• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

KSP-76 GAZ-68

The most interesting and successful Soviet experimental wheel SPG was KSP-76 (“kolesnaya samohodnaya pushka, 76mm” = Wheel Self-propelled Gun, 76mm). It was built in May 1944 as the single prototype by Gorky Car Factory (GAZ). It was intended for close combat support and AT defense of infantry and cavalry units. A 76mm divisional gun model 1942 was placed in original low armored open top hull, based on GAZ-63 four-wheel drive cross-country truck.

Soon after the end of the Battle of Kursk, the designers of the Gorky Automobile Plant offered to develop a new self-propelled artillery unit. According to the authors of the project, this combat vehicle was supposed to supplement the existing SU-76s in the troops, as well as provide greater mobility of artillery weapons.

In August 1943, the leading designer of the Gorky Automobile Plant, V.Grachev, began the development of a fundamentally new anti-tank self-propelled unit. By October, they prepared the layout scheme “products 63-SU”, in February 1944 the project was approved by the Main Armored Directorate, and in May they assembled the first KSP-76 vehicle.

The 76.2-mm ZIS-3 cannon of the 1942 model was located in the center of a low, open-top armored hull with rational bend angles that defended the calculation from bullets and fragments. The elevation angles of the instrument are from -3 ° to + 15 °.

To the right of the gun was the driver’s seat, to the left, the commander (he was the gunner), from behind — the loader. Next to it was placed the carburetor engine GAZ-11, the gas tank and the styling for 58 shots. The chassis used components and assemblies all-wheel drive car GAZ-63. Four wheels had lean-to, bullet-resistant tires with developed lugs. The KSP-76 was twice as light as the SU-76 of the same caliber, below it (the space hit and resistance increased), more mobile.

On tests in the summer of 1944, the KSP-76 confidently moved over rough terrain, overcame pits, ravines, and later moved on icy at a speed of 60 km / h. In addition, it turned out to be much more economical than the units on a tracked and combined chassis. In the late spring of 1944, factory tests of the new self-propelled guns started. On the highway, the combat vehicle accelerated to 77 km / h. Cruising on the highway - 580 km. Thanks to the use of a wheeled chassis, the KSP-76 had a number of advantages over the tracked SU-76 and its simplified version of the OCU-76, which was being developed at the same time. The wheeled combat vehicle was faster on the highway, quieter and lower. However, self-propelled tracked vehicles had the best characteristics when traveling over rough terrain.

The first stages of testing were accompanied by a host of problems and problems. So, there were regular breakdowns of the undetected front axle, gearbox and drive shafts. In addition, it was noted that the combat compartment of self-propelled guns is insufficient and not very convenient for the crew. By the middle of autumn, factory tests were completed in Gorky, after which the new SAU GAZ-68 / KSP-76 could be taken to the Scientific Test Armored Range in Kubinka. It is noteworthy that all the way from Gorky to Kubinka, including the icy sections of the highway, the wheel-mounted self-propelled gun went under its own power with an average speed of 60 km / h.

In the test report, conducted from December 17 to December 24, 1944, the advantages of SAU KSP-76, associated with the used design of the armored hull, were noted. In particular, they talked about a relatively small mass of the machine and its small dimensions. The accuracy of the fire of the ZIS-3 gun was at the level of the table. However, as it turned out during the tests, the self-propelled gun had to be fired only from a short stop, since when shooting in motion the accuracy sharply decreased.

In 1944, in parallel with the KSP-76, the self-propelled gun OCU-76 was developed, which was a simplified version of the SU-76. Having advantages in size, level of protection and maximum speed, wheeled self-propelled gun lost track tracked in combat weight and maneuverability on rough terrain. Moreover, the effective use of ACS KSP-76 off-road was considered impossible. Finally, the outlook for the car was influenced by the features of the GAZ-63 project. This truck, although it was tested before the war, was not built in series.

In the absence of prospects, the GAZ-68 / KSP-76 project was closed immediately after completion of the tests. The only built copy of this self-propelled gun remained in Kubinka. Now it is an exhibit of the museum of armored vehicles.