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The 76.22mm Divisional Gun Model 02/30 was an updated of the First World War era Model 00/02, and was still in service in large numbers during the Second World War.
The Model 00/02 was itself an updated version of the 76.2mm Divisional Gun Model 02, a Krupp design that was already obsolete when it entered service. The Model 00/02 was given a more modern recoil system, and had been the main Russian gun during the First World War.
By 1930 the Soviet Union was ready to modernise its large stock of old guns. A team led by W.N. Sidorenko produced the Model 02/30. The biggest change was an improvement to the box trail to allow the maximum elevation to go up from only 16 degrees to a much more useful 37 degrees. The modified gun could be fired with two different propelling charges. Some of the updated guns kept the original L/30 barrel, and gained a maximum range of 12,400m. Others were given a new L/40 barrel, which gave them a maximum range of 13,000m.
The Model 02/30 kept the original spoked wooden wheels of the Model 00/02. The recoil mechanism was carried in a circular cradle that was almost the same length as the L/30 barrel. It had a rectangular shield with a folding top section.
A significant number of Model 02/30s were captured by the Germans. They called the L/30 version the 7.62cm FK 295/1 (r) and the L/40 version the 7.62cm FK 295/2 (r). There were still 110 in use with the Germans on 1 March 1944.
Name |
76.2mm Divisional Gun Model 02/30 |
Calibre |
7.62cm (3in) |
Barrel Length |
2.196m (86.45in (L/30) |
Weight for transport |
2,150kg |
Weight in action |
1,350kg (2,977lb) (L/40) |
Elevation |
-5 to +37 degrees |
Traverse |
2 degrees 40 minutes |
Shell Weight |
6.4kg (14.11lb) |
Muzzle Velocity |
L/30 low charge: 455m/ sec (1,493 ft/ sec) |
Maximum Range |
L/30 low charge: 9,500m (10,393 yards) |
Rate of Fire |
20 rounds/ min |
Russian Weapons of World War II, David Porter.
A good overview of the weapons used by the Soviet Union during the Second World War, ranging from individual infantry weapons up to the battleships of the Soviet fleet, as well as the various lend lease items that supported the Soviet war effort. Well illustrated, acknowledges the problems dealing with Soviet sources, and accurate in areas of some confusion (such as the various types of artillery pieces in service)
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