The idea of ​​using tractors as a base for self-propelled artillery installations in the USSR was brought to life in the early 30s. Then the self-propelled guns SU-2 and SU-4 were created, but things did not progress further than prototypes. The Germans got a completely different result in 1940. Based on captured French transportersRenault UE, they already in 1940 created self-propelled units with anti-tank guns 3.7cm pak. It turned out, although not the most perfect machine, but massive and with minimal production costs. A year later, the ZIS-30 was created in the USSR in a very similar way, which became the first truly massive Soviet self-propelled guns of the war period.

Anti-tank ersatz

In the USSR, the use of artillery tractors as a base for tank destroyers began to be seriously considered in the spring of 1941. First of all, it was about the STZ-5 tractor. To improve its mobility, it was supposed to install more powerful engine ZIS-16, as well as lengthen the base to give it greater longitudinal stability. As weapons, it was supposed to use the 57-mm ZIS-2 anti-tank gun, which was just being tested, and at factory No. 92, preparations were already underway for it. serial production.

The Voroshilovets heavy artillery tractor was also considered as a base for the tank destroyer. In the back of this car, it was supposed to install an 85-mm anti-aircraft gun of the 1939 model of the year (52-K). Both cars were planned to be partially booked.

The discussion of projects for self-propelled guns took place on June 9, 1941. Simultaneously with the tank destroyer, on the extended STZ-5 base, it was also proposed to build a self-propelled anti-aircraft gun armed with a 37-mm automatic gun 61-K. However, this idea did not last long. During the meeting, the idea of ​​self-propelled guns on the STZ-5 and Voroshilovets chassis was rejected due to weak armor, overload of the undercarriage, as well as small ammunition and cruising range. At the same time, the following phrase was heard at the meeting:

“We can agree that the installation of the 57-mm ZIS-4 gun based on the units of the STZ-5 tractor should be considered as a self-propelled anti-tank gun.”

The outbreak of World War II buried pre-war plans for self-propelled guns. Instead of working on promising self-propelled guns, it was necessary to increase the production of tanks. In addition, the production of tractors began to be curtailed so that they would not take away resources at factories where tanks were produced in parallel.

The first such victim was a light, partially armored Komsomolets tractor. According to the decision of the Council of People's Commissars (SNK) of the USSR of June 25, 1941, Plant No. 37 of the People's Commissariat of Medium Machine Building (NKSM) named after. Ordzhonikidze in Moscow was ordered to stop the production of these tractors by August 1. It is worth noting that this miniature car with a motor from a GAZ AA truck was not even considered as a base for a self-propelled unit. Since 1940, the GAZ-22 artillery tractor has been created to replace the Komsomolets. All the more surprising is what happened in the summer of 1941.

The initiative to develop new models of self-propelled artillery this time came not from the Main Artillery Directorate (GAU) or the Main Armored Directorate (GABTU), but from the People's Commissar of Armaments. On July 1, 1941, People's Commissar D.F. Ustinov issued an order to design self-propelled units using a base of tractors and trucks within two weeks. The creation of a self-propelled installation of the 57-mm anti-tank gun ZIS-2 was entrusted to the developers of the gun itself - the team of the Design Bureau of Plant No. 92. Work on this topic was headed by P. F. Muravyov under the general guidance of V. G. Grabin.

The choice of possible chassis for the new self-propelled guns was not rich. The STZ-5 tractor was dropped due to low speed and possible overload. There were trucks and ... a light tractor "Komsomolets". As a result, it was decided to concentrate on two platforms: GAZ AAA and Komsomolets.

A prototype of the ZIS-30 self-propelled gun, late July 1941. The machine does not yet have coulters and folding floor panels

The ZIS-2 installation option on the GAZ AAA chassis, designated ZIS-31, looked more like a spare. On the one hand, the truck chassis was a more stable platform than a small artillery tractor. But, on the other hand, it potentially suffered from the same problems as STZ-5.

According to the requirements for self-propelled guns, its cabin and engine compartment were armored, and this created an additional load on the chassis. Like the gun itself with the ammunition carried to it. The combat weight of the wheeled self-propelled guns reached 5 tons, which roughly corresponded to the weight of the BA-10 armored car. If when driving on ordinary roads this did not look particularly critical, on the roads the situation changed dramatically.

Initially it was supposed to release 3000 ZIS-30. These plans eventually had to be cut 30 times

A completely different picture was observed with Komsomolets. The combat weight of the self-propelled unit based on it, which received the designation ZIS-30, was the same 5 tons, but due to the tracked chassis, the cross-country ability was higher than that of the ZIS-31. At the same time, unlike a wheeled self-propelled gun, the conversion of the Komsomolets into the ZIS-30 required a minimal change base machine. Instead of the crew seats, a U-shaped structure was installed, on which the gun was placed. On the sides were placed laying with shells. According to the description of the design bureau of plant No. 92, the ammunition load was 30 rounds (other sources indicate 20). The aiming angles were the same as those of the ZIS-31: 28 degrees horizontally and from -5 to +15 vertically.

To support tank brigades

The prototype ZIS-30 was ready by 20 July 1941. The explanatory note stated that, if necessary, a 76-mm ZIS-3 cannon, a prototype that was built around the same time, could be installed on a self-propelled gun. Already on July 21, a draft resolution of the State Defense Committee “On the production of self-propelled 57 mm ZIS-2 anti-tank guns on the Komsomolets tractor and the production of 76 mm guns model 1939 (USV) on the ZIS-2 carriage” was prepared.

The scope of the plans is impressive: from August to December 1941, it was supposed to release 3,000 ZIS-30s. The problem was that the wishes of Grabin and the NKV did not correspond to the prevailing realities. It was impossible to find such a number of Komsomols, since they were taken out of production on August 1 in order to free up the capacities of plant No. 37 for the production of T-30 small tanks. Therefore, the resolution of the State Defense Committee (GKO) No. 252ss of July 23, 1941 approved much more modest plans:

“1) To oblige the NKV (People's Commissar of Armaments - ed.) comrade Ustinov to install the first one hundred 57 mm anti-tank guns on the Komsomolets tractor.

2) To oblige the NKSM (People's Commissar of Medium Machine Building - ed.), comrade Malyshev, to submit 100 pcs. to the plant No. 92 NKV. tractors Komsomolets until 10.8.1941.

3) Oblige NKV comrade Ustinov from 10.8 to fire 57 mm anti-tank guns on a trailer, using a GAZ-61 car as a tractor.

4) To oblige comrade Malyshev from 10.8 to supply plant No. 92 NKV with GAZ-61 vehicles in an amount that ensures the program for the production of 57 mm anti-tank guns.

5) With regard to the production of 57 mm anti-tank guns and divisional 76 mm guns at factory No. 92, the same decision remains.

6) The proposal of the Gorky Regional Committee and Plant No. 92 to install 57 mm guns on a GAZ-AAA car is not accepted.

As you can see, the same document at the same time finally determined the GAZ-61-416 car to be the main tractor for the ZIS-2. As for the ZIS-30 self-propelled guns, the situation with the release of even hundreds of such vehicles was not the easiest. The production of a prototype did not mean at all that the car would immediately go into series. In the GAU of the Red Army, it was quite reasonable to consider that it was necessary to conduct field tests. The test program was approved on August 10, 1941, and the tests themselves took place on the tenth of the month.

Taking into account the test results, some changes were made to the design of the machine. The most noticeable was the appearance of coulters, which fell when firing. This partially compensated for the longitudinal buildup of the ZIS-30 during firing, which, with the short length of the Komsomolets, was inevitable. Folding floor panels also appeared, which simplified the work of the crew in a combat position.

Serial ZIS-30. The folded floor panels are clearly visible, on which the crew stood in battle

Where big problems were associated with the organization of mass production of the ZIS-30. In addition to the fact that the production of ZIS-2 guns did not keep pace with the established pace, big problems surfaced directly with the base tractors. By September 1941, plant No. 37 no longer made them, so they had to take extreme measures and remove the Komsomol members from the units.

All this led to the fact that the first ZIS-30s began to leave Factory No. 92 only in mid-September 1941. Finally, the production of a batch of 100 self-propelled guns was completed in early October 1941. Nevertheless, it was this vehicle that became the first truly massive light self-propelled unit of the Red Army during the war period. By the way, all ZIS-30s left the factory in tricolor camouflage.

The machine is in combat position, the coulters are reclined

The vast majority of ZIS-30 went to tank brigades. The list of formations that received light self-propelled guns looks like this:

However, this is not the end of the list of parts where the ZIS-30 ended up. The main problem with studying the combat use of this machine is that self-propelled guns at that time belonged to the department of the GAU KA. Therefore, the "tankers" (GABTU) did not pay much attention to their combat use. Even in correspondence, they are often referred to either as simply anti-tank guns or as "Komsomol members".

It is worth noting that the prevailing opinion about the use of these self-propelled guns by the Red Army only in the autumn-winter of 1941, to put it mildly, is not true. ZIS-30s are occasionally found in documents in the summer and autumn of 1942. For example, two such self-propelled guns at that time were in units of the 20th Army. And some cars survived until 1944.

Wrecked ZIS-30 installation, October-November 1941. Noticeable tri-color camouflage

The report of the Southern Front, compiled in early April 1942, speaks eloquently about the combat qualities and evaluation of the ZIS-30 in the troops. It was prepared based on the results of the use of the ZIS-30 in the motorized rifle battalion of the 4th Guards Tank Brigade (the former 132nd Tank Brigade). As positive qualities vehicles in this document indicated good sights, a large distance to destroy enemy tanks, reaching 2–2.5 kilometers, as well as high maneuverability. The vehicle was easily camouflaged, and the presence of a gun shield reduced the likelihood of the crew being hit by fragments of enemy shells.

A characteristic example of the combat use of the ZIS-30 was the reflection of an enemy attack on March 17, 1942. One ZIS-30, having fired 13 shots, knocked out 3 German tanks at a distance of 2 kilometers, the rest turned back. These vehicles were also used in the offensive, accompanying Soviet tanks. At the same time, not only enemy tanks, but also firing points became the target for them.

ZIS-30 during the Battle of Moscow, December 1941. The photo is clearly staged, since the openers and floor panels are not folded back

However, there were claims to the car. The main problem ZIS-2 guns were her recoil devices. As for the tracked base, the engine was quite expectedly criticized here. In off-road conditions, especially snowy, its power was often not enough. In addition, among the shortcomings, very weak booking was also indicated. The last phrase from the report speaks eloquently about the wishes of the military: "It would be advisable to install the gun on the T-60 chassis."

Coincidentally, just at the time of the preparation of the report of the Southern Front, GAU and GABTU were preparing requirements for a light self-propelled unit using T-60 units.

Local initiatives

The ZIS-30 was by no means the only Soviet self-propelled gun on the chassis of an artillery tractor, although it went into production alone. Most of the rest of them were developed by various design bureaus on an initiative basis, but some turned out to be the result of the very order on the NKV that led to the creation of the ZIS-30.

Tank destroyer A-46 on the chassis of the tractor A-42, reconstruction of Alexander Kalashnik, Omsk

Such self-propelled units include the development of plant No. 183. According to Ustinov's order of July 1, 1941, the development of self-propelled guns with an 85-mm anti-aircraft gun 52-K was entrusted to plant No. 8. In fact, the team of plant No. 183 was engaged in the work on this machine.

On August 27, 1941, a technical meeting was held here, at which projects of self-propelled guns were discussed. Among them were an 85-mm self-propelled gun based on the T-34, which had been designed since 1940 (later it turned into the U-20 project), an 85-mm self-propelled gun based on the A-42 tractor, which received the designation A-46, as well as two self-propelled units based on the Voroshilovets heavy artillery tractor. The participants of the meeting did not even consider the project of self-propelled guns based on the T-34. As for the A-46 project, which was originally a higher priority, it quickly disappeared into oblivion, since the A-42 tractor never went into production.

The meeting participants had a completely different opinion about the self-propelled gun, which was developed on the basis of Voroshilovets. Initially, it was about installing an 85-mm anti-aircraft gun 52-K on this tractor, but in parallel, another machine was developed at plant No. 183. Unfortunately, only a textual description of it has been preserved, but it is still impressive. A vehicle with a combat weight of 23 tons was supposed to have armor 30 mm thick in the frontal part and 20 mm on the sides. As weapons, it was supposed to put either a 76-mm F-34 cannon or a 57-mm ZIS-4 cannon paired with a DT machine gun. The installation was supposed to be a tower, with circular rotation. The height of the line of fire was 2300 mm, that is, not much more than that of the T-34. By the time of the discussion, the self-propelled unit was made in the form of a layout, and its working drawings were also prepared.

Minutes of the technical meeting at plant No. 183. So far, this is all that is known about the turret self-propelled guns based on the Voroshilovets artillery tractor.

This project was approved, and the 76-mm F-34 cannon was approved as a weapon for it. The first 25 self-propelled guns were supposed to be produced in October-November 1941, in excess of the plan for Voroshilovtsy. It was assumed that the first sample will go to the test, after which the necessary changes will be made to the serial ACS. In addition, even the further development of the self-propelled gun was planned with the installation of an 85-mm gun in it. This work was to be carried out jointly with Plant No. 8, with a preliminary design deadline of September 15, 1941.

In early September, GAU KA issued an order to urgently manufacture a prototype machine with the F-34. However, by the middle of the month, plant No. 183 was not at all up to self-propelled guns based on Voroshilovets. I. I. Nosenko, Deputy People's Commissar of the Tank Industry, put an end to the fate of the car, who announced at the end of September that, in view of the evacuation of the plant, the production of twenty-five self-propelled guns was impossible.

SU S2, Chelyabinsk, October 1941

At the same time, in the fall of 1941, ChTZ initiated work on a self-propelled unit, based on the Stalinets S-2 tractor. In terms of characteristics and purpose, it approximately corresponded to the STZ-5, but at the same time it turned out to be twice as heavy. The fate of this tractor was not the most successful: against its background, even the STZ-5, to which there were enough complaints in the troops, looked more advantageous.

The front view of the SU S2 raises a number of questions about Maintenance engine

Knowing full well that in its current form, the Stalinets S-2 is not suitable as a base for self-propelled guns, ChTZ developed an elongated chassis in which only the drive wheel and supporting rollers remained from the S-2 chassis. The suspension became torsion bar, and sloths from the KV-1, slightly reduced in diameter, were used as road wheels and sloths. On the chassis, the designers piled a welded body, and the location of the seats in the cabin was preserved. A crew member in the passenger seat was given a DT machine gun as a load.

The main armament of the self-propelled guns was the 122-mm M-30 howitzer, located in the rear of the hull. The howitzer was placed on the chassis along with the gun shield. A fighting compartment was organized behind, spacious enough to house the crew of the gun and ammunition.

It is clearly visible how bulky the car turned out to be.

In October 1941, the machine, which received the designation SU S2, passed factory tests. That, however, was the end of her story. The army needed not an ersatz self-propelled gun with vague prospects, but a KV-1. In the autumn of 1941 ChTZ was the only manufacturer of heavy tanks. For the sake of the KV-1, the ChTZ-65 and S-2 tractors were discontinued.

Nevertheless, the engineers of SKB-2 of the Kirov Plant, evacuated from Leningrad, continued to work on various projects. For example, designer N. F. Shashmurin designed the two-seat wedge heel "Spite Narodnaya" with a combat weight of 2.5 tons, armor 20–25 mm thick and power plant in the form of two starting engines from the S-65 tractor. SKB-2 also designed the "Raid Machine", which was a lightweight tank based on the T-34, which had an estimated speed of 70 km / h and an increased cruising range. These projects also went to the trash.

152-mm self-propelled guns 152-SG on the chassis of the Komintern artillery tractor, early April 1942

The projects of self-propelled units, which were designed by the engineers of plant No. 592 E. V. Sinilshchikov and S. G. Pererushev, turned out to be much more elaborate. In the course of work on the 122-SG (SG-122) self-propelled gun, they also developed artillery mounts on other chassis.

The most powerful among them was the self-propelled gun 152-SG (152-mm self-propelled howitzer), developed on the basis of the Komintern artillery tractor. The car got an open top armored corps, which had rational angles of inclination of the sheets. The thickness of her armor was 15 mm, and, according to calculations, at a distance of 200 meters she was not pierced by a DShK bullet. A self-propelled gun variant with 30 mm armor was also being worked out. However, for a vehicle whose main task was to fire from closed positions, bulletproof armor was quite enough.

It was supposed to use a 152-mm howitzer model 1909/30 as a weapon for it. The combat weight of the 152-SG was estimated at 18.5 tons, and the crew consisted of 5 people. This machine did not advance further than the draft design, since there were not enough Cominterns anyway, and howitzers mod. 1909/30. were in short supply.

Light self-propelled gun 45-SP

The tank destroyer 45-SP (45-mm self-propelled gun), which was based on the STZ-5 chassis, had a similar fate. Unlike the KhTZ-16 armored tractor, the 45-SP gun was moved to the side, and the fighting compartment was made half-open. The thickness of its frontal armor plates was 20 mm, while they were also located at rational angles of inclination. The combat weight of the vehicle was estimated at 8.5 tons, and the maximum speed was 20–30 km/h. Such optimistic estimates look very doubtful, since the KhTZ-16 with the same mass had a maximum speed of less than 20 km / h and at the same time its engine overheated. Another armored tractor was not required by the GABTU KA, especially since it was in April 1942 that the production of the T-70 with exactly the same 45-mm gun was unfolding.

Tank destroyer developed by A. S. Shitov and P. K. Gedyk, UZTM, June 1942

One of the last projects of Soviet self-propelled guns on a tractor base was created in the summer of 1942. It was called simply and succinctly, "Tank Destroyer", and it was designed by UZTM A.S. Shitov and P.K. Gedyk. The project, dated June 29, 1942, was based on a heavily modified base of the Stalinets S-2 artillery tractor. Some design elements of the tank destroyer, in particular the installation of weapons, were made explicitly based on similar elements of the BGS-5 assault self-propelled guns (the progenitor of the SU-32), where the ZIS-5 gun was installed in cast armor on a special pin.

The tank destroyer was distinguished by a very small height - only 1800 mm. Its crew consisted of three people: a driver, a gunner commander, and a loader. Unlike other Sverdlovsk self-propelled guns of that period, this project had a closed cabin. However, he did not impress the representatives of the GABTU KA. Not only were the much more advanced SU-31 and SU-32 already being tested at that time, but the necessary production base was also missing for the Tank Destroyer. The Stalinets S-2 has not been produced since November 1941, and its successor, the S-10, never went into production.

Sources and literature:

• Materials of TsAMO RF.
• Materials of RGASPI.
• Materials from the archive of the author.

The STZ-5 tractor tows a 122-mm M-30 howitzer to a firing position. 1941

STZ-5 late releases at the delivery site of the Stalingrad Tractor Plant. Spring 1942.

Experienced tractor STZ-NATI in the version of a tanker.

STZ-5 with 85-mm anti-aircraft gun 52K model 1939 on the street of liberated Vitebsk. 1944

BM-13-16 based on Tractor STZ-5.

Characteristics

Year of issue
1935

Total produced
9944

Weight
5840 kg
Crew
2 persons

Dimensions

Height
2.36 m
Width
1.85 m
Length
4.15 m
Driving performance
Engine
MA
Power
56 HP
Type
carburettor
Speed
on the road - 22 km / h;
off-road? km
Power reserve
on the road - 145 km;
off-road? km

Description

When, in July 1932, at the Stalingrad Tractor Plant, which had just reached its design capacity, under the leadership of V. G. Stankevich, the development of an arable caterpillar tractor of medium power (about 50 hp) began, the idea immediately arose to make it universal - at the same time agricultural, transport and tractor capable of towing trailers off-road.

The development of the tractor under the general supervision of V. Ya. Slonimsky (NATI) was carried out for two years at the Stalingrad Tractor Plant by a joint design bureau, which included factory engineers and employees of the institute seconded to them.

At the beginning of 1935, the first series of STZ-5 prototypes was built. These machines, shown on July 16 together with the STZ-3 agricultural tractor to the top leadership of the country, received full approval. On December 10, 1935, two STZ-5s that took part in the Stalingrad-Moscow winter run were successfully demonstrated in the Kremlin. The shortcomings of the transport tractor discovered during the tests were eliminated by 1936.

In 1939, specifically for the STZ-5 at the Kharkov Tractor Plant was built diesel engine D-8T (transport) with a capacity of 58.5 liters. with. at 1350 rpm, working volume 6.876 l, with a starter start (then - with a STZ starting engine). But due to its inherent shortcomings and technological difficulties, it did not go into production.

In 1937, the first 173 transport STZ-5s were produced, in 1938 - 136, in 1939 - 1256 and in 1940 - 1274. In artillery units, they towed artillery systems weighing up to 3400 kg, including 76-mm regimental and divisional guns, 122-mm and 152-mm howitzers, as well as 76-mm (later 85-mm) anti-aircraft guns. Soon, in the Red Army, the STZ-5 became the most common and affordable artillery tractor, which successfully operated in all climatic zones of the USSR. In the summer of 1939, the car passed army tests near the city of Medved, Novgorod Region. The parameters of its geometric passability were determined: a ditch - up to 1 m, a wall - up to 0.6 m, a ford - up to 0.8 m. This was also confirmed by the tests of the STZ-5 carried out in 1939-1940 at the NIBT Polygon of the GABTU KA.

The endurance of the tractor was beyond doubt - it twice (in November - December 1935 and in March - April 1939) made non-stop runs Stalingrad - Moscow and back without breakdowns and unacceptable wear.

As of January 1, 1941, 2839 STZ-5 tractors were operated in the artillery of the Red Army.

Despite heavy losses in the fall of 1941, other factories were forced to stop producing tractors, so the entire burden of supplying the Red Army with transport tracked vehicles fell on the Stalingrad Tractor Plant, which produced 3146 STZ-5 from June 22 to the end of the year; for 1942 - 3359. Even the approach of the enemy to Stalingrad did not stop the production that the army needed so much, despite the fact that due to the war-torn cooperation with other factories, STZ was forced to make all the components itself.

In total, the Stalingrad plant manufactured 9944 such machines.

Page 5 out of 14

As of January 1, 1941, 2839 STZ-5 tractors (13.2% of the fleet) were operated in the artillery of the Red Army, although the states were supposed to have 5478 vehicles. Even in the rifle division, according to the states approved in April 1941, there should have been 5 vehicles. At the beginning of the war, due to the lack of more powerful tractors in the army, these tractors closed all the gaps in the mechanized traction system and transport support artillery, as well as tank units, which forced the STZ-5 to tow guns and trailers much heavier than its performance characteristics allowed. The same lack of other, more suitable Vehicle high cross-country ability made it necessary to mount BM-13 rocket launchers on the STZ-5, first used in the fall of 1941 near Moscow, and then widely - on other fronts. During the defense of Odessa, where there were many STZ-5 tractors, they were used as a chassis for the construction of surrogate "NI" tanks with thin armor and machine-gun armament, usually taken from obsolete or wrecked armored vehicles. On the basis of the STZ-5, they even tried to make light tanks with a 45-mm cannon.

Despite heavy losses in the fall of 1941, other factories were forced to stop producing tractors, so the entire burden of supplying the Red Army with transport tracked vehicles fell on the Stalingrad Tractor Plant, which produced 3146 STZ-5 from June 22 to the end of the year; for 1942 - 3359.

Even the approach of the enemy to Stalingrad did not stop the production that the army needed so much, despite the fact that due to the war-torn cooperation with other factories, STZ was forced to make all the components itself. From August 23, the day the Germans broke through to the plant, until September 13, 1942, when production was stopped, 31 STZ-5 tractors were removed from the assembly line.

Guards mortars based on STZ-5 fire at enemy positions. Stalingrad area, 1943

The performance characteristics of the transport tractor STZ-5 (STZ-NATI 2TV)

Curb weight

with a crew without cargo, kg 5840

Platform load capacity, kg 1500

Weight of towed trailer, kg 4500

with overload 7250

Cabin seats 2

Places in the body for sitting 8 - 10

Dimensions, mm:

width 1855

cabin height (no load) 2360

Base of track rollers, mm 1795

Track (in the middle of the tracks), mm 1435

Track width, mm 310

Step of track tracks, mm 86

Ground clearance, mm 288

Average specific pressure on the ground with a load on the platform, kgf/cm² 0.64

Maximum engine power, at 1250 rpm, hp 52 - 56 Max speed on the highway, km/h 21.5 (up to 22)

Range on the highway with a trailer, km up to 145 (9 hours)

Limit climbable on solid ground without a trailer, degrees 40

Maximum gradeability on a dry dirt road with a load and total weight trailer 7000 kg, hail 17

Hourly fuel consumption when driving on the highway, kg:

without trailer 10

with trailer 12

Minimum fuel consumption per 1 km (in 5th gear) on the highway, kg 0.8

In total, the plant manufactured 9944 of these machines, of which 6505 - after the start of the war. However, as of September 1, 1942, there were only 4678 of these machines in the army - large summer losses affected. STZ-5 honestly served in the army until the end of hostilities, and until the 1950s they were used in various sectors of the national economy, where the performance of veteran tractors was maintained at the expense of spare parts, to the “big brother” that was still being produced and widespread in the national economy - tractor STZ-Z (ASHTZ-NATI). This suggests that the difficult task set in the 1930s of creating an inexpensive and mass-produced transport tractor, unified with an arable tractor, was successfully completed.

Transport tractor "Stalinets-2"

After mastering the heavy tracked S-60 in the summer of 1933 at the new Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant (ChTZ) named after Stalin, an attempt was also made to create a high-speed transport tractor-tractor on its basis.

However, unlike the Stalingrad STZ-Z, the low-speed and bulky S-60 with a semi-rigid suspension was practically not suitable for this purpose. None of its units could be used in high-speed modification without radical alterations or complete replacement. Nevertheless, at the beginning of 1935, the NATI team, headed by the head of the tractor department, V.Ya. Slonimsky, and the leading designer, A.A. On the prototype of the transport tractor "Stalinets-1" (S-1 or "Speed"), cardinal changes were made to the design of the machine, compared to the base one: they increased engine power by increasing the speed, compression ratio and transferring it to gasoline (instead of naphtha) ; added a fourth stage to the gearbox and expanded its power range; created a multi-roller propulsion unit with a double elastic suspension; used a light, fine-linked caterpillar; used pneumatic amplifiers for controlling the side clutches. The layout was changed according to the experience of STZ-5 - the engine was shifted forward and enclosed inside the cab, at the back, in the vacant place, a body was installed, under it was a winch from the Comintern tractor. S-1 was built in the autumn of 1935 at NATI, and on December 10, after passing the tests, it was shown along with new tractors in the Kremlin to I.V. Stalin and other state leaders. The following year, according to the test results, the suspension was strengthened, the engine power was increased to 120 hp. (and even up to 130 hp) at 1200 rpm, that is, it has almost doubled compared to the C-60, while the speed of the car has increased. In the winter of 1937, the S-1 was tested (drivers - A.V. Sapozhnikov from NATI and V.I. Duranovsky - from ChTZ) already as an artillery tractor at the Luga training ground, where it showed good results: the average speed on the highway without a trailer was 22 km / h, with an artillery system weighing 7.2 tons - up to 17 km / h, with a mass of 12 tons - up to 11 km / h, lifting 24 ° - without a trailer and 12.5 ° - with a trailer. However, at that time, ChTZ was already intensively preparing for the transition to the new S-65 base tractor with a NATI M-17 diesel engine (75 hp), so the gasoline S-1 turned out to be unpromising.

Serial tractor S-2 during field tests

A new transport tractor with a diesel engine, also boosted to the required higher power, had to be created almost from scratch, while significantly modifying the suspension and chassis.

Since the end of 1936, the leading designer-dieselist of NATI A.V. Lebedev, as well as engineers V.N. Popov and A.S. Balaev, have been engaged in the transport modification of the M-17 engine. The working volume of the engine was increased by 14.3% by bringing the cylinder diameter to 155 mm - the limit due to the modified design of the block and piston group; rotation speed increased by 35%; expanded the valve timing; used a new prechamber. In the spring of 1937, the MT-17 diesel engine was built at NATI. At the same time, it was assembled and new tractor"Stalinets-2". Once again, the suspension and chassis, changes were made to the transmission. At the end of the year, the first S-2 went to trials, which showed that it required serious design improvements. However, the urgent need for artillery tractors for the army on the eve of the war forced to transfer the "raw" unfinished vehicle into production. In the fall of 1938, ChTZ began to produce an experimental batch of S-2 according to NATI drawings, which had undergone preliminary technological development. The tense situation at the plant with the release of conventional tractors, the development of gas-generating machines and many extraneous orders delayed the production of pre-series C-2 until next summer. To test their performance and performance, a run of two tractors from Chelyabinsk to Moscow was organized, where they arrived safely on August 14, having covered almost 2000 km in 12 running days (they traveled up to 167 km per day). Naturally, the run also revealed unrepaired flaws: insufficient power, speed and carrying capacity with an overestimated own weight, and in addition, the rapid wear of a number of parts. The completion of the tractor before putting it into mass production (the plan for 1939 - 200 machines) was carried out by the representative of NATI A.A. Kreisler and the chief designer of ChTZ V.I. Duranovsky.

Historical series "TM"

STZ - transport

In the spring of 1932, at the Stalingrad Tractor Plant, under the leadership of the chief designer V.G. Stankevich, they began to develop an arable tractor of medium power. It was immediately decided to make it universal - agricultural, transport and tractor, like the English "Vickers-Carden-Lloyd", which in 1931 was tested by our military. And the future tractor was supposed to be used in the army, as an artillery tractor and transport vehicle, in order to speed up the motorization and mechanization of the Red Army.

By May 1933, this universal tractor (with an experimental diesel engine) - "Komsomolets" - was ready. However, he came out overweight, not very reliable, the layout left much to be desired. It turned out, and most importantly - the inability to combine the contradictory properties of the three machines operated in such different conditions. So the idea of ​​a universal tractor had to be abandoned.

In the summer of 1933, NATI engineers proposed to make two tractors, agricultural and transport, unifying their components and assemblies as much as possible in order to use one conveyor for the production of both machines. In particular, in the agricultural version it was supposed to use a 4-speed gearbox with the possibility of increasing the number of steps, 2-roller interlocked spring-balanced suspension carriages, light and openwork cast tracks, a closed cabin - something that is more inherent in high-speed tracked vehicles. (This idea came in handy in the 1960s when agriculture needed tractors with higher working speeds.)

For the simultaneous creation of two tractors at the Stalingrad plant, a design bureau was formed, made up of 30 factory and institute workers under the general supervision of V.Ya. Slonimsky (NATI) in order to speed up the work. A particularly large contribution to the manufacture of the transport STZ-NATI-2TV (better known under the factory designation STZ-5) was made by designers I.I. Drong and V.A. Kargopolov (STZ), A.V. Vasiliev and I.I. Trepenenkov (NATI).

After testing the first two experimental series STZ-5 at the beginning of 1935, a third, improved one was built, and on July 16, these tractors, together with agricultural STZ-Z (see "TM", Nq 7 for 1975), were demonstrated at the NATI training ground to the country's top leadership headed by I.V. Stalin; all members of the Politburo rode in the back of the STZ-5. new car approved, the identified shortcomings were eliminated by the next year, and both tractors began to be prepared for mass production at

Stalingrad plant.

STZ-5 had a layout that has become traditional for transport tractors - in front of a double metal cab with an engine inside, between the seats. Behind her fuel tanks there was a 2-meter wooden cargo platform with folding sides, benches and a removable canvas top - to accommodate the calculation, ammunition and artillery equipment. The light frame consisted of two longitudinal channels connected by four crossbars.

The diesel had to be abandoned - it could not be worked out. The 1MA engine was a typical tractor - 4-cylinder, carbureted, magneto-ignited, low-speed / and relatively heavy. But it turned out to be hardy and reliable, which is why it was produced until 1953. It was started on gasoline with an electric starter (which was not on the STZ-Z) or a crank, and after warming up to 90 degrees, it was transferred to kerosene or naphtha, that is, it was multi-fuel, which is important in army conditions. To prevent detonation and increase power, especially when working in the summer with increased loads, on kerosene, water was injected into the cylinders through a special carburetor system, and from 1941 an anti-knock combustion chamber was introduced.

In the gearbox connected to the rear axle, changed gear ratios, increasing the power range to 9.8 (against 2.1 for STZ-Z) and introduced another downshift. When driving on it at a speed of 1.9 km / h, the tractor developed a thrust of 4850 kgf - at the limit of adhesion of the tracks to the ground.

The rear axle with side clutches and brakes was borrowed from the STZ-3, in the undercarriage rubber track and support rollers and a small-link caterpillar with a half-step reduced, which were better suited for high speeds, were used. Under the loading platform, on the crankcase rear axle, mounted a vertical capstan, which served for self-pulling, pulling trailers, as well as towing other vehicles. This simple device replaced the winch, which was considered an indispensable accessory for artillery tractors.

Adjustable shutters were arranged in the front and rear parts of the cabin, which created flow ventilation, which was especially important in summer - from a running engine, the temperature in the metal cabin often rose to 50 degrees.

In 1938, the first 309 serial STZ-5s were produced, sending them to artillery units of tank and mechanized divisions. They towed 76-mm regimental and divisional guns, 122- and 152-mm howitzers of the 1938 model, 76-mm anti-aircraft guns (and then 85-mm). Soon STZ-5 became the most widespread

in the Red Army.

In the summer of 1939, army tests were carried out near the city of Medved, Novgorod Region. On them, the tractor overcame ditches up to 1 m deep, forced fords up to 0.8 m, walls 0.6 m high. As part of the STZ-5 battery with a trailer, it moved along the highway with average speed 14 km / h and 10 km / h - along the country road. They didn’t demand more from him, given his “peasant origin” - a small specific power, a narrow gauge, chosen taking into account the work of an agricultural fellow with a 4-furrow plow, low ground clearance, insufficiently developed track lugs, significant specific pressure. Due to the revealed longitudinal buildup at high speeds, the military asked to install a fifth road wheel. However, the endurance of the tractor did not cause complaints - he twice successfully completed the runs Stalingrad - Moscow - Stalingrad.

At the beginning of the war, there was a shortage of more powerful artillery tractors, and the massive STZ-5 sometimes had to “plug holes” by towing guns and trailers that were heavier than they were supposed to. Tractors worked with overload, but withstood, rescuing gunners from the most difficult situations.

The lack of suitable cross-country transporters forced the installation of M-13 multiple rocket launchers on the STZ-5. They were first used in battles in the fall of 1941 near Moscow. At the same time, the defenders of Odessa used the STZ-5 as the chassis of makeshift NI tanks, covered with light armor - boiler iron and armed with machine guns.

Despite the heavy losses of military equipment, by the fall of 1941, all factories stopped the production of artillery tractors in order to increase the production of tanks. Since then, the entire burden of supplying the army with transport tracked vehicles has fallen on the Stalingrad Tractor. Despite the fact that he also made tanks, from June 22 to the end of the year, 3146 STZ-5 were manufactured there (we had to master the production and components ourselves), and in 1942 the production reached 23-25 ​​vehicles per day. Stalingraders produced them until August 13, when the Germans reached the vicinity of the plant.

In total, he gave the army 9944 STZ-5, including 6506 from the beginning of World War II. However, on September 1 of that year, there were only 4678 transport tractors in it - combat losses affected, in addition, many vehicles remained behind the front line. By the way, the STZ-5 was also used in the German Wehrmacht, where they were given the designation STZ-601 (g).

And in the Red Army they served until the victory, then, until the 50s, they worked in the national economy together with the still produced STZ-Z (ASHTZ-NATI).

Every self-respecting army always strives to have heavy weapons and armored vehicles in its composition. And preferably with the lowest acquisition and maintenance costs. So the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) did not stand aside, since in terms of numbers it was hardly inferior to the partisan detachments operating on the territory of Ukraine, Poland and Belarus in 1941-1944.

At the moment, there is no documentary evidence of whether the UPA used captured Soviet armored vehicles. One can only assume that it was used after all, since after the devastating defeats of the Red Army in the summer and autumn of 1941, thousands of tanks and armored vehicles remained on Ukrainian soil. Another thing is that the UPA was unable to maintain a huge fleet of armored vehicles. Yes, and with trained personnel, apparently, there were big problems. However, this did not stop the Ukrainian "enthusiasts" at all, since it was not easy to fight with small arms alone.

In addition to tanks, the Red Army abandoned a huge number of tractors, among which the STZ-5-NATI was far from the last. During the war years, these multifunctional vehicles were used not only as tractors, but also as a base for self-propelled multiple rocket launchers, which was especially widely practiced in 1942. The Ukrainians decided to go the other way - since there was an excess of slow tanks in the territory they had occupied, they decided to combine "business with pleasure". This is how one of the most unusual armored tractors of the 2nd World War appeared, for which they never came up with their own name. Sometimes on Internet forums it is referred to as "UPA armored tractor", but there is also the designation STZ-5-NATI \ T-26.

The essence of the project was extremely simple. From the tracked base of the STZ-5-NATI tractor, the cab, the side platform and some of the equipment were removed. The hull of the T-26 tank of the 1939 model was installed in the vacated place without any elements of the undercarriage and fenders. The cutouts in the sides of the hull under the chassis elements were sewn up with armor plates. The tank turret, along with the 45 mm 20K gun, remained unchanged. Presumably, the upper part of the tractor body was connected to the bottom of the tank by bolts or welding. It is not entirely clear how the control system and transmission were solved, but it must be assumed that the UPA technicians were quite able to cope with this task. The crew could consist of 3 people: driver, commander-gunner and loader.

The history of the use of the "UPA armored tractor" is the subject of a separate study, since, apart from fragmentary information and a single photograph, there is not much good quality haven't been able to find anything yet. According to the most common version, which appeared several years ago on one of the Polish sites, the situation was as follows.

In December 1943, the UPA command decided to conduct an operation against the Polish formations defending the city of Kumpichev. The armored tractor was sent into battle to support the infantry and was able to approach the Polish positions at a very close distance. The Ukrainian infantry lay down under strong small arms fire, which predetermined the fate of the only Ukrainian "tank" - according to one version, the engine of the armored tractor failed (which is not surprising, given the mass of the T-26 hull and turret), so the crew was forced to leave the car, after removing the lock from the gun and breaking through the gas tank. An attempt to burn the armored tractor was unsuccessful, because during the counterattack the Poles were able to capture and extinguish it. The car was towed to the rear, but since it was in an incompetent state, there were no further actions against it. There is a version that the "UPA armored tractor" waited for the arrival of Soviet troops in 1944 and only then was dismantled, but most likely it does not correspond to reality.

However, there is another version. The photograph of the "UPA armored tractor" became widely known in the mid-2000s, and the source of its appearance was never indicated anywhere. It is quite possible that it was a slow-moving model of a tank-tractor. Another version says that the only photograph is a photomontage (in other words, a fake) and no “UPA armored tractor” has ever existed ...

Sources:
E. Prochko " Artillery tractors Red Army "(" Armor Collection "2002-03)
T-26 / STZ-5 and other creations of Michurin's successors

PERFORMANCE AND TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ARMORED TRACTOR

STZ-5-NATI \ T-26 model 1943

COMBAT WEIGHT	~10000 kg
CREW, pers.	3
DIMENSIONS
Length, mm	~5000
Width, mm	1855
Height, mm	~3000
Clearance, mm	288
WEAPONS	one 45 mm gun 20K
AMMUNITION	~200 shots
AIMING DEVICES	optical sight
BOOKING	hull forehead - 15 mm side of the hull - 15 mm hull feed - 15 mm hull roof - 10 mm bottom - 6 mm tower forehead - 15 mm turret side - 15 mm turret feed - 15 mm tower roof - 10 mm gun mask - ?
ENGINE	T-26, 4-cylinder, carburetor, air-cooled, power 97 hp
TRANSMISSION	mechanical type
CHASSIS	(on one side) 4 double road wheels interlocked into two bogies with spring damping, 2 support rollers, front guide and rear drive wheel, small-linked caterpillar with steel tracks 310 mm wide and 86 mm pitch
SPEED	~10 km/h
HIGHWAY RANGE	~100 km
OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME
Climb angle, deg.	?
Wall height, m	?
Ford depth, m	?
Ditch width, m	?
MEANS OF COMMUNICATION	—