The state of coastal artillery in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century, as in all subsequent years, was kept in a state of strict secrecy. In particular, this factor was associated with the fact that these guns were originally required to be invisible. Both the monarchist and the Soviet coastal artillery were located in special zones into which ordinary people simply did not have access. At that time, huge battleships and cruisers were put in the forefront, which immediately attracted the eyes with their dimensions, but in terms of longitude they could not compete with coastal batteries. This article will describe the history of coastal artillery of Russia in the 20th century, its condition and the most famous models used.
Historical reference
The coastal artillery guns in Russia began to be used quite early, however, their real story begins only in 1891. It was then that the production of new models of batteries with long trunks, which are the most modern model. With their effectiveness, they completely replaced the old guns, and therefore began to have predominant importance as coastal systems.
The history of coastal artillery is inextricably linked with the history of the Russian fleet, but at the same time its organization and activities were quite far removed from it. They obeyed exclusively to the Main Artillery Directorate, which undoubtedly had a number of both positive and negative sides. The first exception to this rule was made only in 1912, when the fortress of Peter the Great, protecting the Gulf of Finland, was transferred under the authority of the Maritime Department.
USSR coastal artillery
After the October Revolution and the coming to power of the Soviets, all coastal batteries were transferred under the direct command of the Red Army, and only in 1925 they passed into the power of the head of the Naval Forces. However, such development took a relatively short time - all work in this area by order of the head of the country Nikita Khrushchev on the installation of coastal artillery of Russia was stopped in 1957. After that, a gradual dismantling of the systems began, in rare cases they were simply canned. Even the photos of coastal artillery of those years, as well as numerous documentation on this issue, were simply destroyed or lost.
This system began a new round of development only in 1989, when coastal troops were allocated in the forces of the Navy . At present, all coastal artillery is precisely under the control of this department.
Used guns
During its heyday, the coastal defense system boasted numerous, very effective guns of different capacities. Below we will talk about the most famous and widely used coastal artillery guns, which have gained popularity not only in Russia, but also in other countries of the world.
Cane guns
The real sensation after its appearance in 1891 was made by the guns of the Kane system. They laid the foundation for a new era, capturing not only coastal artillery, but also naval artillery. During their dominance, they were widely furnished with various cruisers, such as the Varyag, Potemkin, and even the Aurora. This gun was the first sample 6 "gun with a long barrel, fast shutter and cartridge charge, which not only made it possible to quickly reload it, but also sharply increased the accuracy and armor-piercing of the gun.
This gun was invented in France, but the Russian delegation did not order weapons from another country, but only acquired a sample of drawings. Soon their production began. In total, by decree of Emperor Nicholas II, 1 gun 6 "/ 50 was created, but it did not show sufficient efficiency, so it was ordered to return to the 6" / 45 system, as indicated in the drawings.
In total, such a tool consisted of 3 parts: a coupling, a casing and a barrel. It fired shells larger than a meter and weighing 43 kg. The gun was widely used until the end of the 40s of the 20th century.
Modernization No. 194
In 1926, the Artillery Directorate ordered the modernization of Kane guns. Their main requirement was a sharp increase in the elevation angle - it was additionally required to increase it by another 60 degrees. This would help the coastal artillery to learn anti-aircraft shooting, but could not do this.
However, instead of this, LMZ presented a prototype of gun No. 194. Surprisingly, during the tests, despite the fact that neither the accuracy nor the rate of fire of the gun were found out, it was nevertheless accepted for production. It continued to be modernized for several more years, since the Kane guns were noticeably outdated. Experience has shown that updating them was impossible in practice, so it was urgently needed to create a fundamentally new coastal artillery according to new canons. In total, 281 different models were created for the Kane gun, none of which could fully satisfy the wishes of the military.
Coastal guns 10 "in 45 klb
In addition to the Kane guns, in the 90s of the 19th century, coastal guns of 254 mm, that is 10 "/ 45, were taken into service. They were intended solely to protect the coast. In particular, this is due to 2 factors: the fear of any artillery committee innovations and the adoption of such cannons in the navy.At that time, in the Russian navy, unlike the western one, they preferred to use physical force to aim guns and supply ammunition rather than electric drives.
Unfortunately, in practice, such guns showed that their installation was noticeably late for at least a decade. At that time, the western battleships became noticeably more massive, like the guns used on them. Such technical illiteracy of higher military personnel led to subsequent defeats.
However, even in the very structure of the cannon of the generals, conservatism failed. They set out to create a fundamentally new gun and carriage, dramatically different from the naval. In the end, a system with a rolling machine was created, which is structurally outdated even more. All this led to the fact that work on them was suspended, but, surprisingly, a few years later again resumed. Thus, in coastal artillery, guns began to be used, which had numerous shortcomings. Their main range was installed in Port Arthur. Similar guns, followed by a number of upgrades, were used until 1941.
Shore guns 120/50 mm
It was the loss in the Russo-Japanese War that showed the need to update the existing coastal artillery, which led to the appearance of new 120/50 mm guns. This whole war led to the enrichment of a group of fraudsters associated with the Grand Dukes of the Romanovs. One of them was Bazil Zakharov. It was he who sold more than 20 Vickers guns for 120/50 mm. His use during the war was not, and simply could not be. Gradually, after a series of transportations, they settled in Kronstadt. Initially, they began to put them on ships, like the newly built Rurik, so their production began. It is not clear why, but the military department also placed a large order for coastal artillery. These guns were distinguished by excellent ballistics, but their caliber was too small to deliver a significant blow to cruisers or battleships. However, due to their low weight in coastal defense and ground forces, they gained noticeable popularity during the First World War.
Gun 6 "/ 52
This gun was originally built as an improved version of the Kane guns with better ballistics and increased rate of fire. They began to produce them only in 1912 in order to be able to shoot with different shells - HE, armor-piercing and even shrapnel. At the perfect stage of their construction, they could effectively resist the battleships during World War II, but their production, despite the fact that the prototype proved to be the most ideal coastal installation in the whole world, could not be completed. Their production was discontinued in 1917, after which they never returned to the issue of completion. Thus, due to mismanagement, one of the best coastal guns was lost.
Single Equipment Outdoor Installations
In addition to cannons, open installations were also used as coastal artillery. Of these, the 12 ”/ 52 installation was most popular. The carriage design was in many ways similar to the ship's machines installed on the battleship“ Sevastopol. ” In its finished form, after delivery they could well be called ersatz installations for wartime. Perhaps this is why they They used it even during the Second World War.The most famous battery - "Mirus" - showed its combat effectiveness until the end of the war, after which it was given to the British.
Three-gun tower installations
By 1954, three-gun installations appeared in coastal artillery. Their design began in 1932, after which many modernizations were undertaken, which were to create an effective system. However, they were able to bring it to mind only after the appearance of a gun-guided radar called "Volley-B". This significantly improved accuracy, as well as significantly expand the capabilities of the entire installation. In the end, they were handed over to Ukraine in 1996, since they had largely lost their constructive novelty and could not bring a good result.
Super Long Range Guns
Back in 1918, experienced artillery experts tried to create an ultra-long range firing system. However, during the formation of the Soviet Union, it was not possible to create fundamentally new systems, so their task was charged with making special shells. For the first time, a significant result was shown only in 1924, when a centner charge was built, which could fly at a speed of 1250 m / s. However, he had one major flaw - large dispersion. After that, it was constantly modified in order to remove the existing shortcomings, but until the war it was not possible to achieve a result. After that, for a short period, development was forgotten and resumed only in 1945. Captured German designers made a breakthrough, creating the easiest and cheapest installation option. Even at the moment, most of the drawings created at that time on this issue are secret.
In addition to the above guns and installations, a large number of models were used in coastal artillery, some with success, but many were unsuccessful. At the present stage of development, the coastal guard system continues to develop, since it is one of the most important agendas in the Navy.