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Russian 203mm howitzer tractor


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I remembered seeing a video from the -45 Berlin battle featuring a huge gun mounted on a tractor. After searching the internet I found out it was the "203mm Soviet Howitzer B-4" I had seen. Does anyone have any more info on this one? Here is a picture:

80032.JPG

It was indeed used in Berlin, but I want more info.

Regards,

Heinz

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Name in German use: 20,3 cm H 503/3 ® (or 503/4, 503/5 depending on model)

Calibre: 203,2 mm

Length of gun: (L/25) 5087 mm

Weight: (in 6 loads) 47.590kg or (5 loads) 48.330kg or (5 loads) 52.890 kg

Weight in firing position: 17.700

Elevation: 0/+60

Side: 8 degrees

Vo: 607 m/s

Weight of shell: 100kg

Max range: 18.025 meter

ROF: 1 / 4 minutes

503/3: With large rubber wheels

503/4: With small carriage

504/5: Fully tracked.

M.

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It isn't really mounted on a tractor. Those tracks just give it more stability in the mud. But it can be aimed a little bit by rotating the tracks. It also took 2-3 minutes to reload if i remember right, and it took 3 men on the ramrod. The russians liked to bust bunkers and pillboxes with them.

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There were 6 versions - the first 3 were apparently not used by the Germans, but had German reporting designations H503®, H503/1®, H503/2®.

These 3 had an L22 barrel, the last 3 versions had L25. All used the same ammo except the H503®, which used a slightly lighter shell (98kg vs 100kg for the others).

Weight in action of the first 3 was 15,796 kg(H503®) or 15800 for the other 2, with maximum ranges of 12800 and 16000m respectively.

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