The 203-mm Howitzer M1931 B-4 was a Russian heavy artillery piece employed by the Red Army during World War II. It was the heaviest howitzer used in the field by the Soviets during this armed conflict. Designed in 1931, it entered service in the Soviet Army in 1932, being massively produced with more than 850 howitzers built. It was deployed to provide fire support in major battles of the Eastern Front, such as the Battle of Stalingrad and Berlin. It would also saw combat action in the Korean War as it was also used by the Chinese Army.
Technical Characteristics
Although it was a towed heavy piece of artillery, the Russian 203 mm howitzer M1931 had an advantage over other howitzers of the same type; it was mounted on converted agricultural tractor tracks, which allow it to be moved across soft terrain, such as snow, without sinking and getting stuck. Fitted with interrupted screw breech type, it fired powerful 100-kg shells to a maximum distance of 18 km. It had a rate of fire of one round every other four minutes, and its muzzle velocity was 610 m/s.
Specifications
Type: Heavy Howitzer
Caliber: 203 mm (8 in)
Weight: 17.7 tons
Barrel Length: 5.087 m
Elevation: 0° to +60°
Traverse: 8°
Below, the same howitzer on display in an open museum in Russia.
Below, the
203-mm Howitzer M1931 B-4 being towed by a military tractor on the snow.
Although it looked like a self-propelled gun from a distance, it was
not the case as it had to be towed to the battlefield.
Below, the front
view of the Soviet 203 mm M1931 abandoned on a dirt road. The photo was
taken by a German officer during Operation Barbarossa.
