152 mm howitzer M1909 / 30 152 mm howitzer M1909 / 30 ( ) was a Soviet 152 . 4 mm ( 6 inch ) howitzer , a modernization of the 152 - mm howitzer model 1909 , initially designed by Schneider . It was the most numerous 152 mm howitzer employed by Red Army in World War II . Development and production history . From late 1920s the RKKA sought to upgrade its World War I - era artillery pieces . One of the modernized weapons was the 152 - mm howitzer model 1909 , initially designed by the French arms manufacturer Schneider . After a number of experiments it was determined that the muzzle velocity of the piece could be increased to about 395 m / s ( further increase could result in a damage to the carriage ) . In 1930 at the Bolshevik Plant , the gun was experimentally fitted with a muzzle brake . In 1930 - 1931 , the Perm plant developed a modernization project . Initially , the only element of the project was lengthening the chamber to 340 mm ( upgraded barrels received a mark " lengthened chamber " ) . In late production pieces minor changes in breechblock , cradle and elevation mechanism were introduced . Some pieces also had their wooden wheels replaced by steel ones with rubber tires . The modernized weapon was officially adopted as 152 - mm howitzer model 1909 / 30 . The M1909 / 30 was a typical short - barrel howitzer , intended mostly for shooting with elevations from + 20° to + 41° , using separately loaded ammunition . The gun had interrupted screw breechblock ; hydraulic recoil buffer and hydropneumatic recuperator were both mounted under the barrel . The carriage was of single trail type with limited traverse and , typically , unsprung wooden wheels ( some pieces produced from 1937 had metal wheels with solid rubber tire s ) . With the gun was issued limber , which had either wooden or metal wheels . From 1931 to 1941 the Perm plant delivered 2 , 188 pieces . Organization and employment . Under the organization of 1939 , each rifle division had a howitzer regiment with a 152 - mm howitzers battalion ( 12 pieces ) . In July 1941 these regiment were cancelled . Same fate befell 152 - mm howitzers battalions of motorized and armored divisions . Corps artillery units didn ' t employ 152 - mm howitzers early in the war ( they did use howitzer - guns ML - 20 ) ; but from late 1943 the recreated corps artillery included a regiment consisted of five batteries ( totaling 20 pieces ) , equipped , along with other types , with 152 - mm howitzers . By 1 June 1944 , there were 192 such pieces in corps artillery . Reserve of the Main Command included howitzer regiments ( 48 pieces ) and heavy howitzer brigade s ( 32 pieces ) , sometimes organized into artillery divisions . The howitzer was used by the RKKA in the Battle of Khalkhin Gol and in the Winter War . At the outbreak of the German - Soviet War the M1909 / 30 was still the most numerous 152 - mm howitzer in Soviet service . On 1 June 1941 , the RKKA possessed about 2 , 500 pieces , about twice as much as the newer M - 10s , which were soon removed from production . Although from 1943 the M1909 / 30 was again being gradually replaced , this time by D - 1 , it was still in service by the end of the war . A number of guns of this type fell into the hands of Wehrmacht in 1941 - 42 ; these were adopted as 15 , 2 cm sFH 445 ( r ) . Germans also produced ammunition for these guns . Most of the pieces were assigned to coastal artillery . Finnish Army captured 14 pieces during the Winter War , and 85 more early in the Continuation War . The guns were actively used in combat . As a training weapon , the M1909 / 30 remained is Finnish service until 1980s . Summary . The M1909 / 30 was a relatively minor upgrade of a World War I - era howitzer , which did not address the main flaws of the latter , namely : A short barrel meant short range , less than that of its main adversaries , such as the German 15 cm sFH 18 ( 8 . 8 km vs 13 . 3 km ) . Low muzzle velocity and small traverse also made the gun helpless against enemy armor . On the other side , the M1909 / 30 was rugged and reliable . It was also relatively light and could be set up for combat in 30 – 40 seconds . Thanks to it , the howitzer was well liked in the RKKA . In 1930 the Soviet Union still was not ready for development and mass production of modern artillery , so the upgade of old guns was a reasonable decision . Ammunition . When set to fragmentation action , the OF - 530 produced fragments which covered an area 70 m wide and 30 m deep . When set to HE action , the exploding shell produced a crater about 3 . 5 m in diameter and about 1 . 2 m deep . Surviving pieces . The gun can be seen :