76mm M1939 USV field gun bombarding Narva, 1944
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The 76.2mm Divisional Gun Model 1939 USV was the best Soviet 76mm gun at the start of the Second World War, and was lighter than the previous Model 1936 F-22.
The Model 1936 F-22 had been designed as a ‘universal gun’, capable of serving as standard field artillery, an anti-tank gun, or an anti-aircraft gun. It had an L/51 barrel based on the L/50 barrel of the 76.2mm Model 1933, mounted on a new split trail carriage, and could reach a maximum elevation of 75 degrees.
The Model 1939 was carried on a modified version of the Model 1933 split trail, but with the maximum elevation reduced to 42 degrees and the anti-aircraft function removed. The Model 1939 had pneumatic tyres, allowing it to be towed by motor vehicles.
A shorter L/41 barrel was introduced. The recoil system was totally rebuilt. On the older guns the recoil and recuperator cylinders were close together in the cradle under the barrel. On the 1939 one was carried above the barrel and the other below. The gun recoiled along a cradle that, with the lower part of the recoil system below it. The front of the various parts of the recoil system were linked by a triangular frame, with the barrel emerging from the middle.
After the German invasion of 1941 a large number of the USVs were lost. As a result the Red Army urgently needed new guns, and production was concentrated on the 76.2mm Divisional Gun Model 1942 ZiS-3.
The Germans captured a large number of USVs and pressed them into sevice as the 7.62cm FK 297(r) or FK 39(r). Some were also turned into anti-tank guns as the 7.62cm Pak 39(r). They also captured the factories that produced the carriage, making it difficult for the Soviets to produce more USVs.
Name |
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Calibre |
7.62cm |
Barrel Length |
Piece: L/42 3m 20cm (126in) |
Weight for transport |
2,350kg (5,182lb) |
Weight in action |
1,570kg (3,462lb) |
Elevation |
-6 to +45 degrees |
Traverse |
57 degrees |
Shell Weight |
6.4kg (14.11lb) |
Muzzle Velocity |
680m/s (2,230ft/ sec) |
Maximum Range |
13,290m (14,540 yards) |
Rate of Fire |
25 rnd/ sec |
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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