Global Firepower | Military Industrial Complex | Second World War History
Home | Military Pay Scale Chart | Aircraft | Infantry Weapons | Military Vehicles | Navy Ships | Military Education | French Military Victories | Military Ranks | WW2 Weapons
Military Factory Latest from Military Factory
Thumbnail picture of the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle
Dardo IFV
Thumbnail picture of the Supermarine Scimitar fighter
Supermarine Scimitar
Thumbnail picture of the Centauro B1 8x8 tank killer
Centauro 8x8
Thumbnail picture of the Novi Avion fighter
Novi Avion
Thumbnail picture of the FR F2 bolt-action sniper rifle
FR F2
Thumbnail picture of the Lebel Model 1886 bolt-action rifle
Lebel Model 1886
2009 Military Pay Scale Chart - for Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines
  BY DECADE
    · 1910 to 1919
    · 1920 to 1929
    · 1930 to 1939
    · 1940 to 1949
    · 1950 to 1959
    · 1960 to 1969
    · 1970 to 1979
    · 1980 to 1989
    · 1990 to 1999
    · 2000 and Beyond
    · View All
  BY TYPE
    · 4-Wheeled
    · 6-Wheeled
    · 8-Wheeled
    · Anti-Aircraft
    · Anti-Tank
    · APCs
    · Halftracks
    · Heavy Tanks
    · IFVs
    · Light Tanks
    · Main Battle Tanks
    · Medium Tanks
    · Recon Vehicles
    · Special Purpose
    · SPGs
    · Towed Artillery
    · Utility Vehicles
  WORLD WAR 2
    · Full List
    · Tanks
    · IFVs
    · Tank Destroyers
    · Australia
    · Britain
    · Canada
    · France
    · Germany
    · Italy
    · Japan
    · Soviet Union
    · USA
  WORLD WAR 1
    · Full List
    · France
    · Imperial Germany
    · United Kingdom
    · United States
    · Tanks
  KOREAN WAR
    · Full List
  VIETNAM WAR
    · Full List

MilitaryFactory > Armored Vehicles > SU-76 / Samokhodnaya Ustanovka 76M (Suchka)
 
 
More Pictures QuickGraphs Chassis Types CompareX2 Acronyms

SU-76 / Samokhodnaya Ustanovka 76M (Suchka)

The SU-76 self-propelled gun made an appearance in World War 2 with the Russians and later in the Korean War with the North.
By JR Potts, AUS 173d AB

Bookmark and Share

On June 22, 1941 Germany invaded the Soviet Union and caught them unaware. Hitler’s goal was to eliminate the Soviets as a military power and exterminate Communism while giving the German people living space. During the summer months, the German Army made significant progress into Soviet-held territories and inflicted immense losses against Soviet troops and material in the process. Decisions had to be made during this desperate hour by the State Defense Committee on what war material was deemed a priority and what needed vehicle types were to be placed into mass production as quickly as humanly possible to help stem the Nazi-tide.

As the heart and soul of Hitler's army were his Panzer tanks, so it was only natural for the Soviets to progress in developing a capable anti-tank system to combat German armor. One such anti-tank weapon became the Samokhodnaya Ustanovka 76, or better known as the SU-76. The weapon was a mating of the T-70 light tank chassis - a tank already in production but hardly up to the rigors of combating the German Panzers - while adding the potent and proven 76.2mm 3-inch field gun as the main armament. Since the field gun itself was an existing towed-artillery piece that was already being produced in great quantity, it was a natural fit to combine the armament to the readily-available T-70 chassis, thus becoming the experimental model known as the OSU-76. Modifications were needed to support the added weight of the new vehicle so an additional road wheel was added to each chassis side and the chassis itself had to be widened. In production form, the OSU-76 became known by the designation of SU-76.

After the first models were already produced, it was decided to change the main gun its center position to a left-side oriented arrangement. The maximum armor thickness was 25mm and the nickname for the new tank-killer was “Suchka” - meaning "The Little B%tch" - because of the thin armor plating at the rear of the vehicle. The original engine was under-powered and changed to twin GAZ 203 series engines though this presented the driver with issues in controlling two engines simultaneously instead of one. His seating was situated next to the engines without a bulkhead in between. The interior compartments were covered though exposed enough for the outside weather to be a real factor for the crew. Light weight shocks and rods allowed for heavy vibrations and fast engine and transmission failures. This lack of comfort and flaws was no doubt due to the Soviet tough mind set and the rush to development to counter the German onslaught.

Originally designed as an anti-tank weapon, the SU-76 lost the edge with its Zis-3 L/41 main gun as German tank armor protection increased. The decision was then made to change her battlefield role to direct-fire support for Soviet troops. The most popular variant became the SU-76M, this model having an open top. As a close-support vehicle, the open-topped SU-76M naturally developed problems with its lack of crew protection. However, this design element was with its advantages in that it allowed for better on-field communications through the use of hand signals with infantry and other SU-76M systems. The open top also reduced the SU-76M's combat weight and directly led to an increase in her top speed.


Both SU-76 variants became effective against the light- and medium-class of German tanks and vehicles and could even knock out the fearsome Panther tank with a flank shot. Late in the war some SU-76s had their main guns completely removed and the vehicle was then used as an ammunition carrier and as a battlefield recovery vehicle. Some even became artillery tractors, pulling the tried-and-true 76.2mm Model 1942 field guns.


Other variants included the limited-production SU-76B featuring an enclosed crew compartment and the ZSU-37, a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun.

History text ©2003-2009 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Without Permission • Corrections / Comments to MilitaryFactory at Gmail dot com

Last Updated: 9/21/2009

 

  Specifications for the SU-76M / Samokhodnaya Ustanovka 76M (Suchka)
arrow downDimensions:
Length: 16.40ft (5.00m)
Width:8.86ft (2.70m)
Height: 6.89ft (2.10m)

arrow downStructure:
Accommodation: 4
Weight:11.2US Short Tons (10,199kg; 22,485lbs)

arrow downPerformance:
Speed: 28mph (45km/h)
Range: 199miles (320km)

arrow downSystems:
NBC Protection: None
Nightvision: None

arrow downPower:
Engine(s): 2 x GAZ-203 6-cylinder gasoline engines developing 138bhp each @ 3,400rpm.

arrow downArmament Suite:

1 x 76.2mm Zis-3 L/41 main gun OR 1 x 122mm Howizter M-30
1 x 7.62mm machine gun

AMMUNITION:
62 x AP, APCR, Hollow Charge Projectiles


More Pictures QuickGraphs Chassis Types CompareX2 Acronyms

  Special Armored Vehicles Collections

By Nation:
Afghanistan Tanks
American Tanks
British Tanks
Iran Tanks
Iraq Tanks
Israeli Tanks
Russian Tanks

Miscellaneous:
Cold War Tanks
Modern Tanks


  Recent Armored Vehicle Additions
Thumbnail picture of the Dardo infantry fighting vehicle
Dardo IFV
Thumbnail picture of the Centauro B1 8x8 tank killer
Centauro 8x8
Thumbnail picture of the Vickers 6-Ton Mark E light tank
Vickers 6-Ton

  Contacting MilitaryFactory.com
We can only get better if you tell us how. You can contact MilitaryFactory.com at MilitaryFactory at gmail dot com (replace "at" with "@" and "dot with ".") with any questions, comments or corrections. We also accept related military imagery that you approve for us to use on our website. Keep in mind, however, that due to volume, we may not directly respond to your inquiry. Please add us to your list of non-blocked recipients!

Main Battle Tanks

  Armored Vehicle Quick Profile



Image Courtesy of the United States Department of Defense.


flag of Soviet Union
1942
Designation: SU-76 / Samokhodnaya Ustanovka 76M (Suchka)
Classification Type: Self-Propelled Gun
Contractor: Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod (GAZ) - USSR

Country of Origin: Soviet Union
Number Built: 14,000

Operators: North Korea; Soviet Union


  Variants
OSU-76 - Experimental Model Designation; based on T-60 tank chassis.

SU-76 - Ealy Production Model Series Designation; engine troubles forced limited production of this example.

SU-76M - Main Production Model Series Designation.

SU-76B - Limited Production Model; enclosed crew compartment.

SU-76i - Captured German PzKpfw III and StuG III vehicles converted to self-propelled guns by the Soviets; fitted with ZiS-5 76.2mm main gun; at least 1,200 conversions took place; unrelated to direct SU-76 production.

ZSU-37 - Anti-Aircraft Variant; based on the SU-76.

  Collections
  • Tanks of World War 2
  • Armor of the Persian Gulf War
  • Towed Artillery Reigns
  • Armor of the Vietnam War
  • Tanks of World War 1
  • Armor of the Korean War
  • World War 2 Tank Destroyers

     

Free GI Bill Guide

Top MF Stuff: Military Pay Scale Chart | Military Ranks | World War 2 Weapons | Sniper Rifles | Conversion Calculators


©2009 www.MilitaryFactory.com • Content ©2003-2009 MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Disclaimer Privacy Policy Site Map Origins
Most photographic images appearing on this site are courtesy of the United States Department of Defense and are approved for public use.
Other images acquired through the public domain. Digital art work courtesy of Dan Alex.
Business Consulting by Kyle Williams

Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for
hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information.

Site Contact: militaryfactory at gmail dot com (replace "at" with "@" and "dot" with ".") eXTReMe Tracker