SU-152 / ISU-152 (Zveroboy) - Self-Propelled Gun - History, Specs and Pictures

By mid-1942 the Soviet Army needed a mobile heavy siege gun for fixed fortifications. Up to this point, most Soviet howitzers were pulled by horses along with their gun crews due to the fact that draft animals were more plentiful than trucks or tractors. Weather was part of the decision to haul these weapon systems as such. Snow along with mud inevitably made horse-drawn guns a slow process and leisurely moving carts were extremely vulnerable to attack.

The primary need became apparent when the Soviet Army went on the offensive and the towed siege guns they brought along did not compliment the dual requirement of a siege weapon and tank destroyer. The Soviet State Defense Committee, as was their practice, looked for a tank platform currently in production to be able to provide what was called for in the requested heavy gun all the while minimizing production time. The self-propelled SU-152 was a product of Joseph Kotin, who mated the ML-20 155mm heavy gun with the in-production chassis of the KV-IS heavy tank. A single 12.7mm DShK heavy caliber machine gun was later offered for crew protection from low-flying aircraft, light armored vehicles and infantry. The engine selected for the project became the Model V-2K of 600 horsepower. The project started on December 31st, 1942, and was completed just 25 days later.

The SU-152 was designed to house five crew members. Left of the gun that was off-set right of center was the driver and behind him, the gunner and ammunition loader. The tank commander and breech operator were seated to the right in the hull. The accommodations were undoubtedly tight and uncomfortable, though not unusual in Soviet vehicles of World War 2. The body was divided into two major compartments - one for the crew, gun and 20 rounds of 152mm projectile ammunition and the second compartment comprised of the diesel engine, providing some 600 horsepower (13hp/ton) along with a gas tank holding 615 liters of diesel fuel. A major upgrade from the cart and horse was the 12 torsion bar suspension that allowed for speeds up to 27 mph. Front armor had 75mm (2.95in) thickness while the sides sporting a thickness of 60mm (2.36in) and the top limited to just 20mm (.78 in).

By this time, the Germany Army was fielding the mighty Tiger tanks along the Eastern Front. This massive hunting system supported an 88mm main gun and had 100mm armor thickness to boot. The primary danger for the German Tigers became the SU-152 and her heavy armor piercing shells - each weighing in at roughly 48.8kg (107.36lbs) - while the main gun and crew could provide a 1.5 round-per-minute rate-of-fire. With that, the SU-152 was capable of destroying a Tiger at even maximum range.

The SU-152 was the only Soviet armored vehicle that was able to stand its ground against the Tiger. The heavy gun would salvo rounds at enemy tanks and, with a direct hit, could blow the turret clean off the Tiger's hull. The 107.36 lb round was also enough to destroy the feared German "Elefant" tank destroyer and the explosive power alone was enough to destroy other German armored vehicles even with a near miss.

By early 1943, inevitable SU-152 combat losses and reduced production made way for a replacement in the ISU-152. The ISU-152 was better armored and was proven a more reliable system with fewer mechanical breakdowns in the field. The ISU-152 was fitted with a Model V-1IS engine of 520 horsepower.

Some 710 total SU-152's were produced during her run.

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Specifications for the
SU-152 / ISU-152 (Zveroboy)
Self-Propelled Gun

Country of Origin: Soviet Union
Manufacturer: Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant - USSR
Initial Year of Service: 1942
Production: 710

Focus Model: SU-152 / ISU-152 (Zveroboy)
Crew: 5

Overall Length: 29.36ft (8.95m)
Width: 10.66ft (3.25m)
Height: 8.04ft (2.45m)
Weight: 50.2 US Short Tons (45,500kg; 100,310lbs)

Powerplant: 1 x Model V-2K 12-cycle, 4-stroke diesel engine delivering 600hp.

Maximum Speed: 27mph (43 km/h)
Maximum Range: 205 miles (330 km)

NBC Protection: None
Nightvision: None

Armament:
1 x 152mm main gun
1 x 12.7mm DShK anti-aircraft machine gun (added later)

Ammunition:
20 x 152mm projectiles

Variants:
SU-152 - Series Designation; 1 x 152mm main gun with KV-1S heavy tank chassis; 1 x 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun added in later models; Model V-2K engine of 600 horsepower.

ISU-152 - Improved reliability and armor protection; replaced all SU-152 systems; Model V-1IS engine of 520 horsepower.

Operators:
Soviet Union

SU-152 / ISU-152 (Zveroboy) Self-Propelled Gun (1942)

The self-propelled SU-152 proved its worth against the most stubborn of German tank armor.