The Katyusa rocket launch system BM-13
It was not tested during the Second World War
nothing more frightening than the Katiuscias, with their wail,
the fiery trails, the thunderous explosion, the invading mass
the air of fire and noise.
Harrison E. Salisbury - The 900 Days
At 15:30 on 14 July 1941 one of the first uses of the Katiuscia rocket launcher took place. Artillery fire suddenly hit the Orsha station. As a result of explosions, fires and panicked friendly fire some 2,000 German soldiers were wounded or killed, and for almost a week, traffic through the railway junction was blocked.
At that point, the city was in the rear of the German army, a few kilometers from the front line, so the Germans were convinced that the Soviet counterattack had begun. But in reality, the shelling of Orsha was caused by only one experimental battery of multiple rocket launchers consisting of three systems, under the command of Captain Flyorov.
This deadly weapon was put into service in the Red Army just one day before the start of the German attack on June 22nd. A battery of four BM-13 and BM-8 multiple launchers could fire a salvo in 7-10 seconds of 4.35 tons of high explosive over a 4-hectare area. The equivalent of 72 artillery guns. The same low accuracy was a strength, as enemies could barely hear incoming rockets but could not predict where they would land. They were therefore great for saturation fire. Installed on the chassis of a truck, they were very mobile: they could be ready for battle in a few minutes and only 2-3 minutes after firing they could move and be safe from enemy counter-battery fire.
It is not known exactly how these rocket launchers acquired the nickname Katiuscia. Legends and versions abound. The most plausible statement that it was based on the name of one of the BM-13 shells, KAT, (named after its designer) Kostikov automatic thermite. They were nicknamed the "Stalin organs" by the Germans.
As well as being successfully employed in their combat role, the Katyusha barrages had a visible demoralizing effect - throughout the summer of 1941 Soviet intelligence regularly reported the flight of German troops not only out of range, but also from positions surrounding. Their sinister hiss was a constant of the battle of Stalingrad in which they were employed largely on the eastern bank of the Volga.
nothing more frightening than the Katiuscias, with their wail,
the fiery trails, the thunderous explosion, the invading mass
the air of fire and noise.
Harrison E. Salisbury - The 900 Days
At 15:30 on 14 July 1941 one of the first uses of the Katiuscia rocket launcher took place. Artillery fire suddenly hit the Orsha station. As a result of explosions, fires and panicked friendly fire some 2,000 German soldiers were wounded or killed, and for almost a week, traffic through the railway junction was blocked.
At that point, the city was in the rear of the German army, a few kilometers from the front line, so the Germans were convinced that the Soviet counterattack had begun. But in reality, the shelling of Orsha was caused by only one experimental battery of multiple rocket launchers consisting of three systems, under the command of Captain Flyorov.
This deadly weapon was put into service in the Red Army just one day before the start of the German attack on June 22nd. A battery of four BM-13 and BM-8 multiple launchers could fire a salvo in 7-10 seconds of 4.35 tons of high explosive over a 4-hectare area. The equivalent of 72 artillery guns. The same low accuracy was a strength, as enemies could barely hear incoming rockets but could not predict where they would land. They were therefore great for saturation fire. Installed on the chassis of a truck, they were very mobile: they could be ready for battle in a few minutes and only 2-3 minutes after firing they could move and be safe from enemy counter-battery fire.
It is not known exactly how these rocket launchers acquired the nickname Katiuscia. Legends and versions abound. The most plausible statement that it was based on the name of one of the BM-13 shells, KAT, (named after its designer) Kostikov automatic thermite. They were nicknamed the "Stalin organs" by the Germans.
As well as being successfully employed in their combat role, the Katyusha barrages had a visible demoralizing effect - throughout the summer of 1941 Soviet intelligence regularly reported the flight of German troops not only out of range, but also from positions surrounding. Their sinister hiss was a constant of the battle of Stalingrad in which they were employed largely on the eastern bank of the Volga.