The D-1 1943 howitzers were spotted on the territory of the Lugansk region, which armed the Russian gunners.

The convoy of the D-1 howitzers was spotted in the area of the village of Alchevsk, which has been occupied since 2014.

These howitzers were presumably transferred to militants of the so-called “LPR” in August, but the confirmation was received only now.

In August, requests for ballistic tables for D-1s first appeared on Russian social media.

Their deployment can provide an increase in firepower amid the exhaustion of ammunition of other artillery weapons.

The D-1 howitzer (caliber is 152.4 mm) is often called the 1943 model howitzer, since it was this year that it was adopted by the Red Army.

As a rule, such weapons are kept in military museums.

It was developed in an urgent way during the WWII years by the design bureau under the leadership of Petrov.

The two-stage gun carriage, shield, and anti-recoil mechanism of the 122mm М-30 howitzer were combined with the 152 mm М-10 (model 1938) howitzer barrel, which allowed the use of М-10 ammunition with variable propellant power.

In some places, the М-30 howitzers chassis was strengthened so that the techie could withstand the additional load.

As a result, it was a very successful howitzer design for its time. D-1 is almost 1000 kg lighter than an excessively heavy 152mm М-10 howitzer, and is easier to use. It retained the same effective firing range, specifically 12,400 meters.

Nevertheless, for the conditions of modern hostilities, this howitzer is outdated. It has insufficient accuracy and range for counter-battery warfare.