Review of tank destroyers of all nations. Self-propelled guns and anti-tank guns Outstanding examples of anti-tank self-propelled guns
The artillery system for it was designed at the Design Bureau of Plant No. 172, and the chassis was designed at the Sverdlovsk Transport Engineering Plant (chief designer Efimov). A prototype of the SU-152 "Taran" self-propelled gun (object 120) was manufactured in 1965 and was a completely enclosed vehicle with a fighting compartment in the rear, and an engine and transmission in the bow. The chassis and power plant of the self-propelled gun are borrowed from the SU-152P.
The M-69 cannon with a monoblock barrel 9045 mm long (59.5 klb) is placed in a rotating turret at the rear of the self-propelled gun. Its horizontal guidance is carried out by turning the turret using an electric drive, and its vertical guidance is carried out by a hydraulic drive. The gun is equipped with an ejector mounted in the muzzle of the barrel: when fired, powder gases filled its receiver and then, when the pressure in it and in the barrel bore after the projectile was fired, rushed through inclined nozzles to the barrel, drawing out those gases that remained in the breech. The operating time of the ejector was regulated by ball valves in the filling channels of the receiver.
The bolt of the M-69 cannon is a semi-automatic horizontal wedge, loading is separate-case. Powder charges - full weight 10.7 kg, and reduced weight 3.5 kg. — located in metal or combustible cartridges. For armor-piercing tracer shells, a special charge weighing 9.8 kg was used.
The gun could fire high-explosive fragmentation shells weighing 43.5 kg, sub-caliber armor-piercing shells weighing 12.5 kg, as well as cumulative shells. For firing high-explosive fragmentation shells, two types of charges were used: full - weighing 10.7 kg, and reduced - weighing 3.5 kg. For an armor-piercing projectile, a special charge weighing 9.8 kg was used. Armor-piercing shells were capable of penetrating armor up to 295 mm thick from a distance of up to 3500 m. The direct shot range was 2050 m at a target height of 2 m and 2500 m at a target height of 3 m. To aim the gun at the target during daylight hours, the TSh-22 sight was used , in the dark - a periscope night sight. The total transportable ammunition of the self-propelled gun was 22 rounds. Additional weapons included a 14.5 mm machine gun, as well as 2 AK-47 assault rifles and 20 F-1 hand grenades.
The hull of the self-propelled gun was welded from rolled steel armor sheets and divided into three compartments: power (engine and transmission), control and combat compartments. The thickness of the frontal sheet of the hull was 30 mm. According to the tactical and technical requirements, the frontal armor of the hull and turret was supposed to protect the self-propelled guns from damage by armor-piercing shells of 57 mm caliber with an impact speed of 950 m/s.
The SU-152 Taran (object 120) was not accepted for service. The main reason for this was the creation of effective alternative anti-tank weapons - the 125-mm D-81 smoothbore gun and anti-tank guided missiles.
When creating the SU-152 Taran, the designers used many new and original engineering and technical solutions. Many of them came in handy later, in the 60s, when creating the next generation of self-propelled artillery.
Performance characteristics of the 152-mm self-propelled gun SU-152 Taran (Object 120)
Combat weight.t 27
Crew. people 4
Overall dimensions, mm:
case length 6870
width 3120
height 2820
Booking, mm:
body forehead 30
Armament 152 mm M-69 cannon
Ammunition 22 rounds
Engine V-54-105, 12-cylinder, V-shaped. 4-stroke liquid-cooled diesel, power 294 kW at 2000 rpm
Maximum speed on the highway, km/h 63.4
Cruising range on the highway, km 280
What is a tank destroyer in World of Tanks? How to use in battle, the main tactics of the game. Overview of all tank destroyers by country.
Nominally an anti-tank self-propelled gun, it is a field artillery unit that has the ability to move independently. Indeed, any stationary gun has always had superiority over a tank, since installing a large caliber in an armored vehicle is always more difficult. However, field artillery lost in mobility, because it was enough to discover the positions of the artillerymen for the question of their destruction to become a matter of time.
Self-propelled guns in this regard are, of course, more effective than conventional guns, however, the general tactics for this type of equipment remained identical, the most thoughtful choice of firing position, with the ability to fire at a large sector of space, while the self-propelled gun itself must be invisible to the enemy for as long as possible.
Of course, the number of types of self-propelled guns was huge, some engineering bureaus were developing the fastest possible vehicles, some were increasing the caliber, experiments were carried out on installing conning towers with the ability to rotate on self-propelled guns. Most of these cars are reflected in WOT.
The main idea of tactical actions has already been voiced in the first part of the article - the correct choice of position and camouflage are the first and most significant for tank destroyers. However, you should not neglect changing your position. Tank destroyers in World of Tanks are the highest priority and “tasty” target for enemy artillery, you should not forget about this. And you can calculate the tracer not only from enemy self-propelled gun fire. Moreover, some “classic positions” are known to WOT professionals, and preventive shots there are not uncommon.
While moving, try not to turn the sides and stern towards the enemy; most of the World of Tanks tank destroyers are practically unprotected on these sides, but they have impenetrable frontal armor that will save you more than once.
The tank destroyer has the most powerful fire potential, but in close combat it can lose to a light tank due to its clumsiness. Try to keep the enemy at maximum distance; if you are participating in an attack, then stay behind the main armored group, supporting it with fire. Remember - your task is to fire as long and as long as possible, that is, survival becomes a priority goal.
Tank destroyer in World of Tanks by country
The upgrade branch for Soviet STs offers us, perhaps, some of the best anti-tank guns. The first vehicle in the branch is the AT-1, which actually defines the entire Soviet weapon system in the game. This is a “cardboard”, “slow” AT, but at the same time it has a fantastic weapon. With a rate of fire of 30 shells per minute, the AT can burn down an enemy tank of the same age in literally 2 hits, rarely needing to send a third shell. There are often situations when a well-positioned AT-1 is able to “earn a warrior” in half a minute, eliminating an enemy breakthrough in its entirety.
Further development presents us with a series of SU (self-propelled units) - SU-76, SU-85B, SU-85 and SU-100. In general, all these vehicles are very similar - fast and maneuverable ATs, with an accurate and armor-piercing, but not very powerful gun. Sniper fire and support for quick breakthroughs are their destiny.
The exception is the wonderful SU-100 machine, which “divides” the branch into 2 parts. As an alternative, the player is offered two guns - a less powerful but fast-firing 100mm gun, and a powerful but extremely inaccurate 122mm gun. Personal preference is given to 100mm, accuracy and rate of fire with equal penetration makes it possible to inflict much more damage per minute than a large caliber.
In fact, after this machine, the branch of Soviet AT is divided into two parts - the first includes large-caliber and heavy AT - and , which are a development of the idea of the SU-100 with a 122 mm gun. The second branch consists of “fast” and less powerful machines, but very effective in the right hands: , . In fact, the first branch offers the player an “ambush” game, with long-range sniper shooting and inflicting crushing damage on the enemy.
Already a level 7 tank tank, the SU-152 can easily use its high-explosive launcher to perform one-shots on tanks of the same age. An alternative is “mobile AT” - when you sit in the bushes for a smaller part of the time, devoting the main part of the battle to supporting the striking fist. The speed and maneuverability of your PT allows you to even attack together with CT, hiding behind which you can significantly increase your firepower, thereby making it easier to break through.
German tank destroyers World of Tank
The German branch of tank destroyers is less diverse, but at the same time quite successfully competes with the Soviet alternative. Rather, even at low levels, German technology is more successful, beginning to give primacy only to the 8th levels, but remaining more than successful and popular.
Unlike Soviet tank destroyers in World of Tank, German ones are usually much slower, but, like all German equipment, they are accurate, and their firepower is amazing. Panzerjäger I - the starting tank destroyer does not have the talents of the AT-1, surpassing it only in visibility, but the Marder - a tank destroyer of the third level, is, of course, the best vehicle among its peers. A huge horizontal firing sector and a good gun make this tank destroyer one of the favorite “sand machines”.
Hetzer and - two magnificent “high-explosive anti-tank missiles”. Their randomness level is usually low, which allows them to destroy half of the enemies “with one hit.” The disadvantages are weak armor and low-blindness, but all this is overshadowed by enemies scattering in one hit.
is perhaps the least outstanding tank destroyer in Germany, mainly due to its weak gun, but its accuracy and rate of fire make it very comfortable to play with the vehicle.
– modification of tank destroyer in World of Tanks based on the Panther. The main disadvantage of the car is its high profile, which makes it noticeable and vulnerable. However, the most powerful weapon for the seventh level allows you to easily destroy tanks of the 8th and even 9th levels, and with the use of premium shells and accurate shooting, it can be dangerous even for TOP tanks.
And is the only fork in the entire branch, and both of them lead to the same result. Ferdinand is the iconic German PT, has thick frontal armor, and a powerful weapon - but pays for this with low movement speed. Jagpanther 2 is a development of the idea of the first modification, with a gun mounted at the rear of the tank. The tank has the highest dynamics, the gun is wonderful, but the armor, of course, leaves much to be desired. On the other hand, it is very ricocheting, so that more than one projectile “clangs” as it flies to the side.
– 250 mm of frontal armor is invulnerable even to the best guns in the game, and the top gun with damage of 560 and penetration of 276 mm is a strong argument against any vehicle in the game. However, the base of the "Tiger" carries with it all the "weaknesses" of the prototype - the "squareness of the hull", which makes ricochets virtually impossible, thin armor on the sides and stern, clumsiness, and enormous size. In general, tank destroyers are very dependent on the skill of the game - different players have diametrically opposed opinions about it.
- a huge armored fortress. An analogue of the E-100 tank, but with a 170 mm naval gun installed. One hit from such a barrel is enough for the enemy to panic. However, do not forget about the thin lower armor plate, which must be skillfully covered, as well as about the zero maneuverability of the vehicle, when left alone with a fast enemy - the JagdPz E-100 is defenseless.
US tank destroyer
Today, these are the only tank destroyers in World of Tanks that have vehicles with a rotating turret in their arsenal. In general, the general impression about American PTs is that low levels are weak and helpless, with rare bright “stars”, but TOP PTs compensate for all the difficulties of the start.
Sand ATs - T82, M8A1, T40, T49 and M10 Wolverine - are weak and ineffective. The high speed of some vehicles is not compensated by practically “any” weapon, which, in general, determines the game, transforming all this equipment into “support”. The only exception is the T49, the frantic speed of this PT (up to 72 km/h) can allow it to quickly change positions and become a very dangerous enemy. However, the very small ammunition load, combined with a weak gun, does not allow the vehicle to prove itself.
At level 6, the Hellcat stands out noticeably; it has excellent speed, maneuverability, and is already a decent weapon; in the right hands it can cause a lot of harm to the enemy. However, you should not try to use this machine as a ST; it is destroyed quickly and easily. Alas, 9 out of 10 players play it this way.
We find the best examples of American PTs at levels 9 and 10. This is an analogue of the premium T-34 tank with a naval gun, this is the iconic “turtle”, a tank destroyer with frontal armor of more than 300 millimeters, and two top tank tanks - and . These two PTs are modifications of the top American tank T110E5. At the same time, E3 is a development of the “turtle” idea with improved dynamics and preservation of the most powerful armor, and E4 has a 180-degree rotating turret, which makes the AT indispensable in cities.
French tank destroyer
For these vehicles, the trend of American tank destroyers in World of Tanks is even more pronounced. If the USA has its own stars at the middle levels, then France gives the player only two wonderful cars: , and . The remarkable maneuverability, dynamics and cross-country ability of the Foshas, combined with strong armor and a decent weapon, allows these ATs to take their rightful place and be used in companies and on the global map.
But the path to these two machines is thorny and difficult. Almost without exception, tank destroyers in France, starting with the RenaultFT AC and ending with them, are losing to their “peers” in other countries. The Renault UE 57 stands out somewhat; this car, as one of the players aptly notes, resembles “a lawn mower with an anti-tank rifle mounted on it, and a piece of fence to protect the shooter.” It stands out only due to its size - getting into such a flea can sometimes be problematic.
The rest of the French vehicles for the most part have a very strange configuration, weak armor, despite their large sizes, and far from the best guns.
British tank destroyer
With the latest patch, the game's fleet of vehicles has been replenished with British anti-tank vehicles.
At the second level, Universal Carrier 2-pdr opens to us. The vehicle shows itself to be an excellent sniper when using the stock gun, but oddly enough, it sharply loses in game quality after installing the TOP guns. This happens due to the extremely low accuracy of the 6-inch guns for this vehicle.
The next tank destroyer in World of Tanks is based on the Matilda medium tank and has an open wheelhouse with virtually no armor. With this tank destroyer in World of Tanks, choosing between an armor-piercing and high-explosive weapon is quite difficult: the first has a faster rate of fire, but the alpha damage inflicted is excessively low; the high-explosive, like most guns of this class, has enormous destructive power when hit. But the landmine must first be loaded, and then manage to hit the target.
The 4th level vehicle is Alecto, already nicknamed Electra in the game world - a classic light AT. This vehicle does not have virtually any armor, being vulnerable even to machine guns, but its stunning visibility for an AT and a good selection of guns compensate for the shortcomings. With guns, the trend of tank destroyers of the previous level continues.
The fifth level finally brings us to real British tank destroyers. There is no longer room for speed and light armor in these vehicles. Churchill Gun Carrier, as you might guess, is based on the heavy Churchill tank. This legacy carries with it all its well-known problems - disgusting maneuverability, low dynamics, and non-ergonomic armor. However, such a powerful base made it possible to install an excellent TOP weapon of the 8th level on the tank destroyer in World of Tanks, using which you can successfully fight even against vehicles of levels 8-9. True until the moment they discover you.
Vehicles from levels 6 to 9: AT-8, AT-7, AT-15 and, as a crowning achievement, the A39 Tortoise - prototypes of assault vehicles used to break through defenses. The very idea of such a cross between a heavy tank and a tank tank implied the most powerful frontal armor. In combination with an extremely large-caliber weapon, which makes it possible to destroy stronghold firing points, often with meter-high walls made of reinforced concrete. Naturally, such vehicles were designed with minimal mobility and maneuverability; the flank defense of such tanks had to be provided by infantry and light equipment.
In WOT this technique has similar parameters. The TOP guns of these vehicles are extremely dangerous, but if the enemy tank is able to leave the firing range of your “turtles” and force close combat, the fate of the tank is unenviable.
The crowning achievement of British engineering developing tank destroyers in WOT is the FV215b (183). Created on the basis of the FV215 heavy tank, the PT has a similar configuration with the gun located at the rear of the tank. But what a weapon! A 183 mm gun is capable, without jokes, with a single hit, of destroying level 10 tanks, even if the enemy survives, this is actually equivalent to a direct hit from TOP artillery.
Moreover, the gun of this tank destroyer can also rotate, which has a beneficial effect on camouflage. However, this should not be considered a trump card. For the entire battle, the vehicle has only 12 shells (!), and the reload speed of half a minute, in case of a miss, actually takes the vehicle out of the battle, which is very problematic given its speed. Although in general, the skillful use of this AT can cause enormous damage to the enemy.
Chinese tank destroyer
In the new version of the game, unfortunately, China is not yet represented in the tank destroyer branch in World of Tanks; it is expected in the coming patches.
Anti-tank self-propelled gun- a self-propelled artillery unit (self-propelled gun) with incomplete bulletproof armor specialized for combating enemy armored vehicles. Sometimes combat vehicles of this type were classified as anti-tank guns on a self-propelled carriage. Anti-tank self-propelled guns should be distinguished from tank destroyers similar in purpose, which have full and at least in the frontal projection armor against projectiles.
Self-propelled guns of this type first appeared during the Second World War as a mobile anti-tank defense weapon, which made it possible to dramatically increase the mobility of powerful anti-tank guns by mounting them on a self-propelled base. Initially conceived as a temporary measure, until specialized tank destroyers entered the army, anti-tank self-propelled guns, due to their low cost and manufacturability, were produced and used until the end of the war. Subsequently, as the armies of various countries became saturated with modern models of tanks and tank destroyers, anti-tank self-propelled guns were removed from service. A significant role in this was played by their inability to cope with the conditions of combat operations using weapons of mass destruction. Currently not applicable.
Story
During the Second World War, the massive use of tanks raised the question of creating effective countermeasures for all belligerents. Before the war, the main means of fighting tanks were towed anti-tank guns of 20-47 mm caliber. These guns had a small mass, did not require powerful tractors, could roll across the battlefield only with the help of their own crew, were easily camouflaged on the ground, and could easily turn towards any threatened direction. They were effective against most tanks in the mid-1930s, but even before the start of World War II, new types of armored vehicles appeared in a number of countries that were less vulnerable to their fire. To combat them, new models of anti-tank guns of 50-76 mm caliber were developed and put into service. However, the price for increased penetrating ability was their increased mass and size. As a result, they rolled across the battlefield with crew forces and required powerful tractors for transportation over long distances and greater efforts to dig in and camouflage. The cost of both the guns themselves and their ammunition has also increased. The high recoil force led to such a deepening of the coulters of powerful anti-tank guns into the ground that the crew could no longer independently turn the gun to hit targets outside the current sector of fire. Thus, the entry of enemy tanks into the flank or rear became a deadly threat that became impossible to counter with one’s own forces.
In such conditions, even powerful and long-range anti-tank guns represented only a partial solution to the problem. Towed anti-tank artillery was usually effective in the case of a pre-prepared defense, saturated with a large number of engineering defensive structures, obstacles and minefields. Their presence, to some extent, made it possible to protect the gun crews from rifle and machine-gun fire and deprive the enemy of freedom of maneuver. However, even with the presence of a sufficient number of tractors, towed anti-tank guns were not a highly mobile anti-tank defense weapon (ATD). Outside defensive structures, crews and materiel of towed anti-tank guns in combat position are extremely vulnerable to enemy rifle and machine gun fire, artillery and mortar shelling with fragmentation ammunition, as well as any air attacks. For maximum effectiveness, towed anti-tank guns require well-functioning tactical interaction with their infantry and anti-aircraft gunners, which is not always possible.
The solution to the problem was the development and launch into mass production of specialized tank destroyers, but this required time and significant resources, while the pressing issue of organizing mobile anti-tank equipment could not be delayed. A good way out of this situation was the installation of field anti-tank guns on the chassis of outdated or captured tanks, fairly powerful tractors or armored personnel carriers. As a rule, both the gun and the tank base were subjected to the minimum possible alterations in order to speed up the conversion production processes. To ensure the convenience of crew work, the wheelhouse or turret of the anti-tank self-propelled gun was made open; in the vast majority of cases, the armor of the vehicle was bulletproof.
Anti-tank self-propelled guns could be equipped with very powerful (and therefore heavy) guns, up to such models as the German 128-mm gun with anti-aircraft ballistics. This solved the problems of their tactical and operational mobility, as well as rapid rotation in a given direction. Cheapness in production often led to the fact that anti-tank self-propelled guns, originally intended as a temporary measure, were produced and fought until the end of the war.
The disadvantages of anti-tank self-propelled guns are largely common with the disadvantages of towed anti-tank guns, with the exception of the low mobility of the latter: they are still vulnerable to shell fragments and mines during shelling, hits from high-explosive and cumulative shells due to the “flowing” of the shock wave from the explosion into open combat squad, any attacks from the air, and are also weak in close combat against enemy infantry - to destroy the crew of such an SPG, it is enough to throw a hand grenade into its fighting compartment. Also, anti-tank self-propelled guns are relatively ineffective against unarmored targets. On the other hand, the open fighting compartment allows you to interact very closely in battle with your infantry and quickly leave the damaged vehicle.
Despite all the advantages, in the post-war period, due to their fundamentally irremovable shortcomings, anti-tank self-propelled guns quickly disappeared from the scene. An important role in this was played by the focus on the use of equipment in conditions of the use of weapons of mass destruction - the crew receives basic protection from the damaging factors of a nuclear explosion, a mixture of air with toxic substances, toxins and formulations of infectious microorganisms only in a hermetically sealed combat vehicle with a filter-ventilation unit, which for anti-tank self-propelled guns are impossible in principle.
Below we discuss particular features of the development of anti-tank self-propelled guns in various countries.
Third Reich
The combat experience of campaigns in Poland, France and the Balkans clearly demonstrated the insufficiency of traditional towed anti-tank artillery in terms of mobility and security when operating jointly with tank and mechanized units. The German military realized the benefit of having vehicles in tank groups armed with powerful anti-tank guns, with the same mobility and maneuverability as the tanks themselves. As a result, some of the obsolete Panzerkampfwagen I light tanks were converted into anti-tank self-propelled guns by dismantling the turret and turret box and installing in their place a captured 47-mm Czech anti-tank gun with shield cover and aiming mechanisms. The horizontal sector of fire, although not circular, turned out to be comparable to the aiming angles of towed anti-tank guns. This conversion was designated Panzerjäger I and since 1941 it was quite successfully used in North Africa and on the Eastern Front against numerous British and Soviet tanks with bulletproof armor. However, the heavily armored Matildas, Valentines, T-34s and KVs were low-vulnerable to 47-mm shells. The problem of penetrating their armor was solved with the adoption of the 7.62 cm Pak 36(r) and 7.5 cm Pak 40 anti-tank guns, however, both of these artillery systems were heavy and immobile. The logical next step was their installation on a self-propelled base, which used the chassis of captured French tanks, Panzerkampfwagen II and Panzerkampfwagen 38(t). This is how the well-known anti-tank self-propelled guns of the Marder family (German) appeared. marten) - Marder I, Marder II and Marder III respectively. The latter was produced in two modifications, distinguished by the installation of a cannon in the middle or rear of the vehicle. "Marders" fought on all fronts of the Second World War until its end.
An interesting experiment in imparting mobility to extremely powerful 128-mm guns with anti-aircraft ballistics was a pair of experienced anti-tank self-propelled guns “Sturer Emil” based on the experienced DW2 breakthrough tanks. But it was not they that established themselves as powerful serial anti-tank self-propelled guns, but an 88-mm cannon with a barrel length of 71 calibers on a specialized Geschützwagen III/IV chassis, created on the basis of components and assemblies of two medium tanks Panzerkampfwagen III and. Initially, these self-propelled guns were called Hornisse (German). hornet), but on the personal instructions of the Fuhrer they were renamed Nashorn (German. rhinoceros). Despite the weak bulletproof armor and high silhouette, these vehicles, due to their long-range and powerful cannon, successfully hit heavily armored targets at a distance of over 3 km (however, it should be borne in mind that such cases were very rare compared to other military clashes of the Second World War).
Towards the end of the war, when many Pak 40 guns were simply abandoned during the retreat of the Wehrmacht, anti-tank self-propelled guns began to appear on any suitable base: Sd.Kfz.234 armored vehicles, Sd.Kfz.251 armored personnel carriers, Ost tractors. The latter can already be classified as improvisation due to the lack of more suitable chassis.
USSR
Before the Great Patriotic War, work was carried out on self-propelled artillery units of all classes; there were plans to create anti-tank self-propelled guns based on the released T-26 and BT after the mechanized and tank corps were equipped with new equipment. The attack of the Third Reich on the USSR did not make it possible to translate them into reality. However, the need for vehicles of this class turned out to be so acute that already in December 1941, the ZiS-30 self-propelled gun was developed - the installation of a rotating part of a 57-mm anti-tank gun mod. 1941 (ZiS-2) to the base of the T-20 Komsomolets light semi-armored artillery tractor. The resulting vehicle turned out to be a “pure” ersatz self-propelled gun, but under the conditions of that time it would have been hardly possible to achieve anything better. The ZiS-30 received a good rating for the armor penetration of its gun and an extremely unsatisfactory rating for its stability when firing and the reliability of its self-propelled base. By the summer of 1942, due to losses and failures, they disappeared from the ranks of the Red Army.
The further development of anti-tank self-propelled guns in the USSR was to a certain extent associated with the light multi-purpose installation SU-76. After it acquired its final appearance with an open fighting compartment and a pair of GAZ-202 engines, in essence this vehicle became an anti-tank self-propelled gun, similar to the German Marders, but was used extremely widely and for direct support of infantry (i.e. . performed the tasks of assault guns), and sometimes for firing from closed positions (i.e., it was also used as a self-propelled howitzer). There was an experimental version of it, armed with a 57-mm ZiS-4 cannon, which was already a “pure” anti-tank self-propelled gun, but the Soviet leadership preferred full-fledged tank destroyers, and therefore, despite its full suitability for such combat work, it was not accepted into service with the Red Army. An additional reason was the established “de facto” status of all Soviet self-propelled guns as multi-purpose vehicles, and the 57-mm anti-tank gun had significantly worse firepower against manpower and field fortifications compared to the 76-mm “division” ZiS-3 of the SU -76.
Another attempt to create an anti-tank self-propelled gun was the desire of “non-tank” military leaders to have divisional artillery (which very often worked as anti-tank) on a self-propelled base. The result was an experimental self-propelled gun OSA-76 based on the T-60, which in many respects looked preferable to the serial SU-76M, which were operated by “pure” tankers. As a result, the latter considered themselves disadvantaged by such “partisanship” and took control of the development into their own hands, which was reflected in the change of the index to OSU-76; however, it never reached mass production.
In the last months of the war and for some time after it (until 1946, and in some cases possibly later), captured Marders and Nashorns were officially in service with the Red Army under the names SU-75 and SU-88, respectively.
USA
American anti-tank self-propelled guns were officially classified as “tank destroyers”, but incomplete and partial armor does not allow them to be classified as full-fledged tank destroyers. A characteristic feature of American vehicles was the placement of weapons in a rotating turret open at the top with a developed counterweight on its rear side.
- The M18 Hellcat is a highly mobile and technologically advanced anti-tank self-propelled gun on a special base.
- M36 Jackson (or Slugger) - a slow-moving, but very powerfully armed anti-tank self-propelled gun based on the M4 Sherman medium tank; had good frontal armor, but the side armor was still bulletproof.
Great Britain
At the very initial stage of the Second World War, His Majesty’s troops did not have any self-propelled artillery, but as the fighting progressed, the first examples of it already appeared in the North African theater of operations. With the landing of the German Afrika Korps, the British were faced with a highly proactive enemy who made full use of the mobility potential inherent in tank and motorized forces. Accordingly, a need arose for very mobile anti-tank weapons capable of fending off the threat posed by German mobile tank groups. The British solved this problem by installing their 6-pound anti-tank gun in the back of the AEC Matador all-wheel drive artillery tractor with partial armoring of the latter. The resulting wheeled self-propelled gun was named Deacon. deacon) and has proven itself well in battles.
However, Great Britain's own forces were not enough to solve many of the problems that arose during the war with the development and production of military equipment. Therefore, US assistance under the Lend-Lease Act came in very handy. Thus, the British troops also received the 3inch Gun Motor Carriage M10 anti-tank self-propelled guns, to which the soldiers gave the nickname Wolverine. wolverine). However, the power of its 76-mm M7 gun was found insufficient against German heavy tanks and some of the vehicles were re-equipped with their own 17-pounder guns of the same caliber, which had significantly greater penetrating power, especially with the use of the then latest armor-piercing sub-caliber projectiles with a detachable pan. This alteration was called "Achilles" (eng. Achilles). Also, in connection with the end of the active career of the Valentine light infantry tanks, the same 17-pounder gun was installed on their base in a stationary wheelhouse open at the top. The new anti-tank self-propelled gun of its own design also had its own name “Archer” (eng. archer).
Kingdom of Italy
Before World War II, Italian troops did not have any self-propelled guns at all. However, the situation changed quite quickly after joining it. The battles in North Africa clearly showed the weakness, on the verge of becoming useless, of the main armament of Italian armored vehicles - 20-mm and 47-mm cannons against the English Matildas and Valentines. Even the more lightly protected Crusaders had frontal armor that was difficult to penetrate with 47mm shells. A solution was found quite quickly - based on the results of the battles in France, the Italian military “spied” the idea of self-propelled artillery from the Germans. In particular, the Carro Armato L6/40 light tank, recently adopted by the Royal Army, was recognized as a suitable base for placing a 47-mm anti-tank gun. As a result of installing this gun in a stationary open-top wheelhouse in place of the turret and turret box, the light anti-tank self-propelled gun Semovente da 47/32 was obtained. However, its firepower was only sufficient against light British and Soviet tanks, and the Matildas, T-34s and KVs remained weakly vulnerable to it. This turned out to be especially tragic for the Italian Army in Russia (ARMIR), which, due to the lack of powerful anti-tank weapons, was completely defeated during the Battle of Stalingrad. This weakness did not go unnoticed; Italian designers installed a rotating part of a powerful 90-mm cannon with anti-aircraft ballistics on a modified Carro Armato M14/41 tank chassis. The small dimensions of the resulting self-propelled gun Semovente da 90/53 forced us to limit the carried ammunition to 6 rounds; its protection is also difficult to consider sufficient even against bullets and shrapnel. However, a special ammunition transporter was developed for it and it was intended to be used as a long-range anti-tank weapon, when both of the mentioned negative factors were not of particular importance, according to the Italian military. But they failed to test their ideas on the Eastern Front, the remnants of ARMIR were urgently recalled to Italy, and after the Anglo-American invasion of the Apennines, Semovente da 90/53 were confiscated by the Germans. The latter used them not so much as an anti-tank self-propelled gun (due to the mountainous terrain and the lack of plains where the 90 mm gun could best prove itself), but as mobile field artillery.
Layout features
In terms of their layout, anti-tank self-propelled guns (with the gun placed in the wheelhouse) are quite typical - the wheelhouse with the gun is located in the stern, the engine is in the middle, and the control compartment is in the bow of the vehicle. An interesting exception is the Archer self-propelled gun, which looks similar to all other vehicles of this class, but is actually similar in layout to the Soviet SU-85 tank destroyer - the fighting compartment and control compartment are located in the nose of the vehicle, and the engine in the stern. The difference is that the SU-85's gun is aimed in the direction of the self-propelled gun, while the Archer's gun is directed against it. In the combat position, the Archer turned stern forward and its driver did not see the battlefield. However, this made it possible to quickly leave the firing position moving forward without turning the vehicle.
Self-propelled artillery pieces served in a variety of roles in World War II, from supporting infantry in defense to mobile anti-tank weapons capable of attacking in conjunction with other units.
The main armament of self-propelled guns, depending on their type, were anti-tank guns with a caliber of 47 to 128 millimeters or howitzers with a caliber of up to 380 millimeters. Depending on the power of the gun, the armor and the weight of the self-propelled guns changed. For the Sturmtiger it reached 68 tons, and for the anti-tank self-propelled gun Jagdtiger - 70 tons; this self-propelled gun was the heaviest vehicle of World War II. Most often, self-propelled guns were designed on the chassis of various tanks, sometimes outdated, but preserved in large numbers (like the German Pz-I and Pz-II by 1941). The main difference between self-propelled guns and tanks was the absence of a rotating turret, which reduced the height (and, accordingly, vulnerability) of the vehicle, but also reduced its combat characteristics. Most often, self-propelled guns were used in mobile units, especially in tank divisions when breaking through enemy defenses, as well as when repelling tank attacks. They showed their high efficiency, although heavy self-propelled guns with powerful guns (Ferdinand, Nashorn, Jagdpanther) were vulnerable to aviation and much more mobile medium tanks.
Assessing the successes of German troops in Africa, Millentin wrote:
“How then should we explain the brilliant successes of the Afrika Korps? In my opinion, our victories were determined by three factors: the qualitative superiority of our anti-tank guns, the systematic application of the principle of interaction between military branches and - last but not least - our tactical methods. While the British limited the role of their 3.7-inch anti-aircraft guns (very powerful guns) to fighting aircraft, we used our 88-mm guns to fire at both tanks and aircraft.
The main means of anti-tank defense were tanks and artillery fire, primarily anti-tank in combination with terrain engineering equipment and natural obstacles, aviation and minefields. The regulations required the creation of anti-tank defense along lines (battalion, regimental and divisional) and, first of all, in front of the front line. The defensive battle had to begin on the distant approaches to the main strip, inflicting air strikes and long-range artillery attacks on the enemy. In the supply zone, forward detachments entered the battle. And then the units allocated to combat guards. The main forces and firepower of rifle units and formations were brought into the battle for the main line of defense. When enemy tanks break through into the depths of the main defense line, the formation commander must organize a counterattack in order to delay the enemy’s advance.
To combat the new medium and heavy tanks that appeared in the USA and Great Britain, several types of anti-tank self-propelled guns were developed in the USSR after the war.
In the mid-50s, production began of the SU-122 self-propelled gun, designed on the basis of the T-54 medium tank. The new self-propelled gun, designated SU-122-54 to avoid confusion, was designed and manufactured taking into account previous combat experience in using self-propelled guns during the war years. A.E. was appointed lead designer. Sulin.
The main armament of the SU-122 was the D-49 cannon (52-PS-471D) - a modernized version of the D-25 gun that was armed with the post-war serial IS series tanks. The gun was equipped with a wedge horizontal semi-automatic breech with an electromechanical chambering mechanism, due to which it was possible to increase the rate of fire of the gun to five rounds per minute. The lifting mechanism of the sector-type gun provides gun pointing angles from -3° to +20° vertically. When the barrel was given an elevation angle of 20°, the firing range using HE ammunition was 13,400 m. The cannon fired tank armor-piercing and high-explosive fragmentation shells, as well as high-explosive fragmentation grenades from M-30 and D-30 howitzers. With its appearance in the early 1960s. For the American M60 tank and the English Chieftain tank, sub-caliber and cumulative projectiles were developed for the D-49 rifled gun. Ammunition - 35 rounds of separate-case type. Additional weapons were two 14.5 mm KPVT machine guns. One with a pneumatic reloading system is paired with a cannon, the other is anti-aircraft.
The body of the self-propelled gun is completely enclosed and welded from rolled armor plates, the thickness of the frontal part is 100 mm, the side is 85 mm. The fighting compartment was combined with the control compartment. In front of the hull there was a conning tower in which the cannon was located.
A rangefinder was installed in a rotating turret located on the right side of the cabin roof.
The SU-122-54 self-propelled gun would have no equal on the battlefields of World War II. But the improvement of the tanks themselves, which became capable of hitting not only fire weapons and infantry, but also armored targets, as their armament improved, and the appearance of ATGMs, made the production of specialized tank destroyers pointless.
From 1954 to 1956, the total number of cars produced was 77 units. Subsequently, after repairs, these vehicles were converted into armored tractors and technical support vehicles.
By the beginning of the 80s, self-propelled anti-tank artillery systems had practically disappeared in most armies of developed countries. Their functions were taken over by anti-tank systems and partly by the so-called “wheeled tanks” - lightly armored universal vehicles with powerful artillery weapons.
In the USSR, the development of tank destroyers continued to provide anti-tank defense for airborne units. Several types of self-propelled guns were designed and produced specifically for the Airborne Forces (Airborne Forces).
The first model of armored vehicles designed specifically for the airborne troops was the ASU-76, armed with a 76-mm cannon, created under the leadership of N. A. Astrov. The vehicle design was developed in October 1946 - June 1947, and the first prototype of the self-propelled gun was completed in December 1947. ASU-76 had a crew of three, minimized dimensions, light bulletproof armor and a power plant based on automobile units. After completion of the tests carried out in 1948-1949, on December 17, 1949, the ASU-76 was put into service, but its mass production, with the exception of two pilot batch vehicles assembled in 1950, which did not withstand field tests, was not carried out. Due to a number of reasons, primarily the refusal to produce the Il-32 heavy transport glider - the only means of landing a 5.8-ton vehicle at that time.
In 1948, in the design bureau of plant No. 40, under the leadership of N. A. Astrov and D. I. Sazonov, the ASU-57 self-propelled gun was created, armed with a 57-mm semi-automatic cannon Ch-51, with the ballistics of the Grabin ZiS-2. In 1951, the ASU-57 was adopted by the Soviet Army.
The main armament of the ASU-57 was the 57-mm semi-automatic rifled gun Ch-51, in the basic version or the Ch-51M modification. The gun had a monoblock barrel with a length of 74.16 calibers. The technical rate of fire of the Ch-51 was up to 12, the practical sighting rate was 7...10 rounds per minute. The horizontal guidance angles of the gun were ±8°, and the vertical guidance angles were from −5° to +12°. The Ch-51's ammunition load was 30 unitary rounds with all-metal cartridges. The ammunition load could include shots with armor-piercing, sub-caliber and fragmentation shells; in terms of the range of ammunition, the Ch-51 was unified with the ZIS-2 anti-tank gun.
For self-defense of the ASU-57 crew in the first years, it was equipped with a 7.62-mm SGM heavy machine gun or an RPD light machine gun carried on the left side of the fighting compartment.
ASU-57 had light bulletproof armor protection. The hull of the self-propelled gun, a semi-closed type, was a rigid load-bearing box-shaped structure assembled from sheets of armored steel 4 and 6 mm thick, connected to each other mainly by welding, as well as non-armored duralumin sheets connected to the rest of the hull parts by riveting.
The ASU-57 was equipped with an in-line 4-cylinder four-stroke carburetor automobile engine model M-20E produced by the GAZ plant, with a maximum power of 55 hp.
Before the advent of a new generation of military transport aircraft, ASU-57 could only be transported by air using a towed Yak-14 transport glider. ASU-57 entered and left the airframe under its own power through the hinged nose; in flight, the installation was secured with cables, and to prevent swinging, its suspension units were locked to the body.
The situation has changed significantly with the adoption of new military transport aircraft with increased payload capacity An-8 and An-12, which provided landing of the ASU-57 both by landing and by parachute. Also, a heavy military transport helicopter Mi-6 could be used to land self-propelled guns.
The ASU-57 entered service with the USSR Airborne Forces in relatively small quantities. Thus, according to the staffing schedule, in the seven airborne divisions that existed by the end of the 1950s, not counting one training division, there should have been a total of only 245 self-propelled guns. In the SPG troops, for its characteristic design features, it received the nickname “bare-assed Ferdinand”, previously worn by the SU-76, which the ASU-57 replaced in self-propelled artillery divisions.
Since the transport equipment in service with the Airborne Forces in the early 1950s did not have means of airborne landing, the self-propelled gun was used as a light tractor, as well as for transporting up to four paratroopers on armor, the latter was used, in particular, during flanking or rear outflanking of the enemy, when a quick transfer of forces was required.
The appearance of more advanced models in service with the Airborne Forces did not entail the removal of the ASU-57 from service; the latter only, after a series of reorganizations, were transferred from the divisional level of the Airborne Forces to the regimental level. For a long time, the ASU-57 remained the only type of airborne armored vehicle capable of providing fire support to the landing force and capable of landing by parachute. As the parachute regiments were re-equipped in the 1970s with new airborne BMD-1s, which provided anti-tank defense and fire support down to the squad level, the ASU-57 regimental batteries were gradually disbanded. The ASU-57 was finally withdrawn from service in the early 1980s.
The success of the light airborne self-propelled gun ASU-57 gave rise to the desire of the Soviet command to also have a medium self-propelled gun with an 85-mm cannon.
In 1959, the developed OKB-40 headed by N.A. entered service. Astrov
ASU-85. The main armament of the ASU-85 was the 2A15 cannon (factory designation D-70), which had a monoblock barrel, equipped with a muzzle brake and an ejector to remove residual powder gases from the barrel. A manually driven sector lifting mechanism provides elevation angles in the range from -5 to +15 degrees. Horizontal guidance – 30 degrees. A 7.62-mm SGMT machine gun was paired with the cannon.
The transportable ammunition load of 45 unitary rounds included unitary rounds weighing 21.8 kg with several types of shells. These included high-explosive fragmentation grenades UO-365K weighing 9.54 kg, which had an initial speed of 909 m/s and were intended to destroy manpower and destroy enemy fortifications. When firing at moving, armored targets - tanks and self-propelled guns - Br-365K armor-piercing tracer sharp-headed projectiles weighing 9.2 kg with an initial speed of 1150 m/s were used. These projectiles could conduct aimed fire at a distance of up to 1200 m. An armor-piercing projectile at a distance of 2000 m pierced an armor plate 53 mm thick, located at an angle of 60 °, and a cumulative projectile - 150 mm. The maximum firing range of a high-explosive fragmentation projectile was 13,400 m.
The security of the ASU-85 in the frontal part of the hull was at the level of the T-34 tank. The corrugated bottom gave the hull additional strength. In the bow on the right there was a control compartment, in which the driver’s seat was located. The fighting compartment was located in the middle part of the vehicle.
The power plant used was a 6-cylinder, V-shaped, two-stroke 210-horsepower diesel engine YaMZ-206V.
For a long time, a self-propelled gun could only land by landing. It was only in the 70s that special parachute systems were developed.
ASU-85, as a rule, was transported by military transport An-12. The self-propelled gun was installed on a platform to which several parachutes were attached. Before contacting the ground, special braking rocket engines began to operate, and the self-propelled gun landed safely. After unloading, the vehicle was put into combat position within 1-1.5 minutes.
ASU-85 was in production from 1959 to 1966, during which time the installation was modernized twice. First, a ventilated roof made of 10 mm thick rolled steel sheets with four hatches was installed over the fighting compartment. In 1967, ASU-85 participated in the Arab-Israeli conflict, known as the “Six Day War,” and the experience of their combat use revealed the need to install a 12.7-mm DShKM anti-aircraft machine gun on the wheelhouse. Delivered to the GDR and Poland. She took part in the initial period of the Afghan War as part of the artillery units of the 103rd Airborne Division.
The bulk of the vehicles produced were sent to staff individual self-propelled artillery battalions of airborne divisions. Despite the cessation of serial production, the ASU-85 remained in service with the airborne troops until the end of the 80s of the last century. ASU-85 was removed from service with the Russian Army in 1993.
In 1969, the BMD-1 airborne combat vehicle was put into service. This made it possible to raise the capabilities of the Airborne Forces to a qualitatively new level. The BMD-1 weapon system made it possible to solve the problems of combating manpower and armored vehicles. The anti-tank capabilities of the vehicles increased even more after the Malyutka ATGM was replaced by the 9K113 Konkurs in 1978. In 1979, the self-propelled ATGM “Robot”, created on the basis of the BMD, was put into service. In 1985, the BMD-2 with a 30-mm automatic cannon entered service.
It would seem that air transportable vehicles on a single chassis make it possible to solve all the problems facing the Airborne Forces. However, the experience of the participation of these vehicles in numerous local conflicts revealed an urgent need for air transportable, amphibious armored vehicles with powerful artillery weapons.
Which would be capable of providing fire support to the advancing landing force, acting on a par with BMD, as well as fighting with modern tanks.
The 2S25 Sprut-SD self-propelled anti-tank gun was created in the early 90s, on an extended (two rollers) base of the BMD-3 airborne combat vehicle by the Volgograd Tractor Plant joint-stock company, and the artillery unit for it was built at the N9 artillery plant (Volgograd Tractor Plant). . Ekaterinburg). In contrast to the towed artillery system "Sprut-B", the new self-propelled guns received the name "Sprut-SD" ("self-propelled" - airborne).
Self-propelled gun "Sprut-SD" at a firing position
The 125 mm 2A75 smoothbore gun is the main armament of the Sprut-SD self-propelled gun.
The gun is based on the 125-mm 2A46 tank gun, which is installed on T-72, T-80 and T-90 tanks. When installed on a lighter chassis, the gun was equipped with a new type of recoil device, providing a recoil of no more than 700 mm. The high-ballistic smoothbore gun installed in the fighting compartment is equipped with a computerized fire control system from the commander's and gunner's workstations, which are functionally interchangeable.
The gun without a muzzle brake is equipped with an ejector and a thermal insulating casing. Stabilization in the vertical and horizontal planes makes it possible to fire 125 mm separate-case-loading ammunition. Sprut-SD can use all types of 125-mm domestic ammunition, including armor-piercing sub-caliber finned projectiles and tank ATGMs. The gun's ammunition load (40 125-mm rounds, of which 22 are in the automatic loader) can include a laser-guided projectile, which can hit a target located at a range of up to 4000 m. The gun can fire afloat in waves up to three points in a sector of ±35 degrees, maximum rate of fire - 7 rounds per minute.
As an auxiliary weapon, the Sprut-SD self-propelled gun is equipped with a coaxial 7.62-mm machine gun with an ammunition load of 2,000 rounds loaded into one belt.
The Sprut-SD self-propelled gun is indistinguishable from a tank in appearance and firepower, but is inferior to it in protection. This predetermines the tactics of action against tanks - mainly from ambushes.
The power plant and chassis have much in common with the BMD-3, the base of which was used in the development of the 2S25 Sprut-SD self-propelled gun. It is equipped with a multi-fuel horizontally opposed six-cylinder diesel engine 2B06-2S with a maximum power of 510 hp. interlocked with a hydromechanical transmission, a hydrostatic turning mechanism and a power take-off for two water-jet propulsors. The automatic transmission has five forward gears and the same number of reverse gears.
Individual, hydropneumatic, with adjustable ground clearance from the driver's seat (in 6-7 seconds from 190 to 590 mm) chassis suspension ensures high cross-country ability and a smooth ride.
When making marches of up to 500 km, the vehicle can move on the highway at a maximum speed of up to 68 km/h, and on dirt roads at an average speed of 45 km/h.
The Sprut-SD self-propelled gun can be transported by military aviation aircraft and landing ships, parachuted with the crew inside the vehicle and overcome water obstacles without preparation.
Unfortunately, the number of these very popular vehicles in the army is not yet large; a total of about 40 units have been delivered.
Based on materials:
http://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enc_tech/4200/SU
http://www.tankovedia.ru/catalog/sssr/su
http://voencomrus.ru/index.php?id=120
