D-10 tank gun

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D-10 tank gun

D-10S gun on an SU-100 tank destroyer
Type rifled antitank gun
Place of origin Soviet Union
Service history
In service 1944–present
Wars see SU-100 and T-54
Production history
Designer F. F. Petrov
Variants D-10S, D-10T, D-10TG, D-10T2S
Specifications
Barrel length L/53.5
Calibre 100 mm
Breech horizontal sliding wedge
Recoil hydraulic buffer and hydropneumatic recuperator
Carriage vehicle mount
Elevation +18°, –3°
Rate of fire 4 rounds/min avg., 5–6 rounds/min max.
Muzzle velocity 1,000 m/s
Maximum range 14,600 m[1], 16,000 m[2]
Sights stadiametric or laser
Versions of the D-10 were mounted on new T-54 and T-55 tanks until at least 1979, as well as on Chinese Type 59s. This is a German T-55AM2B
Versions of the D-10 were mounted on new T-54 and T-55 tanks until at least 1979, as well as on Chinese Type 59s. This is a German T-55AM2B

The D-10 is a Soviet antitank gun developed in late World War II, and installed in tank destroyers and tanks. Versions of the 100mm calibre gun were installed on new T-55 tanks as late as 1979, and continue to be in active service in many countries.

Contents

[edit] History

At the beginning of 1944, the T-34 tank's F-34 76.2mm tank gun was replaced by a more powerful 85mm gun. This rendered the year-old SU-85 tank destroyer effectively obsolescent, since with its D-5T 85mm gun, it could no longer be considered a specialist antitank vehicle superior to the more flexible medium tank. F. F. Petrov's Design Bureau at Artillery Factory No. 9 was assigned the task of producing a 100mm antitank gun for the proposed SU-100. Petrov's team modified the S-34 naval gun for use in an armoured fighting vehicle.

The D-10 is a high-velocity gun of 100mm calibre, with a barrel length of 53.5 calibres. Its muzzle velocity of 895 m/s gave it good antitank performance by late-war standards. It could penetrate about 185 mm of vertical armor plate at 1,000 m range, making it superior to the German 75mm KwK 42 mounted on the Panther tank and the original 88mm guns such as the Tiger I's KwK 36, but not as good as the Tiger II's longer KwK 43 L/71 gun. The larger 100mm shell allowed it to fire a heavier high-explosive round.

It was originally designed to equip the SU-100 tank destroyer as the D-10S (for sаmokhodnaya, 'self-propelled'), and was later mounted on the post-war T-54 main battle tank as the D-10T (for tankovaya, 'tank' adj.). There was no significant difference in functionality or performance. It was also tested on the T-34-100, T-44-100, KV-100, and IS-2 (obyekt 245).

In 1955, vertical-plane STP-1 Gorizont stabilizer and a bore evacuator were added to a new D-10TG version of the gun. In 1956, a new D-10T2S version of the gun began production for T-54B and T-55 tanks, equipped with two-plane Tsyklon gun stabilization.

Versions of the D-10 were installed on new tanks as late as 1979, and thousands still remain in service in various countries.

A version of the D-10 was installed as a coastal artillery piece in Finland in the 1960s. This weapon is designated 100 56 TK in Finnish Navy service.

[edit] Ammunition

During World War II, UOF-412 ammunition carried the 15.6-kg F-412 high-explosive fragmentation shell. Antitank ammunition available from World War II until the late 1960s was based on the UBR-412 round, including the BR-412 armour-piercing high-explosive projectile, with the ballistic-capped BR-412B and BR-412D ammunition becoming available in the late 1940s. There was also a D-412 smoke shell.

In 1964, the NII-24 research bureau started design work on an improved 3UBM6 antitank round. In 1967 the 3BM6 hyper-velocity armour-piercing discarding-sabot round (HVAPDS) entered service, which could penetrate 290 mm of armour at 2,000 m, or 80 mm of armour angled at 60 degrees from the vertical. It was later replaced by the 3BM8 HVAPDS projectile, with a tungsten carbide penetrator. High-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds, which penetrate armour with the focussed explosion of a shaped charge, included the 3UBK4 with 3BK5M warhead, later replaced by the 3UBK9 with 3BK17M warhead.

In the 1980s, 3UBM11 antitank rounds were introduced, with 3BM25 armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding-sabot (APFSDS) tungsten carbide penetrator, which increased its armor penetration.

In 1983, the T-55M and T-55AM tank upgrade program also added the ability to some tanks to fire the 9K116-1 Bastion guided missile system (NATO reporting name AT-10 Stabber), for long-range engagements of tanks and low-flying helicopters. The antitank missile is encased in the 3UBK10-1 shell, which is handled, loaded, and fired exactly like a conventional tank gun round. 1.5 seconds after firing, a laser guidance window in the tail of the round is uncovered, and its rocket engine ignites to burn for up to six seconds, with a total missile flight time of up to 41 seconds. The missile is very expensive, about half the price of a T-55M tank, but allows the venerable 100mm gun to engage modern main battle tanks.

Missile ammunition includes:

  • 3UBK10-1 (9M117 Bastion), penetrating 600 mm at up to 4,000 m
  • 3UBK10M-1 (9M117M Kan) tandem warhead, penetrating 650 mm at up to 4,000 m
  • 3UBK23-1 (9M117M1 Arkan) extended-range tandem warhead, penetrating 750 mm at up to 6,000 m
  • 3UBK23M-1 (9M117M2 Boltok) extended-range warhead penetrating 850 mm at up to 6,000 m

[edit] Performance

D-10 100mm ammunition (Zaloga & Grandsen 1984:225)
Round BR-412 APHE F-412 HE
Weight (kg) 15.6 15.8
Muzzle velocity (m/s) 1,000 900
Penetration at 500 m (mm) 195 –
Penetration at 1,000 m (mm) 185 –

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Foss (2005), p 110
  2. ^ Battlefield.ru

[edit] References

  • Foss, Christopher F., Ed (2005). Jane's Armour and Artillery 2005–2006, 26th edition, p 110. ISBN 0-7106-2686-X.
  • Zaloga, Steven J. and James Grandsen (1984). Soviet Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War Two. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 0-85368-606-8.
  • Zaloga, Steven J. and Hugh Johnson (2004). T-54 and T-55 Main Battle Tanks 1944–2004. Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 1-84176-792-1.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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