76mm Divisional Gun Model 1939 (M1939)

History of the 1939 (M1939) 76mm Divisional Gun

The 76mm M1939 Divisional Gun is designed to replace the similarly ranged 76mm M1936 (F-22) Divisional Gun in the Soviet Army inventory. The original M1936 debuted in 1937 and nearly 3,000 were produced between 1937 and 1939, with Soviet troops fighting against Japan, Finland and Germany before and during World War II.

The M1936 itself was designed to overhaul the obsolete M1902/30 series guns and to mount the 76.2mm gun to the mount of the existing 107mm field gun, essentially making the system a bridging component until a more viable option was worked out . Likewise, to meet the new requirements of the Soviet Army, the M1939 was developed to surpass the M1936 and have characteristics based on the M1902/30, with the inherent ability to double as an indirect artillery and direct-fire anti-tank weapon. Three Soviet design bureaus submitted their plans , was subsequently evaluated. The design of the winning system - known as "USV" or "76-36" - was approved by the Design Bureau. 92 Factory and weapons were officially commissioned by the Red Army in 1939 (hence the alternative name "M1939").

Between then and 1941, before the type was replaced, approximately 9,812 examples were produced.

Initial production provided only enough divisional guns to meet the initial needs of the Soviet Army. However, when Germany conducted Operation Barbarossa and officially invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, Soviet factories began producing UPS systems again.

This effectively allowed the USV to show up in more numbers than expected, and the weapon saw significant combat for the remainder of the 1945 war.

Base USV fires standard 76.2x385mm R projectiles and ammunition types, which are varied and specialized according to battlefield needs. There are standard types of high-explosive (HE), as well as armor-piercing high-explosive (APHE) and high-explosive fragmentation (HI-FRAG). Shrapnel, incendiary devices, canisters, fumes and chemicals are also available.

This allows the USV to be used in both indirect and direct fire support to assist in offensive infantry operations or as an anti-tank gun. Interestingly, the USV uses the same caliber as previous Soviet weapon types, so previously manufactured projectiles can be used, as long as supplies are allowed. The five crew members operate the weapon systems via sights and elevation controls mounted on either side of the barrel.

The firing action is semi-automatic with a vertically sliding breech block mechanism, the recoil is delayed by a hydraulic buffer and a hydropneumatic recoverer.

The design of the USV is standard for towed artillery systems. The main gun - basically the barrel, breech and recoil system - was mounted on a bracket between a pair of suspended wheels (metal and rubber tires). The stern is a split compartment arrangement that allows the tow of the gun from different vehicles.

The wheels and carriage also allow the crew to "fine-tune" their position. Main battery elevation range is +45 to -6 degrees, while allowing 60 degrees of traverse. The UPS weighs 3,240 pounds at startup. In travel mode, the gun weighs 5,511 pounds. The system is 6.4 feet wide from wheel to wheel and 5.6 feet high to the shield.

Trained crew members can fire up to 15 rounds per minute and have a range of up to 8.25 miles.

The USV was widely used on the vast fronts of the Eastern Front, and its design (or aspects of it) were copied informally elsewhere in the world. As it turns out, the guy was so successful on his debut against Finland in "Winter War".

The Finns seized some of these guns and called them "76 K 39", but none of them are believed to have been used against the Red Army. The Germans were convinced of the excellence of the Soviet design, and after seizing hundreds of prototypes on their first entry into Soviet territory, the Germans quickly returned the weapon to their stockpiles.

These USVs, redesignated as "7. 62cm F. K. 297(r)" for German stockpiles, ended up capturing hundreds, while dozens were also in service with Wehrmacht units on the Western Front.

However, the location of the gun controls was not good for the crew and the gun, as they were on opposite sides of the gun and were extremely disadvantaged in the heat of battle.

To push the design further and to desperately need anti-tank installations, the German 7.62cm FK-297(r) gun was modified as a direct attack anti-tank gun with new ammunition. These revised tables now belong to the Bundeswehr stock designation "7.62cm PaK 39(r)". It is believed that hundreds of captured USVs were converted into these makeshift anti-tank systems and, once used for their intended role on the battlefield, provided excellent penetration even against the thick armor of Soviet heavy tanks.

These guns were used in combat during the North African campaign.

While serving in the Soviet Army, the USV soon found itself too heavy and dimensioned to perform its intended role - a role that depended on rapid response and re-adaptation to battlefield requirements. As such, replacements were already underway, culminating in the ZiS-3 series of guns starting in 1942. Quantitative production of the ZiS-3 soon overtook the USV in the standard divisional gun role, but the USV continued to be used for many years after its inherent qualities still served fairly significant field use - especially for a country at war.

In addition, the interrupted production performance of the USV series never fully recovered from the German offensive in the Soviet Union, making the old system redundant in favor of the new one.

In addition to the standard pre-war designation "USV", the field gun in its war form was also known as "ZiS-22". This version has some changes, including the use of ZiS-13 type sights, increased casting manufacturing and an improved suspension system.

The "USV-BR" designation is used for USV guns coming out of the Barrikady factory, which differ only slightly in their overall construction and mounting system.

Specifications 76mm Division Gun Model 1939 (M1939)

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