- Yes, as a tech tree vehicle.
- Yes, as an event vehicle.
- Yes, as a squadron vehicle.
- No
- 2.0
- 2.3
- 2.7
- 3.0
- 3.3
- 3.7
- I said no.
The SG-122 (Samokhodnaya Gaubitza-122 or Self-Propelled Howitzer) was a SPH based on the chassis of captured STuG III and Pz.III. Sources vary but it is believed that around 21-26 vehicles were built.
History:
Spoiler
Late in 1941, after the start of Operation Barbarossa, the Red Army faced a major tank shortage. They had practically thrown everything they had against the Germans while having to evacuate many factories, which didn’t help to compensate for their loss. Fortunately, they also captured some German vehicles, many of them being Pz.38t, Pz.III, Pz.IV, and the STuG III, which were called “Artshturm” (artillery assault tank). The Artshturm received much praise but also had many major problems, especially the lack of spare parts and ammo for the guns. In February 1942, the GAU tasked E.V. Sinilshikov and S.G. Pererushev at Factory №592 to rearm German vehicles with Soviet armament, with the SG-122 being one of them. The 122mm M-30 was chosen due to the lack of 76.2mm guns and the large amount of surplus cannons in the rear due to a lack of limbers and towing tractors.
Work started on March 17th, 1942, and on April 13th, 1942, they received the following letter:
Top Secret.
To the Chief of the Repairing Center of the ABTU KA brigade-engineer Sosenkov.
Copy: to the Director of the Factory №592 Pankratov.
According to the decision of the Deputy of the Minister of Defense of the USSR Lieutenant-General comrade Fedoreno, captured “artsturms”* must be re-armed with the domestic 122 mm Howitzer M-30 Model 1938 in Factory №592. I ask you to give an order to repair and deliver four captured “artsturms” to Factory №592. To accelerate the process, the first repaired “artsturm” must be delivered to the factory before April 25.
April 13, 1942.
The Chairman of the Tech Council, E. Satel
The first prototype SG-122 was based on either an Ausf C or D StuG III. A superstructure was welded on, raising the overall height to 2050 mm. The front was 45mm thick and 35mm-25mm on the sides and rear. The M-30 was installed on a pedestal mount with an ammo capacity of 50 rounds. The crew was 5: the driver, the commander (behind the driver); the first loader/radio operator (behind the commander), the gunner (to the right of the commander), and the second loader (behind the gunner).
The vehicle was completed on June 26th, 1942, with trials beginning on July 25th and ending on August 16th. The top speed during trials was 50 kph on the road and 30 kph off-road. It drove for 50 km, mostly off-road with an average speed of 15 kph, and fuel consumption was 300 L per 100 km.
A total of 234 shots were fired, almost 5 times as many as planned. The RoF was 5 to 11-12 RPM, depending on the angle of the gun.
Overall, the trials were deemed a success but many shortcomings were also found and Factory №592 was ordered to develop an improved design and a way to fit the superstructure on captured Pz.III chassis. Two improved vehicles were built with one based on a STuG III chassis and the other on a Pz.III chassis. Both tanks differed from the prototype by having thinner armor (35 mm front, 25 mm sides and rear), the gunner was now in front of the commander and received his own hatch, new pistol ports, lighter gun mount, external squared fuel tanks, and the relocation of the radio.
On October 19th 1942, Stalin signed decree #2429ss:
- The GABTU (comrade Fedorenko) must provide factory №592 with 120 captured German Artshturm SPGs or T-3 tanks according to the following schedule: October: 20, by November 15th: 10, by December 1st: 20, by December 15th: 20, by January 1st: 25, by January 15th: 10, by February 1st: 15.
- The People’s Commissariat of Armament (comrade Ustinov) must produce and deliver to the Chief of Artillery (comrade Voronov) 120 SPGs with the M-30 122 mm howitzer, like those that passed GAU trials, according to the following schedule: by October 25th: 10, by November 15th: 10, by December 1st: 10, by December 15th: 10, by January 1st: 15, by January 15th: 20, by February 15th: 20."
Unfortunately, due to the lack of captured chassis for rearming and production issues as Factory №592 had never done any mass production before, the project’s fate was sealed. A total of 21 units were built with serial numbers 1001-1021. Not all was in vain as the experience gained from the design and construction of this later played a crucial role in the development of the Su-76i (shameless plug).
There was also a proposal for the same rearmament but on a T-34 chassis which was designated SG-122M and another armed with U-11 howitzers (same gun as the KV-9) which was designated SG-122U. The SG-122U never went anywhere but the SG-122M later went on to become the SG-2 prototype which itself was the competition of the U-35 (future SU-122). Supposedly there was also an SG-122 based on the T-4 chassis (Pz.IV) but i have little to no info about this.
Currently, there is no surviving vehicles but only a replica in the UMMC Museum of Military Equipment.
Specification:
Spoiler
Dimensions:
Length: 6900 mm.
Width: 2910 mm.
Height: 2250 mm.
Clearance: 350 mm.
Weight: 23.3 tons.
Crews: 5 (driver, commander, gunner, loader 1/radio operator, loader 2)
Engine: 12-cylinder Maybach HL120 TRM, 296 bhp
Top road speed 50 km/h
Hull Armor Front 30 mm, sides 30 mm, rear 20 mm.
Upper Armor Front 35 mm, rear and sides 25mm and roof 15 mm.
Armaments:
Spoiler
1x 122 mm M-30 howitzer (50 rounds): BP-460A, OF-462, D-462A.
Vertical: N/A
Horizontal: N/A
In game:
In game this would be a nice counterpart to the Su-122 and Su-76i (another shameless plug) as a premium or tech tree vehicle.
Photos:
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Sources: