How Soviet Soldiers Aimed Their Cannons Using Riffles

The red army did not have the budget for high tech military equipment

Russian soldier alining the rifle with the cannon

This is a very interesting military technique that was actually proven to be very useful in the second world war, many see this as quite stupid and impractical, however, I am here to argue differently. First of all, we should take a look at the actual weaponry we are dealing with before explaining how the actual technique works.

The Cannon

The cannon that was primarily used with this technique was the 76mm anti-tank divisional gun model 1939 (USV). This was a very effective and efficient cannon that was used at destroying enemy tanks. It used a very strong round that had a lot of propellant however, the cannon was quite difficult to aim over a distance of 200meters. We also need to keep in mind that the further the round would travel the less power it has to actually penetrate the hull of the tank.

Representation of the 76mm Divisional Gun Model 1939 (USV) as a war memorial

This is the reason why the cannon was used mainly in cities or for ambushes in close range, as mentioned before the closer to the target would mean not only a more accurate shot but a more…