152mm howitzer M1937 (ML-20)

152mm howitzer M1937 (ML-20)

Finnish soldiers bombard Soviet positions in the summer of 1944

The 152-mm howitzer M1937 (ML-20) ( Russian 152-мм гаубица-пушка обр. 1937 г. (МЛ-20) ) was a Soviet heavy artillery gun with a caliber of 152.4 mm, which was used during the Second World War has been used.

history

The gun was designed in 1937, with FF Petrov being the chief designer in charge. A total of 6884 copies were made. In the Red Army it was called the 152 mm M1937 cannon howitzer , the manufacturer's designation, Permski Sawod No. 172 (Perm Plant No. 172) read ML-20 . Because the gun combined the properties of a howitzer (large elevation angle) and a cannon (relatively high muzzle velocity and barrel length in calibers), it was classified as a cannon howitzer by the leadership of the Red Army .

During the Russian campaign , the German Wehrmacht and the Finnish army captured several hundred of these guns and put them into service under the designations 15.2 cm Kanonenhaubitze 433/1 (r) and 152 H / 37 .

The heavy Soviet SU-152 and ISU-152 self-propelled guns were armed with the ML-20S variant of the 152 mm M1937 cannon howitzer. In combat use, the 152 mm M1937 (ML-20) cannon howitzer was very successful in some respects, including counter-battery shooting, defense against heavy tanks, and in city battles.

Technical specifications

152 mm M1937 cannon howitzer
General properties
classification	originally a heavy corps gun, later a heavy army gun
Chief designer	Fyodor Fyodorovich Petrov
Name of the manufacturer	ML-20 (Russian МЛ-20)
Manufacturer	Permski Sawod No. 172 (Perm Plant No. 172, Russian Пермский завод №172)
Length with limber	8,180 mm
width	2,345 mm
height	2,270 mm
Weight in firing position	7,270 kg
Weight in driving position	7,930 kg
team	9 men (gun leader, two gunner, six loaders and ammunition shooters)
Years of construction	1937-1946
number of pieces	6,884
pipe
caliber	152.4 mm
Pipe length	4,412 mm (L / 29)
Tube length (drawn barrel)	4,240 mm (L / 27.9)
Height of the line of fire	1,613 mm
Fire dates
Elevation range	−2 ° to + 65 °
Side straightening area	58 °
Maximum muzzle velocity	655 m / s
Maximum range	17,230 m
fire rate	3-4 rounds / min
agility
Ground clearance	315 mm
Top speed in vehicle tow	20 km / h

literature

• А.Б. Широкорад: Энциклопедия отечественной артиллерии. (AB Shirokorad: Encyclopedia of Russian Artillery. ) Harvest, Minsk 2000, ISBN 985-433-703-0 (Russian).

Web links

Commons : M1937 152mm Gun Howitzer (ML-20)  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ AB Shirokorad : Encyclopedia of the Russian Artillery.