The last Soviet heavy tank destroyers. The last Soviet heavy tank destroyers What perks to put on 268

During the Great Patriotic War PT-self-propelled guns (anti-tank self-propelled guns) with large-caliber guns have proven themselves to be real tank destroyers. Therefore, after the end of the war, it was decided to develop an even more powerful self-propelled gun.

The design of the tank began at design bureau 172 of the Perm plant.

Tank armament. M-62 gun.

In mid-1954, work was completed on the development of a 152 mm gun called the M-62 with a two-chamber muzzle brake to reduce the impact of the gun's recoil. In addition, the gun had a tray-type ramming mechanism, which greatly simplified the process of loading the gun. It is worth noting that the shells for the M-62 weighed quite significantly.

Weapon characteristics

• The initial flight speed of the projectile was 740 m/s.
• Sighting range – 900 meters.
• The maximum projectile range is 13 km.

It is also worth noting that an injector was installed on the M-62, thanks to which it was possible to reduce gas contamination in the tank’s fighting compartment after a shot.
Object 268 or “St. John's wort” had 35 rounds of ammunition. The gun had two sights: for direct fire and for shooting from closed positions, for which a ZIS-3 was installed

As an additional weapon, the tank was equipped with a large-caliber KPV machine gun, capable of hitting not only enemy personnel, but also lightly armored vehicles. The machine gun's ammunition capacity was 500 rounds.

Running base of “object 268”

A heavy one was chosen as the base for the self-propelled gun. soviet tank T-10 (IS-8) with all working units retained. It was decided to supply a V-shaped 700 horsepower V-12-5 diesel engine to facility 268. The transmission provided 2 rear and 8 forward speeds.

Instead of the turret from the T-10 tank, an armored welded conning tower made of trapezoidal sheets was installed. The frontal armor of the cabin was 187 mm, which was very “respectable” for those times. The side and stern were much thinner than the frontal armor, 100 and 50 mm, respectively

The running characteristics of the tank allowed it to reach speeds of up to 48 km/h. "St. John's wort" could travel 350 km without refueling.

The crew already then consisted of 4 people according to the classical scheme: Commander, driver, loader, gunner.

So why such a great example? self-propelled gun not adopted? And I will answer you: immediately after the tests, the United States and England began production of new tanks, which were destined to become the main battle tanks of these nations. These were American tanks M-60 and English Chieftain. According to experts, the capabilities of Object 268 were not enough for effective fight with them in the event of a war breaking out between the USSR and the North Atlantic Alliance. Also, one of the reasons was that the St. John's Wort was inferior in efficiency to the heavy T-10 tank.

Therefore from serial production abandoned, and also abandoned all further developments anti-tank self-propelled guns. This ended the era of steel monsters without a tower, which showed itself so well in the Second World War, but was completely outdated by the 50s.

Performance characteristics:

Hull armor:

• Body forehead (top), mm/deg. — 120/61°
• Body forehead (middle), mm/deg. — 120/50°
• Hull side, mm/deg. — 60/curved
• Hull feed, mm/deg. — 50/0°
• Bottom, mm - 16

Cabin Reservation:

• Cutting edge, mm/deg. — 187/27°
• Cabin board, mm/deg. — 100/20°
• Feed cutting, mm/deg. — 50/15°

• Case length, mm — 6950
• Length with gun forward, mm - 9350
• Case width, mm — 3388
• Height, mm - 2423
• Ground clearance, mm - 458

Engine, suspension, chassis qualities of the tank:

• Engine - V-12-5
• Engine power, l. With. — 700
• Highway speed, km/h - 48
• Cruising range on the highway, km - 350
• Specific power, l. s./t - 15
• Suspension type: torsion bar, with hydraulic shock absorbers in the balancers of the 1st, 2nd and 7th suspensions
• Climbability, degrees. — 32

Object 268 in Cuba. A T-10 is depicted in the background
T-10 in Kyiv, at the Museum of the Great Patriotic War

Another change is coming to the game and now the branch of Soviet tank destroyers will undergo changes. A new TOP will be introduced into the game: Object 268 4th option. This innovation moves all existing machines down from their positions. In particular, Object 263, by the way, is very interesting car, but with a difficult and thorny path of leveling, he moves to level 9, while retaining almost all combat characteristics.

Its place is taken by another “paper project” Object 268 4th option. How equivalent will such a replacement be, since the introduction of a new PT unit has already caused a storm of discussion? Let's try to figure out the playability of this machine ourselves.

Object 268 variant 4 performance characteristics

Let's start the review with the basic configuration. So, the developers “rewarded” the newcomer with a safety margin of 2,100 units, which is considered a good indicator for level 10. Engine power is 1,000 l. With. at structural mass equipment of 50 tons. The set of parameters gives power density 20 “horses” per ton of live weight.

Thanks to this, the PT can accelerate to 55 km/h. In principle, this is a good indicator, but the car’s maneuverability is very poor. The tracked base rotates at a speed of 21 degrees, so we have to play on a clumsy tank. In addition, the cruising speed is maintained only in a straight line: any turn, and the new Object slows down, like a derailed tram.

The developers also surprised with the viewing radius, allocating only 370 meters for the top-end PT, although for most classmates this value varies within 390-400 m. The camouflage coefficient is 24.4%, so you can shoot through double bushes without the risk of being detected.

Let's move on to weapons. For bending randomly there is 152 mm M-53s gun with one-time damage of 750 units. Let us note that the armor penetration indicators are worthy of respect: 293 mm for an armor-piercing projectile. By loading the gold, we increase this figure to 360 mm, so we can throw it at any opponents without bothering too much about targeting vulnerable areas. The horizontal guidance angles are 24 degrees(12 in each direction), which provides a comfortable firing radius from a stationary position. The convergence speed is quite acceptable: the circle narrows in 2 seconds.

However, this is where the barrel of honey ends and a huge ladle of tar remains. In particular, on Ob. 268 4 installed openly oblique gun with dispersion 0.45 per hundred meters. This directly indicates that fans of remote shootings have clearly nothing to catch with this AT: the vehicle is designed for combat at short and long distances.

The second unpleasant, but quite expected moment: weak UVN. The barrel goes down just 5 degrees, however, given the rear location of the wheelhouse, this was to be expected. And finally the highlight - reload time will be 21.4 seconds. In this regard, the Soviet top-end Object is close to the German Jagdpanzer E 100, which reloads in 20 seconds. However, the “German” is equipped with a more accurate weapon, capable of inflicting over 1,000 damage. Accordingly, in terms of DPM, the Soviet TOP was not up to par.

The crown of evolution of the development branch of Soviet tank destroyers has many blind spots. It is difficult to predict how the car will behave in a random environment, so preliminary recommendations for installation additional modules will be as follows:

• Stabilization – the accuracy of the gun clearly needs improvement.
• Rammer – fixing the reload speed.
• A lens or a stereo tube - you need to do something with a short viewing radius.

If visibility does not play a decisive role for you personally, you can experiment with installing a camouflage net or improved ventilation.

The crew size here is similar to Object 263, so you can shamelessly take advantage of the experience of your predecessor and upgrade the combat skills of tankers in the following sequence: Combat consumables should not be ignored, so a fire extinguisher, repair kit and first aid kit must be present in every battle.

In terms of security, the top tank destroyer of the USSR looks good. Unlike its predecessor, a closed wheelhouse has appeared here, which will make artillery hits less painful. In the frontal projection of the hull we have a declared 250 millimeters of armor. At the same time, the armor plates are located at rational angles, which increases the armor coefficient of the VLD and the front part of the wheelhouse to 290 mm in normalized form. In addition, you need to take into account the gun mantlet, which increases protection to 300 mm.

The stern and sides have an armor plate thickness of 100 mm, so it is highly not recommended to appear to enemies from this angle. Let's add that appearance the new 268 Object has quite a ricochet, and comfortable UVNs quite allow for diamond tanking.

How to play Object 268 option 4?

Unlike its predecessor, which took 9 seconds to reload and could deal about 3,500 damage per minute, feeling comfortable in an open confrontation, Object 268 4 Option seems like a kind of ambush mouse. Given the long reload time and poor maneuverability, the PT will not be able to break through the flank alone, sweeping away everything in its path. The best option– this is the second line of defense, from where you can slowly deal damage to the team’s coverage.

Alternatively, you can use a team rush. In this case, we give a shot (preferably an effective one) and go for a long CD, trolling opponents and covering our comrades with our armored carcass.

Don’t forget that the Object is endowed with good speed, so you can walk behind enemy lines for artillery or return to defend the base. But here it is important to always take into account that when playing in solo mode, the tank turns into a “one-shot” machine with no room for error. Therefore, if you don’t hit the ST or the firefly that is capturing the base, you need to prepare for the fact that the enemy will spit on the capture and decide to replenish the piggy bank with another frag.

Is it worth downloading Object 268 version 4?

Preliminary analysis shows that Object 268 4 Option is not a full replacement for its predecessor. However, overall, the car is quite worthy of appearing in the players’ hangar. Note that the given characteristics are not final and are guaranteed to be “finished” by the developers. Therefore, there is a good chance to wait for structural improvements and see a real imba.

Is there a good alternative replacement for 263 Object: Object 268 4 Option?

Object 263 will be shifted to level 9, giving way to the new top level 10 PT Object 268 4th option. This rearrangement will affect the entire development branch; the changes made can be seen below. The crew of the new Object consists of 5 people, full performance characteristics in front of you. It is important to understand that the data is not final and will change.

Object 268 is one of the proposed modifications of the T-10 heavy tank. Work in this direction was carried out in 1952. The designers planned to place the gun in the rear, which required the installation of a fixed wheelhouse closed type. However, even the paper project showed that the prototype’s hull would require serious reworking, so the work was curtailed; not a single combat-ready tank destroyer of this type, realized in metal, ever existed.

Object 268 option 4 video

The high efficiency of using self-propelled 152-mm guns during the Great Patriotic War made this type of equipment one of the most promising. In the eyes of some experts and military self-propelled guns with large-caliber guns have become a universal miracle. Therefore, after the end of the war, work in this direction was continued. Among other production and design organizations, the subject of large-caliber guns for self-propelled guns was dealt with in the design bureau of Plant No. 172 (Perm).

In mid-1954, the designers of the 172nd plant completed engineering work on the M-64 gun project. This 152-mm gun sent armor-piercing projectile at a speed of about 740 meters per second. At the same time, the range of a direct shot at a target two meters high was 900 m. As for maximum range shot, then at the optimal elevation the M-64 threw the projectile 13 kilometers. The military was interested in the project of such a weapon, and in March 1955, Plant No. 172 was tasked with preparing all the documentation for the new gun, assembling a prototype, and also assembling a self-propelled gun armed with the M-64.

December of the same year was set as the deadline for assembling a prototype of the Object 268 self-propelled gun. The car was based on chassis T-10 tank. Accordingly, all units remained the same. “Object 268” was equipped with a V-12-5 diesel engine with 12 cylinders arranged in a V-shape. The maximum diesel power was 700 Horse power. The engine power was transmitted to a planetary gearbox with a rotation mechanism of the “ZK” system. The transmission provided eight forward gears and two reverse gears. The small track was transferred to the Object 268 without changes, as well as seven road wheels on each side and three support rollers. Hull armor ranged from 50 mm (stern) to 120 mm (forehead).

Instead of the original turret of the T-10 tank, an armored conning tower was installed on the chassis. The welded structure made of even trapezoidal sheets had a solid thickness for those times. Thus, the frontal slab of the cabin had a thickness of 187 millimeters. The side was almost twice as thin - 100 millimeters, and the stern sheet was made only 50 mm thick. It should be noted that only the forehead, sides and roof of the cabin were connected by welding. Since the “Object 268” was conceived exclusively as an experimental self-propelled artillery mount, it was decided to fasten the middle part of the aft deckhouse plate with bolts. Thanks to this, if necessary, it was possible to quickly dismantle the slab and gain access to the insides of the cabin, including the cannon. First of all, this was necessary for the possible replacement of an experienced weapon.

The large caliber of the M-64 gun forced engineers to provide a number of design nuances. Thus, to reduce the recoil length - a very important parameter for a self-propelled gun - the gun was equipped with a two-chamber muzzle brake. In addition, developed hydraulic recoil devices were used. For the convenience of the crew, the gun had a tray-type ramming mechanism. Also, the M-64 was one of the first Soviet guns, which were equipped with an ejector. Thanks to this “growth” on the gun barrel, it was possible to significantly reduce gas contamination in the fighting compartment after firing. The combat rack of the Object 268 contained 35 separate-loading rounds. The entire available range of 152 mm ammunition could be used with the M-64 cannon. The gun mounting system made it possible to aim within 6° from the axis horizontally and from -5° to +15° in the vertical plane. For direct fire, the Object 268 had a TSh-2A sight. Since the designers and military initially intended to use this self-propelled gun for firing from closed positions, in addition to the TSh-2A, a ZIS-3 sight was mounted. The tank commander also had at his disposal a TKD-09 stereo rangefinder, located on the rotating commander's turret directly in front of the hatch.

The self-propelled gun's additional armament included one KPV anti-aircraft machine gun of 14.5 mm caliber. It was located on the roof of the cabin and had 500 rounds of ammunition. In the future, the self-propelled gun crew of four could also receive weapons for self-defense, for example, Kalashnikov assault rifles and grenades. In addition, the issue of installing a machine gun coaxial with a cannon on the “Object 268” was considered, but the features combat use This class of armored vehicles was not allowed to do this.

The combat vehicle with a combat weight of fifty tons and a 152 mm gun was ready at the beginning of 1956 and soon went to the test site. Updated fighting compartment and new weapons had almost no effect on the driving performance of the T-10 chassis. The maximum speed achieved during testing was 48 kilometers per hour, and one refueling diesel fuel enough to cover up to 350 kilometers on the highway. It is not difficult to calculate the specific fuel consumption: the self-propelled gun had five tanks. The three internal ones had a capacity of 185 liters (two rear) and 90 liters (one front). In addition, on the rear of the wings, the designers of Plant No. 172 installed another tank of 150 liters each. In total, about 200-220 liters of fuel for every hundred kilometers. When traveling over rough terrain, speed and range, as well as fuel consumption, changed significantly for the worse.

During test firing, “Object 268” fully confirmed the calculated characteristics of the M-64 gun. The range, accuracy and firing accuracy of this gun were significantly better than the similar indicators of the ML-20 howitzer gun, which was installed on the self-propelled gun of the Great Patriotic War ISU-152. First of all, the barrel length affected the characteristics. In the same time, new gun M-64 had a number of “childhood diseases” that were just beginning to be eliminated.

By the end of the protracted testing of Object 268, American tank builders had created the M60 tank. Soon the English Chieftain was ready. These armored vehicles had very good weapons for its time and no less solid protection. According to Soviet military personnel and scientists, “Object 268”, having met new foreign tanks in battle, was no longer a guaranteed winner. Moreover, by the time a sufficient number of new self-propelled guns were produced, even more advanced tanks could appear abroad, which the Object 268 would no longer be able to fight. Therefore, at the very end of the fifties, the “268” project was closed and all plans for mass production of new self-propelled guns were canceled. The only collected copy was then sent to the Tank Museum in Kubinka.

If there is a "Tsar Cannon", then "Object 268" the “St. John’s wort” king. Much later, however, the PT SAU "Object 120" (PT SAU "Taran") appeared, but in the mid-fifties of the 20th century, the "Object 268" was beyond competition. It all started at plant No. 172 in Perm.

In mid-1954, the designers of the 172nd plant completed engineering work on the gun project M-64. This 152 mm gun sent an armor-piercing projectile at a target at a speed of about 740 meters per second. At the same time, the range of a direct shot at a target two meters high was 900 m. As for the maximum range of the shot, at the optimal elevation the M-64 sent a projectile 13 kilometers. The military was interested in the project of such a weapon, and in March 1955, Plant No. 172 was tasked with preparing all the documentation for the new gun, assembling a prototype, and also assembling a self-propelled gun armed with the M-64. The experimental self-propelled gun received the index "Object 268".

The deadline for the construction of the self-propelled guns was set for December of the same year. The chassis of the T-10 tank (aka "IS-8") was taken as the base of the vehicle. Accordingly, all units remained the same. “Object 268” was equipped with a V-12-5 diesel engine with 12 cylinders arranged in a V-shape. The maximum diesel power was 700 horsepower. The transmission provided eight forward gears and two reverse gears. The small caterpillar moved to “Object 268” without changes. The hull armor ranged from 120 mm at the forehead to 50 mm at the stern.

Instead of the turret of the T-10 tank, a fixed wheelhouse was installed in the front part of the hull with a thickness of frontal plates of 187 mm and an inclination of 25 degrees from the vertical. The side was almost twice as thin - 100 millimeters, and the stern sheet was made only 50 mm thick. It should be noted that only the forehead, sides and roof of the cabin were connected by welding. Since the “Object 268” was conceived exclusively as an experimental self-propelled artillery mount, it was decided to fasten the middle part of the aft deckhouse plate with bolts. Thanks to this, if necessary, it was possible to quickly dismantle the slab and gain access to the insides of the cabin, including the cannon. First of all, this was done for ease of maintenance and replacement of the experimental M-64 gun.

To reduce the recoil length - a very important parameter for a self-propelled gun - the gun was equipped with a two-chamber muzzle brake. In addition, developed hydraulic recoil devices were used. For the convenience of the crew, the gun had a tray-type ramming mechanism. The M-64 also became one of the first Soviet guns to be equipped with an ejector. Thanks to this “growth” on the gun barrel, it was possible to significantly reduce gas contamination in the fighting compartment after firing. The combat rack of the Object 268 contained 35 separate-loading rounds. The entire available range of 152 mm ammunition could be used with the M-64 cannon. The gun mounting system made it possible to aim within 6° from the axis horizontally and from -5° to +15° in the vertical plane. For direct fire, the Object 268 had a TSh-2A sight. Since the designers and military initially intended to use this self-propelled gun for firing from closed positions, in addition to the TSh-2A, a ZIS-3 sight was mounted. The tank commander also had at his disposal a TKD-09 stereo rangefinder, located on the rotating commander's turret directly in front of the hatch.

The self-propelled gun's additional armament included one KPV anti-aircraft machine gun of 14.5 mm caliber. It was located on the roof of the cabin and had 500 rounds of ammunition. In the future, the self-propelled gun crew of four could also receive weapons for self-defense, for example, Kalashnikov assault rifles and grenades. In addition, the issue of installing a machine gun coaxial with a cannon on the “Object 268” was considered, but the peculiarities of the combat use of this class of armored vehicles did not allow this to be done.

The combat vehicle with a combat weight of fifty tons and a 152 mm gun was ready at the beginning of 1956 and soon went to the test site. The updated fighting compartment and new weapons had almost no effect on the driving performance of the T-10 chassis. The maximum speed achieved during testing was 48 kilometers per hour, and one refueling with diesel fuel was enough to cover up to 350 kilometers on the highway. It is not difficult to calculate the specific fuel consumption: the self-propelled gun had five tanks. The three internal ones had a capacity of 185 liters (two rear) and 90 liters (one front). In addition, on the rear of the wings, the designers of Plant No. 172 installed another tank of 150 liters each. In total, about 200-220 liters of fuel for every hundred kilometers. When traveling over rough terrain, speed and range, as well as fuel consumption, changed significantly for the worse.

During test firing, “Object 268” fully confirmed the calculated characteristics of the M-64 gun. The range, accuracy and firing accuracy of this gun were significantly better than the similar indicators of the ML-20 howitzer gun, which was installed on the self-propelled gun of the Great Patriotic War ISU-152. First of all, the barrel length affected the characteristics. At the same time, the new M-64 gun had a number of “childhood diseases” that were just beginning to be eliminated.

By the end of the protracted testing of Object 268, American tank builders had created the M60 tank. Soon the English Chieftain was ready. These armored vehicles had very good weapons for their time and no less solid protection. According to Soviet military personnel and scientists, “Object 268”, having met new foreign tanks in battle, was no longer a guaranteed winner. Moreover, by the time a sufficient number of new self-propelled guns were produced, even more advanced tanks could appear abroad, which the Object 268 would no longer be able to fight. Therefore, at the very end of the fifties, the “268” project was closed and all plans for mass production of new self-propelled guns were canceled. The only collected copy was then sent to the Tank Museum in Kubinka.

Well, I should probably add that in the unnamed game this is a level 10 Soviet tank destroyer. :-)

Sources:
Solyankin A.G., Pavlov M.V., Pavlov I.V., Zheltov I.G. “Soviet heavy self-propelled artillery installations 1941-1945.” Moscow, Eksprint, 2005
A.V. Karpenko “Heavy Soviet self-propelled guns” (Tankmaster No. 4, 2001)
M. Svirin "Stalin's self-propelled guns. History Soviet self-propelled guns 1918-45." Published by Yauza, Eksmo. 2008
G.L. Kholyavsky "Complete encyclopedia of tanks of the world 1915-2000". Harvest.Minsk\AST.Moscow. 1998
Solyankin A.G., Pavlov M.V., Pavlov I.V., Zheltov I.G. "Domestic armored vehicles 1905-1941". Volume II. Publishing center "Exprint". 2002

During World War II, heavy self-propelled guns played important role on the battlefields. It is not surprising that after its completion the development of heavy self-propelled guns, one of the main tasks of which was the fight against enemy armored vehicles, continued by the designers different countries. Them more surprising fact, that only a few projects reached the metal production stage, and not a single one of these formidable machines went into series. AND Soviet Union, in which a heavy self-propelled gun was created Object 268, was no exception in this regard.

Weight limit

As in the case of heavy tanks, it was assumed that the promising Soviet heavy self-propelled guns would be very well protected vehicles with long 152 mm caliber guns. The first requirements for such installations date back to 1945, although actual work began a year later. They were designed on the basis of the Object 260 (IS-7) and Object 701 (IS-4) tanks.

For the self-propelled gun based on the IS-4, designated Object 715, it was planned to use the 152-mm M31 cannon developed by plant No. 172, which had the same ballistics as the 152-mm high-power BR-2 cannon. The same weapon was planned to be used for the self-propelled gun project Kirov plant in Leningrad. What exactly it was called is not entirely clear. Some sources indicate the index Object 261, others call it Object 263.

Later, the design bureau of plant No. 172 developed an even more powerful weapon, designated M48. In general, it was similar in design to the M31 and had a similar muzzle brake, but the initial velocity of its projectile was increased to 1000 m/s. For such a powerful weapon, destroying any enemy tank or bunker was not a big problem. The same gun was supposed to be placed in the semi-open Object 262 self-propelled gun.

The main obstacle to all these plans was the delay in work on the IS-7 and problems with mastering mass production of the IS-4. Last Activity for both self-propelled guns is dated 1947, after which the work was frozen “until better times.” Which never came.

On February 18, 1949, Resolution No. 701–270ss of the Council of Ministers of the USSR was issued, according to which the development and production heavy tanks weighing more than 50 tons were stopped. It is natural that, after the IS-4 and IS-7, the developments were given a long life self-propelled units on their base.

According to the same resolution, SKB-2 ChKZ and its branch pilot plant No. 100 (Chelyabinsk) was given the task of developing a heavy tank with a combat weight of no more than 50 tons. The work, which received design code 730, led to the creation of the IS-5 heavy tank. The preliminary design of the new heavy tank was presented in April 1949, and already on September 14, the assembly of the first prototype was completed at ChKZ.

It was quite logical to develop a self-propelled gun on the same basis, but the designers were in no hurry to do this. The memory of how the work on self-propelled vehicles based on the IS-7 and IS-4 ended was still vivid. The go-ahead was given only at the moment when it became clear that the 730th object turned out to be quite successful, and its adoption was not far off.

Self-propelled gun Object 116 (SU-152P) being tested. The 152-mm M53 cannon mounted on it was used by OKTB of the Kirov plant as a base for the gun of the new self-propelled gun

In the literature devoted to the T-10 and vehicles based on it, the start of work on an assault self-propelled gun is usually dated to July 2, 1952. In fact, the chronology of events is somewhat different. The fact is that a self-propelled gun is usually made for a very specific artillery system. And the gun that was eventually “registered” on the vehicle known as Object 268 was not even in the project for another 1.5 years after the start of work. But work on this weapon began much earlier.

From this point of view, the history of the new heavy self-propelled gun began back in 1946, when, in parallel with the M31 and M48, the design bureau of plant No. 172 began developing the 152-mm M53 gun. This weapon, with a muzzle velocity of 760 m/s, was developed for the Object 116 self-propelled gun, known as the SU-152P. Both the gun and the installation itself were built in 1948. Tests showed insufficient accuracy of the system, and the project was closed. Nowadays the SU-152P can be seen in the exhibition of the Patriot park. So, it was this artillery system, in a slightly modified form, that was intended as the armament of a promising self-propelled gun.

Draft design of a 152-mm M53 cannon modified for installation in a heavy self-propelled gun, 1952

Works on new car, which initially did not have any designations, was initially headed by P.P. Isakov. The development of the plant was carried out by the team of the Special Design and Technology Bureau (OKTB) of the Leningrad Kirov Plant. The car was designed in three versions at once, two of which were noticeably different from the Object 268, which is now quite widely known. The fact that the design began before July 1952 is eloquently indicated by the dates in the preliminary designs of the 2nd and 3rd options - April 25, 1952. Already by that time the main parameters of the machine were known. One of the main requirements for self-propelled guns was the weight limit: it combat mass should not exceed 50 tons.

Self-propelled guns based on Object 730, option No. 2. By the way, the first heavy self-propelled gun with a rear-mounted fighting compartment was developed by N. F. Shashmurin back in 1944

Option No. 2 of the designed heavy self-propelled guns provided for the aft placement of the fighting compartment. Due to this, the length of the body was reduced to 6675 mm. The entire bow of the car was occupied by the engine and transmission compartment, so there was no place for the driver there. He was put in the fighting compartment, where he was located on the right in the direction of travel. With this arrangement, the driver's visibility turned out to be unimportant.

Such inconveniences were compensated for by the relatively small reach of the gun beyond the dimensions of the vehicle - 2300 mm. The thickness of the front of the cabin ranged from 150 to 180 mm, the sides 90 mm. The upper frontal sheet of the hull was only 75 mm thick, but its angle of inclination was 75 degrees. In a word, the car had quite decent protection. The crew of the car consisted of four people. To facilitate the work of the loader, the shells were placed in a special drum behind the gun.

Project No. 3, which involved installing a gun in a rotating turret, April 1952

The third version of the self-propelled gun looked no less original. By and large, it was not even a self-propelled gun, but a tank, which, due to its more powerful and heavy weapon the thickness of the armor had to be reduced.

However, the difference between the Object 730 and the projected SU-152 (as this vehicle is designated in the documentation) is quite significant. The designers developed the turret for the self-propelled gun from scratch, and for the normal installation of a 152-mm gun in it, the diameter of the shoulder strap had to be increased from 2100 to 2300 mm. The maximum thickness of the turret armor reached 200 mm. The turret also housed ammunition, the size of which remained the same - 30 rounds. The main ammunition rack was supposed to be placed in the rear niche, which made the loader’s work a little easier.

Because of the new turret, the body also had to be changed, the length of which, compared to the 730, increased by 150 mm. The thickness of the upper side sheets was reduced to 90 mm, and the lower ones to 50 mm, this was done to maintain the combat weight within 50 tons. For the same purpose, the thickness of the upper frontal sheet and the stern sheets was reduced to 60 and 40 mm, respectively. There was no provision for a coaxial machine gun on the self-propelled gun, but it had to be installed at the top anti-aircraft gun KPV heavy machine gun.

Thus, by the summer of 1952, the design of a self-propelled unit based on the Object 730 had not begun, but had already taken full shape. The order of the Council of Ministers of the USSR dated July 2, 1952 rather “legalized” the work on the machine, and also introduced a number of amendments to the already ongoing design work. Around the same time, the self-propelled gun received the design index 268, and the topic itself began to be called Object 268.

The literature indicates that a total of 5 versions of the machine were developed on the subject of Object 268. This is both true and not true at the same time. The fact is that the two options mentioned above were developed even before the final tactical and technical requirements were received. And they didn't even carry the code 268.

Therefore, in fact, we are talking about three versions of the machine, two of which were an evolution of previously developed preliminary designs. Both of these revised versions were ready in December 1952. At the same time, the artillery system that was supposed to be installed in these vehicles was still being designed.

According to preliminary calculations, the initial speed of its projectile was supposed to be 740 m/s. Was taken as a basis self-propelled gun M53, which was redesigned using separate 122 mm units tank gun M62-T. According to calculations, total weight of such a system, which did not have an official designation, was 5100 kg.

Option No. 4 featured enhanced armor protection and a more spacious fighting compartment, which already housed 5 crew members

The revised project of the second version of the self-propelled gun, which received serial number 4, was prepared by OKTB of the Kirov Plant by December 18, 1952. This time the machine already had the code 268, and Zh. Ya. Kotin appeared as its chief designer. Externally, the 4th option was very similar to the 2nd, but in fact the differences turned out to be significant.

To begin with, the length of the hull was increased to 6900 mm, that is, almost to the length of the Object 730. At the same time, the length of the gun barrel beyond the dimensions of the hull decreased by 150 mm. The designers abandoned the beveled aft sheet of the deckhouse, which had a positive effect on the internal volume of the fighting compartment. Such changes were extremely necessary, since, according to the new technical specifications, the crew of the vehicle was increased to 5 people.

The new crew member was the second loader, located behind the commander. The commander himself received a new one commander's cupola with a rangefinder, and in front of him appeared a machine gun mount with a “crooked” barrel. The driver's seat was also slightly altered and received new viewing devices. The system with the “drum” remained in place, while the authors of the preliminary design emphasized that due to the large internal volume it is possible to install more powerful weapons. In parallel with the increase in the volume of the fighting compartment, armor protection increased. The thickness of the lower frontal sheet of the hull was raised to 160 mm. The thickness of the cutting edge remained 180 mm, but the bevels, 160 mm thick, were made at a large angle. With all this, the weight of the vehicle remained within 50 tons.

On December 10, 1952, a revised version of the 3rd version of the self-propelled gun was completed, receiving the 5th serial number. The length of its hull was reduced to the level of the 730th object (6925 mm), while the upper side sheets were redone and became bent. The forehead of the body has also changed slightly, but the thickness of these parts has remained unchanged. Maintaining the hull length within the base tank was due to the installation of the V-12–6 engine, which, by the way, eventually appeared on the T-10M heavy tank. The enlarged turret shoulder strap was later “migrated” to it.

The tower, designed for 4 people, also underwent alterations. The commander here also received a new commander's cupola, but the OKTB Kirov Plant engineers gave the curved-barreled machine gun to the loader. By the way, both redesigned projects inherited the installation anti-aircraft machine gun KPV.

Option No. 5 differed from the previous option No. 3 by a number of alterations and an increase in the crew to 5 people

Both of these options, however, did not go beyond sketch development. In January 1953, the projects were presented to the scientific and technical committee of the Main Armored Directorate (GBTU) and the Ministry of Transport and Heavy Engineering (MTiTM). Having studied them, members of the Scientific and Technical Committee came to the conclusion that these projects require a major rework of the Object 730 hull and are therefore not suitable.

The commission approved a completely different, much more “calm” project for further work, which required minimal modifications to the base chassis. Of the major changes, it only required the installation of a slightly more compact V-12-6 engine, which, by the way, was also included in option No. 5.

A revised version of the project was presented in June 1953. The commission was also presented with a wooden model on a scale of 1:10. And on August 25, a conclusion was given on the topic of Object 268 signed by Colonel General A.I. Radzievsky.

A number of sources indicate that at this stage design work stalled, but that's not the case. Of course, work on the self-propelled gun was somewhat influenced by the adoption of the Object 730 into service on November 28, 1953, which later became the T-10 tank. However, work on the car continued. The leading engineer of Object 268 was N.M. Chistyakov, who had previously worked in Nizhny Tagil as head of the new design sector. There, under his supervision, work began on the Object 140 medium tank, but for a number of reasons the designer left Nizhny Tagil and moved to Leningrad. General management fell on N.V. Kurin, a veteran of the Kirov plant and the author of a number of self-propelled guns.

Draft design of the final version of Object 268, June 1954

There was, however, another reason that slowed down the work on Object 268, which some researchers do not take into account. The fact is that the gun, which was supposed to be mounted on a self-propelled gun, was still at the design stage. Meanwhile, the staff of plant No. 172 did not sit idle. Following the 122-mm M62 cannon, proposed for installation in the promising Object 752 and Object 777 tanks, Perm gunsmiths finally reached the 152 mm caliber at the beginning of 1954.

7 years have passed since the design of the M53, a modified version of which was supposed to be installed on Object 268, and the development of artillery in these years has not stood still. As a result, a project for a 152-mm gun was born, designated M64. The initial velocity of its projectile was almost the same as that of the M53 (750 m/s), but the barrel length was noticeably reduced. Considering that the fighting compartment of Object 268 was located approximately in the same place as the fighting compartment of the T-10, this was very important. For comparison, the modified M53 had a total horizontal length from the turret rotation axis to the tip muzzle brake 5845 mm, and M64 - 4203 mm. With the new gun, the barrel extension was only 2185 mm.

This machine was made in metal. Spring-summer 1957

Officially, the technical design of the M64 was reviewed by the Chief artillery department(GAU) in August 1954. In fact, the OKTB team at the Kirov plant received information on the new weapon earlier. The already mentioned thesis that design work on Object 268 had stalled by the fall of 1953 sounds a little strange given the fact that the drawing documentation for the vehicle is dated 20 June 1954.

The drawings (in total, the design documentation contained 37 sheets) depict a machine that is as similar as possible to the Object 268, which was subsequently built in metal. Conceptually, the vehicle was very reminiscent of the German Jagdtiger self-propelled gun, which was maximally unified with the Pz.Kpfw heavy tank. Tiger Ausf.B.

The fundamental difference between the two vehicles was that Soviet engineers managed not only to fit into the dimensions of the T-10 hull, but also to maintain the same combat weight. And in height, Object 268 turned out to be even slightly lower than the T-10. From previous projects, the vehicle inherited a commander's cupola with a rangefinder. As with its predecessors, the thickness of the hull on the sides and stern had to be reduced, but the thickness of the deckhouse sides increased to 100 mm. The protection of the conning tower from the forehead turned out to be quite impressive - 187 mm. Due to the fact that the cabin was expanded to the total width of the hull, it turned out to be quite spacious.

Between past and future

The final estimate for Object 268 was completed in March 1955. At the same time, the terms for the production of prototypes were approved. According to plans, the first sample of Object 268 was expected to be received in the first quarter of 1956, two more copies were to be manufactured in the fourth quarter. Alas, it was during this period that work began on heavy tanks of a new generation; Chistyakov led the work on the heavy tank Object 278, and this directly affected the time frame for the self-propelled guns to be ready.

As for plant No. 172, it completed the creation of a prototype of the 152-mm M64 gun in December 1955. And in February 1956, after a factory test program, a gun with serial number 4 went to Leningrad, to the Kirov plant.

From the front the car looked very impressive. Surprisingly, it turned out to be lower in height than ISU-152

The delay in work led to the fact that the first prototype of Object 268 was completed only by the fall of 1956. In general, the car corresponded to the design documentation, although some changes still took place. For example, it was decided to abandon the convex roof of the cabin. Instead, the self-propelled gun received a roof of a design that was easier to manufacture. The vehicle did not have a machine gun with a “crooked” barrel; in its place, the experimental vehicle had a plug. The shape of the stern sheet of the deckhouse, which they decided not to make bent, also became simpler. This part was made removable, since the gun was mounted and dismantled through it.

The crew of the car remained the same and consisted of 5 people. Thanks to the successful layout, the inside of the machine was not at all cramped; even very A tall man. And this despite the fact that the large-caliber gun’s ammunition load was 35 rounds. The convenience of the crew’s work was due, among other things, to design features guns. Firstly, the M64 had an ejector, which made it possible to minimize the entry of powder gases into the fighting compartment. Secondly, the gun received a loading mechanism, which significantly facilitated the work of the loaders.

Object 268, view from the starboard side

Factory tests of the prototype Object 268 began in the fall of 1956 and ended in the spring of 1957. In general, the machine demonstrated characteristics close to the calculated ones. In terms of driving performance, the Object 268 almost coincided with the T-10, including maximum speed.

Soon after the tests, the self-propelled gun went to the NIIBT Test Site in Kubinka. Firing tests showed that Plant No. 172 did not delay the development of the gun in vain. The M64 was clearly superior in fire accuracy to the ML-20S, which was installed on the ISU-152. The new weapon turned out to be the best and initial speed projectile, both in terms of firing range and rate of fire.

Alas, all this no longer played any role. It was decided to abandon the construction of two more prototypes of Object 268, and the first prototype of the machine went to the museum at the NIIBT Test Site. Nowadays this copy is on display in the Patriot Park. Recently, museum staff managed to bring the self-propelled guns into running condition.

If Object 268 had appeared five years earlier, its chances of going into production would have been very high. The vehicle turned out to be successful, quite convenient for the crew to work with and well protected. But by 1957, a number of events had occurred that together made the launch of a series of similar self-propelled guns pointless.

To begin with, in 1955, the development of new generation heavy tanks began (Objects 277, 278, 279 and 770), which had significantly more high level armor protection. Even the M64 cannon was no longer enough against them. The GBTU was well aware that the designers of armored vehicles abroad were also not sitting still. It turned out that the promising self-propelled gun was armed with an artillery system that was already outdated.

In addition, just in the mid-50s, a program to modernize the ISU-152 began, which significantly extended the service life of these machines. Unlike the Object 268, which was just about to go into production, these self-propelled guns were already here and now. Yes, the ML-20 was inferior to the M64 in all respects, but not so significantly.

Finally, production of the T-10 proceeded at an extremely slow pace. Loading the Kirov Plant and ChTZ with self-propelled guns also meant further narrowing the already narrow trickle of T-10s entering the troops. In addition, plant No. 172 needed to master a new gun to produce a new self-propelled gun.

There was one more reason, which largely coincided with why the British at about the same time put an end to their heavy self-propelled guns FV215 and FV4005. The fact is that in 1956 work began on anti-tank guided missile projects. missile systems. On May 8, 1957, the USSR Council of Ministers authorized work on the development of tanks and self-propelled guns armed with guided missiles.

Many will immediately remember “bad Khrushchev,” but let’s face the truth. The anti-tank missile launcher is much more compact than the cannon. Launching a rocket is much easier, and most importantly, it can be controlled in flight. As a result, with a similar charge power, the rocket turns out to be an order of magnitude more efficient. It is not surprising that Object 268 became the last Soviet heavy assault self-propelled gun with cannon weapons.

Draft design of the Object 282T missile tank destroyer, 1958

Work on self-propelled guns based on the T-10 did not stop there. In the same 1957, OKTB of the Kirov plant began developing a vehicle designated Object 282. It is often called a tank, but in fact it was a heavy tank destroyer. It was created to be armed with 170-mm Salamander anti-tank missiles, but due to the fact that the NII-48 team was unable to bring them to fruition, the armament was changed. In the final configuration, the vehicle, designated Object 282T, was to be equipped with either 152 mm TRS-152 anti-tank missiles (22 missiles ammunition) or 132 mm TRS-132 missiles (30 missiles ammunition).

Object 282T during testing, 1959

The vehicle, which entered testing in 1959, was strikingly different from previous self-propelled units. Despite such an impressive ammunition supply and a crew of 2-3 people, the tank became somewhat shorter than the T-10. And most importantly, its height was only 2100 mm. The frontal part of the tank was redone. In addition, the designers moved forward and fuel tanks, separating the crew from them with a 30-mm partition. The car received an uprated V-12–7 engine with a power of 1000 hp. Her maximum speed increased to 55 km/h.

In a word, it turned out to be an extraordinary machine, which was ultimately destroyed by weapons. Tests showed that the Topol control system installed at Object 282T did not work reliably enough, which led to the project’s curtailment.

This was supposed to be the redesigned project, designated Object 282K. It didn’t even get to the point of making it in metal.

In the same 1959, OKTB of the Kirov plant developed a project for an improved machine, designated Object 282K. Its combat weight increased to 46.5 tons, and its overall height decreased to 1900 mm. As planned, the vehicle was equipped with two TRS-132 launchers (20 missiles for each), located on the sides. In the stern there was a 152 mm launcher PURS-2 with ammunition of 9 missiles. The fire control system was completely borrowed from the Object 282T. Due to failures with testing of Object 282T, work on Object 282 did not leave the design phase.

This marks the end of the history of designing self-propelled guns based on the T-10.

Sources and literature:

• Archive of Sergei Netrebenko
• Photo archive of Evgeniy Ivanov
• Domestic Armored Vehicles XX century Volume 3: 1946–1965, A. G. Solyankin, I. G. Zheltov, K. N. Kudryashov, Tseykhgauz, 2010
• Photo album “History of KBM”, 1967
• Author's archive