Il sole è tramontato su Kiev nel 1359° giorno dell’invasione su vasta scala. La pistola ‘Milf’ mette a dura prova gli occupanti: l’obice M114 di 80 anni fa ancora fuoco vicino a Pokrovsk

The American M114 gun is now in action on the Pokrovsk front, holding back the Russian onslaught. Originally built in 1943 to halt the advance of Nazi forces during World War II, it was transferred to Ukraine by the Czech Republic during the full-scale war. The Frontliner team visited the positions of the 152nd Jaeger Brigade artillerymen and saw the legendary gun in action.

The gun commander, Roman, callsign ‘Kostyl,’ explains the features of the M114. It’s a 155mm howitzer with a range of 14.5 km. Technically, the crew should consist of 12 people, but here six handle it just fine. Roman insists that’s all they need:

>“This is a good crew. Everyone knows their role. Everyone takes turns doing every task, exactly as it should be. It’s a bit challenging because all the work is manual. People have to load it by hand and ram the shell themselves. It’s heavy, and it lacks some of the auxiliary parts you see on other models, like wheels on the carriage. Here, you have to move it manually. And the shell weighs between 42 and 44 kilograms,” the soldier says.

The gun can fire two rounds per minute, though the artillerymen say they often manage even more. That puts extra demand on maintenance, requiring more frequent cleaning and lubrication. The humid climate adds to the challenge – the howitzer wasn’t designed for such conditions, having mostly served in Vietnam and Iraq. Most firing takes place during the day in multiple sessions. Sometimes the pace is so intense that 197 shells are fired in just two weeks. Occasionally, aerial reconnaissance sends the gunners videos of particularly impressive hits, which both excite and motivate them.

Because of its venerable age, the gun is nicknamed ‘Milf,’ or ‘Grandma.’ Its usual targets are enemy mortar crews, infantry, and supply depots. On one occasion, it managed to eliminate a drone crew attacking neighboring positions.

Complete article: [https://frontliner.ua/en/gun-milf-gives-the-occupiers-hell/](https://frontliner.ua/en/gun-milf-gives-the-occupiers-hell/)

Text: Olena Maksymenko

Photos: Marharyta Fal

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“the gun is nicknamed ‘Milf,’”

Ukrainian humour strikes again 😂

“3 day special operation” isn’t going as planned…

Because it was planned by a fucking idiot.