Soviet 203mm B-4 howitzer under the command of Senior Sergeant S. Shpin, firing at German positions in Sopot during March–April 1945. The Church of the Savior is visible in the background as the Red Army advances toward Gdańsk.
The photograph shows the crew of a Soviet 203mm B-4 howitzer commanded by Senior Sergeant S. Shpin firing at German defensive positions in Sopot during March–April 1945. In the background stands the Church of the Savior (Kościół Zbawiciela), providing a recognizable landmark that helps identify the location. The image was taken during the Soviet offensive toward Gdańsk (Danzig), one of the final major operations of the war in Europe.
Nicknamed the "Stalin's Sledgehammer" by German troops, the B-4 Model 1931 was designed to destroy heavily fortified positions, reinforced concrete bunkers, and defensive strongpoints. Firing a shell weighing about 100 kilograms, the weapon became one of the Red Army's principal heavy siege guns and was employed whenever exceptionally powerful artillery support was required.
The B-4 had already proven its effectiveness during the Winter War against Finland, where it was used against the fortified positions of the Mannerheim Line. By 1945, these howitzers regularly supported Soviet assaults on fortified cities throughout East Prussia and Pomerania. Their destructive power made them particularly valuable during urban operations, where conventional field artillery was often insufficient against reinforced buildings and defensive structures.
Photographed by Yakov Ryumkin, this image documents the work of a heavy artillery battery during the final months of the war in Europe, illustrating the scale of firepower employed in the assault on German defensive positions.
Technical photo data:
📝 Source of information: Identification of the church based on historical records and local references.
📍 Location: Sopot, Germany (present-day Poland)
📅 Date of photo: March–April 1945
📷 Photographer: Yakov Ryumkin
Recommended literature:
- Steven J. Zaloga — Soviet Heavy Artillery 1939–1945
- David M. Glantz — When Titans Clashed
- Chris Bellamy — Absolute War
- Soviet B-4 howitzer
- 203mm heavy howitzer
- Soviet heavy artillery
- Sopot 1945
- Gdańsk Offensive
- Yakov Ryumkin
- Red Army artillery
- German fortifications WWII
- Eastern Front artillery
- B-4 Model 1931
- Heavy siege artillery WWII