D-20 (Model 1955) 152mm Towed Field Howitzer (2024)



Soviet Union | 1955



"The D-20 can be towed by a variety of tracked and wheeled vehicles."

Authored By: JR Potts, AUS 173d AB and Dan Alex | Last Edited: 04/08/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The Soviet Model 1955 (M1955 / D-20) 152mm towed howitzer was developed in the late 1940s, too late to see combat asction in World War 2 (1939-1945). During its time as a frontline weapon system, the M1955 showed itself to have inherently strong reliability and firepower through the numerous wars that it was fielded across. The Soviet Union design bureau awarded the contract to Petrov Artillery and the M1955 was built in Yekaterinburg, a city central to Soviet arms making production during the war as many heavy factories were forced there after the German invasion in the west (Operation Barbarossa, June 1941).

The M1955 utilized the existing carriage of the D-74 system. Field trials proved the new arrangement well-designed and rugged enough during field trails. An 8 man crew was used for the gun section and an AT-S medium tractor was the prime mover along with the URAL-375 6x6 heavy truck. The barrel was made to the length of 17 feet and capped by a large, double-slotted baffle to help reduce recoil. A gun shield was mounted ahead of the wheels to protect the breech, recoil mechanism and crew. A firing pedestal was lowered to the grown before the weapon was engaged and the "split-trail carriage", also rested on the pedestal, provided full 360-degree traversal. The base gun mounting hardware gave -5 degrees to +65 degrees of elevation with a traverse of 58 degrees from centerline.

The main projectile used by the howitzer was the HE-FRAG (High-Explosive, FRAGmentation) weighing 95.92 lb which led to the sustained rate-of-fire of one round-per-minute. Special ammunition types included an AP (Armor-Piercing) shell of 237 lb that could penetrate 124mm (4.88") of armor thickness out to 1,000 meters (1,095 yards). Smoke and illuminating projectiles are also available along with a shell containing steel flechettes for anti-infantry use. Another form dispersed anti-personnel mines over a target area. Still another projectile type has become the "Krasnopol" semi-active, laser-guided smart munition.

A trained and experienced gunnery crew could stand to make 5 to 6 rounds-per-minute (1 rpm sustained). Range for HE-FRAG projectiles was 19,040 yards while Rocket-Assisted Projectile (RAP) landed as far out as 26,245 yards.

Despite its Soviet origins, the Russian military still relies to some degree on the M1955 series with as many as 1,000 guns still thought available. Efforts were made to modernize the design and keep it a viable battlefield solution for decades to come. The "Khitin" is an example of this, having added an automatic rammer and sporting an increased RoF to eight RPM.

China copied the gun as the "Type 66" and this variant went on to see deliveries all around the globe. Type 66 was made with few changes, making most Soviet parts interchangeable along with using all types of in-circulation 152mm ammunition. The Type 83 became a self-propelled version, most likely influenced by the Soviet 2S3 series vehicle. Similarly, the SPH 152mm M1974 of North Korea sees either the M1955 or Type 66 gun fitted to a tracked chassis.

Current operators range from Angola and Armenia to Vietnam and Yemen. Romanian models are designated A411. Former operates included Albania, East Germany / Germany, Finland and the former Yugoslavia (as the M84 "NORA" gun-howitzer).

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one land system design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Model 1955 (D-20) 152mm Towed Field Howitzer.

None. This is a towed artillery system.
Installed Power

10,818 miles
17,410 km
Range

Structure
The physical qualities of the Model 1955 (D-20) 152mm Towed Field Howitzer.

8
(MANNED)
Crew

26.6 ft
8.1 meters
O/A Length

7.7 ft
2.35 meters
O/A Width

8.3 ft
2.52 meters
O/A Height

12,566 lb
5,700 kg | 6.3 tons
Weight

Armament & Ammunition
Available supported armament, ammunition, and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the D-20 (Model 1955) 152mm Towed Field Howitzer.

1 x 152mm gun barrel.

AMMUNITION:
Varies. Typical 152mm ammunition type is Frag-HE, OF32. Other types include smart munitions, incendiary, mine dispersal, chemical, anti-infantry flechette and rocket-assisted types.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
Nightvision - NONE.
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Protection (CBRN) - NONE.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the D-20 (Model 1955) family line.

D-20 - Base Model Designation
152mm Towed Gun Howizter M1955 (D-20) - Formal Designation.
52-P-546 - GRAU designation
Type 66 - Chinese copy of the D-20 system
Type 83 - Chinese D-20 gun on tracked chassis
A411 - Romanian Army designation
M84 NORA - Yugoslavian model

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the D-20 (Model 1955). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national land systems listing.

Total Production: 4,200 Units

Contractor(s): No. 9 Plant - Soviet Union

[ Albania; Angola; Armenia; Azerbaijan; Belarus; Bulgaria; China; Georgia; Cambodia; Congo; Croatia; East Germany; Egypt; Finland; Hungary; Iran; Iraq; Kazakhstan; Myanmar; North Korea; Moldova; Nicaragua; Nigeria; Poland; Romania; Russia; Serbia; Soviet Union; Sri Lanka; Syria; Turkey; Turkmenistan; Ukraine; Uzbekistan; Vietnam; Yemen; Yugoslavia ]

Design Qualities
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to battlefield requirements.

FIRE SUPPORT / ASSAULT / BREACHING

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Going Further...
The D-20 (Model 1955) 152mm Towed Field Howitzer appears in the following collections:

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D-20 (Model 1955) 152mm Towed Field Howitzer (2024)

FAQs

How far can a 152mm howitzer shoot? ›

152 mm gun-howitzer D-20
D-20
Rate of fireBurst: 5–6 rpm Sustained: 1 rpm
Muzzle velocity650 m/s (2,100 ft/s) (typical)
Effective firing range17.4 km (10.8 mi)
Maximum firing range24 km (15 mi) (rocket-assisted projectile)
26 more rows

Why do Russians use 152mm? ›

The expected advances in western technology forced the Soviet tank designers to consider various solutions to the firepower increase, including the increase of Soviet tank gun caliber from 125mm to 152mm.

How accurate is a howitzer shell? ›

A conventional unguided M549A1 155 mm artillery projectile has a circular error probable (CEP) of 267 m (876 ft) at its maximum range, meaning that half of the rounds can be expected to land within 267 m (876 ft) of their intended target.

What is the effective range of a howitzer cannon? ›

The M777A2 replaced the Marine Corps' outdated M198 155mm weapon. The M777A2 is capable of firing standard (unassisted) projectiles to a range of 15 miles (24 kilometers), assisted projectiles to 19 miles (30.5 kilometers), and the Excalibur munitions to ranges in excess of 25 miles (40 kilometers).

What is the difference between 152mm and 155mm howitzer? ›

While the 155mm howitzer may only be ~3mm wider in diameter, many of the shells fired today are on average +300mm longer in over all length then those fired from the 152mm howitzer. This is what causes the 155mm shells to be that much more destructive in practice.

How many rounds does a howitzer barrel last? ›

Usually a barrel on a modern artillery system, like the M777, must be replaced after firing up to 2,500 rounds.

Does China use 152mm artillery? ›

Though this artillery system is still widely used in China and was exported to some countries, including Iraq and Sri Lanka.

How much does a 152mm artillery shell cost? ›

In contrast, the United States and European countries are expected to produce only 1.3 million shells combined. The cost of producing a 155-mm shell, commonly used by NATO countries, is approximately $4,000 per unit. In comparison, the cost to produce a Russian 152-mm shell is only about $1,000 per unit.

How much does a 155mm shell cost? ›

The price of a 155mm shell produced in Western Europe ranges from a low of $5,000 to more than $10,000 for the high-end ammunition, a senior industry executive attending the round table told Defense News.

What is the most precise howitzer? ›

The PzH 2000* self-propelled howitzer – armed with a 155 mm L52 main gun developed by Rheinmetall – is widely held to be most advanced, most effective artillery system anywhere. Extremely accurate and highly reliable, the PzH 2000 achieves a high rate of fire owing to its automatic loading system.

How long do howitzers last? ›

At that average firing rate, a howitzer barrel should last a little over a year. But in practice, the guns in the most critical sectors of the front fire much more than average, while the guns in the quieter sectors might fire less.

What is the blast radius of a howitzer? ›

A common M795 155m high explosive howitzer shell will generally have a 'kill radius' of 50m, with fragmentation spreading significantly further. Tube artillery guns are typically used to provide indirect fire support for armour and infantry forces over long distances.

How much TNT is in a 155mm shell? ›

155MM M795 HE

The M795 is a 103lb 155mm high fragmentation steel (HF1) body projectile filled with 23.8 pounds of TNT or IMX-101 with a gilded metal rotating band for compatibility with all current and future towed and self-propelled 155mm howitzers.

Can a howitzer destroy a tank? ›

This ammunition handling system is quite impressive, as we see an incredible jump from the standard rounds to the heavier ones. But something everyone wants to know is, “Can a howitzer destroy a tank?” Absolutely, yes. The self-propelled howitzer definitely has the potential to destroy a tank.

What is the nickname of the howitzer? ›

This earned them the colorful moniker “instant artillery”, a term not meant to be flattering. During the Civil War the Howitzer earned the nickname of the Bulldog, giving the impression it would not back down from a fight.

How far can a 120mm howitzer shoot? ›

120 mm gun M1
120mm gun M1
Traverse360 degrees
Rate of fire12 rpm
Muzzle velocity3,100 ft/s (945 m/s)
Maximum firing range82,000 ft (25,000 m), 57,500 ft (17,500 m) maximum altitude
21 more rows

Which artillery has longest range? ›

Paris Gun
Breechhorizontal sliding-block
Elevation55 degrees
Muzzle velocity1,640 m/s (5,400 ft/s)
Maximum firing range130 km (81 mi)
15 more rows

How much does a 152 mm artillery shell cost? ›

In addition to faster production and refurbishment, the cost of producing 152mm artillery shells in Russia hovers around $1,000 per unit.

What is the blast radius of a 155mm artillery shell? ›

A common M795 155m high explosive howitzer shell will generally have a 'kill radius' of 50m, with fragmentation spreading significantly further. Tube artillery guns are typically used to provide indirect fire support for armour and infantry forces over long distances.

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