M-30 (Model 1938)

History

To avoid being defeated by the Germans in World War II (1939-1945), the Soviet Union was forced to rely on a large number of artillery pieces of various calibers. The most famous of these was the "M-30" (M1938) series of divisional towed field howitzers, which had a long service life, with a total of 19,266 produced by the end of the year. The design of the gun is attributed to the Moto Veliha factory, which was produced at the 9th and 92nd factories of the USSR from 1939 to 1955. Despite its age, the series continues to this day (2017).

Considered one of the best artillery pieces of the 20th century.

122mm caliber (121.92mm to be precise) guns were in circulation before World War II. It is a conventional gun consisting of a barrel with a recoil mechanism, a gun shield, a two-wheeled frame with mounting hardware, and a split trailing arm. The barrel is located in the center of the front, and the hydropneumatic system is located below. Both are connected to the connecting part, and this one is connected to the bracket assembly.

The assigned gun shields provided only limited protection for the eight-man rifle squad. The breech consists of an interrupted screw design with an automatic cartridge case system and is aimed by a panoramic device.

The wheels allow for road trips with accompanying moving vehicles, and the trailing arms are torn when the gun is ready.

Mounting hardware allows elevation angles ranging from -3 to 63.5 degrees and +49 degrees from left to right across the centerline. This gives the gun the ability to fire both direct and indirect. The range is 7.3 miles.

A well-trained and experienced firing crew can achieve a rate of fire of 6 rounds per minute.

Complete system dimensions include 19.3 feet overall length and 6.5 feet width. The total weight was 5,400 pounds when the system was ready, but increased to 6,835 pounds when the gun was ready for transport.

About 639 guns were made for immediate use in 1940, with production peaking in 1944 when an additional 3,485 guns were added. In 1945, the last year of the war, another 2,630 guns were added, and production declined steadily from there, ending in 1955.

Specification

Base

Years of Service

1939

Origins

Soviet Union

Status

Active.

Limited service.

Crew

8

Production

19,266

Manufacturer

#9 / #92 Factory - USSR

Operator

Afghanistan; Armenia; Algeria; Bangladesh; Bolivia; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Cambodia; China; Congo; Croatia; Cuba; Czech Republic; Egypt; Ethiopia; Macedonia; Moldova; Hungary; Indonesia; Iran; Iraq; Kyrgyzstan; Kurdistan; Laos; Lebanon; Mongolia; Mozambique; North Korea; Pakistan; Poland; Romania; Russia (Soviet Union); Saharan Republic; Singapore; Sudan; Slovakia; Syria; Tanzania; Uganda; Ukraine ; Uzbekistan; Vietnam; Yemen; Zimbabwe

ROLLING

Fire Support/Attack/Breakthrough

Support allied forces with direct/indirect fire, attacking forward positions and/or breaking through fortified areas of the battlefield.

Dimensions and Weight

Length

19.4 feet

5.9m

width

6.5 feet

1.98m

Height

6. 0 feet

1.82m

Weight

5,512 lbs

2,500 kg

Tonnage

2. 8 tons

Power and Performance

Engine:

No. This is a towed gun.

Area

7. 3 miles

(11.8 km)

Weapon

1 x 121.92 (122mm) barrel/barrel.

AMMOTION

Depends on available ammo supply.

Variant

M1938 122mm Howitzer - Name of the basic series. M-30 - Alternative designation 12. 2cm sFH 396(r) - Designation for the system captured by German troops in WWII. 122 H38 - Finnish Army designation for the capture system of WWII.

Type 54 - Chinese designation Type 54-1 - Improved Chinese variant Tarack 38/68M - Hungarian Army designation wz. 1938/1985 - Designated Polish Army M-30M - Designated Romanian Army