SU-122
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| SU-122 | |
|---|---|
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| Specifications | |
| Weight | 30.9 tonnes |
| Length | 6.95 m |
| Width | 3.00 m |
| Height | 2.32 m |
| Crew | 4 |
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| Armour | 45 mm |
| Primary armament |
122 mm M-30S howitzer |
| Secondary armament |
none |
| Engine | diesel model V-2 500 hp (375 kW) |
| Power/weight | 16 hp/tonne |
| Suspension | Christie |
| Operational range |
300 km |
| Speed | 55 km/h |
The SU-122 (Samokhodnaya Ustanovka–122) was a Soviet self-propelled gun used during World War II.
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[edit] History
The SU-122 was an assault gun which used the hull of the T-34 tank and was the result of an April 1942 specification for assault guns armed with guns of 122 mm calibre or higher. The SU-122 was designed by the Uralsky Machine Building factory (UZTM). The first production SU-122s were built at the end of 1942, for a total of 25 vehicles.
The SU-122 did reasonably well in combat against the Wehrmacht, although the HEAT round for its gun didn't perform up to expectations. Production continued from 1942 until the early autumn of 1943, for a total of roughly 1,150 SU-122s built. SU-122 was completely replaced by SU-85 in mass production for better anti-armour capabilities.
[edit] Variants
Towards the end of the production run, SU-122s were built with the same ball mantlet as the later SU-85s, but are easily recognizable by the thicker, shorter gun barrel of the 122-mm M-30 howitzer (Zaloga 1984:160–61).
The SU-122 had no variants that went into production, but there were several unsuccessful prototypes and minor variants. Various attempts were made to modernise and improve the SU-122, particularly in the area of simplification, to lower production costs.
The first attempt to modernise the SU-122 resulted in the SU-122M, which was armed with the 122-mm U-11 howitzer instead of the M-30 howitzer of the SU-122 itself. To accommodate the new gun, the gun compartment was altered. Though this design showed some promise, trials showed numerous defects: the SU-122M was less reliable than the original SU-122, cost more and was overloaded. It was therefore not taken into production.
The other attempt to create an improved SU-122 replacement was done by taking a SU-85 chassis and coupling it with the 122-mm D-6 howitzer, which was lighter and compacter than the U-11 howitzer. This again was not a success.
Finally, there was a small series of SU-122s built on the chassis of the SU-100.
[edit] References
- Zaloga, Steven J.; James Grandsen (1984). Soviet Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War Two. London: Arms and Armour Press. ISBN 0-85368-606-8.
[edit] External links
[edit] See also
- List of Soviet tanks - covers all periods
| Soviet armoured fighting vehicles of World War II | |
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Experimental and Improvised AFVs
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| List of armoured fighting vehicles of World War II | |
| Soviet armored fighting vehicle production during World War II | |
