Ampulomet

The Ampulomet (Russian: 125-мм ампуломёт образца 1941 года, also rendered Ampulomyot, ampulla mortar, etc., lit. "ampule/vial thrower" cf. миномёт) was an expedient anti-tank weapon which launched a 125 mm incendiary projectile made of spherical glass.^[4][5] This weapon was introduced in 1941 and used (to a limited degree) by the Red Army in World War II, but by 1942 was largely obsolete.^[6]

Ampulomet
Ampulomet and PM M1910 machine gun at the Museum of the Battle of Stalingrad.
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1941–1945
Used by	Soviet Union  Finland (Captured)  Nazi Germany (Captured)
Wars	World War II
Production history
Manufacturer	Leningrad
Produced	1941–1942
Specifications
Mass	26 kg (57 lb 5 oz)
Length	1 m (3 ft 3 in)
Barrel length	.84 m (2 ft 9 in)[1]
Crew	3[2]
Shell	Separate loading black powder charge and AZh-2 projectile containing KS incendiary.
Shell weight	1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz)[3]
Caliber	125 mm (4.9 in)
Recoil	None
Elevation	0° to +12°
Traverse	360°[1]
Rate of fire	8 rpm
Muzzle velocity	50 m/s (160 ft/s)
Maximum firing range	250 m (820 ft)[1]

Design

Finnish troops testing a captured Ampulomet in 1941.

The weapon consisted of an unrifled tube with a crude breech mounted on a Y-shaped pedestal which pivoted on trunnions to provide elevation. Two breech mounted inverted horns were provided for traverse/elevation and a simple inclinometer for targeting and range calculation. A black powder charge was inserted into the breech and fired by a percussion cap to propel the AZh-2 glass ampule.^[1] The ampules were filled with an incendiary mixture known as KS. KS was a mixture of 80% phosphorus and 20% sulfur which ignited when exposed to air. The burning mixture created a bright flame, thick white smoke and would burn for up to three minutes at temperatures between 800–1,000 °C (1,470–1,830 °F). The burning liquid would seep through vision slots or engine grilles on a tank and ignite ammunition or fuel as well as choke and blind the crew.^[7]

See also

Northover Projector — A similar British weapon used by the Home Guard during World War II