Production History
The M-10 entered production at the Plant No. 172 in 1939. Until the end of the year 4 pieces were manufactured, 685 more in 1940 and 833 in 1941. About 340 barrels for KV-2 heavy tanks were also built (for 334 serial production tanks and a few prototypes and experimental vehicles).
Soon after the outbreak of the war mass production of the gun was stopped. The following reasons are typically cited:.
- The M-10 was considered too heavy for divisional artillery and not powerful enough for corps artillery;
- Problems with manufacturing process;
- Lack of requirement for this type of weapon during the defensive phase of the war.
Some found these arguments questionable. Later in the war corps artillery employed the 152-mm howitzer M1943 (D-1) with the same ballistics. Production rates were growing. Even early in the war, the Red Army wasn't passive, but tried to attack at every opportunity; moreover, howitzers are certainly useful in defensive combat too, e.g. for suppressing enemy howitzers. A historian M. Svirin offered the next explanation instead:
- Shortage in powerful artillery tractors;
- Problems with maintenance and repair;
- Complexity and steel intensity of the carriage;
- Soviet ordnance plants either were lost or were busy performing higher-priority tasks.
Read more about this topic: 152 Mm Howitzer M1938 (M-10)
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