ISU-152 (EPU-82) - Recoilless and reckless

Suggestions Ground
1
Would you like to see this in-game?
  • Yes
  • No
0 voters
How would you like to see this in-game?
  • Tech tree (or Squadron)
  • Premium
  • Event (Event cycle, Battle Pass)
  • I do not want it
0 voters

Hello !

As you may have guessed, it’s yet another ISU test bed and definitely not the last. This time, it would be an ISU-152 modified for the use of the 82 mm recoilless rifle EPU-82. Sadly, there is as of the writing of the suggestion no photography of this vehicle.


The ISU-152 (N°3231) was converted between 1956 and 1957 by the VNII-100 and then trialed. It was rearmed with a 82 mm recoilless rifle following tests with a 140 mm launcher (as shown here).

History

Spoiler

Since the dawn of the Soviet Union, Soviet engineers were very keen on developing recoilless rifles. From the 1920s onwards, dozens of designs would be drawn up and built, some actually being used during the Second World War.

In 1942, SKB-36 began working on a 82 mm smoothbore “reactive antitank weapon”, named PTR-82. Work continued in 1943 as the gun was now named RPR-82. It was not until 1945 that the RPR-82-M was deemed good enough to be put in service but it wasn’t, as there were still some design flaws.

The weapon eventually entered service in 1950 as the SPG-82 with its PG-82 grenade.


Soviet soldiers manning a RPR-82 in October 1945


The SPG-82 was one of many Soviet recoilless rifles

As with pretty much every single weapon design in the USSR, someone thought that it could be good to fit it to a tank. This is what happened as the VNII-100 worked in 1957 on a tank-oriented variant named EPU-82, alongside an improved version of the EPU-140-I named EPU-140-II.

Those guns were installed in the very ISU-152 that used to be armed with the EPU-140 and showed good results. However, the 82 mm being overall a pretty lackluster weapon for a tank, it was rapidly dropped in favor of the more “imposing” TRS series that ranged from 132 mm to 240 mm.


Blueprint of an ISU with the EPU-82 recoilless rifle

While the ISU-152 armed with the EPU-82 pretty much led to nowhere, its gun had a somewhat brighter future as the basis of the gun, the SPG-82, went on to become the basis of the renowned B-10 recoilless rifle.


LWP soldiers training with a B-10 rifle in the 1950s

Specifications

Crew : 3 to 5

  • Driver
  • Gunner
  • Commander (it unlikely had one as it was a test bed)
  • Loader
  • Loader (it unlikely had two as the PG-82 rocket could be handled by one man)

Armament

  • One 82 mm recoilless rifle EPU-82

  • Sights : ST-10

  • Elevation : +20°/-2°

  • Horizontal guidance : 2°30’ on each side

Ammo

The vehicle used the PG-82 (and could have used the OG-82) grenade. As for the ammo count, it is not known. The PG-82 grenade is able to penetrate from 150 to 175 mm of armor steel at 90°.

Dimensions

  • Weight : ~ 42,3 t (unlike the 46 t of the ISU-152)
  • Length : 6,54 m
  • Width : 3,07 m
  • Height : 2,87 m

Mobility

  • Engine : V-2IS (520 hp)
  • Top speed : 40 km/h / -15 km/h
  • Transmission : 4 forward / 1 reverse

Armor

Spoiler

Sources

3 Likes