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SU-152

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SU-152

AnnoR18_SU-152.png
Battle Tier
1234567891011
Overview
Mouse over "
Well, the ones further down, of course.
" for more information
[Client Values; Actual values in
Specifically, the mismatch in crew values caused by commander's 10% crew skill bonus. Outside of a crew of 1 commander only, 100% crew is a fiction. The client values, given for 100% crew, will normally be taken into battle with 110% crew skill members aside from specific functions, causing their actual performance to deviate from the expected client value. These differences are taken into account in tooltip boxes.
]
1,305,000  Credits Cost
870174 HP Hit Points
45.73/45.915.83/48.3 t Weight Limit
Crew
  1. Commander (Radio Operator)
  2. Gunner
  3. Driver
  4. Loader
  5. Loader
Mobility
500600 hp Engine Power
43/11 km/h Speed Limit
2023 deg/s Traverse
10.9337.9 hp/t Power/Wt Ratio
YesYes Pivot
Armor
// mm Hull Armor
Armament







{{#ifeq:HOLLOW_CHARGE|ARMOR_PIERCING||



{{#ifeq:HIGH_EXPLOSIVE|ARMOR_PIERCING||


AP/HEAT/HE







{{#ifeq:ARMOR_PIERCING_CR|ARMOR_PIERCING||



{{#ifeq:HIGH_EXPLOSIVE|ARMOR_PIERCING||


AP/APCR/HE
Shells




















725/6000/810




















1025/4800/608
Shell Cost
700/700/910390/390/530 HP Damage
135/250/86175/217/64 mm Penetration



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3.39 r/m 

Standard Gun

Reload Times
Nominal: 17.7 s
50% Crew: 21.93 s
75% Crew: 19.15 s
100% Crew: 16.97 s
Rammer: 15.27 s
Vents: 16.6 s
Both: 14.94 s
Both and BiA: 14.61 s
Both and Max Crew %: 14.01 s

See Crew, Consumables, or Equipment for more information.



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8.11 r/m 

Standard Gun

Reload Times
Nominal: 7.4 s
50% Crew: 9.17 s
75% Crew: 8 s
100% Crew: 7.1 s
Rammer: 6.39 s
Vents: 6.94 s
Both: 6.25 s
Both and BiA: 6.11 s
Both and Max Crew %: 5.86 s

See Crew, Consumables, or Equipment for more information.
Rate of Fire






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2373

Standard Gun

Using Shell Type 1 (700 Damage):


Theoretical Damage Per Minute
Nominal DPM: 2373
50% Crew: 1918
75% Crew: 2191
100% Crew: 2478
100% Crew
Vents: 2534
Rammer: 2751
Both: 2814
Both and BiA: 2877
Both and Max Crew %: 3003

Advantageous Damage Per Minute
First-shot DPM: 3073
50% Crew: 2618
75% Crew: 2891
100% Crew: 3178
100% Crew
Rammer: 3451
Vents: 3234
Both: 3514
Both and BiA: 3577
Both and Max Crew %: 3703

See here, here, or here for more information.

Standard Gun

Using Shell Type 2 (700 Damage):


Theoretical Damage Per Minute
Nominal DPM: 2373
50% Crew: 1918
75% Crew: 2191
100% Crew: 2478
100% Crew
Vents: 2534
Rammer: 2751
Both: 2814
Both and BiA: 2877
Both and Max Crew %: 3003

Advantageous Damage Per Minute
First-shot DPM: 3073
50% Crew: 2618
75% Crew: 2891
100% Crew: 3178
100% Crew
Rammer: 3451
Vents: 3234
Both: 3514
Both and BiA: 3577
Both and Max Crew %: 3703

See here, here, or here for more information.

Standard Gun

Using Shell Type 3 (910 Damage):
With wholly penetrating hits

Theoretical Damage Per Minute
Nominal DPM: 3084.9
50% Crew: 2493.4
75% Crew: 2848.3
100% Crew: 3221.4
100% Crew
Vents: 3294.2
Rammer: 3576.3
Both: 3658.2
Both and BiA: 3740.1
Both and Max Crew %: 3903.9

Advantageous Damage Per Minute
First-shot DPM: 3994.9
50% Crew: 3403.4
75% Crew: 3758.3
100% Crew: 4131.4
100% Crew
Rammer: 4486.3
Vents: 4204.2
Both: 4568.2
Both and BiA: 4650.1
Both and Max Crew %: 4813.9

See here, here, or here for more information.






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3162.9

Standard Gun

Using Shell Type 1 (390 Damage):


Theoretical Damage Per Minute
Nominal DPM: 3162.9
50% Crew: 2554.5
75% Crew: 2925
100% Crew: 3299.4
100% Crew
Vents: 3373.5
Rammer: 3666
Both: 3747.9
Both and BiA: 3833.7
Both and Max Crew %: 3997.5

Advantageous Damage Per Minute
First-shot DPM: 3552.9
50% Crew: 2944.5
75% Crew: 3315
100% Crew: 3689.4
100% Crew
Rammer: 4056
Vents: 3763.5
Both: 4137.9
Both and BiA: 4223.7
Both and Max Crew %: 4387.5

See here, here, or here for more information.

Standard Gun

Using Shell Type 2 (390 Damage):


Theoretical Damage Per Minute
Nominal DPM: 3162.9
50% Crew: 2554.5
75% Crew: 2925
100% Crew: 3299.4
100% Crew
Vents: 3373.5
Rammer: 3666
Both: 3747.9
Both and BiA: 3833.7
Both and Max Crew %: 3997.5

Advantageous Damage Per Minute
First-shot DPM: 3552.9
50% Crew: 2944.5
75% Crew: 3315
100% Crew: 3689.4
100% Crew
Rammer: 4056
Vents: 3763.5
Both: 4137.9
Both and BiA: 4223.7
Both and Max Crew %: 4387.5

See here, here, or here for more information.

Standard Gun

Using Shell Type 3 (530 Damage):
With wholly penetrating hits

Theoretical Damage Per Minute
Nominal DPM: 4298.3
50% Crew: 3471.5
75% Crew: 3975
100% Crew: 4483.8
100% Crew
Vents: 4584.5
Rammer: 4982
Both: 5093.3
Both and BiA: 5209.9
Both and Max Crew %: 5432.5

Advantageous Damage Per Minute
First-shot DPM: 4828.3
50% Crew: 4001.5
75% Crew: 4505
100% Crew: 5013.8
100% Crew
Rammer: 5512
Vents: 5114.5
Both: 5623.3
Both and BiA: 5739.9
Both and Max Crew %: 5962.5

See here, here, or here for more information.
Damage Per Minute


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0.5 m 

With 50% Crew: 0.619 m
With 75% Crew: 0.541 m
With 100% Crew: 0.479 m
With BiA: 0.469 m
With BiA and Vents: 0.459 m
Maximum possible: 0.44 m

For more details, see Crew


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0.41 m 

With 50% Crew: 0.508 m
With 75% Crew: 0.443 m
With 100% Crew: 0.393 m
With BiA: 0.384 m
With BiA and Vents: 0.376 m
Maximum possible: 0.361 m

For more details, see Crew
Accuracy


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3.4 s 

With 50% Crew: 4.212 s
With 75% Crew: 3.678 s
With 100% Crew: 3.26 s
With GLD: 2.964 s
With BiA: 3.188 s
With BiA and Vents: 3.119 s
With both and GLD: 2.835 s
Maximum possible: 2.718 s

For more details, see Crew or Equipment


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2.9 s 

With 50% Crew: 3.592 s
With 75% Crew: 3.137 s
With 100% Crew: 2.781 s
With GLD: 2.528 s
With BiA: 2.719 s
With BiA and Vents: 2.66 s
With both and GLD: 2.418 s
Maximum possible: 2.318 s

For more details, see Crew or Equipment
Aim time
2626 deg/s Gun Traverse Speed
16° Gun Arc
-6°/+18°-6°/+18° Elevation Arc
2632 rounds Ammo Capacity
General
1515 % Chance of Fire






330 m 

With 50% Crew: 259.3 m
With 75% Crew: 294.7 m
With 100% Crew: 330 m
With Recon and Situational Awareness: 346.7 m
With Coated Optics: 363 m
With Binocular Telescope: 412.5 m
Maximum possible: 472.4 m

For more details, see Skills or Equipment






330 m 

With 50% Crew: 259.3 m
With 75% Crew: 294.7 m
With 100% Crew: 330 m
With Recon and Situational Awareness: 346.7 m
With Coated Optics: 363 m
With Binocular Telescope: 412.5 m
Maximum possible: 472.4 m

For more details, see Skills or Equipment
View Range


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360 m 

With 50% Crew: 282.8 m
With 75% Crew: 321.5 m
With 100% Crew: 360 m
With 100% Signal Boost: 432 m
When affected by 100% Relaying: 396 m
Maximum possible: 518 m

For more details, see Skills or Equipment


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625 m 

With 50% Crew: 491.1 m
With 75% Crew: 558.1 m
With 100% Crew: 625 m
With 100% Signal Boost: 750 m
When affected by 100% Relaying: 687.5 m
Maximum possible: 899.3 m

For more details, see Skills or Equipment
Signal Range
Values are Stock - click for Top


VII

AnnoR18_SU-152.png

1305000

The SU-152 is a Soviet tier 7 tank destroyer.

Development of a tank destroyer on the basis of the KV-1S heavy tank began on January 4, 1943. The vehicle received the designation KV-14 (Object 236). A prototype underwent field trials at the beginning of February 1943 and entered service on February 14, 1943. In April, the KV-14 was renamed SU-152. By December 1943, 670 vehicles were manufactured. Thanks to its ability to successfully combat german Tiger I and Panther tanks, the SU-152 was dubbed "Hunter" by the troops.

While having a very powerful gun and based on the KV-1S chassis, the SU-152 has relatively weak armor for a tank destroyer. On top of that, it has low speed and maneuverability. Most tanks you face will have no problems piercing the frontal armor, so it is best to use the low profile of this tank and remain at range to make yourself a much smaller target.

The SU-152 initially mounts a 152mm gun. This gun should use mostly HE rounds since its AP rounds can't penetrate most heavy tanks' frontal armor or snipe weak spots with its poor accuracy. For sniping, use the upgraded 122mm series gun. The upgraded 122mm gun has decent penetration for its tier, good damage and very high rate of fire for such a large weapon. Beware, the tank doesn't carry much ammo, so for trigger happy folks, consider yourselves warned. However, some people prefer to play with the stock 152mm which can hurt any tank you face and has the advantage of increased module damage, like destroying tracks of enemy tanks you hit, immobilizing them while you reload.

The SU-152 leads to the ISU-152.

Modules / Available Equipment and Consumables

Modules

Ico_gun_alpha.png

Guns

Tier Gun Penetration
(mm)
Damage
(HP)
Rate of fire
(rounds/minute)
Dispersion
(m/100m)
Aiming time
(s)
Weight
(kg)
Price
(Credits)

VII 122 mm A-19 mod. 1937 175/217/61 390/390/530 6.67 0.43 2.9 2600 94000
VI 152 mm ML-20 mod. 1931/37 135/250/86 700/700/910 3.39 0.5 3.4 2500 49290
VIII 122 mm D-25S mod. 1944 175/217/64 390/390/530 8.11 0.41 2.9 2590 106400

Ico_engine_alpha.png

Engines

Tier Engine Engine Power
(hp)
Chance of Fire on Impact
(%)
Weight
(kg)
Price
(Credits)

VII V-2IS 600 15 750 36000
VI V-2K 500 15 750 23050

Ico_suspension_alpha.png

Suspensions

Tier Suspension Load Limit
(т)
Traverse Speed
(gr/sec)
Rmin Weight
(kg)
Price
(Credits)

VII SU-152 45.9 20 0 12000 20090
VIII SU-152M 48.3 23 0 12000 32710

Ico_radio_alpha.png

Radios

Tier Radio Signal Range
(m)
Weight
(kg)
Price
(Credits)

V 10R 360 100 3660
VII 10RK 440 100 18600
IX 12RT 625 110 33600

Compatible Equipment

Low Noise Exhaust System Class 2 Medium Spall Liner Camouflage Net Class 2 Coated Optics Class 2 Experimental Optics Wear-Resistant Gun Laying Drive Improved Configuration Venting System Innovative Loading System Enhanced Gun Laying Drive Class 2 Improved Hardening Class 2 Additional Grousers Class 2 Modified Configuration Class 2 Improved Rotation Mechanism Class 2 Improved Aiming Class 2 Improved Ventilation Class 2 Binocular Telescope Class 2 Gun Rammer Class 2 Turbocharger Class 2 

Compatible Consumables

Automatic Fire Extinguisher Natural Cover Optical Calibration Aim Tuning Experienced Firefighters Manual Fire Extinguisher Pre-Battle Maintenance Vent Purge Large First Aid Kit Large Repair Kit Duty Comes First Lend-Lease Oil Shell Organizer Orderly Ammo Rack Focus on Target Extra Combat Rations Removed Speed Governor Increased Focus Small First Aid Kit Small Repair Kit Gearbox Intricacy Steady Hand Combat Course 


Player Opinion

Pros and Cons

Pros:


  • Awesome 152mm gun with massive alpha damage capable of 1-shotting even some Tier 7; premium HEAT shell has overkilling penetr
  • 122mm D-25S hits reasonably hard and has great firing rate
  • Large gun mantlet with weird armor scheme can bounce some hits
  • Acceptable top speed allows for some repositioning
  • Unmatched fear factor especially when top tier, due to its high power weapon and good camo in stationary


Cons:


  • Mostly irrelevant armor, usually can only fend off up to mid-calibre HE shells
  • 122mm guns have mediocre to subpar penetration and their accuracy barely qualify as sniping guns
  • 152 mm ML-20 mod. 1931/37 is pretty inconsistent, has slow reload and pointless default AP shell; can be frustrating
  • Very tight interior space leads to frequent vital module/crew damage
  • Reputation. Because of the huge gun, teammates might over-evaluate your capability and leave you in danger of being swarmed


Performance

If you played the KV-2 with the 152 mm gun, you already know what the trick is like on the SU, with some differences. The gun on the SU-152 is basically a newer model of the same gun with much improved fire rate, accuracy and aiming time. This means that you can kill any tier 6 tank or lower (TOG II* being a notable exception) with one shot if you hit weak parts of their armor where HE rounds can penetrate. As for other aspects, the SU-152, being base on the KV-1S, has its protection rather imitating the mediums, but the mobility and especially maneuverability is still distant from that. Which means the SU-152 can also one-shot-kill other SU-152 by hitting and penetrating their weak frontal plate.

Whether you use the 152 derp gun, or the 122 DPM guns, one thing to always remember as part of the mindset when playing this is that it's a Soviet Tank Destroyer, and thus your greatest defense is not your armor, but your incredibly high camo. There are two distinct playstyles for the SU-152, and it's up to you to decide which one is better.

For the 152mm gun, it is advised to buy premium HEAT ammunition if you can afford it. It has 250mm penetration for an average 700 damage. Basically, that's a mini D-4S, so you can give yourself a little preview of what's to come. HEAT ammunition should he used mainly on close range due the low accuracy of gun. Avoid hitting spaced portions of tanks, such as tracks, gun mantlets or protective screens. With a gun with monstrous damage and penetration when using premium ammunition, target the strongest enemies first, as they can do a lot of damage to your team. The earlier they die the better. Avoid wasting shots on agile or low health tanks at all costs. 152mm gun should not generally use AP. With 135mm penetration and really bad accuracy, most targets it can damage are better handled with HE shells.

Compared to premium SU-122-44 this tank has the same damage, penetration, and somewhat higher rate of fire with its 122 mm guns. The difference is that the SU-122-44 is more maneuverable, has lower profile and better armor, whereas the SU-152 has some more health. Due to the 122mm gun's playstyle, it works better on the SU-122-44, but it works just fine on this. Also, as of 1.5, the 122mm guns no longer carry over to any other vehicle, so it is no longer a necessity to grind them out if you aren't planning on using them.

Ultimately, the gun you chose to grind the SU-152 depends on your playstyle. If you want a preview of the D-4S that can derp people in the face and prefer hand-to-hand combat with expensive ammo, the 152mm gun is for you. If you'd prefer trying to snipe and have an amazing DPM and RoF, then the 122mm is best for you. Just make sure to research both 122mm guns, as the D-25S historically was a more developed version and is performance-wise directly superior.


Early Research

  • You can get the fully upgraded radio from the KV-3, so install it immediately.
  • You can get the final engine from the KV-1S, so install it immediately.
  • Research the suspension.
  • If you do not have the radio or engine available, a good choice would be to research the engine, then the suspension, and finally the radios.
  • As of 1.5, the 122mm guns are exclusive to the SU-152, and should only be researched if you plan to use them or elite the tank.


Suggested Equipment


Improved VentilationTank Gun Rammer Enhanced Gun Laying Drive 


Gallery

Historical Info

SU-152 in Lubuskie Military Museum, Poland

The SU-152 was a Soviet heavy self-propelled heavy assault gun used during World War II. It mounted a 152 mm gun-howitzer on the chassis of a KV-1S heavy tank. Later production used the IS tank chassis and was re-designated as the ISU-152. Because of its adopted role as an impromptu heavy tank destroyer capable of knocking out the heaviest German armoured vehicles (Tiger and Panther tanks, and Elefant tank destroyers), it was nicknamed Zveroboy: "beast killer".

Development

The Stalingrad counteroffensive, Operation Uranus, exposed the Red Army's urgent need for mobile heavy guns. Primary targets for these guns were German fortifications in and around Stalingrad. At the time, Soviet front-line ground units did not possess sufficient firepower to deal with pillboxes and other fortifications.

SU-152 in Lubuskie Military Museum, Poland

Close support of artillery and combat engineers was an important factor in the success of Operation Uranus. However, with rare exceptions, all Soviet guns and howitzers at this time were towed rather than self-propelled. This lack of mobility proved to be greatly exacerbated by the absence of roads, the presence of deep snow cover, and a scarcity of artillery tractors. Towed guns were also highly vulnerable to counterattack while on the move, especially since they were often hauled by horses or their own crews. The 152 mm heavy howitzers were particularly difficult to maneuver; owing to their great weight and narrow steel wheels, were incapable of crossing rivers on anything but tank bridges, were prone to becoming hopelessly mired, and subsequently needing to be abandoned by their crews.

152-mm howitzer-gun ML-20S for SU-152 in Motovilikha Plants museum (Perm, Russia

This situation did not satisfy the state authorities. In November 1942, the State Defense Committee ordered the development of a heavy self-propelled gun armed with the 152.4mm ML-20 howitzer. It should be noted that the Red Army had dedicated anti-fortification vehicles in the pre-war period, such as the KV-2 heavy tank armed with the 152.4 mm M-10 howitzer. The design proved unsatisfactory for numerous reasons, including a lethally-high silhouette, a sluggish and barely-functional manual turret traverse, a slow reload rate, and a high center of gravity which risked tipping the vehicle over when attempting to surmount even small obstacles. Mass production of KV-2s ceased in July 1941 and a few survived to November 1942. The new anti-fortification vehicle was designed with the same purpose in mind, but with higher mobility, heavier armor, reduced production cost, and the more powerful and accurate ML-20 152mm gun. Mounting the ML-20 in a turret was impossible due to its length and recoil, and it was eventually decided that the new vehicle should have a non-rotating gun mounted in a fixed casemate-style superstructure. Prior to the issue of the State Defense Committee order, there were several other anti-fortification vehicle projects, all of which were halted. Later in the war, these projects were restarted. In December 1942, three different designs of "pillbox killer" vehicles were introduced by various engineering groups from the major Soviet artillery and tank factories. All of these designs used the ML-20 gun as a primary armament on the KV-1S heavy tank chassis. After some discussion, the project of Joseph Yakovlevich Kotin was chosen for further mass production. This design successfully combined the ML-20 and KV-1S chassis with minimal expense. The entire project was designated "KV-14" and assembly of the first prototype (called "Object 236") began on December 31, 1942. It was completed after 25 days. Plant trials of "Object 236" began on January 25, 1943. After a number of successful plant tests, the more stringent state tests began. "Object 236" succeeded again. On February 14, 1943 the State Defense Committee accepted it for Red Army service and immediately launched it into mass production at the Chelyabinskiy Kirovskiy Zavod (Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant, ChKZ). The designation of the series of self-propelled guns was changed from KV-14 to SU-152. The ML-20 gun was slightly modified for mounting in the SU-152: some handles were moved for improved gunner comfort. This variant had the designation ML-20S. The muzzle velocity and external ballistics were identical to the original towed ML-20 gun.

Although designed with no consideration for the anti-tank role, the SU-152 proved to have surprisingly good anti-tank capabilities due to the ML-20S's extremely heavy HE projectiles. Standard doctrine for purpose-built AT guns of the period universally relied on small, dense solid projectiles propelled to high velocities, optimized for punching through armor. Since the SU-152, like all SU-series self-propelled guns, was not designed with tank killing in mind, no AP projectiles were issued to crews and no initial tests against armor were conducted. However, tests performed on captured Tiger tanks in early 1943 showed that the SU-152 was able to destroy them at any range with a fair degree of reliability (the only vehicle then in Soviet service capable of doing so) by simply blowing the turret off the vehicle through sheer blast effect. This fortuitous discovery spurred massive SU-152 production and the formation of self-propelled artillery units, which then functioned as ersatz heavy tank destroyer battalions.

After the launch of SU-152 mass production, the design was slightly modified to improve reliability. Initially, the SU-152 lacked a machine gun, which was recognized as a severe weakness in urban warfare and other close combat. To solve this problem, the DShK 12.7 mm anti-aircraft gun installation was developed in the summer of 1943. Some SU-152s received it after repair. The SU-152 was the last member of the KV family of tanks in mass production, and was replaced by the ISU-152 on the ChKZ production lines in December 1943. The exact number of SU-152s produced differs even in Russian sources, with the most common figures being 670 or 704. The SU-152s that survived World War II were withdrawn from Soviet Army service in 1954.

Construction and design

The SU-152 followed the same design as other Soviet self-propelled guns (except the SU-76). The fully-armored hull was divided into two compartments: a fighting compartment for the crew, gun, and ammunition in the front of the hull, and the engine and transmission separate in the rear. The hull was welded from rolled armour plates of different thickness — 75, 60, 30 and 20 mm. The front hull and superstructure armor plates were sloped for better vehicle protection: side armor was vertical. Lower front hull and rear armor plates were cylindrical, and were quite complex in their method of production. The ML-20S gun-howitzer was mounted slightly to the right of center with a limited traverse in a range of 12 degrees. Three of the crew were to the left of the gun: driver to the front, then gunner, and last the loader. The vehicle commander and breech mechanism operator were to the right.

The suspension consisted of twelve torsion bars for the six road wheels (each 600 mm in diameter) on each side. The drive sprockets were at the back. Each track was made up of 90 stamped links, each link of 608 mm width. The normal distance between two connected links was 160 mm. There were three internal fuel tanks, two in the crew area and one in the engine compartment, for a total capacity of 600–615 litres. These were usually enhanced by four unconnected external fuel tanks, which could hold an additional 360 litres of fuel. A 24-volt electrical power supply came from a 1 kW GT-4563A generator with a RRA-24 voltage relay regulator unit and four 6STE-128 accumulator batteries with a total capacity of 256 ampere-hours. This electrical equipment was common for many contemporary Soviet AFVs. The generator and accumulator batteries fed all other electrical equipment; the ST-700 electric starter motor, a radio set, an intercom, external and internal lights, and illumination of gunsight scales.

For observation from the interior, all roof hatches had periscopes and there were two gun sights; the telescopic ST-10 (СТ-10) and a panoramic sight. For crew communication a TPU-4-BisF intercom was fitted, and for inter-vehicle communication there was a single radio. The first-series SU-152 was equipped with the 9R, then 10R, and finally the 10RK-26 radio set. These radios were better than Soviet equipment at the start of the war, but remained inferior to German equipment. The crew was equipped with two PPSh submachine guns and twenty five F1 grenades for short-range self-defence.

Combat history

An abandoned SU-152 assault gun inspected by German troops.

Although not designed for the role, the SU-152 proved to be a cheap, widely produced, and effective heavy tank killer, second only to the SU-100 as an antitank vehicle, as well as highly successful at its original role against infantry and fortifications. In combat, it was used for two distinct purposes; long-range artillery fire support during assaults by suppressing infantry and destroying pillboxes and AT guns, and as ersatz heavy tank destroyers (usually in ambush). The SU-152 was produced in large numbers throughout 1943, with the first SU-152s being issued to new heavy mechanized gun regiments raised in May 1943. The first regiment arrived at Kursk with only twelve guns, and was brought up to its full strength of twenty-one guns during the fighting (Zaloga 1984:165). Disadvantages of the vehicle included a low rate of fire due to the heavy ammunition, low ammunition storage (only 20 rounds), and a cramped and un-ergonomic crew compartment. Its armor protection was only adequate; the 65 mm of 30-degree sloped frontal armor was moderately greater than that of the T-34 medium tank, but still left it vulnerable frontally to the 88 mm KwK 36/43 guns of the Tiger and Elefant at long range and the 7.5 cm KwK 40 high-velocity gun of the Panzer IV and StuG III/IV at medium and short ranges (and from any range from the flanks or rear). The 152 mm gun, while having a maximum range far superior to the 88 mm, was still a corps-level heavy howitzer at heart, and had a much shorter accurate range than either the 88 mm or the 7.5 cm gun, while still being vulnerable to return fire at the same distance. This made it most effective for use in massed ambushes, where the German heavy tank's advantages could be nullified and the SU-152's one-shot kill potential could be best utilized.

Since it was intended as a self-propelled artillery piece rather than a true tank destroyer, the SU-152 was generally issued with standard HE rounds rather than armor-piercing projectiles. The 152mm HE round produced a massive blast that did not rely on velocity for its effectiveness, making them effective against any German tank, including the Tiger and Elefant (although with a somewhat decreased level of kill reliability over penetrating projectiles). It was renowned for its ability to rip the turret completely off a Tiger tank (at any range) by sheer blast effect alone, and numerous German AFVs were claimed as destroyed or damaged by SU-152 fire during the Battle of Kursk; for example, one Major Sankovskiy destroyed 10 German tanks (of unknown type) in a single day with his crew and his SU-152, and was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

SU-152_with_Snow_camouflage_paint

However, it proved less reliable at permanently destroying the Elefant heavy tank destroyer, which was impervious to any other Soviet gun and lacked a turret, making it more resistant to non-penetrating HE blasts. While the Soviets claimed at least seven German Elefants destroyed by SU-152 ambushes at Kursk, German after-action reports reveal that, while multiple Elefants were in fact knocked out, only one Elefant was completely destroyed; the rest being recovered after nightfall and quickly repaired, recrewed, and returned to battle. [1] This has been attributed to the gun's reliance on blast rather than penetration, which killed the crew and destroyed the vehicle's interior via concussion and spalling without harming the ammunition supply or chassis. In response, Soviet doctrine was changed by ordering SU-152 crews to continue firing on incapacitated vehicles until the turret was knocked off. [2]. After Kursk, the 152 mm BR-540 solid-core AP round was produced in small numbers and issued to heavy tank destroyer battalions in an effort to introduce a penetrating projectile, but the gun's inherent low velocity made the AP round no more accurate, and only moderately more effective than the standard HE round (which could also be used against infantry).

Following the SU-152's performance at Kursk, the SU-152 played a very important role in destroying German fortifications during the Operation Bagration counteroffensive, this being the vehicle's original design goal. From the second half of 1943 to the end of World War II, SU-152s were used on all Soviet fronts: from Finland to the Crimea. Due to combat losses and mass production ceasing in December 1943, the number of SU-152s in the Soviet Army decreased. Eventually, SU-152s were replaced by the more reliable and better-armored ISU-152, which used the same armament and ammunition in the same dual-purpose role.

Nickname etymology

Although the translation of the "Zveroboy" nickname as "beast killer" has been perpetuated in numerous books and articles, another theory posits that the actual meaning is derived from the Russian name for the St. John's Wort, a plant commonly used to treat various ailments: having nothing to do with the vehicle's actual role or performance.

Organisation

The SU-152 was used by the Independent Heavy Self-propelled Artillery Regiments (OTSAP, ОТСАП, in Russian, from Otdel'niy Tyazheliy Samokhodno-Artilleriyskiy Polk, Отдельный Тяжелый Самоходно-Артиллерийский Полк). Initially, each OTSAP had twelve SU-152s divided into three batteries of four vehicles. One KV-1S tank served as a commander's vehicle. After November 1943, the OTSAP organisation changed to 21 vehicles per regiment.

For more on unit organisation, see the corresponding chapter on the ISU-152 page.


Historical Gallery

Historical Accuracy Errata

The following are consensus errors or inconsistencies which have been identified with the configuration of the vehicle in question and conflict with information available on the public record. The causes for these divergences in the game are normally not disclosed and may be rooted in game balance.

The 122 mm gun was only fitted on the SU-100 and ISU-152 (known as SU-122P and ISU-122/S respectively). Its adaptation to the SU-152 was planned but ultimately did not materialize due to production shifting to its successor, the ISU-152.


Sources and External Links

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