50-515: The SU-122 (from Samokhodnaya Ustanovka 122 mm ) was a Soviet self-propelled howitzer or assault gun used during World War II . The number "122" in the designation represents the caliber of the main armament, a 122 mm M-30S howitzer . The chassis was that of the T-34 . The Soviet High Command became interested in assault guns following the success of German Sturmgeschütz IIIs . Assault guns had some advantages over tanks with turrets . The lack of
100-556: A 12.7mm heavy machine gun in a larger, open-topped turret. This model included splash guards and armoured fillets on the hull roofline. Personal crew weapons, such as hand grenades, were also stored inside the vehicle's hull. The BA-64 underwent some minor modifications as the BA-64B. While the most noticeable of these changes were the new carburetor and the wider track, successive models of BA-64Bs also included firing ports, cylindrical sheet metal exhaust shields, an additional air intake atop
150-536: A command vehicle. It was planned to raise 30 self-propelled artillery regiments operating within armoured and mechanized corps. In January 1943, the 1433rd and 1434th self-propelled artillery regiments were sent to the Volkhov Front near Leningrad as part of the 54th Army. On 14 January, they saw combat for the first time in Smierdny region. After that, it was decided SU-122s should follow between 400 m and 600 m behind
200-535: A new armoured car designated Izdeliye 64-125 on July 17, 1941, basing its construction and design on a preexisting light vehicle chassis. This was to ensure the manufacturing process could in be undertaken in an economical and rapid manner. After some deliberation, the GAZ-64 jeep was chosen as the base for the Izdeliye 64-125. This chassis was considered ideal due to its short wheel base and excellent ground clearance, and
250-544: A single light machine gun. Unlike the BA-3/6 and BA-20 heavy armoured cars, which were armed with anti-tank cannon, the BA-64 was not considered suitable for front-line combat against German armour. It was, however, widely used for transporting officers, liaison purposes, reconnaissance, and other secondary battlefield tasks. In September 1943, production of the GAZ-64 was superseded by
300-479: A subcategory of SU, May refer to any of these SPAAWs : BA-64 The BA-64 ( БА-64 , from Russian : Бронированный Автомобиль , Bronirovaniy Avtomobil , literally "armoured car") was a Soviet four-wheeled armoured scout car . Built on the chassis of a GAZ-64 or GAZ-67 jeep, it incorporated a hull loosely modeled after that of the Sd.Kfz. 221 . The BA-64 was developed between July and November 1941 to replace
350-605: A turret made them cheaper to produce. They could be built with a larger fighting compartment and could be fitted with bigger and more powerful weapons on a given chassis. However, assault guns generally aim by orienting the entire vehicle, and were thus less suited for close combat than tanks with turrets. In April 1942, design bureaus were asked to develop several assault guns with various armament: 76.2 mm ZiS-3 divisional field guns and 122 mm M-30 howitzers for infantry support, and 152 mm ML-20 howitzers for attacking enemy strongholds. A prototype assault gun, armed with
400-470: Is restricted to the front wheels. A BA-64's gearbox initially had one reverse and three forward gears on a two-speed transfer case, although a few models appear to have one reverse and four forward gears and no transfer case. All BA-64 hulls were of all-welded steel construction and varied in armour thickness from 15mm on the hull front to 6mm on the hull sides. To provide maximum ballistic protection, most armour plates were angled at approximately 30°. Both
450-619: The BA-20 then in service with armoured car units of the Red Army . Cheap and exceptionally reliable, it would later become the most common Soviet wheeled armoured fighting vehicle to enter service during World War II , with over 9,000 being manufactured before production ended. The BA-64 represented an important watershed in Soviet armoured car technology, as its multi-faceted hull gave its crew superior protection from small arms fire and shell fragments than
500-524: The GAZ-M1 passenger car with civilian tread to the BA-64 for use in convoys, long-distance road marches, and rearguard duties. An open-topped turret was fitted as standard to the BA-64 series, with a 7.62mm light machine gun mounted on a pintle to the right. The machine gun mount was designed for maximum elevation so it could engage low-flying aircraft or infantry in the upper floors of a building during urban combat. A very small number of BA-64s were fitted with
550-523: The Korean People's Army continued to hold a number of BA-64s in reserve. The BA-64 consisted of the chassis of a GAZ-64 or GAZ-67 jeep modified to accept an armoured hull. The jeep chassis required some alterations to accept the hull; for example, the cooling, fuel, and electrical systems had to be relocated while the rear suspension was braced to accommodate the additional weight. Suspension consists of semi-elliptical springs front and rear, and steering
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#1732845571620600-583: The People's Republic of China . Small quantities were later also supplied to Yugoslavia . In North Korean service, the BA-64 engaged ground forces of the United Nations Command during the Korean War , where it received the nickname "Bobby" from American soldiers. This was a likely play on the armoured car's Russian nickname, "Bobik" . The last country known to have received BA-64s for its armed forces
650-785: The Second Battle of Kiev and the Battle of Berlin . Eighty-one BA-64Bs were also donated by the Soviets to the Polish People's Army and ten to the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps . The Czechoslovak BA-64Bs were used in the Prague Offensive of 1945. During the early to mid 1950s, ex-Soviet BA-64s were shipped to a number of Soviet client states in Eastern Europe and Asia, including Bulgaria , East Germany , Romania , Albania , North Korea , and
700-694: The T-60 light tank . Both the BA-64 and BA-64B were powered by a four-cylinder GAZ petrol engine developing 50 hp (37 kW) at 2,800 rpm. The engine was particularly reliable and known for operating for extended periods even on low octane fuel and poor quality oil with minimal maintenance. Under wartime conditions it was capable of providing good operational service up to 15,000 kilometres without needing major repair. The BA-64 could be fitted with bullet-proof GK combat tyres, although these resulted in higher fuel consumption and reduced road speeds to 40 km/h. Red Army mechanics typically fitted standard tires from
750-507: The U-34 and the SG-122 . Initial design work was completed between July and August 1942. The project emphasized minimizing modifications to the platform and the howitzer. It used the same chassis, superstructure, engine and transmission as the U-34 and was armed with (the then new) 122 mm M-30S howitzer from F. F. Petrov's design bureau. This vehicle also used the same gun bed cover and mountings as
800-448: The U-34 , was created in the summer of 1942 at UZTM (Uralmashzavod – Uralsky Machine Building factory) design bureau, by N. W. Kurin and G. F. Ksjunin. It was a tank destroyer with the same armament as the T-34, but without a turret. The vehicle was 70 cm lower than a T-34, had thicker armor, and was 2 tonnes lighter. It did not enter production. UZTM then worked on combining features of
850-642: The United Nations Command during the Korean War . During the 1930s, the Soviet Union devoted much effort and funding to the development of six-wheeled medium or heavy armoured cars. A primary shortcoming of these vehicles was their lack of all-wheel drive, however, which restricted them to roads. In 1940, the Main Directorate of Soviet Armoured Forces (GABTU), issued a requirement for new armoured car designs which could operate effectively on open terrain and possessed an all-wheel drive chassis. This ushered in
900-476: The 122 mm howitzer and built on the German Sturmgeschütz III chassis was developed, designated SG-122 . Only 20 of these were completed. Production was halted when the vehicle was found to be hard to maintain and judged to be unsuccessful. Simultaneously, an SPG based on the T-34 medium tank was also developed. Initially, the T-34's chassis was selected for the 76.2 mm F-34 gun. This vehicle,
950-562: The BA-20. BA-64s also possessed a much higher power-to-weight ratio and the placement of their wheels at the extreme corners of the chassis resulted in exceptional manoeuvrability. Following the adoption of the BTR-40 , the Soviet government retired its remaining fleet of BA-64s and exported them as military aid to various nations. In East German service, they served as the basis for the later Garant 30k SK-1 . North Korean BA-64s saw action against
1000-605: The GAU RKKA artillery committee. The howitzer took a lot of space and required both commander and gunner to operate it in order to fire. Because of this, in January 1943, work began on fitting the SU-122 with a different howitzer. The prototype SU-122M was built in April 1943. It featured a bigger fighting compartment as well as an individual driver's hatch. The M-30S howitzer, mounted on the floor of
1050-541: The GAZ factory for a detailed analysis. Grachev was impressed by the highly faceted armour plate on the Sd.Kfz. 221, which was angled for maximum ricochet, and he ordered that a similar hull be incorporated into the Izdeliye 64-125. In late November, GAZ assembled the first three prototypes carrying the new hull. Field trials with the Red Army commenced on January 9, 1942. The Izdeliye 64-125
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#17328455716201100-498: The Red Army while the rest of the local defence industry was struggling to relocate and reorganise. GAZ increased its manufacture and assembly of light tanks accordingly, as well as continuing to produce military trucks. Since the programme to mass produce a new all-wheel drive armoured car had been interrupted by the German invasion, it also fell to GAZ to investigate possibilities in that regard. GAZ technicians initiated concept work on
1150-458: The SG-122, to keep costs low and simplify production. It had 45 mm thick frontal armor. The M-30S howitzer could be elevated or depressed between −3° and +26° and had 10° of traverse. The five-man crew consisted of a driver, gunner, commander and two loaders. By 25 November 1942, the first U-35 prototype was ready. Trials ran from 30 November to 19 December 1942, and uncovered various faults in
1200-497: The Soviet government. Other detailed improvements included firing ports, a wider range of armament and a new carburetor which gave better performance on low grade fuel. Most BA-64Bs continued to be fitted with the same turret and 7.62mm machine gun as the original series; however, Soviet troops removed some of the original BA-64B turrets and replaced them with PTRS-41 anti-tank rifles or captured German 2 cm KwK 30 cannon. Another, more extensive, field modification involved removing
1250-425: The attacking tanks; sometimes this distance was shortened to between 200 m and 300 m. The use of SU-76 tank destroyers together with SU-122s proved unsuccessful. Based on combat experience, the organization of self-propelled artillery regiments was changed; the new regimental organization consisted of two batteries of SU-76 tank destroyers and three batteries of SU-122s, for a total of 20 self-propelled guns. In April,
1300-518: The bulky machine gun, and there was not enough space in the hull to accommodate adequate 12.7mm ammunition stowage. Only a small number were manufactured. Another unusual variant, the BA-64ZhD, was produced using surplus, old BA-64 hulls, albeit mounted on the GAZ-67 chassis. It possessed flanged, steel rail wheels which allowed it to patrol railroad tracks. Production of the BA-64B was severely curtailed by
1350-509: The commander and a BA-64 armoured car. This organization remained in place until the start of 1944 when the SU-122 began to be replaced by the SU-152 , ISU-122 and ISU-152 heavy self-propelled guns, and the SU-85 tank destroyers. The SU-122 proved effective in its intended role of direct fire on strongholds. The massive concussion of the 122 mm high explosive round was reportedly enough to blow
1400-624: The design, including insufficient elevation, a flawed shell transfer mechanism, poor ventilation for the crew compartment, and the fact that the commander had to assist in operating the gun, which made him unable to successfully carry out his other duties. The U-35 entered service with the Red Army as the SU-35 (later renamed SU-122) despite these faults. Production SU-122s were based on an improved prototype built after trials were conducted. They incorporated several modifications, including slightly less sloped front armor to ease production, modified layout of
1450-618: The development of several new 4X4 designs, such as the LB-62 and the BA-NATTI . Although these were the first all-wheel drive Soviet armoured cars, neither was accepted for service with the Red Army , as they suffered from excessive weight, fuel consumption, and poor operating range. During Operation Barbarossa , Nazi Germany 's rapid offensives in Ukraine and western Russia temporarily disrupted new military projects as most Soviet factories involved with
1500-408: The driving and engine compartments were located at the front of the hull. The crew members are seated in tandem, with the turret gunner seated behind and above the driver. The driving compartment is fitted with a one-piece hatch cover opening upwards. When the hatch is closed during combat, the driver continues to navigate via a triplex auxiliary sight. The sight was developed from a similar device on
1550-452: The end of World War II, as the Red Army no longer had any interest in maintaining such large numbers of new armoured cars. The last 62 BA-64Bs were manufactured in mid 1946. Approximately 9,110 BA-64s of all variants were produced in the Soviet Union between 1942 and 1946. Of that figure, about half were fitted with communications equipment, chiefly RP radios, which were inferior to the 71-TK models used in Soviet heavy armoured cars. After
SU-122 - Misplaced Pages Continue
1600-451: The fact that its mechanical parts were already in serial production. The original Izdeliye 64-125 bore almost no similarities with what would later become the BA-64; it resembled little more than a shorter BA-20 . On August 23, a captured German Sd.Kfz. 221 scout car was exhibited near Moscow by the Red Army. Vitaliy Grachev and other GAZ engineers were permitted to inspect the vehicle; a month later Grachev arranged to have it brought to
1650-456: The fighting compartment (the location of crew member stations and ammunition racks were changed), fewer vision slots, and a periscope for the commander. The first production vehicles were completed before 1943. SU-122 production began in December 1942 with 27 vehicles built that month. The original plan for production beyond that point was to produce 100 SU-122s each month. Production continued until
1700-407: The improved GAZ-67B jeep, which had a wider wheel base. Consequently, the BA-64 was modified to accommodate the new chassis. This alteration proved to be a major improvement for the BA-64, which was notoriously unstable on slopes due to its narrow track and somewhat top-heavy nature; the wider GAZ-67B track increased the vehicle's side slope angle to 25°. The modified BA-64 was designated BA-64B by
1750-579: The last year it remained in operational service with the Soviet Armed Forces. Thereafter the BA-64 was superseded by the BTR-40 and subsequently, by the BRDM-1 . All the remaining vehicles were placed in storage, and some were gradually disposed of as military aid to Soviet client states, particularly North Korea . Prior to export, the stored BA-64s were refurbished at the same Soviet facilities responsible for
1800-795: The maintenance of the BTR series. The first BA-64s produced were deployed to the Don Front in 1942. However, larger quantities were operated by Soviet units on the Voronezh Front and the Bryansk Front from mid to late 1943. BA-64s also took part in the final phases of the Battle of Stalingrad . During prolonged road marches, Soviet crews retrofitted them with standard tread road tyres to save fuel. BA-64Bs were deployed during Soviet offensives in Austria, Germany, Hungary, and Romania, seeing extensive combat during
1850-400: The organization of self-propelled artillery regiments was again changed. Separate regiments were created for SU-76 tank destroyers (light self-propelled artillery regiment) and SU-122s (medium self-propelled artillery regiment). The medium self-propelled artillery regiment consisted of four batteries of four SU-122s each. Each regiment was also equipped with either an added SU-122 or a T-34 for
1900-421: The plant could be restored. A few technical shortcomings of the GAZ-64 chassis had to resolved in that time. BA-64s remained unique in that they were the only new Soviet armoured car design to be produced during World War II. They had better armour, speed, range, and off-road capability than any other wheeled fighting vehicles in Soviet service, although due to the limitations of the chassis they could only carry
1950-490: The production of armoured fighting vehicles were forced to evacuate their facilities and relocate operations east of the Ural Mountains . Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod (GAZ) was one of a few exceptions to the rule, as it was already located east of Moscow. Its contribution to the early Soviet war effort was strategically vital, since it could continue manufacturing vehicles to replace the massive losses then being sustained by
2000-433: The summer of 1943, by which time a total of 638 SU-122s had been built. The first SU-122s produced in December 1942 were sent to training centers and two new combat units, the 1433rd and 1434th self-propelled artillery regiments. Initially, each of these mixed regiments consisted of two batteries with four SU-122s each and four batteries with four SU-76 tank destroyers each. Each regiment had an added SU-76 tank destroyer as
2050-429: The turret and even part of the upper hull, as well as adding a windshield salvaged from captured Volkswagen Kubelwagen or Schwimmwagens . This converted the BA-64B into an open-topped staff car. In 1944, GAZ produced a variant of the BA-64B mounting a single 12.7mm DShK heavy machine gun in a larger turret. Although this greatly improved the vehicle's firepower, the turret remained insufficient to adequately rotate
SU-122 - Misplaced Pages Continue
2100-584: The turret off even a Tiger I if a direct hit was scored, a trait shared with the larger 152 mm howitzers. A new BP-460A high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT) projectile was introduced in May 1943; however, its primitive warhead design was only minimally more effective than brute concussive effects of the older high explosive shell. However, like most howitzers, the accuracy of the M-30 was less than that of contemporary weapons designed for anti-tank warfare . At least one SU-122
2150-528: The unreliability of the howitzer's recoil mechanism and its poor anti-tank abilities. Subsequent wartime design work on 122 mm self-propelled howitzers was cancelled. Samokhodnaya Ustanovka Samohodnaya Ustanovka (SU; Russian : самоходная установка, СУ , lit. "Self-propelled installation") may refer to any of these Soviet casemate self-propelled guns : Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka (Russian: з енитная с амоходная у становка - ЗСУ, lit. Zenithal (anti-aircraft) self-propelled installation),
2200-500: The vehicle, was replaced by the more modern D-11 howitzer (a variant of U-11 howitzer). However, the SU-122M was not put into production due to a decision to proceed with the SU-85 instead. Another attempt to create an improved SU-122 replacement took an SU-85 chassis and paired it with the 122-mm D-6 howitzer, which was lighter and smaller than the U-11 howitzer. This was unsuccessful, due to
2250-450: The war, Soviet interest in wheeled armoured vehicles shifted primarily to purpose-built armoured personnel carriers (APCs). Soviet military officials wanted armoured vehicles capable of keeping pace with tanks that could transport infantry to an engagement. As early as mid-March 1943, GAZ had developed an APC variant of the BA-64B, the BA-64E, which could accommodate six passengers. This vehicle
2300-593: Was North Vietnam , although it is not known whether these saw actual combat during the Vietnam War . By the 1970s, BA-64s had been retired by all Warsaw Pact armies, being typically donated to paramilitary groups such as the East German Combat Groups of the Working Class , and similar workers' militia units. However, some remained in service with the national armies of North Korea and Albania. In 2013,
2350-458: Was accepted for service as the BA-64 on March 14, 1942. The BA-64 was initially armed with a single 7.62mm Degtyaryov machine gun in an open-topped turret. The machine gun was mounted on a fixed mount that allowed it to be elevated sufficiently to engage low-flying aircraft. BA-64s started being issued in large numbers to Soviet units in early 1943. Around the same time a specialist driving school
2400-632: Was captured by the German Army. Few SU-122s survived the war. Currently only one exists and is on display in the Kubinka Tank Museum . The SU-122 had no variants that went into mass production. The T-34 chassis of the SU-122 was further adapted as part of the later SU-85 self-propelled gun. Even as the SU-122 was being mass-produced, its design was being refined primarily with an eye to reduce production costs. The M-30S armament proved poorly suited for purpose, in spite of its prior recommendation by
2450-405: Was open-topped and the passengers debarked through a door in the rear hull. The BA-64E was rejected as being too small for a practical APC; however, a number of its features would later be incorporated into a new design better able to combine the traditional roles of an armoured car with that of a general transporter: the BTR-40 . GAZ manufactured new parts for the existing BA-64 fleet until 1953,
2500-499: Was set up to train BA-64 drivers. For reasons still unclear, only fifty armoured cars of this type were manufactured in 1942 and mass production was not undertaken until the first six months of 1943, when over a thousand were manufactured. Even after 1943, production figures remained inconsistent and could fluctuate greatly from year to year. In June 1943, the GAZ workshops that produced the BA-64 were heavily damaged or destroyed by German air raids , and production ceased altogether until
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