Organization and employment 122 mm howitzer M1909/37

m1909/37 in hämeenlinna artillery museum, finland.



m1909/37 in hämeenlinna artillery museum, finland.


red army

the m1909/37 divisional level howitzer. according organization of 1939, each rifle division had 2 artillery regiments - light regiment (a battalion of 76 mm guns; 2 mixed battalions 1 battery of 76 mm guns , 2 batteries of 122 mm howitzers) , howitzer regiment (a battalion of 122 mm howitzers , battalion of 152 mm howitzers), giving 28 122 mm howitzers per division. in june 1940 1 more battalion of 122 mm howitzers added howitzers regiment, bringing number 32. in june 1941 howitzers regiment removed , number of howitzers dropped 16. organization used throughout war, except in guard rifle divisions december 1942 had 3 artillery battalions (two batteries of 76 mm guns , 1 battery of 122 mm howitzers each), totaling 12 howitzers. december 1944 received howitzer regiment (5 batteries, 20 howitzers). june 1945 rifle divisions reorganized identically.

mountain rifle divisions in 1939-40 had 1 battalion of 122 mm howitzers (3 batteries, 9 guns). 1941 received instead 1 artillery regiment (2 battalions, each 3 four-gun batteries) 24 howitzers. 1942 1 battalion (2 batteries, 8 howitzers) remained. 1944 howitzers removed mountain rifle divisions.

motorized divisions had 2 mixed battalions (battery of 76 mm guns, 2 batteries of 122 mm howitzers), totaling 12 howitzers. tank division had 1 battalion 12 howitzers. cavalry divisions until august 1941 had 2 batteries of 122 mm howitzers, totaling 8, divisional artillery removed.

until late 1941 rifle brigades had battery of 4 122 mm howitzers.

122 mm howitzers used howitzer brigades of reserve of main command (72-84 pieces).

the m1909/37 started replace m1909 in 1937. 1 october 1936 rkka possessed 920 m1909 howitzers; until beginning of german-soviet war of them replaced. modernized gun saw combat in winter war , german-soviet war. on 1 june 1941 rkka possessed 800 pieces. due combat losses, middle of war limited number of pieces remained in service.

other operators

a number of m1909/37s fell hands of wehrmacht in 1941-42 , adopted 12,2 cm le.f.h.386(r).

finnish army captured few in winter war , further 21 in continuation war. in finnish service gun designated 122 h/09-30. howitzers used against former owners; few lost in combat. finns modernized in similar way m1909 howitzers possessed since civil war, resulting in gun designated 122 h/09-40 (about 30 pieces); guns used in continuation war.