Heavy Weapons
Heavy weapons are any weapons not considered small arms & light weapons (SALW). These are weapons that are too cumbersome for transportation by foot soldiers, and rely on fixed mountings on wheeled frames/vehicles, ships & submarines, aircraft or fortifications.
8.8 cm Pak-43
The Pak-43 was the most powerful anti-tank gun to see service with the Wehrmacht in Work War II, and also served as the main armament in a number of German tanks and tank destroyers.
It had a flat trajectory out to a thousand yards and a maximum range of 15 km (9.3 miles).
Weapon Range
A chart comparing the effective range of British and Axis artillery guns in World War II.
British/German Armour & Anti-Armour capabilities
A chart showing the penetration achieved by British and Axis artillery guns at different ranges.
Guns & Tanks
A chart comparing the effectiveness of Allied and Axis guns against the fronts and sides of enemy tanks.
High Velocity
The means by which a higher velocity can be achieved in artillery ordnance.
Penetrating Armour
Five types of modern anti-tank shell and their effects on armour.
Typical World War II Tank
Note the additional armour added to the turret and sides of the hull. Also the application of a non-ferrous textured paste to deter magnetic mines.
GIAT LG1
A modern 105 mm howitzer, the LG1 offers a high level of accuracy over long range and is relatively light enabling rapid deployment.
M29 Davy Crockett
Deployed during the Cold War, the M29 was a tactical nuclear weapon system firing the M388 projectile. It is the smallest nuclear weapon ever built, the W54 warhead yielding the equivalent of 20 tonnes (84 GJ) of TNT.
2B1 Oka
A Soviet 420 mm self-propelled heavy artillery weapon, the Oka could fire a 750 kg (1/650 lb) shell up to 45 km (28 miles). It had a low rate of fire–one round every five minutes, and the recoil proved to more powerful than some of the components could handle, and was extremely difficult to transport due to its length.
Archer Artillery System
Caesar self-propelled howitzer
Two examples of modern 155 mm self-propelled artillery pieces: Archer is Swedish, Caesar is French. Both are designed for shoot-and-scoot operations, being quick both to set up for firing, and move to a new location.
S-75 Desna
The Desna (NATO codename SA-2 Guideline) is one of the most widely used air defence systems in the world. Its most celebrated exploit was the downing of a U-2 spy plane flown by Francis Gary Powers on 1 May, 1960.
Air-launched missiles
A selection of colour profiles for “Postwar Air Weapons 1945-Present: The Essential Weapons Identification Guide”
LGM-118 Peacekeeper
In service from 1986 to 2005, the LGM-118 (or MX) was a four-stage intercontinental ballistic missile which could deliver up to ten independently targeted re-entry vehicles with greater accuracy than any previous missile.
