M1938 (M-10) Russian 152mm Towed Howitzer
M1938
152mm Towed Howitzer
Other
Basic Information
Name
M1938 (M-10) Russian 152mm Towed Howitzer
Designation
M1938
Alternate Designation
M1938; M-10; 120-PM-38
Equipment Type
152mm Towed Howitzer
Manufacturer
—
Date of Introduction
1938
Description
152-mm howitzer M1938 (M-10) (Russian: 152-мм гаубица обр. 1938 г. (М-10)) was a Soviet 152.4 mm (6 inch) howitzer of World War II era. It was developed in 1937–1938 at the Motovilikha Mechanical Plant by a team headed by F. F. Petrov. Although production of the gun was stopped in 1941, it saw combat with the Red Army until the end of World War II and remained in service until the 1950s. Captured pieces were used by Wehrmacht and the Finnish Army. The latter kept the M-10 in service until 2000.
Ground Specifications
Crew
10
Variants
M1938 (M-10T)
In addition to the towed howitzer, a vehicle-mounted variant was developed for use in KV-2 heavy tanks. This variant—152 mm tank howitzer M1938 (M-10T)—had a shorter barrel.
A single prototype with powder bag loading was built in 1939.
System
Alternative Designation
M1938; M-10; 120-PM-38
Type
152 mm Towed Howitzer
Caliber
152 mm
Crew
10 ea
Carriage
Split trail
Breech
Interrupted screw
Recoil
Hydro-pneumatic
Elevation
−1° to 65°
Traverse
50°
Rate of Fire
3–4 rounds per minute
Muzzle Velocity
432–508 m/s
Maximum Firing Range
12.4 km
Sights
panoramic
Displacement Time
Under 5 Minutes
Emplacement Time
Under 5 Minutes
Dimensions
Length
3.7 m
Width
INA
Height
INA
Weight, Combat
4,150 kg
Weight, Traveling
4,550 kg
Ammunition
Note
The M-10 used separate-loading ammunition, with eight different charges. The charges ranges from the "full charge" Zh-536 and smaller charges ranging from the "first" to "sixth", which was the smallest. A "special charge" was used with the BP-540 HEAT projectile. Propellant charges were produced in "full" and "third" variants in munitions factories. All other charges were derived from removing small gunpowder bags from the charge cartridge. For flash suppression there was a special chemical mixture which was inserted into cartridges before night firing.152 mm projectiles for the M-10 weighed about 40 kg, making a difficult job for loaders, who had to carry the projectiles alone.
When set to fragmentation mode, the OF-530 projectile produced fragments which covered an area 70 meters wide and 30 meters deep. When set to high-explosive (HE) action, the exploding shell produced a crater about 3.5 meters in diameter and about 1.2 meters deep. The OF-530 is still fired from modern 152 mm ordnance pieces of the Russian Army.
The G-530 HEAC anti-concrete shell had a muzzle velocity of 457 m/s when fired with the "first" charge. At a range of one kilometer it had 358 m/s terminal velocity and was able to punch through up to 80 centimeters of reinforced concrete before detonating a TNT charge which increased the total penetration to 114 centimeters. The G-530 could not be fired with a "full" charge without putting the crew at risk of having the shell explode in the barrel. A special version of the shell, the G-530Sh, was developed to allow use with the full charge.
The BP-540 HEAT projectile was not used during World War II. It had an armour penetration of 250 millimeters at an incident angle of 90°, 220 millimeters at 60°, 120 millimeters at 30°.
Ammunition (Option 1)
Name
BP-540
Type
HEAT
Caliber
152 mm
Projectile Weight
51.07 kg
Muzzle Velocity
INA
Maximum Range
INA
Ammunition (Option 2)
Name
Sh-501
Type
Shrapnel with 45 sec. tube
Caliber
152 mm
Projectile Weight
41.16–41.83 kg
Muzzle Velocity
INA
Maximum Range
INA
Ammunition (Option 3)
Name
HS-530
Type
Chemical howitzer shell
Caliber
152 mm
Projectile Weight
38.8 kg
Muzzle Velocity
INA
Maximum Range
INA
Fire Control
Computerized FCS
No
Direct Fire
Yes
Indirect Fire
Yes
Collimator
INA
Details
Country of Origin
Russia
Category
Towed Gun/Howitzer Artillery Systems
Land > Artillery > Towed Gun/Howitzer Artillery Systems
Filter Label
M
Classification
Domain
Ground
Equipment Status
Active
Dimensions
Length
3.7 m
Width
—
Height
—
Weight
4150 kg
Operators (2)
North Korea
Laos
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