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SU-76
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The SU-76 (Samokhodnaja Ustanovka 76) was a Soviet self-propelled gun used during World War II.
History The SU-76 was based on a lengthened version of the T-70 tank chassis. Its simple construction made it the most-produced Soviet armoured vehicle of World War II, except for the T-34 tank.
Crews loved this vehicle for its simplicity, reliability, and ease of use, although it sometimes was nicknamed suka ('Bitch'), Suchka ('little bitch') or Golozhopiy Ferdinand ('naked-ass Ferdinand') for its relatively thin armour in the back. One famous crewman was Rem Nikolaevich Ulanov, who is a distinguished Great Patriotic War veteran. In his younger days he was a mechanic-driver and later a commander of an SU-76. He and some other soldiers called their SU-76 Columbina after female personage of Renaissance Italian Commedia dell'Arte.
The design work of SU-76 had begun in November 1942, when the State Defense Committee ordered the construction of infantry support self-propelled guns armed with the ZiS-3 76.2-mm gun and the M-30 122-mm howitzer. The base of a light tank T-70 was chosen for mounting the ZiS-3 gun, and it was lengthened, adding one road wheel per side, to facilitate better gun mounting.
In the rush for fast completion of the order a quite unreliable power plant was installed in the first mass production SU-76. It utilized two automobile engines (GAZ-202) in "parallel" junction. Practically, each track had its own engine and it was quite difficult for the driver to control two engines simultaneously. Moreover, the strong vibrations lead to quick mechanical failure of the engine or transmission units. The vehicle was completely closed by armour. After producing 320 SU-76s, mass production was halted by authorities in order to fix the problems. Two chief designers of GAZ plant, N. A. Astrov and A. A. Lipgart, quickly changed the power plant to the reliable T-70 design. Also the roof of battle compartment was removed for better gun servicing. This modification, called SU-76M, was relaunched in mass production in early 1943. This pause was the cause for introducing SU-76i as a temporary replacement for SU-76. After the pause, GAZ and two factories in Kirov and Mytishchi produced 13932 SU-76M (the larger part of the order, over 9000 vehicles, was built by GAZ solely). Mass production of SU-76M ceased in the second half of 1945. Now the SU-76Ms (due to their vast number in comparison with original design SU-76) are often referred in texts, public radio and TV broadcasting as simply SU-76s with index "M" omitted. The SU-76 was the base for first Soviet tracked armoured anti-aircraft vehicle ZSU-37. The mass production of ZSU-37 was continued after ceasing SU-76M production. The SU-76M was quickly withdrawn from Soviet Army service after the Second World War ended.
Variants OSU-76: Experimental model based on T-60 tank chassis
SU-76: Based on lengthened T-70 tank chassis, with the inferior dual-engine arrangement of earlier T-70s. Only a few were produced, and quickly withdrawn from front line service.
SU-76M: main production model
SU-76B: with completely enclosed armoured crew compartment. Only a few were produced.
ZSU-37: Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, based on the SU-76.
The unrelated SU-76i (1943) was based on German Pz Kpfw III and StuG III chassis, armed with a ZiS-5 76.2mm gun. About 1,200 of these captured vehicles, many from Stalingrad, were converted at Zavod No. 38 by adding a new enclosed superstructure. It was issued to tank and self-propelled gun units starting in autumn 1943.
Combat history
The SU-76M virtually replaced infantry tanks in the close support role. Its thin armour and open top made it vulnerable to antitank weapons, grenades, and small arms. Its low weight and low ground pressure gave it good mobility.
As all Soviet self-propelled guns SU-76M combines three main battlefield roles: light assault gun, mobile anti-tank weapon and mobile gun for indirect fire. As a light assault gun SU-76M had good estimation from Soviet infantrymen (in contrast with their own crews). It had more powerful weapons than any previous light tank for close support and it was simple to communicate between infantry and the SU-76M crew due to open gun mounting. This was extremely useful in urban combat where good teamwork between infantry and AFVs is a key to success. Although the open battle compartment was highly vulnerable to rifle fire and hand grenades, it very often saved the crew's lives in the case of hit by shaped charge Panzerfaust projectile (whose concussion blast would mean death in an enclosed vehicle).
SU-76M was a good weapon against any medium or light German tank. It could also knock-out the Panther tank by hit to the side armour or gun mask, but the ZiS-3 gun against heavy Tiger tanks was not sufficient. Soviet manuals for SU-76M crews usually instructed the gunner to aim for the tracks or gun barrel against Tiger tanks. For improving SU-76M anti-armour capabilities the armour-piercing composite rigid (APCR) and hollow charge projectiles were introduced. This gave the SU-76M a better chance against heavily armoured German vehicles. Low profile, quietness and good mobility were other advantages of SU-76M in anti-tank actions. This was ideal for organizing ambushes and sudden flank or rear strikes with involving close combat when the ZiS-3 gun was sufficient against any German AFV.
However comparison of the Su-76 and the two classes of German anti-tank vehicles, the Jagdpanzer and Panzerjäger, should not be made.
This because those were organised and used exclusively for the anti-tank role. (Late in the war the anti-tank units in the German Infantry divisions were gradually amalgamated with the Sturmgeschütz units.)
In reality SU-76M was a mobile anti-tank gun for infantry support and closely resembled German Marder II vehicle. However, considering its role on the battle field, it can be consider lighly armoured copy of the German Sturmgeschütz.
The maximum elevation angle of ZiS-3 gun in SU-76M was greatest amongst all other Soviet self-propelled guns. The maximum indirect fire distance was nearly 17 km. So SU-76Ms sometimes were used as light artillery vehicles (such as German Wespe) for bombardments and indirect fire support. But the power of 76.2-mm shells was not sufficient in many cases.
It is should be noted that SU-76M was the single Soviet vehicle able to operate in swamps with minimal support from engineers. During the Belarus liberation campaign in 1944 it was extremely useful for organizing sneak attacks through swamps, bypassing heavy German defenses blocking hard soil ways. Usually only lightly armed infantry could pass through wide swampy areas (so a few enemy machine guns weren't sufficient to repel the attack or to stop the advance). With SU-76M support Soviet soldiers and engineers could effectively destroy enemy strongpoints and push on. After forcing the swamp SU-76M could be used as light artillery or anti-tank gun against enemy counterattacks.
The SU-76M had a large number of available ammunition types. They included armour-piercing (usual, with ballistic nose and subcaliber hyper-velocity), hollow charge, high explosive, fragmentary, shrapnel and incendiary projectiles. This made the SU-76M a true multi-purpose light armoured fighting vehicle.
Surviving Examples Due to the large number of vehicles produced, many SU-76Ms have survived the post war years and as a result, most of the larger Russian military museums have the SU-76M in their exhibitions. They can also be found as Great Patriotic War monuments or memorials in different Russian, Belarusian and Ukrainian cities, in addition to a nice example at the Muzeul Militar National in Bucharest, Romania.
See also
External links
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