SOVIET 85-MM AA GUN

85mm wz.1939 52-K, KS-12 is a Soviet 85 mm towed anti-aircraft gun from the Second World War. The first prototypes of the guns were created in 1938, and in 1939 mass production began, which led to the production of about 1,400 examples of this weapon. The maximum vertical range was 10,500 m, and the initial velocity of the projectile - 800 m / s. The theoretical rate of fire was up to 20 rounds per minute. KS-12 was created in the design office of Zakłady im. Kalinin by creating a new anti-aircraft gun on the chassis of another anti-aircraft gun: 76 mm wz. 1931. After a short period of testing and analysis, the gun was accepted into service, receiving the ZU-8 chassis from the 76 mm wz. 1938. Initially, the new gun turned out to be quite time-consuming to manufacture, but these indicators were improved over time. The KS-12 gun turned out to be a generally successful design with good ballistic parameters and such maneuverability. She served in the Red Army throughout World War II and in the Polish People's Army.