S-23 (howitzer)

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S-23 (howitzer)


S-23 Howitzer in the Artillery Museum in Saint Petersburg

General Information
Military designation: S-23, 52-P-572
Manufacturer designation: С-23
Manufacturer country: Soviet UnionSoviet Union Soviet Union
Developer / Manufacturer: NII-58 Wasili Grabin / Barricade Works
Development year: 1944
Production time: 1955 to 1971
Weapon Category: Field howitzer
Team: 14th
Technical specifications
Overall length: 10.49 m
(in marching configuration)
Pipe length: 8.649 m
Caliber :

180 mm

Caliber length : L / 48
Number of trains : 40
Twist : 25th
Weight ready for use: 21,500 kg
Cadence : 0.5-1 rounds / min
Elevation range: 0 ° -55 degrees
Side straightening area: ± 20 °
Furnishing
Closure Type : Screw lock
Charging principle: manually
Ammunition supply: manually

The S-23 is a towed field howitzer of 180 mm caliber from Soviet production.

development

The origin of the S-23 howitzer lies in the "Triplex" ( Russian триплекса ) project from 1944. The aim of this project was to develop four guns and mortars in calibers 180, 203, 210 and 280 mm with the same mount . As part of this project, seven S-23 howitzers were created by 1955, which were introduced by the Red Army . Since the Red Army was more interested in rocket artillery at that time, no S-23 howitzers were procured until further notice. In 1967, in response to the proliferation of long-range guns such as the M107 and M110 , serial production of the S-23 began. From this time on, the first exports to Arab states also took place. The S-23 howitzer was never built in large numbers. In the Red Army, the S-23 was replaced by the 2A36 and 2S7 howitzers from the late 1970s .

Western intelligence services believed for a long time that the S-23 was a long-range 203 mm cannon. When the Israelis captured a few specimens in the Yom Kippur War , however, it was found that it was a 180 mm caliber gun. Since 180 mm is a standard caliber of the Soviet Navy, it was assumed that it was a modified naval gun.

technology

gun

The S-23 is an extremely heavy and large weapon. The gun weighs 21,200 kg during transport and 21,450 kg in the ready-to-fire position. The length of the S-23 varies between 10.49 m when drawn and 14.00 m when ready to fire. The height (due to the cannon barrel) is 2.69 m in the drawn position, the ground clearance is 400 mm and the width on the road is 3.025 m.

The 7,225 kg cannon barrel is housed on a single-axle , double-tire mount with two spreader bars . In the pipe cradle , two pipe brakes and retraction devices are mounted on the cannon barrel . The sighting device is located next to it . Sighting devices of the type S-85 , PG-1M and for direct shooting the MWSchP sight are used. While the first seven guns were equipped with a horizontal wedge lock , the later series versions have a horizontal screw lock . Since the S-23 is usually not exposed to enemy counterfire due to its large firing range, a protective shield was dispensed with. During transport, the bars are folded back and placed on a single-axis limber . In the driving position, the cannon barrel is retracted far over the spars. Heavy tracked vehicles such as the AT-T , ATS-59 and MT-LB are used for transport . The maximum permissible train speed on the road is 35  km / h . You can drive off-road at a maximum of 12 km / h. To get the gun ready to fire or drive, the 14-man operating team needs at least 30 minutes. When firing, the main wheels are raised and the front of the S-23 is supported on a shooting platform lowered from the lower mount. At the end of the spars, two massive earth spurs are attached which divert the recoil force into the ground. In addition, the recoil is reduced by a multi-hole muzzle brake. With a pipe elevation of 0 to 30 °, the pipe return is 1,350 mm and with a pipe elevation of 30 to 55 ° 700 mm.

The completely manual loading process with the grenades weighing up to 97 kg results in a maximum rate of one shot every two minutes. A fire rate of one shot per minute should also be possible for a short time.

ammunition

The S-23 uses separately loaded ammunition with variable propellant bags ; This means that the projectile and the propellant charge are loaded one after the other.

designation Function / type Weight grenade Weight of explosives Muzzle velocity Shooting distance
53-ВФ-572 (53-VF-572) HE grenade 88.0 kg 10.7 kg 865 m / s 30.4 km
53-ВГ-572 (53-VG-572) Bunker-breaking grenade 97.5 kg 7.4 kg 805 m / s 27.4 km
3ВОФ28 (3VOF28) Rocket-propelled HE grenade 84.0 kg 5.6 kg unknown 43.7 km
unknown Nuclear shell with 0.2 kT TNT equivalent unknown unknown unknown unknown

data from

commitment

An S-23 battery consists of twelve guns and support and supply vehicles. The S-23 was used within the Soviet Army because of its ability to use nuclear shells in heavy artillery on divisions and corps levels . It was also used for coastal defense.

War missions

The S-23 howitzer was used during the Yom Kippur War and the Lebanese Civil War . It is also used in the civil war in Syria .

User states

literature

Web links

Commons : S-23 gun  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Валерий Васильев: ТЕХНИКА И ВООРУЖЕНИЕ ВЧЕРА, СЕГОДНЯ, ЗАВТРА, БОЛЬШОЙ ТРИПЛЕКС НИИ-58 (С-23, С-33),. In: Научно-популярный журнал Август. rulit.me, accessed January 11, 2017 (Russian).
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g Валерий Васильев: ТЕХНИКА И ВООРУЖЕНИЕ ВЧЕРА, СЕГОДНЯ, ЗАВТРА, Устройство 180-мм пушки С-23. In: Научно-популярный журнал Август. rulit.me, accessed January 11, 2017 (Russian).
  3. ↑ a b c d Stalin's hidden order. In: survincity.com. Encyclopedia of safety, December 25, 2011, accessed January 11, 2017 .
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Soviet 180 mm S-23 artillery guns in Syria. In: armamentresearch.com. Armament Research Services, August 22, 2016, accessed January 11, 2017 .
  5. ↑ a b c d e D. Miller & Ch. F. Foss: Modern combat weapons. 1998, p. 143.
  6. ↑ a b c d e T. J. O'Malley: Modern Artillery Systems. 1996, pp. 44-45.
  7. ↑ Боеприпасы к 180-мм нарезной буксируемой пушке С-23. soviet-ammo.ucoz.ru, accessed January 11, 2017 (Russian).
  8. ↑ a b c Trade Register at sipri.org , Retrieved January 11, 2017