107 mm recoilless gun B-11
The 107 mm recoilless gun B-11 is a recoilless gun produced in the former Soviet Union from 1954 to 1964 . The weapon combines the properties of a grenade launcher and an anti-tank weapon and was used in motorized rifle and airborne units to combat armored vehicles, field fortifications and permanent combat systems, to hold down and destroy troops inside and outside cover and to create lanes in wire obstacles. Although now mostly replaced by more modern weapon systems in regular armed forces, it can still be found in the arming of various armies and irregular forces.
The original name is 107-мм безоткатное орудие Б-11 . In various sources, the weapon was also referred to as the RG-107 based on the caliber. The GRAU index is 52-M-883.
development
At the beginning of the 1950s, the Soviet airborne troops and motorized rifle units had the 82-mm SG-82 grenade launcher as their armament. The development of this weapon had started in 1942, but the grenade launcher was not included in the armament until 1950. However, the inadequate combat properties quickly became apparent. The gun was too heavy and unwieldy. Another disadvantage was the short range, which made it impossible to fight and hold down opposing troops at greater distances. In addition, at the beginning of the 1950s, the member states of NATO introduced a new generation of battle tanks that could not be fought with the SG-82.
The Central Artillery Administration (GAU) in the Soviet Ministry of Defense (Главное артиллерийское управление МО (ГРАУ)) therefore called for the development of a new weapon with a total weight of no more than 100 kg and an effective range of at least 4000 m. The weapon should be able to penetrate armor with a thickness of 200-250 mm. For the development of a competition was held, at which the special design office no. 4 (SKB-4) (Специальное конструкторское бюро (СКБ-4)) in Kolomna , led by Boris Ivanovich Schawyrin (Борис Иванович Шавырин) and the Central Design Office of artillery (Центральное артиллерийское конструкторское бюро (ЦАКБ)) in Koroljow under the direction of Vasily Gavrilowitsch Grabin (Василий Гаврилович Гаврилович Гаврилович Гаврилович р. According to these specifications, the SKB-4 developed the recoilless 82 mm B-10 gun , which was added to the armament of the Soviet Army in 1954 . At the same time, the design office was working on a variant with a larger caliber. The larger caliber promised a greater effective range and a greater penetration rate. Both weapons are constructed according to the same principle. This made it easier to organize series production, which began in 1954 in the Tula machine building plant .
construction
pipe
The weapon is constructed in the same way as the recoilless 82 mm B-10 gun. At the rear end of the one-piece tube there is a chamber and a closure, the chamber is surrounded by a second chamber with holes for gas outlet. This weapon is also a smooth barrel cannon that fires wing-stabilized ammunition. The weapon is loaded from behind via the breech.
Two removable handles are attached to the muzzle of the barrel to make it easier to move the gun in the platoon. Operation in the NVA consisted of a total of four men: the gun leader, the K1 (directional gunner), the K2 (loading gunner) and the K3 (ammunition gunner). The weapon can be moved from marching to combat position within a minute.
Visor
The sighting device is on the left of the tube. The straightening attachment PBO-4 is used with two attachments. Attachment A is used for indirect straightening, attachment B for direct straightening. Attachment A has a field of view of 9 ° and magnifies 2.5 times, attachment B has a field of view of 18 ° and magnifies 3 times. The straightening attachment can be illuminated for night combat. An angle measuring quadrant and measuring rods are also available to measure the position.
Mount
The design of the mount differs significantly from that used in the recoilless 82 mm B-10 gun. It is designed as a welded construction made of tubular steel. The carriage has two spars, but the spars cannot be spread apart. At the end of the bars there are support plates on which the weapon rests when firing. Two handles are welded to the bars on both sides to make it easier to maneuver the weapon in the field. The carriage sits on a single-axle, spring-loaded and damped chassis with large wheels. In contrast to the B-10, the B-11 can be attached to vehicles as a towing load.
ammunition
A variety of ammunition types exist for the B-11. Frag grenades are fired to fight soft and semi-hard targets and shaped charge grenades are used to fight tanks.
| Types of ammunition | ||||||
| Type | designation | Weight of the grenade in kg | Weight of the explosive charge in g | Muzzle velocity in m / s | Penetration performance, mm armor steel | effective range, m |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaped charge grenades | ||||||
| Shaped charge throwing grenade | MK-11 | 12.57 | 400 | 290 | ||
| Shaped charge throwing grenade | BK-883 | 7.51 | 1.06 | 381 | 450 | |
| Fragmentation grenades | ||||||
| Frag grenade | MO-11 | 13.53 | 375 | |||
| Frag grenade | O-883A | 8.5 | 2.088 | 375 | 6650 | |
Versions
No other versions of the weapon are known.
Technical specifications
| 107 mm recoilless gun B-11 | |
| General properties | |
| classification | |
| Chief designer | Boris Ivanovich Shavyrin |
| Name of the manufacturer | B-11 |
| Manufacturer | Tula machine building plant |
| Weight in firing position | 304.8 kg |
| Weight in driving position | |
| team | 4 men |
| Years of construction | 1954– |
| number of pieces | |
| pipe | |
| caliber | 107 mm |
| Pipe length | 3383 m |
| Fire dates | |
| Elevation range | −10 / + 45 ° |
| Side straightening area | 35 ° |
| Maximum range | 6650 m |
| Maximum muzzle velocity | 400 m / s |
| fire rate | 5-6 rounds / min |
| agility | |
| Top speed in tow | |
commitment
Operational principles
The weapon was used in the Soviet Army and in the armed forces structured according to the Soviet model in airborne and motorized rifle battalions and regiments. Its high mobility, combined with good ballistic performance, made it a versatile weapon and meant that the weapon was also used outside of these structures.
The weapon could be used successfully against the tanks introduced in the 1950s, but with the increasing thickness of the armor in the course of technical development, the limit of the B-11 became apparent. Another disadvantage in combat was the inherent high level of noise and dust, which revealed the position of the weapon and made aiming difficult after the first shot. Since anti-tank guided missiles were also available in the Soviet Union from the mid-1960s, the B-11 was replaced by these in its role as an anti-tank weapon.
Countries of operation
The weapon was exported to Bulgaria , Cambodia , China , the GDR , Egypt , the Democratic People's Republic of Korea , Vietnam and Poland .
Use in the NVA
The NVA used the recoilless B-11 gun from 1957. A total of twelve weapons were planned for a motorized rifle regiment of the NVA; the planned numbers could also be procured. However, the weapon was already retired by 1967, as anti-tank missile systems and, in the artillery departments of the regiments, howitzers of the 122 mm caliber were increasingly available. The weapons that were released were not scrapped, but handed over to the factory combat groups. They were used there until they were dissolved in 1990.
Individual evidence
Web links
- Missile and weapons technical service in Kdo. MB III, technical catalog, recoilless gun B-11
- РУССКИЕ ОРУЖЕЙНИКИ: МИНОМЕТ - ОРУЖИЕ ГРОЗНОЕ on bratishka.ru (Russian)
- Безоткатное орудие Б-11, 107-мм on The point (Russian)
literature
- Wilfried Copenhagen: The land forces of the NVA. Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 2003, ISBN 3-613-02297-4 .
- В. Н. Шунков: Оружие Красной Армии. Мн .: Харвест, 1999, ISBN 985-433-469-4 .