The D-44 is the successor to the ZiS-3 divisional gun. It is a dual-purpose 85mm cannon, capable of lobbing high-explosive shells at up to 16km away, or penetrating 300mm of RHA steel using the latest HEAT-FS ammunition. It was designed and put to production during the last years of the Great Patriotic War to up-gun Soviet divisions against an ever-increasing number of well-protected designs such as Shermans and Panthers. It is still an effective weapon in the modern day thanks to the aforementioned HEAT-FS and subcalibre APDS shot, making the Soviet T-34-85 reserve fleet a credible threat.
D-44 85mm Divisional Gun
Abilities
Common Attributes - National
Blitzbreaker - Soviet Artillery (WW2)
When Soviet infantry units found themselves facing German tanks on the offensive, the last line of defence was typically a wall of anti-tank guns. Either they stopped the Blitzkrieg, or whole divisions would be annihilated.
EFFECT:
Whenever an enemy Light Tank âš¡ or Medium Tank âš¡ fires at this cannon or a vehicle equipped with it, they may Counterattack (0 AP) with Reaction Fire (1 AP).