Russian rocket launcher BM-13 KATYUSHA ZIS-6 COBI 2280 - World War II

You know that:

• The development of the mobile rocket launcher began as early as 1933 and in a truly Russian way.
• First, a scientific research institute of jet propulsion was founded to give the project something to shoot at and one of the designers, Georgy E. Langemak, was executed in a staged trial. Without this, it would not have been possible in Russia.
• The first missiles used were modified RS-82 unguided air-launched missiles, which later became the M-13 Katyusha and M-31 Vanyusha missiles.
• The Lafette missile launcher was easy to install due to its simplicity on many different chassis from tanks, armored trains, to naval vessels and trucks.
• The most famous chassis was the ZIS-5 and especially the ZIS-6 trucks produced by the Zavod imeni Stalin factory, later called ZIL.
• Initially, the salvo rocket launchers were deployed in strict secrecy and the crew consisted of the most reliable soldiers of the NKVD Special Forces.
• The first ever combat deployment of Katyushas occurred on 14 July 1941 near the town of Rudnaya during the shelling of a railway transshipment yard. Here, too, the nickname "Stalin's organ" was coined after the typical whistle of the rockets being fired.
• Despite the great inaccuracy of the firing, the destructive power of the Katyushas was extremely high.
• The salvo rocket launchers had little or no armour plating and no active protection, making them an easy target for the German air force. Two-thirds of all Katyusha deployed were thus destroyed.
• About 100,000 were produced in various versions at the Voronezh production plant.

Technical parameters:

• dimensions: length 6,06 m, width 2,23
• armouring max 30 mm
• weight 5 730 kg
• power unit water-cooled 6-cylinder ZIS V6 engine with 73 hp
• maximum speed 55 km/h
• fuel consumption 40 l/100km
• range 180 km
• main armament M-12 missiles of 132mm calibre with 4.9 kg warhead
• range 8 740 m, range deviation 130 m, lateral deviation 188 m
• crew 3