Munitions

Model 1915/28 (PB-35) shell

Also known as
  • PB-35
  • A3-PB-35
  • Semi-AP mod 1915/28
  • Model 1915/28
  • PB-35 shell
  • 53-VF-536M
  • 54-Zh-536M

Model 1915/28 (PB-35) is a Soviet 152 mm naval semi-armor-piercing projectile that also appears in D-1 and ML-20 land-artillery ammunition tables. Naval references identify A3-PB-35 with MU-2, B-38, and MK-5 type guns, while field-artillery tables list the same projectile index in reduced ballistic contexts with lower muzzle velocity and a 5 km table range.

Model 1915/28 (PB-35) shell, 152 mm naval semi-armor-piercing shell, Munitions
Image source: Commons 152 mm shell RUK-museo Image
Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Soviet Union
Type
152 mm naval semi-armor-piercing shell
Service note
Soviet-era naval artillery ammunition later listed in 152 mm field-artillery ammunition tables

Specifications

Caliber
152 mm / 152.4 mm class
Projectile index
A3-PB-35
Field-artillery shot index
53-VF-536M
Field-artillery charge index
54-Zh-536M
Role
Naval semi-armor-piercing projectile
Field-table projectile weight
51.07 kg
Field-table explosive fill
3.15 kg TNT
D-1 table velocity
432 m/s
ML-20 table velocity
573 m/s
Naval B-38 / MU-2 velocity
950 m/s with a 24 kg 152/57 charge
Open-source caveat
Published tables disagree between 51.07 kg field-artillery rows and 55 kg naval rows, so both contexts are preserved separately.
Firing Weapons

Open ammunition tables place PB-35 in both naval and land-artillery contexts. The D-1 table gives the land-artillery shot and charge indexes used for this projectile.

Firing weaponWeapon typeFiring evidence
152 mm D-1 gun-howitzer, Towed 152 mm howitzer, Artillery152 mm D-1 gun-howitzerTowed 152 mm howitzer

The D-1 ammunition table lists 53-VF-536M with A3-PB-35 and charge 54-Zh-536M, with lower velocity than naval-gun tables.

Sources: Ruwiki D-1 Ammunition Table

Additional Table Context

ML-20 and B-38 references also list PB-35; those rows are summarized as table context because they use different gun and charge contexts.

Sources: Ruwiki ML-20 Ammunition Table, GRAU Indexes Tables, NavWeaps Russian 152 mm Pattern 1938

Ammunition Table Context

Public sources document PB-35 through compatibility tables and naval projectile references, not through direct use of this shell in a named conflict.

Source contextWhat it saysReader caution
D-1 howitzer tableLists shot 53-VF-536M with A3-PB-35 and charge 54-Zh-536M at 51.07 kg projectile weight, 3.15 kg fill, 432 m/s, and 5 km range.This supports compatibility and table ballistics, not documented battlefield firing.
ML-20 tableLists A3-PB-35 as a naval semi-armor-piercing projectile with TNT fill, 51.07 kg projectile weight, KTMF fuze, 573 m/s, and 5 km range.This supports ML-20 table compatibility, not a named operator or conflict use claim.
Naval MU-2 / B-38 / MK-5 familyIndexes and naval-gun references identify A3-PB-35 / PB-35 as a 152 mm semi-armor-piercing projectile for MU-2, B-38, and MK-5 type guns, with naval rows giving 55 kg projectile weight and 950 m/s with a 24 kg 152/57 charge.The naval and field-artillery rows use different gun and charge contexts, so their weights and velocities should not be merged into one universal value.

Source labels: Ruwiki D-1 Ammunition Table; Ruwiki ML-20 Ammunition Table; GRAU Indexes Tables; NavWeaps Russian 152 mm Pattern 1938; Technique and Armament 1997 MU-2 Article.

Timeline

Model 1915/28 (PB-35) shell Key Events

  1. Model designation

    Naval references identify PB-35 as a semi-armor-piercing projectile of the 1915/28 model family.

  2. B-38 naval-gun context

    Russian B-38 references describe the 152.4 mm naval gun as accepted into Soviet Navy service in 1940; naval ammunition lists place PB-35 in the associated MU-2, B-38, and MK-5 projectile family.

  3. D-1 ammunition-table listing

    D-1 ammunition tables list the PB-35 projectile as shot 53-VF-536M with charge 54-Zh-536M, 51.07 kg projectile weight, 3.15 kg explosive fill, 432 m/s muzzle velocity, and a 5 km table range.

Related Weapon Systems
203 mm shells for 2A44 howitzer, 203 mm separate-loading artillery ammunition family, MunitionsMunitions203 mm shells for 2A44 howitzer203 mm separate-loading artillery ammunition familyThe 203 mm shells for the 2A44 howitzer are the Soviet separate-loading ammunition family for 2S7 Pion and 2S7M Malka heavy guns. Public references distinguish standard 3OF43 high-explosive fragmentation projectiles, 3OF44 rocket-assisted projectiles, 3O14 cluster shells, concrete-piercing and special-shell designs, plus current Russian OF43/OF44 use and Ukrainian 203 mm ammunition use in the Russia-Ukraine War.
130 mm SM-2-1, 130 mm/58 twin dual-purpose naval gun mount, Naval SystemsNaval Systems130 mm SM-2-1130 mm/58 twin dual-purpose naval gun mountThe 130 mm SM-2-1 was a Soviet twin 130 mm/58 naval gun mount developed by TsKB-34 for postwar destroyers and treated in open references as a stabilized dual-purpose weapon for surface and air targets. Serial production centered on Bolshevik Plant No. 232, with additional Starokramatorsk-built mounts, and the system armed Project 41 Neustrashimy and Project 56 Kotlin destroyers before informing China's Type 76 twin 130 mm mount. Checked open sources support service, platform, and production context but not a direct combat-use claim for a specific conflict.
D-25 122 mm tank gun, 122 mm tank and self-propelled gun family, ArtilleryArtilleryD-25 122 mm tank gun122 mm tank and self-propelled gun familyThe D-25 was a Soviet 122 mm gun family adapted from A-19-line ballistics for heavy tanks and self-propelled guns. D-25T armed the wartime IS-2 heavy tank and later IS-series vehicles, with directly sourced use on Soviet IS-2s in the Second World War, Egyptian IS-3M tanks in the 1967 Six-Day War, and captured Israeli IS-3 fixed bunkers in the 1969 War of Attrition. D-25S was the semi-automatic self-propelled-gun variant associated with ISU-122S, and the family used separate-loading A-19/D-25 ammunition including OF-471 high-explosive fragmentation and BR-471 armor-piercing projectiles.

Sources

Ruwiki D-1 Ammunition TablePublisher: Ruwiki | Note: Supports the D-1 ammunition-table row for 53-VF-536M / A3-PB-35 / 54-Zh-536M, including projectile weight, explosive fill, muzzle velocity, and range values. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Ruwiki ML-20 Ammunition TablePublisher: Ruwiki | Note: Supports the ML-20 ammunition-table row for A3-PB-35 as a naval semi-armor-piercing projectile with TNT fill, 51.07 kg projectile weight, 3.15 kg explosive fill, KTMF fuze, 573 m/s muzzle velocity, and a 5 km range. | Accessed: 2026-06-29GRAU Indexes TablesPublisher: Internet Archive | Note: Supports the A3-PB-35 designation as a 152 mm semi-armor-piercing projectile for MU-2, B-38, and MK-5 type naval guns. | Accessed: 2026-06-29NavWeaps Russian 152 mm Pattern 1938Publisher: NavWeaps | Note: Supports B-38 / Pattern 1938 naval-gun ammunition context, including PB-35 as a Semi-AP mod 1915/28 projectile with 55 kg projectile weight, 24 kg full propellant charge, and 950 m/s muzzle velocity. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Technique and Armament 1997 MU-2 ArticlePublisher: Military WikiReading | Note: Supports MU-2 coastal-artillery context for PB-35, including Model 1915/28 naming, drawing number 2-0940A, 55 kg projectile weight, 4.02 kg explosive fill, fuzes, and the 950 m/s firing-table row. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Russian B-38 Naval GunPublisher: Wikipedia | Note: Supports high-level B-38 naval-gun background, including 152.4 mm caliber and 1940 Soviet Navy acceptance context. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Commons 152 mm shell RUK-museo ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and reuse terms for the representative 152 mm shell photo used as the primary image. | Accessed: 2026-06-29