Soviet D-20 152mm Field Howitzer

Soviet D-20 152mm Field Howitzer. . The D-20 was the principal Soviet heavy-towed howitzer of the first half of the Cold War. It was developed after World War II as a replacement for the M1937 152mm Howitzer. The D-20 was introduced in 1955 and is also known as the M-1955. The D-20 uses the same carriage as the 122mm D-74 Field Gun. The weapon features rapid 360 degree traverse by means of a firing jack that folds up beneath the barrel. The split box section trails each have a caster wheel, which folds on top of the trail when in transit. The shield has an irregularly shaped top commonly found in Soviet designs. The weapon has a semi-automatic, vertical sliding wedge-type breechblock and fired variable-charge, separate loading ammunition. In addition to high explosive and armor-piercing, high-explosive rounds, it could also fire a chemical round. A crew of eight served the howitzer, which could fire up to six rounds per minute. The D-20 was widely exported to Soviet satellite countries. This weapon system has seen service with at least eight Soviet Bloc countries. This howitzer was a war trophy of the 6th Battalion, 27th Field Artillery Regiment from Operation Desert Storm., Caliber - 6 in. - 152 mm , Weight - 12,430 lbs. - 5,650 kg , Range - 19,800 lbs. - 18,000 m , Shell Weight - 106 lbs. - 48 kg , Muzzle Velocity - 2,149 ft/sec. - 655 m/sec. , Elevation (-5 to + 63 degrees) - (-89 to +1,116 mils) , Traverse - 60 degrees - 1,066 mils , Rate of Fire - 4 rpm , CCN# 126996