Guns KS-19 for Ukrainian artillery
KS-19 guns at the Ukrainian base, March 2023. Photo by Readovka
Since February last year, Ukrainian artillery has suffered heavy losses in armaments. They were partially replenished by the supply of foreign guns, but this equipment also falls into the list of losses. In such circumstances, the Kiev regime resorts to all available measures. In particular, it was recently decided to remove from storage morally and physically obsolete KS-19 anti-aircraft guns. Apparently, they want to return the maximum possible number of such products to operation.
Removed from storage
The land forces of Ukraine inherited a wide range of field artillery from the Soviet army. Almost all types of guns have been used in combat since 2014. At the same time, KS-19 anti-aircraft guns, for unknown reasons, remained in storage until recently. According to available data, the Ukrainian army had approx. 180 such products.
The return of KS-19 to service became known at the end of March 2023. A short video appeared on Ukrainian resources, filmed at a certain military facility in an unknown location. 11 KS-19 products were captured in the frame in an unsatisfactory technical condition: with partially crumbling paint, with traces of rust and flat carriage wheels.
Apparently, the guns were removed from storage and delivered to a repair base for restoration and return to service. However, a voice-over claimed that the shown KS-19s were trophies and previously belonged to the Russian army. Now they are planning to use them against the alleged former owners. It is obvious that such statements are not true.
Other guns from storage. Readovka Photos
Judging by the apparent condition, 11 KS-19 guns from storage needed not only standard re-mothballing, but also minor or even medium repairs. However, carrying out the necessary procedures and work made it possible to return the guns to operation and send them to the combat zone to reinforce the artillery units and the ground forces as a whole.
Guns at the front
That is exactly what happened. Already in early April, the first evidence of the presence of Ukrainian KS-19s in the combat zone appeared. Photos and videos were published showing the work with such weapons. So, in one of the videos, a cannon was towed along a dirt road using one of the regular trucks of the Ukrainian army.
Another video showed combat work or training firing. The place and time of their holding were not reported. A battery of four KS-19s, exposed to direct fire, hit the lens. They also showed the shot of several guns. Where and with what result they shot was not specified.
Subsequently, new information about the operation of the Ukrainian KS-19 appeared in various sources. Thus, according to some, the use of guns at the front was made possible thanks to foreign aid. An unnamed foreign country or countries donated 100-mm unitary ammunition for an old anti-aircraft gun to the Kyiv regime.
Carriage of the KS-19 gun in the combat zone, March-April 2023. Photo by Telegram / Dambiev
A few days ago, Rossiyskaya Gazeta reported that obsolete guns entered service with the 241st brigade of the territorial defense of Kyiv. The number of products in this compound and plans for further deployment are still unknown.
Learning Issues
Apparently, the Ukrainian repair structures were not limited to only 11 known guns and continued to restore the existing KS-19s. There are about 170-180 guns in stock, and they will try to repair and return to service the maximum number of them - of course, if their technical condition allows.
Meanwhile, the command is preparing to receive such materiel. On June 27, the Beregini hacker group published a curious document obtained from the information networks of the Kyiv regime. As it turned out, in June, the Ukrainian Research Institute of Missile Forces and Artillery prepared and published a manual on the operation of the 100-mm anti-aircraft gun KS-19.
"Methodical Help" was collected from fragments of several original documents from the fifties and sixties. From the manuals for operation, service and repair, they took the main parts, diagrams and drawings, supplemented them with firing tables and translated all this into Ukrainian. In this form, the new manual went to print and will now be distributed in artillery units.
The release of the “posibnik” indicates that the command is going to fully return the KS-19 guns to service. Despite the limited number, such products will allow re-equipping a certain number of units. Accordingly, personnel must be trained in the use of these weapons and provided with the necessary instructions.
Battery KS-19 in position. Photo Telegram / "Military correspondents of the Russian spring"
Technical features
KS-19 (GRAU index 52P-415) is a 100 mm towed anti-aircraft gun. It was developed in the second half of the forties and produced for about 10 years. During this time, more than 10 thousand guns were manufactured, both original and modernized versions. Production was discontinued due to the advent of more effective anti-aircraft missile systems. As the air defense was transferred to modern air defense systems, 100-mm guns were put into reserve.
The artillery system is made on a two-axle towed carriage with jacks. The total length of the product in the stowed position is more than 9,2 m. Weight is approx. 9,4 tons. The speed of transportation on the highway is limited to 35 km / h. Deployment in position takes several minutes. Calculation - 7 people.
The gun has a 100 mm rifled barrel with a length of 60,7 klb. A slotted muzzle brake is provided; using a semi-automatic shutter. The carriage design gives elevation angles up to +85° and provides circular horizontal guidance. Rate of fire - 14-15 rds / min. The maximum range of a shot at a ground target, depending on the type of projectile, exceeds 21 km, the reach in height is 15,4 km.
The KS-19 cannon could use both existing 100-mm unitary rounds and several new types of ammunition. The ammunition included anti-aircraft shells, fragmentation and high-explosive fragmentation, armor-piercing various actions, etc. High-explosive fragmentation shells had a mass of up to 15,6-16 kg and carried no more than 1,4-1,7 kg of explosive. The most advanced armor-piercing at a distance of 1 km could penetrate at least 180 mm of homogeneous armor.
Doubtful prospects
The use of KS-19 guns in the original anti-aircraft role has not made any sense for a long time. The Kiev regime uses such guns as part of field artillery to fire at ground targets. At the same time, the products of the KS-19 cannot claim the title of the most effective or powerful Ukrainian weapons, and are also not without drawbacks.
The guns are firing. Photo Telegram / "Military correspondents of the Russian spring"
In general, the KS-19 is capable of complementing other field guns and acting as a howitzer or direct fire cannon. Tabular firing characteristics allow her to hit a number of different targets, up to light armored vehicles. When properly applied, this weapon can complement systems of a larger caliber and solve the assigned fire missions. However, the joint use of systems of different calibers can make it difficult to organize combat work.
There are a number of disadvantages. First of all, this is the moral and physical obsolescence of the guns available in Ukraine. The newest products of the KS-19 have already celebrated their 65th anniversary, and in addition, the condition of the guns from storage leaves much to be desired. All this does not contribute to obtaining high performance, and also leads to additional risks.
A big problem in the current environment is towed performance. It takes several minutes to leave the position after firing, and the gun runs the risk of being hit by return fire from artillery or other means. At the same time, the gun and its crew have minimal protection, which increases the risk of their being hit by any fire means.
rearmament attempts
Thus, the Kiev regime is still trying to restore the potential of its armed formations, incl. artillery. The fleet of guns available at the beginning of last year was almost completely destroyed, and supplies from abroad did not help make up for the losses incurred. Because of this, it is necessary to return morally and physically obsolete anti-aircraft guns to service.
The prospects for such a "rearmament" are generally clear. It will allow to equip a certain number of artillery units and extend their active existence. However, the use of towed systems leads to known risks, which are further exacerbated by the limited number of guns. Obviously, the KS-19 products will not be able to influence the overall situation and will only add to the list of Ukrainian losses.
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