Zvezda 1:35 Soviet 203-mm Howitzer m1931 B-4 Stalin`s Sledgehammer

The Soviet heavy howitzer B-4 with a caliber of 203.2 mm (8 inches) was developed in 1931. The howitzer could fire at a distance of almost 18 km with shells weighing more than 100 kg. The weight of the gun was 19 tons in transport position. A special tracked carriage was developed – the large support surface of the tracks prevented the howitzer from sinking into the ground, and the sturdy carriage withstood the powerful recoil when firing. The first combat use of the B-4 took place during the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-40, when it was used to destroy Finnish concrete pillboxes.Finns nicknamed the weapon 'Stalin's Sledgehammer.' Later, the howitzer went through the entire Great Patriotic War. The weapon was successfully used in the storming of fortresses and in battles on the streets of large German cities.