The 122 mm Howitzer Model 1938 (M-30) was a Soviet 122 mm divisional howitzer adopted by the Red Army in 1938. It was mass-produced at several plants across the USSR, including the Nizhny Novgorod Machine-Building Plant. It became one of the most widely produced and effective guns of World War II.
History of development
The development of the howitzer was preceded by a prolonged debate over the caliber of the gun for divisional artillery regiments and High Command Reserve units. Some military specialists argued for a 105 mm howitzer as lighter and more mobile. The dispute was settled by a meeting in Moscow in March 1937: the Chief of the General Staff, Marshal A. I. Yegorov, spoke unequivocally in favor of the more powerful 122 mm system. It was decided at the same time to entrust the design to a group of engineers led by V. N. Sidorenko; the designer F. F. Petrov was allowed to submit an independent project in parallel. In the fall of 1937, a special commission reviewed both versions and approved Petrov's design.[1]
The first prototype entered factory testing on March 31, 1938. The tests revealed weaknesses in the strength of the gun carriage — in particular, the trails broke twice. After the defects were corrected, the gun was cleared for troop trials. By November 27, 1938, the Motovilikha Plant had built three improved prototypes; from December 22, 1938, to January 10, 1939, they underwent troop trials in the regiment of the Artillery Advanced Training Courses for Command Personnel. Following the results, the howitzer was adopted under the designation "122 mm Howitzer Model 1938 (M-30)."[1]
Design
The howitzer's barrel consists of a tube, a jacket, and a screw-on breech ring. The breech is of the sliding-piston type, with an eccentrically placed opening for the firing pin; it is opened and closed in a single motion by turning a handle. Cocking and releasing the firing pin are likewise combined into one motion — pulling back the hammer with the firing lanyard. When the breech is opened, the spent case is ejected automatically by an ejection mechanism. As a result, the rate of fire was 5–6 rounds per minute.[1]
The carriage includes the cradle, recoil mechanisms, upper and lower mounts with two extendable box-section trails, a sprung running gear, and a gun shield. The sighting equipment consists of a sight independent of the gun (with two pointers) and a Hertz-type panoramic sight. The elevation range is from −3° to +63°, and the traverse is up to 49°. When the trails are spread and closed, the springs of the running gear are disengaged and engaged automatically; the trails lock automatically. Converting from the traveling position to the firing position takes about 1.0–1.5 minutes.[1]
Production
Serial production of the M-30 was established at several plants of the Soviet Union. Among the manufacturers were Uralmash (Sverdlovsk) and the Nizhny Novgorod Machine-Building Plant. The output of M-30 howitzers was very substantial and typical of the mass military production of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War.[1]
Nizhny Novgorod connection
The Nizhny Novgorod Machine-Building Plant is among the enterprises that produced M-30 howitzers. The plant, located in Nizhny Novgorod, has many years of experience in manufacturing artillery systems and ammunition; the production of the M-30 became part of its contribution to supplying the Red Army during World War II.
Remembrance
Surviving M-30 examples are displayed in museums and memorial complexes in Russia. In particular, one example is on display at the open-air museum "Victory Square," created by Gazprom Dobycha Orenburg LLC with the assistance of the Orenburg administration to mark the 71st anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.[1]
Sources
- karopka.ru — 122 mm Divisional Howitzer Model 1938 (M-30). — Karopka 3.0