Russian Self Propelled Guns

Armament: 76.2mm Zis 3 main gun.

Armour: 35mm.

Weight: 11 tons.

Speed: 27mph (44kmh) on road, 14mph (21kmh) cross country.

Range: 165 miles (265km).

Crew: 4. Commander, gunner, loader and driver.

In December 1942 the SU-76 self propelled gun was introduced. It was built on the now redundant T-60 chassis. The vehicle was fitted with the 76.2mm Zis 3 gun, which was mounted in the rear of the hull and was encased in a crude armored box. The vehicle had a low silhouette, good mobility and good cross country performance. In February 1943 the vehicle began to be built on the T-70 chassis and the front of the hull was redesigned. The old single engine was replaced with a pair of engines fitted side by side. The new vehicle was designated SU-76M. The vehicle was disliked by its crews, who nicknamed it 'Suka' (Bitch), due to its weak armor and open top crew compartment. Difficulties in synchronising the two engines also lead to transmission failures. In October 1943 an improved version was introduced with improvements to the engine, transmission and chassis. However despite its faults it performed reasonably well in the infantry support role and remained in production throughout the war.

Armament: 122mm ML-30 Howitzer (40 rounds).

Armour: 45mm.

Weight: 34 tons.

Speed: 34mph (55kmh) on road, (25kmh) cross country.

Range: 186 miles (300km) on road.

Crew: 5, commander, gunner, driver and two loaders.

Following the success of the German Sturmgeschutz, the Russians began to develop their own self-propelled guns to fulfil both infantry support and anti tank roles. In April 1942 development began on the first of these vehicles. Based on the T-34 chassis, the SU-122 was introduced in January 1943. It was fitted with the 122mm M-30 howitzer mounted in an armoured casemate. To simplify production the engine and transmission of the T-34 were retained. This also eased familiarization for crews already experienced with the T-34. The large crew compartment accommodated a crew of 5, one more than the T-34. However the main gun performed poorly in the anti armour role. This was due to the weight of its shell, which reduced the muzzle velocity. The vehicles chassis was also unreliable and suffered from frequent breakdowns. In March 1943 a second variant was introduced, the SU-122M. It was fitted with an improved main gun, the U-11 howitzer and the crew was reduced to four men. Production of the vehicle ended in November 1943 when it was replaced by the SU-152.

Armament: 85mm D-5S Gun (48 rounds).

Armour: 45mm.

Weight: 29 tons.

Speed: 36mph (55km) on road, 16mph (25km) cross country.

Range: 100 miles (150km) on road.

Crew: 4, commander, gunner, driver and loader.

This vehicle was introduced in September 1943 following the poor performance of the SU-122. It was found that the 85mm D-5S gun was more effective against heavier German armor than the 122mm M-30 that equipped the SU-122. The vehicle was almost identical to the SU-122 with the exception of the main armament. The vehicle remained in production until July 1944 when it was replaced by the SU-100.

SU-152

Armament: 152mm ML-20 Howitzer (20 rounds).

Armour: 110mm.

Weight: 41 tons.

Speed: 23mph (37kmh) on road, 9mph (14kmh) cross-country.

Range: 150 miles (240km) on road.

Crew: 4, commander, gunner, driver and two loaders.

The SU-152 was introduced to counter the threat of the heavier German armor that had been introduced. It was fitted with the ML-20 howitzer, which had the range and muzzle velocity to counter tanks such as the Tiger. The vehicle was built on the existing KV chassis and entered production in February 1943. Its major drawback however was that its two part ammunition reduced its rate of fire to only two rounds per minute.

Weapons: 122mm A-19 Howitzer or 152mm ML-20 Howitzer (20 rounds).

Armour: 90mm.

Weight: 50 tons.

Speed: 23mph (37kmh) on road, 9mph (14kmh) cross country.

Range: 150 miles (240km) on road.

Crew: 4, commander, gunner, driver and loader.

The ISU-152 was built on an IS-2 chassis and introduced in November 1943. The superstructure was similar to the SU-152 with armour protection increased to 90mm. The gun was mounted on the right side of the superstructure and fitted in a new two-piece mantlet. It was also fitted with an improved suspension design. The ISU-122 was introduced in December 1943 as a result of insufficient 152mm howitzers available for the ISU-152 vehicles. The 122mm howitzer was in more plentiful supply and could easily replace the 152mm gun due to the fact both were fitted on the same carriage. In May 1944 this gun was replaced with the new 122mm D-25S howitzer. It was fitted into a new mantlet and the crew space was increased slightly.

Su-100

Weapons: 100mm D10-S Gun (34 rounds).

Armour: 75mm.

Weight: 31.5 tons.

Speed: 33mph (50km) on road 14mph (22km) cross country.

Range: 206 miles (310km) on road.

Crew: 4, commander, gunner, driver and loader.

This vehicle was introduced in September 1944 to replace the SU-85. It retained the same chassis and superstructure as the earlier SU-85 but was fitted with a 100mm D10-S Gun. This was a naval gun which was reengineered for use in the anti tank role.