A Soviet Look at French Cavalry

It just so happened that Soviet tank building grew out of the French school. Renault FT light tanks captured in the spring of 1919 happened to be the most appropriate type for production in Soviet Russia. That resulted in the Russian Renault, the first Soviet tank produced in series. The MS-1 tank followed. This was a whole new tank from a technical point of view, but performed a similar role to the Russian Renault. There is nothing strange about this, as French tank building was still the object of imitation in many countries. The Red Army continued to watch what was happening in France even in the late 1920s. Khalepskiy’s commission unsuccessfully tried to buy a French Renault NC tank, and traces of this tank can be seen in the design of the T-19 tank, the unsuccessful replacement for the MS-1. This is where the concept of a 3-man tank with a 1-man turret comes from. Priorities changed after that.

Three Pz.Kpfw.35 S (f) tanks were captured more or less intact in the end of January of 1942 with the Panzerzug 27.

Artillery vs Fortifications

 "To the Military Council of the 16th Army

1. Experimental trials using an anti-tank rifle, 45 mm gun, and 76 mm gun were performed against an earth and timber bunker on July 31st, 1942.

The size of the bunker was 5.5 by 5.5, the thickness of the walls was 1.4 meters, formed by two log frames. The space in between was filled with earth and logs. 

Results of firing from 300 meters:

1. 76 mm regimental gun:
1. HE grenade fused for explosive effect: the outer log frame is destroyed with one grenade. 5-7 direct hits are needed for complete destruction.
2. Shrapnel with impact fuse: wall of the bunker is penetrated fully, shell explodes inside the bunker.
2. 45 mm gun AP shell: penetrates both the front and rear walls of the bunker.
3. Anti-tank rifle: at 100-200 meters the bullet penetrates one wall of the bunker. The bullet maintains enough energy to kill.

Conclusions: to improve the effectiveness of earth and timber bunkers, the thickness of the walls must be increased. Conduct additional trials.

...

Division commander, Colonel Terentyev

Military Commissar, Brigade Commissar Sedenkov

Chief of Staff, Lieutenant Colonel Sokolov

August 1st, 1942"

Via Yuri Pasholok

First Anti-Tank Rifles

"To the Chairman of the State Committee of Defense, I.V. Stalin

August 9th, 1941

Trials of the German 7.92 mm Pz.B.39 rifle conducted by the Scientific Research Small Arms Proving Grounds of the Red Army showed the following results:

• Muzzle velocity: 1189 m/s
• Weight: 12.12 kg
• Bullet weight: 14.8 grams
• Chamber size: 17.06 cm³

The rifle penetrates a 20 mm surface hardened plate at 20 degrees at a range up to 500 m inclusive, a 30 mm surface hardened plate at 20 degrees from up to 300 meters inclusive.

Undercover Gun Runners

Czech anti-tank rifles fell into German hands after the annexation of Czechoslovakia, but the Germans got their hands on similar weapons designed in another European country in a different way. When it comes to Swiss (and other European) arms makers, the question of who made the order, who produced it, and who it was sold to often does not have a simple answer.

Finland's "Elephant Gun"

Many nations searched for effective anti-tank weapons in the interbellum years. One of the most popular countermeasures was the anti-tank rifle. These rifles ranging in caliber from 7.92 to 20 mm were issued to infantry units. Finland also followed this path as it nervously observed the development of armoured vehicles by its eastern neighbour, the Soviet Union.

Tips for an Anti-Tank Rifleman

 Advice for anti-tank riflemen penned by Degtyaryev himself published in the Boyevoy Put' newspaper on May 13th, 1944.

Spaced Armour

I previously posted some photos from trials of the armour skirts of a captured Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.N tank. It turned out that the skirts themselves were not very difficult to penetrate, but they destabilized small projectiles enough to prevent penetration of the main armour, as well as offer a few other benefits. Here are some more results from that same test.

"RPG at close range. Photo #3. Penetration in the spaced armour plate (the main armour does not have damage."

Rifle vs Tank

The British were the first to invent the tank during WWI, and so the Germans were forced into the position of being the first to undertake the difficult task of developing anti-tank weapons. The Kaiser's army approached the issue of protecting infantry from tanks in a pretty straightforward way: if regular machine guns and rifles can't penetrate the new British wonder weapon, then make a larger rifle.

The British Way: Boys and PIAT

In WWI the British created a new type of armoured vehicle: the tank. Very little attention was dedicated to the issue of anti-tank defense, as the Germans had very few analogous vehicles. However, in the interbellum period it became clear that the British infantry will have to face an enemy with a large amount of tanks, and so the issue had to be resolved.

A Bullpup for Occupants

In addition to German-made anti-tank rifles, the Wehrmacht and its allies used foreign anti-tank rifles in WWII. Some of them were captured, and some were built to German orders. The latter largely applies to Czechoslovakian designs, which were of interest to the Germans even before the annexation. The Czechs were working in two directions at once.

PTRD Instructions

 "Instructions on handling the PKB* 14.5 mm anti-tank rifle

1. The PKB anti-tank rifle uses the force of the recoil to open the breech and extract spent casings.
2. The loading of the rifle is done manually by inserting and ramming the cartridge through the opening in the top of the receiver with a subsequent locking of the bolt.
3. The bold is locked by vigorously pushing the bolt forward so that the bolt handle touches the cutout in the receiver and slides downwards along it until it is locked in place to avoid misfires due to an improperly locked bolt.

David vs Goliath

"Results of trials of the 45 mm gun and anti-tank rifles and the effectiveness of anti-tank grenades on the Tiger tank

On November 13th and 14th, 1944, trials of 45 mm armour piercing shells and subcaliber shot, anti-tank rifles, and anti-tank grenades against the tracks of a Tiger tank were held.

The following were provided by the 285th Rifle Division:

1. 45 mm gun and crew: 1
2. Anti-tank rifles and crews: 2
3. Subcaliber shot for the 45 mm gun: 20
4. Armour piercing shells for the 45 mm gun: 30
5. Anti-tank rifle cartridge: 40
6. Anti-tank grenade: 15
7. Hand grenade: 15

The 45 mm gun and anti-tank rifles were fired at a range of 30-300 m at angles of 90 and 45 degrees.

Suggestion for Stalin

"To the Chairman of the Committee of Defense, comrade I.V. Stalin

In June of 1941 the 23 mm aircraft gun designed by us passed trials in an airplane, showing good results firing both on the ground and in the air. In addition to the good performance, NKV experts remarked that the gun is 50-60% simpler to produce than the VYa gun that is currently in production. Half as much time, tools, plants, workers, etc. will be required to make our gun, which is important at this time to ensure defeat of fascism.

Artillery Wishlist

"Themes for research to inventors and technologists of small arms and artillery for 1943

1. Develop an a muzzle brake for the anti-tank rifle that also acts as a flash suppressor.
2. Design a suppressor that can silence a gunshot past a range of 100-150 meters. The suppressor must weigh no more than 1 kg, must be removable from a machine gun without disassembly, must be simple in design, and must have minimum screw threads or deep drilling. The precision of fire must not suffer from using the suppressor.
3. Develop a method for increasing the lifespan of light machine gun barrels. The lifespan should be 25-30 thousand rounds.

Detailed Trials

"Approved by the Commander of Artillery of the 38th Army, Major-General of Artillery Likhachev

June 31st, 1944

Plan of firing trials demonstrating penetration ability against enemy T-4 and Panther tanks held by the 9th Guards Independent Kiev Order of Lenin Order of the Red Banner Tank Destroyer Artillery Brigade of the Supreme Command Reserve, as an element of the 38th Army

Held on June 4th, 5th, and 6th, 1944

Objective of the firing trials demonstration:

1. To illustrate to the NCO and private ranks the effectiveness of various types of shells fired from domestic weapons against enemy tanks.
2. To establish the penetration of weapons and the best distance from which to fire.
3. To inspire confidence in the power of our artillery against tanks.
4. To demonstrate the weak points of enemy tanks.
5. The demonstrate the effectiveness of dense fire of the small arms of an anti-tank battery against enemy submachinegunners that are advancing on the observation post.

Density

The concept of density of fire per minute was a very important one in Soviet strategic planning. Effective offense and defence hedges on first and foremost having enough bullets that can fly at the enemy, and some units went so far as to illustrate their abilities.

Here is a map of the 354th Rifle Division's lines with the available volume of fire that can be sent the enemy's way per linear meter in November of 1944.

Panzerfaust & Co.

"Operational Department of the 1st Cavalry Corps Staff

RE: №0902, March 31st, 1945

Carrying out the orders of the Corps commander regarding the effectiveness of German anti-tank rifles and "Faustpatrone" grenades and losses in tanks and SPGs suffered from them, I report that during the fighting in East Prussia (January-February 1945) the brigade lost 1-2 tanks and one SPG near Trauvsitten to "Faustpatrone" grenades. No losses were taken from fire of "Panzerschreck" or "Ofenrohr" type weapons.

The brigade has no information on the organization of enemy units or their equipment with anti-tank rifles.

Chief of Staff of the 89th Tank Brigade, Lieutenant-Colonel Glushkov"

Considering that the brigade lost 50 tanks burned up and 38 tanks knocked out during February alone, Panzerfaust style weapons ended up doing a negligible amount of damage during the fighting in 1945 until the Red Army entered heavily built up areas.

Via Andrei Ulanov

Karabin wz. 35: Secret Weapon of Rzeczpospolita

One of the most popular themes in anti-tank defenses during the interbellum period was the development of anti-tank rifles. Designers had several approaches to this issue. One was the use of "cannon" calibers of 20 mm, or even 24 mm, with a relatively heavy bullet and a lower muzzle velocity. The other approach was to increase the muzzle velocity of a regular 6-8 mm rifle bullet. The wz. 35 anti-tank rifle was a product of the second approach.

Panther Penetration

"Table of results of shooting at the Panther tank

Caliber	Type	Range	Armour thickness	Result	# shots	Description
14.5 ATR	BS-42	100	50	No penetration	2	40 mm deep dent in the central part of the armour
45 mm	AP	250	50	Penetration	2	Complete penetration in the rear part of the side armour. The breach is the size of the shell caliber.
	Sub-caliber	250	50	Penetration	1	Oval penetration in the central part of the side armour 20x35 mm in size.
57 mm	AP	250	45	Penetration	1	Complete penetration in the side of the turret. The breach is the size of the shell caliber.
	Sub-caliber	250	45	Penetration	1	Complete penetration in the center of the side of the turret. The breach is the size of the shell caliber. There is spalling inside around the breach. The shell lodged itself in the breach of the gun.
	AP	300	85	No penetration	1	A 52 mm deep dent formed in the center of the sloped frontal armour. A bump formed on the inside. The armour cracked.
	Sub-caliber	300	85	No penetration	1	Oval dent in the center part of the front armour 50x65 mm in size. A bump formed on the inside. The armour has a 25 mm long crack.
76 mm reg.	HEAT	250	50	Penetration	1	Complete penetration in the center of the side armour. The breach does not widen on the inner part.
76 mm div. ZIS-3	HE	250	45	Penetration	1	Complete penetration with the inside jagged. A portion of the turret armour broke off as the shell passed inside.
	AP	250	45	Penetration	1	Complete penetration of the turret armour. The entrance opening is the size of the caliber. There is spalling on the inside.
	Sub-caliber	250	45	Penetration	1	Complete penetration of the upper portion of the side of the turret the size of the shell diameter. As the shell entered, a part of the armour that was previously weakened broke off.
85 mm	AP	300	85	Penetration	1	Complete penetration in the lower sloped front armour the size of the shell diameter. The armour has a horizontal crack passing through the opening.

"

Via Valeriy Lisyutin.

Firing at Ferdinands

"Characteristics of armour penetration of cannons and effectiveness of mines on enemy tanks

Based on experience of combat and trials

1. Trials against an 88 mm SPG "Ferdinand" show the following results:
1. Armour of the SPG: roof: 45 mm, rear: 80 mm, side: 80 mm, front: 200 mm, gun mantlet: 110 mm, front hull: 200 mm.
2. Effectiveness of firing:
1. Anti-tank rifles: firing at the side armour from 80-100 meters with the BS-41 bullet penetrates 50 mm of armour forming a 20-22 mm deep indentation. Firing at the tracks can break track pins and the track links. The rifle can penetrate observation periscopes and jam the gun ball mount.