Now we go through the halls that are devoted to the Soviet
period.
I skipped the Engineers' Hall, but in return devoted quite a lot of
attention to the rockets.
We start with the armoured car that we
also saw at the end of the previous album. Here it's shown from the
other side, where one sees the inscription "An enemy of capital".
This
is actually an exhibit from both the pre-revolutionary and the Soviet
period, as it witnessed the most important revolutionary action.
The engine assembled at the Putilov Factory and was called
"Austin-50". It is equipped with two machine-guns of the "Maksim"-type.
A flag from the 1920s or early 1930s.
Rockets developed in the USSR by the GIRD
group (the Group for Research on Reactive Movement). The group was
formed in 1931, and was headed by S.P. Korolev. Afterwards, GIRDs were
created in other cities of the USSR, and everyone who wanted to could
participate. Only educated specialists were admitted to the industrial
GIRD groups.
To the extreme right is the rocket 07 (the engine runs on
liquid oxygen and kerosene, the tanks are placed in the rocket's
stabilisers, and that is why they are this large and displaced at their
ends). To the extreme left is the 09 rocket (on liquid oxygen and petrol
mixed with rosin). The rocket weighs 19 kilos; its thrust is
approximately 37 kilos.
All the rockets are experimental: different ideas and fuels were
tried out on them. The liquid reactor engine was first tried out in the
USSR. The height of flight varied between 0 and a few kilometres.
Later, GIRD and GDL (the Leningrad Gas Dynamic Laboratory, about
which there is a museum in the Peter and Paul Fortress) were merged into
RNII (the Reactive Science Research Institute).
A hall about the Great Fatherland War
1941-45.
The inscription on the closest flag reads:
"DEATH OVER THE GERMAN
INVADERS
16TH GUARDS MORTAR
BRIGADE
OF THE RED BANNER KUTUZOV ORDER
VM-24"
I cannot say in what year shoulder straps
like these were introduced. Probably during or after the war.
Shoulder straps in general were reintroduced in 1943 (they were
abolished after the Revolution in 1917, because of their associations
with the soldiers of the Tsar's Army).
I remark that the reforms haven't really
touched upon this museum, and accordingly, they haven't reconsidered the
pre-Revolutionary and especially the Soviet period of arms development.
Because of this, if you haven't been there yet, I recommend that you
visit as soon as possible.
An anti-tank navigational rocket from the
rocket complex "the Flute". As far as I understand, it is navigated
through the wire one sees at its end.
The transparent "windows" are
made, of course, to make it easier to inspect.
"Launching installation for the 2P4, with
the rocket ZR2 from the tactical rocket complex 2K4 "Filin", which was
taken into the arms equipment in 1957.
Head constructor: N.P. Mazurov,
NII-1 GKOT (MIT MOP).
Maximum firing range 24.7 kms.
The artillery section of the installation is placed on the base of the
self-propelled artillery installation ISU-152K.
Maximum speed 42 km/h, with a rocket, 30 km/h.
The mass of the launching installation is 40 tonnes. Takes 5 persons.
The rocket is a single-step, based on gunpowder, and turns around itself
during flight.
Calibre (diameter of the body): 61.2 centimetres.
Calibre of the nuclear arms section 85.0 centimetres.
The start mass of the rocket is 4930 kilos, while the mass of the arms
section is 1200 kilos."
"The rocket R2 (8Zh38)
The second model
of the national ballistic rocket. Taken into the arms equipment in 1951.
Developed in SKB NII-88 under the leadership of the head constructor
S.P. Korolev.
Compared to the R1 rocket (8A11) it works according to the radio
correction principle, which increases the firing precision in the side
direction. It has a headpiece that separates after the fuel has burned
out, and it carries a fuel tank, and has a range that is more than two
times that of the R1."
The same rocket, from the nozzle end. One
can see the fuel handle bars.
"Basic characteristics:
Year of entry into arms equipment: 1951.
Firing range: 200-600 km.
Length of rocket: 17.8 m.
Maximum diameter: 1.85 m.
Stabilisator sweep: 3.65 m.
Mass of the inserted rocket: 20.42 tonnes.
Mass of the explosive matter: 1908 kg."
The fuel is spirits, oxidised with liquid oxygen.
Liquid reactor engines from this or a
similar rocket.
"The anti-aircraft navigational rocket
9M311 from the anti-aircraft cannon-rocket complex "TUNGUSK", taken into
the arms equipment range in 1982.
Head constructor of the complex: A.G. Shigunov
Head constructor of the rocket: V.M. Kuznetsov, KBP Minoboronprom.
Intended for firing against low-flying items in an aerial attack with a
speed of up to 500 m/s.
Defeat zone with modifications:
In height: from 0.015 to 3.5 km.
In distance: from 2.5 to 8 km.
Probability of defeat of one rocket, 0.56 to 0.9. This is a solid fuel,
double calibre (76-152 mm), two-step rocket.
Rocket mass 42 kg, munitions mass 9 kg.
The rocket is launched from the anti-aircraft self-propelled launcher
2C6 with 8 launchers (for 8 rockets).
I know that some acquire great pleasure
from seeing this picture.
The lenses to the left are apparently for
the placement system's tellers (on warmth).
To the right are micro schemes in cases that were widespread in military
equipment during the Soviet period. The round one is an operational
booster or amplifier, to the right in a ceramic case (with golden feet
:) something clearly digital.
Everything is covered in varnish, so that it cannot be destroyed by
vibrations.
"The anti-aircraft navigational rocket
9M330 from the anti-aircraft complex 9K330 "TOR", which was taken into
the arms equipment in 1986.
Head constructor of the complex was V.P. Efremov, NIEMI.
Head constructor of the rocket was P.D. Grudin, MKB Fakel.
Intended for anti-aircraft defence from attacks with high-precision
weapons (VTO), navigational and anti-location rockets, navigational air
bombs, airplanes, helicopters, winged rockets, distance piloted flying
devices, with a speed of up to 700 m/s.
Defeat range with
modifications:
In height: from 0.01 to 6 km,
In distance: from 1.5 to 12 km (VTOs up to 6 km).
Probability of defeat with one rocket: 0.4 to 0.9. This is a
one-step, solid fuel rocket. The rocket's mass is 165 kg, and the
munitions part's mass is 15 kg. The rocket is launched from the arms
engine 9A330, which takes 8 rockets."
In general, it is effective against "humanitarian operations" from
the "world community" :)
Well, this is it.
With this we conclude
our short excursion of the Museum of the Artillery, Engineers and
Signallers.
I think that at least you have a general idea about this museum by
now.
