SS - 122-54: technical characteristics, penetration zones, review and photo

SU-122-54 is a tank that was in service with the Soviet Union in the period after the Second World War. The self-propelled artillery system had several advantages over its predecessors, such as a powerful cannon and good angles of inclination, which allowed the tank to perform even against excellent enemy weapons. The history of the project and the first prototypes of this model is quite long, but this is because the tank was to become something fundamentally new and valuable in the arsenal of the Soviet Union in order to eclipse its predecessors and bring only victories. The goal justified the means, the tank came out powerful, persistent and stood out nicely against the background of the enemy's weak armored vehicles.

A bit of history

The predecessor of SU-122-54 was a well-known self-propelled artillery mount SU-100, which outlived itself and demanded improvements, and in 1947 it was completely stopped. Already in 1948, the government decided to start developing a new automatic control system, which would be equipped with a 122 mm cannon based on CT T-54.

Responsible for the project was appointed I. S. Bushnev. All calculations were to be submitted in July 1948, but since there was a delay in designing the cannon for the tank, the first prototype was demonstrated to the government with an identification in a few months, namely in December.

After elimination of the defects, the drawings were again sent to the special commission for consideration. In August 1949, the model was approved, and the tank plant began to create prototypes. Soon the work was temporarily suspended due to changes in the technical characteristics of the ST-54. It was decided to upgrade the original layout and change the layout of the tank, which significantly slowed the preparation of the final version of the project.

First samples and production

The first prototype saw the world as early as 1950, by the end of which factory tests had already been completed. Preliminary testing of the machine took place in June and July 1951, and in August of the same year, SU-122-54 was sent for state diagnostics. In the course of the research, several shortcomings were found, which were then corrected, after which all the documents necessary for sending the new machine to mass production were prepared for PT-SAU. A few more years the research of this model was conducted before it was ready for production, which was impossible due to the lack of suitable cannons. SAU Su-122-54 was adopted by the Soviet Union in 1954, and launched in production in 1955. The machine was created in small batches, the total number of finished copies was about 100 pieces.

The production of the tank was short-lived, this is due to the fact that the projects of new, more powerful tank armaments were being rapidly developed. The designers were engaged in the creation of missiles, both land and sea, guided missiles, which were much more accurate. Therefore, the tank soon became obsolete and ceased to be produced. The remaining copies can be seen in the tank museum of the city of Kubinka.

General specifications

• The crew consists of 5 people.
• The weight of the ACS is 35.7 tons.
• The length of the tank is 9.97 m.
• The height is 2.06 m.
• Frontal armor - 100 mm.
• Side armor - 80 mm.
• The limiting speed is 48 km / h.
• The gun is D-49.
• Machine Gun - 2 * KVVT 14.5 mm
• Ammunition - 35 shots / 600 rounds.
• Range - 13.4 km.
• The engine is B-54.
• Engine power - 52 horsepower.

Crew

The crew of this self-propelled artillery installation includes five people: a commander, a gunner, a driver and two loaders (left and right). In SU-122, the department of management is combined with combat, which allows all crew members to communicate freely.

Felling and forehead

During the construction of the tank, much attention was paid to the reservation and protection. Especially the creators were concerned about the felling, which was cooked from armored plates so that the angles of inclination were maximum, and, consequently, the possibility of rebound increased. The thickness of the frontal armor reached 100 mm with an angle of 51 degrees, which gave the front of the tank an excellent level of protection.

Engine

Since the diesel engine was in the body in the transverse position, it allowed to modernize the engine-transmission compartment and make it more compact. The undercarriage, transmission and power plant were taken from the predecessor of the PT SAU SU-122-54 and changed somewhat.

A gun

The machine was equipped with a D-49 cannon, which could do no less damage than the cannon of a heavy Soviet IS-3 tank. The angles of elevation and horizontal aiming of this gun were 16 degrees. The gun is also equipped with an ejector and a projectile dispenser, which is designed to help the loader and improve the rate of firearms to 5-6 rounds / minute.

The D-49 was installed in the front compartment of the hull, which was the most armored part of the tank. In the ammunition SU-122 included a variety of shells, among them armor-piercing, high-explosive and standard howitzer grenades. The D-49 was paired with a KPVT machine gun with a pneumatic recharge system that was installed on the roof of the deckhouse. In the same compartment was a range finder.

Armor and zones of penetration

Tank SU-122-54 also known under the production name "Object 600" gained wide popularity in the game World of Tanks ("World of Tanks"). This is not surprising, since the interest in Soviet armored vehicles in the CIS is still quite high for many years.

In the game, as on a real battlefield, any technique will have weak spots. For SU-122 in the frontal collision, it is recommended first of all to aim at the range finder, since although it has good armor, there are very small angles of inclination, therefore, the tank can be seriously damaged.

The lower armor plate has very powerful protection and a rare tank will be able to damage it. The same goes for the case, although it is less fortified, it still remains an unattainable goal. To break such an armor can only a tank with a very powerful gun.

Boards and fodder are more vulnerable, armor in these areas is 80 and 45 mm, respectively. A sharp hit in the stern can cause a fire in SU-122-54. "World of tanks" offers a variety of complete sets of both this car and its predecessor, the T-54.

Preserved models

Until now, reliable information exists only about one specimen, which is presented in the Kubinka Armor Museum. In one of the museums of Kiev, dedicated to the Great Patriotic War, imitation of SU-122-54 is presented, which, in fact, is SU-100, the trunk of which is circumcised. There is also evidence that there is a tractor in the military unit in Sertolovo, which was converted from SU-122.

A brief review of SU-122-54 shows that even considering some of the disadvantages of the machine, it was in demand. At a minimum, this confirms the number of copies issued. Already after the first tests in combat, the rifle unit awarded the self-propelled gun a lot of positive feedback and praise. Later, after the SAU was already widely used on the battlefields, improved armor was added to the successful layout. In later versions of the model, another, more powerful gun was also installed. Therefore, in general, SU-122 can be called a strong and popular car. Evidence of this can serve as a request from front-line commanders who insisted that they be given this particular tank even after it was withdrawn from production.