D-74

122mm Towed Field Gun [ 1955 ]

First combat actions for the Soviet-era D-74 122mm field gun were in the long-running Vietnam War.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 04/11/2022 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

VIEW SPECIFICATIONS [+]

Even before the final shots of World War 2 (1939-1945) were ever fired, the Soviet Army cast its eye towards the future 'Cold War' and began several projects to modernize its war-making capabilities. In the immediate post-war world, there arose two new designs of field guns, one in 122mm caliber flavor and the other in 130mm caliber flavor. The former was designated as the "D-74" and the later became the storied "M-46".

Production of the D-74 began in 1955 and the product was publically unveiled that same year. Its design was attributed to F.F. Petrov who lent his wide-reaching wartime expertise to the project. In time, the D-74 was standardized in the Soviet ranks and went on to see adoption by other fighting forces of the world loyal to the Soviet Union at the time - these to include Cambodia, Angola, China, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Iran, Egypt, Syria, North Korea and Zimbabwe.

At its core, the weapon was a traditionally-arranged artillery piece comprised of a two-wheeled, rubber-tired carriage unit (the unit also shared with the D-20 gun series of 152mm caliber), mounting hardware containing the elevation and traverse functions, and the gun tube itself. A horizontal sliding wedge was used at the gun breech to access the chamber. Elevation was limited to +45/-5 degrees and traversal was 45-degrees from centerline. An optional thin gun shield offered limited protection to the gunnery crew that numbered between seven and nine men.©MilitaryFactory.com

Overall weight of the complete combat system was 12,400 lb with a length measuring 30 feet and width of 7.8 feet. With its wheeled carriage and tow arms, the gun was simply transported behind a mover vehicle and could be pulled/pushed by the gunnery crew over short distances.

A trained crew could sustain between eight and ten rounds a minute. Range was out to 1,180 yards for direct line-of-sight fire. The gun also held an inherent in-direct fire capability and, in this way, could reach out to target areas as far as 15 miles though with decreased accuracy.

The D-74 went on to see considerable combat service for its time as a frontline weapon. Beginning with exposure in the Vietnam War (1955-1975) to the various Asian entanglements thereafter. The series was also used in the Chinese-Indian War (1962) as well as the Indo-Pak war (1965). Other battlefields included the South African Border War (1966-1990), the Yom Kippur War (1973) and the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990).

While still maintained in inventory by the armies of Egypt, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the 122mm caliber of projectile eventually fell out of favor with modern powers. This is why the 130mm M-46 series guns went on to have a much more long-standing and illustrious service career.©MilitaryFactory.com

Note: The above text is EXCLUSIVE to the site www.MilitaryFactory.com. It is the product of many hours of research and work made possible with the help of contributors, veterans, insiders, and topic specialists. If you happen upon this text anywhere else on the internet or in print, please let us know at MilitaryFactory AT gmail DOT com so that we may take appropriate action against the offender / offending site and continue to protect this original work.

Specifications

State Factories - Soviet Union
Manufacturer(s)

Cambodia; Angola; China; Egypt; Iran; North Korea; Pakistan; Soviet Union; Sri Lanka; Syria; Zimbabwe
Operators

1955
Service Year

Soviet Union
National Origin

8
Crew

3,000
Units

FIRE SUPPORT / ASSAULT / BREACHING
Support allied forces through direct / in-direct fire, assault forward positions, and / or breach fortified areas of the battlefield.

32.2 ft
(9.8 meters)
Length

7.7 ft
(2.35 meters)
Width

12,390 lb
(5,620 kg)
Weight

6.2 tons
(Light-class)
Tonnage

None. This is a towed artillery piece.
Drive System

15 miles
(24 km)
Road Range

1 x 122mm gun barrel.

AMMUNITION
Dependent upon ammunition resupply vehicles.

D-74 - Base Series Designation.

Military lapel ribbon for the American Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for pioneering aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Arab-Israeli War

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of the Bulge

Military lapel ribbon for the Battle of Kursk

Military lapel ribbon for the Falklands War

Military lapel ribbon for the Indo-Pak Wars

Military lapel ribbon for the Korean War

Military lapel ribbon for the 1991 Gulf War

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Soviet-Afghan War

Military lapel ribbon for the Spanish Civil War

Military lapel ribbon for the Ukranian-Russian War

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 1

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Military lapel ribbon for the Yom Kippur War

Military lapel ribbon for experimental military vehicles

Images

1 / 1

Image from the Public Domain.

Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Cookies

2024 Military Pay Chart Military Ranks DoD Dictionary Conversion Calculators Military Alphabet Code Military Map Symbols

The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content; site is 100% curated by humans.

Part of a network of sites that includes GlobalFirepower, a data-driven property used in ranking the top military powers of the world, WDMMA.org (World Directory of Modern Military Aircraft), WDMMW.org (World Directory of Modern Military Warships), SR71blackbird.org, detailing the history of the world's most iconic spyplane, and MilitaryRibbons.info, cataloguing military medals and ribbons. Special Interest: RailRoad Junction, the locomotive encyclopedia.

©2023 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Content ©2003-2023 (20yrs)