What is the SU-76M? How is she good? You will find answers to these and other questions in the article. SU-76 - self-propelled Soviet artillery mount (ACS). It was used during the Great Patriotic War. The machine is made on the basis of the lightweight tanks T-60, T-70 and is predetermined for escorting infantry. It was equipped with bulletproof armor. With the help of this weapon it was possible to fight medium and light tanks. This is the most widespread and light type of self-propelled guns of all produced at that time in the USSR.
Chronicle
SU-76 was created in the summer of 1942 by the designers of the plant number 38 in the city of Kirov. Ginzburg Semyon Aleksandrovich played a huge role in the manufacture of self-propelled guns. It was he who controlled and directed the campaign for its production.
The first installations of this type were released in 1942, in late autumn. They were equipped with a failed power unit made of a pair of synchronously mounted GAZ-202 gasoline car engines with a capacity of 70 horsepower. This device was very difficult to operate and caused the strongest torsional vibrations of the transmission parts, because of which they quickly broke.
In the original version, self-propelled guns were fully armored. Because of this, the crew in the fighting compartment was uncomfortable to work. These shortcomings were discovered during the first combat use of serial self-propelled guns on the Volkhov front. That is why a total of 608 units were produced and serial production of the SU-76 was discontinued. The design was sent for refinement.
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 motor resource. This improvement (with a missing combat unit roof) was named Su-76M and went into production in the summer of 1943. A lot of self-propelled guns of this version managed to be at the front by the beginning of the Kursk battle. And yet, in general, the result was painful. According to the results of internal inquiry, Ginsburg Semyon Aleksandrovich was named one of the most important culprits. He was suspended from design work and sent to the front, where he died.
Perhaps the dramatic relationship between the engineer and I.M. Zaltsman, who was the People's Commissar of the tank industry, played a great role in the event.
And yet the need for light self-propelled guns was very acute. Therefore, Malyshev Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich, who returned to the post of People's Commissar of the Tank Industry, announced a competition for the best circuit of a car of this kind. It should be noted that the death of S. A. Ginzburg was one of the motives for the removal of I. M. Zaltsman from this work.
The composition of the 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, participated in the competition. 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 motors worked on a common shaft and were placed successively. Of course, the car was re-equipped so that it could accommodate a large power plant.
After the light-weight T-70 and T-80 tanks were removed from serial production (from the end of 1943), both of the above plants, as well as the newly created factory number 40 in Mytishchi, began large-scale production of a light gun mount with a GAZ-203 power unit to which the same military index was assigned, only without the "M" index.
As a result, this installation (of all versions) in the Red Army became the most gross after the T-34 military armored vehicle. In total, 13,672 improved gun mounts were manufactured, of which 9,133 were produced by GAZ. Serial production of the SU-76M was completed in 1945. A little later, these vehicles were removed from the armament of the USSR army.
On the basis of the artillery mount of the latest releases, in 1944 the first Soviet full-fledged self-propelled anti-aircraft design ZSU-37 was made. It was mass-produced even after the base model was discontinued.
Issue SU-76
It is known that this machine was made in the following sequence:
- 1942 - SU-12 (No. 38 - 25 pcs.).
- 1943 - SU-12 (No. 38 - 583 pcs.), SU-15 (514, No. 40 - 210), SU-15 (GAZ - 601). The result is 1908.
- 1944 - GAZ-4708 units, No. 40 - 1344, No. 38 - 1103. In total - 7155 units.
- 1945 - GAZ-2654, No. 40 - 896 (total in the first half of the year 3,550 pcs.) Next, the GAZ-1170 and No. 40 - 472 pcs. In total, until November - 1642 installations.
In total, in 1945, 5192 such machines were manufactured. Over the entire period, 14,280 cars were manufactured. It should be noted that in countless sources, 14,292 manufactured cars contain an error: 12 are included in this amount. ZSU-37, released in April 1945.
Device and construction
So, we continue to further consider the armored vehicles of the USSR. SU-76 is a half-open self-propelled gun with rear placement of the fighting compartment. Gas tanks, a driver-mechanic, a transmission and a propulsion system were in the front zone of the armored car body, the engine was installed to the right of the axial face of the car. The gun, arsenal and places of work of the crew commander, loader and gunner, were placed in the wheelhouse open at the back and top.
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 liters. from. Self-propelled guns of the last release were equipped with forced up to 85 liters from. version of the same engines. Suspension of SU-76M is torsion-free for each of the six track rollers of small diameter on each side. The front wheels were placed in front, and the sloths were the same as the road wheels. The sighting equipment included a panoramic full-time sight of the ZIS-3 device. Some cars were equipped with a 9P radio.
Agree, the design of the SU-76M is amazing. The car had a differentiated bulletproof reservation. Her frontal armor had a thickness of 35 mm, the inclination to the normal was 60 degrees.
The self-defense crew had a pair of hand-held F-1 grenades and PPS or PPSh machine guns. The DT machine gun was placed on the port side of the combat section of the vehicle.
Versions
At that time, there were such types of armored vehicles considered by us:
- with the simultaneous installation of engines and the armored roof of the combat zone;
- with synchronous mounting of engines, with increased engine life and without an armored roof of the combat section;
- with a motor unit that worked on a common shaft with a capacity of 140 liters. from.;
- with a motor unit that worked on a common shaft with a capacity of 170 liters. from.
Battle use
What was the combat use of the SU-76M? It is known that the gun mount was intended for fire assistance to the infantry in the role of anti-tank self-propelled guns and assault light guns. It replaced the lightweight tanks assisting the infantry in this capacity. However, in parts it was evaluated very controversially. The infantrymen were delighted with the SU-76, since it had a more powerful fire than the T-70 base tank. Also, thanks to the open cabin, soldiers could have a close relationship with the crew in urban battles.
Self-propelled gunners noted vulnerabilities in the car. They did not like her bulletproof armor, although it was one of the strongest in the low-weight self-propelled gun class. They criticized the gasoline engine because of its fire hazard, and the open conning tower, which did not completely protect against small arms fire from above.
Nevertheless, the crew noted that open felling is convenient in operation. After all, with her help, 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 overview in all directions, it eliminated the problem of gas contamination of the combat zone during firing.
SU-76 had many advantages - strength, quiet operation, ease of maintenance. The small mass and high cross-country ability allowed it to move along swampy-wooded areas, bridges and gatami along with infantry.
Cons of the combat use of the artillery installation often arose because the command of the Red Army did not always take into account that this self-propelled gun of the Second World War refers to lightweight 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 guns successfully fought with all types of medium and light tanks of the Wehrmacht and equivalent enemy self-propelled guns. This machine against the Panther was less productive, but it also had a chance of winning. 76 mm shells pierced the side thin armor and gun mask. Nevertheless, with the Tigers and heavier equipment the SU-76 fought much worse. The instructions indicated that in identical situations, the crew should shoot at the gun’s barrel or undercarriage, hit the aircraft 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 deal with enemy tanks, he had to maximize the positive qualities of the machine.
For example, self-propelled guns often gained a military advantage over heavy opponent tanks when they correctly applied the terrain and camouflage, and also maneuvered from one shelter dug in the ground to another.
SU-76 was sometimes used for firing from concealed positions. Among all serial Soviet self-propelled guns, the elevation angle of its guns was the largest, and the firing range reached the borders of the ZIS-3 gun mounted on it, in other words - 13 km.
Nevertheless, such use was severely limited. Firstly, at long distances, the explosions of 76-mm shells were almost not noticeable. And this made it difficult or impossible to adjust the fire. Secondly, a competent battery / gun commander was needed for this, which during the war was severely lacking. Such professionals were used mainly where it gave the ultimate effect, that is, in artillery division batteries and higher.
At the final stage of hostilities, the SU-76s were also used to evacuate the wounded or in the form of an ersatz-armored personnel carrier, artillery forward observer vehicles.
Operator States
The following is a list of countries that used Soviet-made SU:
- USSR.
- Poland - during the Great Patriotic War 130 self-propelled guns were transferred to the Polish Army.
- DPRK - from 75 to 91 were delivered to the Korean people's army, were used in the Korean military operations (1950-1953).
- Yugoslavia - 52 pieces were acquired in 1947 in the USSR.
The surviving SU-76
Due to the large number of self-propelled guns made, the SU-76s serve as memorial vehicles in various megalopolises of the CIS, military units of the Russian army and are on display at many museums.
The gun mount, which was created at the factory 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 was restored and it is on the go. With the revival of the chassis of the car, an intricate, but reliable, historically authentic model of the power unit from two six-cylinder twin GAZ engines was reproduced.
Details
So, you already know the characteristics of the SU-76M. Consider this car a little more. 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 by 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. Therefore, it could hit manpower, the enemy’s armored targets and artillery. So, the armor of the installation 100 mm thick pierced the installation shell 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 divisions (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 the SU-76M accounted for about 25% of the total production of tracked military equipment.
The gun mount, despite its own shortcomings, made a worthy contribution to the rout of the enemy troops. Light self-propelled guns during the Great Patriotic War were made on the basis of the lightweight T-60 and T-70 tanks (as we discussed above) at the factory No. 38 (the chief designer was M. N. Schukin), No. 40 (chief engineer L. F. Popov) and a car factory in the city of Gorky (N. A. Astrov was the deputy chief engineer).
Start creating a car
It is known that the creation of self-propelled guns compared to the manufacture of tanks simplified the installation of self-propelled guns in the armored hull. It also influenced the overall increase in the total 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 the directional, coaxial and frontal machine guns, reduced the combat capabilities of the self-propelled guns compared to tanks. And this predetermined another tactic for their military use.
The manufacture of light self-propelled guns in 1942, in early March, was launched by a special bureau of self-propelled artillery, which was created on the basis of the technical department of the People’s Commissariat for Tank Industry (NKTP), headed by S. A. Ginzburg. Using a lightweight T-60 tank and ZIS and GAZ trucks, this bureau developed a standardized chassis designed for the manufacture of different types of self-propelled guns, including anti-tank ones.
As the basic weapon on this chassis, they wanted to install a 76.2 mm gun with ballistic of a divisional gun of the 1939 version (SPM) or a 76.2 mm tank gun of the 1940 model (F-34). However, S. A. Ginzburg intended to use the standardized chassis much more widely. He proposed for three months together with engineers from MVTU im. Bauman and NLTI create many military vehicles:
- 37 mm self-propelled anti-aircraft gun;
- 76-2 mm self-propelled assault infantry reinforcement mechanism;
- light tank with 45 mm armor and 45 mm cannon of tremendous power;
- 37 mm anti-aircraft tank with a tower device of the Savin system;
- artillery tractor ;
- special armored personnel carrier of ammunition and infantry, on the basis of which it was planned to create a self-propelled mortar, ambulance and technical assistance vehicles.
The nuances of creating
In 1942, on April 14-15, a plenary meeting of the Art Committee of the Main Directorate of Artillery (Artcom GAU) was held, which considered the production of self-propelled guns. The gunners formed their requirements for self-propelled guns, which differed from the tactical and technical requirements (TTT) put forward by the second branch of the NKTP.
The design of the standardized chassis was completed by the end of April 1942. However, the 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 promoting infantry.
Plant No. 37 NKTP was appointed as the executive officer for the production of these machines. Deliberately for a standardized chassis for the tactical and technical task of the NKTP KB under the guidance of V. G. Grabin, he developed a version of the divisional long-range gun ZIS-3, called - ZIS-ZSh (Sh - assault).
In May 1942, in May-June, Plant No. 37 made prototypes of anti-aircraft and assault self-propelled guns, which passed field and factory tests.
Further orders
Based on 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, as the battle of Stalingrad began, Plant No. 37 had to instantly increase the production of lightweight 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 Artcom of the GAU RKKA of April 15, 1942 on the manufacture of self-propelled guns to facilitate infantry in the design bureau of the Ural heavy machinery plant named after Sergo Ordzhonikidze (UZTM) in the spring of 1942, a self-propelled gun design was developed with a 76.2 mm ZIS-5 gun mounted on the basis of the lightweight T-40 tank (U-31 scheme).
The direct creation of the self-propelled gun project was carried out by designers A. N. Shlyakov and K. I. Ilyin, together with the engineers of plant No. 37. Moreover, the mounting of the gun was conducted by UZTM, and the base was developed by the above plant. In October 1942, according to a government resolution, the completed U-31 self-propelled gun project was sent to the HF of Plant No. 38. Here it was used to create the SU-76.
In 1942, in June, a GKO directive developed a joint plan for the People’s Commissariat of Arms (NKV) and 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 artillery units, new self-propelled gun mounts.
Design Nuances
An individual torsion suspension was used in the SU-76M undercarriage, fractional caterpillars with a metal open joint (), two guide wheels with track tensioners, a pair of front wheel drive wheels with removable gear teeth, 8 support 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 electrical sources, two rechargeable 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 relay controller RRA-44 or a GT-500 generator with a capacity of 500 W with regulator-relay RRK-GT-500.
For external communications, the car was equipped with a 9P radio station, and for internal communications, a TPU-3R intercom tank design. A light alarm (colored signal lights) was used to communicate the driver-mechanic with the commander.
What did they say about her?
Front-line soldiers nicknamed this self-propelled gun "Columbine", "Bitch" and "Ferdinand nudibranch". Tankers angrily called it the "fraternal burial of the crew." She, as a rule, was scolded for combat open cabin and unimportant armor. However, if we objectively compare the SU-76 with Western versions of the same type, we can see that this car was not inferior to the German “marders” in anything, not to mention the English “bishops”.
Manufactured "around" the ZIS-3 divisional mechanism on the basis of the T-70 lightweight tank, produced in colossal series, the gun mount turned the self-propelled Red Army artillery into a real mass one. She became a reliable asset of the fire infantry and the same emblem of Victory, as the glorified "St. John's wort" and "thirty-four."
A quarter of a century after the Victory, Marshal of the USSR K.K. Rokossovsky said: “Artillery self-propelled guns SU-76 were especially fond of soldiers. These light maneuverable vehicles were in time everywhere, with their caterpillars and fire to help out, support the infantry. And the infantrymen in response were ready to shield them from the fire of the Faustists and enemy armor-piercers with their breasts. ”
Subsequent modernization
It is known that in the future, on the basis of the SU-76M, the artillery ship SU-74B with the ZIS-2 anti-tank gun was created. He passed the tests in 1943, in December. In 1944, testing began on the GAZ-75 self-propelled guns with the 85-mm long-range D-5-S85A. With the 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 of these installations did not go into series. But, basically, just no one wanted to break the established process due to minor changes or to completely rebuild it when switching to the release of new self-propelled guns.