76.2mm Divisional Gun ZIS-3
2009-02-20
Posted by: badanov
Look at the total package. A light gun made and used by the Red Army during WWII, used primarily as the main divisional direct fire support for the standard maneuver rifle division.
This beauty had a range of seven miles, an incredible distance for a light piece. The gun was so reliable, easy to maintain,that it was usually the only fire support available outside of the main artillery concentrations the Soviets used on major offensive, those deployed at the GHQ level.
This work of art was also used as an antitank gun, but was usually only deployed in army and front level units, usually in large artillery brigades which included 45mm antitank gun, a far more common antitank gun for the Red Army in WWII.
The Germans called this gun used in the antitank role, the "Crash Boom" owing to the sound it made on firing, with the sound of the report following the sound of the hit.
Large antitank artillery regiments/brigades were generally the fire brigade of the army/front, pun intended. They were deployable in instances which the commander needed a brick wall to be put up rapidly to block an enemy maneuver/thrust.
Artillerists in these units were aware of the importance of their deployment and mission because it usually meant a lot of them were not coming back.
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