85 mm K-52 cannon

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M-52 in Nauders Fortress, North Tyrol

The 85 mm K-52 cannon is a cannon developed in what was then the ČSR at the beginning of the 1950s . It is used to fight against moving targets, as well as targets that are open or hidden. The weapon, also referred to in western publications as the 85 mm M52 cannon , was used in the Czechoslovak People's Army only in the NVA and in the Austrian Armed Forces .

construction

The construction of the weapon is closely based on the 100 mm M53 field cannon developed during the same period . It is largely conventional, in line with the technical standard of the early 1950s. The one-piece barrel has a length of 34 calibers and has a muzzle brake . A vertically running semi-automatic drop block lock is used as the lock , in which a spring supports the opening of the lock. The charging cradle is located behind the breech, in which the grenade cartridges to be fired are inserted. The hydraulic pipe brake and the hydraulic-pneumatic pipe retractor are located under the pipe. The construction allowed a theoretical rate of fire of 20 rounds per minute. The weapon is aimed purely mechanically in terms of height and side, the aiming drives and the aiming devices are to the left of the breech.

Visor

The aiming attachment 52a with the rifle scope 3x8 was initially used as a sight. The aiming attachment 42S with the panoramic telescope PG-1M (ПГ-1M) and the collimator K-1 (K-1) were used for shooting in indirect aiming . With the night lighting device Lutsch-2 from Soviet production, the scales of the alignment attachments and the telescopic sight could be illuminated. The cannon can be equipped with an infrared aiming light for night combat.

Mount

The expansion carriage is a construction with welded box spars. Both spars are each provided with a ground spur . For the march, the bars are folded up and locked, the lock also takes the eye for the towing vehicle. The crew is protected against rifle ammunition and splinters by a shield.

In the marching position, the gun is 7,520 mm long, 1,980 mm wide and 1,515 mm high, the ground clearance is 350 mm. The line of fire is 1,135 mm above the ground. Various trucks were used as traction means, with the Czechoslovak People's Army the Praga V3S . On the road, the carriage construction allowed a cruising speed of 50 km / h, in the field a maximum speed of 10 km / h was not allowed to be exceeded.

ammunition

The 85mm K-52 cannon uses the same ammunition as the 85mm D-44 cannon . Frag grenades (O-365K), tank shells with tracer (BR-365, BR-365K, BR-367), lower caliber grenades with tracer (BR-365P, BR-367P) and wing-stabilized shaped charge grenades BK-2M (БK-2M) were available. With the sub-caliber shells BR-365P 100 mm armor can at a distance of 1000 m at a landing angle of 90 O are penetrated, with the BR-367P 180 mm under the same conditions. The shaped charge projectiles can penetrate 300 mm of armor. The fragmentation explosive device O-365K weighs 9.5 kg and is filled with 741 g of TNT .

variants

The slightly modified version of the 85 mm K-52/55 cannon is known, which is somewhat heavier than the original model.

Technical specifications

85 mm K-52 cannon
General properties
classification Field and anti-tank guns
Chief designer
Name of the manufacturer K-52
Manufacturer ČSR
Weight in firing position 2,095 kg (2,111 for / 55)
Weight in driving position 2.130 kg (2.168 kg for / 55)
team 7 men
Years of construction 1952-
number of pieces
pipe
caliber 85 mm
Pipe length 2,895 mm (L / 34)
Fire dates
Elevation range −6 ° to + 38 °
Side straightening area 60 °
Maximum range 16,160 m
Maximum muzzle velocity 925 m / s
fire rate 20 rounds / min
agility
Top speed in tow 70 km / h
Self-propelled cruising speed 10 km / h

commitment

Operational principles

Basically, the 85-mm K-52 cannon was used in the artillery regiments of the various division types. It was used primarily to fight against open and concealed targets. It was also used as an anti-tank gun. As early as the mid-1950s, it was foreseeable that the weapon would no longer meet the increased requirements. The caliber no longer allowed a significant increase in ballistic performance. It was replaced by howitzers with a caliber of 152 mm.

Use in the NVA

The NVA used the 85 mm K-52 cannon from 1956. Since the 85mm D-48 anti-tank gun was not introduced, the K-52 was also used in the role of an anti-tank gun. Even before the founding of the NVA, the later Minister for National Defense Colonel General Willi Stoph had planned 19 85 mm cannons for each of the motorized rifle divisions, with the 85 mm K-52 cannon and the D-44 being used. By the addition of new weapons, but mainly through changes to the structure, a replenishment corresponding to the target could be achieved by the end of 1957; in 1960 the motorized rifle divisions were 100% filled with cannons of 85 mm caliber, the tank divisions 33%.

From 1965 these guns were replaced in their role as anti-tank weapons by the 100 mm T-12 anti-tank gun and by 1970 the guns in the artillery regiments were also replaced by howitzers of the caliber 122 mm. The weapons that were released were used as salute guns and for training purposes until the NVA was dissolved. The guns were not taken over by the Bundeswehr in 1990.

The G-5 truck was initially used as a traction device in the NVA , later the W-50 and the Ural-375D .

Use in the armed forces

Austria procured a total of 250 cannons of this type for the armed forces, which were still in service in 1986. A shaped charge grenade was procured for the weapon in Belgium , which was designated as a tracer shaped charge grenade. At a muzzle velocity of 820 m / s, 350 mm of armor steel could be penetrated

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ see Jane's
  2. ↑ see Brassey, p. 124
  3. ↑ Information according to the RWD technical catalog
  4. ↑ see Copenhagen, p. 22
  5. ↑ see Copenhagen, p. 46
  6. ↑ see Copenhagen, p. 31
  7. ↑ see Jane's, p. 619

Web links

Commons : 85mm protitankový kanón vz. 52  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

literature