Conventional artillery ammunition in the Red Army consists of HE, Fragmentation and HE-Fragmentation types. HE shells are used for destroying fortifications. Fragmentation shells are used for attacking personnel and equipment in the open. HE-Fragmentation shells are fitted with fuses for either instantaneous or delayed detonation and are the standard projectiles for all guns and howitzers. A time-delay fuse is also available for airburst effects.
The impact area of fragments from one HE-Fragmentation shell are:
122mm: 800 square meters
152mm: 950 square meters
The sizes of craters caused by one HE shell varies according to the surface struck, its condition and the type of fuse used. These are average dimensions for point detonation fuzes striking flat ground:
122mm: 1.5 meters at its widest point and 0.5 meters maximum depth.
152mm 1.5 meters at its widest point and 1.5 meters maximum depth.
Field artillery pieces (152mm and smaller) have an antitank capability and 10% of their basic load is armor-piercing ammunition.
Smoke is used to obscure the view from OPs and fire positions. Smoke shells are used when the wind is blowing towards or across the enemy positions. Smoke is also used for marking enemy positions and deceiving the enemy by concealing the size and direction of an attack.
Illumination rounds are used in night combat to observe enemy movements, to acquire targets for all arms and to provide reference points. The standard illumination shell lights up an area of up to 1.5 kilometers radius for 30 seconds. One gun firing 2-3 rounds per minute is required to provide continuous illumination for every 750-1,000 meters. Other types of ammunition include: Nuclear, HE rocket assisted projectiles, chemical, incendiary, canister and propaganda.
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The reason that the American Army does so well in wartime, is that war is chaos, and the American Army practices chaos on a daily basis.
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