Anti-tank weapons of the Afghan dushmans. Mounted grenade launchers, recoilless guns and guided missile systems
During the Afghan war, armed opposition detachments very actively used Soviet, American and Chinese-made mounted anti-tank grenade launchers and recoilless rifles in combat operations.
In the late 1980s, anti-tank missile systems appeared at the disposal of the rebels. But due to the high complexity and the need for qualified maintenance of anti-tank systems against Soviet troops and Afghan government forces, they were used to a limited extent.
Easel anti-tank grenade launchers
In the late 1950s, the Soviet Union, along with other weapons delivered 82-mm SPG-82 anti-tank grenade launchers to Afghanistan.
The SPG-82 grenade launcher entered service with the Soviet Army in 1950. For that time, it was a fairly effective anti-tank weapon capable of penetrating the frontal armor of most of the existing tanks likely opponent.
The range of a direct shot of the SPG-82 heavy grenade launcher was 200 meters, and the combat rate of fire was up to 6 rds / min. Weight in combat position - 32 kg. Calculation - three people: gunner, loader and ammunition carrier.
The thin-walled barrel of the SPG-82 grenade launcher consisted of a breech and muzzle parts, which were interconnected by a coupling. The barrel, in turn, was mounted on a machine with wheel travel and a folding shield. The main purpose of the shield was to protect the calculation from the effects of powder gases from a jet engine. When fired, glazed viewing windows in the shield were automatically closed with metal protective shutters. A shoulder rest and a mechanical sight were attached to the barrel.
The main ammunition was considered a cumulative rocket-propelled grenade PG-82. To stabilize the rocket-propelled grenade on the nozzle of the jet engine, there was an annular stabilizer with six hard feathers. The jet fuel was a charge of smokeless nitroglycerin powder. The mass of the PG-82 grenade is 4,5 kg. Armor penetration along the normal -170 mm.
In the mid-1950s, the OG-82 fragmentation grenade was developed. The firing range of a fragmentation grenade was 700 m. The introduction of a fragmentation grenade made it possible to expand the combat potential of the grenade launcher. It became possible, in addition to fighting tanks, to successfully solve the tasks of defeating enemy firepower and manpower.
Judging by the available photographs, the SPG-82 grenade launchers were very widely used by dushmans at the initial stage of hostilities, and they were regularly captured by our troops during operations.
The popularity of the SPG-82 in gangs was facilitated by the simple design, reliability and relatively low weight of the grenade launcher, which was even less than that of the SG-43 machine gun on a wheeled machine.
But after the appearance of the much more long-range 73-mm mounted anti-tank grenade launchers SPG-9, as well as 75-mm American and Chinese-made recoilless rifles, the use of the SPG-82 became episodic in the hands of the rebels.
Nevertheless, SPG-82s remained in the arsenals of the rebels until the mid-1990s.
A much more advanced anti-tank weapon compared to the SPG-82 is the 73-mm SPG-9 Spear mounted anti-tank grenade launcher, adopted by the Soviet Army in 1963. Structurally, the SPG-9 is a light breech-loading recoilless gun on a tripod machine.
For firing from the SPG-9 grenade launcher, the PG-9 active-reactive grenade is used, the engine of which continues to work even after leaving the barrel, accelerating the projectile to 700 m / s.
Due to the rather high flight speed, comparable to the speed of an artillery shell, the PG-9 has a much better hit accuracy compared to the PG-82. With a barrel length of 670 mm, the effective range of fire against tanks is 700 meters.
In the tail section of the PG-9 shot there is a jet engine that starts after the grenade leaves the barrel. The starting charge consists of a sample of nitroglycerin powder in a cloth cap. After the grenade leaves the barrel, the six-fin stabilizer opens. In the tail section of the PG-9 there are tracers with which you can observe the flight on the trajectory. A cumulative grenade, depending on the modification, is capable of penetrating homogeneous armor 300–400 mm thick.
The mass of the grenade launcher in combat position is 48 kg, length - 1 mm. On the battlefield, a grenade launcher can be transported over short distances by a crew of four. For transportation over long distances, the grenade launcher is disassembled into separate units. Rate of fire up to 055 rds / min.
In the first half of the 1970s, production of a modernized version began. The ammunition load of the SPG-9M grenade launcher included shots with increased armor penetration and a direct shot range increased to 900 meters. The OG-9 fragmentation grenade was adopted for the modernized easel grenade launcher. It does not have a jet engine, but only a starting powder charge. The maximum firing range of the OG-9 is 4 meters.
Afghan government forces and limited contingent units used mounted 73-mm grenade launchers to fire at rebel positions, suppress firing points and provide fire support to their infantry.
The exact number of mounted grenade launchers captured by dushmans is unknown. Apparently, we can talk about dozens of units. After studying captured samples in the late 1980s, production of a copy of the SPG-9 began in Pakistan.
Recoilless guns
Since the mid-1980s, 75-mm American and Chinese-made recoilless rifles have become widespread in large gangs. Starting from the middle of 1984, the presence of one "recoilless rifle" in a detachment of 25-30 people was considered the norm, and five recoilless guns were relied on for a formation of a hundred fighters.
At first, the Americans tried to organize the supply of 75-mm M20 recoilless rifles. This weapon was developed at the end of World War II, and by the time the Soviet troops entered Afghanistan, it was already considered obsolete. But, being relatively light and compact, it turned out to be well adapted to the conditions of guerrilla warfare in mountainous areas.
The 75 mm M20 recoilless rifle had a very simple design. It was a steel rifled barrel open at both ends, in the back of which a hinged bolt with a nozzle for the exit of powder gases was installed to compensate for the recoil when fired. For precise aiming, the rotary and lifting mechanisms of the gun are equipped with manual drives. The total length of the gun was 2 mm, and together with the machine it weighed 008 kg. When assembled, the “recoilless” on the battlefield could be carried by two people. For transportation over a long distance, the machine was separated from the barrel.
If necessary, the 75-mm M20 recoilless rifle could be transported on a mule or horse.
Unlike smooth-bore hand and mounted grenade launchers, which used rocket-propelled grenades with feather or ring stabilizers, the M20 recoilless gun had a rifled barrel and a projectile with a steel perforated sleeve. The propellant charge of pyroxylin powder inside the sleeve is in a burning bag made of nitrocellulose fabric.
The main weapon in the ammunition load was considered to be a cumulative shot weighing 9,5 kg with armor penetration along the normal of 90 mm. The cumulative grenade contained 400 g of pentolite and left the barrel at an initial speed of 300 m/s.
Also, from the 75-mm M20 gun, it was possible to fire fragmentation and incendiary grenades and even buckshot. Leading belts of 75-mm projectiles had ready-made rifling, which, when loaded, were combined with the rifling of the gun barrel. The range of effective fire on tanks is up to 600 m, the maximum firing range of a high-explosive fragmentation projectile is 6 m. The combat rate of fire is up to 500 rds / min.
By the beginning of the Afghan war, the Americans transferred, as part of military assistance, most of the 75-mm "recoilless" weapons available in warehouses to friendly regimes in third world countries. Since the production of M20 guns was completed in the mid-1950s, there was nowhere to get them. But then China came to the rescue, becoming the largest supplier of weapons for the Afghan Mujahideen, which were purchased with money allocated by Western and Arab countries.
In the first half of the 1980s, the delivery of Chinese 75-mm Type 56-II recoilless rifles and ammunition for them was organized from the PRC to militant camps in Pakistan.
The Chinese first got acquainted with the 75-mm American "recoilless" in Korea, and in the 1950s in the PRC, based on the M20, a number of guns of a similar class were created.
According to its characteristics, the 75 mm Type 56-II recoilless rifle was similar to the M20. It had a collapsible barrel and a light alloy machine.
A new cumulative grenade with normal armor penetration up to 140 mm was introduced into the ammunition load, which outwardly resembled a mortar mine.
However, due to the fact that the cumulative grenade of increased power was heavier, the effective range of fire on tanks did not exceed 450 m.
The gun could conduct aimed fire with fragmentation shells at stationary targets at a distance of up to 2 m. The maximum firing range was up to 000 m.
Dushmans very actively used 75-mm "recoilless" in combat. They also appeared quite often among the trophies captured by our troops.
In addition to the above-mentioned heavy grenade launchers and 75-mm M20 and Type 56-II guns, the Dushmans had 82-mm Soviet-made B-10 recoilless rifles and their Chinese clones.
The Soviet 82 mm B-10 recoilless smoothbore gun entered service in 1954 and fired feathered HEAT and fragmentation shells. The gun weighing 85 kg (with a wheel drive), with a barrel length of 1 mm, could fire at targets at a distance of up to 910 m, firing up to 4 shells per minute. The effective range of fire against armored targets is up to 400 m, armor penetration is up to 6 mm. The ammunition of the gun included cumulative and fragmentation shots of caseless loading. The mass of fragmentation and cumulative projectiles is 400 kg, the initial speed is 200 m / s.
In the late 1950s, China received a package of documentation for the establishment of licensed production of B-10 guns. In 1965, the 82-mm "recoilless" was adopted by the PLA under the designation Type 65. The release of this gun in China continued until the second half of the 1970s.
In 1978, the PLA received the 82-mm Type 78 recoilless rifle. The new gun became much lighter, its mass was about 30 kg, which was of great importance when transporting in mountainous areas.
Due to the fact that the barrel has become significantly shorter, in order to maintain an acceptable range of a direct shot, the propellant charge was increased. It is stated that the armor penetration of a new type of cumulative 82-mm grenade is 400 mm normal. To combat manpower, shells equipped with 5-mm steel balls with an effective destruction zone of up to 15 m are intended.
At the same time, the initial speed of the cumulative grenade is 260 m/s, the effective range of firing at tanks is 300 m. The maximum firing range of a fragmentation grenade is 2 m. The combat rate of fire is up to 000 rds/min.
Type 78 smoothbore recoilless rifles appeared in Afghanistan in the second half of the 1980s. There were much fewer of them than the outdated rifled Type 56-II, which the Chinese decided to get rid of by selling them to the Afghan spooks.
The much lighter Type 78s were popular. They had better mobility and could be fired from the shoulder. In addition, compared to 75 mm shells, 82 mm mines were more powerful.
Anti-tank guided missile systems
In 1988, the Americans delivered about a hundred TOW ATGMs to one of the militant groups based in northwestern Pakistan. Unfortunately, it was not possible to establish which particular modification of the anti-tank complex was at the disposal of the Afghan dushmans, but, most likely, these were Improved TOWs with BGM-71C ATGMs, which could hit targets at ranges up to 3 m.
The ATGM launch tube, about 2 meters long, and the guidance equipment are mounted on a tripod machine. The mass of the anti-tank complex in combat position is about 90 kg. After the launch of the ATGM, it was enough for the operator to keep the central mark on the target until the missile hit. Control commands were transmitted over thin wires. The mass of the BGM-71C rocket was 19,1 kg, length - 1 mm. The maximum flight speed is 450 m / s.
As of the end of the 1980s, it was a completely modern ATGM with armor penetration sufficient to confidently defeat the T-55M and T-62M tanks, which were part of a limited contingent. The BGM-71C ATGM, put into service in 1981, had a cumulative warhead weighing 3,9 kg and normally penetrated 600 mm homogeneous armor.
Another ATGM that appeared among the rebels in the late 1980s was the Franco-German Milan complex. According to Western sources, 160 complexes were sent to Afghanistan.
The Milan ATGM, which entered service in 1972, like the TOW, had a semi-automatic guidance system. The operator was only required to keep the enemy tank in sight.
The first modification of the Milan ATGM had a length of 918 mm and a mass of 6,8 kg (9 kg in the transport and launch container). Its cumulative 3-kg warhead was capable of penetrating 400-mm armor. The launch range was in the range from 200 to 2 m. The average rocket flight speed was 000 m/s. The mass of the anti-tank complex ready for use was slightly more than 200 kg, which made it possible to carry it over a short distance by one operator.
Features of the use of easel grenade launchers, recoilless guns and anti-tank missile systems available to dushmans
The most common long-range anti-tank weapons at the disposal of the dushmans were 75-mm recoilless guns with a rifled barrel. Due to their availability and the absence of a shortage of ammunition, Chinese 75-mm "recoilless" were used very widely.
Recoilless guns, along with mortars, became the main means of artillery support for the rebels, to some extent making it possible to compensate for the superiority of Soviet troops in firepower.
But, unlike the mortar, when firing from the "recoilless" it was not necessary to calculate the hinged trajectory and accurately determine the firing distance. Most often, recoilless rifles fired with a minimum angle of elevation of the barrel, while adjusting the fire when firing at a visually observed target is much easier. Recoilless guns were more understandable to former farmers and artisans, their sights were no more difficult to handle than mechanical sights of small arms.
Although 75 mm HEAT shells could not penetrate the frontal armor of Soviet tanks, the side armor was still vulnerable to them. They posed an even greater threat to armored personnel carriers and infantry fighting vehicles protected by bulletproof armor, even when firing fragmentation shells at them. Having the ability to hit armored targets and infantry at ranges up to 800–1 m with “recoilless” fire, the rebels no longer tried to get close to regular troops, as this led to losses, but tried to open fire from a safe distance for themselves.
Much attention was paid to the preparation and selection of a firing position. The rebels skillfully camouflaged the locations of the recoilless guns in dense thickets of greenery or among stones, and to prevent the formation of a dust cloud that betrayed the place from which the fire was fired, they moistened the soil with water behind the bell and in front of the muzzle of the guns. Careful camouflage of the firing position and prevention of dust formation during firing allowed the rebels to fire a series of shots without being noticed.
The SPG-82 and SPG-9 mounted anti-tank grenade launchers were used relatively rarely in combat. The SPG-82 had a relatively short range, and it was difficult for captured SPG-9s to get ammunition. The release of 73-mm heavy grenade launchers in Pakistan and shells for them was managed when the Soviet troops were already leaving Afghanistan, and this niche was occupied by Chinese recoilless rifles.
Chinese 82-mm recoilless guns showed themselves well. Although the range of the Type 78 HEAT recoilless projectile is relatively short, it is still higher than that of a hand grenade launcher. Fragmentation 82 mm grenades contained more explosives and had a larger radius of destruction than 75 mm shells. In addition, the 82mm Type 78 smoothbore guns were almost twice as light as the 75mm Type 56-II rifled guns.
Massive 82-mm Type 78 guns began to be delivered when the stocks of 75-mm Type 56-II guns were almost exhausted in the PRC, and 82-mm Chinese “recoilless guns” basically already fought in the civil strife that began after the withdrawal of Soviet troops.
Guided anti-tank systems of Western production, handed over to the dushmans, did not show themselves in any way. The very large and heavy American TOW ATGM, designed to replace the 106-mm recoilless rifles in the battalion, turned out to be too burdensome to carry in the mountains.
ATGM Milan was lighter, more compact and easier to handle. But, like the American complex, it was too gentle for the harsh conditions of Afghanistan, it required a very careful attitude and qualified service. With the money spent on the purchase and delivery of one ATGM, one could buy a hundred Chinese recoilless rifles and several thousand shells for them.
The rebels, realizing the advantages of MANPADS in comparison with anti-aircraft heavy machine guns, purposefully selected and trained operators for them, and paid much attention to ensuring safety during transportation. Guided anti-tank systems, which required the same attitude and level of personnel training as portable anti-aircraft ones, did not have such an overwhelming superiority over recoilless guns and heavy grenade launchers, and Soviet armored vehicles did not cause such damage as combat helicopters and attack aircraft.
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