Soviet German-Russian Museum Berlin-Karlshorst

[Bryan]

German-Russian Museum Berlin-Karlshorst

http://www.museum-karlshorst.de/

Hi my dear friends. If you ever go to Berlin I suggest you to make a stop at the Museum Berlin-Karlshorst. It?s a really interesting museum with a focus on the WWII. The museum is based in the building where on the night of Mai 8th and May 9th 1945, the German Wehrmacht under Generalfeldmarschall Keitel signed the capitulation in the presence of Zhukov.

The building was the house of the Soviet military administration from 1945 until 1949. The museum opened its doors on May 10th 1995 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War.

The museum focuses mainly on the Second World War and the Soviet-German relations. Here is what you can expect to see in the museum.

Bulding where the signing of the capitulation took place in 1945

Museum entrance

Some things to see

[Bryan]

[Bryan]

Room where the capitulation took place

Zhukov uniform

I can?t recall, but I think it is Besarin uniform. Please someone correct me.

[Bryan]

Soviet sniper lot

The banner of the museum

[Bryan]

What you can see outside the museum.

The so called ?Stalin Organ? - Katyusha

Does somebody knows how much rocket it could fire at the same time?

[Bryan]

More pictures from the museum.

[Bryan]

That's it!

[Gerd Becker]

Cool pictures, Bryan

[Alfred]

The so called ?Stalin Organ? - Katyusha

Does somebody knows how much rocket it could fire at the same time?

Hello Bryan,

the first appearance of the Katjuscha-Rocket-Launcher was in second half of 1941. There were three

different systems of rocket launcher developed.

1. based on a truck ZIS 6 with 36 rockets

2. based on a tank T 40 or T 60 with 24 rockets

3. based on a truck GAS AA with 48 rockets

Later also planes shoot these non controllable rockets.

The range maximum range was about 5.500 meters and minimum range I think about 3.000 meters, the caliber 82 mm and the weight 8 kg with 0,6 kg explosives in the warhead

Normaly the launcher could fire sixteen rockets in a time frame of ten seconds. So the rockets were fired

with a very little time lag one after one.

regards

Andreas

[Bryan]

Hello Bryan,

the first appearance of the Katjuscha-Rocket-Launcher was in second half of 1941. There were three

different systems of rocket launcher developed.

1. based on a truck ZIS 6 with 36 rockets

2. based on a tank T 40 or T 60 with 24 rockets

3. based on a truck GAS AA with 48 rockets

Later also planes shoot these non controllable rockets.

The range maximum range was about 5.500 meters and minimum range I think about 3.000 meters, the caliber 82 mm and the weight 8 kg with 0,6 kg explosives in the warhead

Normaly the launcher could fire sixteen rockets in a time frame of ten seconds. So the rockets were fired

with a very little time lag one after one.

regards

Andreas

Andreas, thank you very much for the specification. Why I was asking this question is because I can only count 8 rocket-ramps, so I tought they could fired 16 rocket at a time. However, when I look at period documentary they seem to fire much more than I can count the possibility on this truck. I wounder how did they loaded so many rockets on this Katjuscha?

I'm going in few weeks to the Seelower H?he memorial in few weeks. I'll have a look at the Katjuscha trucks they have over there.

[Christophe]

(...)

I can?t recall, but I think it is Besarin uniform. Please someone correct me.

Bryan,

Very nice pics!!!!

This is a Konev uniform.

Cheers.

Ch.

[Alfred]

Andreas, thank you very much for the specification. Why I was asking this question is because I can only count 8 rocket-ramps, so I tought they could fired 16 rocket at a time. However, when I look at period documentary they seem to fire much more than I can count the possibility on this truck. I wounder how did they loaded so many rockets on this Katjuscha?

Bryan,

thats a good question never thought about it.

Here are a few period time pictures of a ZIS 6. It seems to be that there are 8 rockets above and 8 rockets under the launching pad.

So there seems to be a total of 16 rockets on one ZIS 6 truck.

regards

Andreas

Edited May 24, 2006 by Alfred

[Wild Card]

Hi Soviet,

I had the good fortune of visiting this museum in, I think that it was, 1994. At any rate, it was before the Russians had withdrawn and Karlshorst was still very much under Russian military control. Unfortunately this was also before I could have ever seen myself collecting Soviet; and as a result, at that time did not know the difference between a Suvorov and a Kutuzov. In spite of my ignorance, I found the place quite captivating and ran out of time before I was really able to take it all in.

Having inquired without success in the past, I am relieved to see that it is still intact; and can not agree enough with your suggestion - anyone who reads forum sections on Soviet, or Third Reich for that matter, should take advantage of any opportunity to visit this museum.

Soviet, thank you also for the exceptional pictures; far superior to what I brought back!

Best wishes,

Wild Card

[usairforce]

My god, this is real?

[Christophe]

Andreas, thank you very much for the specification. Why I was asking this question is because I can only count 8 rocket-ramps, so I tought they could fired 16 rocket at a time. However, when I look at period documentary they seem to fire much more than I can count the possibility on this truck. I wounder how did they loaded so many rockets on this Katjuscha?

Bryan,

thats a good question never thought about it.

Here are a few period time pictures of a ZIS 6. It seems to be that there are 8 rockets above and 8 rockets under the launching pad.

So there seems to be a total of 16 rockets on one ZIS 6 truck.

regards

Andreas

Here is the version actually proposed by Rosoboronexport :

"GRAD MLRS Upgrade is designed to destroy enemy motorized infantry and infantry units in concentration area, on the move and in combat formations, artillery and mortar batteries, air defense units, manpower and unarmored military equipment, logistical objectives, light-tonnage vessels, remote laying of minefields.

The system consists of: combat vehicle, unguided rocket projectiles (RP), transport vehicle, automated fire control system KAPUSTNIK-B, positioning system, training equipment, armament and equipment maintenance and repair vehicles, spare parts tools and accessories.

Killing zone by a salvo fire of one combat vehicle (in 20 seconds) is: for manpower - 2,5 ha; for unarmored military equipment - 1,8 ha. To destroy (up to 30%) moving tanks on a 1km part of the frontline it is necessary to fire up to 90 unguided rocket projectiles with antitank mines.

Combat vehicle BM-21 is equipped with automated fire control system and combat control and communications means. This equipment and means provide unaimed combat vehicle targeting and complete combat autonomy.

To control formations an automated control system KAPUSTNIK-B is used. Command vehicles have three communication channels, 2-3 power supply sources, communications equipment coding aids, up-to-date information support. To provide defeat of targets in real time the automated control system is integrated with small-size reconnaissance and surveillance complex comprising Pchela-1 Remote-Controlled Unmanned Vehicle.

As the result the integral index of GRAD MLRS combat effectiveness has increased by 60% while expenditure of rounds on common targets has reduced by 1,5-3,0 times."

Today, this system can fire a total of 40 rockets.

Ch.

Pic : www.rusarm.ru

[Christophe]

Another pic.

Ch.

Pic : www.rusarm.ru

[Christophe]

Another one.

Ch.

Pic : Rosoboronexport

[Bryan]

Not sure if the "modern Katyusha" would be usefull in the modern warfare??? My guess is to say no!

[Bryan]

Soviet, thank you also for the exceptional pictures; far superior to what I brought back!

Wild Card, thanks for the kind words. It is the first time I visit back this thread. Sorry for the delay.

[Christophe]

Not sure if the "modern Katyusha" would be usefull in the modern warfare??? My guess is to say no!

Bryan,

All depend of what one understands by "modern warfare"... If is is the way we, as "occidental" countries, understand it, I can only agree with you. But a number of countries still don't know what means NEC / NCW, C4ISR or digitised battlespace... and practice a "traditional" warfare...

What is sure is that the Grad MRLS system has been in service since 1963, has been adopted for use by 50 countries, and as of 1997 was still in production in 11. It has been sold to over 39 countries, including Afghanistan, Cambodia, China, India, Mongolia, North Korea, Pakistan, and Vietnam... To illustrate this, let's keep in mind the Grad MRLS has been used extensively in the Chechen conflict.

Ch.

[Bryan]

Christophe, would you say that today's MRLS are used by country that may not have a very strong air force. So they used MRLS to replace kind of plane bombardment. Or am I totally wrong?

[Christophe]

Bryan,

That's not what I mean .

MLRS are not used to replace Air Forces' bombers. Their missions are not the same, but complementary.

The MLRS provides the Army (I say the Army) an all-weather, indirect, area fire weapon system to strike counterfire, air defense, armored formations, and others, at all depths of the tactical battlefield. Primary missions of MLRS include the suppression, neutralization and destruction of threat fire support and forward area air defense targets. It supplements traditional cannon artillery fires by delivering large volumes of firepower in a short time against critical, time-sensitive targets. These targets often include enemy artillery, air defense systems, mechanized units... MLRS is not intended to replace cannon artillery, but has been designed to complement it.

Cheers.

Ch.

[Bryan]

Thanks for the information!

[Stogieman]

Fascinating photographs. Any idea how much of the display is original?

[Bryan]

Fascinating photographs. Any idea how much of the display is original?

I can't really answer you, but I have to say that many Soviet orders looked very crude to me, but it is still a very interesting museum to visit in Berlin.