Mortars in the XX century have become an indispensable type of infantry weapons. According to their staffing, depending on the caliber, they are designed to equip units of the company, battalion, regimental and divisional levels. Vasilek, a mortar capable of firing in bursts and, if necessary, performing tasks previously characteristic only of artillery pieces, became a unique means of fire destruction.
What is a mortar
In the classical sense, a mortar is a type of weapon that uses a jet stream formed when a propelling charge is ignited. The barrel of this gun sets the direction and initial speed of the projectile, called a mine, and which is a feathered ammunition. The fuse, as a rule, is contact, located in its front part. The design of the mortar usually includes a removable base plate, bipod, guidance and aiming devices. Again, in the classical sense, loading is done immediately before the shot. The mine is fed from the muzzle of the barrel, the primer located on the backprojectile, ignites the detonator, causing the expulsion charge to activate.
However, guards Katyushas were also called mortars in the USSR. The Tyulpan 2S4 system, despite its clearly howitzer nature, also belongs to this class of weapons, although it is often called a self-propelled artillery installation.
In the USSR in 1970, the Vasilek mortar was adopted. The photo of this means of fire destruction of enemy manpower is more likely to be associated with a cannon. However, the type and structure of the projectile clearly indicates that it is a mine. The ammunition does not have a sleeve, it is feathered. So what is this symbiosis of guns and mortars? And what is it for? What are its virtues?
Mortars and cannons
There are several reasons why mortars have become widespread, and they are all important. This type of weapon is characterized by relative lightness, simplicity, manifested both in manufacturability and maintenance, high destructive power and the ability to cover the target from above, directly from the sky, that is, from the direction of the least security. For firing along a hinged trajectory, a howitzer or mortar is used. At the same time, an artillery gun weighs more, is more complicated and costs the defense budget a large amount. Guns, of course, have their advantages, consisting in increased range, caliber and accuracy, but under certain conditions that occur quite often in battle, these advantages are leveled. The line between two common large-caliber weaponsalmost completely erases the Vasilek mortar, the photo of which transparently hints at its “kinship” with guns. Depending on the position of the barrel, it becomes similar to a mortar, a howitzer, and a conventional cannon that fires flat. If we add a high rate of fire to this interesting property, then the uniqueness of the weapon becomes obvious.
The history of the creation of "Cornflower"
The idea of creating rapid-fire mortars originated in the post-war Soviet Union. In 1946, the designer V. K. Filippov proposed using the recoil energy to reload a gun loaded from the breech. In itself, this technical solution is not new, except for the important point that it was applied to a mortar, and not to a rapid-fire gun. Filippov's work was crowned with success, 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 rapid-fire automatic mortar. Four years later, the field version of the KAM was ready and tested, which received the name F-82. For reasons that are unclear today, this sample was not put into production. In 1967, after some revision, he was nevertheless accepted by the state commission. According to the tradition that has developed among artillerymen, he received the delicate flower name "Cornflower". An 82 mm automatic mortar could fire at a rate of 100 rounds per minute. at a rate of fire of 170 rounds. The difference in these two numbers is due to the time required to reload the cassettes.
Modification "M"
Several years of operation in the army allowed the engineers to conclude that the water cooling of the barrel can be abolished. The massive casing, which protects against overheating at a high rate of fire, was removed, the wall thickness was increased in the central part, providing the surface with ribs that improve heat transfer conditions 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 further application practice showed, this technical solution was justified, especially for desert conditions in which troops are short of water.
What can "Cornflower"
The classic mortar suffers from a serious design defect. The recoil energy causes a displacement of the entire system due to soil deformations and mechanical effects on the barrel. After each shot, the calculation is forced to adjust the parameters and actually re-aiming. The Vasilek mortar device makes it possible to usefully use the recoil energy to feed a new projectile into the barrel. Hydraulic shock absorbers located around the barrel serve to absorb its excess. As a result, the accuracy of hits remains high when firing in bursts. Clip contains four mines.
Versatile application
One of the advantages of "Cornflower" is its versatility. It can be fired in different ways.
2B9 can be used asa conventional mortar, in which case it is loaded from the muzzle. But the main difference of the gun is its ability to shoot like a conventional 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 shot serves as standard ammunition for which the Vasilek 120mm mortar is designed. Its action is fragmentation, but in addition to it, other types of charges are provided, including cumulative ones, designed to destroy armored vehicles.
The composition of the charge includes, in addition to the six-feathered mine O-832DU, the main powder charge Zh-832DU. With an initial speed of 272 m/s, it provides a range of destruction from 800 to 4270 m. Radius of continuous destruction - 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 crew commander, having determined the target at which the Vasilek mortar will fire. The firing range depends on the choice of additional propelling charges. They are long fabric cases containing explosives, covering the annular tail of the projectile in front of the stabilizer andfastened with a conventional button fastener. Their power is determined by the number - from 1 to 3.
Mobility facilities
82-mm mortar "Vasilek" weighs 622 kg, so a special vehicle is used to transport it. As such, an adapted GAZ-66, designated 2F54, is usually used. The gun on the march is in the back, in special cases (in case of 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 prompted engineers in different countries to attempt to create an automatic self-propelled mortar. "Vasilek" was installed on the caterpillar MT-LB chassis in the USSR and Hungary, and some craftsmen in the Middle East still mount it on powerful American army Hummer jeeps.
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 the combat state leads to the fact that the wheels rise above the ground, and the jack and the bed with divorced coulters serve as a support. The Vasilek automatic mortar can be raised or lowered, depending on the firing conditions. The maximum height of the trunk in the lower position is 78°, in the upper position 85°. When mounted shooting with a steepness exceeding 40 °, in order to avoid damage to mechanisms fromhitting the ground, you need to dig a recess under the butt plate. Low elevation angles serve to point the barrel at armored targets. In this position, the Vasilek 82 mm mortar is used as a light anti-tank gun with a short range, but at the same time very powerful.
For direct fire, a panoramic sight is provided, on which in this case the standard optics (PAM-1) is changed. The guidance equipment also includes the Luch-PM2M lighting device, designed for firing at night.
Combat use
The first serious combat test for 2B9 was the Afghan war. The features of operations carried out in mountain ranges have revealed the full potential of the weapons we are considering. Its versatility and ability to hit hidden targets, combined with mobility, earned the respect that Vasilek enjoyed among the troops. The mortar was often mounted 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 were also found out. In particular, the mine cassette did not always fall into its regular place, and to send it back, a heavy blow with a hammer was required, which was always at hand for the loader.
In general, the automatic mortar performed well. It was also used in many armed conflicts that arose on the territory of the former USSR, in particular in both Chechen wars.
Features
Currently no secretinformation on how the mortar "Vasilek" is arranged. Its characteristics have also lost the secrecy stamp due to the wide distribution of this weapon throughout the world.
Guidance mechanisms are simplified as much as possible and built on screw nodes. Manual rotation of the gate provides horizontal guidance within 60° and vertical guidance from -1° to 85° (with the jack fully raised). The maximum combat damage radius is 4.7 km. The barrel is smooth, the rotation of the mine is provided by six tail feathers, which have a slope relative to the longitudinal axis. The cassette holds four charges. Regular ammunition contains 226 min. The total weight of the equipped vehicle exceeds six tons. It moves along the highway at a speed of 60 km / h, on rough terrain - 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. It 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" - that's what they called "Vasilek" in the Celestial Empire. The mortar has been produced in gigantic numbers, and now it can be seen and heard in various regions of the planet, engulfed in the flames of war.
There is currently no data on whether the "Cornflowers" are in service with the Russian Army. Most likely, they have already been replaced by more advanced samples.
