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SURVIVING GUN FILE (# 1458)
Version française
Russia

Vasilevsky bombomet 38 lineynaya

Late version
Trench artillery
Contributor :
Bernard Plumier      http://www.passioncompassion1418.com
 Wikimedia Commons      http://commons.wikimedia.org/
      
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Location :
Russia
St Petersburg
Artillery Museum
Coordinates : Lat : 59.95610 / Long : 30.31330
General comments on this surviving gun :


Identical items in the same location : 1
Items covered by this file : 1

Lateral view on this 'late version' mortar with its elevation setting system and the rudimentary breech

Front view. Notice the smooth bore, and the nails on the wheels circle bands

The rudimentary breech of the late version, and the hole in the barrel for the propulsive charge ignition
Historic and technical information
Denomination :     Vasilevsky Bombomet Origin :       ( Rudzki)             ( Kositsa )             ( Union )

Historic context :

Faced on February 18, 1915 to the bombing of German minenwerfers, the lieutnant Vasilevsky decided to reply by improvising bomb launchers made of empty 10 cm Austrian shrapnell shells fixed to a wooden block by steel wires. The day after, 6 such rudimentary weapons fired 60 bombs on the ennemy.

The weapon was given several improvements and was produced as soon as March 1915 in plants in Russia and Poland, then in St Petersburg. Very soon it was mounted on a steel carriage with a trail and spade, and steel wheels. In these early versions the caliber of this '38 lines bomb launcher Vasilevsky' was 96 mm, but the Russian Artillery Services, studying and participating to its improvement in August 1915 recommended its inventor to change the caliber to 91 mm in order to make it compatible with the ammunitions of the 'GR' mine launcher (copy of the German Lanz minenwerfer).

A version was introduced in October 1915 with two major modifications : a rudimentary breech was replacing the muzzle-loader property by a breech loading of the shell (this one having its Brickford wick igniting system replaced by a fuze), and an elevation setting system with a lever and a circular arc was also added.

Technical data :

  • Complete description : 38 lines bomb launcher Vasilevsky
  • Design year : 1915
  • Calibre : 91.00 mm (early versions 96 mm)
  • Weight in firing position : unknown
  • Weight for transportation :
  • Tube length in calibres : 533.00
  • Grooves : 0 smooth bore
  • Projectile weight : 4.1 kg
  • Initial speed :
  • Fire rate :
  • Range : 500 m
  • Elevation range : +5 to +60 degrees
  • Direction range : none

Sources