The PMG (Russian: Противогаз Малогабаритный — "Small mask") was designed in the Soviet Union during the Cold War. From 1963 to the late 1960s the PMG kit was first issued to officers, paratroops and artillery crew. Later the kit was slowly phasing the RSh-4 kit out of service but never completely phased it out, as it was still standard issue in 1992. In the 1970s Bulgaria and Hungary started production of the mask, the 70M is its Hungarian copy.
Overview[]
The mask has two flat circular glass eyepieces, which can fit anti-fog inserts, to aid in the use of optical equipment. There is a speech diaphragm located under a removable cover on the front of the mask, and a doubled exhalation valve located towards the bottom of the mask, under the diaphragm. The mask takes a GOST-compliant filter to the side, in a thread unusually made from rubber. The PMG has a strap at the back of the mask, its purpose being to allow a better seal, but the mask is secure on the head without its use being employed. The holes on the helmet part of the mask were made for ventilation of the head so the chances of a wearer overheating would be greatly reduced.
The video link (In Russian) illustrates a Soviet NBC warfare exercise from 1981, whereby the PMG is shown in use.
https://youtu.be/MgtT4YdpWoc?si=AS8ulTT-2W_vezyL
Filter[]
The EO-18k filters come in a olive coloured cylindrical aluminium alloy canister with the same coloured or unpainted cap.
Components of the PMG kit[]
- Facepiece ShMG
- EO-18k filter
- Hydrophobic socket for filters
- Plastic bag for the filter to avoid decontamination liquid entering into the filter
- Type G bag (ГОСТ 13387-67)
- Anti-fog inserts
- Spare membranes tin
- IPP-8 or IPP-51
Users[]
Советская Армия (Soviet Army)
Regular PMG but there was also the MMG which was the same but had more and smaller holes in the voice diaphragm cover
- Българска народна армия (Bulgarian People's Army)
Also called as PMG, it differs from the Soviet PMG only on the membrane cover which is nearly the same as the 70M. It is still in main service.
- Magyar Néphadsereg (Hungarian People's Army)
Main article: 70M
The Hungarian licensed version differs slightly from the Soviet mask by featuring a higher number of smaller holes in the voice diaphragm, has Hungarian markings and made of a cheaper worse quality rubber. The glass eyepieces are one layered on the 70M while the ShMG has double-layered ones. Hungary also used left-handed ShMG facepieces with 70M membrane covers.
Trivia[]
- This gas mask was thought to be used by the cleanup teams known as Liquidators during the cleanup after Chernobyl nuclear powerplant disaster when in reality the PMG-2 was used.
- The masks worn by Civil Protection and Combine Soldiers in Half-Life 2 are based on this mask. (see Gas Masks in Video Games)
- A PMG is worn by the operator Minotaur with the season 6 tier 2 battle pass skin POLOSKI for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare multiplayer.
- The mask was the main issue mask for Russian soldiers during the Chechen wars, Soliders can often be seen wearing the Type G bags on their backs and sides in some footage
- There are also black variations of the SHMG mask. They are rarer, all dating from 1986. Usually, black rubber masks are not found in the laboratory, but in ordinary military units, shelters.
- Also found are SHMG masks with a non-separable intercom and a modified inhalation valve.
- As well as ShMG masks with a filter stem on the RIGHT-HAND side, for left-handed people. These are very rare.
- Both the masks above, the black SHMG and the SHMG with a non-removable intercom, were designed to give the mask a modern look. However, this did not help, and the PMG became obsolete.
- Vehicle crew and Naval personnel of the Soviet Military and later post soviet nations favored the ShMG, ShM-66MU, ShM-62u and ShMB masks over the MM-1, ShMS and ShM-41 due to how compact the masks and kit were compared to masks used in the RSh-4 (kit) kit. This made it easier maneuver in the cramped spaces in naval cannons and T-55, T-62, T-72, T-80 and occasionally T-54 tanks without having to deal with a bulky kit. Although ShMS and MM-1 masks were commonly issued in PMG-2 kits for both vehicles and navy.
Black SHMG.
Gallery[]
ShMG with a non-separable intercom.
References[]
- http://himicheski-voiski.start.bg/%D0%9F%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B8+%D0%B2+%D0%B1%D1%8A%D0%BB%D0%B3%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B0+%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%8F-6056?fbclid=IwAR1DoYIcvxADuR_VF8-WheBaISpc4YUlyDYUKALGDDTBVHK7ic1KmAVc6jk
- PMG manual: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2IT5sLzLGdDbXNsN1VJTUduamM/view