Do-it-yourself models of military equipment: a step-by-step description. Katyusha - a unique combat vehicle of the USSR (interesting) Do-it-yourself Katyusha military vehicle made of cardboard

July 14, 1941 at one of the defense sectors 20 th army, in the forest to the east Orsha, flames shot up to the sky, accompanied by an unusual rumble, not at all like artillery shots. Clouds of black smoke rose from the trees, and barely noticeable arrows hissed in the sky towards the German positions.

Soon the entire area of ​​the local station, captured by the Nazis, was engulfed in furious fire. The Germans, stunned, fled in panic. It took the enemy a long time to gather their demoralized units. So for the first time in history they declared themselves "Katyusha".

First combat use The Red Army of a new type of powder rockets refers to the battles at Khalkhin Gol. On May 28, 1939, the Japanese troops that occupied Manchuria, in the region of the Khalkhin Gol River, went on the offensive against Mongolia, with which the USSR was bound by a mutual assistance treaty. A local, but no less bloody war began. And here in August 1939, a group of fighters I-16 under the command of a test pilot Nikolay Zvonarev first used RS-82 missiles.

The Japanese at first thought that their planes were attacked by a well-camouflaged anti-aircraft installation. Only a few days later, one of the officers who took part in the air battle reported: “Under the wings of Russian aircraft, I saw bright flashes of flame!”

"Katyusha" in combat position

Experts flew in from Tokyo, examined the wrecked planes, and agreed that only a projectile with a diameter of at least 76 mm could cause such destruction. But after all, calculations showed that an aircraft capable of withstanding the recoil of a gun of such a caliber simply could not exist! Only on experimental fighters 20 mm caliber guns were tested. To find out the secret, a real hunt was announced for the planes of Captain Zvonarev and his comrade-in-arms pilots Pimenov, Fedorov, Mikhailenko and Tkachenko. But the Japanese failed to shoot down or land at least one car.

The results of the first use of missiles launched from aircraft exceeded all expectations. In less than a month of fighting (on September 15, a truce was signed), the pilots of the Zvonarev group made 85 sorties and shot down 13 enemy planes in 14 air battles!

rockets, which proved to be so successful on the battlefield, were developed from the beginning of the 1930s at the Reactive Research Institute (RNII), which, after the repressions of 1937-1938, was led by a chemist Boris Slonimer. Directly worked on rockets Yuri Pobedonostsev, to whom now belongs the honor of being called their author.

The success of the new weapon spurred work on the first version of the multiply charged installation, which later turned into the Katyusha. In NII-3 of the People's Commissariat of Ammunition, as RNII was called before the war, this work was led by Andrey Kostikov, Modern historians speak rather disrespectfully of Kostikov. And this is true, because his denunciations about colleagues (for the same Pobedonostsev) were found in the archives.

The first version of the future "Katyusha" was charging 132 -mm shells similar to those fired at Khalkhin Gol by Captain Zvonarev. The entire installation with 24 rails was mounted on a ZIS-5 truck. Here the authorship belongs to Ivan Gvai, who had previously made the "Flute" - an installation for rockets on I-15 and I-16 fighters. The first ground tests near Moscow, carried out in early 1939, revealed many shortcomings.

Military experts who approached the assessment rocket artillery from the positions of cannon artillery, they saw a technical curiosity in these strange machines. But, despite the ridicule of the gunners, the staff of the institute continued hard work on the second version of the launcher. It was installed on a more powerful ZIS-6 truck. However, 24 rails, mounted, as in the first version, across the machine, did not ensure the stability of the machine when firing.

Field tests of the second option were carried out in the presence of the marshal Klima Voroshilova. Thanks to his favorable assessment, the development team received the support of the commanding staff. At the same time, the designer Galkovsky proposed completely new version: leave 16 rails and mount them longitudinally on the machine. In August 1939, the pilot plant was manufactured.

By that time, a group led by Leonid Schwartz designed and tested samples of new 132-mm rockets. In the autumn of 1939, another series of tests was carried out at the Leningrad artillery range. This time, the launchers and projectiles for them were approved. From that moment on, the rocket launcher became officially known as BM-13 which meant " fighting machine”, and 13 is an abbreviation for the caliber of a 132-mm rocket projectile.

The BM-13 combat vehicle was a chassis of a three-axle ZIS-6 vehicle, on which a rotary truss was installed with a package of guides and a guidance mechanism. For aiming, a swivel and lifting mechanism and an artillery sight were provided. At the rear of the combat vehicle were two jacks, which ensured its greater stability when firing. The launch of rockets was carried out by a handle electric coil connected to the battery and contacts on the rails. When the handle was turned, the contacts closed in turn, and in the next of the shells the starting squib was fired.

At the end of 1939, the main artillery control The Red Army was given an order by NII-3 for the manufacture of six BM-13s. By November 1940, this order was completed. On June 17, 1941, the vehicles were demonstrated at a review of the Red Army weapons, which took place near Moscow. BM-13 was examined by the marshal Tymoshenko, People's Commissar of Arms Ustinov, People's Commissar of Ammunition Vannikov and Chief of the General Staff Zhukov. On June 21, following the results of the review, the command decided to expand the production of missiles M-13 and installations BM-13.

On the morning of June 22, 1941, the employees of NII-3 gathered within the walls of their institute. It was clear that the new weapons would no longer undergo any military tests - now it is important to collect all the installations and send them into battle. Seven BM-13 vehicles formed the backbone of the first rocket artillery battery, the decision to form which was made on June 28, 1941. And already on the night of July 2, she left for the Western Front under her own power.

The first battery consisted of a control platoon, a sighting platoon, three firing platoons, a combat power platoon, an economic department, a fuel and lubricants department, and a sanitary unit. In addition to seven BM-13 launchers and a 122-mm howitzer of the 1930 model, which served for sighting, the battery had 44 trucks for transporting 600 M-13 rocket projectiles, 100 shells for howitzers, entrenching tools, three refueling of fuel and lubricants, seven daily norms of food and other property.

Captain Ivan Andreevich Flerov - the first commander of the experimental battery "Katyusha"

The command staff of the battery was staffed mainly by students of the Dzerzhinsky Artillery Academy, who had just completed the first course of the command faculty. Capt. was appointed battery commander Ivan Flerov- an artillery officer who had experience behind him Soviet-Finnish war. Neither the officers nor the numbers of the combat crews of the first battery had any special training; only three classes were held during the formation period.

Developers run them missile weapons design engineer Popov and military engineer 2nd rank Shitov. Just before the end of classes, Popov pointed to a large wooden box, mounted on the footboard of a combat vehicle. “When you are sent to the front,” he said, “we will fill this box with heavy bombs and put a squib so that at the slightest threat of an enemy seizing a rocket weapon, both the installation and the shells can be blown up.” Two days after the march from Moscow, the battery became part of the 20th Army of the Western Front, which fought for Smolensk.

On the night of July 12-13, she was alerted and sent to Orsha. A lot of German echelons with troops, equipment, ammunition and fuel accumulated at the Orsha station. Flerov ordered to deploy the battery five kilometers from the station, behind the hill. The engines of the vehicles were not turned off in order to immediately leave the position after the salvo. At 15:15 on July 14, 1941, Captain Flerov gave the command to open fire.

Here is the text of the report to the German General Staff: “The Russians used a battery with an unprecedented number of guns. High-explosive incendiary shells, but of unusual action. The troops fired upon by the Russians testify: the fire raid is like a hurricane. The projectiles explode at the same time. The loss of life is significant." The morale effect of the use of rocket-propelled mortars was overwhelming. The enemy lost more than an infantry battalion at the Orsha station and great amount military equipment and weapons.

On the same day, Flerov's battery fired at the crossing over the Orshitsa River, where a lot of manpower and equipment of the Nazis had also accumulated. In the following days, the battery was used in various directions of operations of the 20th Army as a fire reserve for the chief of artillery of the army. Several successful volleys were fired at the enemy in the areas of Rudnya, Smolensk, Yartsevo, Dukhovshina. The effect exceeded all expectations.

The German command tried to get samples of the Russian miracle weapon. For the battery of Captain Flerov, as once for Zvonarev's fighters, the hunt began. On October 7, 1941, near the village of Bogatyr in the Vyazemsky district of the Smolensk region, the Germans managed to surround the battery. The enemy attacked her suddenly, on the march, firing from different sides. The forces were unequal, but the calculations fought desperately, Flerov used up the last of his ammunition and then blew up the launchers.

Leading people to a breakthrough, he died heroically. 40 people out of 180 survived, and everyone who survived after the death of the battery in October 41 was declared missing, although they fought until the very victory. Only 50 years after the first salvo of the BM-13, the field near the village of Bogatyr revealed its secret. The remains of Captain Flerov and 17 other rocket men who died with him were finally found there. In 1995, by decree of the President of the Russian Federation, Ivan Flerov was posthumously awarded the title Hero of Russia.

Flerov's battery died, but the weapon existed and continued to inflict damage on the advancing enemy. In the first days of the war, the manufacture of new installations began at the Moscow Kompressor plant. Designers also did not have to be customized. In a matter of days, they completed the development of a new combat vehicle for 82-millimeter shells - BM-8. It began to be produced in two versions: one - on the chassis of the ZIS-6 car with 6 guides, the other - on the chassis of the STZ tractor or T-40 and T-60 tanks with 24 guides.

Obvious successes at the front and in production allowed the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command in August 1941 to decide on the formation of eight regiments of rocket artillery, which, even before participating in battles, were given the name "Guards mortar regiments of artillery of the VGK reserve." This emphasized the special importance attached to the new type of weapons. The regiment consisted of three divisions, the division - of three batteries, four BM-8 or BM-13 each.

Guides were developed and manufactured for the 82 mm caliber rocket, which were later installed on the chassis of the ZIS-6 car (36 guides) and on the chassis of the T-40 and T-60 light tanks (24 guides). Special launchers for 82 mm and 132 mm caliber rockets were made for their subsequent installation on warships- torpedo boats and armored boats.

The production of BM-8 and BM-13 was continuously growing, and the designers were developing a new 300-millimeter rocket M-30 weighing 72 kg and with a firing range of 2.8 km. Among the people they received the nickname "Andryusha". They were launched from a launching machine (“frame”) made of wood. The launch was carried out with the help of a sapper blasting machine. For the first time, "andryushas" were used in Stalingrad. The new weapons were easy to make, but they took a long time to set up and aim at. In addition, the short range of M-30 rockets made them dangerous for their own calculations. Subsequently, combat experience showed that the M-30 - powerful weapon offensive, capable destroy bunkers, trenches with canopies, stone buildings and other fortifications. There was even an idea to create a mobile phone based on Katyushas. anti-aircraft missile system to destroy enemy aircraft, however, the prototype was never brought to a production standard.

On the effectiveness of the combat use of "Katyushas" in the course of an attack on the enemy’s fortified center, an example can serve as an example of the defeat of the Tolkachev defensive center during our counteroffensive near Kursk in July 1943. Village Tolkachevo was turned by the Germans into a heavily fortified center of resistance with a large number of dugouts and bunkers in 5-12 runs, with a developed network of trenches and communications. The approaches to the village were heavily mined and covered with barbed wire. A significant part of the bunkers was destroyed by volleys of rocket artillery, the trenches, together with the enemy infantry in them, were filled up, fire system completely suppressed. Of the entire garrison of the knot, which numbered 450-500 people, only 28 survived. The Tolkachev knot was taken by our units without any resistance.

By the beginning of 1945, 38 separate divisions, 114 regiments, 11 brigades and 7 divisions armed with rocket artillery were operating on the battlefields. But there were also problems. Mass production of launchers was quickly established, but the widespread use of Katyushas was held back due to a lack of ammunition. There was no industrial base for the manufacture of high-quality gunpowder for projectile engines. Ordinary gunpowder in this case could not be used - special grades were required with the desired surface and configuration, time, character and combustion temperature. The deficit was limited only by the beginning of 1942, when the factories transferred from west to east began to gain the required production rates. For all the time of the Great Patriotic War Soviet industry produced more than ten thousand rocket artillery combat vehicles.

Origin of the name Katyusha

It is known why the BM-13 installations began to be called "guards mortars" at one time. The BM-13 installations were not actually mortars, but the command sought to keep their design secret for as long as possible. When the fighters and commanders asked the representative of the GAU to name the “true” name of the combat installation at the firing range, he advised: “Call the installation as an ordinary artillery piece. It's important to maintain secrecy."

There is no single version of why BM-13s began to be called "Katyushas". There are several assumptions:
1. By the name of Blanter's song, which became popular before the war, to the words of Isakovsky "Katyusha". The version is convincing, since for the first time the battery fired on July 14, 1941 (on the 23rd day of the war) at the concentration of Nazis on the Market Square of the city of Rudnya, Smolensk Region. She shot from a high steep mountain - the association with a high steep bank in the song immediately arose among the fighters. Finally, the former sergeant of the headquarters company of the 217th separate communications battalion of the 144th is alive rifle division 20th Army Andrei Sapronov, now a military historian, who gave her this name. The Red Army soldier Kashirin, having arrived with him after the shelling of Rudny on the battery, exclaimed in surprise: “This is a song!” “Katyusha,” Andrey Sapronov answered (from the memoirs of A. Sapronov in the newspaper Rossiya No. 23 of June 21-27, 2001 and in Parliamentary Newspaper No. 80 of May 5, 2005). Through the communication center of the headquarters company, the news about the miracle weapon named "Katyusha" within a day became the property of the entire 20th Army, and through its command - of the whole country. On July 13, 2011, the veteran and “godfather” of Katyusha turned 90 years old.

2. There is also a version that the name is associated with the “K” index on the mortar body - the installations were produced by the Kalinin plant (according to another source, the Comintern plant). And the front-line soldiers liked to give nicknames to weapons. For example, the M-30 howitzer was nicknamed "Mother", the ML-20 howitzer gun - "Emelka". Yes, and BM-13 at first was sometimes called "Raisa Sergeevna", thus deciphering the abbreviation RS (missile).

3. The third version suggests that this is how the girls from the Moscow Kompressor plant, who worked at the assembly, dubbed these cars.
Another exotic version. The guides on which the shells were mounted were called ramps. The forty-two-kilogram projectile was lifted by two fighters harnessed to the straps, and the third usually helped them, pushing the projectile so that it exactly lay on the guides, he also informed the holders that the projectile had risen, rolled, rolled onto the guides. It was supposedly that they called him “Katyusha” (the role of those who held the projectile and rolled up was constantly changing, since the calculation of the BM-13, unlike barrel artillery, was not explicitly divided into loader, pointer, etc.)

4. It should also be noted that the installations were so secret that it was even forbidden to use the commands “plee”, “fire”, “volley”, instead of them they sounded “sing” or “play” (to start it was necessary to turn the handle of the electric coil very quickly) , which, perhaps, was also associated with the song "Katyusha". And for our infantry, the volley of Katyushas was the most pleasant music.

5. There is an assumption that the original nickname "Katyusha" had frontline bomber, equipped with rockets - an analogue of the M-13. And the nickname jumped from an airplane to a rocket launcher through shells.

AT German troops these machines were called "Stalin's organs" because of the external similarity of the rocket launcher with the pipe system of this musical instrument and the powerful staggering roar that was produced when the rockets were launched.

During the battles for Poznan and Berlin, the M-30 and M-31 single launchers received the nickname "Russian faustpatron" from the Germans, although these shells were not used as an anti-tank weapon. With "dagger" (from a distance of 100-200 meters) launches of these shells, the guardsmen broke through any walls.

If Hitler's oracles had looked more closely at the signs of fate, then July 14, 1941 would certainly have become a landmark day for them. It was then that in the area of ​​the Orsha railway junction and the crossing over the Orshitsa River Soviet troops for the first time, combat vehicles BM-13 were used, which received army environment affectionate name "Katyusha". The result of two volleys on the accumulation of enemy forces was stunning for the enemy. The losses of the Germans fell under the column "unacceptable".

Here are excerpts from the directive to the troops of the Nazi high military command: “The Russians have an automatic multi-barreled flamethrower cannon ... The shot is fired by electricity ... Smoke is generated during the shot ...” The obvious helplessness of the wording testified to the complete ignorance of the German generals regarding the device and specifications a new Soviet weapon - a rocket-propelled mortar.

A vivid example of the effectiveness of the guards mortar units, and their basis was the "Katyusha", can serve as a line from the memoirs of Marshal Zhukov: "Rockets by their actions produced complete devastation. I looked at the areas where the shelling was carried out, and saw the complete destruction of the defensive structures ... "

The Germans developed a special plan to capture new Soviet weapons and ammunition. In the late autumn of 1941, they managed to do this. The "captured" mortar was really "multi-barreled" and fired 16 rocket mines. His firepower several times superior in effectiveness to the mortar that was in service fascist army. Hitler's command decided to create an equivalent weapon.

The Germans did not immediately realize that the Soviet mortar they captured was a truly unique phenomenon, opening a new page in the development of artillery, the era of rocket systems. salvo fire(MLRS).

We must pay tribute to its creators - scientists, engineers, technicians and workers of the Moscow Reactive Research Institute (RNII) and related enterprises: V. Aborenkov, V. Artemiev, V. Bessonov, V. Galkovsky, I. Gvai, I. Kleimenov, A. Kostikov, G. Langemak, V. Luzhin, A. Tikhomirov, L. Schwartz, D. Shitov.

The main difference between BM-13 and similar German weapons was an unusually bold and unexpected concept: mortars could reliably hit all targets of a given square with relatively inaccurate rocket-propelled mines. This was achieved precisely due to the salvo nature of the fire, since each point of the shelled area necessarily fell into the affected area of ​​one of the shells. German designers, realizing the brilliant "know-how" of Soviet engineers, decided to reproduce, if not in the form of a copy, then using the main technical ideas.

It was, in principle, possible to copy the Katyusha as a combat vehicle. Insurmountable difficulties began when trying to design, develop and establish mass production of similar rockets. It turned out that German gunpowder cannot burn in the chamber of a rocket engine as stably and steadily as Soviet ones. The analogues of Soviet ammunition designed by the Germans behaved unpredictably: either sluggishly descended from the guides to immediately fall to the ground, or they began flying at breakneck speed and exploded in the air from an excessive increase in pressure inside the chamber. Only a few units made it to the target.

The point turned out to be that for effective nitroglycerin powders, which were used in Katyusha shells, our chemists achieved a spread in the values ​​of the so-called heat of explosive transformation no higher than 40 conventional units, and the smaller the spread, the more stable the gunpowder burns. Similar German gunpowder had a spread of this parameter even in one batch above 100 units. This led to precarious work rocket engines.

The Germans did not know that ammunition for the Katyusha was the fruit of more than a decade of activity of the RNII and several large Soviet research teams, which included the best Soviet powder factories, outstanding Soviet chemists A. Bakaev, D. Galperin, V. Karkina, G. Konovalova, B Pashkov, A. Sporius, B. Fomin, F. Khritinin and many others. They not only developed the most complex recipes for rocket powders, but also found simple and effective ways their mass, continuous and cheap production.

At a time when the production of Guards rocket launchers and shells for them was being developed at an unprecedented pace at Soviet factories according to ready-made drawings and literally increased daily, the Germans had only to carry out research and design work on MLRS. But history didn't give them time for that.

The article is based on the materials of the book Nepomniachtchi N.N. "100 great secrets of World War II", M., "Veche", 2010, p. 152-157.

The fate of the developers:

Origin of the name Katyusha

There is no single version of why BM-13s began to be called "Katyushas". There are several assumptions:
1. By the name of Blanter's song, which became popular before the war, to the words of Isakovsky "Katyusha". The version is convincing, since for the first time the battery fired on July 14, 1941 (on the 23rd day of the war) at the concentration of Nazis on the Market Square of the city of Rudnya, Smolensk Region. She shot from a high steep mountain - the association with a high steep bank in the song immediately arose among the fighters. Finally, the former sergeant of the headquarters company of the 217th separate communications battalion of the 144th rifle division of the 20th army, Andrei Sapronov, is now alive, now a military historian who gave her this name. The Red Army soldier Kashirin, having arrived with him after the shelling of Rudny on the battery, exclaimed in surprise: “This is a song!” “Katyusha,” Andrey Sapronov answered (from the memoirs of A. Sapronov in the newspaper Rossiya No. 23 of June 21-27, 2001 and in Parliamentary Newspaper No. 80 of May 5, 2005). Through the communication center of the headquarters company, the news about the miracle weapon named "Katyusha" within a day became the property of the entire 20th Army, and through its command - of the whole country. On July 13, 2011, the veteran and “godfather” of Katyusha turned 90 years old.

2. There is also a version that the name is associated with the “K” index on the mortar body - the installations were produced by the Kalinin plant (according to another source, the Comintern plant). And the front-line soldiers liked to give nicknames to weapons. For example, the M-30 howitzer was nicknamed "Mother", the ML-20 howitzer gun - "Emelka". Yes, and BM-13 at first was sometimes called "Raisa Sergeevna", thus deciphering the abbreviation RS (missile).

3. The third version suggests that this is how the girls from the Moscow Kompressor plant, who worked at the assembly, dubbed these cars.
Another exotic version. The guides on which the shells were mounted were called ramps. The forty-two-kilogram projectile was lifted by two fighters harnessed to the straps, and the third usually helped them, pushing the projectile so that it exactly lay on the guides, he also informed the holders that the projectile had risen, rolled, rolled onto the guides. It was supposedly that they called him “Katyusha” (the role of those who held the projectile and rolled up was constantly changing, since the calculation of the BM-13, unlike barrel artillery, was not explicitly divided into loader, pointer, etc.)

4. It should also be noted that the installations were so secret that it was even forbidden to use the commands “plee”, “fire”, “volley”, instead of them they sounded “sing” or “play” (to start it was necessary to turn the handle of the electric coil very quickly) , which, perhaps, was also associated with the song "Katyusha". And for our infantry, the volley of Katyushas was the most pleasant music.

5. There is an assumption that initially the nickname "Katyusha" had a front-line bomber equipped with rockets - an analogue of the M-13. And the nickname jumped from an airplane to a rocket launcher through shells.

In the German troops, these machines were called "Stalin's organs" because of the external resemblance of the rocket launcher to the pipe system of this musical instrument and the powerful stunning roar that was produced when the rockets were launched.

During the battles for Poznan and Berlin, the M-30 and M-31 single launchers received the nickname "Russian faustpatron" from the Germans, although these shells were not used as an anti-tank weapon. With "dagger" (from a distance of 100-200 meters) launches of these shells, the guardsmen broke through any walls.

If Hitler's oracles had looked more closely at the signs of fate, then July 14, 1941 would certainly have become a landmark day for them. It was then that in the area of ​​​​the Orsha railway junction and the crossing over the Orshitsa River, Soviet troops for the first time used BM-13 combat vehicles, which received the affectionate name "Katyusha" in the army environment. The result of two volleys on the accumulation of enemy forces was stunning for the enemy. The losses of the Germans fell under the column "unacceptable".

Here are excerpts from the directive to the troops of the Nazi high military command: "The Russians have an automatic multi-barreled flamethrower gun ... The shot is fired by electricity ... Smoke is generated during the shot ..." The obvious helplessness of the wording testified to the complete ignorance of the German generals regarding the device and technical characteristics of the new Soviet weapons - jet mortar.

A vivid example of the effectiveness of the guards mortar units, and their basis was the "Katyusha", can serve as a line from the memoirs of Marshal Zhukov: "Rocket shells by their actions produced complete devastation. I looked at the areas that were being shelled, and saw the complete destruction of defensive structures ... "

The Germans developed a special plan to capture new Soviet weapons and ammunition. In the late autumn of 1941, they managed to do this. The "captured" mortar was really "multi-barreled" and fired 16 rocket mines. Its firepower was several times more effective than the mortar, which was in service with the fascist army. Hitler's command decided to create an equivalent weapon.

The Germans did not immediately realize that the Soviet mortar they captured was a truly unique phenomenon, opening a new page in the development of artillery, the era of multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS).

We must pay tribute to its creators - scientists, engineers, technicians and workers of the Moscow Reactive Research Institute (RNII) and related enterprises: V. Aborenkov, V. Artemyev, V. Bessonov, V. Galkovsky, I. Gvai, I. Kleimenov, A. Kostikov, G. Langemak, V. Luzhin, A. Tikhomirov, L. Schwartz, D. Shitov.

The main difference between the BM-13 and similar German weapons was an unusually bold and unexpected concept: mortars could reliably hit all targets of a given square with relatively inaccurate rocket-propelled mines. This was achieved precisely due to the salvo nature of the fire, since each point of the shelled area necessarily fell into the affected area of ​​one of the shells. German designers, realizing the brilliant "know-how" of Soviet engineers, decided to reproduce, if not in the form of a copy, then using the main technical ideas.

Copy "Katyusha" as a combat vehicle was, in principle, possible. Insurmountable difficulties began when trying to design, develop and establish mass production of similar rockets. It turned out that German gunpowder cannot burn in the chamber of a rocket engine as stably and steadily as Soviet ones. The analogues of Soviet ammunition designed by the Germans behaved unpredictably: either sluggishly descended from the guides to immediately fall to the ground, or they began flying at breakneck speed and exploded in the air from an excessive increase in pressure inside the chamber. Only a few units made it to the target.

The point turned out to be that for effective nitroglycerin powders, which were used in Katyusha shells, our chemists achieved a spread in the values ​​of the so-called heat of explosive transformation no higher than 40 conventional units, and the smaller the spread, the more stable the powder burns. Similar German gunpowder had a spread of this parameter even in one batch above 100 units. This led to unstable operation of rocket engines.

The Germans did not know that ammunition for the "Katyusha" was the fruit of more than a decade of activity of the RNII and several large Soviet research teams, which included the best Soviet powder factories, outstanding Soviet chemists A. Bakaev, D. Galperin, V. Karkina, G. Konovalova, B Pashkov, A. Sporius, B. Fomin, F. Khritinin and many others. They not only developed the most complex recipes for rocket powders, but also found simple and effective ways to mass-produce them continuously and cheaply.

At a time when the production of Guards rocket launchers and shells for them was being developed at an unprecedented pace at Soviet factories according to ready-made drawings and literally increased daily, the Germans had only to carry out research and design work on MLRS. But history didn't give them time for that.

Model scale 1:25.

REACTIVE VOLVO FIRE SYSTEM BM-13 "KATYUSHA" ON THE CHASSIS.

"Katyusha" is the unofficial collective name for the BM-8 (82 mm) and BM-13 (132 mm) mobile rocket launchers. Such installations were actively used by the USSR during the Second World War.

Back in 1916. combat rocket on smokeless powder (a prototype of a late rocket) was invented by Ivan Platonovich Grave. In 1924 he received patent No. 122 for such a rocket charge. Further work on the creation of rockets on smokeless powder continued until the Great Patriotic War.

The development team included Sergei Korolev. In March 1941, successful field tests of the BM-13 installations with the M-13 projectile were carried out, and on June 21 a decree was signed on their serial production. On the night of June 30, 1941, the first two BM-13 combat launchers were assembled at the Komintern plant in Voronezh. Initially, they were mounted on the ZIS-5 chassis, but the use of such a chassis was considered unsuccessful, and it was replaced by the ZIS-6. Subsequently, BM-13 (BM-13N) were installed only on Studebaker (Studbacker-US6). An experimental artillery battery of seven vehicles under the command of Captain I. Flerov was first used against the German army at the railway junction of the city of Orsha on July 14, 1941. The first eight regiments of 36 vehicles each were formed on August 8, 1941. An improved modification of the BM-13N was created in 1943, and by the end of World War II, about 1800 of these guns were manufactured. Range - about 5 km.

The weapon was inaccurate, but very effective in massive use. The emotional effect was also important: during the salvo, all missiles were fired almost simultaneously - in a few seconds, the territory in the target area was literally plowed up by heavy rockets. At the same time, the deafening howl that the rockets raised during the flight literally drove me crazy. Those who did not die during the shelling often could no longer resist, as they were shell-shocked, stunned, and completely psychologically depressed. The mobility of the installation made it possible to quickly change position and avoid an enemy retaliatory strike.

Each car had a box of explosives and fuses. In the event of a risk of equipment being captured by the enemy, the crew was obliged to blow it up and thereby destroy the rocket systems.

The name "Katyusha" comes from the marking "KAT" ("Kostikova automatic thermite") on used incendiary rockets. And since the appearance of weapons in combat units coincided with the time of the popularity of the song "Katyusha", this name stuck.

We propose to build a model of the guards mortar BM-13 "Katyusha" on the platform at Studebaker (Studbacker-US6).

Specifications

Engine - 6-cylinder, in-line.

Working volume -5240 cm Z.

Power -95 hp at 2500 rpm.

Load capacity -2.5 t.

Weight -4850 kg.

Speed ​​-72 km/h.

Rocket M-13

Caliber, mm -132

Projectile weight, kg -42.3

Warhead mass, kg -21.3

Mass of explosive, kg -4.9

Firing range - maximum, km -8.47

Volley production time, sec 7-10.

Assembly instructions

1. Frame

The frame is assembled according to the scheme of parts 1-6. The folds are marked in gray. With the help of part 7, we glue the front bumper 9 and tow hooks 8, we assemble the back part from parts 10-15, part 13 is folded into a tube. For convenience, you can put a strip of cardboard 1 mm thick. in item 10.

Now you can assemble the pendant. First, three gearboxes are assembled from parts 30-36. Then, an axis 29, 69 and 108 is threaded through each. Then, using the crosses 50, cardan shafts 51,70 and 71 are glued. It is more convenient to glue the crosses 50 if you first insert a part cut out of cardboard in the form of a cross. A transfer case is assembled from parts 72-1 and 72-2. A gearbox is assembled from parts 72-4 and 72-8 and glued to transfer case. Two rear axles with the help of part 66 they are glued to the frame, to part 2 and with the help of springs. The rear springs are assembled from strips 21 which are pre-folded in half, glued together and then glued together. After the package of springs is assembled, they must be given a semicircular shape in place. Instead of parts 25 and 26, you can use a toothpick.

2. wheels

Rear wheel rims are assembled from parts 203-206. Separately, we cut out the nuts 90 and glue them to the disk. Then we assemble the tire from parts 209-212. After assembly, the wheels are glued to axles 29 and 69.

The rims for the front wheels are assembled a little differently if you want to make them swivel. Part 208 is added on the front disks. The turning mechanism is assembled as follows: part 95 is rolled up into a ring and part 92 is inserted inside and fixed with part 94. Part 92 must rotate freely inside part 95. Then part 92 is glued to axis 108. Part 102 is glued inside the disk and item 99 is glued to it. After that, a tire is put on the disk. The order of further assembly is clear from the diagram.

3. Engine

It is better to start assembling the engine from body 111. Then it is glued to it optional equipment. To facilitate the gluing of part 112, a part cut out of cardboard, 1 mm thick, is glued inside. The remaining parts are glued in numerical order. After the engine, we assemble a radiator from parts 137-140. After assembly, the radiator and the engine are glued to the frame - the engine to part 5, and the radiator using part 141. After that, the radiator is glued to the engine using a tube glued from parts 142-146.

4. Cabin

First, we assemble the cabin interior. First we assemble the dashboard 180, which we glue to the front wall 186, and the floor 185 to it. We assemble the steering wheel 192 and the steering shaft 192-1. We fold the levers 194 in half and glue them together, we do the same with the pedals 195. Glue the finished pedals and levers according to the diagram. Lastly, we glue the seat (198-199) and the cabin interior is ready. Now we proceed to the outer skin of the cabin. The cab roof is assembled from parts 149-150. The ceiling 149-1 is glued to it from the inside. Then the back wall 148 and the side walls 160. The doors are folded and glued together. Hinges are glued between the halves of the doors. We glue the glasses cut out of the transparent film according to the patterns on last page and glue the wipers 197. Then we assemble the hood. The front wing is glued from part 182. From the wrong side, part 182-1 is glued. We glue the side wall 181 to it. We assemble the hood cover 180 according to the scheme and glue it in place. We glue two headlights 201 and one smaller one 202, which is located on the spruce side, and glue the grille 200. Glue the gas tank 214-216 behind the cab.

5. Launcher

Assembly of the launcher begins with the assembly of the base 218, which is attached to the vehicle frame with the help of parts 217. We glue control mechanisms 221-226 and 227-231 to the front. We collect guides for rockets. They are in three parts. Details 253 and 253-1 are bent to form an inverted letter P and glued together, then holes are cut into them, then strips 254 are glued on top and bottom. Guides are connected to each other using parts 257 rolled up with a tube. According to the scheme, we assemble a tubular structure, with the help of which we glue the guides to the base of the launcher. Parts for gluing are pre-formed on a mandrel with a diameter of 2 mm. and glue the launcher to the frame to parts 217.

The Soviet multiple launch rocket system "Katyusha" is one of the most recognizable symbols of the Great Patriotic War. In terms of popularity, the legendary Katyusha is not much inferior to the T-34 or PPSh assault rifle. Until now, it is not known for certain where this name came from (there are numerous versions), the Germans called these installations "Stalin's organs" and were terribly afraid of them.

"Katyusha" is the collective name of several rocket launchers times of the Great Patriotic War. Soviet propaganda presented them as exclusively domestic "know-how", which was not true. Work in this direction was carried out in many countries and the famous German six-barreled mortars are also MLRS, however, of a slightly different design. used rocket artillery also the Americans and the British.

Nevertheless, the Katyusha became the most efficient and most mass-produced vehicle of its kind in World War II. BM-13 is a real weapon of Victory. She took part in all significant battles on the Eastern Front, clearing the way for infantry formations. The first volley of Katyushas was fired in the summer of 1941, and four years later, BM-13 installations were already shelling besieged Berlin.

A bit of history of the BM-13 "Katyusha"

Several reasons contributed to the revival of interest in rocket weapons: firstly, more advanced types of gunpowder were invented, which made it possible to significantly increase the range of rockets; secondly, rockets were perfect as weapons for combat aircraft; and thirdly, rockets could be used to deliver poisonous substances.

The last reason was the most important: based on the experience of the First World War, the military had little doubt that the next conflict would certainly not do without war gases.

In the USSR, the creation of rocket weapons began with the experiments of two enthusiasts - Artemiev and Tikhomirov. In 1927, smokeless pyroxylin-TNT gunpowder was created, and in 1928, the first rocket was developed that managed to fly 1300 meters. At the same time, the targeted development of missile weapons for aviation began.

In 1933, experimental samples of aviation rockets of two calibers appeared: RS-82 and RS-132. The main drawback of the new weapon, which did not suit the military at all, was their low accuracy. The shells had a small tail, which did not go beyond its caliber, and a pipe was used as guides, which was very convenient. However, to improve the accuracy of the missiles, their plumage had to be increased and new guides had to be developed.

In addition, pyroxylin-TNT gunpowder was not very well suited for mass production of this type of weapon, so it was decided to use tubular nitroglycerin gunpowder.

In 1937, they tested new missiles with increased plumage and new open rail-type guides. Innovations significantly improved the accuracy of fire and increased the range of the rocket. In 1938, the RS-82 and RS-132 rockets were put into service and began to be mass-produced.

In the same year, designers were given new task: create a reactive system for ground forces, taking as a basis a 132 mm caliber rocket.

In 1939, the 132-mm high-explosive fragmentation projectile M-13 was ready, it had a more powerful warhead and an increased flight range. It was possible to achieve such results by lengthening the ammunition.

In the same year, the first MU-1 rocket launcher was also manufactured. Eight short guides were installed across the truck, sixteen rockets were attached to them in pairs. This design turned out to be very unsuccessful, during the volley the car swayed strongly, which led to a significant decrease in the accuracy of the battle.

In September 1939, tests began on a new rocket launcher, the MU-2. The three-axle truck ZiS-6 served as the basis for it, this machine provided combat complex high maneuverability, allowed to quickly change positions after each volley. Now guides for missiles were located along the car. In one volley (about 10 seconds), the MU-2 fired sixteen shells, the weight of the installation with ammunition was 8.33 tons, and the firing range exceeded eight kilometers.

With this design of the guides, the rocking of the car during the salvo became minimal, in addition, two jacks were installed in the rear of the car.

In 1940, state tests of the MU-2 were carried out, and it was accepted into service under the designation "BM-13 rocket launcher".

The day before the start of the war (June 21, 1941), the government of the USSR decided to mass-produce BM-13 combat systems, ammunition for them, and form special units for their use.

The very first experience of using the BM-13 at the front showed their high efficiency and contributed to the active production of this type of weapon. During the war, Katyusha was produced by several factories, and mass production of ammunition for them was launched.

Artillery units armed with BM-13 installations were considered elite, immediately after the formation they received the name of the guards. The reactive systems BM-8, BM-13 and others were officially called "guards mortars".

The use of BM-13 "Katyusha"

The first combat use of rocket launchers took place in mid-July 1941. Orsha, a large junction station in Belarus, was occupied by the Germans. It has accumulated a large number of military equipment and manpower of the enemy. It was for this purpose that the battery of rocket launchers (seven units) of Captain Flerov fired two volleys.

As a result of the actions of the artillerymen, the railway junction was practically wiped off the face of the earth, the Nazis suffered severe losses in people and equipment.

"Katyusha" was used in other sectors of the front. New soviet weapons was a very unpleasant surprise for the German command. The pyrotechnic effect of the use of shells had a particularly strong psychological impact on the Wehrmacht soldiers: after the Katyusha salvo, literally everything that could burn was on fire. This effect was achieved through the use of TNT checkers in the shells, which, during the explosion, formed thousands of burning fragments.

Rocket artillery was actively used in the battle near Moscow, Katyushas destroyed the enemy near Stalingrad, they were tried to be used as anti-tank weapons on the Kursk Bulge. To do this, special recesses were made under the front wheels of the car, so the Katyusha could fire direct fire. However, the use of the BM-13 against tanks was less effective, since the M-13 rocket was high-explosive fragmentation, and not armor-piercing. In addition, "Katyusha" has never been distinguished by high accuracy of fire. But if her projectile hit the tank, all the attachments of the vehicle were destroyed, the turret often jammed, and the crew received a severe shell shock.

Rocket launchers were used with great success until the Victory itself, they took part in the storming of Berlin and other operations of the final stage of the war.

In addition to the famous BM-13 MLRS, there was also the BM-8 rocket launcher, which used 82 mm caliber rockets, and over time, heavy rocket systems appeared that launched 310 mm caliber rockets.

During Berlin operation soviet soldiers actively used the experience of street fighting, which they received during the capture of Poznan and Königsberg. It consisted in firing single heavy rockets M-31, M-13 and M-20 direct fire. Special assault groups were created, which included an electrical engineer. The rocket was launched from machine guns, wooden caps, or simply from any flat surface. The hit of such a projectile could well destroy the house or guaranteed to suppress the enemy's firing point.

During the war years, about 1400 BM-8 installations, 3400 BM-13 and 100 BM-31 installations were lost.

However, the history of the BM-13 did not end there: in the early 60s, the USSR supplied these installations to Afghanistan, where they were actively used by government troops.

Device BM-13 "Katyusha"

The main advantage of the BM-13 rocket launcher is its extreme simplicity both in production and in use. The artillery part of the installation consists of eight guides, a frame on which they are located, swivel and lifting mechanisms, sights and electrical equipment.

The guides were a five-meter I-beam with special overlays. In the breech of each of the guides, a locking device and an electric fuse were installed, with which a shot was fired.

The guides were mounted on a swivel frame, which, using the simplest lifting and turning mechanisms, provided vertical and horizontal aiming.

Each Katyusha was equipped with an artillery sight.

The crew of the car (BM-13) consisted of 5-7 people.

The M-13 rocket projectile consisted of two parts: a combat and a jet powder engine. Warhead, in which there was an explosive and a contact fuse, is very reminiscent of the warhead of a conventional high-explosive fragmentation projectile.

The powder engine of the M-13 projectile consisted of a chamber with a powder charge, a nozzle, a special grid, stabilizers and a fuse.

The main problem faced by the developers of rocket systems (and not only in the USSR) was the low accuracy of the accuracy of rocket projectiles. To stabilize their flight, the designers went in two ways. German rockets of six-barreled mortars rotated in flight due to obliquely located nozzles, and flat stabilizers were installed on Soviet PCs. To give the projectile greater accuracy, it was necessary to increase it initial speed, for this, the guides on the BM-13 received a greater length.

The German method of stabilization made it possible to reduce the dimensions of both the projectile itself and the weapon from which it was fired. However, this significantly reduced the firing range. Although, it should be said that the German six-barreled mortars were more accurate than the Katyushas.

The Soviet system was simpler and allowed firing at considerable distances. Later, the installations began to use spiral guides, which further increased the accuracy.

Modifications of "Katyusha"

During the war years, numerous modifications of both rocket launchers and ammunition for them were created. Here are just a few of them:

BM-13-SN - this installation had spiral guides that betrayed the projectile rotary motion which significantly improved its accuracy.

BM-8-48 - this rocket launcher used 82 mm caliber shells and had 48 guides.

BM-31-12 - this rocket launcher used 310 mm caliber projectiles for firing.

310 mm caliber rockets were originally used for firing from the ground, only then did the self-propelled gun appear.

The first systems were created on the basis of the ZiS-6 car, then they were most often installed on cars received under Lend-Lease. It must be said that with the beginning of Lend-Lease, only foreign vehicles were used to create rocket launchers.

In addition, rocket launchers (from M-8 shells) were installed on motorcycles, snowmobiles, and armored boats. Guides were installed on railway platforms, tanks T-40, T-60, KV-1.

To understand how mass weapons there were Katyushas, ​​it’s enough to give two figures: from 1941 to the end of 1944, Soviet industry manufactured 30 thousand launchers various kinds and 12 million shells for them.

During the war years, several types of 132 mm caliber rockets were developed. The main areas of modernization were to increase the accuracy of fire, increase the range of the projectile and its power.

Advantages and disadvantages of the BM-13 Katyusha rocket launcher

The main advantage of rocket launchers was the large number of shells they fired in one salvo. If several MLRS worked on the same area at once, then the destructive effect increased due to the interference of shock waves.

Easy to use. "Katyushas" were distinguished by their extremely simple design, they were also simple sights this installation.

Low cost and ease of manufacture. During the war, the production of rocket launchers was established at dozens of factories. The production of ammunition for these complexes did not present any particular difficulties. Especially eloquent is the comparison of the cost of the BM-13 and a conventional artillery gun of a similar caliber.

Installation mobility. The time of one volley of BM-13 is approximately 10 seconds, after the volley the vehicle left the firing line without being exposed to enemy return fire.

However, this weapon also had disadvantages, the main one was the low accuracy of fire due to the large dispersion of shells. This problem was partially solved by the BM-13SN, but it has not been finally solved for modern MLRS either.

Insufficient high-explosive action of M-13 shells. "Katyusha" was not very effective against long-term defensive fortifications and armored vehicles.

Short firing range compared to cannon artillery.

Large consumption of gunpowder in the manufacture of rockets.

Strong smoke during the salvo, which served as an unmasking factor.

The high center of gravity of the BM-13 installations led to frequent rollovers of the vehicle during the march.

Specifications "Katyusha"

Characteristics of the combat vehicle

Characteristics of the M-13 rocket

Video about MLRS "Katyusha"

If you have any questions - leave them in the comments below the article. We or our visitors will be happy to answer them.

Do-it-yourself models of military equipment are loved by both children and many men. This exciting hobby can be applied in the process of collecting crafts of wartime technology, in working with school students for or for an exhibition, dedicated to the Day Great victory.

many children preschool age like to play with cars and tanks, planes and armored cars. Also, the guys will be happy to provide all possible assistance in creating a model of military equipment with their own hands. For very young children, dads or older brothers can build appliances of such a size that the baby can fit in there and play with friends in the room.

Corrugated Carton Tank

To create military equipment from waste material, you need to find an old packing cardboard box. Product from corrugated cardboard will be tight and will be easier to play. For the main part, you will need a strip of cardboard 16-20 cm wide and 60 cm long. This strip is twisted into a tube, gluing the thin sides of the rectangle together. It turned out the body of the tank. Next, create the shape of a small box and attach it to the top. This is a tank turret.

Then we start working on the tracks. Carefully remove the top layer of paper from the cardboard so that the corrugated part remains on top. Then we cut out two strips 4 cm wide, the length corresponds to the perimeter of the case. The wavy part of the element is located outward, and the smooth side is smeared with PVA glue and glued to the edges of the case on both sides. The caterpillar is ready.

The wheels are created from twisted strips, 3 pieces on each side. They need to be glued tightly in the middle of the caterpillar. For the layout, it remains only to create a gun. First, we make a triangular base where the muzzle cylinder will be inserted. It can be rolled from simple cardboard or from a thin layer of the same box from which the entire layout was made.

Another tank model

This version of the tank is also made of thick packaging cardboard. In the manufacture of military equipment from paper and craftsmen often enjoy significant cost savings. And it’s easy to assemble such layouts. This version of the tank is made in one piece by folding and folding cardboard. The hull is assembled together with the tower. To do this, take a wide strip and bend to form the hull and tower. Then the sides are cut out along the contour, they are glued to the adhesive tape or from the inside to the strips of paper. Cut out from above sharp knife square hole. This is a tank hatch in which a child can put soldiers.

Caterpillars are made according to the same principle and attached to the sides. It remains to roll a triangular barrel out of cardboard and, having made a hole of the same shape in the front of the tower, insert the gun barrel there. That's it, the do-it-yourself model of military equipment is made! You can start the game.

big plane

Such a large combat vehicle is made for kids. They can sit there and fly the plane while playing in the room. Making this toy is easy. You need to take a large box and cut off the closing part - the lid. On the sides, you need to cut out semicircular entrance places so that it is convenient for the child to climb there.

On both sides there are two slots where the wings are inserted. As you can see in the photo, making them is easy. A screw is attached to the front. You can attach it with a bolt, then the baby will be able to twist it. Children love dynamic toys.

The final touch when doing the work will be the tail. For such a structure, you need to glue a rounded triangle on a strip of cardboard in the center.

DIY paper machines

Schemes of various machines, including military equipment, can be found for sale - in stationery and toy stores. There are a number of magazines that produce ready-made circuits that are bought by both children and military equipment collectors.

It is enough to cut out the purchase option with scissors and glue it together, smearing the white corners with PVA glue. If you do not have such a scheme, you can use the drawing of the combat vehicle presented in the article, and, having redrawn it, assemble the finished layout.