Stories about weapons. SAU SG-122: the first trophy experience
We considered it unfair and today we will talk about self-propelled guns, which is just an example of how we tried to create our own car using the chassis of German self-propelled guns and tanks. So, the hero of today's story is the self-propelled guns SG-122 produced by the Mytishchi Carriage Building (now Engineering) plant.
The machine is almost unknown to a wide range of armored vehicles. Partly because not a single copy of this ACS has been preserved. Those machines that are in some museums, recreated according to the drawings, according to the recollections of engineers and designers. The authors managed to find only one (!) Authentic photo of the SG-122 ACS dated June 1942. The car was shot during factory tests at the test site of the Research Institute GABTU in Kubinka.
"Strange" Mytishchi plant
To begin with about the plant itself. This is important for understanding the course of events of that time. Mytishchi Carriage Works was evacuated due to the approach of the Germans to Moscow as early as October (from 17 to October 23) 1941, in the village of Ust-Katav (Chelyabinsk region). In accordance with the evacuation plan, machine tools, equipment and specialists that are subject to "reservation" were removed from the factory. Dmitry Fedorovich Pankratov was appointed in charge of the evacuation.
In fact, in 1941, instead of a full-fledged plant in Mytishchi, there were buildings and machines that were faulty or decommissioned. But it so happened that literally a few days after the evacuation, the plant received the first military order. DF Pankratov becomes director of a strange factory. The plant, the equipment of which (and some people) Pankratov himself sent to the Urals. But there was a war, and somehow it was not up to the reasoning.
At the beginning of 1942, the company was a factory with about 2000 workers (mostly retired and young people) and a fleet of 278 machines. True, the working machines were only 171. The rest required major repairs or were written off by old age.
The plant was revived at the cost of truly heroic efforts. It received a military name - plant number 592. The range of products has also changed. Now factory # 592 produced cases for hand grenades, aviation bombs, plates for 82-mm mortars, anti-tank hedgehogs and armored caps. But the plant did not forget the pre-war specialization. Anti-aircraft armored trains were also produced there.
To complete the theme of the legendary factory, one fact is enough. October 16 1945 of the year for the exemplary performance of tasks for the front The plant was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, I degree.
Trophy fighting vehicles
But back to 1942. The 1941 campaign showed that the troops really needed mobile tools that would not only destroy large enemy units, working on squares, but also field fortifications. In addition, the instruments should be, if necessary, and anti-tank weapons.
The only tool that could perform so many tasks at once was in the Red Army. This is an X-NUMX-mm howitzer M-122, about which we have written many warm words. Guns smaller caliber did not meet the requirements of the troops. A larger, 30-mm caliber, often did not withstand the chassis. There is another factor. The number of these howitzers in the rear was sufficient. The guns were not used due to the lack of front and mechanized thrust.
Despite the fact that the fighting in 1941 was formed tragically for our army, the Germans also got it from the Soviet units. Therefore, by the end of 1941, the Red Army had already accumulated a sufficient number of captured tanks and self-propelled guns. True, the majority of the Red Army fighters are faulty because of the fault.
The bulk of the trophies were light Czech tanks Pz.38 (t) and medium Pz.III various modifications. In principle, this is understandable. Almost on 60% the German parts were equipped with these very machines.
Light tanks were repaired and went into battle as Soviet ones, but the medium ones were difficult to use. Missing ammunition. Here the Germans played a cruel joke on the fact that at one time they "shared" an 37-mm anti-tank gun and anti-aircraft gun with us. The anti-tank cannon grew to 45-mm, but the shells to the K-61 anti-aircraft gun completely consumed the Czech gun Skoda A7, because it had the same gun in its ancestors as the Soviet gun. Swedish "Bofors".
But with the 75-mm “stub” ammunition, the Pz.III really was difficult, since the caliber is completely “not ours”.
Yes, and with spare parts were difficult. That is why these machines and decided to use the Commissariat of Armaments (NKV) for alterations. 21 December 1941 of the year, the NKV issued a decree.
From tank to ACS
Before 1 February 1942 was proposed to develop proposals for the re-equipment of captured combat vehicles, primarily tanks Pz.III. It was assumed that on these chassis it is possible to create an ACS.
By the way, such a decision has matured not only in the minds of the specialists of the People’s Commissariat of Arms. It seems to us, the NKV simply voiced those thoughts that were already in the heads of the designers. Only this can explain the speed of the appearance of several projects at once literally in a month and a half after the order.
17 March 1942, the artillery committee of the GAU KA proposed to the NKV Technical Council to consider the option of “replacing a trophy German self-propelled machine called Artsturm, 75-mm German cannon with a domestic 122-mm howitzer M-30 of the 1938 model of the year.” The development of the new machine was assigned to a separate design group of Sinelschikov.
April 6 The 1942 project was reviewed by the art committee and approved by the deputy chief of the State Agrarian University, the chairman of the art committee, major general Khokhlov. Moreover, the decision of the artcom focused on the need for the urgent creation of a prototype SG-122 (this is how the new ACS was named).
13 on April 1942, plant manager No. 592 and the head of the repair department of the ABTU RKKA received the following letter:
Cc: Director of Plant No. 592 Pankratov.
In accordance with the decision taken by the Deputy. The People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, Lieutenant-General of the tank troops, comrade Fedorenko, about rearming trophy "artturms" of 122-mm howitzers. 1938 of the year at the factory number 592 I ask you to give the necessary order for the repair and delivery to the factory number 592 of four trophy "artsturms". To speed up all the work, the first repaired "artturm" must be delivered to the factory before April 25.
13 April 1942 city
Chairman of the Technical Council, a member of the board of the NKV E. Satel.
(signature)".
The plant creates its own design office. The bureau was headed by engineer A. Kashtanov. It is this bureau that develops the working drawings of the ACS SG. The designers did not change the German solution, which was used on the stuG III self-propelled gun (on the same base). Yes, and the layout of the tank did not allow to place the gun somehow otherwise without a serious modernization of the chassis. The prototype machine was ready by mid-June 1942.
Necessary retreat.
By the way, in this place there were again thoughts about the discrepancy between what we were inspired about the epoch of Stalin and real actions. You can imagine a military factory where work is in full swing all day, performing the most important government task and ... developing independently a completely different machine?
In short, Kashtanov initially informally, and then officially develop another SG. On the basis of the Soviet tank T-34. Such an experienced car was released in the autumn of the same year.
Design
Now our favorite activity. Consider the design of the machine.
The military felling of the German assault guns remained unchanged. Except for the roof. She was cut off. Armor sheets in the form of a prismatic box were welded on top. Sheet thickness: forehead - 45 mm, sides - 35 mm, feed - 25 mm, roof - 20 mm. The roof was also reinforced at the joints from the outside and inside with lining thickness 6-8 mm. In addition, on the base (German) sheets on the forehead set an additional mask with a thickness of 20 mm.
The base model gun was removed and a new machine for the M-30 howitzer was installed in its place. The only change to the base weapon was the additional springs on the balancing mechanism in each column.
Over the roof of the fighting compartment, between the sight box and its basket, a special hub was installed to ensure the exit of the panorama lens.
Ammunition was placed on special metal shelves on 2-3 units. The shelves were located along the sides and aft of the cabin. Moreover, the design of the shelves was such that the upper row of shelves fixed bottom. The shells on the upper shelves were fastened in supports with canvas belts.
Thus, at the beginning of the shooting, the upper shelves were released, which were folded up with the help of springs, and only then the lower shelves were released. The total number of shells 50 pieces (portable ammunition).
Shells with charges were kept on the floor of the fighting compartment. The liners were installed in special grooves and fixed with the edges of their flanges. The lamellar spring served as a stop for the sleeves to fall out. Additionally, in the stowed position, the sleeves were fixed with straps with buckles.
To facilitate the loading of the howitzer, special trays for filling the shells are attached to the cap holder.
For the entrance and exit of the crew in the car has two hatches. The main one was located in the aft of the cabin. The second hatch in front, in the frontal part of the cabin. In front of the gunner vertically. This arrangement of hatches caused by the need to ensure the gas outlet when shooting.
If the machine fires from closed positions, both hatches open and serve as air vents. Provide fresh air.
It is much harder for the crew to shoot from open positions or on the move. In this case, after one or three shots, there was nothing to breathe in the wheelhouse. And here a solution was found that causes the authors to be a bit taken aback. Gas masks!
The crew worked in gas masks. But, the corrugated tubes were doubled and fastened not to the gas mask box (this was done only by the command of “Gaza”), but to special holes in the wheelhouse. The crew breathed outside air. Imagine, in the summer, in the offensive, along the dusty Russian steppes, and behind the tanks ...
In the control room there was a place for the radio station. Used radio station 9-P "Tapir". For communication between crew members, TPU-4 bis was installed. Staff radio operator was a vertical gunner.
In general, attempts to reduce the number of crew members were not even made. The designers retained the German calculation - 5 people.
Driver mechanic. It was located exactly the same as in the base tank.
For the mechanic, left side forward along the car was the commander. He gunner horizontally.
Further, the first loader was positioned sideways along the machine.
Opposite the commander, with his right shoulder along the course of the car, was the gunner vertically, he is also a radio operator.
Nearby, in the same way, with the right shoulder forward, sat the second loader.
Unfortunately, we do not have today the opportunity to show everything in kind, alas, the only copy of the self-propelled gun is its full-size model, made from photos and drawings in Verkhnyaya Pyshma.
As you already understood, the howitzer had a separate tip. Three people participated in pointing the gun at the target! The driver carried out an approximate aiming with the help of caterpillars with the help of a simple sight device in the form of two plates. Next came the work of the gunners.
Tests SG-122
Be that as it may, 20 June 1942 of the year SAU SG-122 began factory tests (test site No. 8). Ten days the car was checked in the most difficult conditions. On the strength of the structure, on the work of components and mechanisms, on the rate of fire, on stability, on road performance.
In principle, the car showed good opportunities. Go to the fighting position - 19-27 seconds. Carrying the fire in azimuth to the 15, 45 and 90 angles of degrees throughout the full cycle (rough guidance, precise panorama guidance and firing) - 16-22 seconds. Sea trials have shown that the car is well controlled, has a good cross.
By this time, the command of the Red Army already understood that the bet on the captured cars was deliberately a failure. For the same reasons as at the very beginning of this project. Repair trophies was almost impossible due to the lack of spare parts. Nevertheless, the ground tests still held.
From 25 July to 16 August 1942, the car in Sofrino passed the full cycle of tests initiated by the GAU RKKA. Some flaws were discovered, but in general tests have shown. that the machine could well be used on the front. Of the most significant shortcomings were indicated: an insufficient view of the driver to the right, difficulties driving over rough terrain due to the forward shift of the center of gravity.
The discrepancy between our view and the reality of that time
But then it happened again what we mentioned above. The discrepancy between our view and the reality of that time. October 19 1942 of the Year Stalin signed a decree of the State Defense Committee, which provided for the production of 120 ACS SG-122 based on the captured T-3, T-4 and ACS Artsturm and the formation of 10 self-propelled artillery battalions from them.
So, the GKO decree, signed personally by Stalin, was not executed!
The plant tried to complete the task, but the lack of chassis quantities, as well as the poor quality of repairs, as in other matters, and the build quality of the machines themselves, made the task impossible. And no one was jailed for sabotage! And no one was shot!
More - more.
Further, Stalin, understanding the situation, does not sign orders for mass executions, but a new decree.
27 December 1942 of the year was issued the resolution of the State Defense Committee No. 2661ss on the adoption of the T-80 light tank (developed by GAZ). By this decree, the serial production of these tanks should be carried out by plant number 592.
Moreover, by this decree, the plant seemed to even get rid of the blow for failing to fulfill the assignment by transferring it to another people's commissariat. From the Commissariat of Armaments to the Commissariat of the Tank Industry! And received a new name - plant number 40. And the release of SG-122 stopped on the orders of the same Stalin!
Results
Summing up the epic of the SG-122 ACS, I must say that, despite all the setbacks and obstacles, Plant No. 592 (No. 40) still released the 26 SAU! And these machines fought on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. That battle episodes and we will tell today.
1 January 1943 began the formation of the 1435 self-propelled artillery regiment (commander - Major G. M. Ostapenko, deputy leader - Lieutenant Colonel A. S. Eliseev, chief of staff - captain G. E. Mogilny). SU-76 and SU-122 (based on T-34) were to become the main ACS of the regiment. But on January 28 the regiment began transmitting SG-122 ACS.
By February 15 the regiment had already 16 of these machines. True, 17 February 4 machines took at the disposal of the training center of self-propelled artillery.
February 20 regiment plunged into platforms and departed to the front. February 24 unloaded at Dabuj station. 3 March is concentrated around the village of Makaki. Organizationally, the regiment was placed at the disposal of the 9 tank corps of the 10 Army of the Western Front. In general, we can talk about the full-fledged part with a stretch.
The regiment consisted of 9 SU-76 (three of which are under repair) and 12 ACS SG-122 (combat-ready 8).
The first battle the regiment received 6 March 1943, near the village of Nizhnyaya Akimovka. The task is to support the attack of the 248 tank tank brigade of the 9 tank corps with fire and tracks. The outcome of the battle: destroyed three anti-tank guns, two machine-gun nests, one tank, five bunkers. At the same time the regiment lost two burned cars and three wounded. A 91-caliber 76-mm projectile and 185 122-mm projectiles are consumed.
The next fight is two days later, 8 March, in the same area and with the same task. The loss of the regiment consisted of three burnt SU-76, another four SU-76 and two SG-122 self-propelled guns were destroyed. But we know a little more about combat work. This time the tanks still took the village. The consumption of 76-mm rounds - 211, 122-mm rounds - 530.
Lt. Savchenko's car destroyed 2 anti-tank guns, two cars and three machine gun nests. Machine Lieutenant Koval destroyed three bunker and two machine-gun nests. The machine of Lieutenant Yagudin - two bunker and suppressed the artillery battery of the Germans. Machine Lt. Kandapushev - bunker, two anti-tank guns, two machine-gun points, two tanks.
March 9 1435 SAP again supported the 248 Brigade. Now the battle went beyond the village of Verkhnyaya Akimovka. The ACS SG-122 of Lieutenant Koval and gunner Yurina destroyed two guns, four bunkers, two cars, four machine-gun points. In addition, you can write another gun and two machine-gun points destroyed by other machines.
14 March, the remains of a regiment (three SU-76 and four SG-122) fought over two heights near the village Yasenok. The regiment was almost destroyed. Five cars were broken or burned. The position returned two damaged cars.
March 15 regiment was taken to the rear due to lack of materiel. Cars written off and sent to SPAM or repair. The regiment received new SU-76 and Su-122 (based on T-34). Later, in October of the same year, 1435 SAP was reequipped with SU-85. The combat life of the regiment continued on other machines. And SAU SG-122 are gone ...
Finishing the article about this interesting, but difficult, especially for the Red Army, machine, I would like to say why the war of this installation proved so short. Alas, the combat effectiveness of the ACS turned out to be low for a simple reason. Soviet soldiers were not trained to work with such machines. Therefore, there were so great non-combat losses.
In the same 1435 self-propelled artillery regiment, already on the march, drivers killed almost 50% of vehicles due to poor knowledge of the equipment. Well, when the mechanics could fix something. But more often the car was just written off.
History these machines, especially those that did not get to the front, is lost. Even those machines that were sent to the training center (4 machines from the 1435 regiment) are unknown. The only mention of those machines that remained in the warehouse of the plant is in the memorandum of engineer Kashtanov about the re-equipment of SG-122 with the lighter gun ZiS-5.
Information