107mm B-11
Overview
107mm B-11
Soviet produced 107mm B-11 recoilless rifle on display at the Polish army museum.
Source: Zala -
© CC BY-SA 4.0
RG107 | Rückstoßfreie Geschütz 107 (East German service)
Description
Introduction
The B-11 is an early Cold War era recoilless rifle of Soviet origin. It was developed in the early 1950's for used by motorized infantry and airborne troops. It is a dual role weapon intended for both anti-tank use and engaging infantry positions and crew served weapons.
Design
The B-11 is an up-scaled version of the 82mm B-10 recoilless rifle. The larger caliber makes for a more potent shaped charge warhead and extends the practical range. Furthermore it fires a larger shell in the indirect fire mode. The B-11 is a breech loaded weapon that is normally fired from its tripod. A direct fire and indirect fire sight are fitted.
Firepower
The BK-883 HEAT round has an effective range of about 450 meters and penetrates about 380 mm RHA. This was enough to penetrate contemporary tanks, making it a far more reliable anti-tank weapon than the smaller caliber SPG-82 or B-10 recoilless rifles. For indirect fire the O-883 HE-fragmentation shell is used. This can be fired out to 6.65 km but with limited accuracy. It proved more useful in the stand-off engagement of infantry positions where the gun crew of the B-11 has line of sight.
Mobility
The B-11 has two road wheels and can be towed behind a vehicle. These include the GAZ-69 4x4 light truck and ZiS-151 and ZiL-157 6x6 medium trucks. These vehicles also transport the crew and the ammunition. A towing eye on the muzzle allows it to be quickly attached to a towing vehicle. It takes about a minute to set up the B-11 on its tripod. In an emergency it can be fired of its wheels with reduced effectiveness. The crew can manhandle the B-11 over short distances in the field. It can also be disassembled in three major parts for transportation by pack animals.
Users
The B-11 was adopted in quantity in Soviet service for use by motorized infantry and VDV airborne forces. After about a decade it was being replaced in service by anti-tank guided missiles for the anti-tank role and by howitzers such as the D-30 for more effective indirect fire. The B-11 was exported to various Warsaw Pact nations and Soviet allies. Small numbers remain in service in third world nations and conflict areas today.
Details
Media
107mm B-11
Soviet 107mm B-11 recoilless rifle on display at a museum.
Source: en.topwar.ru
Copyright: Copyright lies with original owner
107mm B-11
Soviet produced 107mm B-11 recoilless rifle on display in a museum in Israel.
Source: Bukvoed
Copyright: CC BY 2.5
107mm B-11
Soviet produced 107mm B-11 recoilless rifle on display at the Polish army museum.
Source: en.topwar.ru
Copyright: Copyright lies with original owner
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The M40 Recoilless Rifle can be considered the American counterpart of the B-11. It has a roughly similar size and performance but weighs less.
82mm B-10
The 82mm B-10 is a smaller counterpart to the 107mm B-11. These recoilless rifles were introduced in the same year.