Monday 7 December 2020

Video: SPG or Tank Destroyer?

In this week's video, I take a look at a commonly asked question: what's the difference between a self propelled gun and a tank destroyer? Was the SU-152 either or both? Watch and find out!

3 comments:

  1. SPGs designation that's interesting case. As example, in Poland vehicles like SU-85, SU-100, etc. (casamate style Soviet SPGs) typically are described as "self propelled gun" or "armoured gun", but exist Polish booklet from 1945 which reffer SU-85 as "85 mm assault gun". In this case term assault gun probably come from German terminology.

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  2. To my thinking, since artillery was the preferred method for destroying tanks anyway, at least on defense, calling the ISU regiments "self-propelled artillery" doesn't at all diminish their anti-tank role.

    Moreover, like in many things, choosing large-caliber weaponry on their SPGs that could blow either fortifications or enemy armor to smithereens is being practical. That's a superior solution than just a high-velocity smaller-caliber weapon that just does one thing (fight tanks) well.

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    1. On the flipside HV small-bore stuff can be mounted on a MUCH smaller, lighter and nimbler chassis. Tradeoffs, tradeoffs...

      OFC the Soviets just called all their self-propelled stuff with the wonderfully dry term "self-propelled installation" (according to how Wiki translates it) anyway irrespective of the specific niche it was designed for so tomato, toh-mah-to. It's really just administrative nomenclature anyway.

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