Soviet Self Propelled Guns - SU Series

The Russians were slow to realise the need for Self Propelled Mobile Artillery & Assault Guns. During Operation Uranus, the Russian Counter Attack at Stalingrad in November 1942 which sealed the German 6th Army's fate, they relied heavily on Engineers & Sappers to clear paths through German fortifications. This was costly as it left the soldiers exposed. So using the T-34 & KV-1 Tank Chassies they developed a series of Mobile Assault Guns and Tank Destroyers which proved they could match the Germans in just about every category, taking on the mighty Tiger & Panther Tanks at Kursk in July 1943 and going on to Spearhead many Russian operations there after.

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Top to Bottom. SU 76, SU 85, SU 100, SU 122 & SU 152. The SU 100 was considered the best Mobile Assault Gun of WW2 being able to take on any German Tank from a Range of 2000 metres with great accuracy. The shells from it's 100mm Gun able to punch through 125mm of Armour.

 

The other purpose for these weapons was to destroy German Strong Points, such as Pill Boxes, Entrenched Positions & Fortified Buildings. The larger SU 122 & SU 152 were to prove more than adequate for this task and the fierce fighting in Berlin in Late April & Early May 1945 at the War's end saw these vehicles come in to their own as they battered German defenses in & around the city.

 

Some rare old beasts there, excellent.
I have to confess I have just had to look up the difference between this type of vehicle and a tank. Apparently they are lightly armoured in comparison, offering protection only from shrapnel to their crews...