M-69 gun. Anti-tank "ram" caliber 152 mm
By the mid-fifties, the potential of missile weapons in the context of combating tanks, however, anti-tank guns were still in no hurry to go back in time. Another attempt was made to create a promising anti-tank self-propelled artillery mount with a high-powered gun. As part of the research work "Taran" was created self-propelled guns "Object 120" and 152-mm gun M-69 for her. Both models exceeded all developments of their time in their combat characteristics.
"Object 120" in the museum. The barrel of the 152-mm gun M-69 barely fits into the frame. Wikimedia Commons Photos
In May 1957, several resolutions of the Council of Ministers of the USSR set a course for the development of armored vehicles to combat enemy tanks. The industry was given the task of developing several armored vehicles with guided missile weapons, as well as an artillery installation with a high-powered gun. The creation of self-propelled guns was carried out as part of the research work "Taran".
According to the terms of reference, the new self-propelled gun was supposed to have a mass of not more than 30 t and carry protection from small and medium-caliber shells. For self-propelled guns it was necessary to create a large-caliber gun weighing no more than 4,5 t with a range of direct shot at a target like a "tank" in 3 km. At such a distance, the gun was supposed to pierce 300 mm of homogeneous armor at a meeting angle of 30 °.
The main contractor for Taran was OKB-3 of the Sverdlovsk Uralmashzavod, headed by G.S. Efimov. The design of the guns was entrusted to the Perm SKB-172 chief designer M.Yu. Tsirulnikova. Shots were fired at the Moscow Research Institute-24 under the direction of V.S. Kreneva and V.V. Yavorsky. Several other organizations were involved in research as developers and suppliers of individual components and components.
During the same 1957, a number of organizations, headed by SKB-172, were looking for the optimal appearance of the gun for the future self-propelled guns. Calculations showed that the required ratio of fire characteristics and mass can have a caliber system 130 and 152,4 mm. By the end of the year, SKB-172 completed preliminary projects of two such guns. Product caliber 130 mm received the working designation M-68. 152-mm gun designated as M-69.
The M-68 project offered an 130-mm rifled gun with a barrel length of 10405 mm (80 calibers) for a shot of a separate-shell loading. The estimated initial velocity of the projectile reached 1800 m / s. The mass of the gun on the installation was 3800 kg - 700 kg less than the maximum permissible technical specification. It was proposed to attack the armored objects with the help of a specially designed armor-piercing projectile with a mass of 9 kg. Its penetration characteristics corresponded to the wishes of the customer. Also provided for a high-explosive fragmentation projectile with a variable propellant charge.
In the project M-69 worked 152-mm gun with a smooth barrel of the same dimensions. Relative barrel length - 68,5 calibres. The mass of the product has reached the maximum permissible 4500 kg. The estimated maximum projectile speed was 1700 m / s. Against the tanks, the gun was supposed to use 11,5-kg armor-piercing projectile or cumulative ammunition. Fortifications and manpower could be attacked by a high-explosive fragmentation shell.
Layout of self-propelled guns "Taran". Photo Russianarms.ru
In February 1958, at a meeting in the State Committee for Defense Technology, taking into account the results of the research, the terms of reference were changed. In particular, the range of a direct shot at a target with a height of 3 m was reduced to 2,5 km. Other requirements remained the same. Now enterprises had to manufacture and test the experimental cannons of two types.
The manufacture and subsequent shooting of the M-68 and M-69 products took about a year. The stem groups were manufactured by Plant No. 172. Ammunition received from related enterprises. The tests were carried out at the factory’s test site using the M36-BU-3 ballistic installation. During the test firing, it was possible to confirm the main tactical and technical characteristics of the guns.
In March of the 1959, a new meeting was held, at which the final shape of the future self-propelled guns "Taran" or "Object 120" was determined. When choosing a gun for self-propelled guns, the nomenclature of ammunition became a decisive factor. The X-NUMX-mm M-130 cannon could only hit tanks with a sub-projectile, while the M-68 had cumulative ammunition. Due to the greater flexibility of their application for further development and use on the "Taran" recommended smooth-bore 69-mm gun.
At the very beginning of the next 1960, Uralmashzavod received two experimental M-69 guns for installation on the “120 Object”. Soon, the only prototype self-propelled guns with such weapons went to factory tests.
The finished product M-69 used as part of the self-propelled gun "Taran" was a smoothbore gun with a caliber of 152,4 mm with a barrel length of 9,045 m, using a separate-shell loading. The breech of the gun was equipped with a semi-automatic wedge bolt. An ejector was placed next to the muzzle. To partially compensate for recoil, a slotted muzzle brake was used with 20 holes on each side.
The gun mount had hydropneumatic recoil devices with a resistance force of 47 tf. Due to the use of such devices and an effective muzzle brake, the maximum rollback length was only 300 mm.
Scheme "Object 120" with a gun M-69. Figure Russianarms.ru
The vertical guidance of the swinging part with the gun was carried out by hydraulic or manual drive. Pickup angles - from -5 ° to + 15 °. As part of the installation, there was a mechanism that, after each shot, automatically returned the barrel to the loading angle. The gun mount was located in a tower of circular rotation, which provided firing in any direction.
"Object 120" was transporting ammunition from 22 rounds of separate loading. For faster feed into the cannon shells and shells were placed in the drum. Due to this, the gun could perform 2 shots in 20 seconds.
For M-69 developed several shots for various purposes. To combat manpower and fortifications was intended 152-mm high-explosive fragmentation shell weighing 43,5 kg with a propelling charge of 3,5 kg (reduced) or 10,7 kg (full). The fight against armored vehicles was provided by cumulative and subcaliber shells weighing 11,5 kg. Together with them used shells with 9,8-kg charges.
The initial velocity of the projectile is 1710 m / s. The range of a direct shot at a target with a height of 2 m is 2,5 km. The pressure in the bore reached 4 thousand kgf / sq. Cm. Muzzle energy - more than 19,65 MJ. Effective firing range reached several kilometers.
At a distance of 3,5 km with a direct hit on the target, the projectile pierced 295 mm of homogeneous armor. At a meeting angle of 60 °, penetration was reduced to 150 mm. At a distance of 2 km, the gun could penetrate 340 mm (angle 0 °) or 167 mm (angle 60 °). At a distance of 1 km, the maximum tabular value of penetration reached 370 mm.
Thus, the latest SPG “Object 120” with the M-69 cannon could successfully hit any existing armored vehicles of a potential enemy at ranges of up to several kilometers. It should be noted that according to some characteristics, the 152-mm gun from the beginning of the sixties can be compared with modern samples.
The layout of the 120 Object. You can evaluate the features of the placement of the gun. Figure Btvt.info
However, there were some notable flaws. First of all, the mobility of self-propelled guns suffered, since a longer barrel length increased the overall overall size of the armored vehicle. Despite the aft placement of the fighting compartment, the muzzle of the barrel a few meters out of the hull. When driving over rough terrain, this threatened to poke the trunk into the ground with unpleasant consequences.
Tests of the “Object 120” self-propelled gun with the M-69 gun started at the beginning of 1960 and lasted only a few months. Already on 30 in May, the Council of Ministers decided to stop work on the subject of "Ram" in view of the expected obsolescence. At the same time, the industry received assignments for the development of a new 125-mm tank gun with enhanced characteristics. The result of this project was the smoothbore gun 2A26 / D-81. In parallel with it, new anti-tank missile systems were developed.
The more unnecessary experienced “120 Object” was sent for storage. Later he got to the museum of armored vehicles in Kubinka, where now everyone can see him. This self-propelled guns immediately attracts attention with a long barrel hanging over the tracks for visitors. Even without a muzzle brake, the M-69 gun almost reaches the opposite row of armored vehicles.
With the closure of the Taran research work, work on the 152-mm smoothbore guns for fighting tanks ceased for a long time. New projects of such weapons appeared only in the eighties, when there was a need to increase the firepower of the main tanks. However, this direction still has not yielded real results and has not affected the rearmament of troops.
The 152-mm smoothbore gun M-69 developed by SKB-172 was one of the most powerful guns of its time and could guaranteedly solve the assigned tasks. However, even before the completion of testing of its carrier, it was decided to abandon large calibers in favor of more compact systems. Nevertheless, the M-69 gun and the “120 Object” self-propelled guns during the tests were able to show the highest characteristics, thanks to which they occupied an important place in stories domestic weapons and military equipment.
"Object 120" in the museum. The barrel of the 152-mm gun M-69 barely fits into the frame. Wikimedia Commons Photos
R&D "Taran"
In May 1957, several resolutions of the Council of Ministers of the USSR set a course for the development of armored vehicles to combat enemy tanks. The industry was given the task of developing several armored vehicles with guided missile weapons, as well as an artillery installation with a high-powered gun. The creation of self-propelled guns was carried out as part of the research work "Taran".
According to the terms of reference, the new self-propelled gun was supposed to have a mass of not more than 30 t and carry protection from small and medium-caliber shells. For self-propelled guns it was necessary to create a large-caliber gun weighing no more than 4,5 t with a range of direct shot at a target like a "tank" in 3 km. At such a distance, the gun was supposed to pierce 300 mm of homogeneous armor at a meeting angle of 30 °.
The main contractor for Taran was OKB-3 of the Sverdlovsk Uralmashzavod, headed by G.S. Efimov. The design of the guns was entrusted to the Perm SKB-172 chief designer M.Yu. Tsirulnikova. Shots were fired at the Moscow Research Institute-24 under the direction of V.S. Kreneva and V.V. Yavorsky. Several other organizations were involved in research as developers and suppliers of individual components and components.
Two guns
During the same 1957, a number of organizations, headed by SKB-172, were looking for the optimal appearance of the gun for the future self-propelled guns. Calculations showed that the required ratio of fire characteristics and mass can have a caliber system 130 and 152,4 mm. By the end of the year, SKB-172 completed preliminary projects of two such guns. Product caliber 130 mm received the working designation M-68. 152-mm gun designated as M-69.
The M-68 project offered an 130-mm rifled gun with a barrel length of 10405 mm (80 calibers) for a shot of a separate-shell loading. The estimated initial velocity of the projectile reached 1800 m / s. The mass of the gun on the installation was 3800 kg - 700 kg less than the maximum permissible technical specification. It was proposed to attack the armored objects with the help of a specially designed armor-piercing projectile with a mass of 9 kg. Its penetration characteristics corresponded to the wishes of the customer. Also provided for a high-explosive fragmentation projectile with a variable propellant charge.
In the project M-69 worked 152-mm gun with a smooth barrel of the same dimensions. Relative barrel length - 68,5 calibres. The mass of the product has reached the maximum permissible 4500 kg. The estimated maximum projectile speed was 1700 m / s. Against the tanks, the gun was supposed to use 11,5-kg armor-piercing projectile or cumulative ammunition. Fortifications and manpower could be attacked by a high-explosive fragmentation shell.
Layout of self-propelled guns "Taran". Photo Russianarms.ru
In February 1958, at a meeting in the State Committee for Defense Technology, taking into account the results of the research, the terms of reference were changed. In particular, the range of a direct shot at a target with a height of 3 m was reduced to 2,5 km. Other requirements remained the same. Now enterprises had to manufacture and test the experimental cannons of two types.
The manufacture and subsequent shooting of the M-68 and M-69 products took about a year. The stem groups were manufactured by Plant No. 172. Ammunition received from related enterprises. The tests were carried out at the factory’s test site using the M36-BU-3 ballistic installation. During the test firing, it was possible to confirm the main tactical and technical characteristics of the guns.
In March of the 1959, a new meeting was held, at which the final shape of the future self-propelled guns "Taran" or "Object 120" was determined. When choosing a gun for self-propelled guns, the nomenclature of ammunition became a decisive factor. The X-NUMX-mm M-130 cannon could only hit tanks with a sub-projectile, while the M-68 had cumulative ammunition. Due to the greater flexibility of their application for further development and use on the "Taran" recommended smooth-bore 69-mm gun.
At the very beginning of the next 1960, Uralmashzavod received two experimental M-69 guns for installation on the “120 Object”. Soon, the only prototype self-propelled guns with such weapons went to factory tests.
Technical features
The finished product M-69 used as part of the self-propelled gun "Taran" was a smoothbore gun with a caliber of 152,4 mm with a barrel length of 9,045 m, using a separate-shell loading. The breech of the gun was equipped with a semi-automatic wedge bolt. An ejector was placed next to the muzzle. To partially compensate for recoil, a slotted muzzle brake was used with 20 holes on each side.
The gun mount had hydropneumatic recoil devices with a resistance force of 47 tf. Due to the use of such devices and an effective muzzle brake, the maximum rollback length was only 300 mm.
Scheme "Object 120" with a gun M-69. Figure Russianarms.ru
The vertical guidance of the swinging part with the gun was carried out by hydraulic or manual drive. Pickup angles - from -5 ° to + 15 °. As part of the installation, there was a mechanism that, after each shot, automatically returned the barrel to the loading angle. The gun mount was located in a tower of circular rotation, which provided firing in any direction.
"Object 120" was transporting ammunition from 22 rounds of separate loading. For faster feed into the cannon shells and shells were placed in the drum. Due to this, the gun could perform 2 shots in 20 seconds.
For M-69 developed several shots for various purposes. To combat manpower and fortifications was intended 152-mm high-explosive fragmentation shell weighing 43,5 kg with a propelling charge of 3,5 kg (reduced) or 10,7 kg (full). The fight against armored vehicles was provided by cumulative and subcaliber shells weighing 11,5 kg. Together with them used shells with 9,8-kg charges.
The initial velocity of the projectile is 1710 m / s. The range of a direct shot at a target with a height of 2 m is 2,5 km. The pressure in the bore reached 4 thousand kgf / sq. Cm. Muzzle energy - more than 19,65 MJ. Effective firing range reached several kilometers.
At a distance of 3,5 km with a direct hit on the target, the projectile pierced 295 mm of homogeneous armor. At a meeting angle of 60 °, penetration was reduced to 150 mm. At a distance of 2 km, the gun could penetrate 340 mm (angle 0 °) or 167 mm (angle 60 °). At a distance of 1 km, the maximum tabular value of penetration reached 370 mm.
Thus, the latest SPG “Object 120” with the M-69 cannon could successfully hit any existing armored vehicles of a potential enemy at ranges of up to several kilometers. It should be noted that according to some characteristics, the 152-mm gun from the beginning of the sixties can be compared with modern samples.
The layout of the 120 Object. You can evaluate the features of the placement of the gun. Figure Btvt.info
However, there were some notable flaws. First of all, the mobility of self-propelled guns suffered, since a longer barrel length increased the overall overall size of the armored vehicle. Despite the aft placement of the fighting compartment, the muzzle of the barrel a few meters out of the hull. When driving over rough terrain, this threatened to poke the trunk into the ground with unpleasant consequences.
The end of "Taran"
Tests of the “Object 120” self-propelled gun with the M-69 gun started at the beginning of 1960 and lasted only a few months. Already on 30 in May, the Council of Ministers decided to stop work on the subject of "Ram" in view of the expected obsolescence. At the same time, the industry received assignments for the development of a new 125-mm tank gun with enhanced characteristics. The result of this project was the smoothbore gun 2A26 / D-81. In parallel with it, new anti-tank missile systems were developed.
The more unnecessary experienced “120 Object” was sent for storage. Later he got to the museum of armored vehicles in Kubinka, where now everyone can see him. This self-propelled guns immediately attracts attention with a long barrel hanging over the tracks for visitors. Even without a muzzle brake, the M-69 gun almost reaches the opposite row of armored vehicles.
With the closure of the Taran research work, work on the 152-mm smoothbore guns for fighting tanks ceased for a long time. New projects of such weapons appeared only in the eighties, when there was a need to increase the firepower of the main tanks. However, this direction still has not yielded real results and has not affected the rearmament of troops.
The 152-mm smoothbore gun M-69 developed by SKB-172 was one of the most powerful guns of its time and could guaranteedly solve the assigned tasks. However, even before the completion of testing of its carrier, it was decided to abandon large calibers in favor of more compact systems. Nevertheless, the M-69 gun and the “120 Object” self-propelled guns during the tests were able to show the highest characteristics, thanks to which they occupied an important place in stories domestic weapons and military equipment.
Information