SU-85

SU-85
SuperTank17 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Name	SU-85
Caption	An SU-85 on display at the Kubinka Tank Museum.
Type	Tank destroyer
Origin	Soviet Union
Used by	Red Army
Designer	Lev Gorlitsky
Design date	1943
Manufacturer	Uralmash
Production date	1943–1944
Number	2,050
Weight	29.2 tonnes
Length	8.15 m
Width	3.00 m
Height	2.45 m
Armour	45–75 mm
Primary armament	1 × 85 mm D-5T gun
Engine	V-2-34 12-cylinder diesel
Engine power	500 hp
Pw ratio	17.1 hp/tonne
Suspension	Christie suspension
Vehicle range	400 km (road)
Speed	55 km/h (road)

SU-85. The SU-85 was a Soviet tank destroyer developed and deployed during the Second World War. It was created as a direct response to the appearance of new German Panther and Tiger I tanks on the Eastern Front. Based on the chassis of the T-34 medium tank, it mounted a powerful 85 mm gun in a fixed casemate, providing the Red Army with urgently needed mobile anti-tank firepower from mid-1943 onward.

Development and design

The development of the SU-85 was driven by the combat experiences of the Battle of Kursk, where Soviet tank and anti-tank units struggled against the thick frontal armor of new German designs. The project was led by chief designer Lev Gorlitsky at the Uralmash plant in Sverdlovsk. The design utilized the proven chassis and Christie suspension of the T-34, but replaced the turret with a fully enclosed, fixed superstructure, or casemate, which allowed for the mounting of a larger weapon than the tank's turret could accommodate. The selected armament was the 85 mm D-5T gun, developed from the 52-K anti-aircraft gun, which offered significantly improved penetration over the 76.2 mm guns then in service. The vehicle's armor, ranging from 45 to 75 mm, was sloped for increased effective thickness, and it was powered by the standard V-2-34 diesel engine, giving it mobility comparable to the T-34.

Operational history

The SU-85 entered service in August 1943 and first saw major combat during the Battle of the Dnieper and the subsequent Lower Dnieper Offensive. It quickly became a vital asset in Red Army self-propelled artillery regiments, used to spearhead assaults and provide direct fire support against fortified positions and enemy armor. The vehicle played a significant role in the major offensives of 1944, including the Lvov–Sandomierz Offensive and the destruction of Army Group Centre. Its ability to engage German heavy tanks at practical combat ranges restored a crucial balance on the battlefield. However, as German armor continued to improve, the SU-85 was gradually replaced in production by the more powerfully armed SU-100 from late 1944, though it remained in frontline service until the end of the war, participating in final battles such as the Vistula–Oder Offensive and the Battle of Berlin.

Variants

The primary production model was the standard SU-85 with the D-5T gun. A field modification, sometimes designated SU-85M, involved retrofitting vehicles with the commander's cupola from the T-34-85 to improve situational awareness. The only official factory variant was the SU-85I, a limited experimental model built on the chassis of the T-34 but using a different superstructure design; it was not accepted for mass production. The design lineage directly evolved into the SU-100, which replaced the 85 mm gun with a more potent 100 mm D-10S gun in a modified, roomier casemate.

Operators

The primary and almost exclusive wartime operator was the Red Army. After the war, the SU-85 was supplied to several Soviet-aligned states as part of military aid programs. These included the Polish People's Army, the Czechoslovak Army, and the Korean People's Army of North Korea, which used them during the Korean War. It was also provided to the People's Army of Vietnam and saw service in the early stages of the Vietnam War. Other operators included the Bulgarian People's Army and the Yugoslav People's Army.

Specifications

* **Crew:** 4 (commander, gunner, loader, driver) * **Combat Weight:** 29.2 tonnes * **Dimensions:** Length 8.15 m; Width 3.00 m; Height 2.45 m * **Armor:** Hull front 45 mm at 60°; Superstructure front 75 mm at 40° * **Armament:** One 85 mm D-5T gun (48 rounds) * **Engine:** V-2-34 12-cylinder liquid-cooled diesel, 500 hp * **Transmission:** Mechanical, 5 forward gears, 1 reverse * **Suspension:** Christie suspension with vertical coil springs * **Performance:** Max road speed 55 km/h; Operational range 400 km on road * **Obstacle Crossing:** Trench 2.5 m; Vertical step 0.73 m; Fording depth 1.3 m

Category:Tank destroyers of the Soviet Union Category:World War II self-propelled artillery Category:Military vehicles introduced in 1943