BM-13N “Katyusha” Rocket Launcher

The BM-13 was the famous “Katyusha”, a rocket artillery combat vehicle. It was developed at NII-3 by November 1939 for the 132 mm M-13 rocket, and series production was approved on 21 June 1941. According to the museum, the battery of Captain Ivan Flyorov fired the first salvo on 14 July 1941 at Orsha station, where German trains and equipment had accumulated.

This 1944 vehicle is the BM-13N variant, adopted in April 1943. Its artillery unit was mounted on a subframe that could be fitted to any chassis; the launcher became 250 kg lighter and more than 20% cheaper. The main chassis for the BM-13N was the American all-wheel-drive Studebaker truck supplied under Lend-Lease.

The launcher carried 16 rockets on eight rails and fired the whole salvo in 7–10 seconds, and it could be brought from travelling to firing position in 2–3 minutes. The cab door of the three-axle truck bears the Guards badge. According to the catalogue, the vehicle is made of metal, glass and rubber.