BM-13 Rocket Launcher System

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	Weapon: BM-13 Rocket Launcher System Type: Rocket Artillery Country of Origin: USSR Year Adopted: 1941 Caliber: 132mm Rocket Action: Multiple Launch Rocket System Overall Length (mm): 0.0 Overall Length (in): 0 Weight (kg): 5200.00 Weight (pounds): 11464.04 Effective Range (km): 8.5 Effective Range (miles): 5.28

The BM-13 Rocket Launcher System, commonly known as "Katyusha," was a Soviet multiple rocket launcher developed in the early 1940s. It featured a truck-mounted system with racks for launching unguided rockets, allowing for quick, concentrated barrages over a wide area. Known for its simplicity and ease of production, the BM-13 could unleash devastating volleys with little warning, spreading explosive damage across enemy lines and installations. Each truck carried up to 16 rockets, which could be fired in quick succession, giving Soviet forces an advantage in delivering overwhelming firepower rapidly.

Production of the BM-13 began in 1941, with thousands of units produced during World War II to support Soviet operations on the Eastern Front. It was mounted on various types of trucks, including the ZIS-6 and Studebaker US6, the latter provided through Lend-Lease. The BM-13's mass production and versatility allowed it to become one of the most prolific and feared weapons in the Soviet arsenal. Its mobility enabled Soviet troops to engage in hit-and-run tactics, firing and relocating before enemy forces could counterattack effectively.

The BM-13 Katyusha earned a fearsome reputation for its high-pitched launch sound and sudden, devastating barrages, which spread terror among German troops, who nicknamed it the "Stalin Organ" for the sound it made. Despite its lack of precision, the BM-13 was highly effective as a psychological weapon, causing chaos and disrupting enemy formations. Its legacy endures as one of World War II's most iconic artillery pieces, with surviving models displayed in military museums worldwide, symbolizing the Soviet Union's innovative approach to mobile rocket artillery.

132mm M-13 Katyusha Rocket

Smolensk & The Eastern Front: The Katyusha Rocket System

Volleys of Katyushas, cannons and howitzers on the morning of November 19, 1942

Katyusha firing