The final report covering the history of development at the Uralmash factory during the Great Patriotic War dwells little on their failures, but at least mentions them briefly.
"U-19
"U-19
This was an SPG project armed with a B-4 howitzer, the largest in caliber that was ever prepared by the Uralmash factory for installation in an SPG. The design was completed in the spring of 1942.
The powerful 100 kg shell with a muzzle velocity of Vₒ=610 m/s was an effective means of destroying reinforced concrete fortifications.
Due to the large size and weight of the gun (12.7 tons) the dimensions of the SPG with a fully enclosed fighting compartment were very large and the weight reached 66 tons.
The project showed that it was difficult to obtain an SPG with a 203 mm gun and sufficient maneuverability and off-road performance, and thus it was not built in metal."
The timeframe is a little off, which results in some confusion. Work on the U-19 ended only in June, with just the general design being done by May. The final project was sent to the GABTU on August 12th, 1942. The conclusion is correct: since the SPG turned out to be absolutely massive, it was never built.
The timeframe is a little off, which results in some confusion. Work on the U-19 ended only in June, with just the general design being done by May. The final project was sent to the GABTU on August 12th, 1942. The conclusion is correct: since the SPG turned out to be absolutely massive, it was never built.
