voronezh.Glory to Katyusha.A tribute to the Red Army

Voronezh Katyusha

The Great Patriotic War showed the world the destructive strike force and might of Soviet weaponry. However, about three-quarters of the samples of guns and up to half of the types of small arms with which the Armed Forces of the USSR came to win, were created and placed in mass production during the war. Among these types of weapons, occupies a special place of the Guards Mortar BM-13 - the legendary "Katyusha", a lyrical name that, according to one theory, originates from the letter "K", the hallmarks of the manufacturer - the Voronezh plant them. Comintern, which was arranged production of this formidable weapon literally in the first days of the war.

 

 

 

 

By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet Union already had samples of rocket artillery, and had a successful experience of its use. Development of rockets (RS) for smokeless powder began NI Tikhomirov and VA Artemyev back in 1921. Their many years of work was completed successfully Soviet missile - in 1928 were successfully tested the world's first rocket to the smokeless powder. By 1933, there were two samples rockets - missile RS-82 and high-explosive fragmentation RS-132. At the same time unite the efforts of laboratories working on this theme - a jet in Moscow Research Institute. Soon, in its walls, were built hundreds of prototype missiles and launchers, designed to be mounted under the wing of the aircraft. In 1935 he started the first launches missiles RS-82 to I-15 fighters at the site, and in 1937 began combat tests. Their success has allowed the completion in December 1937 to adopt a fighter I-15 and I-16 missile air-to-air missiles RS-82 and in July 1938 the shells air-to-surface missile RS-132 bombers to Sat

 

 

 

 

After the adoption of rockets into service in Aviation Management Chief Artillery Rocket Research Institute has set the task of creating a field of reactive systems of salvo fire projectiles through the RS-132. Refined tactical and technical requirements have been issued to the Institute in June 1938 in accordance with this assignment to the autumn of 1939 the Institute has developed a new 132-mm high-explosive projectile, later received the official name of the M-13 launcher, and MU-2. In the summer of that year, missiles RS-82 was first tested in air battles against the Japanese militarists in Khalkhin-Gol. These battles have confirmed the assumption that he was born a new type of munitions - rockets with solid engine. The military successes "eresov" confirmed the need and accelerate the development of missiles for ground troops.

 

 

 

 

In September 1939, tests were carried out installation of MU-2 and the results it was adopted by the Chief Artillery Department for range testing. After revisions in 1940, the world's first mobile multiply volley-fire rocket launcher has successfully passed the factory and range testing. She received an Army designation BM-13-16, or just BM-13, and decided on its industrial production. RNII received an order for production of five such installations and parties of rockets for military trials. In addition, the Ordnance Department Navy also ordered a launcher BM-13 to test it in a system of coastal defense. People's Commissariat of ammunition was not slow to begin the organization of production-line missiles, taking into account the large extent of their spending. In 1940 has been launched series production of rockets M-13 and M-8, their mass production has been fully utilized before the war.

 

Proved more difficult to establish mass production of launchers. Only in February 1941, the Commissariat general machinery ordered the organization of the Voronezh plant them. Comintern production machinery BM-13.Voronezhskomu factory ordered to produce a prototype by July 1 and another 40 units by the end of 1941.

 

Director plant them. Comintern Fedor Muratov was urgently summoned to the Commissariat. Returning two days later at the plant, he immediately presented with the Order of the Commissariat Head Peter Semenovich Gavrilova and instructed him in the coming days to select a group of smart engineers to work out the drawings. In the established group included the leading designer of machines Nikolai Andreyevich Pucherov, chief technologist of the plant Seraphim Semenovich Silchenko, designers Mikhail Pavlov, Alexander Yakovlev, and Nikolai Avdeev.

Drawing Setup BM-13

Fighting vehicle rocket launchers BM-13: 1 - Switch, 2 - broneschity

cab, 3 - pack guides, 4 - gas tank, 5 - rotating base frame,

6 - Shroud propeller, 7 - lifting frame, 8 - folding prop, 9 - stopper,

10 - swing frame, 11 - projectile M-13, 12 - brake light, 13 - jacks,

14 - battery launcher, 15 - tug-spring unit, 16 - bracket

sight, 17 - lever hoist, 18 - rotary handle mechanism

19-spare tire, 20 - junction box.

 

During the week at the factory of RNII profits drawings launcher to the cipher BM-13-16. Installation consisted of eight open guide rails, interconnected into a single unit welded tubular spars. 16 rocket-propelled 132-mm shells were recorded using the T-shaped pins on the top and bottom rails in pairs. The design was provided an opportunity to change the angle of elevation and azimuth rotation. Focusing on the target through the scope was performed with conventional artillery panorama rotation arms lifting and turning mechanisms. Installation triaxial mounted on the chassis of the truck ZIS-6. Runners were established along the car, the rear part of which hung before the fire further to the jack.

 

Initially intended only see the drawings RNII to their technological adaptation to the factory conditions for a serial production. However, it soon became clear that some sites in serious need of operational development. NA Pucherov expressed doubts about the reliability of screw fastening of the planks in the field. It was necessary to improve the reliability of the most responsible node, so that he could withstand any pressure under the most adverse conditions. To expedite the work and a speedy agreement in principle constructive changes to the plant came three employees reactive Institute. It was the head of the Institute Ivan Isidorovich Gvay, a leading designer Vladimir Gvalkovsky and technologist Sergei Kalashnikov. In order to maintain the strictest secrecy in dealing with drawings of a group of designers and engineers identified a small room on the second floor of the administrative building. Work on the "Katyusha" boil virtually around the clock.

After a thorough and comprehensive discussion of complex shaped guides, paired two "cheeks" of sheet steel, have decided to replace the I-beam. Such substitution increased the strength of the site and at the same time to simplify its manufacture.

Another weak point was the remote control panel with fire, with cable length 25 meters. To make a shot, the commander of the installation was to take a cab coil - the drum, run with it for twenty-five meters in a prepared shelter and turning the knob to close the sixteen contacts. After the volley produced should quickly pull up the cable and again put it in the cockpit. All this greatly reduced the maneuverability quality installation. At the suggestion of Engineers - Electrical Plant Yakov Mikhailovich Tupitsyna and Evgeni Nizovtseva control panel decided to mount a fire in the cab of the truck, setting it next to the car panel. This modification has greatly reduced the time volley. To ensure the security commander and the driver of the cab installed armor shield 5 mm thick.

 

Been radically altered and contactors for ignition squib in rockets. Instead of plate covered by the project, set rod. They, as shown by tests, provide trouble-free ignition squib.

Were made significant design changes and other nodes. The newly developed part of the castle, have changed the design of the articulated frame and bearing the farm, brought together the mechanisms of horizontal and vertical lay that much easier management of the shooting.

 

15-17 June 1941 five cars made in the experimental workshops RNII commissioned by the Chief Ordnance Department, were exhibited at the show of new weapons the Red Army, held again at Moscow. BM-13 examined by Marshal Timoshenko, the Commissar Ustinov weapons, ammunition Vannikov commissar and chief of General Staff Zhukov. During the parades was made a salvo of four combat vehicles, which were highly appreciated by the leaders of the Party and government. And on June 21, just hours before the start of the Great Patriotic War, as a result of the show the Government decided that an urgent deployment of mass production of rockets and M-13 launcher BM-13.

On the morning of June 22 in the office of the director of the plant gathered department heads, departments and services. Factory Director Muratov was absent, he was urgently summoned to Moscow. Emergency meeting held the chief engineer of the plant Viktor Chernogubovsky. He announced that in agreement with the union plant immediately goes to work in two shifts working day at eleven o'clock. Summing up, Chernogubovsky stressed that the work is necessary with the growing tension, as many workers in the coming days will be mobilized in the Red Army. Indeed, on the second and third day of the war the factory was designed around four hundred people.

Returned from Moscow director of the task brought about forcing the production of launchers. By July 1, it was necessary to provide not one but two pilot plants and in July, it was necessary to make a thirty-fighting vehicles, and in August a hundred. The plant quickly switched to war production. In the workshops, which manufactured exclusively peaceful goods, to find suitable work for the new machines and prepare them for the production of parts for the launchers.

 

By the time work on the revision, adaptation, change of drawings in the Voronezh plant was successfully completed. It began manufacturing parts for the assembly of prototypes. The difficulties were many, as in the development of any new car. First of all, there was no machine tools required length. At the enterprise there was only one planer processing guides - the most important site of BM-13, and he is hopelessly outdated design "Butler", with a very solid production experience. Required for sending a decent length - five meters. There were serious problems and bending guides korytets, just having a five-meter length. Bending devices at the plant was not. Trough at first had to make welded into three parts, which caused considerable technological difficulties in their processing. Welds were required to strip a carefully follow the assembly with the guides.

For the release of test samples rocket was organized by a specialized assembly shop number 4, who had been appointed chief Jacob Yefimovich Leibovich. This from the first day sent the most skilled workers AT Milyaeva, EG Myakisheva, MV Gunkina, ID Pahorskgo, VN Strelkov, electricians AM Stahurlova, GA Fedorenko, Masters SS Zatsepin, MF Anisimov, IE Yurova. Operational management workshops conducted as head of production department Nicolai Rozanov and senior engineer of the first division Nikolay A. Ivanov.

The most time-consuming assembly site was sending beams with spars and general assembly of the site with all the supporting structure of the launcher. A particular difficulty was that the grooves of the eight guiding beams, should be strictly parallel, the deviation of no more than two millimeters. Also, please note that no experience building such systems has not been, and some units had to redo several times. The best collectors cars I.E, Yurov, IS Bakhtin, MF Anisimov, SS Zatsepin literally for days did not close our eyes. In many ways, only because of their vast experience and work selflessly test samples were collected in the installation period.

And so, on the fifth day of the war, June 26, finally, came this long-awaited and exciting moment. In the assembly department, finished around two pilot plants, met the staff collectors and all the plant bosses - Director F. N. Muratov, Senior Engineer VP Chernogubovsky, chief technologist S. Silchenko constructor NA Pucherov, foreman J. E. Leibovich. And the same - the leading designer VN Galkovsky and a representative of the Main Artillery Directorate of the Red Army, a military engineer of the second rank AG Mrykin.

 

But it was too early to celebrate victory. Lead Designer Galkovsky experienced eye appreciated the installation and immediately demanded calipers. Suspicions confirmed the designer - the distance between the axes of grooves coupled guides are not consistent with the drawings, it was less than estimated. The audit showed that this was done at the direction of Chief of RNII II Gvaya. Ivan Isidorovich came to the factory Comintern second time the drawings have been largely developed, and by viewing the node sending orders to reduce the size slightly between the axes of rails in order to reduce the width of the entire package.

 

The draft, on paper, it seemed quite logical, but now, in the finished installation, the designer trained eye immediately noticed a serious flaw: during the first volley of rockets Regulators could hurt each other.

 

There was an order to two brigades immediately remount collectors guide rails, installing between previously envisaged by the project size. The task was performed in shock, after several hours of hard work collectors and master breathed a sigh of relief - the first prototypes were ready. Plants were immediately adopted by the representatives of the Chief Artillery Directorate at the factory. Now a formidable fighting machine the way ahead in Moscow.

 

The next day, two cars, carefully shrouding tarpaulin, emerged from the factory gates and Zadonsk highway headed to Moscow. In addition to the two military installations, was a lorry, in which were soldiers, guards, armed with grenades and machine guns, and the supply of fuel. Cars with BM-13 were Stepan Bobreshov and Mitrofan D. Artamonov. Installation was accompanied by two workers and senior engineer of the first division Nikolay A. Ivanov. After twenty hours of travel machine came to the People's Commissariat of Defense, where Ivanov received the necessary documents and direction for military depot for live ammunition, missiles, and to immediately follow at the range testing.

After successful testing, the same day, June 28, five units manufactured prior to RNII Voronezh and two Katyusha rockets were merged into the battery to be sent to the front and quality testing of new weapons, its combat effectiveness. The commander of the first single pilot jet mortar battery was named student of the Artillery Academy, named after F. Dzerzhinsky Captain Ivan Andreevich Flerov. For July 2, 1941 the battery was sent from Moscow to the Western Front, on 14 July Flerov battery, with about three thousand shells, took a militant stance of Orsha, on the banks of the Dnieper, from which the enemy struck his first blow. Mortar fire pointed to the dust accumulated on the station, trains with manpower and equipment. Gunners not only caused serious damage to the enemy. They brought upon him the horror that the Nazis persecuted the war at the mere mention of this formidable weapon.

 

And the factory was busy searching the reserves to increase production of military weapons. In one of the last days of June Muratov gathered in his office chiefs of departments, their deputies, chiefs of shifts. He was concerned and severe. Were put only the first samples of machines. Too much time was spent on refining the drawings, met and other unforeseen difficulties in mastering this complex technologically advanced machines. Muratov said that the rocket launcher is extremely important to ruthlessly fought the Red Army. He criticized leaders for the delay in launching the production of the most challenging parts of permitted marriage, because many masters do inappropriate work - dostavaniem workpieces for machine operators, rushing from shop to shop. It was hard to install machines on the production schedule each month. In this case it was necessary to consider all the possibilities of each department, to count every minute of working time, to do everything that no machine operator is not idle due to lack of workpieces or tools.

 

However, the plant was not ready for such a radical restructuring of the entire work. In late June, the plant received four planers, but the tables were too short, and make them the direction of the beam was impossible. At an emergency meeting of the chief engineer decided to lengthen platten on their own. It was necessary to urgently implement the drawings of parts nadstavok, make models, to make iron castings, produce processing. While these works were performed, consistent changes in the shop were digging pits for the foundations of elongated tools, laid anchor bolts and filled with concrete. Work went on around the clock. The new machines have to put into operation five days earlier statutory deadlines.

 

Reconstruct the machines, to rebuild the whole rhythm of working in line with military time, of course, is not easy. And all this could be done in record time over only due to the dedication of labor and management. They worked for days, almost without interruption. All the forces of production gave the chief engineer VP Chernogubovsky and mechanic PI Larin. There was no department, shift or department, where even a single day would not have visited these leaders are ready to assist and advise you.

 

In the machine shop having troubles with the manufacturing launch of sending beams. The main difficulty was that the guide frame length of five meters held two operations on the planing machines. In the first operation was shot superfluous part of the metal edges of I-beam profile, carefully planing on both sides of the supporting plane and they dado width of twenty, a depth of eight millimeters. Then the beam was shot from the machine and prostrogannye plane naklepyvalis guides trough of sheet steel with thickness of three millimeters. Beam with attached trough back to the planer, it prostragivalis groove width of eleven millimeters. And between the guide edges of the trough and slots had to withstand strict parallelism, because it depended on the accuracy of the projectile motion and accuracy of firing.

The team spent a lot a lot of energy and nerves due to the guiding beam, but at first still a lot of detail went into the marriage. Factory Director FN Muratov had specifically on this issue to convene a meeting. In his invited heads of workshops AG Puzoschatova and SP Zakharova, chief technologist SS Silchenko, masters, most qualified planer. The meeting was also attended by the representative of the State Committee of Defense and the secretary of the Party A. Ivanov.

 

A more thorough examination of processing technology beams revealed a lack of rigid mounting it on the machine. Head of the section sending beams Boris L. Tagintsev remembered one device, previously used them for other purposes. With difficulty found it, figured that's what, and it turned out: with minor modifications it may well be used to guide treatment beams. Boris L. Muratov told in detail about his conception and asked to translate it into machine to their own hands to try innovation. The Director agreed.

 

Tagintsev immediately went to the shop, and twelve hours device was mounted on planing machine "Butler". It went smoothly. Durable and rigid attachment directing the beam on the machine eliminate vibration. Made using the new device military representatives took part in the first presentation. Now the turn was another problem: reduced processing time of the beam. To expedite this operation Tagintsevym and Fedin was offered a special reztsederzhalka in which to insert at once three of the tool. This simple device allowed us to increase the productivity of the machine.

 

To process the edges of the guide trough used a simple chisel. Installing and filling it was difficult and caused a considerable amount of time. Avdeev and Tagintsev developed a somewhat unusual design of a special tool, the shape of a tea saucer. The circumference of the disc diameter of 132 millimeter wafers soldered 6 carbide. The plates were placed symmetrically at an angle of 60 degrees. Each pair of plates can handle both at the same edge of the guide trough, this is done in extremely high accuracy.

 

Whole of July continued intense preparation for the introduction of the shops strict daily schedule. In this case vigorously engaged in the party office, the factory trade union committee, the Komsomol organization, large circulation newspaper "Comintern". At the main entrance of the plant hung large, beautifully illustrated posters. They twice daily updated results of each workshop. Significantly increased the space for assembly work, and constructing two large steel plant span. Strengthen its leadership by some units. Because of the assembly shop number 3 put Communist Dmitri Ivanovich Zhirova in the assembly shop number 4 sent the chief engineer of the plant member of the party Pavel Ivanovich Larina.

 

The results of the organizational and political and mass work not long in coming. All subsequent months, until the evacuation of the plant in the Urals, the daily schedule was the law for each production team, he was allowed to establish a clear issue of all parts and components, significantly increase the number of manufactured launchers.

 

Second July 1941 Office of the Voronezh Regional Committee of the CPSU (b) adopted a resolution (read out in full) for the early establishment and increase production of military weapons factory behalf of the Comintern. This decree of the regional party committee plugged in the manufacture of a dangerous weapon other enterprises of the city. Thus, the Kalinin Machine-Building Plant began producing the beam for directing trough. He also had to start dealing with capacity-length table planing machine. This work was executed by the group of designers in the General Mechanics under the guidance of Yuri Smirnov. But when the machines were altered, here repeated many problems observed in the initial period of production of the first beams at the plant the name of the Comintern. The beams are often deformed, with great difficulty they had to take out on special massive plates, which takes a long time.

 

Debugging process in kalinintsev much effort, energy, imagination gave technologist AP Molchanov and chief mechanical shop KA Tarasov. They would not leave for days planer AI Pankov, IA Zvereva, MV Shedagubova, A. Perelygina. It turned out that whittle a large cross section for a given length and complexity of the beam profile can not. Endangering the disruption in the schedule making this important detail. So they decided to rough handling at first produce a method of milling. For this purpose, recourse to the available plant unit disk with scissors rolganom. Conversion unit for milling produced designer FE Durov, a technologist AP Molchanov designed the original mandrel with a set of disc cutters. For the final processing of beams on planer left most basic allowance. Case went.

 

Kalinintsy fully produced and so-called node expansion. It included a fairly complex parts: screw with two-zahodnye ribbon threaded nut and two bevel gears. Cutting threaded couples instructed by highly turner S. Boev, VP Zotov, IV Komarov. Harder was threaded bevel gears. I had to quickly restore the old gear-cutting machine. This work was done in a short time under the guidance of the Chief of repair and machine shop LY Agarkova, together with the machine operators have spent a sleepless night.

BM-13

 

The various components and parts for the launcher manufactured bands Machine-Building Plant named after Lenin, Steam-Engine Factory, the Dzerzhinsky, plant Electrosignal. " Connect to them and Institute of Chemical Technology, in a mechanical laboratory which have mastered the lower leg assembly with optical sights part. Therefore, assembled at the Comintern "Katyusha" can rightfully be called Voronezh.

 

Regional Committee of the Party to keep the issue of military weapons. At eleven o'clock at night in the office of F. Muratova meetings have been held up to the day. They often attended by the First Secretary of the Regional Committee Vladimir D. Nikitin, or the Secretary of Industry Alexander Ivanov. They provided invaluable assistance to the Comintern in the organization of regular deliveries of parts of other plants of the city, as well as a steady supply of metal and other materials. AA Ivanov was almost hopeless Comintern plant. Together with the Secretary of the Party Committee Ivan Efimovich Brovina he was often in the shops and departments. At peresmenkah for five - eight minutes, he did report on the situation at the fronts, informed about the working life of the city and the entire region. Heartful chat, specific examples, a call-party word to mobilize people for rapid execution solely responsible job.

 

In August, started to increase difficulties with transportation launchers in Moscow. Shipping them to the railway platforms was impossible because of the increased number of attacks by enemy aircraft on the road. Most of the drivers of the plant was designed in the army since the first days of the war, moreover, was not enough, and automobiles. And here was assisted county and city Party Committee. Industry and various economic organizations was instructed to allocate the necessary number of cars and drivers to provide emergency transportation in Moscow launchers.

 

Convoy necessarily accompanied by a responsible employee of the company, approved by the factory director - head of department, designer, technologist, engineer. In the route is strictly forbidden to dwell in towns and at petrol stations. Short stop for refueling, which has always carried with them, for inspection of motor vehicles arranged in an open field or in sparsely forest with a good overview of the area. The gap in the column of cars while driving is not tolerated under any circumstances, drivers have the right to drive even the red light.

 

Successful operation of the factory team in no small measure contributed to the well-established traffic control service. To the Chief Manager, the company had a switch with loudspeakers installations in shops and departments. Well-organized communication enables planners and craftsmen shops all the time to maintain contact and at any moment to take the most correct decision on any issue. In the introduction of a highly developed dispatch communication (at the time it was a novelty), a lot of work and ingenuity put the head of the factory PBX Avgust Petrovich Yagund.

 

Day by day, along with an alarming front-line summaries growing labor tension. When the fascist armies were on the outskirts of Moscow, in the shops of the plant was posted on the slogan "More combat vehicles for the defenders of the capital!" People wholeheartedly embraced this call, realizing the danger threatening the country, and brought the issue of missile installations to five or six a day.

 

Issue units at the plant Comintern continued to fall. And in October, the front moved close to the Upper Don. Above the town began to appear increasingly Luftwaffe. First, the scouts, and soon the bombers. It was decided to evacuate. A leading enterprise for the production of launchers was appointed plant in Moscow "Compressor".

 

Comintern plant was evacuated to the Urals in the small town of Istok, where the plant "Uralelektromashina" promptly resumed production of parts for the rocket launchers. And although istokskom factory assembled a small number of combat vehicles, but the team gave him a significant number of parts plant "Uralelektromashina, which was arranged the main assembly of BM-13.

 

Comintern in a short time and mastered the mass production of 82 millimeter mortar rounds and uninterruptedly supplied them the Red Army throughout the war.

Liveinternet.ru

 

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