Ampulomet

The Ampulomet (Russian: 125-мм ампуломёт образца 1941 года, also rendered Ampulomyot, ampulla mortar, etc., lit. "ampule/vial thrower" cf. миномёт) was an expedient anti-tank weapon which launched a 125 mm incendiary projectile made of spherical glass.[4][5] This weapon was introduced in 1941 and used (to a limited degree) by the Red Army in World War II, but by 1942 was largely obsolete.[6]

Ampulomet
Ampulomet and PM M1910 machine gun at the Museum of the Battle of Stalingrad.
Place of originSoviet Union
Service history
Used by Soviet Union
 Finland
WarsWorld War II
Production history
ManufacturerLenningrad
Specifications
Mass26 kg (57 lb 5 oz)
Length1 m (3 ft 3 in)
Barrel length.84 m (2 ft 9 in)[1]
Crew3[2]
ShellSeparate loading black powder charge and AZh-2 projectile containing KS incendiary.
Shell weight1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz)[3]
Caliber125 mm (4.9 in)
RecoilNone
Elevation0° to +12°
Traverse360°[1]
Rate of fire8 rpm
Muzzle velocity50 m/s (160 ft/s)
Maximum firing range250 m (820 ft)[1]

Design
Finnish troops testing the Ampulomet in 1941.

The weapon consisted of an unrifled tube with a crude breach mounted on a Y shaped pedestal which pivoted on trunnions to provide elevation. Two breech mounted inverted horns were provided for traverse/elevation and a simple inclinometer for targeting and range calculation. A black powder charge was inserted into the breech and fired by a percussion cap to propel the AZh-2 glass ampule.[1] The ampules were filled with an incendiary mixture known as KS. KS was a mixture of 80% phosphorus and 20% sulfur which ignited when exposed to air. The burning mixture created a bright flame, thick white smoke and would burn for up to three minutes at temperatures between 800–1,000 °C (1,470–1,830 °F). The burning liquid would seep through vision slots or engine grilles on a tank and ignite ammunition or fuel as well as choke and blind the crew.[7]

See also

Northover Projector — A similar British weapon used by the Home Guard during World War II

References
  1. Chamberlain, Peter (1975). Infantry, mountain, and airborne guns. Gander, Terry. New York: Arco. p. 63. ISBN 0668038195. OCLC 2067391.
  2. Steve J. Zaloga; Leland S. Ness (1998). Red Army Handbook 1939-1945. Sutton Pub. p. 197. ISBN 978-0-7509-1740-7.
  3. David M. Glantz (2005). Companion To Colossus Reborn: Key Documents And Statistics. University Press of Kansas. p. 154. ISBN 978-0-7006-1359-5.
  4. Círculo Militar (Buenos Aires, Argentina) (1945). Revista. Calle de Viamonte. p. 562.
  5. Gordon L. Rottman (2007). Soviet Rifleman 1941-45. Osprey Publishing. pp. 30–. ISBN 978-1-84603-127-4.
  6. Gordon L. Rottman (2005). World War II Infantry Anti-Tank Tactics. Osprey Publishing. pp. 47–. ISBN 978-1-84176-842-7.
  7. Natzvaladze, Yury (1996). The Trophies Of The Red Army During The Great Patriotic War 1941-1945. Volume 1. Scottsdale, Arizona: Land O'Sun Printers. pp. 31–34.
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