120 mm grenade launcher M1943

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120 mm grenade launcher M1943

The 120 mm grenade launcher M1943 is a grenade launcher developed in what was then the Soviet Union during the Second World War . It was developed from the 120 mm grenade launcher M1938 . The weapon was used to destroy and hold down troops and means of fire inside and outside of cover, hold down troops and means of fire on steep slopes, in valleys, ravines and forests, and to create alleys in barriers.

In the Soviet Army , the weapon was referred to as the 120-mm regimental grenade launcher model 1943 ( Russian 120-мм полковой миномёт обр. 1943 г. ), the name indicates its use in regimental artillery. The gun's GAU index was 52-M-843 ( Russian 52-М-843 ). In the NVA the weapon was used as a 120 mm grenade launcher 43 . The names of both the Soviet Army and the NVA differ from the naming scheme used today in the Bundeswehr, where such weapons are called mortars .

development

The weapon was developed by the manufacturer under the direction of Alexander Alexandrowitsch Kotow . Reasons for the further development were, on the one hand, efforts to simplify the construction in order to be able to increase the production figures under wartime conditions, as well as the simplification of maintenance and repair under field conditions. With the 1941 model, an already simplified variant - without a wheeled chassis - was produced. Kotow managed to simplify the design. The firing pin could be changed without dismantling the grenade launcher, which made repairs easier under field-like conditions.

construction

The weapon consists of

  • the pipe with bottom piece
  • the bipod
  • the base plate
  • the straightening attachment
  • the load securing
  • the chassis
  • the accessories

The grenade launcher has a smooth barrel and fires wing-stabilized grenades . The main difference to the 1938 model is the construction of the barrel. The trigger construction has been simplified, the firing pin can be exchanged without dismantling the barrel. The launcher is loaded from the front via the tube. In contrast to the 1938 model, a load lock is attached to the front of the barrel, which prevents reloading if the launcher is not unloaded. Well-rehearsed controls are able to reload the launcher very quickly. In combat conditions, however, it is not always possible to determine with absolute certainty whether the loaded grenade was actually fired. Reloading while the launcher is still loaded leads to the ammunition exploding when the detonator of the grenade in the barrel responds. The introduction of the load securing system therefore represents a significant increase in the combat value of the weapon. The base piece closes the tube at the rear and transfers the recoil forces into the base plate. The base plate and bipod serve to direct the thrower and absorb the recoil forces. The launcher is directed both to the side and to the height using simple spindles.

The alignment attachments MP-41, MP-42 and MPM-44M are used as visors. The alignment attachment MPM-44M magnifies 2.5 times with a field of view of 9 °. It can be provided with night lighting. A single-axle, spring-loaded chassis was used as the chassis. It was a welded construction made of profile steel. The chassis of the 1938 model was originally used. Due to the lack of suspension, however, the cruising speed was limited. The new, spring-loaded chassis was produced from 1945.

ammunition

The projectile grenades developed for the 1938 model were also used for the 1943 model. Wing-stabilized throwing grenades with fragmentation warheads were used. With a total weight of the shot of 15.9 kg, the explosive charge accounted for 1.59 kg. Fog grenades were also available.

Technical specifications

The tactical-technical data did not change significantly compared to the predecessor.

120 mm grenade launcher model 1943
General properties
classification Grenade launcher
Chief designer Alexander Alexandrovich Kotov
Name of the manufacturer
Manufacturer
Length with limber
width
height
Weight in firing position 275 kg
Weight in marching position 600 kg
team 6th
Years of construction 1943 -
number of pieces
pipe
caliber 120 mm
Pipe length
Height of the line of fire
Fire dates
Elevation range + 45 ° to + 80 °
Side straightening area ± 4 °
Range, maximum 5,700 m
Range, minimal 460 m
Muzzle velocity 272 m / s
fire rate 10-15 rounds / min

commitment

During the Second World War, the 1938 and 1943 models were used in large numbers in the regimental artillery of the Soviet Army . Even after the end of the war, both models remained in use for a long time. In the Soviet Army they were replaced by the 120 mm grenade launcher M-120 from 1955 .

Use in the NVA

Transport vehicle LO 2002 A with attached 120 mm grenade launcher 43 used by the NVA

The National People's Army of the GDR took over 120-mm grenade launchers 43 from the barracked people's police . In the NVA, the weapon was used in the grenade launcher batteries of the motorized rifle regiments. The Ural-375 D and LO 2002 A trucks were used as the towing vehicle . The weapon could not be procured in sufficient numbers, so that the 82 mm grenade launchers model 37/41 had to continue to be used as replacement armament . The 120 mm grenade launcher 43 was replaced in 1985 by the 120 mm grenade launcher 2B11 , but this process was not completed until the NVA was dissolved. In 1990 there were still 216 120 mm grenade launchers 43 available.

Used by other armed forces in the GDR

The people's police readiness of the barracked units of the Ministry of the Interior (MdI) of the GDR also use the grenade launcher. There they were deployed in the heavy companies of readiness. Another user was the guard and security units of the Ministry for State Security .

See also

Web links

Commons : Category: 120 mm mortar M1943  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l Missile and Weapons Technical Service in Kdo.MB III, technical catalog, 120 mm grenade launcher 43
  2. ↑ Missile and Weapons Technical Service in Kdo. MB III, technical catalog, alignment attachment MPM-44 / MPM-44M
  3. ↑ Missile and Weapons Service in Kdo. MB III, ammunition for 120 mm grenade launchers
  4. ↑ a b Wilfried Copenhagen: The land forces of the NVA , Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart, 2003, ISBN 3-613-02297-4 . Pp. 51-52.