D-20 (Model 1955)

History

The Soviet Model 1955 152mm towed howitzer (M1955/D-20) was developed in the late 1940s, too late to be seen in WWII To action was deployed in combat (1939-1945). During its tenure as a front-line weapon system, the M1955 has proven its inherent reliability and firepower in the numerous wars it has engaged in. The Soviet Design Bureau awarded the contract to the Petrov Artillery, M1955 to be built in Yekaterinburg, the central city of Soviet weapons production during the war, as many heavy factories were forced there after the German invasion of the West (Operation Barbarossa, June) 1941). ).

The M1955 used the existing bay of the D-74 system. Field trials have proven that the new layout is well designed and robust enough on country roads. The artillery department employed a crew of 8 and the main engines were medium AT-S tractors and URAL-375 6x6 heavy trucks. The barrel is 17 feet long and is closed by a large dual-slot baffle to reduce recoil.

A gun shield is mounted in front of the wheels to protect the breech, recoil mechanism and crew. A launch pedestal is lowered onto the growing plant before the weapon is deployed, and a "split trailer" also sits on the pedestal for 360-degree traversal.

The base gun mounting hardware provides elevation angles from -5 degrees to +65 degrees when traversing 58 degrees from the centerline.

The primary projectile used by the howitzer is the 95.92-pound HE-FRAG (High Explosive, Fragmentation), resulting in a sustained rate of fire of one round per minute. Special ammunition types include a 237-pound AP (armor-piercing) shell that can penetrate 124 mm (4.88 in) of armor up to 1,000 m (1,095 yd). Smoke and flares are also available, as well as grenades containing steel anti-infantry arrows.

Another form deploys anti-personnel mines in target areas. Another projectile type is the Krasnopol semi-active laser-guided smart munition.

A well-trained and experienced shooting crew can sustain 5 to 6 rounds per minute (1 RPM for a sustained period). The HE-FRAG projectile has a range of 19,040 yards, while the Rocket Assisted Projectile (RAP) has a range of up to 26,245 yards.

Despite its Soviet origins, the Russian military is still somewhat dependent on the M1955 series, which is believed to still have around 1,000 weapons available. Efforts to modernize the design as a viable battlefield solution for decades to come. "Khitin" is an example, as it adds an automatic stomp and increases the RoF to 8 RPM.

China copied the gun as the "Type 66" and this variant was shipped around the world. The Type 66 was produced with few modifications, making most Soviet parts interchangeable and circulating with all types of 152mm ammunition. The Type 83 became self-propelled, likely influenced by the Soviet 2S3 series of vehicles.

Likewise, North Korea's SPH 152mm M1974 saw M1955 or 66 guns on a tracked chassis.

Current operators range from Angola and Armenia to Vietnam and Yemen. The Romanian model is called the A411. Previous deployments include Albania, East Germany/Germany, Finland and the former Yugoslavia (as the M84 "NORA" howitzer).

Specification

Base

Year of Service

1955

Origins

Soviet Union

Status

Active.

Crew

8

Production

4,200

Manufacturer

Factory No. 9 - USSR

Operator

Albania; Angola; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Bulgaria; China; Georgia; Cambodia; Congo; Croatia; East Germany; Egypt; Finland; Hungary; Iran; Iraq; Kazakhstan ; Myanmar; North Korea; Moldova; Nicaragua; Nigeria; Poland; Romania; Russia; Serbia; former Soviet Union; Sri Lanka; Syria; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; Uzbekistan; Vietnam; Yemen; Yugoslavia

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 & WEIGHTS

Length

26. 6 ft

8. 1 m

Width

7. 7 ft

2. 35 m

Height

8. 3 ft

2. 52 m

Weight

12,566 lb

5,700 kg

Tonnage

6. 3 tons

POWER & PERFORMANCE

Powerplant:

None. This is a towed artillery system.

Range

10,818. 1 mi

(17,410. 0 km)

ARMAMENT

1 x 152mm gun barrel.

AMMUNITION

Varies. Typical 152mm ammunition type is Frag-HE, OF32. Other types include smart munitions, incendiary, mine dispersal, chemical, anti-infantry flechette and rocket-assisted types.

VARIANTS

D-20 - Base Model Designation152mm Towed Gun Howizter M1955 (D-20) - Formal Designation. 52-P-546 - GRAU designationType 66 - Chinese copy of the D-20 systemType 83 - Chinese D-20 gun on tracked chassisA411 - Romanian Army designationM84 NORA - Yugoslavian model