What is the SU-76M? Why is she good? You will find answers to these and other questions in the article. SU-76 is a self-propelled Soviet artillery mount (SAU). It was used during the Great Patriotic War. The vehicle was made on the basis of light tanks T-60, T-70 and is intended for infantry escort. She was equipped with bulletproof armor. With the help of these weapons, it was possible to fight medium and light tanks. This is the most massive and lightest type of self-propelled guns from all produced at that time in the USSR.
Chronicle
SU-76 was created in the summer of 1942 by the designers of factory No. 38 in the city of Kirov. Ginzburg Semyon Alexandrovich played a huge role in the manufacture of self-propelled guns. It was he who controlled and directed the campaign to produce it.
The first installations of this type were released in 1942, in late autumn. They were equipped with a failed power unit made from a pair of synchronously mounted GAZ-202 gasoline car engines with a capacity of 70 horsepower. This device was very difficult to manage and caused the strongesttorsional vibrations of transmission parts, causing them to break quickly.
In the original version, the self-propelled guns were fully armored. Because of this, it was inconvenient for the crew to work in the fighting compartment. These shortcomings were discovered during the first combat use of serial self-propelled guns on the Volkhov front. That is why only 608 units were produced and the mass production of the SU-76 was discontinued. The design was sent for fine-tuning.
However, the Red Army needed self-propelled artillery. Therefore, a half-hearted decision was made - to leave the power “parallel” unit and the general layout of the car according to the same project, but to strengthen its details in order to increase the engine life. This improvement (without the roof of the combat unit) was named Su-76M and went into production in the summer of 1943. Many self-propelled guns of this version managed to be at the front by the beginning of the Battle of Kursk. And yet, in general, the result was painful. According to the results of the internal inquiry, Ginzburg Semyon Aleksandrovich was named one of the most important culprits. He was removed from design work and sent to the front, where he died.
Perhaps the dramatic relationship between the engineer and I. M. Z altsman, who was the people's commissar of the tank industry, played a great role in the event.
And yet the need for a light self-propelled guns was very acute. Therefore, Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Malyshev, who returned to the post of People's Commissar of the tank industry, announced a competition for the best scheme for a car of this type. It should be noted that the death of S. A. Ginzburg was one of the motives for removing I. M. S altzman from this work.
The competition was attended by the trains of plant No. 38 under the leadership of N. A. Popov and the Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ) under the direction of N. A. Astrov, the main creator of the entire domestic line of amphibious and light tanks. Their prototypes differed in many elements of the system. But their most important innovation was the use of a twin installation of GAZ-203 engines from a lightweight T-70 tank, in which both engines worked on a common shaft and were placed successively. Of course, the car was re-equipped so that a large power plant could be accommodated in it.
After the light tanks T-70 and T-80 were removed from mass production (since the end of 1943), both of the above plants, as well as the newly created plant No. 40 in the city of Mytishchi, began large-scale production of a light gun mount with power unit GAZ-203, which was assigned the same military index, only without the "M" indicator.
As a result, this installation (of all versions) became the most gross military armored vehicle in the Red Army after the T-34. In total, 13,672 improved gun mounts were manufactured, of which 9,133 cars were produced by GAZ. Serial production of the SU-76M was completed in 1945. A little later, these vehicles were removed from service with the USSR army.
Based on the artillery installation of the latest releases in 1944, the first Soviet full-fledged anti-aircraft self-propelled design ZSU-37 was manufactured. It was mass-produced even after the base model was discontinued.
Issue SU-76
This car is known towas made in the following sequence:
- 1942 - SU-12 (No. 38 - 25 pcs.).
- 1943 - SU-12 (No. 38 - 583 units), SU-15 (514, No. 40 - 210), SU-15 (GAZ - 601). As a result - 1908.
- 1944 - GAZ-4708 pcs., 40 - 1344, 38 - 1103. Total - 7155 pcs.
- 1945 - GAZ-2654, No. 40 - 896 (total in the first half of the year 3550 units) Further GAZ-1170 and No. 40 - 472 units. Total through November – 1642 installs.
A total of 5192 such machines were manufactured in 1945. For the entire period, 14,280 cars were manufactured. It should be noted that in countless sources, 14,292 manufactured cars contain an error: 12 units are included in this amount. ZSU-37, issued in April 1945.
Arrangement and construction
So, we continue to consider the armored vehicles of the USSR. The SU-76 is a semi-open self-propelled gun with a rear-mounted fighting compartment. The gas tanks, the driver-mechanic, the transmission and the propulsion system were located in the front zone of the armored body of the car, the engine was installed to the right of the axial edge of the car. The gun, arsenal and work places for the crew commander, loader and gunner were placed in the open rear and top of the conning tower.
SU-76 was equipped with a power unit of two 4-stroke in-line 6-cylinder carburetor engines GAZ-202, with a capacity of 70 hp. with. Self-propelled guns of the latest release were equipped with forced up to 85 hp. with. version of the same engines. The suspension of the SU-76M is individual torsion bar for each of the six road wheels of small diameter on each side. Drive wheels were placed in front, andthe sloths were the same as the road wheels. Sighting equipment included a panoramic standard sight of the ZIS-3 device. Some vehicles were equipped with a 9P radio.
Agree, the design of the SU-76M is amazing. The car had a differentiated bulletproof booking. Her frontal armor was 35mm thick and tilted 60 degrees from normal.
The self-defense crew had a pair of F-1 hand grenades and PPS or PPSh machine guns. The DT machine gun was placed on the left side of the combat area of the vehicle.
Versions
At that time, there were such types of armored vehicles we are considering:
- with synchronous installation of engines and an armored roof of the combat zone;
- with synchronous mounting of engines, with increased engine life and without an armored roof of the combat area;
- with a propulsion unit that worked on a common shaft with a capacity of 140 liters. p.;
- with a propulsion system that worked on a common shaft with a capacity of 170 liters. s.
Use in battle
What was the combat use of the SU-76M? It is known that the gun mount was intended for fire assistance to infantry in the role of anti-tank self-propelled guns and light assault guns. It replaced light tanks assisting infantry in this capacity. However, in parts it was evaluated very contradictory. The infantrymen were delighted with the SU-76, as it had more powerful fire than the basic T-70 tank. Also, thanks to the open cabin, the soldiers could have a close relationship with the crew in urban battles.
Self-propelled gunners also noted the vulnerabilities of the vehicle. And meliked her bulletproof armor, although she was one of the strongest in the class of light self-propelled guns. They criticized both the gasoline engine because of its fire hazard, and the open conning tower, which did not protect at all from small arms fire from above.
And yet the crew noted that the open cabin is convenient to work with. After all, with the help of it, the team could use small arms and grenades at any time in close combat, as well as leave the car in critical situations. From this cabin there was an excellent view in all directions, it eliminated the problem of gas contamination of the combat zone when firing.
SU-76 had many advantages - strength, quiet operation, ease of maintenance. A small mass and high maneuverability allowed her to move through swampy and wooded areas, bridges and gats along with infantry.
The disadvantages of the combat use of an artillery mount often arose because the command staff of the Red Army did not always take into account that this self-propelled gun of the Second World War belongs to light armored vehicles and in tactical use likened it to a tank or self-propelled guns based on the T-34, KV, which contributed to unjustified losses.
SU-76, as an anti-tank self-propelled gun, successfully fought against all types of medium and light tanks of the Wehrmacht and equivalent self-propelled guns of the enemy. This car against the Panther was less productive, but it also had a chance to win. 76 mm shells pierced the thin side armor and gun mantlet. However, the SU-76 fought much worse with the Tigers and heavier vehicles. The instructions stated that in identicalsituations, the crew must shoot at the gun barrel or undercarriage, hit the side at a short distance. The chances of an armored vehicle increased slightly after the introduction of cumulative and sub-caliber shells to the gun. In general, in order for the crew to be able to successfully fight enemy tanks, it had to make the most of the positive qualities of the vehicle.
For example, self-propelled gunners often gained a combat advantage over enemy heavy tanks when they competently applied terrain and camouflage, and also maneuvered from one cover dug in the ground to another.
SU-76 was sometimes used for firing from covered positions. Among all serial Soviet self-propelled guns, the elevation angle of its gun was the largest, and the firing range reached the boundaries of the ZIS-3 gun mounted on it, in other words, 13 km.
Still, such use was severely limited. Firstly, at long distances, the explosions of 76-mm shells were almost not noticeable. And this complicated or made the adjustment of the fire impossible. Secondly, this required a competent battery/gun commander, which was severely lacking during the war. Such professionals were used mainly where it gave the ultimate effect, that is, in artillery divisional batteries and above.
At the final stage of hostilities, SU-76s were also used to evacuate the wounded or in the form of an ersatz armored personnel carrier, an artillery forward observer vehicle.
Operating States
Below is a list of countries that used Soviet-made SUs:
- USSR.
- Poland - during the Great Patriotic War, 130 self-propelled guns were handed over to the Polish Army.
- DPRK - 75 to 91 were delivered to the People's Army of Korea, used in the Korean War (1950-1953).
- Yugoslavia - 52 pieces purchased in 1947 in the USSR.
Surviving SU-76
Due to the large number of self-propelled guns manufactured, the SU-76 serve as memorial vehicles in various megacities of the CIS, military units of the Russian army and are on display in many museums.
The gun mount, which was created at the plant number 40 (in 1945 in the city of Mytishchi near Moscow), is stored in the Museum of the History of our country in Padikovo (Istra district, Moscow region). The car has been restored and is running. During the revival of the running gear of the car, an intricate but historically authentic model of the power apparatus was reproduced from two six-cylinder twin GAZ engines.
Details
So, you already know the characteristics of the SU-76M. Let's take a closer look at this car. It is known that in the front zone of the car there was a driver on the left, and a transmission-motor group on the right. The combat section (cabin) was equipped with a 76.2 mm long-range ZIS-3 and was located at the rear. At first, it was completely covered with armor, but in the process of improvement associated with the use of the chassis of the T-70M tank, the armored roof was abandoned.
This machine was widely used in military operations. SU-76M had different types of ammunition in the ammunition load. Therefore, she could hit manpower, armored targets of the enemy andartillery. So, the piercing projectile of the installation pierced armor 100 mm thick from a distance of 500 m.
This self-propelled gun was armed with light self-propelled artillery regiments (21 vehicles in each regiment), separate self-propelled artillery battalions (12 vehicles), which are part of the rifle guards divisions. When the creation of armored vehicles in the USSR reached its peak in 1944, the production of SU-76M accounted for about 25% of the total production of tracked military vehicles.
The gun mount, despite its own shortcomings, made a worthy contribution to the defeat of the enemy troops. Light self-propelled guns during the Great Patriotic War were made on the basis of light tanks T-60 and T-70 (which we talked about above) at plant No. 38 (chief designer was M. N. Shchukin), No. 40 (chief engineer L. F. Popov) and an automobile plant in the city of Gorky (N. A. Astrov was the deputy chief engineer).
Start building the machine
It is known that the creation of self-propelled guns in comparison with the manufacture of tanks was simplified by the installation of self-propelled guns in the armored hull. It also influenced the overall increase in the overall production of military equipment. At the same time, because of it, the aiming of the gun in the horizontal plane was carried out in a very limited perspective, which, along with the absence of course, coaxial and frontal machine guns, narrowed the combat capabilities of the self-propelled guns compared to tanks. And this predetermined a different tactic for their military use.
The production of light self-propelled guns in 1942, in early March, began a special bureau of self-propelled artillery, which was created onthe base of the technical department of the People's Commissariat of the Tank Industry (NKTP), headed by S. A. Ginzburg. With the use of a light-weight T-60 tank and ZIS and GAZ trucks, this bureau developed a project for a standardized chassis designed for the manufacture of various types of self-propelled guns, including anti-tank ones.
As a basic weapon on this chassis, they wanted to install a 76.2-mm gun with the ballistics of a divisional gun of the 1939 version (USV) or a 76.2-mm tank gun of the 1940 model of the year (F-34). However, S. A. Ginzburg intended to use the standardized chassis much more widely. He proposed within three months, together with engineers from Moscow State Technical University. Bauman and NLTI create a lot of military vehicles:
- 37mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun;
- 76-2mm Self Propelled Infantry Reinforcement Assault Mechanism;
- lightweight tank with 45 mm armor and 45 mm gun of colossal power;
- 37-mm anti-aircraft tank with Savina turret;
- artillery tractor;
- special ammunition and infantry armored personnel carrier, on the basis of which it was planned to create a self-propelled mortar, ambulance and technical assistance vehicle.
Nuances of creation
In 1942, April 14-15, a plenum of the Art Committee of the Main Directorate of Artillery (Artkom GAU) was held, which considered the manufacture of self-propelled guns. The gunners formed their own requirements for self-propelled guns, which differed from the tactical and technical requirements (TTT) put forward by the second branch of the NKTP.
The creation of a standardized chassis project was completed by the end of April 1942. However,money was allocated only for the creation of two experimental versions: a 37-mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun and a 76.2-mm self-propelled assault gun to assist infantry.
Plant No. 37 of the NKTP was appointed as the responsible executor for the production of these machines. On purpose for the standardized chassis, according to the tactical and technical task, the NKTP Design Bureau under the control of V. G. Grabin developed a version of the divisional long-range ZIS-3, called ZIS-ZSh (Sh - assault).
In 1942, in May-June, factory 37 produced experimental versions of anti-aircraft and assault self-propelled guns, which passed field and factory tests.
Further instructions
Following the results of inspections in June 1942, the State Defense Committee (GKO) issued an order to immediately finalize the machine and prepare the party for military tests. But, since the Battle of Stalingrad began, plant No. 37 had to immediately increase the production of light tanks, and the order for the production of an experimental series of self-propelled guns was canceled.
Fulfilling the resolutions of the plenum of the Art Committee of the GAU Red Army of April 15, 1942 on the manufacture of self-propelled guns to assist infantry in the Design Bureau of the Ural Heavy Machinery Plant named after. Sergo Ordzhonikidze (UZTM) in 1942, in the spring, developed the design of self-propelled guns with a built-in 76, 2-mm ZIS-5 gun based on the lightweight T-40 tank (U-31 scheme).
The direct creation of the self-propelled gun project was carried out by the designers A. N. Shlyakov and K. I. Ilyin, together with the engineers of plant No. 37. Moreover, the mounting of the gun was carried out by UZTM, and the base was developed by the aboveplant. In October 1942, by government resolution, the manufactured project of the U-31 self-propelled gun was sent to the KV of plant No. 38. Here it was used to create the SU-76.
In 1942, in June, a GKO directive developed a joint plan of the People's Commissariat for Armaments (NKV) and the NKTP for the manufacture of the latest "Design of self-propelled artillery for the militarization of the Red Army." At the same time, the NKV was instructed to carry out the tasks of developing and manufacturing an artillery unit, new self-propelled gun mounts.
Design nuances
In the chassis of the SU-76M, a torsion bar individual suspension was used, fractional-linked caterpillars with a metal open hinge (OMSH), two guide wheels with track tensioners, a pair of front-mounted drive wheels with gear removable rims for pinching, 8 supporting and 12 track rollers with external shock absorption.
The track track from the T-70 tank had a width of 300 mm. The electrical equipment of the machine was made in a single-wire presentation. The on-board network had a voltage of 12 V. In the form of electric sources, two batteries of the ZSTE-112 type were used, connected in series, with a total capacity of 112 Ah and a G-64 generator with a capacity of 250 W with a regulator-relay RPA-44 or a GT-500 generator with a capacity of 500 W with regulator-relay RRK-GT-500.
For external communications, the vehicle was equipped with a 9P radio station, and for internal communications, with a TPU-3R intercom tank design. Light signaling (colored signal lights) was used to communicate the driver-mechanic with the commander.
What did they say about her?
Front-line soldiers called this self-propelled gun"Columbine", "bitch" and "Ferdinand bare-ass". The tankers angrily called it the "mass burial of the crew." She, as a rule, was scolded for her combat open cabin and poor armor. However, if you objectively compare the SU-76 with Western similar versions, you can see that this machine was not inferior to the German "Marders" in anything, not to mention the English "Bishops".
Manufactured "around" the divisional mechanism ZIS-3 on the basis of the lightweight T-70 tank, produced in colossal series, the gun mount turned the self-propelled Red Army artillery into a really massive one. It has become a reliable asset of fire infantry and the same emblem of the Victory as the famous "St. John's Wort" and "Thirty-Four".
A quarter of a century after the Victory, Marshal of the USSR K. K. Rokossovsky said: “The soldiers especially loved the SU-76 self-propelled artillery guns. These light maneuverable vehicles had time everywhere to help out with their tracks and fire, to support the infantry. And in response, the infantrymen were ready to shield them with their chests from the fire of the Faustniks and enemy armor-piercers.”
Subsequent modernization
It is known that later, on the basis of the SU-76M, the SU-74B artillery self-propelled gun with the ZIS-2 anti-tank gun was created. He passed the test in 1943, in December. In 1944, testing of the GAZ-75 self-propelled guns began with the 85-mm long-range D-5-S85A. With an artillery system identical to the Su-85, it was twice as light, and its frontal armor was twice as thick (for the SU-85 - 45 mm and for the GAZ-75 - 90 mm).
For various reasons, all these installations did not go into series. But basicallyit’s just that no one wanted to break the established technical process due to minor changes or rebuild it completely when switching to the production of new self-propelled guns.
