100 mm anti-aircraft gun B-14
The 100-mm anti-aircraft guns B-14 was developed in the early 1930s, Soviet anti-aircraft gun of caliber 100 mm. The Soviet name is 100-мм зенитная пушка Б-14 and means 100-mm anti-aircraft gun B-14 . The factory index of the weapon is B-14, where B stands for the manufacturer and the number 14 for the serial number of the development in this factory. The development of the weapon was stopped in 1938, serial production or acceptance into the armament of the Soviet Army did not take place.
development
The anti-aircraft guns used in the Red Army at the end of the 1920s were based on the 76-mm anti-aircraft gun M1914 or 76-mm anti-aircraft gun M1915 developed during the First World War . The weapons were outdated, only available in small numbers and did not meet the requirements of modern combat. With the industrialization of the Soviet Union, on the one hand, the prerequisites for the production of modern weapons had been created, on the other hand, the Soviet designers lacked experience in developing such complex guns. In the case of anti-aircraft weapons of smaller caliber, they therefore resorted to developments by the companies Bofors and Rheinmetall , but they wanted to develop heavy anti-aircraft guns independently.
On December 26, 1930, the command of the Soviet Navy (Управление военно-морских сил) ordered a sample of an anti -aircraft gun with a caliber of 102 mm from the Bolshevik plant . The tube length should be 45 caliber, the elevation range up to 75 °. The delivery of the prototype was scheduled for April 1, 1932. However, the development was delayed, so that the weapon could not be delivered until September 1, 1932. The reason for the delays was, among other things, changes to the specifications. When the project was confirmed by the leadership of the Soviet Navy in May 1931, an elevation range of up to + 85 ° was required. In June 1931 the specification was changed again, now the maximum limit of the elevation range should be between + 85 ° and + 90 °. In September 1931 the caliber was changed from 102 to 100 mm. In May 1931 another prototype was ordered for the Artillery Headquarters . The weapon for the Navy was given the designation B-14M, the designation B-14S for the artillery headquarters.
The B-14S arrived on August 26, 1932 on the polygon NIAP (Научно-исследовательский зенитный полигон, НИАП) in Rzhevsk (Ржевский полигон) near Leningrad . Testing of the weapon began there on September 7th. After just two shots, the cannon had to be repaired from September 8th. The pipe return was only 200 to 250 mm instead of the calculated 680 mm. As a result, the gun barrel tore open. After the pressure in the pipe hauler had been reduced, testing could be continued from September 14th. The automatic loading system and the tube brake did not work satisfactorily either. Therefore, the weapon was dismantled by the factory in order to eliminate the defects found. At the same time, the cannon was scaffolded on the sight of the 76 mm anti-aircraft gun M1931 . Testing could not be resumed until November 20th and continued until December 15th. Significant deficiencies in the elevation drive have now been identified. The tube return device and the automatic loading system still did not work satisfactorily. The loading ram was revised twice without success. After the end of this test, the B-14S was returned to the factory in order to remedy the defects that had occurred.
The second prototype was tested on the NIAP from October 20, 1934. A total of 15 shots were fired. Here, too, problems occurred with the leveling machine and the pipe return device. This weapon was also returned to the manufacturer's factory to remedy defects.
The tests could not be resumed until June 1936. However, since further reworking had to be carried out on the polygon, testing with a sharp shot did not begin until August 1937. As a result of the testing, it was found that the B-14 is not suitable for firing. A revision of the pipe return device, the leveling machine and other assemblies was requested.
On June 14, 1938, the artillery administration ordered the storage of the weapon on the NIAP.
The version B-14M (where M stands for sea (морской)) was tested on the naval firing range between 1935 and 1936. This weapon could not be brought into a functional condition either.
As early as 1935, five pre-series copies were to be produced in the Bolshevik plant . Due to the defects and new requirements such as a protective shield and a night visor, production was discontinued.
Ultimately, development was discontinued in 1938 due to insurmountable problems and the development of a new 100 mm anti-aircraft gun was instructed.
construction
gun
Originally the tube was in one piece, but was replaced by a tube with a core tube in the course of testing . A horizontally running wedge lock was used as the lock . The loading machine worked pneumatically and, like the loading ram, used the energy of the recoil of the cannon. These facilities were fundamentally similar to the corresponding assemblies of the 100 mm B-24 ship cannon . The pipe brake worked hydraulically, the pipe fetcher pneumatic-hydraulic.
In the B-14M version, the construction of the loading ram was changed. In addition, other visors that were adapted to the conditions at sea were used.
Mount
The weapon was placed on a simple base monkey. The straightening drives worked purely mechanically and were manually operated.
ammunition
New ammunition had to be developed for the B-14. Both shrapnel and fragmentation explosive shells were planned , and several versions of both types were tested. The intended fragmentation grenade weighed 13.75 kg and reached a muzzle velocity of 940 m / s. The explosive mass was 6.5 kg. With it, a maximum firing range of 16,000 m could be achieved. The shrapnel weighed 15.6 kg and split into 72 fragments. When using this projectile, the muzzle velocity was 865 m / s.
The propellant charges introduced into Soviet naval guns were intended as propellant charges. They were 695 mm long and weighed 6.785 kg. Both normal and reinforced loads were tested.
Technical specifications
| 100 mm anti-aircraft gun B-14 | |
| General properties | |
| classification | Anti-aircraft cannon |
| Chief designer | |
| Name of the manufacturer | B-14 |
| Manufacturer | Zavod Bolshevik |
| Weight in firing position | 6,800 kg |
| Fire dates | |
| Elevation range | −5 ° to + 86 ° |
| Side straightening area | 360 ° |
| Maximum range | 16,000 m |
| Maximum muzzle velocity | 946 m / s |
| fire rate | 10 rounds / min |
| agility | |
See also
literature
- Александр Широкорад : Отечественные полуавтоматические зенитные пушки. In: Техника и вооружение. Issue 08/1998 (Russian)