280 mm mortar M1939 (Br-5)

280 mm mortar M1939 (Br-5)
Br-5 in Saint Petersburg Artillery Museum.
Place of origin	USSR
Service history
In service	1939-1970s
Used by	Soviet Union
Wars	Great Patriotic War (1941-1945)
Production history
Designer	Barrikady
Manufacturer	Barrikady
Produced	1939-1940
Specifications
Weight	combat: 18,400 kg travel: 19,700 kg
Barrel length	bore: 3,975 mm / 14.2 calibers overall: 4,750 mm / 17 calibers
Crew	15
Caliber	279.4 mm
Elevation	0 to 60 degrees
Traverse	8 degrees
Rate of fire	1 round every 4 minutes

The 280 mm mortar M1939 (Br-5) (Russian: 280-мм мортира образца 1939 года (Бр-5)) was a Soviet heavy artillery piece used during World War II. This mortar was the Red Army´s heaviest field piece. Distinguished by the siege of Berlin, these weapons quickened up the Red Army´s assault on the German capital. Due to the heavy weight of shell (168 kg) the blast created a 10 metre wide crater that was 6 meters deep. The weapon had low rate of fire due to muzzle overheating.

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