Katyusha is a unique combat vehicle of the USSR (interesting). Weapon of victory - Katyusha (10 photos)

What “Katyusha” is to a Russian, is “hellfire” to a German. The nickname that Wehrmacht soldiers gave to the Soviet combat vehicle rocket artillery, was completely justified. In just 8 seconds, a regiment of 36 mobile BM-13 units fired 576 shells at the enemy. Feature volley fire was that one blast wave was superimposed on another, the law of addition of impulses came into force, which greatly increased the destructive effect. Fragments of hundreds of mines, heated to 800 degrees, destroyed everything around. As a result, an area of ​​100 hectares turned into a scorched field, riddled with craters from shells. Only those Nazis who were lucky enough to be in a securely fortified dugout at the moment of the salvo managed to escape. The Nazis called this pastime a “concert.” The fact is that the Katyusha salvoes were accompanied by a terrible roar; for this sound, the Wehrmacht soldiers awarded the rocket mortars with another nickname - “Stalin's organs”.

See in the AiF.ru infographics what the BM-13 rocket artillery system looked like.

The birth of Katyusha

In the USSR it was customary to say that the Katyusha was created not by some individual designer, but Soviet people. The country's best minds really worked on the development of combat vehicles. Towards creation rockets on smokeless powder started in 1921 employees of the Leningrad Gas Dynamic Laboratory N. Tikhomirov And V. Artemyev. In 1922, Artemyev was accused of espionage and next year sent to serve his sentence in Solovki, in 1925 he returned back to the laboratory.

In 1937, the RS-82 missiles, which were developed by Artemyev, Tikhomirov and who joined them G. Langemak, were adopted by the Workers 'and Peasants' Red air fleet. In the same year, in connection with the Tukhachevsky case, everyone who worked on new types of weapons was subjected to “cleansing” by the NKVD. Langemak was arrested as a German spy and executed in 1938. In the summer of 1939, aircraft rockets developed with his participation were successfully used in battles with Japanese troops on the Khalkhin Gol River.

From 1939 to 1941 employees of the Moscow Jet Research Institute I. Gwai,N. Galkovsky,A. Pavlenko,A. Popov worked on the creation of a self-propelled multiple-charge rocket launcher. On June 17, 1941, she took part in a demonstration of the latest models artillery weapons. Attended the tests People's Commissar of Defense Semyon Timoshenko, his Deputy Grigory Kulik And boss General Staff Georgy Zhukov.

Self-propelled rocket launchers were the last to be shown, and at first the trucks with iron guides attached to the top did not make any impression on the tired commission representatives. But the volley itself was remembered for a long time: according to eyewitnesses, the military leaders, seeing the rising column of flame, fell into a stupor for some time. Tymoshenko was the first to come to his senses; he sharply addressed his deputy: “Why were they silent and not reported about the presence of such weapons?” Kulik tried to justify himself by saying that this artillery system was simply not fully developed until recently. On June 21, 1941, literally a few hours before the start of the war, after inspecting rocket launchers, he decided to launch their mass production.

The feat of Captain Flerov

The first commander of the first Katyusha battery was Captain Ivan Andreevich Flerov. The country's leadership chose Flerov to test top-secret weapons, among other things, because he had proven himself well during the Soviet-Finnish war. At that time he commanded a battery of the 94th Howitzer Artillery Regiment, whose fire managed to break through. For his heroism in the battles near Lake Saunayarvi, Flerov was awarded the Order of the Red Star.

The full baptism of fire of the Katyushas took place on July 14, 1941. Rocket artillery vehicles under the leadership of Flerov fired volleys at the Orsha railway station, where the concentration was concentrated. a large number of enemy manpower, equipment and supplies. This is what I wrote about these salvos in my diary: Chief of the Wehrmacht General Staff Franz Halder: “On July 14, near Orsha, the Russians used weapons unknown until that time. A fiery barrage of shells burned the Orsha railway station and all the trains with personnel and military equipment of the arriving military units. The metal was melting, the earth was burning.”

Adolf Gitler I met the news about the emergence of a new Russian miracle weapon very painfully. Chief Wilhelm Franz Canaris received a beating from the Fuhrer because his department had not yet stolen the drawings of the rocket launchers. As a result, a real hunt was announced for the Katyushas, ​​in which they attracted chief saboteur of the Third Reich Otto Skorzeny.

Flerov’s battery, meanwhile, continued to smash the enemy. Orsha was followed by successful operations near Yelnya and Roslavl. On October 7, Flerov and his Katyushas found themselves surrounded in the Vyazma cauldron. The commander did everything to save the battery and break through to his own, but in the end he was ambushed near the village of Bogatyr. Finding themselves in a hopeless situation, his fighters also accepted an unequal battle. The Katyushas fired all their shells at the enemy, after which Flerov self-detonated the rocket launcher, and the rest of the batteries followed the commander’s example. The Nazis failed to take prisoners, as well as receive the “Iron Cross” for capturing top-secret equipment in that battle.

Flerov was posthumously awarded the order Patriotic War 1st degree. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Victory, the commander of the first Katyusha battery was awarded the title of Hero of Russia.

"Katyusha" versus "donkey"

Along the front lines of the Great Patriotic War, the Katyusha often had to exchange volleys with the Nebelwerfer (German Nebelwerfer - “fog gun”) - a German rocket launcher. For the characteristic sound that this six-barreled 150-mm mortar made when firing, Soviet soldiers nicknamed it “donkey.” However, when the soldiers of the Red Army repulsed enemy equipment, the contemptuous nickname was forgotten - in the service of our artillery, the trophy immediately turned into “vanyusha”. True, Soviet soldiers did not have any tender feelings for these weapons. The fact is that the installation was not self-propelled; the 540-kilogram rocket mortar had to be towed. When fired, its shells left a thick trail of smoke in the sky, which unmasked the positions of the artillerymen, who could immediately be covered by enemy howitzer fire.

Nebelwerfer. German rocket launcher. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org

The best designers of the Third Reich failed to construct their own analogue of the Katyusha until the end of the war. German developments either exploded during testing at the test site or were not particularly accurate.

Why was the multiple launch rocket system nicknamed “Katyusha”?

Soldiers at the front loved to name their weapons. For example, the M-30 howitzer was called “Mother”, the ML-20 howitzer gun was called “Emelka”. BM-13, at first, was sometimes called “Raisa Sergeevna,” as the front-line soldiers deciphered the abbreviation RS (missile). It is not known for certain who was the first to call the rocket launcher “Katyusha” and why. The most common versions link the appearance of the nickname:

• with a song popular during the war years M. Blanter to words M. Isakovsky"Katyusha";
• with the letter “K” stamped on the installation frame. This is how the Comintern plant labeled its products;
• with the name of the beloved of one of the fighters, which he wrote on his BM-13.

*Mannerheim Line- a complex of defensive structures 135 km long on the Karelian Isthmus.

**Abwehr- (German Abwehr - “defense”, “reflection”) - organ military intelligence and German counterintelligence in 1919-1944. He was a member of the Wehrmacht High Command.

***The last combat report of Captain Flerov: “Oct 7. 1941 21 hours. We were surrounded near the village of Bogatyr - 50 km from Vyazma. We will hold out until the end. No exit. We are preparing for self-explosion. Farewell, comrades."

It is well known that on September 18, 1941, by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR No. 308, four rifle divisions of the Western Front (100th, 127th, 153rd and 161st) for the battles near Yelnya - “for military exploits, for organization, discipline and approximate order” - the honorary titles “Guards” were assigned. They were renamed the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Guards respectively. Subsequently, many units and formations of the Red Army that distinguished themselves and were hardened during the war were converted into guards units.

But Moscow researchers Alexander Osokin and Alexander Kornyakov discovered documents from which it follows that the issue of creating guards units was discussed in the circles of the USSR leadership back in August. And the first guards regiment was to be a heavy mortar regiment, armed with rocket artillery combat vehicles.

When did the guard appear?

While getting acquainted with documents about weapons at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, we discovered a letter from the People's Commissar of General Mechanical Engineering of the USSR P.I. Parshin No. 7529ss dated August 4, 1941 addressed to the Chairman of the State Defense Committee I.V. Stalin with a request to allow the production of 72 M-13 vehicles (later called “Katyushas” in our country) in excess of the plan with ammunition to form one heavy guards mortar regiment.
We decided that there was a typo, since it is known that the guards rank was first awarded by order of the People's Commissar of Defense No. 308 of September 18, 1941 to four rifle divisions.

The main points of the GKO resolution, unknown to historians, read:

"1. Agree with the proposal of the People's Commissar of General Engineering of the USSR Comrade Parshin on the formation of one guards mortar regiment armed with M-13 installations.
2. To assign the name of the People's Commissariat of General Engineering to the newly formed guards regiment.
3. Please note that NCOM is producing equipment for the regiment with systems and ammunition in excess of the established assignment for M-13 for August.”
From the text of the resolution it follows that not only was consent given to produce above-plan M-13 installations, but it was also decided to form on their basis guards regiment.

The study of other documents confirmed our guess: on August 4, 1941, the concept of “guards” was used for the first time (and without any decision on this matter by the Politburo of the Central Committee, the Presidium of the Supreme Council or the Council of People's Commissars) in relation to one specific regiment with a new type of weapon - rocket launchers M-13, encrypted with the word “mortar” (inscribed personally by Stalin).

It is amazing that the word “guard” for the first time in the years of Soviet power (except for the Red Guard detachments of 1917) was introduced into circulation by People’s Commissar Parshin, a man who was not too close to Stalin and had never even visited his Kremlin office during the war.

Most likely, his letter, printed on August 2, was handed over to Stalin on the same day by military engineer 1st rank V.V. Aborenkov is the deputy head of the GAU for missile launchers, who was in the leader’s office together with the head of the GAU, Colonel General of Artillery N.D. Yakovlev for 1 hour 15 minutes. The regiment created by the decision taken that day became the first regiment of mobile missile launchers M-13 (with RS-132) in the Red Army - before that, only batteries of these launchers were formed (from 3 to 9 vehicles).

It is noteworthy that on the same day, in a memo by the chief of artillery of the Red Army, Colonel General of Artillery N.N. Voronov about the work of 5 rocket artillery installations, Stalin wrote: “To Beria, Malenkov, Voznesensky. Promote this thing with all its might. Increase the production of shells four, five, or six times.”

What gave impetus to the decision to create guards regiment M-13? Let's express our hypothesis. In June-July 1941, by decision of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, the system of strategic leadership of the armed forces was rebuilt. On June 30, 1941, the State Defense Committee (GKO) was created under the chairmanship of Stalin, to which all power in the country was transferred for the duration of the war. On July 10, the State Defense Committee transformed the Headquarters of the Main Command into the Headquarters of the Supreme Command. The Headquarters included I.V. Stalin (chairman), V.M. Molotov, marshals S.K. Timoshenko, S.M. Budyonny, K.E. Voroshilov, B.M. Shaposhnikov, Army General G.K. Zhukov.

July 19 Stalin becomes people's commissar Defense, and on August 8, 1941, by Politburo decision No. P. 34/319 - “Supreme Commander-in-Chief of all troops of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army and Navy.” On the same day, August 8, the staff of “one guards mortar regiment” was approved.

We take the liberty of suggesting that initially there was talk, perhaps, of the formation of a unit intended to ensure the protection of the Supreme Command Headquarters. Indeed, on the staff of the field Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief imperial army during the First World War, which was quite likely taken by Stalin and Shaposhnikov as a prototype, there were heavy weapons, in particular, the Stavka defense aviation division.

But in 1941, things did not come to the creation of such a field Headquarters - the Germans were approaching Moscow too quickly, and Stalin preferred to control the field army from Moscow. Therefore, the regiment of M-13 guard mortars never received the task of guarding the Supreme High Command Headquarters.

On July 19, 1941, Stalin, setting the task for Tymoshenko to create strike groups for offensive operations in the Battle of Smolensk and the participation of rocket artillery in them, said: “I think the time has come to move from petty struggles to actions in large groups - regiments...”.

On August 8, 1941, the regiments of the M-8 and M-13 installations were approved. They were supposed to consist of three or four divisions, three batteries in each division and four installations in each battery (from September 11, all regiments were transferred to a three-divisional composition). The formation of the first eight regiments began immediately. They were equipped with combat vehicles manufactured using the pre-war reserve of components and parts created by the People's Commissariat of General Engineering (since November 26, 1941, transformed into the People's Commissariat of Mortar Weapons).

In full force - with regiments of Katyushas - the Red Army first struck the enemy at the end of August - beginning of September 1941.

As for the M-13 Guards Regiment, conceived for use in the defense of the Supreme Command Headquarters, its formation was completed only in September. Launchers for it were produced in excess of the established task. It is known as the 9th Guards Regiment, which operated near Mtsensk.
It was disbanded on December 12, 1941. There is information that all of its installations had to be blown up when there was a threat of encirclement by the Germans. The second formation of the regiment was completed on September 4, 1943, after which the 9th Guards Regiment fought successfully until the end of the war.

The feat of Captain Flerov

The first salvo of a rocket launcher in the Patriotic War was fired on July 14, 1941 at 15.15 by a battery of seven (according to other sources, four) M-13 launchers at a concentration of echelons military equipment at the railway junction of the city of Orsha. The commander of this battery (called differently in different sources and reports: experimental, experienced, first, or even all these names at the same time) is indicated by artillery captain I.A. Flerov, who died in 1941 (according to TsAMO documents, missing in action). For courage and heroism, he was posthumously awarded only in 1963 with the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree, and in 1995 he was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of Russia.

According to the directive of the Moscow Military District of June 28, 1941, No. 10864, ​​the first six batteries were formed. In the most reliable, in our opinion, source - the military memoirs of Lieutenant General A.I. Nesterenko (“Katyushas are firing.” - Moscow: Voenizdat, 1975) wrote: “On June 28, 1941, the formation of the first battery of field rocket artillery began. It was created in four days at the 1st Moscow Red Banner Artillery School named after L.B. Krasina. This was the now world famous battery of captain I.A. Flerov, who fired the first salvo at the concentration of fascist troops at the Orsha station... Stalin personally approved the distribution of guards mortar units along the fronts, plans for the production of combat vehicles and ammunition...”

The names of the commanders of all six first batteries and the locations of their first salvos are known.

Battery No. 1: 7 M-13 units. Battery commander Captain I.A. Flerov. The first salvo was fired on July 14, 1941 at the freight railway station in the city of Orsha.
Battery No. 2: 9 M-13 units. Battery commander Lieutenant A.M. Kun. The first salvo on July 25, 1941 at the crossing near the village of Kapyrevshchina (north of Yartsevo).
Battery No. 3: 3 M-13 units. Battery commander Lieutenant N.I. Denisenko. The first salvo was fired on July 25, 1941, 4 km north of Yartsevo.
Battery No. 4: 6 M-13 units. Battery commander, senior lieutenant P. Degtyarev. The first salvo on August 3, 1941 near Leningrad.
Battery No. 5: 4 M-13 units. Battery commander, senior lieutenant A. Denisov. The place and date of the first salvo are unknown.
Battery No. 6: 4 M-13 units. Battery commander, senior lieutenant N.F. Dyatchenko. The first salvo was fired on August 3, 1941 in the 12sp 53sd 43A band.

Five of the first six batteries were sent to the troops of the Western direction, where main blow German troops attacked Smolensk. It is also known that in addition to the M-13, other types of rocket launchers were delivered to the Western direction.

In the book by A.I. Eremenko’s “At the Beginning of the War” says: “...A telephone message was received from Headquarters with the following content: “It is intended to widely use “eres” in the fight against the fascists and, in connection with this, to try them in battle. You are allocated one M-8 division. Test it and report your conclusion...

We experienced something new near Rudnya... On July 15, 1941, in the afternoon, the unusual roar of rocket mines shook the air. The mines darted upward like red-tailed comets. Frequent and powerful explosions struck the ears and eyes with a strong roar and dazzling shine... The effect of a simultaneous explosion of 320 minutes for 10 seconds exceeded all expectations... This was one of the first combat tests of the "eres".

In the report of Marshals Timoshenko and Shaposhnikov for July 24, 1941, Stalin was informed about the defeat of the German 5th Infantry Division on July 15, 1941 near Rudnya, in which special role played three salvoes of the M-8 division.

It is quite obvious that a sudden salvo of one M-13 battery (16 RS-132 launches in 5-8 seconds) with maximum range 8.5 km was capable of causing serious damage to the enemy. But the battery was not intended to hit a single target. This weapon is effective when working across areas with dispersed enemy manpower and equipment with a simultaneous salvo of several batteries. A separate battery could fire a barrage, stunning the enemy, causing panic in his ranks and stopping his advance for some time.

In our opinion, the purpose of sending the first multiple rocket launchers to the front by battery was, most likely, the desire to cover the headquarters of the front and armies in the direction threatening Moscow.

This is not just a guess. A study of the routes of the first Katyusha batteries shows that, first of all, they ended up in the areas where the headquarters of the Western Front and the headquarters of its armies were based: the 20th, 16th, 19th and 22nd. It is no coincidence that in their memoirs Marshals Eremenko, Rokossovsky, Kazakov, General Plaskov describe precisely the battery-by-battery combat work of the first rocket launchers, which they observed from their command posts.

They indicate increased secrecy in the use of new weapons. IN AND. Kazakov said: “Access to these “touchables” was allowed only to army commanders and members of military councils. Even the chief of artillery of the army was not allowed to see them.”

However, the very first salvo of M-13 rocket launchers, fired on July 14, 1941 at 15:15 at the railway commodity hub of the city of Orsha, was carried out while performing a completely different combat mission - the destruction of several trains with secret weapons, which under no circumstances should was to fall into the hands of the Germans.

A study of the route of the first separate experimental battery M-13 (“Flerov’s battery”) shows that at first it was apparently intended to guard the headquarters of the 20th Army.

Then she was given a new task. On the night of July 6 in the Orsha area, the battery with guards moved west across territory that had already been virtually abandoned Soviet troops. It moved along the Orsha-Borisov-Minsk railway line, loaded with trains heading east. On July 9, the battery and its guards were already in the area of ​​the city of Borisov (135 km from Orsha).

On that day, GKO decree No. 67ss was issued “On the redirection of transport with weapons and ammunition to the disposal of the newly formed NKVD divisions and reserve armies.” It demanded, in particular, to urgently find some very important cargo among the trains leaving for the east, which under no circumstances should fall to the Germans.

On the night of July 13-14, Flerov’s battery received orders to urgently move to Orsha and launch a missile attack on the station. On July 14, at 15:15, Flerov’s battery fired a salvo at trains with military equipment located at the Orsha railway junction.
What was in these trains is not known for certain. But there is information that after the salvo, no one approached the affected area for some time, and the Germans allegedly even left the station for seven days, which gives reason to assume that as a result missile strike some got into the air toxic substances.

On July 22, in an evening radio broadcast, Soviet announcer Levitan announced the defeat of the German 52nd Chemical Mortar Regiment on July 15. And on July 27, Pravda published information about German secret documents allegedly captured during the defeat of this regiment, from which it followed that the Germans were preparing a chemical attack on Turkey.

Raid of battalion commander Kaduchenko

In the book by A.V. Glushko “Pioneers of Rocket Science” shows a photograph of NII-3 employees headed by Deputy Director A.G. Kostikov after receiving awards in the Kremlin in August 1941. It is indicated that Lieutenant General is standing with them in the photo tank troops V.A. Mishulin, who was awarded that day Gold Star Hero.

We decided to find out why he was awarded the country's highest award and what relation his award may have to the creation of M-13 missile launchers at NII-3. It turned out that the commander of the 57th tank division Colonel V.A. Mishulin title of Hero Soviet Union was awarded on July 24, 1941 “for the exemplary performance of combat missions of the command ... and the courage and heroism shown at the same time.” The most amazing thing is that at the same time he was also awarded the rank of general - and not major general, but immediately lieutenant general.

He became the third lieutenant general of tank forces in the Red Army. General Eremenko in his memoirs explains this as a mistake by the cipher operator, who took the title of the signer of the ciphergram to Eremenko's Headquarters with the idea of ​​awarding Mishulin the title of Hero and General.

It is quite possible that this was so: Stalin did not cancel the erroneously signed decree on the award. But just why did he also appoint Mishulin as deputy head of the Main Armored Directorate? Isn't there too much incentive for one officer at once? It is known that after some time General Mishulin, as a representative of Headquarters, was sent to the Southern Front. Usually marshals and members of the Central Committee acted in this capacity.

Did the courage and heroism shown by Mishulin have anything to do with the first Katyusha salvo on July 14, 1941, for which Kostikov and the workers of NII-3 were awarded on July 28?

A study of materials about Mishulin and his 57th Tank Division showed that this division was transferred to the Western Front from the South-Western. Unloaded at Orsha station on June 28 and became part of the 19th Army. The division's control with one motorized rifle guard regiment was concentrated in the area of ​​Gusino station, 50 kilometers from Orsha, where the headquarters of the 20th Army was located at that moment.

At the beginning of July, Mishulin arrived from the Oryol Tank School to replenish the division. tank battalion consisting of 15 tanks, including 7 T-34 tanks, and armored vehicles.

After the death in battle on July 13 of commander Major S.I. Razdobudko's battalion was headed by his deputy, Captain I.A. Kaduchenko. And it was Captain Kaduchenko who became the first Soviet tanker to be awarded the title of Hero during the Patriotic War on July 22, 1941. He received this high rank even two days earlier than his division commander Mishulin for “leading 2 tank companies that defeated an enemy tank column.” In addition, immediately after the award he became a major.

It seems that the awards for division commander Mishulin and battalion commander Kaduchenko could take place if they completed some very important task for Stalin. And most likely, this was to ensure the first salvo of Katyusha rockets against trains with weapons that were not supposed to fall into the hands of the Germans.

Mishulin skillfully organized the escort of the secret Katyusha battery behind enemy lines, including the group assigned to it with T-34 tanks and armored vehicles under the command of Kaduchenko, and then its breakthrough from the encirclement.

On July 26, 1941, the Pravda newspaper published an article “Lieutenant General Mishulin,” which talked about Mishulin’s feat. About how he, wounded and shell-shocked, made his way in an armored vehicle through enemy rear lines to his division, which at that time was fighting fierce battles in the Krasnoye area and the Gusino railway station. It follows from this that commander Mishulin, for some reason, a short time left his division (most likely, along with tank group Kaduchenko) and returned wounded to the division only on July 17, 1941.

It is likely that they carried out Stalin’s instructions to organize support for the “first salvo of Flerov’s battery” on July 14, 1941 at the Orsha station along trains with military equipment.

On the day of the salvo of Flerov’s battery, July 14, GKO decree No. 140ss was issued on the appointment of L.M. Gaidukov - an ordinary employee of the Central Committee, who oversaw the production of multiple launch rocket launchers, authorized by the State Defense Committee for the production of RS-132 missile shells.

On July 28, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR issued two decrees on rewarding the creators of the Katyusha. The first - “for outstanding services in the invention and design of one of the types of weapons that increases the power of the Red Army” A.G. Kostikov was awarded the title of Hero Socialist Labor.

Secondly, 12 engineers, designers and technicians were awarded orders and medals. The Order of Lenin was awarded to V. Aborenkov, a former military representative who became deputy chief of the Main artillery control in rocketry, designers I. Gvai and V. Galkovsky. The Order of the Red Banner of Labor was received by N. Davydov, A. Pavlenko and L. Schwartz. The Order of the Red Star was awarded to the designers of NII-3 D. Shitov, A. Popov and the workers of plant No. 70 M. Malov and G. Glazko. Both of these decrees were published in Pravda on July 29, and on July 30, 1941, in an article published in Pravda, the new weapon was called formidable without specification.

Yes, it was a cheap and easy-to-manufacture and easy-to-use fire weapon. It could be quickly produced in many factories and quickly installed on everything that moves - on cars, tanks, tractors, even on sleighs (this is how it was used in Dovator’s cavalry corps). And “eres” were installed on airplanes, boats and railway platforms.

The launchers began to be called " guards mortars", and their combat crews were the first guardsmen.

In the photo: Guards rocket mortar M-31-12 in Berlin in May 1945.
This is a modification of the “Katyusha” (by analogy it was called “Andryusha”).
Fired with unguided rockets of 310 mm caliber
(unlike 132 mm Katyusha shells),
launched from 12 guides (2 tiers of 6 cells each).
The installation is located on the chassis of an American Studebaker truck,
which was supplied to the USSR under Lend-Lease.

The Soviet Katyusha multiple launch rocket system is one of the most recognizable symbols of the Great Patriotic War. In terms of its popularity, the legendary Katyusha is not much inferior to the T-34 tank or PPSh machine gun. It is still not known for certain where this name came from (there are numerous versions), but the Germans called these installations “Stalinist organs” and were terribly afraid of them.

“Katyusha” is the collective name for several rocket launchers from the Great Patriotic War. Soviet propaganda presented them as exclusively domestic “know-how,” which was not true. Work in this direction was carried out in many countries, and the famous German six-barreled mortars are also MLRS, albeit of a slightly different design. The Americans and the British also used rocket artillery.

However, the Katyusha became the most effective and most mass-produced vehicle of its class during World War II. BM-13 is a real weapon of Victory. She took part in all significant battles on the Eastern Front, clearing the way for infantry formations. The first Katyusha salvo was fired in the summer of 1941, and four years later the BM-13 installations were already shelling besieged Berlin.

A little history of the BM-13 Katyusha

Several reasons contributed to the revival of interest in missile weapons: firstly, more perfect species gunpowder, which made it possible to significantly increase the range of rockets; secondly, the missiles were perfect as weapons for combat aircraft; and thirdly, rockets could be used to deliver toxic substances.

The last reason was the most important: based on the experience of the First World War, the military had little doubt that the next conflict would definitely not happen without military gases.

In the USSR the creation missile weapons began with the experiments of two enthusiasts - Artemyev and Tikhomirov. In 1927, smokeless pyroxylin-TNT gunpowder was created, and in 1928, the first rocket was developed that managed to fly 1,300 meters. At the same time, the targeted development of missile weapons for aviation began.

In 1933, experimental samples of aircraft rockets of two calibers appeared: RS-82 and RS-132. The main drawback of the new weapons, which the military did not like at all, was their low accuracy. The shells had a small tail that did not exceed its caliber, and a pipe was used as a guide, which was very convenient. However, to improve the accuracy of the missiles, their empennage had to be increased and new guides had to be developed.

In addition, pyroxylin-TNT gunpowder was not very suitable for mass production of this type of weapon, so it was decided to use tubular nitroglycerin gunpowder.

In 1937, new missiles with enlarged tails and new open rail-type guides were tested. Innovations significantly improved the accuracy of fire and increased the missile's flight range. In 1938, the RS-82 and RS-132 missiles were put into service and began to be mass-produced.

In the same year, the designers were given a new task: to create a rocket system for the ground forces, using a 132 mm caliber rocket as a basis.

In 1939, the 132 mm was ready high-explosive fragmentation projectile M-13, it had a more powerful warhead and an increased flight range. Such results were achieved by lengthening the ammunition.

In the same year, the first MU-1 rocket launcher was manufactured. Eight short guides were installed across the truck, and sixteen missiles were attached to them in pairs. This design turned out to be very unsuccessful; during the salvo, the vehicle swayed strongly, which led to a significant decrease in the accuracy of the battle.

In September 1939, testing began on a new rocket launcher, the MU-2. The basis for it was the three-axle ZiS-6 truck, this vehicle provided combat complex high cross-country ability, made it possible to quickly change positions after each salvo. Now the guides for the missiles were located along the car. In one salvo (about 10 seconds), the MU-2 fired sixteen shells, the weight of the installation with ammunition was 8.33 tons, the firing range exceeded eight kilometers.

With this design of the guides, the rocking of the car during a salvo became minimal, in addition, two jacks were installed in the rear of the car.

In 1940, state tests of the MU-2 were carried out, and it was put into service under the designation “BM-13 rocket mortar”.

The day before the start of the war (June 21, 1941), the USSR government decided to mass produce BM-13 combat systems, ammunition for them, and form special units for their use.

The first experience of using the BM-13 at the front showed their high efficiency and contributed to the active production of this type of weapon. During the war, “Katyusha” was produced by several factories, and mass production of ammunition for them was established.

Artillery units armed with BM-13 installations were considered elite, and immediately after their formation they received the name Guards. The BM-8, BM-13 and other rocket systems were officially called “Guards mortars.”

Application of BM-13 "Katyusha"

The first combat use of rocket launchers took place in mid-July 1941. The Germans occupied Orsha, a large junction station in Belarus. A large amount of enemy military equipment and manpower had accumulated on it. It was for this purpose that the battery of rocket launchers (seven units) of Captain Flerov fired two salvos.

As a result of the actions of the artillerymen, the railway junction was practically wiped off the face of the earth, and the Nazis suffered severe losses in people and equipment.

"Katyusha" was also used in other sectors of the front. New soviet weapons became a very unpleasant surprise for the German command. Particularly strong psychological impact Wehrmacht soldiers were affected by the pyrotechnic effect of the use of shells: after the Katyusha salvo, literally everything that could burn burned. This effect was achieved through the use of TNT blocks in the shells, which upon explosion formed thousands of burning fragments.

Rocket artillery was actively used in the battle of Moscow, Katyushas destroyed the enemy at Stalingrad, they were tried to be used as anti-tank weapons in Kursk Bulge. To do this, special recesses were made under the front wheels of the vehicle, so the Katyusha could fire directly. However, the use of the BM-13 against tanks was less effective, since the M-13 rocket was a high-explosive fragmentation projectile, and not armor-piercing. In addition, "Katyusha" has never been distinguished by high accuracy of fire. But if its shell hit a tank, all the vehicle’s attachments were destroyed, the turret often jammed, and the crew received severe concussion.

Rocket launchers were used with great success until the Victory; they took part in the storming of Berlin and other operations in the final stage of the war.

In addition to the famous BM-13 MLRS, there was also a BM-8 rocket launcher, which used 82 mm caliber rockets, and over time heavy ones appeared jet systems, launching 310 mm rockets.

During the Berlin operation, Soviet soldiers actively used the experience of street fighting they gained during the capture of Poznan and Königsberg. It consisted of firing single heavy rockets M-31, M-13 and M-20 direct fire. Special assault groups were created, which included an electrical engineer. The rocket was launched from machine guns, wooden caps, or simply from any flat surface. A hit from such a shell could easily destroy a house or be guaranteed to suppress an enemy firing point.

During the war years, about 1,400 BM-8, 3,400 BM-13 and 100 BM-31 units were lost.

However, the story of the BM-13 did not end there: in the early 60s, the USSR supplied these installations to Afghanistan, where they were actively used by government troops.

Device BM-13 "Katyusha"

The main advantage of the BM-13 rocket launcher is its extreme simplicity both in production and in use. The artillery part of the installation consists of eight guides, the frame on which they are located, rotating and lifting mechanisms, sighting devices and electrical equipment.

The guides were a five-meter I-beam with special overlays. A locking device and an electric igniter were installed in the breech of each of the guides, with the help of which the shot was fired.

The guides were mounted on a rotating frame, which, using simple lifting and rotating mechanisms, provided vertical and horizontal guidance.

Each Katyusha was equipped with an artillery sight.

The crew of the vehicle (BM-13) consisted of 5-7 people.

The M-13 rocket consisted of two parts: a combat and a jet powder engine. Warhead, which contained an explosive and a contact fuse, is very reminiscent of the warhead of a conventional artillery high-explosive fragmentation projectile.

The powder engine of the M-13 projectile consisted of a chamber with powder charge, nozzles, special grilles, stabilizers and fuse.

The main problem faced by the developers of missile systems (and not only in the USSR) was the low accuracy of the missiles’ accuracy. To stabilize their flight, the designers took two paths. German six-barreled mortar rockets rotated in flight due to obliquely located nozzles, and flat stabilizers were installed on Soviet RSakhs. To give the projectile more accuracy, it was necessary to increase it initial speed, for this purpose, the guides on the BM-13 received a greater length.

The German stabilization method made it possible to reduce the size of both the projectile itself and the weapon from which it was fired. However, this significantly reduced the firing range. Although, it should be said that the German six-barreled mortars were more accurate than the Katyushas.

The Soviet system was simpler and allowed shooting over considerable distances. Later, installations began to use spiral guides, which further increased accuracy.

Modifications of "Katyusha"

During the war, numerous modifications of both rocket launchers and ammunition were created. Here are just a few of them:

BM-13-SN - this installation had spiral guides that imparted a rotational movement to the projectile, which significantly increased its accuracy.

BM-8-48 - this rocket launcher used 82 mm caliber projectiles and had 48 guides.

BM-31-12 - this rocket launcher used 310 mm caliber shells for firing.

310 mm caliber rockets were initially used for firing from the ground, only then self-propelled guns appeared.

The first systems were created on the basis of the ZiS-6 car, then they were most often installed on vehicles received under Lend-Lease. It must be said that with the beginning of Lend-Lease, only foreign cars were used to create rocket launchers.

In addition, rocket launchers (from M-8 shells) were installed on motorcycles, snowmobiles, and armored boats. The guides were installed on railway platforms, T-40, T-60, KV-1 tanks.

To understand how much mass weapons were "Katyushas", it is enough to give two figures: from 1941 to the end of 1944, Soviet industry produced 30 thousand launchers various types and 12 million shells for them.

During the war years, several types of 132 mm caliber rockets were developed. The main directions of modernization were to increase the accuracy of fire, increase the range of the projectile and its power.

Advantages and disadvantages of the BM-13 Katyusha missile launcher

The main advantage of rocket launchers was the large number of projectiles they fired in one salvo. If several MLRS were operating in one area at once, the destructive effect was increased due to the interference of shock waves.

Easy to use. “Katyushas” were distinguished by their extremely simple design; they were also uncomplicated sights this installation.

Low cost and easy to manufacture. During the war, the production of rocket launchers was established in dozens of factories. The production of ammunition for these complexes did not present any particular difficulties. The comparison between the cost of the BM-13 and a conventional one looks especially eloquent. artillery piece similar caliber.

Installation mobility. The time of one BM-13 salvo is approximately 10 seconds; after the salvo, the vehicle left the firing line without exposing itself to enemy return fire.

However, this weapon also had disadvantages, the main one being low shooting accuracy due to the large dispersion of projectiles. This problem was partially solved by the BM-13SN, but it has not been completely resolved for modern MLRS.

Insufficient high-explosive effect of M-13 shells. "Katyusha" was not very effective against long-term defensive fortifications and armored vehicles.

Short firing range compared to cannon artillery.

Large consumption of gunpowder in the manufacture of rockets.

There was heavy smoke during the salvo, which served as an unmasking factor.

The high center of gravity of the BM-13 installations led to frequent rollovers of the vehicle during the march.

Technical characteristics of "Katyusha"

Characteristics of the combat vehicle

Characteristics of the M-13 missile

Video about MLRS "Katyusha"

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"Katyusha"- the popular name for rocket artillery combat vehicles BM-8 (with 82 mm shells), BM-13 (132 mm) and BM-31 (310 mm) during the Great Patriotic War. There are several versions of the origin of this name, the most likely of which is associated with the factory mark “K” of the manufacturer of the first BM-13 combat vehicles (Voronezh Comintern Plant), as well as with the popular song of the same name at that time (music by Matvey Blanter, lyrics by Mikhail Isakovsky).
(Military encyclopedia. Chairman of the Main Editorial Commission S.B. Ivanov. Military Publishing House. Moscow. in 8 volumes -2004 ISBN 5 - 203 01875 - 8)

The fate of the first separate experimental battery was cut short at the beginning of October 1941. After a baptism of fire near Orsha, the battery successfully operated in battles near Rudnya, Smolensk, Yelnya, Roslavl and Spas-Demensk. Over the course of three months of hostilities, Flerov’s battery not only inflicted considerable material damage on the Germans, it also contributed to raising the morale of our soldiers and officers, exhausted by continuous retreats.

The Nazis staged a real hunt for new weapons. But the battery did not stay long in one place - after firing a salvo, it immediately changed position. The tactical technique - salvo - change of position - was widely used by Katyusha units during the war.

At the beginning of October 1941, as part of a group of troops on the Western Front, the battery found itself in the rear of the Nazi troops. While moving to the front line from the rear on the night of October 7, she was ambushed by the enemy near the village of Bogatyr, Smolensk region. Most of the battery personnel and Ivan Flerov were killed, having shot all the ammunition and blown up the combat vehicles. Only 46 soldiers managed to escape from the encirclement. The legendary battalion commander and the rest of the soldiers, who had fulfilled their duty to the end with honor, were considered “missing in action.” And only when it was possible to discover documents from one of the Wehrmacht army headquarters, which reported what actually happened on the night of October 6-7, 1941 near the Smolensk village of Bogatyr, Captain Flerov was excluded from the lists of missing persons.

For heroism, Ivan Flerov was posthumously awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree, in 1963, and in 1995 he was awarded the title of Hero Russian Federation posthumously.

In honor of the battery’s feat, a monument was built in the city of Orsha and an obelisk near the city of Rudnya.

The barrelless field rocket artillery system, which received the affectionate feminine name “Katyusha” in the Red Army, without exaggeration, became probably one of the most popular types of military equipment of the Second World War. In any case, neither our enemies nor our allies had anything like this.

Initially barrelless jets artillery systems in the Red Army they were not intended for ground battles. They literally descended from heaven to earth.

The 82 mm caliber rocket was adopted by the Red Army Air Force back in 1933. They were installed on fighters designed by Polikarpov I-15, I-16 and I-153. In 1939, they underwent baptism of fire during the fighting at Khalkhin Gol, where they performed well when shooting at groups of enemy aircraft.

In the same year, employees of the Jet Research Institute began work on a mobile ground launcher that could fire rockets at ground targets. At the same time, the caliber of the rockets was increased to 132 mm.
In March 1941, field tests were successfully carried out new system weapons, and the decision to mass produce combat vehicles with RS-132 missiles, called BM-13, was made the day before the start of the war - June 21, 1941.

How was it structured?

The BM-13 combat vehicle was a chassis of a three-axle ZIS-6 vehicle, on which a rotary truss with a package of guides and a guidance mechanism was installed. For aiming, a rotating and lifting mechanism and an artillery sight were provided. At the rear of the combat vehicle there were two jacks, which ensured its greater stability when firing.
The missiles were launched using a hand-held electric coil connected to a battery and contacts on the guides. When the handle was turned, the contacts closed in turn, and the starting squib was fired in the next projectile.
The explosive material in the warhead of the projectile was detonated from both sides (the length of the detonator was only slightly less than the length of the explosive cavity). And when two waves of detonation met, the gas pressure of the explosion at the meeting point increased sharply. As a result, the hull fragments had a significantly higher acceleration, heated up to 600-800 ° C and had a good ignition effect. In addition to the body, part of the rocket chamber, which was heated from the gunpowder burning inside, also burst, which increased fragmentation effect 1.5-2 times compared to artillery shells of a similar caliber. That is why the legend arose that Katyusha rockets were equipped with a “thermite charge.” The “thermite” charge was indeed tested in besieged Leningrad in 1942, but it turned out to be unnecessary - after the Katyusha salvo, everything around was burning. And the joint use of dozens of missiles at the same time also created interference of blast waves, which further enhanced the damaging effect.

Baptism of fire near Orsha

The first salvo of a battery of Soviet rocket launchers (as they began to call it for greater secrecy) the new kind military equipment) consisting of seven combat installations BM-13 was produced in mid-July 1941. This happened near Orsha. An experienced battery under the command of Captain Flerov launched a fire strike at the Orsha railway station, where a concentration of enemy military equipment and manpower was noticed.
At 15:15 on July 14, 1941, heavy fire was opened on enemy trains. The entire station instantly turned into a huge cloud of fire. On the same day, the Chief of the German General Staff, General Halder, wrote in his diary: “On July 14, near Orsha, the Russians used weapons unknown until that time. A fiery barrage of shells burned the Orsha railway station and all the trains with personnel and military equipment of the arriving military units. The metal was melting, the earth was burning.”

The morale effect of the use of rocket mortars was stunning. The enemy lost more than an infantry battalion and a huge amount of military equipment and weapons at the Orsha station. And Captain Flerov’s battery dealt another blow on the same day - this time at the enemy crossing over the Orshitsa River.
The Wehrmacht command, having studied the information received from eyewitnesses of the use of new Russian weapons, was forced to issue a special instruction to its troops, which stated: “ There are reports from the front about the Russians using a new type of weapon that fires rockets. A large number of shots can be fired from one installation within 3-5 seconds. Any appearance of these weapons must be reported on the same day to the general commander of the chemical forces at the high command." A real hunt began for Captain Flerov's battery. In October 1941, she found herself in the Spas-Demensky “cauldron” and was ambushed. Of the 160 people, only 46 managed to reach their own. The battery commander himself died, having first made sure that all the combat vehicles were blown up and would not fall into enemy hands intact.

On land and sea...

In addition to the BM-13, in the SKB of the Voronezh plant. The Comintern, which produced these combat installations, developed new options for placing missiles. For example, taking into account the extremely low cross-country ability of the ZIS-6 vehicle, an option was developed for installing guides for missiles on the chassis of the STZ-5 NATI tracked tractor. In addition, an 82 mm caliber rocket has also found use. Guides were developed and manufactured for it, which were later installed on the chassis of the ZIS-6 vehicle (36 guides) and on the chassis of the T-40 and T-60 light tanks (24 guides).

A 16-charging installation for RS-132 shells and a 48-charging installation for RS-82 shells for armored trains were developed. In the fall of 1942, during the fighting in the Caucasus, 8-round mining packs were manufactured for use in mountain conditions. launchers RS-82 shells.

Later they were installed on American Willys all-terrain vehicles, which came to the USSR under Lend-Lease.
Special launchers for 82 mm and 132 mm caliber rockets were manufactured for their subsequent installation on warships— torpedo boats and armored boats.

The launchers themselves received the popular nickname “Katyusha”, under which they entered the history of the Great Patriotic War. Why Katyusha? There are many versions on this matter. The most reliable - due to the fact that the first BM-13 had the letter “K” - as information that the product was produced at the plant named after. Comintern in Voronezh. By the way, the cruising boats of the Soviet Navy, which had the letter index “K,” received the same nickname. In total, 36 launcher designs were developed and produced during the war.

And the Wehrmacht soldiers nicknamed the BM-13 “Stalin's organs.” Apparently, the roar of the rockets reminded the Germans of the sounds of a church organ. This “music” clearly made them feel uncomfortable.
And from the spring of 1942, guides with missiles began to be installed on British and American all-wheel drive chassis imported into the USSR under Lend-Lease. Still, the ZIS-6 turned out to be a vehicle with low cross-country ability and carrying capacity. The three-axle all-wheel drive American truck Studebakker US6 turned out to be most suitable for installing rocket launchers. Combat vehicles began to be produced on its chassis. At the same time, they received the name BM-13N (“normalized”).

During the entire Great Patriotic War, Soviet industry produced more than ten thousand rocket artillery combat vehicles.

Relatives of the Katyusha

For all their advantages, high-explosive fragmentation rockets RS-82 and RS-132 had one drawback - large dispersion and low efficiency when affecting enemy personnel located in field shelters and trenches. To correct this shortcoming, special 300 mm caliber rockets were manufactured.
They received the nickname “Andryusha” among the people. They were launched from a launching machine (“frame”) made of wood. The launch was carried out using a sapper blasting machine.
“Andryushas” were first used in Stalingrad. The new weapons were easy to manufacture, but installing them in position and aiming at the target required a lot of time. In addition, the short range of the M-30 rockets made them dangerous for their own crews.

Therefore, in 1943, the troops began to receive an improved missile, which, with the same power, had a greater firing range. An M-31 shell could hit manpower over an area of ​​2 thousand square meters or create a crater 2-2.5 m deep and 7-8 m in diameter. But the time to prepare a salvo with new shells was significant - one and a half to two hours.
Such shells were used in 1944-1945 during the assault on enemy fortifications and during street battles. One hit from an M-31 missile was enough to destroy an enemy bunker or a firing point located in a residential building.

Fire sword of the "god of war"

By May 1945, rocket artillery units had about three thousand combat vehicles of the most different types and many “frames” with M-31 shells. Not a single Soviet offensive since Battle of Stalingrad, did not begin without artillery preparation using Katyusha rockets. Salvos from combat installations became the “fiery sword” with which our infantry and tanks made their way through enemy fortified positions.
During the war, BM-13 installations were sometimes used for direct fire at enemy tanks and firing points. To do this, the rear wheels fighting machine drove up to some elevation so that her guides could accept horizontal position. Of course, the accuracy of such shooting was quite low, but a direct hit from a 132-mm rocket would blow any enemy tank to pieces, a close explosion would knock over enemy military equipment, and heavy hot fragments would reliably put it out of action.

After the war, Soviet designers of combat vehicles continued to work on Katyushas and Andryushas. Only now they began to be called not guards mortars, but multiple launch rocket systems. In the USSR, such powerful SZOs as “Grad”, “Hurricane” and “Smerch” were designed and built. At the same time, the losses of an enemy caught in a salvo from a battery of Hurricanes or Smerchs are comparable to losses from the use of tactical nuclear weapons with a power of up to 20 kilotons, that is, with the explosion of an atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

BM-13 combat vehicle on a three-axle vehicle chassis

The caliber of the projectile is 132 mm.
Projectile weight - 42.5 kg.
The mass of the warhead is 21.3 kg.
The maximum projectile flight speed is 355 m/s.
The number of guides is 16.
The maximum firing range is 8470 m.
Charging time of the installation is 3-5 minutes.
The duration of a full salvo is 7-10 seconds.

Guards mortar BM-13 Katyusha

1. Launcher
2. Missiles
3. The car on which the installation was mounted

Guide package
Cabin armor shields
Hiking support
Lifting frame
Launcher battery
Sight bracket
Swivel frame
Lifting handle

The launchers were mounted on the chassis of ZIS-6, Ford Marmont, International Jiemsi, Austin vehicles and on STZ-5 tracked tractors. The largest number of Katyushas were mounted on all-wheel drive three-axle Studebaker vehicles.

M-13 projectile

01. Fuse retaining ring
02. GVMZ fuze
03. Detonator checker
04. Bursting charge
05. Head part
06. Igniter
07. Bottom of the chamber
08. Guide pin
09. Powder rocket charge
10. Missile part
11. Grate
12. Critical section of the nozzle
13. Nozzle
14. Stabilizer

Few survived

About efficiency combat use"Katyusha" during an attack on an enemy fortified unit can serve as an example of the defeat of the Tolkachev defensive unit during our counteroffensive near Kursk in July 1943.
The village of Tolkachevo was turned by the Germans into a heavily fortified center of resistance with big amount dugouts and bunkers of 5-12 rolls, with a developed network of trenches and communication passages. The approaches to the village were heavily mined and covered with wire fences.
Salvos of rocket artillery destroyed a significant part of the bunkers, the trenches, along with the enemy infantry in them, were filled up, and the fire system was completely suppressed. Of the entire garrison of the junction, numbering 450-500 people, only 28 survived. The Tolkachev junction was taken by our units without any resistance.

Supreme High Command Reserve

By decision of the Headquarters, in January 1945, the formation of twenty guards mortar regiments began - this is how the units armed with the BM-13 began to be called.
The Guards Mortar Regiment (Gv.MP) of the artillery of the Reserve of the Supreme High Command (RVGK) consisted of a command and three divisions of three batteries. Each battery had four combat vehicles. Thus, a salvo of only one division of 12 BM-13-16 PIP vehicles (Staff Directive No. 002490 prohibited the use of rocket artillery in quantities less than a division) could be compared in strength to a salvo of 12 heavy howitzer regiments of the RVGK (48 152 mm howitzers per regiment ) or 18 heavy howitzer brigades of the RVGK (32 152 mm howitzers per brigade).

Victor Sergeev