New this week, we have some heavy supporting fire rolling up for the Soviets in the form of the long-awaited new resin-and-metal Katyusha!
Our particular model is the Katyusha Zis-6 BM-13 Urss – based upon the rugged and widely used Soviet Zis-6 truck chassis.
First seeing action in 1939, the Katyusha Rocket Launcher (know as Little Katie to the Russians) was a system for mounting platforms onto trucks, tanks, artillery tractors, armored trains, and even some boats in order to provide fire-support for the advancing Soviet forces on the Eastern Front.
The BM-13 system (as featured on our model) featured rockets that were 80cm long by 13.2cm in diameter. Each one weighed 43kg – and were loaded in batches of 14 to 18 rockets per salvo. The rockets were mounted upon large steel racks of launch rails – and this entire assembly was (in the case of our model) bolted onto the back of the ubiquitous Zis-6 utility truck (which was used elsewhere on the Eastern Front to shuttle troops to and from the frontline, as well as equipment, and for many other purposes).
Though it was initially conceived simply as a cheap, improvised alternative to traditional artillery, early tests showed that just four of these trucks could launch as many as 48 rockets more than 9km in a single ten-second salvo.
In practise, the Katyusha was woefully inaccurate when compared to traditional forms of artillery – however, the Soviets soon learned that the combined firepower of several trucks could be used to saturate a single area to devastating effect. When combined with Shoot and Scoot tactics of launching a quick salvo and quickly repositioning, before the enemy had a chance to retaliate – German troops came to fear the distinct howling sound of these iconic weapons of the Soviet army.
The inaccuracy of this weapon often didn't matter – the morale-sapping experience of having your position bombarded by wave-after-wave of high explosive rockets would often be enough to send soldiers running, and earned it the name Stalin's Organ by the Germans.
The Katyusha first rolled onto the battlefield during the early days of the German invasion of Russia in 1941, and it remained in use right up until the final days of the war during the assault on Berlin. It is estimated that 10,000 of these rocket launchers were produced.
In Bolt Action
- Cost
- 64 points (inexperienced), 80 points (Regular), 96 points (Veteran)
- Weapons
- one forward-facing Katyusha multiple rocket launcher (heavy mortar)
- Damage value
- 6+ (soft-skin)
- Special Rules
- Multiple launcher
Whether fighting your first battles accross the Khalkyn Gol (river) against the Japanese, operating in the depths of winter against the resolute Finnish army, or taking charge of Operation Bagration to drive the invaders clear back to East Prussia, your forces have loads of choice, from little Katie to the mighty KV-2…
