Wednesday 15 April 2020

Roots of the SU-152

"Approved: Deputy People's Commissar of Tank Production, Major General of the Technical Forces, Kotin
Approved: Chief of the GABTU BTU, Major General of the Tank Forces, Korobkov
January 31st, 1942

Tactical-technical requirements for a self propelled 152 mm howitzer on the KV-7 chassis

The 152 mm self propelled howitzer is similar in design to the KV-7 tank and is designed to be used for destruction of fortifications at close range
  1. Mass: 50-55 tons
  2. Armour: analogous to the armour of the KV-7 tank
  3. Armament:
    1. 1 152 mm howitzer
      Horizontal traverse: +/- 7.5 degrees
      Vertical traverse: +12 degrees, -5 degrees
    2. DT machine guns:
      1. Front: 1
      2. Rear: 2
        Horizontal traverse: 30 degrees
        Vertical traverse: +15 degrees, -5 degrees
  4. Ammunition capacity:
    1. At least 30 rounds for the 152 mm howitzer
    2. 40 machine gun disk magazines
  5. Crew: 6
  6. Hull: the same as the KV-7 tank, with the exception of howitzer mountings.
  7. Fighting compartment and armament:
    1. The fighting compartment must allow for comfortable placement of the crew and have 360 degree observation devices.
    2. To increase the amount of ammunition carried onboard and ensure convenient placement, it is acceptable to put the fuel tanks on the floor of the fighting compartment.
    3. To increase the rate of fire and make loading the howitzer easier, it is desirable to at least partially mechanize the loading process (supplying the shell and propellant).
  8. The mobility characteristics, engine, running gear, transmission, and communications equipment is analogous to that of the KV-7.
Notes: the factory is permitted to make changes and additions to these tactical-technical requirements to improve the design with the approval of the NKO (BTU) and NKTP.

Deputy Chief of the 2nd Department of the NKTP, Ginzburg"

1 comment:

  1. ...that munition capacity req was *definitely* wildly optimistic. The factory had to deviate from this list pretty drastically indeed.

    ReplyDelete