160 mm grenade launcher M1943
The 160-mm grenade launcher M1943 ( Russian 160-мм миномёт , 160-mm Minomjot; also known as MT-13 ) was a heavy Soviet grenade launcher from the time of the Second World War with a caliber of 160 mm. Its designation in the GAU index was 52-M-852. MT stands for Minomjot Transportiruemy , which can be translated as "transportable mine thrower ".
development
Originally the M1943 was planned as a larger version of the 120 mm grenade launcher M1938 . In 1939, however, the development of an independent 160 mm grenade launcher began under the direction of the engineer Georgi Schirenin on behalf of the headquarters for rockets and artillery . This was accelerated considerably by the beginning of Operation Barbarossa and the associated need for new weapon systems. The main focus during development now had to be on cost efficiency and fast availability. The result was the M1943, which found its way onto the battlefield during the course of 1943.
description
The caliber of most grenade launchers is between 37 and 120 mm, which is why the M-1943 is characterized by the particularly large caliber of its ammunition. This ammunition, with its considerable weight of around 40 kg, posed a problem as grenade launchers are usually loaded via the muzzle . The Soviet engineers therefore developed a breech- loading method in which the projectile was brought into the chamber through the rear opening and did not have to be lifted to a height of up to three meters.
The M1943 was equipped with a special reinforced base plate (a modified plate from a 120mm grenade launcher) and a swinging barrel. Due to its heavy weight, the grenade launcher could not be moved by soldiers but had to be pulled behind a light truck. For this purpose, stable wheels were fixed on the sides. The ZIS-151 was often used as a means of transport .
Technical specifications
| parameter | MT-13 | M-160 |
|---|---|---|
| ammunition | 53-F-852 | 53-F-853A; 53-F-853S |
| Ammunition weight in kg | 40.865 | 41.14 |
| Explosives weight in kg | 9 for 53-F-853S / 7,723 for 53-F-853A | |
| Range, maximum – minimum in m | 5150-630 | 8040-750 |
| Maximum / minimum muzzle velocity in m / s | 245/140 | 343/157 |
| Elevation range | 45 ° to + 80 ° | 50 ° to + 80 ° |
| Side straightening area | ± 12 ° for the elevation range 45 °; ± 50 ° for the 80 ° elevation range | ± 12 ° for the elevation range 50 °; ± 50 ° for the 80 ° elevation range |
| Cadence in s / m | 3 | 3 |
| Weight in firing position / in marching position in kg | 1170/1270 | 1300/1470 |
Mission history
Soviet Union
In the second half of 1943, the general offensive of the Red Army began on the Eastern Front , so the Soviet troops needed a heavy grenade launcher, among other things, to use against troop concentrations and buried positions. On the orders of the dictator Josef Stalin , a large number of M1943s were built and handed over directly to the army without further test runs. Tests on proving grounds began parallel to active duty. Only after this was completed did the M1943 officially go into service on January 17, 1944 under the name 160-mm Minomjot obrasza 1943 goda.
Heavy mortar brigades, which belonged to the artillery divisions of the Special Brigade of the Reserve of the High Command (RWGK), were equipped with the M1943. A brigade consisted of three batteries , each with twelve M1943s. The main task of this grenade launcher (as well as the 203 mm howitzer M1931 (B-4) and the 280 mm mortar Br-5 ) was to fight batteries, fortified positions, bunkers and buildings in siege combat. The sound of a falling 160 mm grenade was regularly misinterpreted by soldiers of the Wehrmacht as an air attack. The M1943 proved to be an extremely effective weapon, which was also used in the Battle of Berlin towards the end of the war. The M1943 was the heaviest grenade launcher of World War II and held that position until 1950 when the 240mm M240 grenade launcher entered service.
From January 1944 to August 1947 a total of 1,557 M1943s were built in the Soviet Union.
In the summer of 1945 the new variant MT-13D (D stands for D alnobojny, long distance) was completed. This had a significantly longer tube and an increased range of up to 7400 meters. At the same time, the development of another variant of the M1943, which was called the M-160, began. This was given the GAU index designation 52-M-853 and was put into service in 1949. By 1957, 2,353 M-160 variants had been built.
Other states
After the end of World War II, the M1943 was sold to various allies of the Soviet Union. The following states used the M1943 in their armed forces:
literature
- Ian Hogg : Twentieth-Century Artillery . Friedman / Fairfax Publishers, 2000, ISBN 0-7509-1740-7 .
- Stephen Zaloga, Leland Ness: Red Army Handbook 1939–1945 . Sutton Publishing, 2003, ISBN 0-7509-3209-0 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b 160-ММ ДИВИЗИОННЫЙ МИНОМЕТ М-160. СССР. In: poklonnayagora.ru. Retrieved July 31, 2018 (Russian).
Anti-tank guns: 37 mm PaK 1-K | 37 mm PaK M1944 | 45 mm PaK M1932 | 45 mm PaK 53-K | 45 mm PaK M-42 | 57 mm PaK SiS-2 | 100 mm FK BS-3
Battalion and regiment guns : 45 mm howitzer M1929 | 76 mm cannon M1927 | 76mm cannon M1943
Mountain guns: 76 mm M1938 cannon
Division guns : 76 mm cannon M1902 / 30 | 76 mm cannon M1933 | 76 mm F-22 cannon | 76 mm cannon USW | 76 mm gun SiS-3 | 85 mm cannon D-44 | 107 mm cannon M-60 | 122 mm howitzer M1909 / 37 | 122 mm howitzer M1910 / 30 | 122 mm howitzer M-30 | 152 mm mortar NM
Corps and army guns: 107 mm cannon M1910 / 30 | 122 mm cannon M1931 (A-19) | 122 mm cannon M1931 / 37 (A-19) | 152 mm howitzer M1909 / 30 | 152 mm howitzer M1910 / 37 | 152 mm howitzer M-10 | 152 mm howitzer D-1 | 152 mm cannon M1910 / 30 | 152 mm cannon M1910 / 34 | 152 mm howitzer ML-20 | 160 mm grenade launcher M1943
Heaviest guns: 152 mm Br-2 | 203 mm howitzer M1929 | 203 mm howitzer B-4 | 210 mm gun Br-17 | 280 mm mortar Br-5 | 305 mm howitzer M1915 | 305 mm howitzer Br-18
Anti- aircraft guns: 25 mm anti-aircraft gun 72-K | 37-mm anti-aircraft gun 61-K | 76 mm anti-aircraft gun M1931 | 76 mm anti-aircraft gun M1938 | 85 mm anti-aircraft gun M1939 | M1944 85mm anti-aircraft gun