SU-76

SU-76M
SU-76M Self-propelled gun in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
Type	Self-propelled gun
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Production history
Designer	S. Ginzburg
Designed	1942
Produced	1942–1945
No. built	~14,292 (13,932 SU-76M & 360 SU-76)
Specifications
Weight	10,600 kg (23,320 lb)
Length	4.88 m (16 ft)
Width	2.73 m (8 ft 11 in)
Height	2.17 m (7 ft 1 in)
Crew	4
Armor	Front: 35 mm (1.4 in) Side: 16 mm (0.63 in)
Main armament	76 mm (2.99 in) ZIS-3Sh gun
Engine	2×GAZ-203 engines 85 + 85 hp (63 + 63 kW)
Power/weight	17 hp/tonne
Suspension	torsion bar
Operational range	320 km (200 miles)
Speed	45 km/h (28 mph)

The SU-76 (Samokhodnaya Ustanovka 76) was a Soviet self-propelled gun used during and after World War II. The SU-76 was based on a lengthened and widened version of the T-70 light tank chassis. Its simple construction made it the second most produced Soviet armoured vehicle of World War II, after the T-34 tank.

Crews liked the vehicle for its simplicity, reliability, and ease of use. However, the steering was also sometimes regarded as difficult, leading crews to also refer to the vehicle as suka (Russian: сука; "bitch") or suchka (Russian: сучка; "little bitch"). It was also nicknamed Golozhopiy Ferdinand (Russian: Голожопый Фердинанд; "bare-arsed Ferdinand") due to its very light armor and somewhat similar silhouette, when compared to the Germans' heavy Ferdinand/Elefant casemate tank destroyer of some 65 tonnes in weight.

Design of the SU-76 began in November 1942, when the State Defense Committee ordered the construction of infantry support self-propelled guns armed with the ZiS-3 76.2 mm anti-tank gun and the M-30 122 mm howitzer. The T-70 chassis was chosen for mounting the ZiS-3 gun, and was lengthened, adding one road wheel per side, to facilitate better gun mounting. The vehicle was not completely enclosed by armour, the rear roof and upper rear side exposed.

The power-plant setup installed in the first mass-produced SU-76s was unreliable. Two GAZ-202 automobile engines were used mounted in "parallel", each engine driving one track. It was found to be difficult for the driver to control the two engines simultaneously, and strong vibration forces led to early failures of engines and transmission units. After 320 SU-76s had been made, mass production was halted in order to resolve the problems. Two chief designers at the GAZ plant, N. A. Astrov and A. A. Lipgart, changed the power-plant arrangement to that of the T-70 - the two engines were mounted in tandem on the right hand side of the vehicle. The armoured roof over the gun compartment was removed to improve access to and servicing of the weapon. This modified version, called the SU-76M, was placed in mass production in early 1943. During the halt of production, a replacement vehicle was produced which mounted the 76.2mm gun on captured German tank chassis. This vehicle was called the SU76i.