The Soviet Personnel and Equipment Resource Database Part IV 2 Chapter IV-2: The Soviet Personnel and Equipment Resource Database In this section the methodology detailed in the Part II ‘The Structure of the 1941 Soviet and Axis Resource Database’ will be used to analyse the weapon systems available to the Red Army and Air Force (VVS) in 1941. Obviously not every single weapon subsystem will be analysed, but all the primary weapons available in the key categories are included. Where several weapon models existed for a particular weapon category, the most common weapon in service over the campaign period is used. For example, in the category of 122mm howitzers, the Soviets had the 122mm M1910/30, 122mm M1909/37 and the new 122mm M1938 (M-30) howitzers in service as divisional artillery. Although the 122mm M1938 (M-30) howitzer became the regular divisional howitzer later in WWII, the vast majority available throughout 1941 were the older 122mm howitzers. Therefore the 122mm M1910/30 is used in the 122mm howitzer category for 1941. There are many publications available on Soviet WWII weapons. In this section we will not attempt to replicate the history and description of these weapons as detailed in many of these works. A brief description is included for readers unfamiliar with some of these weapons. However, we will be taking all the relevant technical data from multiple sources and presenting this here for detailed analysis. All this information is presented in tables Sov Res Database1, 2 and 3. As such, tables Sov Res Database 1, 2 and 3 can be seen as a summary of the huge amount of technical information available on these weapons. Tables Sov Res Database 1, 2 and 3 present the information under three major subheadings, which are: Soviet Non-Mobile Weapon Systems and Squads (Stationary, Towed, or Carried Weapons and Squads), Soviet Land Based Motorised Mobile Fighting Machines (MFMs), and Soviet Aircraft. Sov Res Database 1, 2 and 3 also include the calculations relating to the Overall Combat Power Coefficients (OCPC) and the specific combat attributes for each weapon system or database unit.1 Soviet Light Infantry Weapons Machine Guns The Soviet standard Light Machine Gun (LMG) in WWII was the 7.62mm DP1928 and the standard Medium Machine Gun (MMG) was the old 7.62mm Maxim1910.2 The DP1928 was designed by Vasily A. Degtyarev from 1921 to 1926. It was air cooled, used a gas operated action, a 47 round cylindrical drum magazine and had a cyclic rate of fire of 550 rpm. The DP 1928 was simple to operate, extremely robust and had only six moving parts. In terms of overall firepower it was similar to most magazine fed LMGs of the day, but was an inferior weapon to the British Bren LMG and the German MG34.3 The DP 1928 became the standard Soviet infantry squad LMG from 1928 and remained so during WWII. Sov Res Database 1 reveals an OCPC value for the DP1928 of 5.37, which is 63% of the MG34 value.4 In practical terms this was one of several reasons why Soviet infantry squads (and their Western Allied equivalents) had 1 Refer to Part II-The Structure of the 1941 Soviet and Axis Resource Database, for details on how to calculate a weapon system or squad’s OCPC and its specific combat attributes such as AT, Anti personnel or AA values etc. 2 Note, for the purposes of our study, the 7.62mm Maxim1910 MG is called an MMG, and the 12.7mm DShk 1938 MG a HMG or AAMG. The 12.7mm DshK 1938 HMG is considered under the section on anti aircraft machine guns as this was its primary use in 1941. 3 The Bren guns was a Czechoslovakian design, designated ZB 30 and taken to England in the 1930s. The ZB 30 was redesigned to take British .303 rounds and designated ZB33. The Bren was a direct copy of this weapon. The German MG34 was their standard light squad weapon until the MG42 arrived. As such it is directly comparable to other squad LMGs. However the MG 34 created the term General Purpose MG (GPMG), and some publications classify it as a GPMG or even a HMG, avoiding a direct comparison with other LMGs. 4 Refer Part V, Chapter 2, 1. –‘The German Fully Integrated Land and Air Resource Model-The German Personnel and Equipment Resource Database- German Light Infantry Weapons’. Created by Nigel Askey 1 15/05/2011 Sov FILARM Dbase 1a Sample Only The Soviet Personnel and Equipment Resource Database Part IV 2 considerably less fire power than their German counterparts.5 A modified version of the DP1928, the DT or Degtyarev Tankovii, was mounted in tanks. The DT had a 60 round magazine, a telescopic butt, pistol grip and a heavier barrel which was not quickly changeable. Otherwise its ballistic characteristics were unchanged. The Maxim1910 dated back to a demonstration of the basic design by Hiram Maxim at St Petersburg in 1887. The Tsar’s army used British made Maxims, until production started in 1905 in Russia at the Tula Arsenal. The Model 1910 was basically unchanged except for a corrugated steel jacket replacing the original cast bronze water jacket, enlarging the filler cap and some minor changes to the feed mechanism. The Maxim 1910 was very reliable but was an extremely heavy and cumbersome gun. To assist mobility, the Russians developed a special mounting called the Sokolov mounting. This consisted of a tubular steel trailer with wheels, which enabled two men to pull the gun forward into firing position. Overall the Maxim 1910 was a WWI vintage weapon, inferior to most equivalent weapons by the start of WWII. However, for want of a better weapon and to ensure uninterrupted manufacture, production continued until 1945. The Maxim 1910 remained the most common Soviet MMG until wars end. The data in table Sov Res Database 1 shows that in terms of combat power the Maxim 1910 was very similar to the bipod mounted MG34 LMG and considerably inferior to the tripod mounted MG 34 (72% of the HMG34’s OCPC value). Like the LMG equipped rifle squads, this meant that Soviet MG companies had significantly less firepower than their German equivalents.6 It should be noted however that the Maxim 1910 was comparable to the British Vickers Mk1 and the US water cooled Browning M1917 in most respects, with the exception of the Maxim’s inordinate weight. Small Arms Rifles The standard Soviet bolt action rifle in WWII was the 7.62mm Model 1930G. It is sometimes called the 1891/30 and was based on the Mosin-Nagant Model 1891. The rifle was originally designed by the Belgian Nagant brothers, and modified by Colonel S.I. Mosin. The original 1891 model was a long weapon and was partnered by the slightly shorter ‘Dragoon Rifle’. In 1931 the Soviets introduced the 1930G, which was essentially the Dragoon Rifle with improved sights and design modifications to increase production efficiency. In most respects the Model 1930G rifle was comparable to other countries’ contemporary bolt action rifles. Sub-Machine Guns The predominant Sub-Machine Guns (SMGs) in service with the Red Army in WWII were the 7.62mm PPD 1940G, PPS-42 and the ubiquitous PPSh-1941G. The PPD (Pistolet-Pulyemet Degtyarev) or Machine Pistol designed by Degtyarev, was based on the German Bergmann design of 1928. However production was small by Soviet standards and only lasted from the autumn of 1940 to late 1941. The PPS was designed by A.I. Sudarev, and was also adopted during WWII. It arose out of the besieged city of Leningrad in 1942, and was cheaper and simpler than contemporary Soviet SMGs. However, due to mainly political reasons the weapon never went into mass production and relatively few were made. 5 The superior firepower of the MG34 and MG 42 is very carefully simulated in most sophisticated tactical or tactical/operational level military simulations such as Talonsofts “East Front”, SSIs “Steel Panthers” or HPS Simulations “Tigers on the Prowl”. However, for some mysterious reason this same superiority is ignored in many operational level simulations, and all infantry squads are often treated as equal and generic units. 6 As for LMGs, this difference is carefully simulated in sophisticated tactical or tactical/operational level military simulations and completely underestimated or ignored in many operational level simulations. In this case MMGs and HMGs are treated as generic weapons and any differences are often ignored when the combat values for whole MG Companies or Battalions are ‘calculated’. Created by Nigel Askey 2 15/05/2011 Sov FILARM Dbase 1a Sample Only The Soviet Personnel and Equipment Resource Database Part IV 2 During WWII the Soviets put into service approximately 5 530 000 SMGs, of which approximately 5 000 000 were the famous PPSh-1941G.7 The PPSh (Pistolet-Pulyemet Shpagin) was developed in 1940/41 as a replacement for the PPD, as the PPSh was easier to mass produce. The PPSh was one of the few Soviet small arms which had a higher overall combat power compared to the equivalent German weapon, namely the MP (Maschinenpistole) 38/40. This is reflected in the higher WCPC values for the PPSh-1941G shown in Sov Res Database 1 compared to the MP 38/40 (116% of the MP 38/40 WCPC value). The principal reason that the Soviets produced such huge numbers of SMGs was not specifically to increases the short range firepower of their average rifle squad, although this was the overall result. It was more to ensure that the average rifle man actually had a firearm at all.