ZiS-3

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76-mm divisional gun model 1942 (ZiS-3)

ZiS-3 in the Kremlin of Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.
Type field gun
Place of origin USSR
Production history
Produced 1941-?
Number built 103,000+
Specifications
Weight combat: 1,200 kg
travel: 1,850 kg
Barrel length 51.6 calibers
Caliber 76.2 mm
Carriage split trail
Elevation -5° to 37°
Traverse: 54°
Rate of fire up to 25 rounds per minute
Maximum range 13.29 km
ZiS-3 displayed in Hämeenlinna Artillery Museum.
ZiS-3 displayed in Hämeenlinna Artillery Museum.

The 76-mm divisional gun model 1942 (ZiS-3) (Russian: 76-мм дивизионная пушка образца 1942 года (ЗиС-3)) was a Soviet 76.2-mm divisional field gun used during World War II. ZiS stands for Zavod imeni Stalina (Stalin plant), the official title of Artillery Factory No. 92, which constructed this gun first. Many artillery experts give this gun a honorable place amongst the best artillery pieces of World War II with German 88-mm FlaKs and British 25pdr howitzer.

Contents

[edit] History

The design works of ZiS-3 started in the end of 1940 on the Artillery Factory No. 92 under supervision of V. G. Grabin, the chief designer of medium caliber Soviet guns. There was no order for this work; moreover, the position of high artillery commanders (such as Marshal Kulik, the head officer of Soviet artillery) was extremely negative at this time. So the project was pure initiative of V. G. Grabin, his design bureau and Artillery Factory No. 92 head and his deputies. All of them did not inform state authorities (i.e. obscurantist Marshal Kulik) about ZiS-3 project.

ZiS-3 was a successful combination of light carriage from the 57-mm anti-tank gun ZiS-2 and a powerful 76.2-mm barrel from the previous divisional field gun F-22USV. In order to decrease recoil force a muzzle brake was installed on the barrel. This allowed the barrel to be mounted on the light carriage without mechanical breakage after shooting. In comparison with F-22USV gun, ZiS-3 had better production technology. Many parts of the gun were cast, stamped or welded in order to reduce the amount of mechanical work. As a result, the amount of work required for building a single ZiS-3 gun was three times less than that of the F-22USV gun. Furthermore, the cost of a ZiS-3 gun was only 2 / 3 to that of a F-22USV.

After having been built, the first ZiS-3 gun was hidden from the wathchful eye of state authorities, who continued to deny any idea about Red Army needs of light and medium field guns. The authorities' main argument was the information that German heavy tanks carried exceptionally strong armour. In reality Germany didn't have such tanks in the early 1941 and this misinformation was the result of successful Nazi propaganda about the NbFz multi-turreted prototype tank. Marshal Kulik had bought the propaganda and sent orders to stop the production of light 45-mm anti-tank guns and 76.2-mm divisional field guns.

The beginning of the Great Patriotic War showed that German tanks had weaker armour than was anticipated. Some were even vulnerable to the large caliber DShK machine gun. Pre-war models of 76-mm divisional guns punched through German vehicles with ease, but almost all these guns were lost in battles or captured by Germans in holding facilities (some of them were later used against Soviet forces as different kinds of Panzerjäger self-propelled guns). Marshal Kulik ordered to relaunch mass production of 76.2-mm divisional field F-22USV guns. V. G. Grabin and the head staff of Artillery Factory No. 92 decided to organize the mass production of ZiS-3 guns instead of F-22USV's. They succeeded, but ZiS-3 was not officially tested and adopted for Red Army service. There was a stroke of tragic comedy to the situation: Red Army soldiers were in urgent need of these guns, the guns themselves were fine and numerous due to improved production technology, but all of them were in stock at Artillery Factory No. 92, since the military representatives refused to receive these non-official guns. After some internal struggle between Grabin's team and military representatives, ZiS-3 guns were finally transferred to the Red Army under personal responsibility of Grabin and Artillery Factory No. 92 head staff.

The combat experience showed the superiority of ZiS-3 over all other types of divisional level field guns. This allowed the ZiS-3 to be presented to a group of state authorities headed by Joseph Stalin himself and thus obtain all needed approvals from them. After the demonstration was over Stalin said: "This gun is a masterpiece of artillery systems design." There was a five-day official state test run in February 1942. The result of this test was quite clear - ZiS-3 was adopted by the Red Army as divisional field gun model 1942 (full official name). One might say that the gun got its baptism of fire even before its official acknowledges.

V. G. Grabin and his team soon begun to improve on the technology used in the ZiS-3 mass production. Artillery Factory No. 92 was equipped by conveyor assembly lines, which allowed the factory to produce ZiS-3 in even greater numbers with a low qualification workforce but without significant quality loss. After short initial training even teenage girls could work on the line. Highly experienced laborers (often older pensioners) and engineers worked on complicated equipment and served as brigade leaders. Some of the young men who worked on Artillery Factory No. 92 were exempt from conscription. They learned the production process well and became high quality workers and engineers. This was yet another booster for the ZiS-3 production volume. As a result, at the end of World War II, ZiS-3 was most numerous Soviet Army field gun. The total number of produced ZiS-3s exceeds 103,000 pieces.

After the war ZiS-3 mass production ceased. It was replaced by the next model of divisional field gun, D-44, which had a larger caliber (85 mm) and better anti-armour capabilities. But it weighed a lot more and its mobility was thus inferor to that of the ZiS-3.

[edit] Ammunition Data

Available ammunition
Type Model Weight, kg HE weight, g
Armour-piercing projectiles (muzzle velocity 700 m/s)
APHE BR-350A 6.3 155
AP (solid) BR-350SP 6.5 N/A
Composite Armour-piercing projectiles (muzzle velocity up to ? m/s)
  BR-350P 3.02 N/A
Developed after WWII BR-350N 3.02 N/A
High explosive and fragmentation shells (muzzle velocity 680 m/s)
HE/Fragmentation steel OF-350 6.2 710
HE/Fragmentation steely iron OF-350A 6.2 640
Fragmentation steely iron O-350A 6.21 540
HE/Fragmentation OF-350B 6.2 540
HE/Fragmentation OF-363 6.2 540
HE F-354 6.41 785
HE F-354M 6.1 815
HE developed in France F-354F 6.41 785
Other projectiles (muzzle velocity up to 680 m/s)
HEAT, developed after WWII BK-354 7 740
Shrapnel Sh-354 6.5 85
Shrapnel Sh-354T 6.66 85
Shrapnel Sh-354G 6.58 85
Shrapnel Sh-361 6.61 85
Chemical OH-350 6.25
Incendiary long-range Z-350 6.24 240
Incendiary Z-354 4.65 240
Smoke long-range D-350 6.45 N/A
Smoke steely iron D-350A 6.45 N/A
 
Armour penetration table
AP Projectile BR-350A
Distance, m Meet angle 60°, mm Meet angle 90°, mm
100 67 82
500 61 75
1000 55 67
1500 49 60
2000 43 53
These data was obtained by Soviet methodics of armour penetration measurement (penetration probability equals 75%).
They are not directly comparable with western data of similar type

[edit] Combat History

Soviet soldiers liked ZiS-3 guns for their ability to work in harsh conditions, extreme reliability and good fire precision. It was easy to maintain these guns and train novice crews with them. Light carriage allowed to tow ZiS-3 by common trucks and heavy jeeps (such as American lend-leased Dodge 3/4) or even by the crew.

ZiS-3 had good anti-armour capabilities, it could knock-out any German light and medium tank by common armour-piercing round. The appearance of the German "big cats" made the ZiS-3 crews' life more difficult. While "Panthers" were still vulnerable due to their weak side and gun mask armour, the armour of "Tiger" tank showed a very good resistance against common 76.2-mm armour-piercing round. Only good camouflage and firing at very close range gave the success against "Tiger" tanks. Very often Soviet artillerymen aimed to "Tiger" gun barrel or tracks knowing its armour impenetrableness.

[edit] ZiS-3 in our time

In Cold War many ZiS-3s were transferred to different Soviet allies. From them ZiS-3s were often reselled into third world countries. So armies of some African and Asian countries have ZiS-3s in active service now. Moreover, these guns are still used in combat during numerous local conflicts and border skirmishes.

Soviet ZiS-3s were officially withdrawn from active service. Some of them were scrapped, some were transferred to holding facilities and others were converted to Great Patriotic War memorial signs. These memorial cannons are quite usual in modern Russia and Belarus. In Russian Army some ZiS-3s are used as decorations of buildings and gardens in artillery units quarters; another part of survived ZiS-3s is still operable. Sometimes ZiS-3s are used as small salute guns or in history-dedicated military shows.

[edit] References and external links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
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
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