76-mm divisional gun M1902/30
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| 76-mm divisional gun model 1902/30 | |
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 76-mm divisional gun model 1902/30 in Hämeenlinna artillery Museum, Finland. |
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| Type | field gun |
| Place of origin | USSR |
| Production history | |
| Produced | 1931-1937 |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | combat: 1,350 kg march: 2,380 kg |
| Barrel length | 40 calibers |
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| Caliber | 76.2 mm |
| Carriage | single trail |
| Elevation | -3° to 37° |
| Traverse: | 5° |
| Rate of fire | 10-12 rounds per minute |
| Muzzle velocity | 662 m/s |
| Maximum range | 13.29 km |
76-mm divisional gun model 1902/30 (Russian: 76-мм дивизионная пушка образца 1902/30 годов) was a Soviet modernized version of the Russian World War I 76-mm divisional gun model 1902, utilized in the early stages of the Great Patriotic War.
[edit] History
The M1902 gun was the mainstay of Russian Empire artillery, extensively used in World War I, the Russian Civil War and other interwar armed conflicts with participants from the former Russian Empire (Soviet Union, Poland, Finland etc). Due to its excellent characteristics for a World War I era gun, it did not become obsolete after the end of the hostilities.
Moreover, M1902 gun had some reserves for enhancing its firepower. Due to this modernization potential Soviet artillery authorities decided to keep M1902 guns in the Red Army service after Civil War. In 1928 the Red Army had nearly 2,500 artillery ordnance pieces and M1902 guns were the most numerous amongst them. In 1930 Soviet designers heavily modernized the gun. The result of this modernization was a semi-new gun with drastically improved performance.
This modernization included lengthening the barrel from 30 to 40 calibers, making a hole in the single trail carriage to allow a larger elevation angle, installing a balancing mechanism and adding a new panoramic sight. As a result of such enhancements the muzzle velocity reached 662 m/s, the elevation angle was increased from 17 to 37 degrees and the maximal range was increased from 8,500 to 13,290 m. From 1931 only new L40 barrels were produced. In the mid-1930s a new 6.3 kg armour-piercing round was introduced, giving the M1930 gun the ability to penetrate 56 mm armour at 500 m under 30 degrees meet angle from normal direction and 49 mm armour at a distance of 1,000 m under the same conditions. Direct fire distance was 820 m at 2 m target height. The modernized M1930 gun could easily dispatch any tank of 1930s, including the new French vehicles Somua S-35 and B1 bis.
However the modernization did not address the low mobility and small traverse angle of the gun due to its remaining single trail carriage without suspension. Maximal, horse-drawn, transport speed was only 6-7 km/h. This limited the anti-tank usage of the M1902/30 and essentially rendered the gun obsolete in swift and maneuver warfare, so it was phased out of production in 1937 when the new divisional gun, the F-22, was adopted.
[edit] Employment
In the beginning of the Great Patriotic War M1902/30 guns were gradually replaced by the more advanced F-22, F-22USV and ZiS-3 76.2-mm divisional guns. Guns withdrawn from front-line service were transferred to the artillery regiments of riflemen divisions in rear military districts of the Soviet Union until they were finally replaced by ZiS-3s.
[edit] References and external links
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- Shunkov V. N. - The Weapons of the Red Army, Mn. Harvest, 1999 (Шунков В. Н. - Оружие Красной Армии. - Мн.: Харвест, 1999.) ISBN 985-433-469-4
| Soviet Artillery of Great Patriotic War |
|---|
| Anti-tank guns |
| 37-mm gun 1-K | 45-mm gun M1937 | 45-mm gun M-42 | 57-mm gun ZiS-2 | 100-mm gun BS-3 |
| Mountain guns |
| 76-mm mountain gun M1938 |
| Regimental guns |
| 76-mm gun M1927 | 76-mm gun M1943 |
| Divisional guns |
| 76-mm gun M1902/30 | 76-mm gun F-22 | 76-mm gun USV | 76-mm gun ZiS-3 122-mm howitzer M1909/37 | 122-mm howitzer M1910/30 | 122-mm howitzer M-30 |
| Corps and Army level guns |
| 122-mm gun A-19 | 152-mm howitzer M1909/30 | 152-mm howitzer M1910/37 152-mm howitzer M-10 | 152-mm howitzer D-1 | 152-mm gun M1910/30 152-mm gun M1910/34 | 152-mm gun-howitzer ML-20 |
| Very heavy guns |
| 152-mm gun M1935 | 203-mm howitzer B-4 | 210-mm gun M1939 280-mm mortar M1939 | 305-mm howitzer M1939 |
| Air defense guns |
| 25-mm gun 72-K | 37-mm gun 61-K | 76-mm gun M1938 | 85-mm gun 52-K |
