Editing Katyusha rocket launcher (section)

=== Variants ===
Soviet World War II rocket systems were named according to set patterns:
* Ground vehicles were designated BM-''x''-''y'', where ''x'' referred to the rocket model and ''y'' the number of launch rails or tubes.
* towed trailers and sledges used the format M-''x''-''y'' 
* In navy use, the order of the elements was different, taking the form ''y''-M-''x''

For example, the BM-8-16 was a vehicle with 16 rails for M-8 rockets while the BM-31-12 fired the M-31 rockets from 12 launch tubes. Short names such as BM-8 or BM-13 were used as well. The chassis carrying the launcher was not defined in the name e.g. BM-8-24 referred to a truck mounted launcher (ZIS-5) as well as on the T-40 tank and on the STZ-3 [[artillery tractor]]. 

Chassis for the launchers included:
* Soviet-built [[ZIS-5 (truck)|ZIS-5]], [[ZIS-6]], [[Ford Model AA|GAZ-AA]] trucks, and post war the [[ZIS-151]]
* [[STZ-5]] tracked artillery tractor
* [[T-40]] tank
* Lend-lease provided [[Studebaker US6 2½-ton 6x6 truck|Studebaker US6]] truck,
* Armored train car,
* River boat,
* Towed sledge,
* Towed trailer,
* Backpack (portable variant, so called "mountain Katyusha"),


{|class="wikitable sortable"
|+Katyusha mountings<ref name=Porter-2009-158-165>Porter, pp 158–65.</ref><ref name="Bishop">{{cite book|title=The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II |first=Chris |last=Bishop|publisher=Sterling Publishing Company|year=2002|pages=173–174|isbn=1-58663-762-2 |orig-date =1998}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Soviet military review|publisher=Krasnaya Zvezda Publishing House|year=1974|page=13}}</ref>
|-
! style="width:15%;" | Weapon
! style="width:11%;" | [[Caliber]] (mm)
! style="width:5%;"| Tubes/<br />rails
! style="width:60%;"| Chassis
|-
| align="center" | BM-8
| align="right" | 82
| align="right" | 1
| Improvised vehicle mount, towed trailer or sled

|-
| align="center" | M-8-6
| align="right" | 82
| align="right" | 6
| Towed trailer or sled
|-
| align="center" | BM-8-8
| align="right" | 82
| align="right" | 8
| [[Willys MB]] jeep
|-
| align="center" | M-8-12
| align="right" | 82
| align="right" | 12
| Towed trailer or sled
|-
| align="center" | 16-M-8
| align="right" | 82
| align="right" | 16
| [[Project 1125 armored river boat]]
|-
| align="center" | BM-8-24
| align="right" | 82
| align="right" | 24
| [[T-40 tank|T-40 light tank]], [[T-60 tank|T-60 light tank]]
|-
| align="center" | 24-M-8
| align="right" | 82
| align="right" | 24
| [[Project 1125 armored river boat]]
|-
| align="center" | BM-8-36
| align="right" | 82
| align="right" | 36
| ZIS-5 truck, ZIS-6 truck
|-
| align="center" | BM-8-40
| align="right" | 82
| align="right" | 40
| Towed trailer, GAZ-AA truck
|-
| align="center" | BM-8-48
| align="right" | 82
| align="right" | 48
| ZIS-6 truck, Studebaker US6 U3 truck, rail carriage
|-
| align="center" | BM-8-72
| align="right" | 82
| align="right" | 72
| Rail carriage
|-
| align="center" | BM-13
| align="right" | 132
| align="right" | 24
| ZIS-6 truck, improvised vehicle mount, towed trailer or sled
|-
| align="center" | 6-M-13
| align="right" | 132
| align="right" | 6
| [[Project 1125 armored river boat]]
|-
| align="center" | BM-13-16
| align="right" | 132
| align="right" | 16
| [[International K and KB series|International K7]] "Inter" truck, International M-5-5-318 truck, [[Fordson WOT8]] truck, Ford/[[Marmon-Herrington]] HH6-COE4 truck, [[Chevrolet]] G-7117 truck, Studebaker US6 U3 truck, [[GMC CCKW]]-352M-13 truck, rail carriage
|-
| align="center" | M-20-6
| align="right" | 132
| align="right" | 6
| static launching rail
|-
| align="center" | M-30-4
| align="right" | 300
| align="right" | 4
| static launching rail, in 1944 also available with 2x4 launching rails (M-30-8)
|-
| align="center" | M-31-4
| align="right" | 300
| align="right" | 4
| static launching rail, in 1944 also available with 2x4 launching rails (M-31-8)
|-
| align="center" | BM-31-12
| align="right" | 300
| align="right" | 12
| Studebaker US6 U3 truck
|}

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:98%; text-align:right;"
|+Katyusha rockets:<ref name="Bishop" />
|-
!  Weapon name
! Caliber<br /> (mm)
!  Warhead<br />kg (lb)
!  Maximum range<br />m (yd)
|-
| align="left" | M-8
| 82
| {{convert|0.64|kg|lb|abbr=values}}
| {{convert|5900|m|yd|abbr=values}}
|-
| align="left" | M-13
| 132
| {{convert|4.9|kg|lb|abbr=values}}
| {{convert|8740|m|yd|abbr=values}}
|-
| align="left" | M-13DD
| 132
| {{convert|4.9|kg|lb|abbr=values}}
| {{convert|11,800|m|yd|abbr=values}}
|-
| align="left" | M-13UK
| 132
| {{convert|4.9|kg|lb|abbr=values}}
| {{convert|7900|m|yd|abbr=values}}
|-
| align="left" | M-20
| 132
| {{convert|18.4|kg|lb|abbr=values}}
| {{convert|5050|m|yd|abbr=values}}
|-
| align="left" | M-30
| 300
| {{convert|28.9|kg|lb|abbr=values}}
| {{convert|2800|m|yd|abbr=values}}
|-
| align="left" | M-31
| 300
| {{convert|28.9|kg|lb|abbr=values}}
| {{convert|4325|m|yd|abbr=values}}
|-
| align="left" | M-31UK
| 300
| {{convert|28.9|kg|lb|abbr=values}}
| {{convert|4000|m|yd|abbr=values}}
|}

The M-8 and M-13 rocket could also be fitted with smoke warheads, although this was not common.

[[File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-300-1863-18,_Riva-Bella, Vorführung Panzerwerfer.jpg|thumb|The German ''8 cm Raketen-Vielfachwerfer'' was based on the Katyusha]]

==== Foreign variants ====

The [[Axis powers]] had captured Katyushas during the war. Germany considered producing a local copy, but instead created the ''[[8 cm Raketen-Vielfachwerfer]]'', which was based on the Katyusha.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/mortarsrockets0000cham/page/35|title=Mortars and rockets|last=Chamberlain|first=Peter|date=1975|page=[https://archive.org/details/mortarsrockets0000cham/page/35 35]|publisher=Arco Pub. Co|others=Gander, Terry|isbn=0668038179|location=New York|oclc=2067459}}</ref>

Romania had started developing its [[Mareșal (tank destroyer)|Mareșal tank destroyer]] in late 1942. One of the first experimental models was equipped with a Katyusha rocket launcher and tested in the summer of 1943. The project was not continued.{{sfn|Scafeș|2004|p=213}}