Mortars in the 20th century became an indispensable form of infantry weapons. According to the standard accessories, they, depending on the caliber, are intended to equip units of the company, battalion, regiment and division levels. A unique means of fire destruction was the Cornflower, a mortar capable of firing bursts and, if necessary, performing tasks previously peculiar only to artillery guns.
What is a mortar
In the classical sense, a mortar is a type of weapon that uses a jet stream generated when a buoyant charge ignites. The barrel of this gun sets the direction and initial velocity of a projectile called a mine, which is a feathered munition. The fuse, usually a contact, is located in its front. The mortar design usually includes a removable base plate, bipods, guidance and aiming devices. Again, in the classical sense, loading is carried out immediately before a shot. The mine is fed from the muzzle of the barrel, the capsule located on the rear of the projectile ignites the detonator, leading to the activation of the buoyancy charge.
However, guards Katyushas were also called mortars in the USSR. The Tulip 2C4 system also, despite its clearly howitzer nature, belongs to this class of weapons, although it is often called a self-propelled artillery mount.
In the USSR in 1970, the Cornflower mortar was adopted. A photo of this means of fire destruction of enemy manpower is more likely to be associated with a gun. However, the type and structure of the projectile clearly indicates that it is a mine. The ammunition does not have a sleeve, it is opera. So what is this symbiosis of guns and mortar? And what is it for? What are its advantages?
Mortars and guns
There are several reasons why mortars are widespread, and all of them are important. This type of armament is characterized by relative lightness, simplicity, manifested both in the manufacturability and in service, high striking power and the ability to cover the target from above, directly from the sky, that is, from the direction of least protection. For firing along a hinged trajectory, a howitzer or mortar is used. At the same time, the artillery gun weighs more, is more complex, and costs a large amount to the defense budget. The guns, of course, have their advantages, consisting in increased range, caliber and accuracy, but under certain conditions that arise in battle quite often, these advantages are leveled. The line between two widespread large-caliber weapons of destruction is almost completely erased by the “Cornflower” mortar, a photo of which transparently hints at its “kinship” with guns. Depending on the position of the barrel, it becomes like a mortar, a howitzer, and an ordinary cannon that shoots aggressively. If you add a high rate of fire to this interesting property, then the uniqueness of the weapon becomes obvious.
History of the creation of "Cornflower"
The idea of creating quick-firing mortars arose in the post-war Soviet Union. In 1946, designer V.K. Filippov proposed using the recoil energy to reload a gun charged from the breech. This technical solution in itself is not new, except for the important point that it was applied to the mortar, and not to the rapid-firing gun. Filippov's work was successful; in 1955, the KAM product was adopted by the Soviet Army. It was intended for use in stationary conditions (casemates and long-term fortifications) and was a high-speed automatic mortar. Four years later, a field version of KAM was prepared and tested, which received the name F-82. For reasons that are not clear today, this sample was not put into production. In 1967, after some refinement, it was nevertheless adopted by the state commission. According to the tradition established by artillerymen, he received the delicately floral name "Cornflower". An 82-mm automatic mortar could fire at a rate of 100 rds / min. at a rate of fire of 170 shots. The difference in these two figures is due to the time required to reload the cassettes.
Modification "M"
Several years of operation in the army allowed engineers to conclude that water cooling of the barrel can be eliminated. The massive casing, which prevents overheating at a high rate of fire, was removed, the wall thickness was increased in the central part, providing the surface with fins that improve the conditions of heat transfer and act as an air cooling radiator. In all other respects, it was the same “Cornflower”. The mortar began to be called 2B9M (modified), outwardly it is easy to distinguish it from the previous version by the ribbed barrel. As subsequent practice showed, this technical solution was justified, especially for desert conditions in which troops lack water.
What can “Cornflower”
The classic mortar suffers from a serious design flaw. The recoil energy causes the displacement of the entire system due to soil deformation and mechanical stress on the trunk. After each shot, the calculation is forced to adjust the parameters and actually carry out the aiming again. The mortar device "Cornflower" allows you to use the recoil energy to feed a new projectile into the barrel. Hydroshock absorbers located around the trunk serve to absorb its excess. As a result, the accuracy of hits remains high when firing a burst. The clip contains four mines.
Universality of application
One of the advantages of "Cornflower" is its versatility. You can shoot from it in different ways.
2B9 can be used as a regular mortar, in which case it is loaded from the barrel. But the main difference of the gun is its ability to shoot like an ordinary gun with a minimum and even negative (up to 1 °) elevation angle. For firing in the "mortar" mode, three types of charges can be used, with the artillery method the ammunition is unified. There are two modes: automatic and single.
Ammunition
The 3B01 fragmentation round serves as a standard ammunition for which the 120-mm Cornflower mortar is designed. Its action is fragmentation, but in addition to it, other types of charges are provided, including cumulative, designed to destroy armored vehicles.
The charge includes, in addition to the six-feather mine O-832DU, the main powder charge Zh-832DU. At an initial speed of 272 m / s, it provides a range of destruction from 800 to 4270 m. The mass of projectile ammunition is 3100 grams, fragments are formed at break up to six hundred, each weighs more than a gram. The radius of the continuous defeat is 18 meters.
In addition to the main powder charge, designed to give the initial speed to the mine and fixed in its tail, additional ones are also used. The decision on their use is made by the calculation commander, having determined the purpose for which the Cornflower mortar will fire. The firing range depends on the choice of additional throwing charges. They are long cloth cases containing explosives, covering the tail of the projectile in front of the stabilizer ring and fastened with a regular button fastener. Their power is determined by the number - from 1 to 3.
Mobility Aids
The 82-mm mortar "Cornflower" weighs 622 kg, so a special machine is used to transport it. As such, an adapted GAZ-66, which is designated 2F54, is usually used. The gun on the march is in the back; in special cases (during an urgent change of position or other sudden situations) towing is allowed. The calculation consists of four people (commander, gunner, loader and driver-carrier).
The success of the design has repeatedly encouraged engineers in different countries to attempt to create an automatic self-propelled mortar. The Cornflower was mounted on the MT-LB crawler chassis in the USSR and Hungary, and some craftsmen in the countries of the Middle East still mount it on the powerful American Army SUVs Hammer.
How to shoot from Cornflower
The standard carriage is as light as possible, it looks like a regular cannon, the design includes a pallet and a bed. The transfer to a combat state leads to the fact that the wheels rise above the ground, and the jack and the bed with divorced openers serve as a support. Automatic mortar "Cornflower" can be raised or lowered, depending on the conditions of fire. The maximum height of the barrel in the lower position is 78 °, in the upper 85 °. In case of mounted shooting with a steepness exceeding 40 °, in order to avoid damage to mechanisms from impacts to the ground, a recess is required to be dug under the back plate. Small elevation angles are used to aim the barrel at armored targets. In this position, the 82-mm mortar "Cornflower" is used as a light anti-tank gun with a short range, but it is very powerful.
For direct fire, a panoramic sight is provided, on which the standard optics (PAM-1) changes in this case. The guidance equipment also includes a Luch-PM2M lighting fixture designed for firing at night.
Combat use
The first serious battle test for 2B9 was the Afghan war. Features of operations conducted in the mountains revealed the potential of the weapons under consideration in full. Its versatility and ability to hit hidden targets, combined with mobility, earned the respect that the Cornflower enjoyed in the troops. The mortar was often installed on lightly armored MT-LB transporters, which made it possible to quickly leave positions after a couple of bursts without waiting for return fire. At the same time, some design flaws became clear. In particular, the mine cassette did not always fall into its regular place, and to send it a heavy blow with a hammer was always required, which was always at hand at the loader.
In general, the automatic mortar proved to be good. It was also used in many armed conflicts that arose on the territory of the former USSR, in particular in both Chechen wars.
Specifications
Currently, there is no secret information about how the mortar "Cornflower" is arranged. His characteristics also lost the secrecy stamp due to the wide distribution of this weapon around the world.
Guidance mechanisms are simplified as much as possible and are built on screw nodes. Manual rotation of the collars provides horizontal guidance within 60 ° and vertical from -1 ° to 85 ° (with the jack fully raised). The maximum radius of combat defeat is 4.7 km. The barrel is smooth, the rotation of the mine provides six feathers of the tail, which have a slope relative to the longitudinal axis. The cassette is designed for four charges. The standard ammunition contains 226 min. The total mass of the equipped car exceeds six tons. It moves along the highway at a speed of 60 km / h, cross country - 20 km / h. The system is brought into combat position according to the standard for one and a half minutes.
Foreign Cornflowers
The design of the gun is simple, original and technologically advanced. He has no analogues in the world, although these samples are now produced in the People's Republic of China. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the People's Republic of China acquired a license for the manufacture of "Type 99 guns" - the name "Cornflower" in the Middle Kingdom. The mortar was released in gigantic circulation, and now it can be seen and heard in various regions of the planet, engulfed in the flames of war.
Data on whether the "Cornflowers" are in service with the Russian Army is currently not available. Most likely, they have already been replaced by more advanced models.