Cumulative ammunition: history of development and application during the Great Patriotic War

The article reveals the history of the discovery of the cumulative effect and the form of its use in the defense industry of the leading countries of the world; the relationship of Russian and Soviet technical thought is also traced. The contribution of Soviet engineers to the development of the first cumulative shells and ammunition in the USSR, in wartime conditions and the experience of their use in the battle of Kursk in 1943, including with the use of attack aircraft, is shown. The authors conclude that the use of cumulative ammunition significantly increased the loss of the enemy and was of great importance in completing a radical change during the Great Patriotic War.