85 mm divisional gun D-44

85 mm divisional gun D-44
85 mm D-44 divisional gun.
Type	Field gun
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1946–present
Wars	Vietnam War[1] Lebanese Civil War Ethiopian Civil War Iran-Iraq War First Nagorno-Karabakh War War in Donbass Second Nagorno-Karabakh War Russian invasion of Ukraine[2]
Production history
Designed	1943–1944
Manufacturer	Uralmash
Produced	1946–1954
No. built	10,918
Variants	D-44N SD-44 Chinese Type 56
Specifications
Mass	D-44: 1,725 kg (3,803 lbs) SD-44: 2,250 kg (4,960 lbs)
Length	8.34 metres (27 ft 4 in)
Barrel length	4.7 m (15 ft 5 in) 55 calibers[3]
Width	1.78 metres (5 ft 10 in)
Height	1.42 metres (4 ft 8 in)
Crew	8
Shell	Fixed QF 85×629 mm. R[3] (R/112mm)
Caliber	85 mm (3.34 in)
Breech	Semi-automatic vertical sliding-wedge[3]
Recoil	Hydro-pneumatic[3]
Carriage	Split trail
Elevation	-7° to 35°
Traverse	54°
Rate of fire	up to 20 rounds per minute (burst)
Muzzle velocity	1,030 m/s (3,379 ft/s)
Effective firing range	1,150 m (1,257 yds) (HVAP-T)
Maximum firing range	15.65 km (9.72 mi)
Sights	OP-2-7 w/5.5X Magnification

The 85-mm divisional gun D-44 (Russian: 85-мм дивизионная пушка Д-44) was a Soviet divisional 85-mm calibre field artillery gun used in the last action of World War II. It was designed as the replacement for the 76 mm divisional gun M1942 (ZiS-3). The gun was no longer in front-line service with the Russian Ground Forces, until being pressed back into service in the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2023.^[4] Wartime service included use by communist forces during the Vietnam War^[5] and by Arab forces during their conflicts with Israel.