WWII Russian 122mm HEAT Projectile BR-460A

[M8owner]

Here is something that has almost never been seen before. It is dated 1944, and could be used by multiple weapons including howitzers, guns, tanks and self propelled guns. The bakelite B-229 fuse did not do to well with time. Thank you, Marek.

 

[wichitaslumlord]

Fantastic item! Thanks for posting!
Pat

 

[Eggburt1969]

Here is something that has almost never been seen before. It is dated 1944, and could be used by multiple weapons including howitzers, guns, tanks and self propelled guns. The bakelite B-229 fuse did not do to well with time. Thank you, Marek.

A nice and very rare item, but don't you mean a BP-460A (БП-460А), and not a BR-460A (БР-460А)? In full, its GAU (later GRAU) index code being 53-BP-460A (53-БП-460А).

The BP (БП) is short for (correct me if I'm wrong Ivan) бронепрожигающие (broneprozhigayushchiye), so literally 'amour burning'. The BR (БР) is short for бронебойный (broneboynyy), so armour-piecing. The A (А) at the end denotes a steel cast iron (сталистого чугуна). This is cast iron that has had steel added as part of the production process to improve its properties over base cast irons.

According documentation I have the main body of the V-229 (В-229) fuze is a (wood) fibre reinforced plastic.

 

[Nabob]

Nice find,
not common even in the Czech Republic.
The fuzes almost never survive. You are lucky to have one in this condition.
The material is the same as on the contemporary mortar fuzes.

Bob

 

[sgdbdr]

Hi

It's BP-460 as Eggburt said :



Cheers,

S.

 

[M8owner]

It should be BP - sorry! I have attached more photos. I also have a nose with a composite construction; it is made of a steel base, sheet metal mid section and a steel top that is only held loosely in place by four tabs that have been folded over. The flame tube from the bottom of the cone to the detonator is made of cardboard.

 

[HAZORD]

Nice bullet!

 

[Eggburt1969]

It should be BP - sorry! I have attached more photos. I also have a nose with a composite construction; it is made of a steel base, sheet metal mid section and a steel top that is only held loosely in place by four tabs that have been folded over. The flame tube from the bottom of the cone to detonator is made of cardboard.

I presume this is a sectional diagram of the model you have.



There was supposed to be an all steel-bodied version of the projectile. This drops the 'A' at the end that denoted 'steel cast iron', so was designated 53-BP-460.

It may be that the nose section you have is this 53-BP-460 version, that or an altogether unknown version.

Either way it seems the version you have is rarer still that the 53-BP-460A.

 

[MINENAZ16]

I presume this is a sectional diagram of the model you have.

View attachment 165225

There was supposed to be an all steel-bodied version of the projectile. This drops the 'A' at the end that denoted 'steel cast iron', so was designated 53-BP-460.

It may be that the nose section you have is this 53-BP-460 version, that or an altogether unknown version.

Either way it seems the version you have is rarer still that the 53-BP-460A.

This variant

 

[Eggburt1969]

This variant

Yes, but what is it's designation? What are its details?

The BP-460 is not in any of the Russian 122 mm gun, ammunition and firing table manuals I have that span a time period from WWII to the 2000s. The only one that's mentioned is the BP-460A.

Unfortunately I've not got many 122 mm gun and no ammo manuals from the WWII period. I have firing tables from 1943 & 1944, which cover the ammo in some detail and include BP-460A as a supplement, but that's all.

 

[Nabob]

I have a fragment of a document, describing ammunition. Here is the page with the BP projectile.
The A with soviet designation usualy means that the projectile body is manufactured from cast steel not a model modification.
So I think it is just a variant of BP-460A.
Bob

 

[greif]

Apparently there was a German version of this shell. I think it was experimental.
I only have this picture of it without it's fuze, which probably could have been a kl AZ 40 Nb (Pr), like on the German 15 cm Hl shells.

 

[Eggburt1969]

I have a fragment of a document, describing ammunition. Here is the page with the BP projectile.
The A with soviet designation usualy means that the projectile body is manufactured from cast steel not a model modification.
So I think it is just a variant of BP-460A.
Bob

Yeah, I've got that whole 1970 document (122-мм Гаубица М-30 обр. 1938 г - Руководство Службы) and the earlier 1948 version, but there's no mention of the BP-460 in either, just the BP-460A.

As to the 'A' at the end, I've already stated this normally means a type of cast iron to which steel has been added during the production process to improved its properties. This is in reality a projectile modification, as the projectile sidewalls are normally thicker and the HE fill is less.

As stated in a previous and related post...

53-OF-462 (53-ОФ-462): steel-bodied 122 mm HE-frag projectile, copper alloy driving band, one and two-piece nose versions produced.
53-OF-462A (53-ОФ-462А): the 'A' refers to 'сталистого чугуна' (stalistogo chuguna), so a steel cast iron mix, copper alloy driving band, one and two-piece nose versions produced.
53-OF-462Zh (53-ОФ-462Ж): the 53-OF-462 with a sintered iron driving band, the Zh (Ж) means Железокерамический (zhelezokeramicheskiy), which literally means 'iron-ceramic'.
53-O-462A (53-О-462А): the later (after 1941) designation of the OF-462A.

See the page excerpt below. You have to read the note (1) at the bottom. This explains the name change from OF-462A to O-462A.




Coincidentally, 462 and 462A also relate to a models of 122 mm howitzer. So 52-G-462 (52-Г-462) is the '122 mm Howitzer Model 1910/30', whilst the the 52-G-462A is the ''122 mm Howitzer Model 1909/37'. Though one has a similar ending, I don't think it means the '462A' models of 122 mm projectile were only developed for this particular one.

Anyway, there are lots of examples of the 'A' being stuck at the end of a projectile's GAU/GRAU index code (designation) to denote that it is a modified version of the original steel version, and is constructed from 'steel cast iron'. Mortar bombs are another classic example of this.

 

[Nabob]

I am sorry I missed Your remark on cast iron.
The page I posted clearly shows the 3 piece ogive with a BP-460A. Could be an error, manuals are written by humans, but as long as I will not see other proof I will cosider this a variant of 460A

As to the O and OF. Do you think it is because the explosive weight and type? So when a new type with 3,52 kg of explosive came the older with 2,62 kg was redesigned.
Bob

 

[Eggburt1969]

I am sorry I missed Your remark on cast iron.
The page I posted clearly shows the 3 piece ogive with a BP-460A. Could be an error, manuals are written by humans, but as long as I will not see other proof I will consider this a variant of 460A

As to the O and OF. Do you think it is because the explosive weight and type? So when a new type with 3,52 kg of explosive came the older with 2,62 kg was redesigned.
Bob

Not a problem Bob, there's sometimes lots to read and very little time to do so.

Yes, the 1948 and 1970 122 mm Howitzer 1939 (M30) manuals both show that version. See the images below.


Image from the 1948 manual.


Image from the 1970 manual.

However the Russian book from 1953 on 122 mm artillery ammunition shows the single piece nose section version of the projectile.



All that can be said is that there were likely two nose versions. Whether one was the BP-460, who knows?

As to the 'O' (О) and OF' (ОФ) question. The 'O' in a Russian projectile's designation (GAU/GRAU idex code) is short for Oskolochno (Осколочно), so fragmentation. The 'F' is short for Oskolochno-Fugasnoy (Осколочно-Фугасной), so literally 'fragmentation high explosive'. (PS Ivan will need to check for the correct grammar, spelling, etc.)

'O' projectiles are generally thicker-walled and carry less explosive material than 'OF' projectiles. As such an 'O' designated projectile is primarily used for fragmentation effect. This means their fuzes are normally set to air-burst (if possible) or instant impact (point detonate) and not delay (if possible).

'OF' projectiles are generally thinner-walled and carry more explosive material than 'O' projectiles. As such an 'OF' designated projectile can be used for fragmentation or explosive effects: ground cratering, light building destruction (delayed detonation), etc.. This means their fuzes can be set to air-burst (if possible), instant impact (point detonate), or delayed action (if possible).

Hope that answers all the questions Bob?

Neil

 

[MINENAZ16]

Apparently there was a German version of this shell. I think it was experimental.
I only have this picture of it without it's fuze, which probably could have been a kl AZ 40 Nb (Pr), like on the German 15 cm Hl shells.

Hello Greif,
Writing on this 12.2cm shell reminds me markings (same style) of incredible experimental german shells shown by US SUBS (Aberdeen).
Perhaps written by era experts (?)

 

[greif]

Yes MinenAZ, looks like it. Same source I think. Very nice pictures, thanks for sharing.

 

[Nabob]

Hope that answers all the questions Bob? l

I am quite familiar with the theory of ammunition design. I have suffered some education on this topic. The question is why was an OF projectile redesigned to O projectile and the same designation was used for a different one. They could keep the OF designation and use a different number for the other one. Both use the same fuzes there is difference in the explosive weight, which of course makes for better HE effect.

Bob

 

[Eggburt1969]

I am quite familiar with the theory of ammunition design. I have suffered some education on this topic. The question is why was an OF projectile redesigned to O projectile and the same designation was used for a different one. They could keep the OF designation and use a different number for the other one. Both use the same fuzes there is difference in the explosive weight, which of course makes for better HE effect.

Bob

All it says in the 1953 Russian manual on 122 mm ammunition is this (the 'Note 1' in that screen-shot/image I posted).

До 1941 г. осколочные гранаты сталистого чугуна назывались осколочно-фугасными, вследствие чего гранаты, окрашенные до 1941 г., имеют индекс ОФ-462А.

So essentially what it says in English is.

Up to 1941 steel cast iron fragmentation projectiles were called fragmentation-high explosive, as a result of which projectiles marked up before 1941 have the index code OF-462A (ОФ-462А).

As to why they were reclassified from high explosive fragmentation (ОФ) to just fragmentation (О), I don't known. I presume they redefined what an O and an OF projectile were at around that time?

Neil

 

[Nabob]

Thanks Neil,
I can see from Your posts that You are well versed in the grau indexes. I was hoping You would have some "backround" information on this change.
But I guess that in 1941 the Soviet Union had better things to do than writing up the reasoning for some ammo nerds 80 years later

Bob