The most popular German self-propelled gun. Soviet self-propelled guns in the Second World War, in the Great Patriotic War Self-propelled guns of the USSR in the Second World War

On the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, Soviet self-propelled guns appeared en masse relatively late, only at the end of 1942. But this delay was compensated by a whole series of successful cars, which were loved and respected by the soldiers. About the headaches of German tanks and bunkers - in this material.

Self-propelled artillery installation Su-76 on the street of Vienna, 1945. Photo: V. Galperin / RIA Novosti www.ria.ru

This self-propelled artillery unit was created in 1942 on the basis light tank T-70. In total, there were more than 13,000 self-propelled guns of this type! This popularity can be explained quite simply. Firstly, the Su-76’s weapon was the ZIS-3 universal divisional gun with a caliber of 76.2 millimeters, which at that time had already proven its usefulness. Its sub-caliber shells from a distance of half a kilometer could penetrate any enemy tanks, although it was still recommended to hit the sides of the Tigers and Panthers. Secondly, the open wheelhouse of the vehicle helped the crew interact more closely with the infantry, for example, in urban combat. The downside is the almost complete lack of armor; only a few millimeters of steel separated the crew from stray machine-gun bursts. But still, this self-propelled gun was very popular, because its mobility was like that of the light tanks of the Red Army, and the gun was much stronger.

Su-85 and Su-100

Su-100 self-propelled guns at the site of the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant before being sent to the front, 1942. Photo: TASS archive

The next milestone in the development of domestic self-propelled guns was the Su-85, which belonged to the class of tank destroyers. Su-85 was built on the basis legendary tank T-34 in 1943, and its weapon was the 85-mm D-5S-85 cannon. It must be said that this was the first self-propelled gun that could fight on equal terms with German tanks. From a distance of more than a kilometer, the Su-85 crew could disable any enemy tank; for example, the Panther easily penetrated the gun mantlet sub-caliber shells. The self-propelled gun also retained the maneuverability and speed of its “relative” T-34, and this mobility saved the lives of Su-85 crews many times. And under fire, the self-propelled gun felt much more comfortable than the Su-76 - the sloped armor was no longer bulletproof and withstood the blow with dignity.

With the advent of new tanks of the Tiger-2 type and self-propelled guns "Ferdinand" by the Germans, the question arose of increasing the power of the guns of Soviet anti-tank self-propelled guns. It was decided to use the base of the T-34-85 tank and the 100-mm D-10S gun. In record short time By the winter of 1943, the Uralmashplant design bureau presented the new Su-100 self-propelled gun to the commission. The main difference from the Su-85, naturally, was a new, more powerful gun and sloping frontal armor 75 millimeters thick. Despite the short development time and overall successful project, the Su-100 appeared at the front only in January 1945. Urban battles turned out to be the strength of the self-propelled gun, which often blew away enemy firing points with one shot of a high-explosive shell. Interestingly, 70 years later, the Su-100 is still in service or in storage in a good dozen countries around the world, once again proving its simplicity and reliability.

Su-152 and ISU-152

ISU-152 in Berlin, 1945. Photo: TASS

“St. John's worts,” “can openers,” and many other nicknames were given to these mighty twins. The Su-152 received its baptism of fire in the great battle of Kursk, where it immediately established itself as an excellent fighter of German “cats”. The self-propelled gun - the 152-mm ML-20S cannon - was equipped with all types of 152-mm shells, but in reality the crews only needed high-explosive fragmentation and concrete-piercing shells. One hit from such a multi-kilogram “core,” generously stuffed with TNT, was enough to kill the entire enemy crew and tear the turret off its shoulder strap. Often, such a hit also detonated the ammunition, disturbed by the shock wave - then everyone around could see a free fireworks display.

There is an interview given to a front-line correspondent by the commander of the 399th self-propelled regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Kobrin:

"...Just imagine this picture... As I remember now: height 559.6. Commander Rybalko is with us. Klimenkov's self-propelled gun is standing right there - guarding the headquarters. There is a business conversation. And suddenly German tanks are coming from the left. Eighteen of them ! They are walking in a column... What will happen? Rybalko’s face changed a little - nodules were appearing on his cheeks. He commanded Klimenkov, who was standing nearby: “Forbid the path of German tanks with fire!” - “Yes, forbid!” - replies Klimenkov and - to the car. And What do you think? The first shell from one thousand eight hundred meters set the lead tank on fire, the second one began to crawl out from behind it - it knocked it out, the third one climbed in - it destroyed it too, and then the fourth... I finally stopped the Nazis, they backed away, thinking there was a whole battery."

The monstrous power of the weapon was widely used to suppress enemy firing points and pillboxes. Even concrete wall withstood a shell hit, the people inside suffered concussions and ruptured eardrums.

Towards the end of the war, the ISU-152 self-propelled gun appears, in many ways very similar to its predecessor. Its main difference is the chassis of the IS tank, and therefore greater mobility, useful for urban battles. The famous tanker Dmitry Loza recalled in his memoirs:

“The self-propelled gun, splashing along the asphalt with wide tracks, took up a position on one of the streets facing the south-eastern side of the square... The same curiosity that killed more virgins than love, dragged us out into the street to see how the self-propelled guns would destroy pieces of German artillerymen with their cannon. The tankers and paratroopers settled down near the "St. John's wort" and began to wait... The Viennese streets, running in different directions from the central square, are not wide. Beautiful houses with Venetian windows rising on either side. A shot from a large-caliber self-propelled gun rang out. The air shook sharply. One and a half floors of the house along with the enemy anti-tank gun and his servants collapsed to the ground. And in our location from the powerful air wave Thick glass in the houses located next to the self-propelled gun burst with a crash. Their heavy fragments rained down on the heads of the “spectators”; as a result, the arms and backs of ten people were wounded, and the collarbones of two were broken. Fortunately, the tankers were wearing helmets, the paratroopers were wearing helmets, and their heads remained intact!”

Like the Su-100, ISU-152 still serve in the armies of Vietnam and North Korea, still awestruck the soldiers with its destructive power.

On initial stage During the Second World War, German troops captured rich European trophies, including armored vehicles of the defeated countries. The Germans used some of the tanks practically without alterations, and on the chassis of some of them they created armored vehicles for various purposes: from ammunition transporters to self-propelled howitzers, which were often produced in very limited series. This article will focus on self-propelled howitzers Sturmpanzer II (Bison II) (only 12 produced), G.Pz. Mk. VI (e) (18 built: 6 with 150 mm and 12 with 105 mm howitzers) and 10.5 cm leFH 18/3(Sf) B2(f) (only 16 built).

Sturmpanzer II (Bison II)

Somewhat unexpected, although quite natural success combat use improvised self-propelled guns, armed with a 150-mm howitzer sIG 33 and built on the basis of the Pz.Kpfw.I Ausf.B light tank, opened a “second wind” for outdated types of tanks. Work on installing various artillery systems on tank chassis in Germany continued. Since 1940, attempts to install heavy 150-mm howitzers, so necessary to support infantry on the battlefield, have been made in Germany many times.

German designers worked with various chassis of both light and medium tanks: from Pz.Kpfw.I to Pz.Kpfw.IV. Even before the Sturmpanzer I Bison went into production, German designers had plans to create something more efficient, built on the chassis and components of the Pz.Kpfw.II tanks. In October 1940, Alkett assembled the first prototype based on the chassis Panzer tank II Ausf B, which, as it turned out, did not provide enough space to accommodate such a massive gun, and also could not sufficiently dampen the recoil of the gun when fired. At the same time, the 150-mm infantry howitzer sIG 33 was installed on the tank without a carriage and wheels.

On February 18, 1941, the decision was made to build the Sturmpanzer II (sometimes called the Bison II) on a modified Pz.Kpfw.II tank chassis. The layout was left the same, but the tank's hull was lengthened by 600 mm and widened by 330 mm. One additional support roller was added to the chassis, resulting in a total of six. Unlike many German self-propelled guns, the same model Sturmpanzer I Bison, which resembled a birdhouse on tracks, or the Wespe self-propelled gun, the new self-propelled howitzer did not have armor plates protecting the crew along the entire length of the superstructure. Due to practically complete absence armored tanks, the height of the self-propelled guns was small.

The armament remained unchanged. The infantry 150 mm howitzer sIG 33 was used, which the Germans installed on no tank chassis. The gun was equipped with a standard Rblf36 telescopic sight, which provided double magnification. The carried ammunition consisted of 30 rounds, almost entirely high-explosive fragmentation, but they could also be used to combat armored targets. cumulative ammunition. The pack carried a 7.92 mm MG34 machine gun, designed for protection against enemy infantry.

The driver-mechanic of the self-propelled gun was located in a small armored cabin in front of the fighting compartment. Unlike the base tank, it had a hatch for boarding and disembarking from the combat vehicle. The power plant, chassis elements and transmission were borrowed from serial tank. The engine remains the same. It was a 6-cylinder petrol Maybach HL62 TRM, developing 140 hp. at 2800 rpm. According to other data, serial self-propelled guns could use a Büssing-NAG L8V engine with a maximum power of 150 hp. also at 2800 rpm.

The fuel was placed in two tanks with a total capacity of 200 liters. To ensure better cooling, two large hatches were cut into the roof of the engine compartment. This was also done because the self-propelled guns were originally planned to be used in North Africa, where the Afrika Korps under the command of General Rommel had already been transferred. The transmission was inherited from the tank and included a manual gearbox (5 forward speeds and one reverse) of the ZF Aphon SSG46 type, main and side clutches, as well as band brakes.

After all the changes, the weight of the self-propelled gun increased to 11.2 tons, which was 2.3 tons more than the base version of the tank. However, this fact did not have a serious impact on the driving performance of the car. The Sturmpanzer II could still reach 40 km/h when driving on the highway. But the power reserve decreased slightly from 200 km (for the tank) to 180 km when driving on paved roads.
The production of self-propelled guns was carried out by the Alkett company in December 1941 - January 1942; a total of 12 self-propelled howitzers were assembled during this period. From these the 707th and 708th companies of heavy infantry guns were formed, which were sent to the North African theater of operations. Here they were quite actively used in battles, taking part in the battle of El Alamein. The last Sturmpanzer II (Bison II) were captured by the Allies in May 1943 after the surrender of German forces in Tunisia.

Performance characteristics of Sturmpanzer II:
Overall dimensions: length - 5410 mm, width - 2600 mm, height - 1900 mm, ground clearance - 340 mm.
Combat weight - 11.2 tons.
The power plant is a Büssing-NAG L8V liquid-cooled carburetor engine with a power of 150 hp.
Maximum speed - 40 km/h (on the highway), about 20 km/h (over rough terrain).
Power reserve - 180 km.
Armament is a 150 mm sIG 33 infantry howitzer and one stowed 7.92 mm MG34 machine gun.
Ammunition - 30 shots.
Crew - 4 people.

After the capture of France, German troops received a wide variety of captured tanks from the most different years releases, which were in different technical condition. Among other things, the Germans got about 160 heavy French tanks Char B1 bis. Most of them were used by the Germans without any special modifications, about 60 tanks were converted into flamethrowers, and 16 became 105-mm self-propelled howitzers, full name 10.5-cm leichte Feldhaubitze 18/3 (Sf.) auf Geschützwagen B2 (f) 740 (f).

The decision to create self-propelled artillery units based on the chassis of captured French tanks was made in Germany in March 1941. They were planned to be used to support the Flammenwerfer Auf Pz.Kpfw.B2 flamethrower tanks being created on the same tank chassis. The task posed to the designers was quickly solved by installing a 105-mm leFH18 light field howitzer in the open wheelhouse. To do this, the tank's turret with a 47-mm gun, as well as a 75-mm howitzer in the hull, were dismantled. On the roof of the fighting compartment there was a fixed wheelhouse, in the front plate of which a new gun was mounted. The thickness of the deckhouse armor was 20 mm, there was no roof. Pointing angles in the vertical plane ranged from -4 to +20 degrees, in the horizontal plane 15 degrees to the left and right. The carried ammunition consisted of 42 rounds.

It is worth noting that the 105 mm light field the leFH 18 howitzer formed the basis throughout the Second World War field artillery Wehrmacht, so her choice was not accidental. The howitzer was in service with light divisions of artillery regiments and was the basis of all German divisional artillery. According to official data, the Wehrmacht had up to 7076 howitzers of this type in service. Naturally, in different time German designers considered various options to increase the mobility of this artillery system by installing it on various tank chassis.

The first prototype of the new self-propelled gun with a wheelhouse made of non-armored steel was ready by June 1941. At the same time, by the time work began, there were quite a few fully serviceable chassis of French heavy tanks. According to the production plans of the Armament Directorate, in 1941, only 10 of these self-propelled howitzers were produced in two batches of 5 vehicles. In 1942, 6 more tanks were converted in this way. Thus, the Rheinmetall Borsig company, located in Düsseldorf, assembled only 16 self-propelled artillery units of this type.

The dimensions of the new self-propelled howitzer were very impressive (height almost 3 meters, length - 6.5 meters), it appearance could be called absurd. But if the size of the self-propelled gun was not such a serious drawback, then heavy weight had a stronger impact. The combat weight of the vehicle was inherited from heavy tank and was no less than 32.5 tons, which was quite a lot for the 307-horsepower engine that remained unchanged. Even when driving on a highway, the self-propelled gun did not reach a speed of more than 28 km/h, and its range was relatively small - 150 km.

All self-propelled guns released received letter designation V alphabetical order- from A to P. All vehicles entered service in the 93rd artillery regiment 26th tank division. The regiment consisted of three batteries of 4 self-propelled howitzers each, and 4 more vehicles were above standard. During the operation of this military equipment, shortcomings were almost immediately identified, which included low maneuverability and overloaded chassis, which often led to breakdowns. As of May 31, 1943, 14 vehicles remained combat-ready in the regiment. Then they were transferred to educational unit, located in Le Havre, they were replaced by 12 Wespe self-propelled guns. However, later, as the situation at the front became more complicated, self-propelled guns were returned to service. They were assigned to the 90th Panzer Division, which operated in Sardinia.

Performance characteristics of the 10.5 cm leFH 18/3(Sf) B2(f):
Overall dimensions: length - about 6.5 m, width - 2.4 m, height - about 3 m.
Combat weight - 32.5 tons.
Powerplant - 6-cylinder Renault gasoline engine with 307 hp.
Maximum speed - up to 28 km/h (on the highway).
Power reserve - 135-150 km.
Armament is a 105 mm leFH 18/3 light field howitzer and one stowed 7.92 mm MG34 machine gun.
Ammunition - 42 rounds.
Crew - 4 people.

G.Pz. Mk. VI(e)

Unlike numerous French armored vehicles, British tanks were en masse never used or altered. The only exceptions to some extent were the lungs. British tanks Mk VI. Apparently, for the reason that they formed the basis of the tank fleet of the British Expeditionary Force in France and were captured by the Germans in at least some significant quantities. On the chassis of these tanks, the Germans manufactured two types of self-propelled guns, armed with a 105-mm light field howitzer leFH 16 and a 150-mm heavy field howitzer 15 cm sFH 13.

In both cases, we were talking about the use of outdated artillery systems dating back to the First World War. A version of the self-propelled howitzer with the full designation 10.5cm leFh16 auf Fgst Geschutzwagen Mk.VI(e) was ready in the summer of 1940. Modifications to the vehicle were primarily related to the installation of a 105-mm howitzer on a special carriage on a tank chassis. Artillery gun with a barrel length of 22 caliber and without muzzle brake received vertical guidance angles ranging from -8 to +41 degrees. The crew of the self-propelled gun included 5 people: a driver, a commander, a gunner and two loaders.

The howitzer was located in an armored cabin, open at the top and rear, which appeared in place of a tank turret at the rear of the combat vehicle. The thickness of the wheelhouse armor ranged from 12 to 20 mm; the wheelhouse armor plates were located at slight angles and provided protection from bullets and shrapnel. As an alternative, the installation of a 150-mm sFH 13 howitzer was also considered. However, a gun of such a large caliber was too powerful for the chassis of a light British tank, which led to problems when firing. However, several captured tanks (up to 6) were still armed with such a weapon.

In total, the Germans assembled 12 self-propelled guns armed with a 105 mm howitzer and 6 with a 150 mm howitzer. For their release, the best-preserved British tanks Mk.VIb and Mk.VIc were used, which were stored at collection points captured equipment in France. Essentially, these were wedges with rotating turrets, weighing just over 5 tons. Based on these lungs British tanks The Germans also created an ammunition transporter (12 vehicles) and a mobile observation post (4 vehicles). All self-propelled guns and related equipment entered service with the 227th artillery regiment, as well as the 1st battery of assault guns newly formed within this unit.

Most likely, the self-propelled guns and the regiment departed for the Eastern Front in October 1941. These self-propelled howitzers received their baptism of fire in the battles near Leningrad. Moreover, according to the Germans, they could even be used to fight Soviet tanks. Self-propelled guns on an English chassis fought in the USSR until the end of 1942, when the last vehicles of this type were lost in battle.

Tactical and technical characteristics of G.Pz. Mk. VI(e):
Combat weight - 6.5 tons.
Powerplant - 6-cylinder Meadows ESTE petrol engine with 88 hp.
Armament is a 105 mm leFH 16 field howitzer and one 7.92 mm MG34 machine gun.
Crew - 5 people.

Self-propelled artillery began to be used en masse by the Red Army relatively late - only at the end of 1942. However, the cars produced by Soviet designers made a great contribution to the overall victory. Without exception, all Soviet self-propelled guns of the war period can be classified as formidable machines that were useful in different ways on the battlefield. From the small, but no less effective SU-76, to such a monster as the ISU-152, which could easily hit a bunker or destroy a house in which the Nazis were holed up.

Light self-propelled gun SU-76

This self-propelled gun was developed in 1942 by the design bureaus of plant No. 38 in the city of Kirov; the vehicle was created on the basis of a well-developed light industry T-70 tank. In total, from 1942 until the end of the war, more than 14 thousand vehicles of this type were manufactured. Thanks to this, the SU-76 is the most popular Soviet self-propelled artillery unit of the Great Patriotic War, and its production volume was second only to that of the T-34 tank. The popularity and prevalence of the machine is explained by its simplicity and versatility.

A huge role was played by the fact that a very good ZIS-3 divisional gun of 76.2 mm caliber was chosen as a weapon for arming this self-propelled gun. The gun showed excellent performance during the war and was distinguished by its high versatility of use. The best weapon it was difficult to come up with infantry support. When using sub-caliber shells, the gun also revealed its anti-tank properties, although tanks such as the Tiger and Panther were still recommended to be destroyed by firing at their sides. Against most types of German armored vehicles, the armor penetration of the ZIS-3 gun remained adequate until the end of the war, although 100 mm armor remained an insurmountable obstacle for the gun.

The advantage, and in some cases the disadvantage of the machine, was its open cabin. On the one hand, it helped the self-propelled gun crew to interact more closely with their infantry, especially in street combat, and also provided better visibility on the battlefield. On the other hand, the crew of the self-propelled guns turned out to be vulnerable to enemy fire and could be hit by shrapnel. In general, the self-propelled guns had a minimum level of armor, which was bulletproof. However, the SU-76 was still very popular in units. Possessing the mobility of a light tank, the self-propelled gun had a much more serious weapon.

Not the best powerful weapons, thin armor, open at top fighting compartment- all this, paradoxically, did not make the self-propelled gun unsuccessful. The SU-76 coped with its immediate task on the battlefield perfectly. It was used for fire support of infantry, acting as a light assault gun and anti-tank self-propelled gun. It was able to largely replace light tanks for direct infantry support. Almost 25 years after the Victory in the Great Patriotic War, Marshal Soviet Union K.K. Rokossovsky noted: “Our soldiers especially liked the SU-76 self-propelled gun. These mobile, light vehicles managed to go everywhere in order to help out and support the infantry units with their fire and tracks, and the infantrymen, in turn, did everything to protect these vehicles.”

Anti-tank self-propelled guns SU-85 and SU-100

A special place among all Soviet self-propelled guns occupied by SU-85 and SU-100, which were created on the basis of the mass tank during the war - the T-34 medium tank. As you can easily guess, they differed primarily in the caliber of the gun and, accordingly, in their anti-tank capabilities. It is noteworthy that both self-propelled guns remained in service various countries after the end of the Second World War.

The SU-85 was a medium-weight Soviet self-propelled artillery unit belonging to the class of tank destroyers. Its main task on the battlefield was to fight enemy armored vehicles. The combat vehicle was developed at the UZTM Design Bureau (Ural Heavy Engineering Plant, Uralmash) in May-July 1943. Serial release new anti-tank self-propelled guns were deployed in July-August 1943. As the main tool for new self-propelled gun The 85-mm D-5S-85 gun was chosen, which had good anti-tank capabilities. In fact, it was the SU-85 that became the first Soviet self-propelled gun that could fight German tanks on equal terms. From a distance of more than a kilometer, the SU-85 crew could easily disable any enemy medium tank. Tiger frontal armor when used armor-piercing shells it was possible to penetrate from a distance of up to 500 meters; the use of sub-caliber ammunition made this task even easier.

Along with good firepower, the SU-85 was able to maintain the speed and maneuverability of its “progenitor” - the T-34 medium tank and these good characteristics mobility was saved more than once by the crews of this anti-tank self-propelled gun in battle. And under enemy fire, the SU-85 self-propelled gun felt much more confident than the SU-76 with its open wheelhouse. In addition, its frontal armor, located at rational angles, was no longer bulletproof and could withstand a blow.

A total of 2,329 such vehicles were produced in 1943-1944. Despite its comparative small numbers, it was the SU-85 self-propelled gun, from 1943 until the end of hostilities in Europe, that was the basis of Soviet self-propelled artillery units armed with medium-weight vehicles. The SU-100, which replaced it, was able to appear in battle only in January 1945. Therefore, it was the SU-85 self-propelled guns and their crews who bore on their shoulders almost the entire brunt of the anti-tank and assault work of medium self-propelled artillery during the war.

With the advent of new species among the Germans armored vehicles, such as the heavy tank "Royal Tiger" and self-propelled guns "Ferdinand", the issue of increasing the anti-tank capabilities of Soviet self-propelled guns became acute. The designers of Uralmash responded to the new challenge and in mid-1944 introduced best fighter tanks of the Second World War - self-propelled gun SU-100. The self-propelled gun used the base of the T-34-85 tank and went into mass production in August 1944. In total, during the period from 1944 to 1956, 4976 such self-propelled artillery units were produced, while in the USSR production was stopped in 1948, but continued under license in Czechoslovakia.

The main difference and main highlight of the self-propelled gun was its gun - the 100-mm D-10S gun, which could confidently fight even the heaviest and well-armored German tanks. It is no coincidence that the SU-100’s finest hour struck during the Balaton defensive operation, when the German large-scale tank offensive, code-named “Winter Awakening,” ended in huge losses of armored vehicles and actually became the cemetery of the Panzerwaffe. The self-propelled gun also had better armor. The thickness of its sloping frontal armor reached 75 mm. The self-propelled gun felt confident not only in the fight against enemy tanks, but also in urban battles. Often, one shot from a high-explosive shell from a 100-mm gun was enough to literally “blow away” a detected enemy firing point.

Unique and exceptional combat capabilities SU-100 is confirmed by the fact that it was in service Soviet army for several decades after the war, periodically modernizing. In addition, self-propelled guns were supplied to the allies of the Soviet Union and actively participated in post-war local conflicts, including in the Arab-Israeli wars. The self-propelled gun remained in service with the armies of some countries until the end of the 20th century, and in some countries such as Algeria, Morocco and Cuba they remained in service as of 2012.

Heavy self-propelled guns SU-152 and ISU-152

Heavy Soviet self-propelled artillery units SU-152 and ISU-152 also made a significant contribution to the victory. The effectiveness of these machines is best illustrated by their nicknames - “St. John's Wort” and “Can Opener”, which were given to these mighty twins by the troops. The SU-152 was created on the basis of the KV-1S heavy tank and was armed with a 152 mm ML-20S howitzer gun. The self-propelled gun was developed by designers of ChKZ (Chelyabinsk Kirov plant), construction of the first prototype was completed on January 24, 1943, and mass production of the vehicle began the following month. It is worth noting that only 670 of these self-propelled guns were assembled, since the KV-1S tank on the basis of which it was built was discontinued. In December 1943, this vehicle was replaced on the production line by the ISU-152, an equivalent in armament but better armored self-propelled gun based on the heavy IS tank.

The SU-152 self-propelled gun made its combat debut in the famous battle of Kursk, where it was immediately able to show itself as a worthy opponent of the new German tanks. The self-propelled gun's capabilities were enough to fight the new brood of German "cats". The use of the 152-mm howitzer-cannon ML-20S presupposed the use of all projectiles developed for it. But in reality, the vehicle crews made do with only two - high-explosive fragmentation and concrete-piercing shells. A direct hit by concrete-piercing shells on an enemy tank was enough to cause heavy damage and disable it. In some cases, shells simply broke through the armor of tanks, tore off the turret from the shoulder strap, and killed the crew. And sometimes a direct hit from a 152-mm shell led to the detonation of the ammunition, which turned enemy tanks into burning torches.

High explosive shells were also effective against German armored vehicles. Even without penetrating the armor, they damaged sights and observation devices, guns, and the chassis of the vehicle. Moreover, in order to disable an enemy tank, sometimes simply a close explosion of a high-explosive fragmentation shell was enough. The crew of Major Sankovsky, commander of one of the SU-152 batteries in the Battle of Kursk, disabled 10 enemy tanks in one day (according to other sources, this was the success of the entire battery), for which the major was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Of course, the SU-152 was not used as a tank destroyer out of a good life, but even in this capacity the self-propelled gun proved to be a wonderful machine. In general, the SU-152 was an excellent example of versatility. It could be used as an assault gun, tank destroyer and self-propelled howitzer. True, the use of the vehicle as a tank destroyer was complicated by the low rate of fire, but the effect of hitting the target could easily cancel out this drawback. The monstrous power of the 152-mm howitzer gun was indispensable in suppressing German bunkers and firing points. Even if a concrete wall or ceiling withstood a shell hit, the people inside suffered serious concussion and their eardrums were torn.

The ISU-152 heavy self-propelled artillery mount replaced the SU-152, it was created design bureau pilot plant No. 100 in June-October 1943 and put into service on November 6 of the same year. The production of the new self-propelled guns was launched at ChKZ, where it simply replaced the SU-152. Production of self-propelled guns continued until 1946, during which time a total of 3,242 vehicles of this type were built. The self-propelled gun was widely used in the final stages of the war and, like its predecessor SU-152, could be used in all aspects of the use of self-propelled artillery. These vehicles were removed from service with the Soviet Army only in the 1970s, which also indicates their great combat potential.

The ISU-152 became an indispensable self-propelled gun during urban battles, literally leveling enemy buildings and firing points to the ground. She performed very well during the assaults on Budapest, Koenigsberg and Berlin. Good booking allowed the self-propelled guns to move into direct shot range and hit German firing points with direct fire. For conventional towed artillery, this posed a mortal danger due to massive machine-gun and targeted sniper fire.

Information sources:
http://rg.ru/2015/04/24/samohodka-site.html
http://armor.kiev.ua
http://pro-tank.ru
http://www.opoccuu.com

Anti-tank self-propelled artillery units were in great demand during World War II. They were often cheaper than tanks, built faster, but at the same time they were well armed and could deal with any enemy tank on the battlefield. The most successful anti-tank self-propelled guns great war the Soviet SU-100 and the German Jagdpanther are considered. But which one is better?

Mobility

SU-100

The SU-100 was equipped with a V-2-34 diesel engine with a power of 500 hp. s., which allowed self-propelled guns weighing 31.6 tons to reach speeds of up to 50 km/h, and on a country road - about 20 km/h. Fuel consumption was about 180 liters per 100 km.

Considering that the internal tanks held only 400 liters of diesel fuel, the Su-100 was equipped with four external additional cylindrical fuel tanks capacity 95 l. With them, the power reserve increased to 310 km.

The SU-100 was equipped with a five-speed manual transmission with constant mesh gears. Simple and reliable chassis was completely borrowed from the T-34-85 tank.

Jagdpanther

Driving the Jagdpanther was quite simple: the driver had a semi-automatic transmission with preselection. Seven speeds forward and one reverse. The self-propelled gun was controlled using levers.

Power of the 12-cylinder V-shaped engine "Maybach" HL230Р30 - 700 hp. This was enough to accelerate the 46-ton Jagdpanther to 46 km/h on the highway and 24 km/h off-road.

The highway range was only 210 km. Gasoline OZ 74 (octane number 74) was poured into six tanks - a total of 700 liters. Fuel was supplied to the carburetors using a Solex pump; there was also a manual pump. 42 liters of oil were poured into a dry engine, and 32 liters were poured when changing the oil.

The Jagdpanther's chassis was completely borrowed from the PzKpfw V "Panther" medium tank; it provided the self-propelled gun with a smooth ride and more uniform pressure on the ground. On the other hand, repairing such a chassis was a real nightmare: to replace just one roller from the inner row, it was necessary to dismantle from 1/3 to half of all outer rollers.

Armor protection

Armored cabin Su-100 It was assembled from rolled armor plates, the thickness of the frontal part was 75 mm. It was located at an angle of 50 degrees. The thickness of the side and stern armor reached 45 mm, and the roof - 20 mm. The gun mantlet was protected by 110 mm armor. Armor commander's cupola in a circle was 45 mm. The front plate was weakened by a large driver's hatch.

The self-propelled gun hull was made as a single unit with the wheelhouse and was assembled by welding from rolled armor plates. The bottom consisted of four sheets connected by welded seams, reinforced with overlays.

Design featureJagdpanther was that the cabin was a single unit with the hull, and was not attached to it with bolts or welding. The frontal armor of the self-propelled gun had excellent geometry and was practically indestructible.

The frontal sheet, 80 mm thick, was placed at an angle of 55 degrees. Projectile resistance was only slightly reduced by the presence of a slot in the driver's viewing device and the embrasure of the course machine gun. The thickness of the side armor of the wheelhouse was 50 mm, and the stern - 40 mm. The sides and rear of the hull were protected by 40 mm armor, and the roof was covered with 25 mm armor plate.

It should be noted that the walls of the hull and wheelhouse had different angles of inclination, which contributed to the dissipation of the kinetic energy of the projectiles. Additionally, the welds were reinforced with tongues and grooves. The body was assembled from rolled heterogeneous steel plates, and its weight was 17 tons.

Armament

SU-100 was equipped with a 100-mm rifled gun D-10S model 1944. Initial speed armor-piercing projectile was 897 m/s. The shooting was carried out using a TSh-19 telescopic sight, which had a fourfold magnification and a field of view of 16 degrees.

The SU-100's ammunition load did not include sub-caliber shells (they appeared in 1966), only armor-piercing ones. From 1000 meters, the SU-100 gun penetrated 135 mm armor plate, from 500 m - 155 mm. The gun could be aimed in the vertical plane within the range from −3 to +20 degrees and in the horizontal plane ±8 degrees.

For self-defense, the crew was equipped with 7.62 mm PPSh-41 submachine guns, 1,420 rounds of ammunition, as well as 4 anti-tank and 24 fragmentation grenades. The gun's ammunition load was 33 unitary rounds.

Jagdpanther was armed with a long-barreled 88 mm Pak 43/3 L/71 cannon. The horizontal pointing angle of the gun is +11°, the elevation angle is +14°, the declination angle is 8°. The ammunition load, consisting of 57 unitary shells, included three types of ammunition: high-explosive fragmentation, armor-piercing and armor-piercing sub-caliber.

PzGr39/1 armor-piercing shells weighing 10.2 kg had an initial speed of 1000 m/s and pierced armor 185 mm thick from a distance of 500 m, 165 mm from 1000 m, and 132 mm from 2000 m. Sub-caliber PzGr. 40/43 weighed less - 7.5 kg and had a higher initial speed - 1130 m/s. They penetrated 153 mm thick armor from a distance of 2000 m, 193 mm from 1000 m, and 217 mm at a distance of 500 meters.

The gun's rate of fire was 6-8 rounds per minute, and shooting was carried out using telescopic sights SflZF5, and later WZF1/4. The latter was the most advanced and had a 10x magnification with a viewing angle of 7 degrees.

For defense against infantry, an MG-34 machine gun of 7.92 mm caliber was installed in the front plate, equipped with optical sight In addition, the self-propelled gun was armed with a close-range grenade launcher "Nahverteidungswaffe". The latter's ammunition included fragmentation, smoke, signal or illumination grenades. The grenade launcher had a circular firing sector and could fire at a distance of up to 100 m. In addition, the crew had two MP-40 submachine guns with 384 rounds of ammunition.

Fire extinguishing system

Self-propelled guns burned frequently and terribly, so the fire extinguishing system cannot but be given attention. At the disposal of the crew Su-100 There were tetrachlorine fire extinguishers, which could only be used while wearing gas masks. The fact is that when carbon tetrachloride came into contact with hot surfaces, chemical reaction, which resulted in the formation of the toxic substance phosgene.

Jagdpanther could boast of an automatic fire extinguishing system, which operated as follows: when the temperature inside the car exceeded the threshold of 120 degrees, the first fire extinguisher filled the fuel pump and carburetors with the fire-fighting mixture “SV”. The second one filled the engine housing with the same mixture. The SPG crew had three small hand-held fire extinguishers.

Bottom line

To summarize, we note that the Jagdpanther was superior to the SU-100 in terms of crew comfort, quality sighting devices, transportable ammunition and armor penetration.

At the same time, the German self-propelled gun was inferior in mobility and manufacturability, as well as reliability - most of the diseases of the PzKpfw V "Panther" tank were transferred to the self-propelled guns.

During the war, only about 400 Jagdpanthers were produced, while the SU-100, taking into account post-war production, was 4976 units. Thanks to its simplicity and reliability, the SU-100 is still in service today. For example, not long ago these self-propelled guns were spotted in Yemen, while German self-propelled guns can only be seen in the museum.

The TOP 10 best self-propelled artillery units of the Second World War period included models of German, Soviet and American production. The evaluation criteria were the power and efficiency of weapons, rate of fire, maneuverability, crew protection and mass production.

10. Marder III - lightly armored German anti-tank self-propelled gun. Entered service at the end of 1942. It was mass-produced until mid-1944. High accuracy and rate of fire were offset by the low protection of the crew. 75 mm Pak gun 40 was installed in an open wheelhouse.

9. M36 Jackson -American self-propelled gun. It was mass-produced from November 1943 to September 1945, with a total of 2,324 units produced. Thanks to the powerful long-barreled 90-mm cannon, it turned out to be the only American ground weapon capable of effectively fighting the heavy tanks of the Wehrmacht,

8. Sturmgeschütz III - the most massive self-propelled gun of the Wehrmacht. Serially produced in various modifications from 1940 to 1945. Equipped with a 75 mm cannon. Serious disadvantages were the lack of a machine gun and the low initial velocity of the projectile. The self-propelled gun was defenseless in close combat and against tanks with good armor.

7. Panzerjager Tiger (P) Ferdinand - German heavy self-propelled gun. Armed with an 88 mm cannon. Developed in 1942-1943. One of the most heavily armed and heavily armored representatives of German armored vehicles.

6. ISU-152 - Soviet heavy self-propelled gun. Index 152 indicates the caliber of the vehicle's main armament. Developed in 1943. The main use of the ISU-152 was fire support advancing tanks and infantry, the 152.4-mm howitzer-gun had a powerful high-explosive fragmentation projectile. These shells were very effective against both unsheltered infantry and fortifications. Due to its low rate of fire, it was inferior to specialized self-propelled guns - tank destroyers.

5. Jagdpanzer 38 Hetzer - German light self-propelled gun. Developed in 1943 - 1944. as a cheaper and more widespread replacement assault guns Sturmgeschütz III, but was later reclassified as a tank destroyer. The main armament was a 75 mm Panzerjägerkanone PaK 39/2 L/48 rifled gun.

4. SU-100 - Soviet anti-tank self-propelled artillery unit. Created at the end of 1943 - beginning of 1944. The armored hull was constructed structurally as a single unit with the deckhouse and was assembled by welding from rolled sheets and plates of armor steel with a thickness of 20, 45 and 75 mm. The main weapon of the SU-100 was the 100-mm D-10S rifled gun.

3. Panzerjager Tiger Ausf.B - German anti-tank self-propelled gun. Used from the beginning of World War II to 1943. A total of 202 such machines were built. Effectively used against Soviet tanks T-34 and KV 1 s from distances of 500-600 m. Older samples Soviet armored vehicles confidently hit from 700 meters. The armor effect of the 47-mm projectile was very weak, and even if it penetrated the armor, the projectile did not cause damage to the crew and equipment.

2. M18 Hellcat - American self-propelled gun. During production from July 1943 to October 1944, 2,507 tank destroyers were produced. The frontal armor was 2.54 cm. It was equipped with 75 mm and 76 mm guns.

1. Jagdpanzer - heavy German self-propelled gun. Developed in 1943. Equipped with a powerful 88-mm Pak.43/3 (L/71) cannon. It had good speed and maneuverability. It was characterized by low mechanical reliability and relatively thin side armor.