F-22USV
Encyclopedia
76-mm divisional gun M1939 (F-22 USV or USV) (Russian: 76-мм дивизионная пушка обр. 1939 г. (Ф-22 УСВ or УСВ)) was Soviet 76.2-mm divisional gun, adopted for the Red Army
service in 1939 and utilized in the German-Soviet War. The gun was intermediate model between semi-universal divisional gun F-22
and improved and numerous ZiS-3
which eventually replaced it in production and service.
s were borrowed from the ZiS-5 truck. The gun featured semi-automatic vertical sliding breech block and Bofors-type cradle; recoil mechanism consisted of hydraulic
recoil buffer and hydropneumatic recuperator. Sights and elevation controls were located on different sides of the barrel
. The chamber
fitted the standard model 1900 cartridge
, which meant that the gun could use ammunition manufactured for older 76.2 mm divisional and regimental guns.
, the RKKA
command initiated development of a new gun. The requirements, issued in March that year, specified elevation of 45° and combat weight of no more than 1,500 kg. The gun was supposed to have the same ballistics as the M1902/30 and use the same ammunition.
Three design bureaus joined the program - Kirovskiy Plant bureau under I. A. Makhanov, No. 92 Plant bureau under V. G. Grabin
, and AKB-43 (KB AU) under M. N. Kondakov. The L-12 of Kirovskiy Plant was the first to reach ground tests (in April-May 1938), was returned for revision, tested again in August and given to the RKKA for further trials. Grabin's gun went through ground tests in March-April 1939 and was also given to the army. Although its designation - F-22 USV or simply USV - suggested that the gun was only an upgrade of the F-22, in fact it was a completely new design. The third competing project, OKB-43's NDP, failed ground tests in April 1939. RKKA tested the remaining designs from 5 June to 3 July 1939 and was generally satisfied with both of them. The USV was found to have less "childhood diseases" and was therefore recommended for production.
The USV entered production in 1939; 140 pieces were built until the end of the year and 1,010 more in 1940. In 1941 the production was stopped as the plan for divisional guns was already fulfilled. Moreover, RKKA considered transition to larger caliber divisional guns, such as the 107-mm gun model 1940 (M-60). With the beginning of the German-Soviet War the production was reopened at No. 92 and Barrikady plant in Stalingrad; it amounted for 2,616 pieces in 1941 and 6,046 in 1942. From late summer of 1941 the gun was being gradually replaced in production by yet another Grabin's design - ZiS-3
- and by the end of 1942 the process was completed.
had two artillery regiments - light regiment (a battalion
of 76 mm guns in three batteries of four guns; two mixed battalions with one battery
of 76-mm guns and two batteries of 122 mm howitzers) and howitzer regiment, totaling 20 75 mm guns per division. In June 1940 a battalion of 76-mm guns was removed, only 8 guns remained. In March 1942 a third mixed battalion (a battery of 76 mm and a battery of 122 mm) was added, which brought the number of 76 mm guns to 12.
guard
rifle divisions from December 1942 had three artillery battalions (two batteries of 76 mm guns and one battery of 122 mm howitzers each), totaling 24 76-mm guns. From December 1944 they were reorganized to have an artillery brigade
of three regiments, including light regiment with 20 76-mm guns. From June 1945 rifle divisions were reorganized identically.
Motorized divisions had two mixed battalions (battery of 76 mm guns, two batteries of 122 mm howitzers), totaling 8 76-mm guns. Cavalry divisions until August 1941 also had 8 76-mm guns, then their divisional artillery was removed and in summer of 1942 restored again.
Rifle brigades from 1939 had 8 76-mm divisional guns, motorized and mechanized brigades - 12.
Cavalry corps
from late 1942 had artillery battalion of 12 pieces. Tank and artillery corps in late 1944 received light artillery regiment with 76-mm guns (24 pieces).
The USV was also used by artillery units of Reserve of the Main Command, namely: anti-tank artillery brigades (24 pieces, from 1942 - tank destroyer brigades with 16 pieces), by light artillery brigades (60-72 pieces) and by breakthrough artillery divisions (light brigade with 72 pieces, from 1944 - with 48 pieces).
By 1 June 1941 RKKA possessed 1,070 USVs. Many were lost in combat, but some remained in service until the end of the German-Soviet War. It's not clear whether the gun saw combat in the earlier Winter War
.
captured hundreds of USVs and adopted them as field guns, designated 7.62 cm F.K.297(r). By March 1944 359 pieces were in service, including 295 in the West, 40 in Denmark
and 24 in the East.
Some USVs in German service were converted to anti-tank guns, designated 7.62 cm PaK 39(r). The modification included rechambering for bigger cartridge, muzzle brake, elevation controls were moved to the left side of the barrel where the sights resided. All those guns were of pre-war production bunch, as guns produced during the war had weaker breech part. The exact number of converted pieces is unknown, according to some sources there were up to 300. Anti-tank performance is also hard to determine. During trials held in 1943 a projectile from a captured gun penetrated the front armor of the KV tank
(75 mm at 60°) from 600 m. As an interim solution, it was decided to use the anti-tank gun for the Marder III
tank destroyer.
The Finns captured 9 units, but never took them into active service. Known as 76 K 39.
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
service in 1939 and utilized in the German-Soviet War. The gun was intermediate model between semi-universal divisional gun F-22
F-22 76 mm gun
The 76-mm divisional gun M1936 was a Soviet divisional semi-universal gun, adopted for Red Army service in 1936. This gun was used in conflicts between the USSR and Japan on the Far East, in the Winter War and in World War II...
and improved and numerous ZiS-3
ZiS-3
The 76-mm divisional gun M1942 was a Soviet 76.2 mm divisional field gun used during World War II. ZiS was a factory designation and stood for Zavod imeni Stalina , the honorific title of Artillery Factory No...
which eventually replaced it in production and service.
Description
USV had split-trail carriage with suspension; metal wheels with rubber tireTire
A tire or tyre is a ring-shaped covering that fits around a wheel rim to protect it and enable better vehicle performance by providing a flexible cushion that absorbs shock while keeping the wheel in close contact with the ground...
s were borrowed from the ZiS-5 truck. The gun featured semi-automatic vertical sliding breech block and Bofors-type cradle; recoil mechanism consisted of hydraulic
Hydraulics
Hydraulics is a topic in applied science and engineering dealing with the mechanical properties of liquids. Fluid mechanics provides the theoretical foundation for hydraulics, which focuses on the engineering uses of fluid properties. In fluid power, hydraulics is used for the generation, control,...
recoil buffer and hydropneumatic recuperator. Sights and elevation controls were located on different sides of the barrel
Gun barrel
A gun barrel is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion or rapid expansion of gases are released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at a high velocity....
. The chamber
Chamber (weaponry)
In firearms, the chamber is that portion of the barrel or firing cylinder in which the cartridge is inserted prior to being fired. Rifles and pistols generally have a single chamber in their barrels, while revolvers have multiple chambers in their cylinders and no chamber in their barrel...
fitted the standard model 1900 cartridge
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
, which meant that the gun could use ammunition manufactured for older 76.2 mm divisional and regimental guns.
Development history
In 1937, unsatisfied with both the obsolete 76-mm divisional gun M1902/30 and the new, but flawed 76-mm divisional gun model 1936 (F-22)F-22 76 mm gun
The 76-mm divisional gun M1936 was a Soviet divisional semi-universal gun, adopted for Red Army service in 1936. This gun was used in conflicts between the USSR and Japan on the Far East, in the Winter War and in World War II...
, the RKKA
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
command initiated development of a new gun. The requirements, issued in March that year, specified elevation of 45° and combat weight of no more than 1,500 kg. The gun was supposed to have the same ballistics as the M1902/30 and use the same ammunition.
Three design bureaus joined the program - Kirovskiy Plant bureau under I. A. Makhanov, No. 92 Plant bureau under V. G. Grabin
Vasiliy Grabin
Vasiliy Gavrilovich Grabin was a Soviet artillery designer. He led a design bureau at Joseph Stalin Factory No...
, and AKB-43 (KB AU) under M. N. Kondakov. The L-12 of Kirovskiy Plant was the first to reach ground tests (in April-May 1938), was returned for revision, tested again in August and given to the RKKA for further trials. Grabin's gun went through ground tests in March-April 1939 and was also given to the army. Although its designation - F-22 USV or simply USV - suggested that the gun was only an upgrade of the F-22, in fact it was a completely new design. The third competing project, OKB-43's NDP, failed ground tests in April 1939. RKKA tested the remaining designs from 5 June to 3 July 1939 and was generally satisfied with both of them. The USV was found to have less "childhood diseases" and was therefore recommended for production.
The USV entered production in 1939; 140 pieces were built until the end of the year and 1,010 more in 1940. In 1941 the production was stopped as the plan for divisional guns was already fulfilled. Moreover, RKKA considered transition to larger caliber divisional guns, such as the 107-mm gun model 1940 (M-60). With the beginning of the German-Soviet War the production was reopened at No. 92 and Barrikady plant in Stalingrad; it amounted for 2,616 pieces in 1941 and 6,046 in 1942. From late summer of 1941 the gun was being gradually replaced in production by yet another Grabin's design - ZiS-3
ZiS-3
The 76-mm divisional gun M1942 was a Soviet 76.2 mm divisional field gun used during World War II. ZiS was a factory designation and stood for Zavod imeni Stalina , the honorific title of Artillery Factory No...
- and by the end of 1942 the process was completed.
RKKA
According to the organization of 1939, each rifle divisionDivision (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
had two artillery regiments - light regiment (a battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
of 76 mm guns in three batteries of four guns; two mixed battalions with one battery
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
of 76-mm guns and two batteries of 122 mm howitzers) and howitzer regiment, totaling 20 75 mm guns per division. In June 1940 a battalion of 76-mm guns was removed, only 8 guns remained. In March 1942 a third mixed battalion (a battery of 76 mm and a battery of 122 mm) was added, which brought the number of 76 mm guns to 12.
guard
Russian Guards
Guards or Guards units were and are elite military units in Imperial Russia, Soviet Union and the Russian Federation. The tradition goes back to the retinue of a knyaz of medieval Kievan Rus' and the streltsy, the Muscovite harquebusiers formed by Ivan the Terrible by 1550...
rifle divisions from December 1942 had three artillery battalions (two batteries of 76 mm guns and one battery of 122 mm howitzers each), totaling 24 76-mm guns. From December 1944 they were reorganized to have an artillery brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
of three regiments, including light regiment with 20 76-mm guns. From June 1945 rifle divisions were reorganized identically.
Motorized divisions had two mixed battalions (battery of 76 mm guns, two batteries of 122 mm howitzers), totaling 8 76-mm guns. Cavalry divisions until August 1941 also had 8 76-mm guns, then their divisional artillery was removed and in summer of 1942 restored again.
Rifle brigades from 1939 had 8 76-mm divisional guns, motorized and mechanized brigades - 12.
Cavalry corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
from late 1942 had artillery battalion of 12 pieces. Tank and artillery corps in late 1944 received light artillery regiment with 76-mm guns (24 pieces).
The USV was also used by artillery units of Reserve of the Main Command, namely: anti-tank artillery brigades (24 pieces, from 1942 - tank destroyer brigades with 16 pieces), by light artillery brigades (60-72 pieces) and by breakthrough artillery divisions (light brigade with 72 pieces, from 1944 - with 48 pieces).
By 1 June 1941 RKKA possessed 1,070 USVs. Many were lost in combat, but some remained in service until the end of the German-Soviet War. It's not clear whether the gun saw combat in the earlier Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
.
Other operators
In 1941-42 WehrmachtWehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
captured hundreds of USVs and adopted them as field guns, designated 7.62 cm F.K.297(r). By March 1944 359 pieces were in service, including 295 in the West, 40 in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
and 24 in the East.
Some USVs in German service were converted to anti-tank guns, designated 7.62 cm PaK 39(r). The modification included rechambering for bigger cartridge, muzzle brake, elevation controls were moved to the left side of the barrel where the sights resided. All those guns were of pre-war production bunch, as guns produced during the war had weaker breech part. The exact number of converted pieces is unknown, according to some sources there were up to 300. Anti-tank performance is also hard to determine. During trials held in 1943 a projectile from a captured gun penetrated the front armor of the KV tank
Kliment Voroshilov tank
The Kliment Voroshilov tanks were a series of Soviet heavy tanks, named after the Soviet defense commissar and politician Kliment Voroshilov. The KV series were known for their extremely heavy armour protection during the early war, especially during the first year of the invasion of the Soviet...
(75 mm at 60°) from 600 m. As an interim solution, it was decided to use the anti-tank gun for the Marder III
Marder III
The Marder III is the name for a series of World War II German tank destroyers built on the chassis of the Panzer 38. The German word Marder means "marten" in English...
tank destroyer.
The Finns captured 9 units, but never took them into active service. Known as 76 K 39.
Variants
- USV - pre-war variant.
- ZiS-22-USV - war-time variant. Breech parts identical with F-34 tank gun were used. There were changes in barrel construction and suspension, new ZiS-13 sights, more cast details. in production from 15 July 1941.
- USV-BR - variant produced by "Barrikady" plant. Differed in barrel construction and suspension.
Summary
USV was an improvement over its predecessor, the F-22. However it was still too big and heavy and had the same inconvenient placement of sights and elevation controls on different sides of the barrel, making the gun less effective in anti-tank role. Those shortcomings led to its replacement by lighter and easier to produce ZiS-3.Ammunition
| Available ammunition | |||||
| Type | Model | Weight, kg | HE weight, g | Muzzle velocity, m/s | Range, m |
| Armor-piercing shells | |||||
| APHE-T | BR-350A | 6,3 | 155 | 662 | 4,000 |
| APHE-T | BR-350B | 6,5 | 119 | 655 | 4,000 |
| AP-T | BR-350BSP | 6,5 | - | 655 | 4,000 |
| Subcaliber (from April 1943) | BR-354P | 3,02 | - | 950 | 500 |
| HEAT, steely iron (from May 1943) | BP-350A | 5,28 | 623 | 355 | 500 |
| High explosive and fragmentation shells | |||||
| HE-Fragmentation, steel | OF-350 | 6,2 | 710 | 680 | 13,290 |
| Fragmentation, steely iron | O-350A | 6,21 | 540 | 680 | 10,000 |
| HE-Fragmentation | OF-350V | 6,2 | |||
| HE-Fragmentation, limited production | OF-363 | 7,1 | |||
| HE, steel, old Russian | F-354 | 6,41 | 785 | 640 | 9,170 |
| HE, steel, old Russian | F-354M | 6,1 | 815 | ||
| HE, steel, old french | F-354F | 6,41 | 785 | 640 | 9,170 |
| Shrapnel shells | |||||
| Shrapnel with 22 sec / D tube | Sh-354 | 6,5 | 85 (260 bullets) | 624 | 6,000 |
| Shrapnel with T-6 tube | Sh-354T | 6,66 | 85 (250 bullets) | 618 | 8,600 |
| Shrapnel | Sh-354G | 66,58 | 85 | ||
| Shrapnel | Sh-361 | 6,61 | - | 666 | 8,400 |
| Canister shots | |||||
| Canister shot | Sh-350 | 549 bullets | 200 | ||
| Smoke shells | |||||
| Smoke, steel | D-350 | 6,45 | 80 TNT + 505 yellow phosphorus | ||
| Smoke, steely iron | D-350A | 6,45 | 66 TNT + 380 yellow phosphorus | ||
| Incendiary shells | |||||
| Incendiary, steel | Z-350 | 6,24 | 240 | 679 | 9,400 |
| Incendiary | Z-354 (project 3890) | 6,5 (6,66) | 240 | 624 | 6,200 |
| Incendiary | Z-354 | 4,65 | 240 | 680 | 5,600 |
| Other shells | |||||
| Fragmentation-chemical | OH-350 | 6,25 | 680 | 13,000 | |
| Armour penetration table | ||
| AP Projectile BR-350A | ||
| Distance, m | Meet angle 60°, mm | Meet angle 90°, mm |
| 100 | 65 | 80 |
| 300 | 60 | 75 |
| 500 | 55 | 70 |
| 1000 | 50 | 60 |
| 1500 | 45 | 50 |
| Subcaliber projectile BR-354P | ||
| Distance, m | Meet angle 60°, mm | Meet angle 90°, mm |
| 100 | 95 | 120 |
| 300 | 85 | 105 |
| 500 | 75 | 90 |
| These data was obtained by Soviet methodics of armour penetration measurement (penetration probability equals 75%). They are not directly comparable with western data of similar type |
||