The SU-76M was a light self-propelled artillery mount built on a light tank chassis and armed with a 76.2 mm ZIS-3 gun, the most numerous Soviet self-propelled gun of the Great Patriotic War. It was produced from 1943 to 1945, with 13,684 units built in total; from 1 January 1944 the Gorky Automobile Plant (GAZ) was the lead enterprise for the vehicle.[1][2]
The plant's shift to self-propelled guns
In the autumn of 1943, after completely halting production of the T-70 light tank, the Gorky Automobile Plant and Factory No. 40 in Mytishchi joined the production of the SU-76M.[1] From 1 January 1944, GAZ became the lead enterprise for the self-propelled gun — that is, it was responsible for the design, documentation, and overall support of the series.[1]
For the plant this was the third wartime turn: from automobiles to light tanks, and then to self-propelled artillery — even as production of the GAZ-AA trucks and GAZ-67 off-road vehicles continued uninterrupted.
The vehicle
The self-propelled gun was built on an elongated light tank chassis: the 76.2 mm ZIS-3 divisional gun was mounted in an open-topped armored casemate. The open casemate reduced the crew's protection but made the vehicle lighter and improved visibility — the SU-76M was intended to accompany infantry, not to engage in tank-on-tank combat.[2]
Sources
- autohs.ru — SU-76M (SU-15) and other GAZ self-propelled artillery mounts (archive)
- armor.photos — Armor — SU-76M: In line with the infantry (archive)