B-4 M1931 203mm Howitzer

Plastic model kit for a Soviet B-4 M1931 203mm howitzer

• Scale 1:72
• Length (as assembled): 130 mm
• 207 parts
• unassembled / unpainted
• Paint and glue not included

The Soviet B-4 heavy, high-performance howitzer with a caliber of 203.2 mm (8 inches) was developed in 1931. The howitzer could fire shells weighing more than 100 kg to a distance of almost 18 km. The gun weighed 19 t in transport position. A special tracked carriage was developed – a large track surface prevented the howitzer from sinking into the ground, and the powerful carriage withstood the strong recoil during firing.

The B-4 first saw combat use during the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-40, when it was used to destroy Finnish concrete fortifications. The Finns nicknamed the weapon "Stalin's Sledgehammer." The German army captured several of these guns and used them under the designation 20.3 cm H.503 (r). The howitzer was used throughout World War II. The gun was successfully used in the storming of fortresses and in street fighting in major German cities.