What is an ACS? Self-propelled artillery installation: classification, purpose

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Self-propelled artillery units (ACS) are called combat vehicles, which are nothing more than an artillery piece mounted on a self-propelled chassis. In everyday life, they are sometimes called self-propelled guns or self-propelled guns. In this article, we will figure out what self-propelled guns are, where they are used, how they are classified and how they differ from other types of weapons.

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So, what is an ACS? In a broad sense, all combat vehicles that are armed with guns can be considered as self-propelled guns. However, in a narrow sense, only those vehicles that are armed with guns or howitzers, but are not tanks or armored vehicles, belong to self-propelled guns.

Types of self-propelled guns are diverse, as well as the scope of their application. They may have a wheeled or tracked chassis, be protected or not protected by armor, have a fixed or turret mounted main gun. Many self-propelled artillery installations of the world, equipped with a turret installation, outwardly resemble tanks. However, they differ significantly from tanks in terms of tactical use and the balance of "armor-weapons".

Self-propelled artillery installation (ACS) began its history around the same time whenand the first cannon armored vehicles - at the beginning of the 20th century. Moreover, from the point of view of modern military science, the first French tanks were more like an analogue of later self-propelled guns than tanks. In the middle and second half of the twentieth century, a period of rapid development of all kinds of self-propelled artillery systems began in the leading states.

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, thanks to an impressive leap in military science, self-propelled guns, according to many experts, began to claim superiority among other armored vehicles. Previously, it certainly belonged to the tanks. The role of self-propelled guns in a modern military battle is growing every year.

Development history

On the battlefield of the First World War used self-propelled units built on the basis of trucks, tractors or tracked chassis. Later, with the development of tanks, engineers realized that a tank base was best suited for mounting powerful artillery systems. Guns on unarmored chassis were also not forgotten, as they were famous for their great mobility.

In Russia, the first armored self-propelled guns were proposed by the son of D. I. Mendeleev - V. D. Mendeleev. During the First World War and the Civil War, 72-mm Lender guns built on the basis of the Russo-B alt truck were actively used. The cabins of some of them were even partially armored. In the 20s of the last century, the USSR, Germany and the USA were engaged in the development of self-propelled guns, but most of the projects were nothing more than surrogate installations.

When the Soviet Union and Germany began to actively develop their tankforces, it became possible to massively install artillery installations on tank chassis. So, in the USSR, a prototype of the SU-14 self-propelled guns was created on the basis of the T-35 and T-28 tanks. In Germany, outdated tanks Pz Kpfw I. were used for conversion to self-propelled guns

The Second World War required the use of all the resources of the participants. Germany massively produced self-propelled guns based on old and captured tanks. Based on their own machines, they made simpler and cheaper installations. The history included such German models: StuG III, and StuG IV, Hummel and Wespe, the Ferdinand self-propelled artillery mount (as the tank destroyers Hetzer and Elefant were called) and some others. Since the end of 1944, the production of self-propelled guns in Germany has exceeded the production of tanks in terms of volume.

The Red Army began to fight without mass-produced self-propelled artillery. The production of the only self-propelled howitzer SU-5 was stopped back in 1937. But already in July 1941, the ZiS-30 self-propelled guns of a surrogate type appeared. And the following year, assault guns of the SU-122 model rolled off the assembly line. Later, the famous SU-100 and ISU-152 appeared as a counterweight to German heavy armored vehicles.

Engineers of England and America concentrated their forces mainly on the production of self-propelled howitzers. So there were models: Sexton, Bishop, M12, and M7 Priest.

Due to the development of main battle tanks, the need to use assault guns has disappeared. Anti-tank missile systems, together with combat helicopters, can quite successfully replace anti-tank self-propelled guns. But howitzers and anti-aircraft guns are still being developed.

As you progressSelf-propelled guns, their scope grew, and the classification expanded. Consider the types of self-propelled artillery mounts that appear in military science today.

Tank destroyers

As the name implies, these combat vehicles are specialized in the destruction of armored vehicles. As a rule, they are armed with long-barreled semi-automatic guns with a caliber of 57 to 100 mm with a unitary loading method, which makes it possible to achieve a high rate of fire. Heavy tank destroyers, designed to fight similar enemy vehicles and heavy tanks, can be armed with long-barreled guns with separate loading, the caliber of which reaches 155 mm. Installations of this class are ineffective against fortifications and infantry. They got a jump in development during the Second World War. Characteristic representatives of tank destroyers of that time are the Soviet self-propelled guns of the SU-100 model and the German Jagdpanther. Currently, installations of this class have given way to anti-tank missile systems and combat helicopters, which are much more effective in dealing with tanks.

Assault guns

They are armored vehicles for fire support of tanks and infantry. Self-propelled guns of this type are armed with large-caliber (105-203 mm) short-barreled or long-barreled guns, which easily hit fortified infantry positions. In addition, assault guns could be effectively used against tanks. This type of self-propelled guns, like the previous one, was actively developedDuring the Second World War. The StuG III, StuG H42, and Brummbar were prominent examples of German assault self-propelled guns. Among the Soviet machines distinguished: Su-122 and Su-152. After the war, the development of main battle tanks led to the fact that they began to be armed with large-caliber guns that could easily hit enemy fortifications and unarmored targets. Thus, the need to use assault weapons disappeared.

Self-propelled howitzers

They are mobile indirect fire weapons. In fact, this is a self-propelled analogue of towed artillery. Such self-propelled guns were armed with artillery systems with a caliber from 75 to 406 millimeters. They had light anti-fragmentation armor, which protected only from counter-battery fire. From the very beginning of the development of self-propelled artillery, self-propelled howitzers also developed. Large-caliber guns, together with high mobility and modern positioning systems, make this type of weapon one of the most effective to this day.

Self-propelled howitzers with a caliber of more than 152 millimeters are especially widespread. They can strike the enemy with nuclear weapons, which makes it possible to destroy large objects and entire groups of troops with a small number of shots. During World War II, the German Wespe and Hummel vehicles, the American M7 (Priest) and M12 howitzers, as well as the British Sexton and Bishop self-propelled guns became famous. The USSR tried to establish the production of such machines (Su-5 model) back in the 40s, centuries passed, but this attempt was not crownedsuccess. Today, the modern Russian army is armed with one of the best self-propelled howitzers in the world - 2S19 "Msta-S" with a caliber of 152 mm. The armies of the NATO countries are armed with its alternative 155-mm self-propelled guns "Paladin".

Antitank

ACS of this class are semi-open or open vehicles armed with anti-tank weapons. Usually they are built on the basis of lightly armored tank chassis, which are already outdated for their intended purpose. Such machines were distinguished by a good combination of price and efficiency and were produced in fairly large volumes. At the same time, they still lost in terms of combat characteristics to machines of a narrower specialization. A good example of an anti-tank self-propelled guns of World War II are the German Marder II and the domestic SU-76M. As a rule, such installations were armed with small- or medium-caliber guns. However, sometimes more powerful versions were also encountered, for example, the German Nashorn in 128 mm caliber. In the modern army, such units are not used.

Anti-aircraft guns

These are specialized cannon-machine gun installations, the task of which is to defeat low-flying and medium-high aircraft, as well as enemy helicopters. Usually they were armed with small-caliber automatic cannons (20-40 mm) and / or large-caliber machine guns (12.7-14.5 mm). An important element of anti-aircraft installations was the guidance system for high-speed targets. Sometimes they were additionally armed with surface-to-air missiles. In urban battles and in cases where it is necessary to resist a large mass of infantry, anti-aircraft installationsperformed extremely well. During the Second World War, the German anti-aircraft installations Wirbelwind and Ostwind, as well as the Soviet ZSU-37, especially distinguished themselves. The modern Russian army is armed with two ZSU: 23-4 ("Shilka") and "Tunguska".

Surrogates

They are improvised combat vehicles based on commercial trucks, artillery tractors or tractors. As a rule, surrogate self-propelled guns did not have reservations. Among domestic installations of this class, the 57-mm anti-tank self-propelled combat vehicle ZiS-30, built on the basis of the Komsomolets tracked artillery tractor, has become widespread. The most widely used surrogate vehicles were Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy due to the lack of other armored vehicles.

A typical Soviet self-propelled artillery mount successfully combined the functions of several classes at once. A clear example of this was the ISU-152 model. The Germans followed the strategy of creating highly specialized self-propelled guns. As a result, some German rigs were best in class.

Use Tactics

Having figured out what self-propelled guns are and what they are, let's find out how they are used in practice. The main task of a self-propelled artillery installation on the battlefield is to support other branches of the armed forces with artillery fire from closed positions. Due to the fact that self-propelled guns have high mobility, they can accompany tanks during breakthroughs through the enemy’s defense line,significantly increasing the combat capabilities of tank and motorized infantry troops.

High mobility also gives self-propelled artillery the ability to independently attack the enemy. To do this, all shooting parameters are calculated in advance. Then the self-propelled guns go to the firing position and, without zeroing in, conduct a massive attack on the enemy. After that, they quickly leave the firing line, and by the time the enemy calculates the place for a retaliatory strike, the positions will already be empty.

If enemy tanks and motorized infantry break through the line of defense, self-propelled artillery can act as a successful anti-tank weapon. To do this, some models of self-propelled guns receive special shells in their ammunition.

In recent years, self-propelled artillery has been used to destroy snipers who hide in places that are inconvenient for attacking with other fire weapons.

Single self-propelled artillery mounts, armed with nuclear projectiles, can destroy large objects, fortified settlements, as well as places of accumulation of enemy troops. At the same time, nuclear self-propelled guns are almost impossible to intercept. At the same time, the radius of possible targets hit by artillery ammunition is less than that of aviation or tactical missiles, as well as the explosion power.

Layout

The most common self-propelled vehicles today are usually built on the basis of a tank chassis or lightly armored tracked vehicles. In both cases, the layout of components and assemblies is similar. Unlike tanks,the turret installation of the self-propelled guns is located in the rear of the armored hull, and not in the middle. So the process of supplying ammunition from the ground is greatly facilitated. The engine-transmission group, respectively, is located in the front and middle parts of the body. Due to the fact that the transmission is located in the bow, it is advisable that the front wheels be driven. However, in modern self-propelled guns there is a tendency to use rear-wheel drive.

The control department, which is also the driver's workplace, is located near the gearbox in the center of the car or closer to its port side. The motor is located between the driver's seat and the fighting compartment. The fighting compartment includes ammunition and aiming devices.

In addition to the described option for the placement of components and assemblies, the ZSU can be assembled according to the tank model. Sometimes they even represent a tank at all, the standard turret of which has been replaced with a special turret with a rapid-fire gun and guidance equipment. So you and I learned what self-propelled guns are.