BM-31-12 Rocket Launcher System

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	Weapon: BM-31-12 Rocket Launcher System Type: Rocket Artillery Country of Origin: USSR Caliber: 300mm Rocket Action: Multiple Launch Rocket System

The BM-31-12 Rocket Launcher System was a heavy multiple rocket launcher developed by the Soviet Union during World War II. Designed as an upgrade to the earlier BM-13 "Katyusha," the BM-31-12 featured larger 300 mm rockets mounted on a truck-based platform, allowing it to deliver significantly more firepower over a wider area. Each launcher carried twelve large rockets, which were capable of delivering a devastating barrage on enemy positions, creating craters and spreading destruction across a vast radius.

Production of the BM-31-12 began in 1944, with several hundred units built by the war's end. It was primarily mounted on Studebaker US6 trucks supplied through the Lend-Lease program, which provided excellent mobility and reliability in harsh combat conditions. The BM-31-12 played a vital role on the Eastern Front, especially in large-scale Soviet offensives where its destructive power was used to break through German defensive lines and create psychological shock among enemy forces.

Known for its devastating impact and distinctive roar, the BM-31-12 gained notoriety as a weapon that could alter the course of battles with its overwhelming firepower. Nicknamed "Andryusha" by Soviet soldiers, it was highly feared by German troops who encountered its powerful barrages. Today, the BM-31-12 is remembered as one of the Soviet Union's most formidable and effective heavy rocket artillery systems of World War II, with surviving models preserved in military museums as a symbol of Soviet ingenuity and artillery prowess.