WEAPONS USED IN THE 13TH
The 13th has a wide range of weapons and equipment and we're very experienced in using them! This page will look at the various weapons used by the unit and their history. It started with the DP28, now it is the turn of the Panzer destroying PTRD41.
here are 2 tank hunters from the original 6th Guards Division in M35 Gymnasturkas.
The Red Army was alone among the major combatants in that it never produced a viable anti tank weapon for its infantry throughout the course of the war. What the RKKA started with it finished with!
The PTRD41 was available in time for the German invasion, however logistics problems meant the ammunition required to support units with the weapon was not available. This led to a delay in the equipment being fielded and it didn’t see widespread active service until 1942. So, the Red Army found it was introducing equipment that other armies (such as the Germans and British) were phasing out of their front line arsenals. But this wasn’t just a light piece of equipment. The PTRD was used against the ever heavier German tanks. It lacked good penetration when attacking panzers from the front and anyone who has handled them will agree that the chances of tank stalking (unlike with a Panzerfaust) is almost impossible.
Instead, when used against tanks it was used to target weak points (if possible) such as visor slits or periscopes, thus effectively blinding the crew. It was also useful against dug in positions and was also very successful against buildings or bunkers.
This is what the Krasnaya Zvezda had to say about the Soviet Anti-Tank Rifle:
"A Soviet artillery battery was on the march when the column was suddenly attacked by six enemy tanks. A Red Army private armed with an antitank rifle jumped off a caisson, took position behind a mound, and opened fire. He inflicted sufficient damage on the leading tank to cause the remainder of the enemy tanks to delay their attack for a few minutes. The battery was given a chance to deploy and open fire, and the surprise attack was beaten off. Four of the six German tanks were put out of action
In many similar instances antitank rifles have proved effective against enemy tanks. The light weight, portability, and rapid fire power of this weapon permit its crew to go into action in so short a time that it can cover units on the march, at rest, or in battle".
There are a few photos of the 13th using this weapon system in the photographic section.
bravenet.com