Very often, talking about the equipment used by the opposing forces during the Second World War, we hear the opinion that the Red Army practically did not use captured vehicles. No, technically sound machines were used without alteration. But we did not try to create something on the trophy chassis, as the Germans did. At the same time, many examples of foreign armies are cited.
We considered it unfair and today we will tell you about the SPG, which is just an example of how we tried to create our own vehicle using the chassis of German SPGs and tanks. So, the hero of today's story is the SG-122 self-propelled gun produced by the Mytishchi car-building (now machine-building) plant.
The vehicle is practically unknown to a wide range of armored vehicles enthusiasts. Partly because not a single copy of this SPG has survived. The cars that are in some museums have been recreated according to drawings, according to the memoirs of engineers and designers. The authors managed to find only one (!) Reliable photograph of the SG-122 self-propelled gun, dated June 1942. The car was removed during factory tests at the GABTU Research Institute in Kubinka.
"Strange" Mytishchi plant
First, about the plant itself. This is important for understanding the course of events at that time. The Mytishchi Freight Car Building Plant was evacuated in connection with the approach of the Germans to Moscow back in October (from October 17 to 23) 1941 in the village of Ust-Katav (Chelyabinsk Region). In accordance with the evacuation plan, machines, equipment and specialists eligible for the "reservation" were removed from the territory of the plant. Dmitry Fedorovich Pankratov was appointed responsible for the evacuation.
In fact, in 1941, instead of a full-fledged plant in Mytishchi, hulls and machine tools remained, which were faulty or decommissioned. But it so happened that literally a few days after the evacuation, the plant received the first military order. DF Pankratov becomes the director of a strange plant. The plant, the equipment of which (and some of the people) Pankratov himself sent to the Urals. But the war was going on, and somehow there was no time for reasoning.
At the beginning of 1942, the enterprise consisted of a plant with a number of workers of about 2000 people (mainly retirees and pre-conscription youth) and a fleet of machine tools in the amount of 278 pieces. True, there were only 171 working machines. The rest required major repairs or were written off due to their old age.
The plant was revived at the cost of truly heroic efforts. It received a military name - plant number 592. The range of products has also changed. Now factory # 592 produced hulls for hand grenades, aerial bombs, plates for 82-mm mortars, anti-tank hedgehogs and armored caps. But the plant has not forgotten its pre-war specialization either. Anti-aircraft armored trains were also produced there.
One fact is enough to complete the theme of the legendary factory. On October 16, 1945, the plant was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree for exemplary performance of tasks for the front.
Trophy fighting vehicles
But back to 1942. The campaign of 1941 showed that the troops really needed mobile guns, which would not only destroy large enemy units, working across areas, but also field fortifications. In addition, the guns should become, if necessary, and anti-tank weapons.
The only weapon that could perform so many tasks at once was in the Red Army. This is a 122 mm M-30 howitzer, about which we have written many kind words. Smaller caliber guns did not meet the requirements of the troops. And the larger, 152-mm caliber, often did not withstand the chassis. There is one more factor. The number of these howitzers in the rear was sufficient. The guns were not used due to the lack of front ends and mechanized traction.
Despite the fact that the hostilities in 1941 were tragic for our army, the Germans also suffered from the Soviet units. Therefore, by the end of 1941, the Red Army had already accumulated a sufficient number of captured tanks and self-propelled guns. True, most of them are faulty due to the fault of the soldiers of the Red Army.
The bulk of the trophies were Czech light tanks Pz. 38 (t) and medium Pz. III tanks of various modifications. In principle, this is understandable. Almost 60% of the German units were equipped with these machines.
Light tanks were repaired and went into battle as Soviet ones, but medium tanks were difficult to use. There was no ammunition. Here, the Germans played a cruel joke that at one time they "shared" with us a 37-mm anti-tank gun and anti-aircraft gun. The anti-tank gun grew to 45 mm, but the K-61 anti-aircraft gun was quite well consumed by the Czech Skoda A7 gun, since it had the same gun as the Soviet one in its progenitors. Swedish "Bofors".
But with the ammunition supply of the 75-mm "cigarette butt" in the Pz. III it was really difficult, since the caliber was absolutely "not ours".
And there were difficulties with spare parts. That is why they decided to use these machines in the People's Commissariat of Arms (NKV) for alterations. On December 21, 1941, the NKV issued a corresponding order.
Tank to SPG
Until February 1, 1942, it was proposed to develop proposals for the rearmament of captured combat vehicles, primarily Pz. III tanks. It was assumed that it was possible to create an ACS on these chassis.
By the way, such a decision has matured not only in the minds of the specialists of the People's Commissariat of Armaments. It seems to us that NKV simply voiced the thoughts that were already in the minds of the designers. Only this can explain the speed of appearance of several projects at once literally a month and a half after the order.
On March 17, 1942, the artillery committee of the GAU KA suggested that the NKV technical council consider the option of "replacing a captured German self-propelled gun called" Artshturm "with a 75-mm German cannon with a domestic 122-mm howitzer M-30 of the 1938 model. The development of a new machine was entrusted to a separate design group of Sinelshchikov.
On April 6, 1942, the project was reviewed by the artillery committee and approved by the deputy chief of GAU, chairman of the artillery committee, Major General Khokhlov. Moreover, in the decision of the artillery committee, attention was focused on the need to urgently create a prototype SG-122 (this is how the new ACS was named).
On April 13, 1942, the director of plant number 592 and the head of the repair department of the ABTU RKKA received a letter with the following content:
“Secret. To the head of the repair department of ABTU KA, brigade-engineer Sosenkov.
Copy: Director of Plant No. 592 Pankratov.
In accordance with the decision taken by the Deputy. People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, Lieutenant General of Tank Forces, Comrade Fedorenko, on the rearmament of captured "artillery attacks" with 122-mm howitzers mod. 1938 at the plant number 592 I ask you to give the necessary order for the repair and delivery of four captured "artillery attacks" to the plant number 592. To speed up all the work, the first repaired "artillery assault" must be delivered to the plant by 25 April.
April 13, 1942
Chairman of the Technical Council, member of the NKV Collegium E. Satel.
(signature).
The plant creates its own design bureau. The bureau was headed by engineer A. Kashtanov. It is this bureau that develops working drawings of the ACS SG. The designers did not change the German solution that was used on the StuG III self-propelled gun (on the same base). And the layout of the tank itself did not allow the gun to be positioned in any other way without a major modernization of the chassis. The prototype of the vehicle was ready by mid-June 1942.
A necessary digression.
By the way, in this place again there were thoughts about the discrepancy between what we were taught about the era of Stalin and real actions. Can you imagine a military plant, where work is in full swing around the clock, performing the most important government task and … developing a completely different machine on its own?
In short, Kashtanov at first unofficially, and then officially develops another SG. Based on the Soviet T-34 tank. Such an experimental vehicle was produced in the fall of the same year.
Design
Now our favorite pastime. Consider the design of the machine.
The conning tower of the German assault gun remained unchanged. Except for the roof. It was cut off. Armor plates were welded on top in the form of a prismatic box. Sheet thickness: forehead - 45 mm, sides - 35 mm, feed - 25 mm, roof - 20 mm. The roof was also reinforced at the joints from the outside and from the inside with overlays 6-8 mm thick. In addition, an additional 20 mm thick mask was installed on the base (German) sheets on the forehead.
The gun of the base model was removed and a new machine for the M-30 howitzer was installed in its place. The only change to the base weapon was the additional springs on the counterbalance mechanism in each column.
Above the roof of the fighting compartment, between the sight box and its basket, a special bushing was installed to ensure the exit of the sight panorama lens.
Ammunition was placed on special metal shelves of 2-3 units. The shelves were located along the sides and along the stern of the wheelhouse. Moreover, the design of the shelves was such that the upper row of shelves fixed the lower one. The shells on the upper shelves were fastened in supports with canvas belts.
Thus, when shooting, at the beginning, the upper shelves were freed, which, with the help of springs, were folded up, and only then the lower shelves. The total number of shells is 50 pieces (transportable ammunition).
Cartridges with charges were stored on the floor of the fighting compartment. The sleeves were installed in special grooves and were fixed with the edges of their flanges. A leaf spring served as a stopper from falling out of the sleeves. Additionally, in the stowed position, the sleeves were fixed with belts with buckles.
To facilitate the loading of the howitzer, special trays for sending shells are fixed on the trunnion holder.
There are two hatches in the vehicle for the entry and exit of the crew. The main one was located in the stern of the wheelhouse. The second hatch is in front, in the frontal part of the wheelhouse. Vertical in front of the gunner. Such an arrangement of hatches is caused by the need to ensure a gas outlet during firing.
If the vehicle is firing from a closed position, both hatches open and serve as ventilation holes. Provide fresh air flow.
It is much more difficult for the crew when firing from open positions or on the move. In this case, after one or three shots, there was nothing to breathe in the wheelhouse. And then a solution was found, which causes some confusion among the authors. Gas masks!
The crew worked in gas masks. But, the corrugated tubes were doubled and were attached not to the gas mask box (this was done only at the command of "Gas"), but to special holes in the wheelhouse. The crew breathed outside air. Imagine, in the summer, on the offensive, along the dusty Russian steppes, and behind the tanks …
There was also a place for a radio station in the wheelhouse. The radio station 9-R "Tapir" was used. For communication between the crew members, a TPU-4 bis was installed. The staff radio operator was a vertical gunner.
In general, attempts to reduce the number of crew members were not even undertaken. The designers retained the German calculation - 5 people.
Driver mechanic. It was located exactly the same as in the base tank.
The commander was behind the mechanic, left side forward in the direction of the car. He's a horizontal gunner.
Further, the first loader was also located sideways in the direction of the car.
Opposite the commander, with his right shoulder in the direction of the car, there was a vertical gunner, who is also a radio operator.
Nearby, also, right shoulder forward, sat the second loader.
Unfortunately, today we do not have the opportunity to show everything in nature, alas, the only example of a self-propelled gun is its full-size model, made from photos and drawings in Verkhnyaya Pyshma.
As you already understood, the howitzer had separate aiming. Three people took part in aiming the gun at the target! The driver carried out approximate aiming with the help of tracks using the simplest sighting device in the form of two plates. Further, the gunners entered the work.
Tests of SG-122
Be that as it may, but on June 20, 1942, the SG-122 self-propelled gun began factory tests (test site number 8). The car was tested for ten days in the most difficult conditions. For structural strength, for the operation of units and mechanisms, for rate of fire, for stability, for driving performance.
In principle, the car showed good capabilities. The transition to the firing position - 19-27 seconds. The transfer of fire in azimuth at angles of 15, 45 and 90 degrees in a full cycle (coarse aiming, precise aiming in the panorama and firing a shot) - 16-22 seconds. Sea trials have shown that the car is well controlled and has good cross-country ability.
By this time, the command of the Red Army already understood that the bet on captured vehicles was obviously a failure. For the same reasons as at the very beginning of this project. It was almost impossible to repair the trophies due to the lack of spare parts. Nevertheless, the field tests were nevertheless carried out.
From July 25 to August 16, 1942 in Sofrino, the vehicle underwent a full test cycle on the initiative of the GAU RKKA. Some flaws were found, but overall the tests showed. that the machine could well be used at the front. Among the most significant shortcomings were indicated: insufficient driver's view to the right, difficulties in driving on rough terrain due to the forward shift of the center of gravity.
The discrepancy between our idea and the reality of that time
But then what we mentioned above happened again. The discrepancy between our idea and the reality of that time. On October 19, 1942, Stalin signed a decree of the State Defense Committee, which provided for the production of 120 SG-122 self-propelled guns based on captured T-3, T-4 tanks and the Artshturm self-propelled guns, and the formation of 10 self-propelled artillery divisions from them.
So, the GKO decree, signed personally by Stalin, was not carried out!
The plant tried to fulfill the task, but the lack of the necessary number of chassis, as well as the low quality of repairs, as well as the quality of the assembly of the machines themselves by the plant, made the task impossible. And no one was imprisoned for sabotage! And nobody was shot!
Further more.
Then Stalin, understanding the situation, signs not orders for mass executions, but a new decree.
On December 27, 1942, GKO decree No. 2661ss was issued on the adoption of the T-80 light tank (developed by GAZ). By this decree, the serial production of these tanks should be carried out by Plant No. 592.
Moreover, by this decree, the plant seemed to be even removed from the blow for failure to fulfill the task by transferring it to another People's Commissariat. From the People's Commissariat of Arms to the Commissariat of the Tank Industry! And it received a new name - plant number 40. And the production of SG-122 was stopped by the order of the same Stalin!
Outcomes
Summing up the epic with the SG-122 self-propelled guns, I must say that, despite all the setbacks and obstacles, plant No. 592 (No. 40) still produced 26 self-propelled guns! And these machines fought on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. It is the fighting episodes that we will tell today.
On January 1, 1943, the formation of 1435 self-propelled artillery regiment began (commander - Major G. M. Ostapenko, political officer - Lieutenant Colonel A. S. Eliseev, chief of staff - Captain G. E. Mogilny). The main self-propelled guns of the regiment were supposed to be the SU-76 and the SU-122 (based on the T-34). But on January 28, the SG-122 self-propelled guns began to be transferred to the regiment.
By February 15, there were already 16 of these machines in the regiment. True, on February 17, 4 vehicles were taken at the disposal of the self-propelled artillery training center.
On February 20, the regiment loaded onto platforms and departed for the front. On February 24, I unloaded at the Dabuja station. On March 3, he concentrated in the area of the village of Makiaki. Organizationally, the regiment was transferred to the 9 Panzer Corps of the 10th Army of the Western Front. In general, talking about the full-fledged part can be a stretch.
The regiment numbered 9 SU-76s (three of which are under repair) and 12 SG-122 self-propelled guns (8 combat-ready).
The regiment took its first battle on March 6, 1943, near the village of Nizhnyaya Akimovka. The task is to support the attack of the 248th tank brigade of the 9th tank corps with fire and tracks. The results of the battle: destroyed three anti-tank guns, two machine-gun nests, one tank, five bunkers. At the same time, the regiment lost two burned-out cars and three damaged ones. 91 76-mm and 185 122-mm rounds were expended.
The next battle will take place two days later, on March 8, in the same area and with the same mission. The loss of the regiment was three burned out SU-76s, four more SU-76s and two self-propelled guns SG-122 were knocked out. But we know a little more about combat work. This time, the tanks still took the village. The consumption of shells of caliber 76 mm - 211, caliber 122 mm - 530.
Lieutenant Savchenko's car destroyed 2 anti-tank guns, two vehicles and three machine-gun nests. Lieutenant Koval's car destroyed three bunkers and two machine-gun nests. Lieutenant Yagudin's car - two bunkers and suppressed an artillery battery of the Germans. Lieutenant Kandapushev's car - a bunker, two anti-tank guns, two machine-gun points, two tanks.
March 9, 1435 SAP again supported the 248th brigade. Now the battle was going on for the village of Verkhnyaya Akimovka. ACS SG-122 Lieutenant Koval and gunner Yurin destroyed two guns, four bunkers, two vehicles, four machine gun points. As a plus, you can write down one more gun and two machine-gun points destroyed by other vehicles.
On March 14, the remnants of the regiment (three SU-76s and four SG-122s) fought for two heights near the village of Yasenok. The regiment was practically destroyed. Five cars were destroyed or burned down. Two damaged vehicles returned to position.
On March 15, the regiment was taken to the rear due to the lack of materiel. The cars were written off and sent for SPAM or repair. The regiment received new SU-76 and Su-122 (based on T-34). Later, in October of the same year, 1435 SAP was re-equipped with SU-85. The regiment's combat life continued on other machines. And the SG-122 self-propelled guns are a thing of the past …
Finishing the article about this interesting, but difficult, especially for the Red Army, car, I want to say why the war of this installation turned out to be so short. Alas, the combat effectiveness of the ACS turned out to be low for a simple reason. Soviet soldiers were not trained to operate such machines. That is why the non-combat losses were so great.
In the same 1435 self-propelled artillery regiment, already on the march, drivers ditched almost 50% of the cars due to poor knowledge of the material part. It's good when the mechanics could fix something. But more often the car was simply written off.
The history of these machines, especially those that did not make it to the front, is lost. Even the vehicles that were sent to the training center (4 vehicles from the 1435th regiment) are unknown. The only mention of those machines that remained in the plant's warehouse is in the memo of engineer Kashtanov about the rearmament of the SG-122 with the lighter ZiS-5 cannon.
