SU-S2 - Don't Say It

[Would you like to see this in-game?]
  • Yes
  • No
0 voters

TL;DR: A tractor with a funny name and a 122mm howitzer.

zis30s10-e8f764d2a726be5f27dc59803a3c867

History:

Motorizing howitzers and anti-tank guns has always been a necessity when it comes moving them through hostile territory. Towed guns, while cheaper, take time to set up and would be near useless if their column were to be ambushed. Combating this would mean placing howitzers and anti-tank guns onto mobile and armored chassis. This would mitigate, or even entirely eliminate, set up time once they reach a position and would give their crews more protection and quicker firepower during an ambush. The cheapest way to do this would be to just plonk them onto tractors or trucks, which is exactly what the People’s Commissar of Armament ordered to be done on July 1st, 1941. The deadline for designs was in 2 weeks. This would result in a number of very interesting tractor-based SPGs such as Factory #92’s ZiS-30, which was based on the Komsomolets tractor . ChTZ’s design would be based on the Stalinets S-2 tractor, a strange decision as it was very heavy and very slow. Nevertheless, ChTZ persisted and eventually produced a prototype, which would be designated SU-S2. The SU-S2 differed greatly from its Stalinets S-2. It’s suspension system was completely redone and lengthened, leaving only the return rollers and drive sprocket from the original system. It now used torsion bars and shrunken versions of the KV-1 idlers and road wheels. The main armament was the M-30 122mm howitzer and the original tractor body was covered by a thin armored shell. The SU-S2 would undergo factory trails in October of 1941, however, its story would stop there. The army took one look at it and rejected it. What they needed was KV-1 tanks, not improvised SPGs.

Place In War Thunder:

To be honest, the SU-S2 would not be very useful in-game. It’s big and slow and would have poor gun handling. That being said, not being useful doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t be fun. The monotony of the high-tier grind is draining. Sometimes a wild change of pace is necessary to regain some sanity. The SU-S2 would easily provide that. Yeah, it’s the size of a barn and as slow as freeway traffic but it also has a big old donker of a gun. Anything you hit would die, no questions asked. If put into the right position, the SU-S2 could easily secure a few frags before getting strafed or bombed. Just stick back and play support and you’ll do just fine. The SU-S2 would bit in perfectly as either a low-tier event or squadron vehicle.

Specifications:

Armament: 122mm M-30 howitzer and 1x 7.62mm MG

Dimensions: 4.67m, 2.44m, 2.75m (Dimensions of the original Stalinets S-2. This vehicle is taller and longer.)

Weight: 12000~kg

Armor: Unknown. Likely very thin.

Crew: 4

Ammunition: Same as SU-122 in-game

Speed: 20~kph

Horsepower: 160hp

Pictures:

Front View:

zis30s11-15f742934b79377263928526a27f491

Side View:

zis30s12-4339cd8f6ad66989f49f1b3749abc83

Sources:

https://kknews.cc/military/gxgn2n8.html

STALINETS S-2 - Quartermaster Section

Tank Archives: Self Propelled Artillery on a Tractor Chassis

5 Likes

Looks like a very fun low-tier heavy hitter!

Quite original.

I wish it will be add in the tech tree or as reward for events.

Good job for bringing back these obscure prototypes of oblivion.

+1

2 Likes

I remember this from the old forum, and I still support it! The SU-122 gun is insanely good, and despite this being a worse overall platform, it would still be fun to play! +1

1 Like

I’d love to see this. It looks so nice and derpy

1 Like

Cool stuff, suitable for br1.0. If the SU-5-2 is also implemented, both these tanks could be foldered together.

2 Likes

What a cool, interesting vehicle

Say what, Sus?

I don’t feel like this tank has a place in the game. It won’t add much interest considering most players are done with low tier vehicles. Also the tank destroyer line isn’t really popular these days.

Doesn’t need to add anything to be a fun vehicle to fuck around in every now and then.

2 Likes

You are right, but knowing the community, this will turn into a meme tank or a refrigerator. Balancing it will be one hell of an ordeal too since it has no armor and a funny gun.

Unless they put it at 1.0 br it won’t really be much of an interest

Being a meme is pretty much the point. You play it solely for the funny haha. Also I disagree when it comes to balancing. I would do just fine at 1.0-1.3 since its mobility is very limited. The main advantage is its gun and nothing else.

You are right

The one question I have is, can the gun depress low enough for direct fire? Because just looking at it, the gun depression appears to be “no.”

Of course. It’s literally just an M-30 howiter placed in an armored shell on a tractor. It even retains the original gunshield. You’ll be getting -3 depression at the least, which is par for the course when it comes to Russian vehicles.

Okay. I was just wondering whether the hull of the tractor would get in the way of the gun.

1 Like

this vehicle is very SU-S

2 Likes