Barrage hedgehog. Anti-tank "hedgehogs" are a simple and effective type of obstacle. The use of anti-tank hedgehogs by the Germans

The entire course of the Great Patriotic War clearly showed that not only complex systems weapons with excellent characteristics, but also simple and cheap products. So, a small anti-tank mine can not only seriously damage, but completely destroy an enemy tank, and a simple concrete pyramid can simply not let it enter its territory. Among such simple and effective types of obstacles and weapons, anti-tank hedgehogs received special fame during the war years.

Extremely simple and easy to manufacture, they greatly helped the Red Army soldiers in battles and even managed to become symbols of war.

Anti-tank hedgehogs on the outskirts of Moscow

Barriers different types have been used in military affairs since time immemorial. Also in Ancient Rome demountable wooden structures were used, installed in those areas where it was necessary to prevent the enemy from breaking through. Over time, this idea only developed, combined with other inventions such as barbed wire, etc. However, the appearance on the battlefield of tanks, which were originally created as a means of breaking through obstacles, required a response to maintain the defense.

First, there were nadolby - granite or concrete blocks, installed in tank-hazardous directions. They were quite effective in deterring the enemy, which, however, was more than offset by the complexity of manufacturing and installation. Something simpler was required. The solution appeared in June 1941. Apparently, the idea existed before that, but the outbreak of the war spurred the creation of a new barrier. In the very first days of the war, Major General of the Technical Troops M.L. Gorikker, being the head of the Kiev military-technical school, receives a new appointment.

He becomes the head of the Kiev garrison. Gorikker "marks" the beginning of his service at a new location with a technical proposal. He claims that his invention can be manufactured even in the most difficult conditions and it will still fulfill its function.

Rows of concrete blocks, Aachen, Germany

Gorikker proposed to assemble a six-pointed structure from rolled metal, which he called "an asterisk". In theory, any suitable metal part could be used as the raw material for the sprockets. However, from the calculations of General Gorikker it followed that the I-profile is optimal. Other types of rolled products - square beam, Tavr or channel - were not suitable in terms of strength. Gorikker proposed riveting with kerchiefs as a method of joining the beams. In principle, welding was also allowed, if possible, but even here it all came down to the strength of the structure: for sufficient rigidity and strength, larger kerchiefs had to be used on the welded sprocket, which, in turn, led to unnecessary material costs.

The simplicity of the proposed obstacle made it possible to start testing it in early July. A commission arrived at the small tank training center of the Kiev Tank Technical School and several stars were delivered. An interesting fact is that the test sprockets were made from scrap rail. As it turned out later, the origin of the raw materials did not in any way affect the protective qualities of Gorikker's invention. T-26 and BT-5 were used as tanks trying to overcome obstacles. The results of test drives of tanks on a four-row obstacle were simply remarkable. So, during its first attempt to drive through the rows of stars, the T-26 tank lost its hatch. oil pump and damaged the oil system. A few minutes later, all the oil in the tank drained out and fighting machine could not continue her "raid". The repair took several hours. BT-5 got off a little better: having accelerated, it was able to overcome the stars. However, this cost him a bent bottom and damaged transmission. Needed repairs again. The very first attempts to overcome the obstacle of stars clearly showed their effectiveness and the testers of the tank-training center of the Kiev School were instructed to choose the optimal procedure for placing the new obstacle.

As a result, it was recommended to arrange the sprockets in rows every four meters, and the distance along the front should be equal to one and a half meters for the front row and 2-2.5 m for the remaining rows. In this case, having accelerated and climbed over the first row, the tank could no longer continue high-speed movement and simply got stuck between the rows of sprockets, along the way receiving damage to the hull and, sometimes, internal units.

Anti-tank hedgehogs on Moscow streets. 1941 g.

On the same tests, they picked up and optimal sizes six-pointed sprocket. The height of the finished barrier should be in the range from one to one and a half meters. The reasons for this are as follows: the sprocket should be higher than the ground clearance of the tank, but at the same time its upper part should not rise beyond the upper cut of the lower frontal plate. In this case, tankers who first met the stars, seeing the small size of the obstacle and the absence of any attachment to the ground, may just want to move it to the side. The driver begins to move forward, the sprocket falls under the lower frontal plate, and from there "crawls" under the bottom of the tank. In addition, in some cases, the sprocket can turn under the front of the armored vehicle. One way or another, a tank driven into a sprocket finds itself in a very uncomfortable position: the front part is suspended in the air. Moreover, the tracks raised above the ground cannot provide proper traction with the surface, and the tank can no longer move off the sprocket without help from the side. An armored vehicle, designed to suppress enemy firing points, itself becomes a fairly easy target.

The ease of manufacture of Gorikker sprockets, combined with their efficiency, influenced further destiny inventions. In the shortest possible time, a manual for the manufacture of barriers was distributed to all parts of the Red Army. For a characteristic appearance in the army, this fence was nicknamed the hedgehog. It was under this name that Gorikker's anti-tank star went down in history. The simplicity of production and the low cost of raw materials made it possible to make tens of thousands of anti-tank hedgehogs and install them on a large part of the front. In addition, even when assembled, the hedgehog could be transported from place to place, which also improved the reputation of the new barrage. In general, the Red Army men liked the new hedgehog. The German tankmen "liked" him much more. The fact is that at first everything went exactly as expected by Gorikker - seeing an unfamiliar, but unfastened barrier, the tankers tried to move it and drive further, which led to spending time in a literal state of limbo. An unpleasant event, especially if a Soviet anti-tank gun is nearby. You can hardly imagine a better target than a stationary tank raised above ground level. Finally, in a completely unfortunate combination of circumstances, the hedgehog beam steamed the lower frontal plate or bottom, passed inside the tank and caused damage to the engine or transmission. The peculiarities of the placement of the transmission on the German PzKpfw III and PzKpfw VI tanks only increased the chances of the vehicle getting such damage.

Residents of Stalingrad set up anti-tank hedgehogs on a city street

True, the Germans quickly realized that first they should make passes through the obstacles, and then only go along them. Here, to some extent, they were helped by the fact that hedgehogs did not in any way fix themselves to the surface of the earth. Two or three tanks with the help of towing ropes could quickly make a gap for the passage of troops. The Red Army responded to this by laying anti-personnel mines next to the hedgehogs, as well as, if possible, placing machine guns or anti-tank guns near the fence. Thus, attempts to take away the hedgehogs or tie them to the tank were severely punished with machine-gun or even artillery fire. Soon, another technique appeared to make it difficult to make passages: hedgehogs began to tie with each other and tied to various objects on the ground. As a result, German tankmen and sappers had to first solve the "puzzle" with cables and chains and only then remove the hedgehogs themselves. And do all this under enemy fire.

However, an excellent idea, as is often the case, had unsuccessful implementations. So, often for reasons of economy or for other similar reasons, hedgehogs were made not from I-beams, but from other profiles. Naturally, the strength of such barriers was less than necessary and sometimes the tank could simply crush the "wrong" hedgehog. Another problem of Gorikker's sprocket was the exactingness of the placement - to effectively resist tanks, she needed a solid surface. Asphalt that was strong enough to withstand the pressure of the tank on the hedgehog was best suited. As for even harder concrete, it was not recommended to put hedgehogs on it. The fact is that the friction on such a surface was insufficient and the tank could move the hedgehog, and not run into it. Finally, at some moments of the war, hedgehogs could not fulfill their duties for more pleasant reasons. For example, on the outskirts of Moscow, such barriers were installed in the fall of 1941. But, fortunately, the Red Army did not allow the enemy to get close to the hedgehogs on the outskirts of the capital.

Anti-tank hedgehogs of the system of Major General M.L. Gorikker

Anti-tank hedgehogs of the system of Major General M.L. Gorikker played an important role in the Great Patriotic War... They helped with a relatively small force to improve the army's ability to deter the enemy. It should be noted that not only the Red Army took advantage of Gorikker's invention. The Germans, retreating, also actively used a simple barrage structure of three rails and fasteners. On the approach to all important points of the German defense, the Red Army had to see familiar angular objects. And the allies, having landed in Normandy, were also able to familiarize themselves with the Soviet means of barrage. There is an interesting opinion that the Germans themselves did not produce hedgehogs, but only disassembled and stored Soviet ones, which were useful at the end of the war. In any case, this is how, according to some historians, one can explain the large number of hedgehogs in front of German positions at that stage of the war, when Germany was experiencing serious difficulties even with the production of weapons.

Currently, anti-tank hedgehogs are almost completely out of use, although occasionally they can be seen next to military units or similar objects. Also, the anti-tank hedgehog, being one of the symbols of the Great Patriotic War, was actively used by sculptors in the creation of monuments. For example, a monument with hedgehogs on the Leningradskoe highway near Moscow marks the line at which they were stopped german troops... Memorials like him can be found almost throughout Europe, in places where battles took place.

Tank IS-2 overcomes concrete anti-tank hedgehogs

AND THIS IS BENYA KOLOMOISKY IS BUILDING A NEW MANNERHEIM LINE:
Who invented the anti-tank "hedgehog".

Many often and with pleasure revise Soviet films about the war. Almost in each of them we must meet this engineering structure. Several rails welded together, resembling a six-pointed star.

The entire course of the Great Patriotic War has clearly shown: not only complex weapons systems with excellent characteristics, but also simple and cheap products can be effective. So, a small anti-tank mine can not only seriously damage, but completely destroy an enemy tank, and a simple concrete pyramid can simply not let it enter its territory. Among such simple and effective types of obstacles and weapons, anti-tank hedgehogs received special fame during the war years. Extremely simple and easy to manufacture, they greatly helped the Red Army in battles and even managed to become symbols of war.

Many people often and with pleasure revise Soviet films about the war. Almost in each of them we will definitely meet this engineering structure. Several rails welded together, resembling a six-pointed star.

For many years this military engineering structure was considered a product of the soldier's creativity. And no one thought that the "hedgehog" had an author who had to work thoroughly to create an effective barrier to German tanks.

Rows of concrete blocks, Aachen, Germany

Barriers of various types have been used in military affairs since time immemorial. Even in ancient Rome, collapsible wooden structures were used, installed in those areas where it was necessary to prevent the enemy from breaking through. Over time, this idea only developed, combined with other inventions such as barbed wire, etc. However, the appearance on the battlefield of tanks, which were originally created as a means of breaking through obstacles, required a response to maintain the defense.

Major General of the Technical Troops Mikhail Gorikker went down in history primarily as the inventor of the "anti-tank hedgehog", also known as the "slingshot" and "Gorikker's star". For more than half a century, the name of the inventor of "hedgehogs" was unknown to the general public. The “secret” label was tightly enveloped by the many years of work of a talented military engineer.

So what is the genius of the "hedgehog"? In the simplicity of its design. The profile or rails were cut into approximately equal pieces. Then the cut pieces were welded to each other in the form of the letter "Zh". And that's it, an insurmountable obstacle for German technology is ready.

However, in this case, an accurate calculation of welding was required. "Hedgehog" was not supposed to be higher than the beginning of the frontal armor plate of the tank. Its height was 80 cm. Tests proved that the "correct hedgehog" could withstand a hit from a tank weighing 60 tons. The next phase of the organization of the defense was the effective installation of obstacles. The hedgehog defense line - four rows in a checkerboard pattern - turned into a serious problem for the tanks. The meaning of the "hedgehog" is that he had to be under the tank, and the tank - to stand on its hind legs. As a result, the armored vehicle finally stopped, "hovering" above the ground, and it could be knocked out from anti-tank weapons. "Gorriker's stars", as the barriers were called in some documents, turned out to be so "ideal" that they did not require any further revision in the future. This invention became one of the symbols of the Battle of Moscow in the winter of 1941. About 37,500 "hedgehogs" were deployed on the near defensive lines of the USSR capital alone. There is a monument to anti-tank hedgehogs in Khimki, but there is no name of their creator there.

Film director Vladimir Gorikker, the general's son, put a lot of effort into making a memorial plaque in honor of his father appear in Moscow. “I remember the first days after the fascist attack on the USSR. Father was appointed to command the defense of Kiev, which was approaching the enemy. There was a lot of work, but when he returned home late at night, dad, instead of taking a little rest, “requisitioned” from me toy models of tanks, which he himself had given as a present, and almost all night long he conjured over them, rearranging them on the table together with some constructions of matches, connected with glue or plasticine. To me, kid, the purpose of these gizmos was incomprehensible. I even thought that my father was just trying to distract himself in this way, struggling with insomnia. But, one day, he returned earlier than usual, literally beaming, and almost from the doorway of the apartment shouted enthusiastically: "We have screwed up two tanks !!!". Here are the ones on! The family knew how attentive he was to the preservation of equipment, how he scolded even for minor violations that could lead to damage to tanks, but here he does not hide his joy over the breakdown of two combat vehicles ... Only much later I realized the full significance of the event, which happened that day at the Syrets training ground of the Kiev tank-technical school, ”recalls the son of the famous military engineer.

Manufacturing of anti-tank hedgehogs on the outskirts of Moscow.

The simplicity of the proposed obstacle made it possible to start testing it in early July. A commission arrived at the small tank training center of the Kiev Tank Technical School and several stars were delivered. An interesting fact is that the test sprockets were made from scrap rail. As it turned out later, the origin of the raw materials did not in any way affect the protective qualities of Gorikker's invention. T-26 and BT-5 were used as tanks trying to overcome obstacles. The results of test drives of tanks on a four-row obstacle were simply remarkable. So, during its first attempt to drive through the rows of stars, the T-26 tank lost its oil pump hatch and damaged the oil system. A few minutes after that, all the oil in the tank leaked out and the combat vehicle was unable to continue its "raid". The repair took several hours. BT-5 got off a little better: having accelerated, it was able to overcome the stars. However, this cost him a bent bottom and damaged transmission. Needed repairs again. The very first attempts to overcome the obstacle of stars clearly showed their effectiveness and the testers of the tank-training center of the Kiev School were instructed to choose the optimal procedure for placing the new obstacle. As a result, it was recommended to arrange the sprockets in rows every four meters, and the distance along the front should be equal to one and a half meters for the front row and 2-2.5 m for the remaining rows. In this case, having accelerated and climbed over the first row, the tank could no longer continue high-speed movement and simply got stuck between the rows of sprockets, simultaneously receiving damage to the hull and, sometimes, internal units.

Here is an excerpt from a test report from July 3, 1941. “The commission consisting of the Secretary of the Central Committee of the CP / b / U on mechanical engineering comrade. Bibdychenko, head. Department of the Defense Industry of the Central Committee of Comrade. Yaltansky, secretary of the CPC comrade Shamrilo, Chief of the Kiev Garrison, Major General Comrade Gorikker, Plant Directors: Bolshevik - Comrade Kurganova, 225 Comrade Maksimova, Lenkuznya Comrade Merkuryev and representatives of KTTU Colonel Raevsky and military engineer 2nd rank Kolesnikova tested an anti-tank obstacle - a 6-point sprocket made of scrap rails, the proposal of Major General of technical troops comrade. Gorikker.

Test conclusion: The tank was forced to stop, as the fang [of the obstacle] got between the track and the drive wheel of the caterpillar track, and the fang of the sprocket of the 3rd obstacle line, leaning against the bottom of the bow of the tank, lifted the latter into the air. This situation, without outside help, does not make it possible to continue driving. Stopping a tank on an obstacle is the most effective phenomenon for shooting it with artillery at previously targeted areas of the established obstacle.

Conclusion: "The Commission considers that the six-pointed stars anti-tank obstacles are an effective anti-tank obstacle, this type of obstacle can be widely used in the area of URs, defile and especially important areas."

On the same tests, the optimal dimensions of the six-pointed sprocket were selected. The height of the finished barrier should be in the range from one to one and a half meters. The reasons for this are as follows: the sprocket should be higher than the ground clearance of the tank, but at the same time its upper part should not rise beyond the upper cut of the lower frontal plate. In this case, tankers who first met the stars, seeing the small size of the obstacle and the absence of any attachment to the ground, may just want to move it to the side. The driver starts moving forward, the sprocket falls under the lower frontal plate, and from there "crawls" under the bottom of the tank. In addition, in some cases, the sprocket can turn under the front of the armored vehicle. One way or another, a tank driven into a sprocket finds itself in a very uncomfortable position: the front part is suspended in the air. Moreover, the tracks raised above the ground cannot provide proper traction with the surface, and the tank can no longer move off the sprocket without help from the side. An armored vehicle, designed to suppress enemy firing points, itself becomes a fairly easy target.

The simplicity of the manufacture of Gorikker sprockets, combined with their effectiveness, influenced the further fate of the invention. In the shortest possible time, a manual for the manufacture of barriers was distributed to all parts of the Red Army. For its characteristic appearance among the troops, this obstacle was nicknamed the hedgehog. It was under this name that Gorikker's anti-tank star went down in history. The simplicity of production and the low cost of raw materials made it possible in the shortest possible time to make tens of thousands of anti-tank hedgehogs and install them on a large part of the front. In addition, even when assembled, the hedgehog could be transported from place to place, which also improved the reputation of the new barrage. In general, the Red Army men liked the new hedgehog. The German tankmen "liked" him much more. The fact is that at first everything went exactly as expected by Gorikker - seeing an unfamiliar, but unfastened barrier, the tankers tried to move it and drive further, which led to spending time in a literal state of limbo. An unpleasant event, especially if a Soviet anti-tank gun is nearby. You can hardly imagine a better target than a stationary tank raised above ground level. Finally, in a completely unfortunate combination of circumstances, the hedgehog beam steamed the lower frontal plate or bottom, passed inside the tank and caused damage to the engine or transmission. The peculiarities of the placement of the transmission on the German PzKpfw III and PzKpfw VI tanks only increased the chances of the vehicle getting such damage.

True, the Germans quickly realized that first they should make passes through the obstacles, and then only go along them. Here, to some extent, they were helped by the fact that hedgehogs did not in any way fix themselves to the surface of the earth. Two or three tanks with the help of towing ropes could quickly make a gap for the passage of troops. The Red Army responded to this by laying anti-personnel mines next to the hedgehogs, as well as, if possible, placing machine guns or anti-tank guns near the fence. Thus, attempts to take away the hedgehogs or tie them to the tank were severely punished with machine-gun or even artillery fire. Soon, another technique appeared to make it difficult to make passages: hedgehogs began to be tied to each other and tied to various objects on the ground. As a result, German tankmen and sappers had to first solve the "puzzle" with cables and chains and only then remove the hedgehogs themselves. And do all this under enemy fire.

Anti-tank hedgehogs of the system of Major General M.L. Gorikker played an important role in the Great Patriotic War. They helped with a relatively small force to improve the army's ability to deter the enemy. It should be noted that not only the Red Army took advantage of Gorikker's invention. The Germans, retreating, also actively used a simple barrage structure of three rails and fasteners. On the approach to all important points of the German defense, the Red Army had to see familiar angular objects. And the allies, having landed in Normandy, were also able to familiarize themselves with the Soviet means of barrage. There is an interesting opinion that the Germans themselves did not produce hedgehogs, but only disassembled and stored Soviet ones, which were useful at the end of the war. In any case, this is how, according to some historians, one can explain the large number of hedgehogs in front of German positions at that stage of the war, when Germany was experiencing serious difficulties even with the production of weapons.

In early September 1941, General Gorikker was recalled to Moscow, where he held the posts of head of the Directorate of the Main Directorate of the Motor Transport and Road Service of the RKKA, head of the auto department of the Leningrad Front, and head of the inspection of the Main Motor Transport Directorate of the Red Army. After the war, he commanded automobile schools, died in Moscow in 1955. By the way, the idea of our "hedgehogs" was later used by the Germans during their defense in 1944-1945.

The legendary hedgehog defensive barrage played a decisive role in the course of hostilities during the Great Patriotic War. "Jerzy" was stopped by more than one German tank. A monument to them stands at the entrance to the city of Khimki. However, today few people remember their creator - Mikhail Gorikker. Only thanks to the documents accidentally found in the home archives, the general's son, film director Vladimir Gorikker, was able to find irrefutable evidence that the "anti-tank hedgehog" was designed by his father.

General Gorikker was not only an outstanding inventor, but also a brave soldier. He participated in the First and Second World Wars and was awarded the soldiers' St. George's Crosses of the 3rd and 4th degrees, as well as the Orders of Lenin, the Red Banner, the Red Star and the 1st degree of the Patriotic War.

Mikhail Lvovich Gorikker was born in 1895 in the city of Berislav, Kherson province. He graduated from a pedagogical school in 1912, worked as a teacher, participated in the First World War. Since 1918 - in the Red Army, participant Civil War... After graduating from the Military Academy of Mechanization and Motorization of the Red Army. Stalin Gorikker served as a military engineer of the motorized combat troops of the Red Army, commanded experimental tank units, served as head of the Moscow Tank Technical School. In 1940, Gorikker was one of the first to receive the rank of Major General of Technical Troops.

Gorikker took part in the Great Patriotic War from the very first days. In June 1941, while remaining the head of the Kiev tank-technical school, he was also appointed head of the Kiev garrison and the head of the defense of Kiev. On July 3, 1941, on the twelfth day of the war, Gorikker conducted the first successful tests of the "anti-tank hedgehog" at a training ground near Kiev. After the war, General Gorikker served as chief of the Ryazan and then Ordzhonikidze military-automobile school, and in 1951 he retired.

Many people often and with pleasure revise Soviet films about the war. Practically in each of them you will definitely meet an engineering structure, popularly nicknamed the anti-tank "hedgehog". Several rails welded together, resembling a six-pointed star. Who was the author of this invention?

For many years this military engineering structure was considered a product soldier's creativity. And no one thought that the "hedgehog" there is an author, who had to work hard to create an effective barrier for German tanks. This man's name is Mikhail Lvovich Gorriker... Mikhail Lvovich - a participant in two world wars, by the beginning of the Great Patriotic War - major general of technical troops, head of a tank school.

There were also anti-tank hedgehogs in other countries. In the world, anti-tank hedgehogs have an established name Czech hedgehog, in 1938 such a structure existed and was used as one of the elements Czech defense. Czech hedgehog made from reinforced concrete, his shape is different, he can lift the tank if he hits both legs of the hedgehog, but if on one, as it happens more often, it goes into the ground or collapses. Here, too, it was possible to start up the entire concrete industry for pouring such hedgehogs, but something was needed fast and not expensive... The USSR leadership adopted simpler, more reliable and efficient design metal hedgehog General Gorikker.

So what is genius "hedgehog"? In simplicity its designs. The profile or rails were cut into approximately equal pieces. Then the cut pieces were welded to each other in the form the letters "Ж" And that's all , an insurmountable obstacle ready for German technology. However, in this case it was required accurate calculation welding. "Hedgehog" shouldn't have been taller the beginning of the frontal sheet tank armor. Its height was 80 cm... Tests have proven that "Correct hedgehog" could withstand hitting a tank weighing 60 tons... The next phase of the organization of defense was effective installation of barriers... The hedgehog defense line - four rows staggered - turned into serious problem for tanks. The meaning of the "hedgehog" is that he had to be under the tank, and the tank - to stand on its hind legs. As a result, an armored vehicle finally stopped, "Hovering" above the ground, and it could be knocked out anti-tank weapons.

Gorriker's Stars as in some documents the barriers were called, it turned out so much perfect, what's in the future did not require improvements. This invention became one of the symbols of the Battle of Moscow in the winter of 1941. Only on neighbors lines of defense capitals of the USSR was placed about 37,500 hedgehogs. There is a monument to anti-tank "hedgehogs" in Khimki, but there no last name their creator.

In a defensive battle, one of the most important tasks of the troops is the destruction of the advancing enemy by fire. It is clear that inflicting losses on the enemy can only be done with well-organized well-aimed fire, which is why the troops are building trenches for themselves, which provide great convenience for firing.
But this is still not enough. While improving the conditions of their combat work, the troops simultaneously strive to adapt (change) the terrain in such a way as to impede the enemy's actions, to detain him under their own fire and make him suffer heavy losses. For this, the troops use various obstacles and destruction.
Obstacles and destruction are used not only in defense, but also in retreat, in order to delay the advancing enemy and inflict losses on him, and sometimes also in the offensive, in order to protect their flanks from outflanking.
V modern combat it is necessary to delay the advance of not only the infantry, but also the armored forces, that is, primarily tanks. Therefore, modern barriers are divided into antipersonnel and anti-tank.
Obstacles must always be built so that they detain enemy tanks and infantry, under actual fire from anti-tank guns and machine guns.
When constructing various obstacles and destruction, troops very often have to use explosives in order to enhance the effect of the obstacles or to produce the necessary destruction; therefore, first of all, it is necessary to become familiar with these substances.

Anti-tank barriers (obstacles)

Modern tanks have a very high maneuverability, and they can be expected to attack on almost any terrain. Natural obstacles for tanks are only dense old roadless forests, deep (more than 1 meter) swampy swamps, deep ravines and cliffs with slopes steeper than 45 °, chopped wood, if the tank does not pass between the stumps, and the height of the stumps is more than 0.5 meters. Deep (more than 1.5 meters) and wide (more than 3 meters) rivers and lakes are also a natural obstacle for all tanks, except for amphibians.
It is clear that the troops, located on the ground, first of all try to use all available natural obstacles in order to protect their position (or resting place) from a surprise attack by tanks. Obviously, these obstacles will always be few: if they cover the troops, then only in some separate directions. Most of the terrain will always be available for tanks. In such areas, fire (artillery pieces) and engineering anti-tank defense are organized, the basic rule of which is the skillful combination of fire with obstacles.
Artificial anti-tank obstacles can be of many types. Of these, they choose those that can be done easier and faster in a given area, it is better to camouflage and more reliably cover with the fire of their artillery.

When setting up barriers, local obstacles can often be used. With appropriate reinforcement, these obstacles become inaccessible for tanks or slow down their movement, which makes it easier for our artillery to fight tanks. For example, if you cut down part of the trees in a rare forest, leaving high stumps and knocking down the trees so that there are no passages between them, you will get a blockage, which will be very difficult for tanks to overcome. You can also stretch a strong steel rope at the edge of the grove at a height of about 1 meter.
A shallow river and even a stream can be turned into a barrier by setting up a dam, thanks to which the water rises and floods the banks. On deep rivers, in order to make them impenetrable also for amphibious tanks, they arrange blockages, underwater obstructions (piles), escarpment of the banks, etc.
An insufficiently steep slope of a ravine or a hill can be made steeper by cutting off the ground with shovels or special engineering machines - the so-called escarp, or counter-escarp, will turn out.
In winter, an anti-tank obstacle can be made from snow banks 1.5-2 meters high and 3.5-5 meters thick.
Finally, one of the best obstacles against tanks are special anti-tank mines, which troops always carry with them. Anti-tank mines are a high explosive charge enclosed in a metal sheath. A mine explosion occurs only under the weight of the tank. Tanks can overcome some types of obstacles due to the high speed of movement, as if flying over them with a takeoff. So that high-speed tanks could not overcome obstacles, it is necessary to arrange additional earthen ramparts, deeply plowed strips, etc. in front of the obstacles. Then the tank will go the main obstacle at a lower speed and it will be more difficult for him to overcome it.
Anti-tank mines are placed on roads and in the most open areas so that a tank cannot pass between them. The explosion of a mine interrupts the track of the tank and stops it.
On roads, especially on difficult sections of them (a bridge over a deep ravine or river, a mountain gorge, a bog in a swamp, a deep excavation of a track, a high embankment, a narrow clearing in a dense forest), they are also widely used different kinds destruction and special barriers. First of all, bridges are usually destroyed, since bypassing them or restoring them is not easy and can significantly delay troops in general, and tanks and other heavy military cargo in particular. Most often, bridges are blown up. Wooden bridges can sometimes be burned or their foundations can be cut down (sawed off). Bridges on floating supports (on rafts or boats) can be dismantled or flooded. They arrange funnels on the roads, pull out gats, make rubble (in the forest) or dig the road with a deep and wide ditch.
One of the main conditions for arranging an anti-tank obstacle is its difficult detection. So, for example, the snow shaft is directed with its flat side towards the enemy with the expectation that the tank driver will not see the obstacle and will drive over it, confusing the shaft with a natural hill. As a result, at the end of the snow shaft, the tank will simply "bite" its nose into the ground, thus becoming an easy target for anti-tank artillery and even for infantrymen with anti-tank hand grenades. The counter-escarp has the same goal.

Overcoming obstacles

The troops have to not only build barriers, but also overcome them. In order to successfully overcome obstacles, I do not incur unnecessary losses, first of all, careful reconnaissance of them is necessary. This reconnaissance must determine the exact boundaries of the fence, the nature of its structure, how it is defended, what materials are needed for restoration work and, which is especially important, which sections of the fence are easier to overcome, whether there are convenient approaches to them and whether it is possible to bypass the fence. Reconnaissance of obstacles is carried out by photographing them from aircraft and by direct inspection and study of them on the spot.
For direct reconnaissance of the obstacles, special parties of scouts are sent out, including sappers and chemists. All discovered obstacles and passages in them are marked by scouts with conventional signs, immediately reporting the results of reconnaissance to the commander who sent them. If. there is a possibility, then the scouts immediately remove some of the obstacles or make passages in them (remove or undermine the discovered mines and land mines, arrange passages in the rubble).
When overcoming obstacles with a battle, tanks, motor-mechanical parts and infantry in small groups try to penetrate through the passages discovered by scouts or bypass the obstacles and attack the enemy in order to facilitate further work to widen passages and overcome obstacles.
Arrangement of passages or removal of obstacles is carried out by the troops. different ways depending on the type of fence and the situation.
Wire nets are destroyed and taken apart by tanks or destroyed by artillery, and sometimes, under favorable conditions, they are undermined by sappers using elongated charges. When the enemy is weakly guarding its barriers, at night, in rain or snow, infantry can also destroy wire nets with the help of wire scissors.
To arrange a passage in an electrified obstacle, it is necessary either to completely destroy a separate section of it so that the remaining wires are nowhere connected to each other, or to drain the current into the ground. Tanks can destroy wire barriers, moving not only across, but also along obstacles. The final clearing of the passage is carried out by sappers in special suits made of copper mesh. A fighter in such a suit can freely touch the electrified wire, since the current through the grid will go into the ground, and not go through the body. In order to divert the current into the ground, the same fighters in suits throw or attach a thick wire to the fence, the other end of which is reliably grounded (they bury the remaining coil of wire deeper). When the current is diverted to the ground, the obstacle is removed in the usual way, that is, it is pulled apart by tanks, destroyed by artillery or undermined.
Anti-tank mines and land mines are dug up or undermined. Self-explosive landmines and traps are disarmed by sappers after a thorough familiarization with the technique of their device.
The blockages are pulled apart with the help of tanks or the trees are sawn and rolled in parts to the sides. If it is possible to safely lift the tractors, then the rubble is pulled apart with their help. Small blockages can be successfully exploded with strong elongated charges.
Areas contaminated with OV (US) are overcome with the help of military assets PHO or by the forces of chemists.
Overcoming obstacles when attacking the enemy's defensive zone, and especially inside it, requires the concerted work of all types of troops.

Types of anti-tank obstacles

1. ANTI-TANK HEDGEHOG

Anti-tank hedgehog - the simplest anti-tank obstacle, which is a volumetric six-pointed stars. Hedgehogs are less effective than mine and other obstacles, but they can be made in large quantities from scrap materials without the use of high technologies.
A hedgehog is made of three pieces of rolled steel (usually an I-beam - a rail, a corner, etc., are less strong) so that the ends of the beams form an octahedron. The beams are connected with rivets on kerchiefs (the structure must withstand the weight of the tank - up to 60 tons). On industrial hedgehogs, holes are left for barbed wire, one of the beams is made removable. To complicate the work of enemy sappers, hedgehogs can be connected with chains or cables, mine the area around, etc.
Hedgehogs are installed on solid ground (street asphalt is best suited). Concrete is not good - the hedgehog will slide on the concrete. On soft soils, hedgehogs have little effect, since the tank presses them into the ground and easily passes over them. If the tanker tries to push the hedgehog away, it rolls under the bottom, and the tank is lifted. The tracks lose grip on the ground, the tank starts to slip and is often unable to move off the hedgehog. The defending forces can only destroy the stopped tanks and prevent the tankers from pulling the hedgehogs away with towing ropes. And if the enemy led the tanks in a different way, the anti-tank defense all the more fulfilled its task.
Hedgehogs are about 1 m in height - more than the tank's ground clearance, but below its frontal plate. It is inappropriate to make larger hedgehogs - a hedgehog, which will be higher than the frontal sheet, the tank will easily move. Hedgehogs exceeding these dimensions must be anchored in the ground (piles driven into the ground) or tied together with a 6mm wire at least three strands.

2. ANTI-TANK DOM

Moats can be of different profiles - in the form of a regular and irregular trapezoid or an equilateral and non-equilateral triangle.
The disadvantage of ditches in the form of a non-sided triangle and an irregular trapezoid is that enemy infantry can, accumulating in them, use them as cover and tanks can enter it. But the volume of work is much less than in the construction of equilateral and trapezoidal ditches.
Ditches in the form of an equilateral triangle can be made in dry sands.
All these obstacles require good flanking, since they are not shot through with either frontal or oblique fire.
Moats are used in flat areas with low groundwater levels, where it is impossible to build other, less labor-intensive obstacles.

3. ANTI-TANK ESCARP AND CONTRESCARP

Escarps and counter-escarps are built on hilly terrain with steep slopes or along river banks. Counter-escarps in the form of a ditch can also be erected on slightly rugged terrain, if it gradually rises in our direction. Escarps and counter-escarps are less labor-intensive than ditches, and therefore, during reconnaissance, it is necessary to make every possible use of all natural slopes of the terrain.
Escarpas have the disadvantage that the enemy, under certain conditions, can use them as protection from our fire when accumulating. Counter-escarps do not have this drawback, since the approaches to them are open and are subject to all types of fire. In addition, the counter-escarp is not visible to the enemy, which is an important advantage, although with the help of various devices it is easier to overcome it. Practice has shown that at high speed, a tank, overcoming a counter-escarp, buries itself so deeply when it falls into the ground that it becomes completely helpless and requires a special team for several hours. The counter-escarp, in view of the possibility of observation and shelling of all approaches to it, is a better obstacle than the escarp.

4. "TRANCHES" and "GRAVES"

In an area with a high level of groundwater, it is possible to build a system of "trenches" or "graves". Due to the different direction of the "graves" the tank, if it goes through them, sits belly on the "pillars" between the "graves". Although the volume of the “graves” fragments is large, the work is easier, since the depth is shallow. The disadvantage of this system is that the enemy's infantry can use the "graves" as a cover, so they need to be torn off so that there is water at the bottom 25-50 cm, interlaced with wire and reinforced with anti-tank and anti-personnel mines. The system of "graves" can be fired at by both flank and frontal fire.

5. ANTI-TANK PADS

Obstacles made of wood or iron are nadolby. Wooden holes have the disadvantage that, being pierced by bullets or shells, they easily break under the weight of a moving tank; therefore, they should be used in combination with ditches, at least with reduced profiles.
Metal hedgehogs and nadolby in the field lines can be used to close individual, small directions along the front, mainly on roads and bridgeheads.

6. ANTI-TANK EARTH AND SNOW SHAFT

In some cases, in areas with high groundwater levels, ditches with high embankments and earthen ramparts can be used.
Ditches with high embankments can be used provided that the backfill does not obstruct the frontal shelling, that is, if the terrain slightly rises in our direction and makes it possible to conduct frontal fire.
Shafts are used to overlap narrow valleys that are well exposed to flanking and oblique fire from surrounding heights. The earth for the rampart is taken from a wide ditch, torn off 25 centimeters below the water table, next to the rampart.
Snow ramparts are used in winter when it is impossible to quickly build an earthen rampart or other anti-tank obstacles associated with earthworks.

7. FIELD OF FUNNIES AS AN ANTI-TANK OBSTACLE

With a shortage of manpower, short construction times and in the presence of a sufficient amount of explosives, a field of funnels can be created. With an ammonal charge of 20-30 kg. and a depth of 2, 5 m. the funnel will be 6-7 m in diameter and deep enough (depending on the soil). Such a field of craters, although not an insurmountable obstacle, delays the advance of tanks so much that they can be easily shot with artillery and anti-tank rifles.

Literature / Useful Materials:

Brochure - Brigenginera Shperk V. F. "FLANKING OF ANTI-TANK OBSTACLES"
Military engineering STATE MILITARY PUBLISHING OF THE NARKOMATS OF DEFENSE OF THE UNION OF THE SSR Moscow - 1931

You have tangible, material symbols. Famous examples of technology, glorified Russian weapons all over the world (T-34 tanks, Il-2 attack aircraft, Pe-2 bombers, were produced in huge quantities unprecedented in the history of mankind. The surviving copies of these formidable combat units took their places on the pedestals. The anti-tank hedgehogs held back the offensive of the Nazi hordes no less effectively than the famous and forty-five cannons, or rather, helped our armor-piercing artillerymen, acting in concert with them.

The year is 1939. Europe without "hedgehogs"

Hitler started the war armed with light tanks and the Blitzkrieg doctrine. Rapid throws of mobile armored vehicles, envelopes, "boilers" - this is the technology, using which the Nazis captured most of Europe, not bothering with long sieges and protracted battles. Beyond the Sudetenland, they had to meet barrage structures, but the Czech anti-tank hedgehogs were unable to cause any harm, they were simply pushed apart and rushed into the breaches that had arisen. The German generals assumed that in the USSR they would be able to cope with the task set by the command no worse. A very unpleasant surprise awaited them.

"Funny" barrier

When the German tank crews first saw our anti-tank hedgehogs, they were not at all puzzled, and some of them even laughed at "these stupid Russians" who thought that the Wehrmacht's steel fist could be stopped, or at least delayed "with this." And in fact, some kind of simple combination, welded from beams or ordinary rails, only a meter high or even lower. Having looked at this mysterious object through binoculars, the Germans decided that it really did not pose a danger, it was not even dug into the ground. Here the Czechs, like real Europeans, approached the task thoroughly, concrete was used in the manufacture of their barriers, which did not interfere, however, with moving them. On reflection, the Panzerwaffe commanders gave the command to attack. It soon became clear that not everything is so simple ...

German tanks

The early years of the war (T-I, T-II and T-III) were light. This meant that their weight did not exceed 21 tons, and there was practically no bottom booking. And there was also an important flaw in their design - the front transmission. It was she who suffered in the first place when hitting anti-tank hedgehogs. The piece pierced the thin metal of the bottom and destroyed the mechanism. The German gearbox is complicated and expensive. Especially the tank. But that's not all ... The main danger lay in a completely different circumstance.

How an anti-tank hedgehog works

It was the small size of the steel "hedgehog" that made it an effective remedy. If it were big, then there would be much less problems. He rested his frontal armor against him, put in first gear, and then slowly, slowly ... Soviet anti-tank hedgehogs strove, rolling, to crawl under the bottom, breaking the traction of the tracks to the ground. An attempt to "move out" led to disastrous result... The bottom is ripped open, the oil line is leaking, the gearbox is jammed. And all these destruction remains only sad to consider, and even then only if, because of the parapet, the crew of the anti-tank rifle does not fire at that moment, or the gunners do not practice their accuracy at the weakly protected lower horizontal section of the armored hull. Here it is already close to the detonation of ammunition, and gasoline is about to flare up. The car must be abandoned, and then the infantry threw a light. In general, it was not enough for the hunters to envy the German tankers at such a moment.

"Star" by General Mikhail Lvovich Gorikker

In fact, he had a star, and on every pursuit, a general's. M. L. Gorikker served as the head of the Kiev tank-technical school. But he became famous for another "star".

Gorikker - an example of a real Russian officer, two received in the German war, confirm that he was not only smart, but also daring.

After the German attack, the question of anti-tank weapons arose immediately and sharply. The requirements were simple, but tough: technological simplicity, availability of materials, and high efficiency.

Being a competent engineer (especially in the field of armored vehicles), M. L. Gorikker made many calculations, after which he offered his anti-tank "hedgehog". The drawing was approved, several prototypes were made in July and tested at the test site. The role of the "targets" of this charger was played by the lungs Soviet tanks T-26 and BT-5, they were superior to their German counterparts (in particular, their undercarriage was much better, and the transmission was rear), but still suffered greatly. So, in the arsenal of the Red Army, a new means of combating enemy armored vehicles, called the Gorikker star, appeared. The front-line soldiers called him "hedgehogs" later; apparently, it was not easy to pronounce the intricate surname of the inventor. But it’s not enough to get it, you still need to be able to use it.

Manufacturing technology

By July, all enterprises in the front-line cities (Odessa, Sevastopol, Kiev and many others), which possessed the necessary equipment, received orders to make anti-tank hedgehogs. All machine-building plants became military, there were no questions with labor resources, there were enough specialists.

The technology was simple, each "hedgehog" required three sections of an I-beam less than one and a half meters long. It is best if these parts were made of durable steel, but most often used rails, tram or railway, they were always at hand.

They should have been welded or otherwise firmly connected so that, with a certain amount of force, the finished product could roll without collapsing.

Combat use

For effective use, it was not enough to know how to make an anti-tank hedgehog, it was required to learn some of the features of the use of this anti-tank weapon in combat conditions.

Firstly, it is best to install it on a surface that is sufficiently flat, but not slippery, otherwise it will be easy to move it away with the help of simple auxiliary devices (a cable with a hook or loop, for example). Frozen ground or asphalt is great.

Secondly, the distance between the rows of defense elements is important (and there should be many "hedgehogs", one does not solve anything). It should be one and a half meters (for the first and second) and two and a half for the next echelons. As with any fortification, the more defenses the better.

Thirdly, the "hedgehogs" in the rows can be fastened together, but the next line must be autonomous from the previous one.

Fourth, the use of barbed wire is undesirable. For her, the mount is special.

Fifth, it is better to mine approaches.

Violation of these simple rules in frontline conditions led to a decrease in the combat effectiveness of the means, as well as attempts to make "Gorikker stars" large sizes than recommended by the instructions.

By the way, the inventor, who can be called a genius (for the simplicity of the solution), had other merits, he received many government awards both before and after the war, including the Order of Lenin. And for the "hedgehogs" the government presented him with a FED camera.

The war continued, and that long-awaited turning point came, after which the Soviet generals no longer thought about defense. Only an offensive, and on all fronts! And then the war ended victoriously.

Memory

Many heroes perished on nameless skyscrapers, covering their native land with their bodies. In every village, city or settlement, through which the fiery shaft of the front swept through, there is a monument today. Anti-tank hedgehogs have become a symbol of the unyielding rebelliousness of all the peoples of the USSR, who managed to break the neck of the disgusting Nazi reptile. Now they can be made large and placed on pedestals. So they stand like silent sentries, recalling the harsh time.

In 1966, not far from the center of Moscow, on the 23rd kilometer of the Leningradskoye Highway, an unusual monument was erected. Gigantic structures stylized as anti-tank obstacles mark the point at which the advancing German units and four divisions of the militia, made up of townspeople of different professions, ages and destinies, converged. The memorial is dedicated to the memory of Muscovites who did not flinch in the battle for their capital. Anti-tank hedgehogs in Khimki are one of the many monuments celebrating the memory of our ancestors. Gorikker's invention was made of steel. But it's not just metal.

When retreating, the Nazis tried to use Soviet "hedgehogs" for the defense of Berlin and other cities of the then Third Reich. They did not help them ...