BM-13 "Katusha"

[Komissar Ombrok]

At the streets of the Berlin:
http://victory.rusarchives.ru/catalogue/photo.php?photo_id=340&id=17

http://victory.rusarchives.ru/catalogue/photo.php?photo_id=341&id=17

Imho, most dangerous and powerful weapon of the WW2. And my favorite too :D Survivers in attack of the BM-13 (unique luck) called that "rain of fire" or "fire hell". Even the cover bombardement couldn't achieved such concentrate of fire and destruction... I like this weapon... :)

[South African Military]

wow, looks destructive

[Komissar Ombrok]

Not only looks. Very mobile, easy and quick to reload (some times later Soviet army began to use automatic reloaders based on transport car), fantastic firepower and good attack range. An ideal combination. More interesting - BM-13 was researched eventually. Initially, this weapon was researched for using chemical and biological ammo. But the experience was show that explosive ammunition made such great destructive and psichological effect... German survivors, at the begining of using Katusha, thought that was some tipes of secret electical weapon which using a thunders. And only some times later, when they find the crops of ammo, they realized true face of BM-13.

[Gen. Sandworm]

Not only do they look cool they were deadly as hell. Those things were F***ing awesome. I want one ..... for no apparent reason. :)

[FW-190 Pilot]

but the armour seems to be very thin, it can be very expose to any german tank if not defend carefully, and the rocket can be very inaccarate?

[Komissar Ombrok]

but the armour seems to be very thin, it can be very expose to any german tank if not defend carefully, and the rocket can be very inaccarate?

Noone used BM-13 in close combat. In Soviet callls them "Guardian Artillery". The range of Katusha is more then enough for firing through horizon. BM 13 have no armor in cost of increasing speed. Germans have many problems to locate russian artillery positions which moving with speed about 50 km/h... Time to stop for making shot - about 2 minutes... Best solution of mobile war...

[Gen. Sandworm]

I think the Katusha was much better than the German Neblewarffer (spl?)

[Komissar Ombrok]

I think the Katusha was much better than the German Neblewarffer (spl?)

Yep. The Germans weapons of such type was bad to compare with BM-13 and more latest, BM-13SN. Germans weapons has an ammo with smaller mass of warhead (20-30% of Soviet), smaller range 1,5-2,5 km German, 7-9 km Soviet, and BM-13 is a transport-based weapon, and can fire from wheels. Germans atillery of such type has no such mobility and after first shot was often destroyed with counter-fire...

[FW-190 Pilot]

but the armour seems to be very thin, it can be very expose to any german tank if not defend carefully, and the rocket can be very inaccarate?

Noone used BM-13 in close combat. In Soviet callls them "Guardian Artillery". The range of Katusha is more then enough for firing through horizon. BM 13 have no armor in cost of increasing speed. Germans have many problems to locate russian artillery positions which moving with speed about 50 km/h... Time to stop for making shot - about 2 minutes... Best solution of mobile war...
oic, thanks for the explaining, but would the rockets be very inaccurate? rockets just invented, and i somtimes doubt it would be that useful in thie early stage

[Gen. Sandworm]

oic, thanks for the explaining, but would the rockets be very inaccurate? rockets just invented, and i somtimes doubt it would be that useful in thie early stage

Actually believe it or not rockets have been around since at least the napoleonic wars if not before that. If you ever have heard the American national anthem. ...and the rockets red glare.... The were mostly tube packed full of gunpowder that had some kind of explosive on the end. Mainly to help set fires.

[Komissar Ombrok]

Birthday of Russian rocket weapon in a 1702, when Petr I the Great, use them to destroy walls of Sweden fortresses. In the world, first rockets in wars was used by China about 900 year... So, this isn't very modern weaponry. Accuracy of the BM-13 ammo was about 50 meters. This isn't so much, but much better than all weapons of such type in that period. And more - the BM-13 shoot with 20 rockets. 7 BM-13 in the squad. 140 50-kg warheads shooting in 20 seconds. Sea of fire. Even metal was melted in the targeted zone. I think no need in accuracy... :D

[South African Military]

Birthday of Russian rocket weapon in a 1702, when Petr I the Great, use them to destroy walls of Sweden fortresses. In the world, first rockets in wars was used by China about 900 year... So, this isn't very modern weaponry. Accuracy of the BM-13 ammo was about 50 meters. This isn't so much, but much better than all weapons of such type in that period. And more - the BM-13 shoot with 20 rockets. 7 BM-13 in the squad. 140 50-kg warheads shooting in 20 seconds. Sea of fire. Even metal was melted in the targeted zone. I think no need in accuracy... :D

Ya the chinese used rockets soon after the discovery of gunpowder. They would have a whole lot of fire cracker rocket type things and light them up at the same time.

[lieutlienant Vorontsov]

This is one of the most powerful weapons in the times World War II!

[Polar]

Few mine pictures BM-13 and BM-24

http://img26.exs.cx/img26/4162/BM-13Katyusha.jpg
BM-13

http://img26.exs.cx/img26/4338/BM-24.jpg
BM-24

http://img26.exs.cx/img26/1525/Bm-13-bm-24.jpg
together

and last rocket from BM-13
http://img26.exs.cx/img26/5561/missilebm-13.jpg

[Gen. Sandworm]

Great pics Polar. Helps show how mean this was. Have you ever seen one fire.........its absolutely incredible. :shock:

[Komissar Ombrok]

Good pic of "Katusha" firing:
http://pobeda.rambler.ru/photo_popup.html?id=135&type=images&index=3&countryid=207

[Dani]

Good picture Komissar!

Also:

BM 31-12:

http://img235.echo.cx/img235/2606/bm317vd.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

M8-6:

http://img235.echo.cx/img235/1271/katyusha3ou.jpg

[FarraoN]

http://www.chamtec.com/butertank_files/m13stz5ph1.jpg
http://www.chamtec.com/butertank_files/bm836ph1.jpg
http://www.chamtec.com/butertank_files/bm824ph1.jpg
http://www.chamtec.com/butertank_files/bm848ph1.jpg
http://www.chamtec.com/butertank_files/bm13gazaaph1.jpg
http://www.chamtec.com/butertank_files/kat01g.jpg
http://www.chamtec.com/butertank_files/bm13snph1.jpg
http://www.chamtec.com/butertank_files/m13.jpg
http://www.chamtec.com/butertank_files/bm3112ph1.jpg
http://www.chamtec.com/butertank_files/bm13ph1.jpg
http://www.chamtec.com/butertank_files/bm13z2.jpg
http://www.chamtec.com/butertank_files/bm13nph2.jpg
http://www.chamtec.com/butertank_files/bm13z.jpg

Nazi

http://www.chamtec.com/butertank_files/80mmreph1.jpg
http://www.chamtec.com/butertank_files/mau150mm.jpg
http://www.chamtec.com/butertank_files/maultier150ph2.jpg
http://www.chamtec.com/butertank_files/150mmreph1.jpg
http://www.chamtec.com/butertank_files/280320mmre2ph1.jpg[/img]

[FW-190 Pilot]

how can those things aim at enemy target?, especially to those targets that are moving, i can imagine its pretty hard :shock:

[Komissar Ombrok]

Not too hard. More, that's very easy. The shot of BM-13 covered a bit less km2. Standard squad of BM-13 is 7 units. About 6km2. When you drop an a-bomb, you don't targeting direct house, yes?

[FW-190 Pilot]

Not too hard. More, that's very easy. The shot of BM-13 covered a bit less km2. Standard squad of BM-13 is 7 units. About 6km2. When you drop an a-bomb, you don't targeting direct house, yes?
wow thanks for the info, really didnt know that

[Komissar Ombrok]

Oops. Sorry... I was mistaken, not a km2, of course, zone of 500x500 meters for one unit. Accuracy of shot about 50 meters. Really, that wasn't a big difference to any who was in point of shot. :lol:

[Sturmtruppen]

what is the difference between that german missile launcher (in the farraon post) and the russian katusha ???

[Komissar Ombrok]

The BM-13 have a great advantage in distance, summary firepower of shot and more high speed.

[Barbarian from east]

http://pobeda.rambler.ru/images/object_65.1113919889.42227.jpg

The battery is preparing to fire!

[Barbarian from east]

Grad (Hail)
http://www.automodel.ru/NEW/New02-03/Ural-GRAD-3241_1_1.jpg

Smerch (Tornado)
http://img.lenta.ru/economy/2005/02/03/rockets/picture.jpg

[JoseFrancis]

I think the Katusha was much better than the German Neblewarffer (spl?)

Yep. The Germans weapons of such type was bad to compare with BM-13 and more latest, BM-13SN. Germans weapons has an ammo with smaller mass of warhead (20-30% of Soviet), smaller range 1,5-2,5 km German, 7-9 km Soviet, and BM-13 is a transport-based weapon, and can fire from wheels. Germans atillery of such type has no such mobility and after first shot was often destroyed with counter-fire...

Yes but the Katyushas were far more inaccurate than the Nebelwerfer. Katyushas were far more psychologicly destructive since it relied a lot on luck. The only way to be really destructive is to have Katyushas in mass scales such as in Berlin.
I've also heard before that the Nebelwerfer were more realiable than Stalin's organs.



...btw, the Germans did copy the Katyusha with the Vielfachwerfer where they mounted rockets on french half-tracks

[Sturmtruppen]

I think the Katusha was much better than the German Neblewarffer (spl?)

Yep. The Germans weapons of such type was bad to compare with BM-13 and more latest, BM-13SN. Germans weapons has an ammo with smaller mass of warhead (20-30% of Soviet), smaller range 1,5-2,5 km German, 7-9 km Soviet, and BM-13 is a transport-based weapon, and can fire from wheels. Germans atillery of such type has no such mobility and after first shot was often destroyed with counter-fire...

Yes but the Katyushas were far more inaccurate than the Nebelwerfer. Katyushas were far more psychologicly destructive since it relied a lot on luck. The only way to be really destructive is to have Katyushas in mass scales such as in Berlin.

interesting observation,it`s a good point,if the number of katyushas is small,the nebelwerfer can have a better work.

but if katyushas are inacurate,it could be because they have better range of fire,no?.

[FW-190 Pilot]

are those low flying rockets that are immpossible to be intercept by american patriot missiles?

[LHOON]

The Katushas were indeed one of the most characteristic weapons of the USSR army.
They are also associated with a very popular Russian military song, a version of which can be found at http://www.barynya.com/mp3/Alesha_Misha/Katyusha.mp3

This song is very well known in the west too, but few knew its association with Katusha, whileas in former USSR it is still very popular with veterans, together with the other, most famous military music "Proschanie Slavyanki".