Combat survivability of the tank estimated time. Military pensioners for Russia and its armed forces

The life of a tank in modern combat ...

... ranges from 0.1 seconds to 12 minutes according to "perfectly reliable information". And for this very reason, the tank does not need durable ones [here you can insert any part of the tank and its crew, if we are talking about it].

It's just a stupid saying. Bike. They invented it for table bragging. Say, we are such brave kamikaze, on the verge of death, but we do not lead at all, and even are proud. And that’s exactly what you need to raise for this ... There is nothing wrong with such bragging - men have always done this and are doing it, it just strengthens their morale.

But for some reason, many take it seriously and try to draw conclusions about the device military equipment. Don't do it like this :) I'll explain in a simple way why it's not necessary.

Here you have an ordinary tank battalion of 30 combat tanks. And he enters the very "modern war". Let's immediately discard the option where a battalion is struck with a nuclear strike with a megaton warhead. There are not so many warheads, they will not be spent on every little thing. Also, we will not consider the brave (and suicidal) attack of the BT-7 tanks on the dug-in Acht-acht division.

Let it be a normal war. As in the 44th or as it appears today. A normal full-fledged modern army against a comparable one.

Our battalion will first make marches, concentrate somewhere, march again, go to lines, go to other lines ... But sooner or later it will join the battle. Let's say that the full complement. It doesn't matter if they are in whole or in separate platoons attached to someone. AND?

And a comparable enemy will inflict heavy losses on him - a third irretrievable or under factory repair. These are very heavy losses. It will still remain a battalion, but already with greatly weakened capabilities. If the losses were 50%, then we would be talking about a defeated battalion, the rest would be about a company. And if even more, then this is a destroyed battalion.

Why do we need such gradations? - And then that you would like to achieve the goals and maintain the combat capability of your strike unit. It is unlikely that you will want to lose him for the sake of these goals - the war will not end by the evening. And will your goals be achieved if the battalion is defeated or destroyed in the process? Therefore, you will not send your battalion to such a whore. Or take him while you still have him, in case of unpleasant surprises. Therefore, a third of losses is the upper limit of losses in a “normal” “modern” battle.

OK. And the rear service works great for us and replenishes the lost materiel with just a fly. In a week you have ten brand new tanks - the composition has been restored. And you are going to a new severe battle.

Just don't think that the battles are so intense that you lose a third of your equipment and l / s can be daily. It's not Kursk Bulge we have? Yes, and in this way any division will last three days. No, if, nevertheless, the Kursk Bulge, then it is possible. But that was not the case there either. Some division disappeared as a factor in one day, others went the next day, and already everything was not so sad with them. You can’t attack enemy positions again and again every day with huge losses with the same troops. So in three attacks your army will end and you will have to stop this business. Or you still break the adversary, and then catch up, finish off, trophies ...

Briefly speaking. A hard fight every week is a very big exaggeration, but let's say, let's say.

So, we will lose 10 tanks again. Of these, 6.7 will be from the initial, and 3.3 from the replenishment. We bring new ones again and again lose a third in another week. Well, another iteration. Here's what comes out.

After a month of fierce fierce battles, the battalion has tanks with a service life of:

- 4 weeks - 6 pieces,

- 3 weeks - 3 pieces,

- 2 weeks - 4 pieces,

- 1 week - 7 pieces,

- new - 10 pieces.

Purely mathematically, the oldest tanks will never run out. And all the equipment will be on average and mostly old. And it will be necessary to fight on it until the exhaustion of the motor resource of the engine and transmission, and after their field replacement, and until the resource of the gun barrel is exhausted. That is, everything there must be strong, durable, maintainable, and the crews must be trained.

Although everyone knows for sure that the lifetime of a tank in modern combat ...

Some features of modern combat are discussed in the article "The nature of the future battlefield", published on the REX website. It briefly describes the main points of armed struggle, both in large-scale war and in internal armed conflicts.

Sergey Kanchukov

Some features of modern combat are discussed in the article http://www..html "The nature of the future battlefield", published on the REX website. It briefly describes the main points of armed struggle, both in large-scale war and in internal armed conflicts.

This article considers two directions in the development of modern combat, including the "Struggle of arms" and "Struggle of people". These two types of modern combat in the foreseeable present and future will determine the very nature of the armed struggle and the means that will participate in it.

The main meaning of all the proposals outlined in the article is that the saturation of modern combat with high-precision weapons, the improvement of the arsenal of anti-tank weapons that have become common mass weapons, the conduct of modern real combat in most cases by remote means, requires an adequate response. The development of protection systems for armored vehicles, using active and passive schemes, in modern conditions already provides insufficient protection for armored vehicles, including tanks. Perhaps the development of science will make it possible to create more reliable protection systems based on laser or other technology, but these will be the same active-passive methods. We propose already now to expand the arsenal of protective equipment used by all armored vehicles participating in the battle, and based on the impact not only on the carriers of the means intended to destroy armored objects, but also on the ammunition that these means or weapon systems use. This method is partially implemented in the Zaslon complex and improved in the Shtandart and Afganit KAZ complexes, which should be installed on the promising Armata. These are complexes of the near border, one might say, direct protection. And it is also necessary to develop and implement long-range complexes, which make it possible to destroy both the carriers and the ammunition itself at the maximum range of the weapon's reach. Now, attack helicopters can launch a missile at a tank in the “fire-and-forget” system from a distance of 15 km, without entering the detection zone and the zone of destruction of armored vehicle weapon systems. And relying only on the tank's existing short-range defense systems would be a mistake.

These are defensive complexes. But each armored object must also have offensive systems that allow it to successfully deal with the entire range of active military equipment capable of participating in combat. To this end, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of operating armament of armored vehicles through several independent target channels.

The article http://www..html "Armored vehicles (MRAP) - a look at the present and future in the Russian army" considers the requirements for armored vehicles used mainly in internal armed conflicts and in the course of post-crisis settlement, after the active phase of hostilities. In this article, we will consider some of the requirements that must be taken into account in the development and combat use of the main armament. ground forces- tanks.

New approaches to the composition and combat capabilities of armored vehicles will require changes in the tactics of combat use, in the structure of military organisms, and in combat regulations. All this will only increase combat capabilities, both individual samples of equipment, and military organization generally.

SOME QUESTIONS OF THE TACTICS OF THE FUTURE COMBAT

The combat use of armored vehicles is based on the provisions of tactics developed by military science, tested during exercises and confirmed directly in combat operations. And on the basis of the conclusions obtained during the development of tactics for combat use, the basic requirements for the samples of armored vehicles themselves are being worked out.

The first feature of modern combat is that today, when the intensity of the use of precision weapons carriers, when used, the probability of hitting armored objects located in a certain defense area increases, or in the course of performing another combat mission, the smallest tactical unit (platoon), which must protect itself from most weapons, comes to the fore. With the capabilities of individual ammunition declared by industry and manufacturers to hit targets with a probability of 0.8-0.9, the classical structure of tactical units (battalion, company, platoon) needs to be revised, which means that the requirements for armored vehicles must also be reviewed.

In order to protect the equipment of a tactical unit such as a platoon, with the current organizational approach, the corresponding commander does not have sufficient capabilities. This means that the enemy is able, using the WTO, to destroy each platoon separately, and then transfer efforts to a higher level.

THE APPEARANCE OF A PERSPECTIVE BATTLE TANK

In the land component, regardless of the scale of formations, armored weapons form the basis of its combat capabilities. A tank is a very effective means of fighting enemy tanks, provided that it is superior to the latter in efficiency, or at least not inferior to them. To increase the combat effectiveness of tanks, armor protection alone is no longer enough, even with active and passive dynamic protection. A modern tank lacks not only reconnaissance equipment, but also other combat capabilities - anti-personnel, artillery, anti-aircraft. Constant support by aviation and helicopters is needed, which cannot always and in all cases be provided. New approaches are needed to solve these problems in order to effectively firepower tanks themselves was fully implemented.

A tank is a universal means capable of not only being at the forefront of attack, in the first line of attacking or defending troops, but also with its fire, direct fire to fight the entire range of targets involved in modern combat, both in large-scale war and in armed conflict. Due to the fact that the tank has heavy armor, it is reliably protected from most weapons, and can perform its main task - fighting enemy tanks, can hit any other armored and unarmored objects, as well as fight enemy manpower. With the necessary range of ammunition, a modern tank can also fight enemy helicopters.

But first, let's briefly dwell on those main points that still require the creation of a new tank, and not the modernization of the old one. However, modernization, if it is carried out according to new requirements, may bring existing tanks closer to those combat vehicles that the army needs today and tomorrow.

Existing tanks were created according to the concept of battle, when it was necessary to find approaches to increase their combat effectiveness on the battlefield, in comparison with the enemy. At that time, the tactics of the combat use of tanks was based on the tactics of the last war, on their massive use in battle, despite possible heavy losses, and the simultaneous possibility of their mass reproduction by industry. From these approaches, the development conditions and restrictions on subsequent modernization were dictated:

Low silhouette, to make it difficult to hit the tank at long and medium distances, allowing them to quickly approach a short distance and fire more shots at the enemy due to the automatic or loading mechanism;

Mass limitation due to the lack of a more powerful engine, which means a decrease in the maneuverability of the tank, as conceived by the developers, allowing the tank to maneuver on the battlefield and get away from aimed fire;

Weak survivability of the gun, designed for a short life of the tank, until it is disabled or destroyed on the battlefield;

The lack of a complete range of necessary ammunition to carry out a combat mission, but this is already connected with military science, which has not developed new tactics for use and does not take into account both our and combat experience in using tanks in various armed conflicts;

Insufficient training of crews, inability in such a reduced (three people) composition to perform combat missions with high quality for a long time;

Limited interior installation space modern systems weapons;

Limited in increasing the quality of the reservation, both in terms of weight and the capabilities of the existing chassis;

The practical impossibility of improving the ergonomics of a combat vehicle by building up various equipment, and many others.

In modern combat, there are already systems, in particular, our corrective ammunition of the Centimeter type, which the Ministry of Defense abandoned, allowing the tank to hit an enemy object without being in the field of view of its reconnaissance and surveillance systems. Determining the location of the object can be carried out by means of the UAV equipment installed on each combat vehicle, with the transfer of the coordinates of the target to the tank control system. The production of a shot and the illumination of the target in the final section of the projectile's flight path, and this is a fraction of a second, can already occur automatically.

The development of science does not stand still, having frozen at the turn of the 60s, but is moving forward, which means that even now in the SLA it is possible to implement the principle: discovered - made a decision.

What discovered- this is, through the equipment on board the tank, the entire situation on the battlefield is revealed (where the equipment is to be squeezed into the existing tank), and displayed on the monitor of the commander and gunner. The MSA independently determines the threats to the tank, by both recognizing silhouettes and determining their combat characteristics that threaten the tank, and automatically determining the most vulnerable places in the object and the type of ammunition that needs to be used. In addition, the SOU of the tank receives information from other combat facilities and systems conducting reconnaissance of the battlefield. A mandatory feature of this FCS is that the decision made by the tank commander or gunner is displayed on the monitor (sight) screen, for example, by highlighting the target in a different color, all other participants in the battle, to distribute objects between the system (unit). This allocation is made automatically, and an adjacent tank or other fighting machine the system will no longer be able, without the intervention of the crew, to fire at this object if the decision is made almost simultaneously. Thus, full coverage of exposed targets and their distribution for destruction is achieved. Crew intervention is required in cases where it is necessary to hit an object from an ambush, or there are no other objects, or in other necessary cases.

What He has made a decision- this is when the vehicle commander or gunner decided to hit a specific target specific system weapons, and brought the mark of the sight to the target target. It is possible that in the future the system will allow simply pointing at a target with a stylus or an arbitrary object, or pointing at a target by turning the head by outputting information to a helmet-mounted system, and the OMS will carry out independent guidance. Automation independently calculates the required lead, elevation angle, sight mark and aims the gun at the most vulnerable spot of the target in accordance with the ammunition selected by the system, and fires a shot. With such capabilities of the SLA, there is no need to carefully point the sight at the target, to keep the mark of the sight at the aiming point until the shot is fired. After the shot, the system automatically determines the result of the shot, taking into account the countermeasures of the target discovered by the system, determining the degree of impact of the projectile on the target, the degree of damage, and gives the result for a second or additional decision. In the case of a guaranteed hit of the target, determined both visually by the crew and the FCS, on the monitor of the sight, the target is painted in the color of hitting the target and remains there either until the entire situation is reset or until the exit from the combat area, or at the command of the tank commander forcibly.

This is a semi-automatic, and in the future the machine should independently perform all the functions associated with the use of the main weapon against armored vehicles capable of inflicting a significant defeat on the tank itself. The rest of the tank's weapons will require the participation of the crew in their use for a long time only because modern combat is multifaceted in nature, and only human intelligence is able to cover the entire process and make the only right decision.

This is only a small part of what the tank's weapon control system should provide in modern combat conditions. In order for the remaining criteria to correspond to modern combat, it is necessary new tank, but as far as possible with the maximum use of existing developments.

The appearance of the new tank should allow you to create a system that allows you to surpass existing models and be able to create a complex of weapons systems for modern combat on its basis. In modern combat, a tank should be able to simultaneously perform several combat, command and fire missions:

1. The ability to conduct combat operations in any climatic conditions, at any time of the day and in any theater of operations;

2. The ability to carry out automatic reception without the participation of the crew and simultaneous transmission to the control network of the unit of information obtained with the help of personal reconnaissance equipment, and receive relevant information from interacting and higher systems;

3. The ability to carry out radio exchange in a covert control mode between armored objects, inside and with other units, between objects participating in the battle;

4. To carry out the fight against enemy tanks with the main weapon at all ranges of line of sight, in any weather conditions, time of day, and out of line of sight, through the use of high-precision guided munitions, with mini UAV target illumination;

5. To carry out the fight against medium and lightly armored enemy targets at all ranges using both main and auxiliary weapons;

6. To carry out the fight against enemy infantry, sheltered in structures, trenches, buildings and structures, at ranges of actual fire, using both main and auxiliary weapons;

7. Fight against low-flying enemy aircraft at maximum range and helicopters using guided anti-tank weapons on their personal defense;

8. Destroy long-term firing structures and buildings adapted for defense at short and medium ranges with fire from a gun;

9. To blind the enemy with smoke shells at all ranges;

10. Resist, through the built-in active and passive protection the impact of all ammunition and anti-tank missiles from all angles of their use, including when exposed to the upper hemisphere;

11. Oppose used ammunition of all calibers and guided missiles by influencing them with tank weapon systems, while having four independent channels of fire;

12. Resist the explosion and detonation of ammunition from the impact of anti-tank mines and land mines.

A feature of this proposal is that the tank crew should consist of four servicemen: tank commander; gunner; driver mechanic; charging. Why four people, and not three, as it is now. Despite the fact that this tank should have a loading mechanism of a certain design, which is described below, each crew member has his own duties in the tank, and shifting them onto the shoulders of others, artificially reducing the crew, entails only a decrease in the combat effectiveness of the tank and its systems. This is the limitation of the tank's fire capabilities to one full-fledged system, one target channel (cannon + coaxial machine gun). This is the fatigue of the crew in battle, and the limited perception of the entire battlefield by them, due to the inability to simultaneously monitor in different directions. This is the need to perform minimal maintenance of tank systems in between battles (refueling, loading ammunition, maintenance of weapons, reconnaissance systems, surveillance, etc.). Yes, and serving to protect your tank requires the allocation of time, and an additional soldier only increases the possibilities for the restoration of the crew and its readiness to effectively use the super-complex and super-expensive equipment.

The layout of the new tank divides the internal volume into protected zones and includes:

Control compartment, protected from the front by an armor insert of at least 1200-1500 mm, and from the sides by side armor plates of the hull, fuel tanks and an internal armor wall, and side screens are additional side armor;

The fighting compartment, consisting in the upper hemisphere of an enlarged tank turret and an armored compartment in the tank hull, connected to the control compartment when the gun is in the stowed position (forward);

Storage compartment for the main ammunition load (shells), in a conveyor (18-20 shells, each in a protected container), horizontally located under the armored floor of the fighting compartment;

Compartments for storing additional ammunition ammunition, located behind the fighting compartment (in a horizontal belt-draw conveyor, 30-40 pieces), and separated by an armored partition from the fighting compartment with an opening hatch for loading ammunition and a hatch for equipping the main conveyor with the necessary types of ammunition;

The engine compartment, located in the stern of the tank.

Booking should include combined protection of the front projection of the hull and turret of the tank, which makes it possible to protect, as it is written in one of the above articles, from a direct hit by a 140mm sub-caliber projectile with a depleted uranium core, and from a tandem, combined warhead cumulative projectile, at a certain meeting angle, at long and medium distances. Additionally, on the frontal projection, the turret roof, open elements of the upper hull sheets, side projections and additional side hull screens, on the stern of the tank and turret, along the entire perimeter, including in the rear hemisphere, a built-in active dynamic protection is installed, which allows to increase durability armor at short distances in urban combat. Sufficiently high survivability of the tank in case of armor penetration is ensured not only by a rational layout with separation of dangerous zones, but also by the presence of various active protection systems against all types of ammunition.

tank hull should be increased in height by 150 - 200 mm to the rear radius of the turret shoulder strap, and further to the stern by 300 - 400 mm, taking into account the circular rotation of the tower. The width of the hull should be increased by at least 100-200 mm, amounting to at least 2900-3000 mm in the center of the tracks. Increasing the width of the hull will increase the thickness of the side walls of the hull, and due to additional screens with built-in dynamic protection, guarantee resistance to being hit by all portable anti-tank systems and RPGs, as well as protection from 40 mm shells. This arrangement will create optimal conditions for crew ergonomics and equipment placement.

Tower a new configuration increased in volume along the perimeter and height, in the front hemisphere, having a certain angle of inclination of the main and auxiliary armor in the front part, it covers the driver's hatch from the upper hemisphere with a cannon mask and influxes of armor. The side projection, going beyond the shoulder strap of the tower, is practically at the level of the side additional screens of the hull and undercarriage, having spaced armor. The rear projection of the tower, elongated towards the stern, completely covers the additional space formed from the increase in the length of the tank hull, covering from above along the course completely, along other planes by 70-80%, the area of ​​​​the additional compartment of the main ammunition. Inside the tower in this volume is the loading mechanism and equipment. On the upper projection of the tower are all the instruments and sights included in the tank's weapon control system (FCS) and two 360-degree hatches for the commander and the loading tank. To the right and slightly behind the commander's hatch there is an installation with a remote-controlled 12.7mm machine gun with pumping from -10 to +85 degrees and an autonomous sight. To the left of the loader's hatch, symmetrically to the commander's machine gun mount, there is a remote-controlled 7.62mm machine gun mount with pumping from -10 to +85 degrees and an autonomous sight. In the center of the projection of the tower, near its rear plane, a remote-controlled 40mm grenade launcher 6G27 "Balkan" with an autonomous sighting system with pumping from -5 to +85 degrees is installed. All sighting systems have armored covers (flaps) that can be opened at the time of aiming or reconnaissance. On the outside of the tower, behind the reserved volume and additional active and passive armor, there is an auxiliary power plant of the tank and compartments for ammunition of 12.7mm and 7.62mm machine guns and a 40mm grenade launcher. The design feature of these complexes provides for the use of a full ammunition load of the weapon without reloading it during the battle and the automatic return of used tapes and links after firing to the corresponding stores. In the additional compartment on the rear side of the tower there is a place for the personal belongings of the crew. This compartment is accessed from the outside of the tank turret.

Mounted on the tower system for setting curtains and optoelectronic countermeasures with protection against PTS with laser seeker and the action of laser rangefinders (LD). It consists of 20 smoke and aerosol grenade launchers and laser irradiation detection heads. An active protection complex (KAZ Zaslon) is installed in the stern of the tower to protect the sides and roof of the tower itself, as well as the roof of the DO, OS and MTO from third-generation ATGMs of the FGM-148 Javelin type and other ammunition of a similar class. Additionally installed system "anti-sniper", to determine the presence of optical and optoelectronic devices at a distance of up to 2.5 km.

tank base should be increased by one rink or by 900-1100 mm in dimension, which will balance both weight and get additional space for weapons systems. Increasing the base in combination with other approaches will not affect the maneuverability of the tank, as some authors write about it.

tank suspension hydropneumatic, adjustable. The undercarriage is covered with power screens. Tank weight can be 60 tons, due to the use of modern technologies.

Department of Management the tank is located in front of the axis of the machine. Protection of the control compartment in the frontal projection is carried out by a complex of combined armor and built-in dynamic protection, as mentioned above, withstanding BPS 140 mm guns. The control compartment is connected to the fighting compartment by means of the possibility of exiting under the breech of the gun, in its horizontal position, and in the stowed position. For forced rotation of the turret in case of failure of the main and auxiliary drives, the location of the manual drive for horizontal rotation of the turret must be provided in the control compartment. To the left and to the right of the control compartment, the main fuel tanks are installed behind the armored partitions, which have the function of filling the volume to prevent an explosion and leakage of fuel. The second set of fuel tanks is located in the front hemisphere of the perimeter of the fighting compartment and is separated from the fighting compartment and the control compartment by armored partitions. The control compartment should have a hatch in the upper part of the hull, additionally protected from the upper hemisphere by an armored mask of the turret, which should hang over it when the gun is in position when the turret is turned in any direction. The thickness of the hatch and the upper armor plate near the hatch cannot provide the necessary protection when hit by an RPG shot fired from the upper floors of buildings during street fighting. Especially if several shots are fired simultaneously at one aiming point, because countermeasures are always developed for each new system. The Abrams tank has a pretty good solution on this matter, and there is nothing shameful here if it is taken into account with us. The tank is stowed when the gun is stowed.

fighting compartment is located in a tower of increased dimension and space in the hull, separated from the rest of the volume by an armored capsule. On the right side of the fighting compartment is the seat of the gunner (below in the hull in front of the fighting compartment) and the tank commander (in the turret, behind and above the gunner). On the left side of the fighting compartment is the workplace of the loader. In the roof, on both sides of the gun, there are hatches that open outward and rotate 360 ​​degrees. The fighting compartment houses instruments and weapon control systems, communications equipment, and personal weapons of the crew.

Engine compartment should be located in the aft part of the hull and be able to be accessed by him Maintenance, as well as, for repair, maintenance at extended intervals or replacement, through the possibility of removing (opening) the aft armor plate. The engine, the heart of the tank, is required for such a machine with a power of at least 1500 - 2000 hp. For this purpose, it is best to use a gas turbine engine, from the T-80, with appropriate modernization and an increase in both power and a decrease in fuel consumption due to the improvement of blades and other systems. The installation of a gas turbine engine will make it possible to reduce the dimensions of the engine compartment, and an increase in its dimensions in height will make it possible to arrange the equipment in such a way as to place an additional powerful generator in it to provide the electrical equipment of the tank with the necessary power. Preliminary calculations show that it will need many times more. The transmission of the tank should be automatic hydromechanical, allowing not only to automatically switch speed, but also to control the direction of rotation of the tracks to make turns. Drive to the rear drive wheels. If the power of the generator and the technical solutions make it possible to have an electro-hydro-mechanical drive of the drive wheels, then this will be a fairly advanced solution for the transmission and running gear of the tank. The presence of an auxiliary unit located in the engine compartment will allow powering the systems at stops, without involving the main engine.

Fuel placed only in the internal volumes of the tank in four tanks, two are located to the left and right of the driver, in the control compartment. The other two are in the front hemisphere of the perimeter of the fighting compartment. All tanks are separated from ammunition and habitable compartments by armored partitions. A stern tank is also provided, installed behind an armored bulkhead separating the engine compartment and the ammunition compartment. In total, according to the calculation, there is 2000 liters of fuel behind the armor, allowing the tank to have a cruising range of about 600 km. The dynamism of the tank will be ensured not only power plant, but also in general with the layout, systems, ergonomics, which will increase the average speed of movement, both on public roads and on rough terrain. This will allow the tank to make long marches over long distances (1500 km) and daily crossings up to 500 km on one gas station, ready to immediately enter the battle.

The combat effectiveness of the tank depends on many indicators, one of which is its weapons system, which includes the weapons complex itself, which allows it to be used through independent target channels, a complex of reconnaissance and surveillance systems, a weapon control system complex, and an ammunition complex. A distinctive feature of the proposed scheme, in addition to other proposals, is precisely the multi-channel weapon system of the tank.

Tank armament includes main gun(130, 140mm) designed to destroy all types of tanks, armored objects, sheltered and openly located manpower, destroy buildings and structures by direct fire, protect against enemy ammunition through the use of special ammunition, defeat low-flying air targets, defeat targets with precision-guided munitions.

gun(130-140mm) installed on the tank must have a liner. This will increase the survivability of the bore and its accuracy and efficiency, it will be easy to replace it in the field, ensure high-quality full-scale combat training, after which it will not be necessary to destroy hundreds of thousands of tons of ammunition unused for combat training in peacetime, and release untrained soldiers into battle . The gun pointing angles in the vertical plane are from -10° to +60°. The choice of gun caliber depends on:

From the dispersion of shells at the end point of impact in various firing modes;

From the range of a direct shot, the total range of fire and the power of ammunition for various purposes;

From the ability of the industry to install a liner in the barrel, which makes it possible to significantly increase the survivability of the bore and save enough money and time;

From the effective range of a direct shot. A range of 3000 m can be considered the maximum combat range of a tank in terms of its use on the territory of Russia, and should be considered as the basis for the requirements for a future tank gun;

From the ability of the industry to make new ammunition, without fail unitary with a separating pallet.

The transition to unitary shots is due to the need to increase the penetration characteristics of armor-piercing sub-caliber projectiles, which in turn will entail an increase in their absolute length. With this approach, a change in the design of the loading mechanism will also be required.

Ammunition for the main gun should have more advanced characteristics and an increased ability to hit an object with the selected ammunition. List of ammunition, in contrast to the existing nomenclature armor-piercing sub-caliber, cumulative, high-explosive fragmentation, must be supplemented with other types of ammunition. The range of ammunition should include and concrete-breaking, in high-explosive and shrapnel execution, to destroy the enemy inside buildings and structures. Shrapnel, with remote detonation, to combat helicopters, UAVs, enemy infantry hiding in trenches, buildings, structures. With arrow-shaped submunitions, and with remote detonation, to combat openly located manpower. Smoke, to interfere with the enemy at various ranges. Lighting, light-noise, light-sound, to blind the enemy, and influence him in a non-lethal way.

To combat enemy aircraft and ammunition in the nomenclature of cannon ammunition, it is necessary to have special precision munitions with remote detonation and the creation of a continuous directional cloud of lethal elements

To destroy tanks, it is possible to use guided missiles, only if the "fire-and-forget" principle is implemented and the "price-efficiency" ratio approaches unity in any situation. In other cases, due to the high cost of these munitions, the impossibility of their sufficient use in the process of training crews, the concept of rocket and gun armament of tanks must be abandoned.

To defeat the entire list of objects for armament of the tank, it is necessary to take precision munitions developed according to « Russian concept impulse correction" type "Centimeter". This concept allows you to have cumulative, high-explosive, concrete-piercing, shrapnel, and special ammunition that allows you to defeat enemy targets at any range using an integrated weapon system according to the principle: "projectile-target". These technologies have no analogues in the world and hundreds of times by the criterion "efficiency-cost" outnumber existing missiles. Now the ammo rack of a modern tank has only four precision-guided munitions, and the use of this technology will make it possible to have the entire ammunition rack of precision-guided munitions. Combat effectiveness, with the implementation of this approach, increases hundreds of times.

Loading mechanism and conveyor the main gun is combined and consists of several elements. The entire complex is controlled by the loader, in a semi-automatic mode. Loading the gun includes issuing a command to open the gun breech when loading the first shot, issuing a command to load the type of ammunition chosen by the commander or gunner, replenishing the main conveyor with the necessary ammunition, with semi-automatic removal of them from the additional conveyor. The loading mechanism itself, with a rammer and a mechanism for ejecting the cartridge case tray, is located in the aft part of the tower and extracts a shot from an underground horizontal conveyor, feeds it to the loading line, sends a shot into the bore, extracts the cartridge case tray and removes it through a special hatch in the roof of the tower.

Main conveyor is located horizontally under the armored floor of the fighting compartment, includes 18-20 cells for unitary shells, which allows you to simultaneously place three of the same type of ammunition, the replenishment of which is carried out automatically or semi-automatically. In the armored floor, on the line of the loading axis of the gun, there is an automatically opening hatch for extracting the projectile from the conveyor by the loading mechanism. The hatch is also used to replenish the ammunition of the main conveyor.

Additional conveyor with ammunition is placed behind an armored partition between the combat and engine-transmission compartment, having a shape that allows you to use both the entire reserved volume and the maximum amount of ammunition placed, including, depending on the option chosen 30-40 unitary shells. The shells are sent to the main conveyor semi-automatically, along the axis of the bore using a rammer, both in automatic and manual mode. The additional conveyor is equipped with ammunition through an openable hatch in the armored bulkhead. It also serves as a backup hatch for manually loading the gun in the event of a failure of the automation. When using one type of ammunition, loading can take place directly, with partial use of the main conveyor.

In addition to the main gun in the gun mask, above the gun, additional armament, consisting of 30mm automatic gun 2A72 with two-tape feed and barrel cover, with a pumping angle from -10 to +60. This weapon system makes it possible to conduct high-precision combat against various lightly armored targets at a considerable distance, including enemy aircraft and the ammunition used by it. Regular ammunition 2000 shells, located in the gun supply stores located in the fighting compartment in the hull on both sides of the main gun, mounted on the armored floor of a rotating turret in the front hemisphere and covered with light Kevlar-based armor. In the gun ammunition, in addition to the main ammunition (BT, BP, BOPS RMS303), it is necessary to develop high-explosive projectile with a blasting programmer, which makes it possible to detonate a projectile above a trench, in front of a wall, inside a wall or behind a wall, and the ability to switch to directed fragmentation flows.

Additionally, on the roof of the tower, in its rear hemisphere, with a ledge to the stern, there are three remotely controlled weapons systems with individual systems and combined surveillance devices, including a 12.7mm machine gun mount, a 7.62mm machine gun mount and a 40mm grenade launcher.

12.7mm machine gun mount designed to engage lightly armored targets, aircraft, including UAVs, manpower located openly and in various shelters, and conduct anti-sniper combat and combat weapons using optical sights. To this end, the installation is connected to the corresponding intelligence system in the overall SLA system. The installation is guided in the range from -10 to +85 degrees vertically and horizontally by +180 and -180 degrees, taking into account the deduction of the safe angles of other installations located on the tower. The ammunition load of the machine gun is 2500 rounds and is located in an autonomous compartment in the rear of the tower, having a single supply for the entire ammunition load. The ammunition load includes 12.7x108 cartridges with armor-piercing incendiary tracer (BZT), armor-piercing incendiary (B-32) and instantaneous incendiary (MDZ) bullets. Additionally, the development of fragmentation-shrapnel cartridges with a directed beam of fragments is required to combat aircraft and the missiles (ammunition) used by them.

7.62 mm machine gun mount It is used to combat enemy manpower, both openly located and located in shelters, buildings, structures, and to combat light aircraft such as UAVs. The machine gun ammunition includes 5,000 rounds and is located in the aft compartment of the turret. The supply is carried out automatically for the entire ammunition load. 7.62x54R cartridges are used with bullets: light steel (LPS), tracer (T-46), armor-piercing incendiary (B-32) and increased penetration.

40mm grenade launcher 6G27 "Balkan" is designed to defeat openly located manpower, manpower located in various shelters, including buildings and structures, on military equipment, on the reverse slopes of heights, on the back of buildings, in unarmored vehicles. The peculiarity of the use of this weapon system on a tank lies in the ability of the grenade launcher to combat shots from enemy ATGMs and RPGs by automatically determining the moment of the shot, using various reconnaissance systems, pointing the weapon in the direction of the shot and producing a warning extended burst. Grenade detonation occurs sequentially from the shortest range to the range of a shot from a grenade launcher with the aim of simultaneously hitting the shot and the shooter. The ammunition used includes a modernized 40-mm 7P39 caseless grenade with a two-chamber ballistic engine and the ability to remotely detonate and program the direction of the fragment beam. It is necessary to refine the 40mm caseless shot to the possibility of a programmed detonation of ammunition, during normal shooting at any range (up to 2500m), when firing at ammunition at a distance of 10-20 meters from the barrel edge and creating a solid ellipse (circle, beam) of fragments. An additional function may be the possibility of developing ammunition with a thermobaric warhead.

The crew is armed with personal weapons, consisting of a pistol and machine gun (AKSU) with full ammunition, including 6 magazines. Additionally armed with 10 F-1 defensive hand grenades and 10 RDG-M hand smoke grenades. The collective weapon of the tank includes two RPG-29 type hand grenade launchers located in special places.

Weapon Control System (SMS) The tank includes a complex of surveillance, reconnaissance, information exchange systems, a computer designed to control all target channels of the tank’s weapons, both simultaneously and selectively by each crew member. It should provide recognition of objects (targets) with the determination of their characteristics, vulnerabilities, threats to the tank, the production of the necessary calculations for firing and the choice of weapons. Color displays should display all the situation received from the interacting, neighboring vehicles and those that fell into the field of view of their reconnaissance and target designation devices with the display of the real picture, converting it into conventional signs. Transformed targets into conventional symbols and displayed on the displays in a conventional color allow for semi-automatic distribution of targets between objects, taking them into account Current state and position. In addition, each crew member must have a color display with a displayed topographic base and the situation that is developing in the area in real time, both for ground and air targets. The visibility of the surveillance system in various modes (television and thermal imaging) should provide all-round visibility of the area. The MSA should determine the location of the tank in real time, linking it to the cartographic basis and displaying the location of interacting objects in the combat formation and enemy targets.

One of the main functions of the SLA, which is being worked out in automatic mode, should allow, using the entire complex of reconnaissance equipment of the tank, to determine the shot of any enemy system larger than 20mm caliber, determine its trajectory, and give a command for the preemptive use of a certain type of weapon (30mm cannon, 40mm grenade launcher , 12.7mm machine gun, "Shtora" system for the purpose of primary destruction of ammunition or its complete destruction).

SLA gunner and commander with advanced color displays for displaying the tactical situation, includes combined day, night, television, thermal imaging, IR devices, laser rangefinders and gun guidance devices with 8 to 12x magnification, both with independent stabilization of the line of sight. Additionally, devices for optical-electronic reconnaissance, detection of optical sights, weapons systems control devices, including a passive radar station for detecting objects and a station for detecting the flight of ammunition, were installed. The SLA of the gunner and the commander with improved color displays for displaying the tactical situation, at the same time allows you to control the main gun, an additional 30mm cannon, a 12.7mm machine gun mount with remote control and a combined sight located to the right of the commander's hatch through the same control panels. Machine gun pumping angles from -10 to -85 degrees. The fire control system of the gunner and the commander should automatically calculate the field of view of the terrain based on a digital three-dimensional topographic map of the terrain.

AT LMS loader, in addition to the console and a set of equipment for controlling the loading of the main gun, it includes an FCS with color displays for displaying the tactical situation and a control panel for a 7.62mm remote-controlled machine gun mount and a 40mm remote-controlled grenade launcher.

A feature of the tank control system is that it has an additional control panel with color displays for a 7.62mm machine gun and a 40mm 6G27 Balkan grenade launcher and allows tank driver(defense, ambush), or loader, in various conditions conditions to participate in combat, controlling one of the specified weapons systems. Additionally, this system allows the driver to navigate the general situation of the battlefield, choosing the most rational route for the tank, taking into account the instructions of the tank commander.

In this way, we examined the main requirements and wishes that we make to modern tanks capable of qualitatively resisting the military equipment of a potential enemy, both independently and as part of a unit. Each battle tank, as a weapon system, should have a tank support combat vehicle (BMPT), a set of mini UAVs, a transport-loading battlefield vehicle based on the armored Typhoon-K, and an ammunition transport vehicle based on the Typhoon ( armored cab and partially armored body).

BMPT (tank support combat vehicle), allows you to expand the ability of the ligament (tank - BMPT) to withstand ammunition, and provide comprehensive support to each tank in solving other problems. Today, it is obvious that this type of combat vehicles (with appropriate refinement) allows you to cover the tank in various types of combat, from operations in the city to operations during an armed conflict or war. The requirements for this vehicle should be based on the need to reduce the number of crew, cover the main armament with sufficiently strong armor, including remote sensing, and the availability of independent target firing channels for various weapon systems.

BMPT is not an independent object that performs a certain set of tasks, but only part of a huge reconnaissance and strike system designed to perform a number of combat missions on the battlefield. The basis of this system, of course, is the tank, because in the land component, regardless of the scale of formations, armored weapons form the basis of its combat capabilities.

BMPT in combat conditions, in the interests of ensuring the survivability of the tank, must perform two equivalent tasks. The first task is to search for and destroy objects that potentially threaten the actions of a tank on the battlefield (tank, anti-tank gun, mobile or portable ATGM, RPG). The second task is the search and destruction of ammunition (tank and artillery shells, an ATGM missile fired from a helicopter or an ATGM installation, an RPG shot, a soldier with anti-tank guns) capable of inflicting damage both on a tank and directly on a tank support combat vehicle.

The constituent parts of this combat complex, besides heavy tank and BMPT, should become heavy combat reconnaissance vehicle(TBRM), heavy infantry fighting vehicle (TBMP), heavy armored self-propelled guns of the front line (152 mm), heavy self-propelled mortar (120-140mm), heavy self-propelled ZSU with cannon and missile weapons, UAV complex.

The components of the firing complex should be various artillery systems, including long-range MLRS.

Additional components should be a reconnaissance and attack helicopter, reconnaissance and reconnaissance and attack aircraft, reconnaissance optoelectronic and radar spacecraft, and others. various systems ground and air based.

Considering and manufacturing weapons only systematically and in a complex, it is possible in modern conditions to win in present and future wars and armed conflicts. The combat use of these complexes requires a separate comprehensive consideration.

... ranges from 0.1 seconds to 12 minutes according to "perfectly reliable information". And for this very reason, the tank does not need durable ones [here you can insert any part of the tank and its crew, if we are talking about it].

It's just a stupid saying. Bike. They invented it for table bragging. Say, we are such brave kamikaze, on the verge of death, but we do not lead at all, and even are proud. And that’s exactly what you need to raise for this ... There is nothing wrong with such bragging - men have always done this and are doing it, it just strengthens their morale.

But for some reason, many take it seriously and try to draw conclusions about the structure of military equipment. Don't do it like this :) I'll explain in a simple way why it's not necessary.

Here you have an ordinary tank battalion of 30 combat tanks. And he enters the very "modern war". Let's immediately discard the option where a battalion is struck with a nuclear strike with a megaton warhead. There are not so many warheads, they will not be spent on every little thing. Also, we will not consider the brave (and suicidal) attack of the BT-7 tanks on the dug-in Acht-acht division.

Let it be a normal war. As in the 44th or as it appears today. A normal full-fledged modern army against a comparable one.

Our battalion will first make marches, concentrate somewhere, march again, go to lines, go to other lines ... But sooner or later it will join the battle. Let's say that the full complement. It doesn't matter if they are in whole or in separate platoons attached to someone. AND?

And a comparable enemy will inflict heavy losses on him - a third irretrievable or under factory repair. These are very heavy losses. It will still remain a battalion, but already with greatly weakened capabilities. If the losses were 50%, then we would be talking about a defeated battalion, the rest would be about a company. And if even more, then this is a destroyed battalion.

Why do we need such gradations? - And then that you would like to achieve the goals and maintain the combat capability of your strike unit. It is unlikely that you will want to lose him for the sake of these goals - the war will not end by the evening. And will your goals be achieved if the battalion is defeated or destroyed in the process? Therefore, you will not send your battalion to such a whore. Or take him while you still have him, in case of unpleasant surprises. Therefore, a third of losses is the upper limit of losses in a “normal” “modern” battle.

OK. And the rear service works great for us and replenishes the lost materiel with just a fly. In a week you have ten brand new tanks - the composition has been restored. And you are going to a new severe battle.

Just don't think that the battles are so intense that you lose a third of your equipment and l / s can be daily. This is not the Kursk Bulge with us? Yes, and in this way any division will last three days. No, if, nevertheless, the Kursk Bulge, then it is possible. But that was not the case there either. Some division disappeared as a factor in one day, others went the next day, and already everything was not so sad with them. You can’t attack enemy positions again and again every day with huge losses with the same troops. So in three attacks your army will end and you will have to stop this business. Or you still break the adversary, and then catch up, finish off, trophies ...

Briefly speaking. A hard fight every week is a very big exaggeration, but let's say, let's say.

So, we will lose 10 tanks again. Of these, 6.7 will be from the initial, and 3.3 from the replenishment. We bring new ones again and again lose a third in another week. Well, another iteration. Here's what comes out.

After a month of fierce fierce battles, the battalion has tanks with a service life of:

4 weeks - 6 pieces,

3 weeks - 3 pieces,

2 weeks - 4 pieces,

1 week - 7 pieces,

New - 10 pieces.

Purely mathematically, the oldest tanks will never run out. And all the equipment will be on average and mostly old. And it will be necessary to fight on it until the exhaustion of the motor resource of the engine and transmission, and after their field replacement, and until the resource of the gun barrel is exhausted. That is, everything there must be strong, durable, maintainable, and the crews must be trained.

Although everyone knows for sure that the lifetime of a tank in modern combat ...

Tanks are outdated as weapons for modern war. Why then spend billions on the development of new models of these weapons?

On the Internet, the statement "The average life of a tank in modern combat is 2 minutes" is widespread. Even if this is not true, all the same, tanks are burning in modern combat, against an equal enemy (God may not send a deliberately weak enemy, therefore we will not consider it). Even the very best. Crews are burning in tanks. As of 2012, the cost of the tank under the contract for the US Army is 5.5-6.1 million dollars. The crew of the tank should consist of contractors who, within three to five years, acquire the necessary skills necessary for the competent and efficient operation of such an expensive vehicle, which is also not cheap. And the lives of the crew are the lives of the crew. From the point of view of weapons created in the 70s and 80s of the last century, nothing can be changed. Everything is as it should be. Everything is logical. The technique of military operations with the use of tanks was worked out during the Second World War, and assumes a certain percentage of losses. There are even formulas for calculating this dropout rate.

I propose to speculate why tanks are needed in a modern theater of operations. We all know perfectly well that today's tanks are designed to destroy other tanks. And here everything is more or less clear. But classic tank duels happen less and less, because the classic full-scale wars of regular armies are a thing of the past. Global modern conflicts can only be with the use of atomic weapons, but in this case tanks are not needed. The time of "tank armadas" and "tank wedges" has passed (if the goal of the Russian Army is not the speedy advance of ground forces across Europe, and its access to the Rhine line, and then the English Channel). Tanks have long been used for local battles, i.e. in the city and residential areas, against the enemy armed with small arms, hand grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, recoilless rifles and anti-tank systems. Shelling from ambush of columns of equipment and convoys. Breakthroughs through checkpoints not covered by a tank or ATGM crew. Destruction is easy armored vehicles. Short raids to destroy certain objects from a distance, such as launchers, transformer stations, water towers, warehouses. Destruction of firing positions of machine gunners, snipers and positions of spotters. Those. the main task of the tank was to support the advancing infantry units.

The experience of local conflicts has shown that tanks without infantry cover are instantly set on fire by enemy anti-tank systems. Even the best tanks. Israel's second Lebanese campaign turned into a real nightmare for armored vehicles. IDF ground operations using Merkava tanks have become one of the most terrible pages in the history of Israeli tank formations. The Lebanese Hezbollah made the main emphasis on anti-tank weapons and did not lose. About a thousand fighters were divided into groups of 5-6 people with a variety of weapons. From the earliest ATGM "Malyutka" to the already Russian "Fagot", "Konkurs", "Metis-M", "Kornet-E" and the most unpleasant for the Israelis - RPG 29 "Vampire". All of the IDF's biggest losses were from anti-tank weapons. Officially, the IDF recognized 46 tanks and 14 armored personnel carriers as destroyed. 22 cases of penetration of armor in tanks and about a dozen - in armored personnel carriers were recorded. Official data is scarce, but unofficial data suggests that the number of knocked out tanks is underestimated by about 20-30%. Along with the Merkava-MK2 and Merkava-MK3, the latest Merkava-MK4 also participated in the operation, which, despite their ultra-high protective properties, were just as easily penetrated by Russian ATGMs as their previous modifications of this tank.

By May 9, 2015, information hysteria was hyped in Russia on the performance characteristics of the newest Russian tank platform "Armata", which was shown to us at the Victory Parade on Red Square. A wonderful machine, if you look at it as a further development of the tank doctrine of military operations. And if you look at the need to develop this doctrine in general. Isn't she outdated?

If, in the conditions of local wars in densely populated residential areas, tanks do not ensure the safety of the crew's life and are clumsy and expensive military mechanisms, isn't it better to build unmanned, silent, lightly armored, nimble, inexpensive combat drones?

Moreover, the level of technological development of the industry quite allows it, and it has been used in aviation for a long time. American drones can fly thousands of kilometers, bomb from 10,000 meters, return and land on an aircraft carrier. The US drones used to spy on al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden were flown from NATO's Ramstein military base in Germany. And in ground assault equipment, why do you need a crew? Tankers still control the tank from the capsule, on the monitors of the same outdoor cameras as the operator. Why risk the lives of tankers, if you can do it sitting in safety, miles away from the fighting?

You will immediately object to me that electronic warfare equipment will easily suppress the communication between the operator and the drone, and then the car becomes a useless target. Not at all, I will answer you. Since the emergence of drones that broadcast complex optical and radio signals, remaining in the line of sight of both the operator and the unit, this problem has become irrelevant. The optical alternative to Wi-Fi has speeds up to 15 Gb / s, and does not depend on electronic warfare.

I foresee the following argument of the opponent: “An optical alternative, you say .... have you heard about the smoke screen? And not just ordinary smoke, but with a suspension of special dispersed particles that tightly cut off not only the optical, but also the electromagnetic component of any radiation.” So, in this case, there is an autopilot. On November 15, 1988, the Buran space shuttle made its unmanned flight. Is it hardware and software hasn't evolved since then? Not at all. “In Russia, a system has been developed that allows you to drive a car without human intervention. According to the developers, new technology overtakes the developments of Google and other foreign manufacturers by several years and is successfully implemented on KamAZ trucks.” Those. the drone, having such an autopilot, will be able to get out of the smoke zone into the zone of confident reception of operator commands.

The advantages of a combat robot are:

Silence and the ability to accelerate quickly, due to the use of hybrid engines,

Lightness, due to the use of composite armor that protects only from small arms, due to the lack of a pilot capsule, due to the lack of the need to have a powerful engine, a large-caliber gun, a large supply of fuel and ammunition,

High maneuverability due to six-wheel drive, with independent steering and independent drive of each wheel, or crawler chassis,

Small overall dimensions (dimensions of the kitchen table), which reduce the area of ​​damage,

The possibility of fire use, both against armored vehicles and against infantry, as well as against low-flying air targets.

Possibility of collective coordinated actions of an unlimited number of drones in an operation,

The relatively low cost of the robot (compared to the tank),

100% safety of the crew, located outside the fire damage by the enemy,

The ability to quickly and inexpensively train the operator to remotely control the drone (in video game mode).

Looking at the total insanity and hype raised around the future adoption by the Russian Army of the "SECRET combat platform" Armata "", I dare to assume that weapons of the sixth technological order are quietly maturing in the depths of the military-industrial complex.

Dmitry Rogozin, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, 06/23/2013, on the air of the talk show " iron ladies On NTV, he admitted: “We now have few people in Russia, we have a total population of 140 million, so we also have few soldiers, and it will be difficult to defend a vast territory. Therefore, we are moving on to the principles of combat, when one soldier, using robotics and automated systems combat control, will be able to fight for five, for ten. Everything that you saw in all sorts of Hollywood fairy tales is now becoming a reality.”

And now, let's ask ourselves the question: "Why waste labor and material resources, time and money on something that is not modern weapons? Let it be even the most advanced model in the world.”

Of course, it was the victory in the Battle of Stalingrad that allowed the Soviet Union to make a radical change in the Great Patriotic War.

Imagine the picture: From the explosion of bombs and mines lays ears, hand grenades deafeningly explode with an echo, at a distance of 300-500 meters from each other automatic and machine-gun bursts rumble. Snipers are constantly at work. Streets and houses turned into a huge pile of garbage and ruins. The city was shrouded in black, acrid smoke. The screams of people. The war is going on everywhere, there is no clear front. Combat actions are conducted nearby, behind you and in front of you. Everywhere destruction and death. This is how Soviet and German soldiers remember the Battle of Stalingrad.

Soviet soldiers fighting in Stalingrad

As a result of this epic battle, 1.5 million people died on the Wehrmacht side, and approximately 1.1 million people on the Soviet side. The scale of the losses is appalling. For example, the United States during the entire Second World War lost about 400 thousand people. Do not forget about the civilian population of Stalingrad and its environs. As you know, the command forbade the evacuation of civilians, leaving them in the city, ordering them to participate in the construction of fortifications and defensive structures. According to various sources, between 4,000 and 40,000 civilians died.

Soviet gunners are shelling German positions

After the victory in the Battle of Stalingrad, the Soviet command pulled the initiative over to its side. And the victory in this battle was made by ordinary Soviet people - officers and soldiers. However, what sacrifices did the soldiers make, in what conditions did they fight, how did they manage to survive in this hellish meat grinder, what were the feelings German soldiers that fell into the Stalingrad trap was not widely known to society.

Video: Battle of Stalingrad. German look.

In the inferno of the Battle of Stalingrad, the Soviet command sent elite troops - the 13th Guards Division. On the first day after arrival, 30% of the division died, and in general, the loss was 97% of soldiers and officers. The fresh forces of the Soviet troops made it possible to defend part of Stalingrad, despite the constant offensive actions of the Germans.

German soldiers in Stalingrad. Pay attention to the exhausted faces of people.

Order and discipline in the Red Army was very strict. All cases of non-compliance with an order or leaving a position were dealt with. All soldiers and officers who independently retreated from the front line without orders were considered cowards and deserters. The perpetrators were brought before a military tribunal, which in most cases imposed a death sentence, or it was replaced by suspended sentences or a penal battalion. In some cases, deserters leaving their positions were shot on the spot. Demonstrative executions were carried out before the formation. Also, there were detachments and secret detachments that "met" deserters who swam across the Volga, shooting them in the water without warning.

Photograph of Stalingrad taken by a German war photographer from a transport plane.

Given the superiority of the Germans in aviation, artillery and firepower, the Soviet command then chose the only correct close combat tactic, which the Germans strongly disliked. And as practice has shown, it was tactically advantageous to keep the front close to the enemy's line of defense. The German army could no longer use tanks in street combat, dive bombers were also ineffective, since the pilots could "work out" on their own. Therefore, the Germans, like the Soviet soldiers, used small-caliber artillery, flamethrowers and mortars.

Another shot of Stalingrad from a bird's eye view.

Soviet soldiers turned every house into a fortress, even if they occupied one floor, it turned into a defendable fortress. It used to be that there were Soviet soldiers on one floor, and Germans on the other, and vice versa. It is worth remembering the "Pavlov's House", which was staunchly defended by the platoon of Y. Pavlov, for which the Germans called him the name of the commander who defended him. For 6 hours, the railway station passed up to 14 times from the hands of the Germans to the Russians and back. Fighting even took place in the sewers. Soviet soldiers fought with dedication that boggles the imagination ordinary person.

The position of the Soviet Headquarters was as follows: the city of Stalingrad would be captured by the Germans if not a single defender remained alive in it. The capture of Stalingrad by the Germans was primarily ideological in nature. After all, the city bore the name of the leader of the USSR - Joseph Stalin. Also, Stalingrad stood on the Volga River, which was the largest transport artery, through which numerous cargoes, Baku oil and manpower were delivered. Later, the encircled grouping of Paulus in Stalingrad pulled back the forces of the Red Army, this was necessary for the withdrawal of German troops from the Caucasus.

The results of the Battle of Stalingrad: hundreds of thousands of dead on both sides.

The dedication of the Soviet fighters was massive. Everyone understood what the surrender of Stalingrad could turn out to be. In addition, the Soviet soldiers and officers had no illusions about the outcome of the battles, they understood that either they or the Germans would destroy the Russians.

Soviet soldiers in Stalingrad

In Stalingrad, the movement of snipers intensified, since in close combat they were the most effective. One of the most successful Soviet snipers was former hunter- Vasily Zaitsev, who, according to confirmed data, destroyed up to 400 German soldiers and officers. He later wrote memoirs.

Two variants of sleeve patches "For the Capture of Stalingrad". On the left is a variant of the Eigeiner patch. However, he did not like Paulus, who personally made the changes.

At the cost of heavy losses and great willpower, the Soviet soldiers held out until the arrival of large reinforcements. And reinforcements came in mid-November 1942, when the counteroffensive of the Red Army began during Operation Uranus. The news that the Russians first attacked from the north, then from the east instantly spread through the German army.

Soviet troops surrounded the 6th army of Paulus in an iron vice, from which few managed to get out. Upon learning of the encirclement of the advanced 6th Army, Adolf Hitler flatly forbade breaking through to his own (although he later allowed this, but it was already too late), and took a tough stance on the defense of the city by German troops. According to the Fuhrer, the German soldiers had to defend their positions to the last soldier, which was to reward the German soldiers and officers with admiration and eternal memory of the German people. In order to preserve the honor and "face" of the encircled German army, the Fuhrer awarded Paulus the high rank of field marshal. This was done on purpose so that Paulus committed suicide, since not a single field marshal in the history of the Reich surrendered. However, the Fuhrer miscalculated, Paulus surrendered and being captured, he actively criticized Hitler and his policies, after learning about this, the Fuhrer said gloomily: "The God of War has switched sides." Speaking of this, Hitler meant that the Soviet Union seized the strategic initiative in the Great Patriotic War