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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 0110.PDF
Last May Day a Soviet commentator said of this type of spin-stabilized artillery rocket, "They are distinguished for their high precision and enormously powerful thermonuclear warheads . . . These rockets con stitute the main firepower of the ground forces." This type is sketch M in the large drawing on the following pages Red Square Parade ALTHOUGH practically nothing is known to the general public —of any nation, including that of Russia—concerning the Soviet Union's ICBMs and space boosters, a wide variety of lesser missiles has become increasingly familiar during the past six years. This situation has come about chiefly as a result of the inclusion of these missiles in military parades.. The three main occasions upon which these displays are held are May Day, Soviet Aviation Day (early in July) and the anniversary of the October 1917 Revolution (held early in November). On the following two pages will be found sketches of all the military rockets which have been seen in parades through Red Square, Moscow, since November 1957—with two exceptions. Last May Day four large articulated vehicles were seen carrying drum-like objects; they were discussed and illustrated in Flight International for May 10, 1962, but too little is known about them to include them in the "parade" overleaf. The other exception is a wire-guided anti-tank missile, which was seen deployed in groups on small utility vehicles in the same parade. This seems to have been completely missed by the Western photographers. Rocket weapons are now the dominant feature of all arms of the Soviet forces. In fact, rocket troops have since the spring of 1959 been organized as a separate command. The first commander of rocket forces was Marshal Mitrofan Nedelin, who died in October the following year—reportedly as the result of a rocket accident. His successor was Marshal Kyril Moskalenko. Finally, in Novem ber 1961, the Soviet rocket and artillery forces were grouped in a single command under the former chief of artillery. Marshal Sergei Varentsov. Marshal Moskalenko continues to hold the post of chief of strategic rockets. The accent throughout is on weapons of an essentially economical and reliable nature, which can be deployed by land forces in a mobile 98 FLIGHT International, 17 January 1963 Missiles and Spaceflight conflict. Each has been identified by a letter, against which brief notes will be found appended below. In the United States these weapons have been given various designations, such as M-101. T-5C and M-2; but no evidence has yet been published to support the authenticity of these designations. A This ballistic missile is perhaps the most notable weapon yet to have appeared in a Soviet parade. It was first seen on November 7 last year, and is undoubtedly of a considerably later basic design than the larger weapons B and E. It appears to have a length of some 46ft 6in and a maximum diameter of 5ft 6in. It almost certainly has two (possibly three) stages of propulsion, separated by a lengthy tapering transition section. There seems no doubt that it uses solid propellants. and from the aft closure of the first stage project seven cylindrical nozzles (seven nozzles are found in many Russian artillery rockets). The re-entry vehicle has a nose radius of at least 9in. The weapon is mounted on a stoutly constructed trailer, towed by a large and powerful tracked prime mover, based originally upon the T-54 medium tank and widely used throughout the Soviet armed forces. On the cab doors are painted naval insignia, and 16 sailors occupy the bench seats. According to Izvestia, this missile can be "fired from under water or from the ocean's surface." It seems probable that this missile is accommodated in vertical launch tubes occupying the whole depth of the sub marine from keel to the top of the conning-tower sail. B First big Russian rocket to be disclosed publicly, this 65ft artillery weapon was first seen in 1957. It is obviously a descendent of the German A-4 (V-2), and forms an interesting parallel to the American Redstone. It would be logical to suppose that the propellants are liquid oxygen and alcohol, fed by turbopump to a single thrust chamber provided with vector control effected by refractory vanes. Guidance is probably inertial, and maximum range about 250 miles. The tug carries a launch crew of 24, exclud ing the several occupants of the cab. There are at least three versions of this missile, the final production models having prominent longitudinal pipe and cable fairings along the upper part of the tankage. With the improved model depicted in illustration E it bears the NATO code name of Shyster. C A standard 10-wheel truck, based on a 1930 Ford design and used in huge numbers by the Red Army, carries an elevating and pivoted mounting for four unguided rockets of about 30cm (12in) calibre. One of the many improved descendents of the famous Katyusha of World War 2, the rockets have seven nozzles and arc spin-stabilized by helical "rifling" guide-rails in the launcher. D This larger and heavier vehicle carries a surprisingly lengthy elevating launcher for six spin-stabilized rockets, each again of about 30cm calibre. Soviet troops unhitching the transporter of a medium-range J missile (of the type depicted in illustration 8 in the main drawing) medium-range ballistic
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