its design school and did not lose its technological superiority. Let us remind you that in the USSR there was nothing to lose, in Russian Empire no tanks were produced. Therefore, the Germans did not need to overcome the path from an agricultural state to an industrial one in a wild hurry.

Having begun preparations for war, the Germans were well aware that they could defeat numerous and economically powerful opponents in the form of Great Britain and France, and then the USSR, only by ensuring qualitative superiority, which the Germans traditionally do excellently anyway. But the issue of mass participation for Germany was not so acute - relying on the blitzkrieg strategy and the quality of weapons gave a chance to achieve victory with small forces. The first attempts confirmed the success of the chosen course. Although not without problems, the Germans managed to defeat Poland, then France, and so on. The spatial scope of the fighting in the center of compact Europe was quite consistent with the number of tank forces that the Germans had at their disposal. Obviously, these victories convinced us even more German command the correctness of the chosen strategy.

Actually, this is why the Germans initially paid the closest attention to the balance of their weapons system. Here we see a variety of types of armored vehicles - ZSU, ammunition transporters, forward observer vehicles, ARVs. All this made it possible to build a well-functioning mechanism for waging war, which went like a steamroller throughout Europe. Such close attention to support technology, which also contributes to achieving victory, can only be admired.

Actually, the first shoots of future defeat were laid in this weapon system. The Germans are Germans in everything. Quality and reliability! But as mentioned above, quality and mass production almost always come into conflict. And one day the Germans started a war where everything was different - they attacked the USSR.

Already in the first year of the war, the blitzkrieg mechanism failed. The Russian expanses were absolutely indifferent to the perfectly tuned, but small number of German technology. A different scope was required here. And although the Red Army suffered defeat after defeat, it became difficult for the Germans to maneuver with the modest forces they had. Losses in the protracted conflict grew, and already in 1942 it became obvious that it was impossible to produce high-quality German equipment in the quantities necessary to make up for losses. Or rather, it is impossible in the same mode of operation of the economy. We had to start mobilizing the economy. However, these actions were very late - it was necessary to prepare for the current situation before the attack.

Technique

When assessing the potential of the parties, it is necessary to clearly separate equipment by purpose. The decisive influence on the outcome of the battle is primarily exerted by “battlefield” vehicles - equipment engaged in the destruction of the enemy by direct fire in the forward echelons of troops. These are tanks and self-propelled guns. It should be recognized that in this category the USSR had absolute superiority, producing 2.6 times more military equipment.

IN separate category light tanks with machine gun armament, as well as wedges, are highlighted. Formally being tanks, they were of very low combat value for 1941. Neither the German Pz. I, neither the Soviet T-37 and T-38 dare to be included in the same rank with the formidable T-34 and even light BT or T-26. The enthusiasm for such technology in the USSR should be considered not a very successful experiment.

Self-propelled artillery is listed separately. The difference between this category of armored vehicles and assault guns, tank destroyers and other self-propelled guns is the ability to fire from closed positions. Destruction of troops by direct fire is, for them, an exception to the rule rather than a typical task. In essence, these are ordinary field howitzers or MLRS mounted on armored vehicle chassis. Currently, this practice has become the norm, as a rule, any artillery piece has a towed (for example, 152-mm howitzer MSTA-B) and self-propelled version (MSTA-S). At that time this was a novelty, and the Germans were among the first to implement the idea of self-propelled artillery covered with armor. The USSR limited itself to only experiments in this area, and the self-propelled guns built using howitzers were used not as classical artillery, but as breakthrough weapons. At the same time, 64 were released jet systems BM-8-24 on T-40 and T-60 chassis. There is information that the troops were satisfied with them, and it is not clear why their mass production was not organized.

MLRS BM-8-24 on a light tank chassis

The next category is general-arms armored vehicles, whose task is to support first-line equipment, but are not intended to destroy targets on the battlefield. This category includes armored personnel carriers and self-propelled guns on armored chassis, and armored vehicles. It is important to understand that such vehicles, by design, are not intended to fight in the same formation as tanks and infantry, although they should be located behind them in close proximity. It is mistakenly believed that an armored personnel carrier is a battlefield vehicle. In fact, armored personnel carriers were originally intended to transport infantry in the front line and protect them from artillery shell fragments at the initial lines of attack. On the battlefield, armored personnel carriers, armed with a machine gun and protected by thin armor, could not help either infantry or tanks. Their large silhouette makes them a great and easy target. If in reality they entered into battle, it was forced. Vehicles of this category influence the outcome of the battle indirectly - saving the lives and strength of the infantry. Their importance in battle is significantly lower than that of tanks, although they are also necessary. In this category, the USSR practically did not produce its own equipment, and only by the middle of the war acquired a small number of vehicles supplied under Lend-Lease.

The temptation to classify armored personnel carriers as battlefield equipment is fueled by the presence of very weak tanks in the ranks of the Red Army, for example, the T-60. Thin armor, primitive equipment, weak gun - why is the German armored personnel carrier worse? Why is a tank with such weak performance characteristics a battlefield vehicle, but an armored personnel carrier is not? First of all, a tank is a specialized vehicle, the main task of which is precisely the destruction of targets on the battlefield, which cannot be said about an armored personnel carrier. Even though their armor is similar, the tank’s low, squat silhouette, its mobility, and the ability to fire from a cannon clearly speak of its purpose. An armored personnel carrier is precisely a transporter, and not a means of destroying the enemy. However, those German armored personnel carriers that received specialized weapons, for example, 75 cm or 3.7 cm anti-tank guns, are taken into account in the table in the corresponding rows - anti-tank self-propelled guns. This is fair, since this armored personnel carrier was eventually made into a vehicle designed to destroy the enemy on the battlefield, albeit with weak armor and a high, clearly visible silhouette of a transporter.

As for armored vehicles, they were mainly intended for reconnaissance and security. The USSR produced a huge number of vehicles of this class, and the combat capabilities of a number of models came very close to those of light tanks. However, this applies primarily to pre-war equipment. It seems that the effort and money spent on their production could have been spent for better use. For example, if some of them were intended to transport infantry, like conventional armored personnel carriers.

The next category is special vehicles without weapons. Their task is to provide troops, and armor is needed primarily for protection from random fragments and bullets. Their presence in battle formations should be short-term; they do not have to constantly accompany the advancing troops. Their task is to solve specific problems in time and in the right place, moving forward from the rear, avoiding contact with the enemy if possible.

The Germans produced about 700 repair and recovery vehicles, plus about 200 were converted from previously produced equipment. In the USSR, similar vehicles were created only on the basis of the T-26 and were produced in the amount of 183 units. It is difficult to fully assess the potential of the repair forces of the parties, since the matter was not limited to ARVs alone. Having felt the need for this type of equipment, both Germany and the USSR were engaged in handicraft conversion of outdated and partially faulty tanks into tow trucks and tractors. The Red Army had quite a lot of such vehicles with dismantled turrets based on T-34, KV and IS tanks. It is not possible to establish their exact number, since they were all manufactured in combat units of the army, and not in factories. In the German army, despite the presence of specialized ARVs, they also produced similar homemade vehicles, and their number is also unknown.

The Germans intended ammunition transporters primarily to supply advanced artillery units. In the Red Army, the same problem was solved by ordinary trucks, the security of which, of course, was lower.

Forward observer vehicles were also mainly needed by artillerymen. In the modern army, their analogues are the vehicles of senior battery officers and mobile reconnaissance points PRP. However, in those years the USSR did not produce such machines.

In terms of bridge layers, their presence in the Red Army may be surprising. However, it was the USSR that before the war produced 65 of these vehicles based on the T-26 tank under the designation ST-26. The Germans produced several such vehicles based on the Pz IV, Pz II and Pz I. However, neither the Soviet ST-26 nor the German bridge layers had any influence on the course of the war.

Bridge tank ST-26

Finally, the Germans produced quite a lot of such specific machines as demolition charge stackers. The most popular of these vehicles, “Goliath,” was a remote-controlled wedge disposable. This type machines are difficult to classify into any category, their tasks are so unique. The USSR did not produce such machines.

conclusions

When analyzing the impact of weapons release on the consequences of war, two factors must be taken into account - the balance of the weapons system and the balance of equipment in terms of quality/quantity ratio.

The balance of the German army's weapons system is extremely commendable. In the pre-war period, the USSR was unable to create anything like this, although the need for this was recognized by the leadership. The lack of auxiliary equipment had a negative impact on the combat capabilities of the Red Army, primarily in the mobility of support units and infantry. Of all the wide range of auxiliary equipment, it is worth regretting the absence of armored personnel carriers and self-propelled anti-aircraft guns in the Red Army. The absence of such exotic vehicles as remote demolition charges and artillery observer vehicles could be endured without tears. As for ARVs, their role was quite successfully performed by tractors based on tanks with weapons removed, but there are still no armored ammunition transporters in the army, and the troops generally cope with this task with the help of conventional trucks.

The production of armored personnel carriers in Germany should be considered justified. Knowing the cost of military equipment, it is not difficult to calculate that the production of the entire fleet of armored personnel carriers cost the Germans approximately 450 million marks. For this money, the Germans could build about 4000 Pz. IV or 3000 Pz.V. Obviously, such a number of tanks would not greatly affect the outcome of the war.

As for the USSR, its leadership, overcoming the technological gap from Western countries, correctly assessed the importance of tanks as the main striking force of the troops. The emphasis on improving and developing tanks ultimately gave the USSR an advantage over the German army directly on the battlefield. Despite the high utility of support equipment, the decisive role in the outcome of battles was played by battlefield vehicles, which Soviet army had the highest development priority. A large number of In the end, the support vehicles did not help Germany win the war, although they probably saved a considerable number of lives of German soldiers.

But the balance between quality and quantity ultimately turned out to be not in Germany’s favor. The traditional tendency of the Germans to strive to achieve the ideal in everything, even where this should be neglected, played a cruel joke. In preparation for war with the USSR, it was necessary to pay close attention to the mass production of equipment. Even the most advanced combat vehicles in small numbers are not capable of turning the tide of events. The gap between the combat capabilities of Soviet and German technology was not so large that German qualitative superiority could play a decisive role. But the quantitative superiority of the USSR turned out to be capable of not only making up for the losses of the first period of the war, but also influencing the course of the war as a whole. The ubiquitous T-34s, supplemented by small Su-76s and T-60s, were everywhere, while the Germans from the very beginning of the Second World War did not have enough equipment to saturate the huge front.

Speaking about the quantitative superiority of the USSR, it is impossible to avoid discussing the traditional template “filled with corpses.” Having discovered such a striking superiority of the Red Army in technology, it is difficult to resist the temptation to put forward the thesis that we fought with numbers, and not with skill. Such statements must be stopped immediately. No one, even the most talented commander, will give up quantitative superiority over the enemy, even if he can fight with many times fewer troops. Quantitative superiority gives the commander the greatest opportunity to plan a battle and does not at all mean an inability to fight with small numbers. If you have a lot of troops, this does not mean that you will immediately enthusiastically throw them into a frontal attack, in the hope that they will crush the enemy with their mass. Whatever quantitative superiority there is, it is not infinite. Provide your troops with the opportunity to operate in more- the most important task of industry and the state. And the Germans understood this very well, having squeezed everything they could out of their economy in 1943-45 in an attempt to achieve at least not superiority, but parity with the USSR. They did not do it the best way, but the Soviet side did it excellently. Which became one of the many bricks in the foundation of victory.

P.S.
The author does not consider this work exhaustive and final. Perhaps there will be specialists who can significantly supplement the information presented. Any reader can familiarize himself with the collected statistics in detail by downloading from the link below full version statistical table presented in this article.
https://yadi.sk/i/WWxqmJlOucUdP

References:
A.G. Solyankin, M.V. Pavlov, I.V. Pavlov, I.G. Zheltov “Domestic armored vehicles. XX century." (in 4 volumes)
V. Oswald. "Complete catalog of military vehicles and tanks of Germany 1900 - 1982."
P. Chamberlain, H. Doyle, “Encyclopedia of German tanks of the Second World War.”

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