SU-85 - Revision history

U62757156: /* Ammo racks */

2024-11-23T18:16:54Z

‎Ammo racks

U74396666: New Description Project - USSR Priority: SU-85

2023-11-22T17:12:49Z

New Description Project - USSR Priority: SU-85

U38088265: /* Ammunition */ Converted to transclusion

2023-01-28T21:34:47Z

‎Ammunition: Converted to transclusion

U44629479: /* Media */ Removed dead video

2023-01-11T10:52:26Z

‎Media: Removed dead video

U44629479: Added About template

2022-12-06T05:40:38Z

Added About template

U44629479: /* Media */ Added Shooting Range episode

2022-12-06T05:37:45Z

‎Media: Added Shooting Range episode

U38088265: /* In-game description */ Reformatted

2022-10-20T21:49:01Z

‎In-game description: Reformatted

U9202753: Added a new Specs-Card thumbnail

2022-10-16T00:56:46Z

Added a new Specs-Card thumbnail

U38088265: /* Ammunition */ Updated

2022-09-28T10:53:40Z

‎Ammunition: Updated

U44629479: Edits

2022-08-22T19:38:43Z

Edits

@@ Line 96: / Line 96: @@
 ! Visual<br>discrepancy
 |-
-| '''48''' || 43&nbsp;''(+5)'' || 41&nbsp;''(+7)'' || 29&nbsp;''(+19)'' || 17&nbsp;''(+31)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+47)'' || No
+| '''48''' || 43&nbsp;''(+5)'' || 41&nbsp;''(+7)'' || 29&nbsp;''(+19)'' || 16&nbsp;''(+32)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+47)'' || No
 |-
 |}

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 == Description ==
 <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
-The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41. This vehicle is a successor of [[SU-122]] bearing an 85 mm cannon instead of a howitzer.
+The '''SU-85''' was a Soviet self-propelled gun used during World War II. The Soviet was forced to develop more powerful weapons to counter the German tanks, which had become more sophisticated as the war progressed. The 85 mm D-5T tank gun was developed in May 1943 by Petrov's bureau. Given that the new armament is too big to fit into any tank designs that are currently in use, the [[SU-122]] was selected for testing and modification, and its 122 mm M-30S howitzer was swapped out for a modified 85 mm D-5T tank gun. With an 85 mm D-5S tank gun, the new SU-85 is manufactured using the T-34 medium tank chassis.
 == General info ==
@@ Line 168: / Line 170: @@
 ;Skins
 * [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ussr_su_85_1943 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
@@ Line 179: / Line 182: @@
 ;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis
 * [[SU-122]]
 * [[SU-85M]]
@@ Line 185: / Line 189: @@
 ;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role
 * [[Jagdpanzer IV]]
 * [[Jagdpanzer 38(t)]]

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 ==== Ammunition ====
-{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
+{{:D-5S (85 mm)/Ammunition|BR-365K, BR-365A, O-365K}}
 ==== [[Ammo racks]] ====

@@ Line 207: / Line 207: @@
 ;Videos
-{{Youtube-gallery|HqDtRttvNBk|'''The Shooting Range #331''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 03:38 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|FjIXBPqhPBc|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''}}
+{{Youtube-gallery|HqDtRttvNBk|'''The Shooting Range #331''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 03:38 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}
 == See also ==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Specs-Card
 |code=ussr_su_85_1943
@@ Line 13: / Line 21: @@
 <!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
-The frontal armour on the SU-85 may look not impressive but it is sloped, therefore many rounds will lose effectiveness against it over distance. That's why this tank destroyer must always sit at a distance from targets it engages. To further push the advantage, the SU-85 should be angled to the left about 10-15 degrees when it's not firing. While this often exposes the right side with the commander, it is a necessary evil, as for many tanks it becomes near impossible to penetrate the main body, which usually results in ammo rack, fuel explosion or crew knockout. To further reduce enemy chances of destroying the SU-85 in one hit, only take half of the shells with you.
+The frontal armour on the SU-85 may look not impressive but it is sloped, therefore many rounds will lose effectiveness against it over distance. That's why this tank destroyer must always sit at a distance from targets it engages. To further push the advantage, the SU-85 should be angled to the left about 10-15 degrees when it's not firing. While this often exposes the right side with the commander, it is a necessary evil, as for many tanks it becomes near impossible to penetrate the main body, which usually results in ammo rack, fuel explosion or crew knock-out. To further reduce enemy chances of destroying the SU-85 in one hit, only take half of the shells with you.
 Avoid attacking tanks on the high ground unless you can fire first, as otherwise the frontal armour loses its angle advantage and will be penetrated by literally anything. Be careful with the tall tanks for the same reason.

@@ Line 179: / Line 179: @@
 Even after it was retired from Soviet service, replaced by the more powerful [[SU-100]], it was exported to Soviet allies in the Warsaw Pact after World War II. The SU-85s were either kept as tank destroyers or converted into armour recovery or command vehicles. These vehicles saw service in North Korea, Vietnam, and may still be in service today by Central European countries like Albania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Romania.
-=== In-game description ===
+{{break}}
 Tactical deployment of the SU-122 showed that in order to fulfill its task of accompanying and supporting tanks, its rate of fire needed to be increased. The new SU-85 SPG was developed and put into service at the end of the summer of 1943. It was created based on the T-34 tank and equipped with an 85 mm D5-S85 cannon with a 48.8 calibre barrel length. The penetration of the new weapon's shell was 75% higher than the T-34's 76 mm cannon shell and 45% higher than the 122 mm howitzer on the SU-122. These qualities resulted in a 1.5 times increase in its effective firing range against armoured vehicles. Its ammunition capacity totalled 48 shells.
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 The SPG's flaws included its lack of a machine gun for defending the vehicle from infantry in close quarters, its small ammunition capacity and relatively weak armour.
 == Media ==

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 | BR-365K || APHE || 148 || 143 || 126 || 106 || 90 || 77
 |-
-| BR-365A || APHEBC || 135 || 133 || 125 || 115 || 106 || 97
+| BR-365A || APHEBC || 135 || 133 || 124 || 114 || 104 || 95
 |-
-| O-365K || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
+| O-365K || HE || 11 || 11 || 11 || 11 || 11 || 11
 |-
 |}
@@ Line 93: / Line 93: @@
 ! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
 ! rowspan="2" | Velocity<br>(m/s)
-! rowspan="2" | Projectile<br>Mass (kg)
+! rowspan="2" | Projectile<br>mass (kg)
 ! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay<br>(m)
 ! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity<br>(mm)
-! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass<br>(TNT equivalent) (g)
+! rowspan="2" | Explosive mass<br>(TNT equivalent) (g)
 ! colspan="3" | Ricochet
 |-
@@ Line 105: / Line 105: @@
 | BR-365A || APHEBC || 792 || 9.2 || 1.2 || 14 || 164 || 48° || 63° || 71°
 |-
-| O-365K || HE || 793 || 9.54 || 0 || 0.1 || 660 || 79° || 80° || 81°
+| O-365K || HE || 793 || 9.54 || 0 || 0.1 || 741 || 79° || 80° || 81°
 |-
 |}
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 * [[wt:en/news/2644--en|[Ace Tanker] Vasily Krysov]]
 {{USSR tank destroyers}}

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 Avoid attacking tanks on the high ground unless you can fire first, as otherwise the frontal armour loses its angle advantage and will be penetrated by literally anything. Be careful with the tall tanks for the same reason.
-Due to the lacking armour it is a delicate balance, which one can only guess by the feel in each particular encounter, so practice it while you don't have to fight experienced tankers of rank III or IV, which will aim much faster and better, specifically targeting out your weak spots and are less prone to firing randomly when surprised. Angling also works to some extent on future SU tanks, but the further down the tech tree, the less efficient it is due to appearance of new weakspots, popularity of tall tanks and improvement of enemy's weaponry.
+Due to the lacking armour it is a delicate balance, which one can only guess by the feel in each particular encounter, so practice it while you don't have to fight experienced tankers of rank III or IV, which will aim much faster and better, specifically targeting out your weak spots and are less prone to firing randomly when surprised. Angling also works to some extent on future SU tanks, but the further down the tech tree, the less efficient it is due to appearance of new weak spots, popularity of tall tanks and improvement of enemy's weaponry.
 '''Armour type:'''
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 * [[Panzer IV/70(V)]], [[Jagdpanzer 38(t)]]: These small tank destroyers with their well-angled frontal armour can be quite a problem from a distance. With APHE, you can disable their transmission by shooting at their lower glacis. Now if you can, flank them. The 85 mm APHE does a great job at penetrating sloped, thin armour, so you don't have to get to their absolute sides. For the Pz IV/70, you can also aim at the downward part of the gun mantlet since the shell might ricochet downwards into the hull, knocking out every crew member. The Jagdpanzer 38(t) doesn't have this problem, so side-shooting is required to destroy it effectively.
-* [[M4A3E2]] Jumbo: This is another common enemy. It is recommended to use the BR-365A, the one with less pen but more explosive filler. The reason is that it is better at penetrating sloped armour, which the Jumbo has. With that shell, you can easily destroy an M4A3E2 who's not angling. If it is, aim at the hull side just above the tracks, or load APCR and shoot straight at its gun mantlet. Against a 75 mm M4A3E2, you can relax a bit as it will struggle to penetrate your armour, but your cupola is a rather large weak spot and a shot through there can knock out the SU-85. Be more careful with the M4A3E2 76 W, as they can easily pierce through your armour.
+* [[M4A3E2]] Jumbo: This is another common enemy. It is recommended to use the BR-365A, the one with less penetration but more explosive filler. The reason is that it is better at penetrating sloped armour, which the Jumbo has. With that shell, you can easily destroy an M4A3E2 who's not angling. If it is, aim at the hull side just above the tracks, or load APCR and shoot straight at its gun mantlet. Against a 75 mm M4A3E2, you can relax a bit as it will struggle to penetrate your armour, but your cupola is a rather large weak spot and a shot through there can knock out the SU-85. Be more careful with the M4A3E2 76 W, as they can easily pierce through your armour.
 * [[Sturer Emil]]: Picking a long-range fight with Sturer Emil from the front is suicide, the Emil's 128 mm will reach and penetrate the SU-85 before it is in position to fire back. Only engage if certain the Emil is unaware of the SU-85's presence on its flanks, or point it out to allies for more mobile friendlies to engage and destroy it. Allies could also divert its attention from the SU-85 to allow for an 85 mm shot into the thin armour on it.
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 '''Pros:'''
-* Great 85 mm gun, with a one-shot amount of post-penetration damage, and good penetration rates
+* Great 85 mm gun, with effective post-penetration damage and good penetration rates
-* The BR-365K and BR-365A have enough explosive filler, pretty much any penetrating shot will be a one-shot
+* The BR-365K and BR-365A have enough explosive filler, pretty much any penetrating shot will be an instant knock-out
 * Amazing sloped armour penetration
 * Good mobility akin to the T-34, you will be one of the first ones to the cap point
@@ Line 163: / Line 163: @@
 * Armour is only that of a T-34's and will not stop many rounds at this rank
-* As is common in every Russian tank, you have very limited gun depression
+* As is common in every Soviet tank, very limited gun depression
 * Lack of APCR ammo, in case you have to go against heavies like the Jumbo
 * Small combat compartment can cause quick crew knock-out from any penetrating shot
@@ Line 175: / Line 175: @@
 ===Combat usage===
-The SU-85 saw service in August 1943 in Soviet service, which coincides the time the Soviets engage in a counteroffensive against the Battle of Kursk. It was praised for its low profile to be able to conceal itself and its excellent mobility. The initial production batch had low visibility due to lack of optics, with only four periscopes in the design, but this was improved on the '''[[SU-85M]]''' with a commander's cupola seen on the later variants of the T-34. The 85 mm gun was able to destroy a Tiger tank from 1000 meters out, proving much capable against the newer German tank designs. Though capable, its firepower was still seen as lacking considering the Tiger could still destroy it and T-34s from up to 2,000 meters away. The lack of range on the SU-85, plus the up-arming of T-34s from the 76.2 mm F-34 gun to the same 85 mm gun as well in the [[T-34-85]] caused the production of the SU-85 to be cancelled in late 1944 as it no longer provided any beneficial firepower over the standard tank unit.
+The SU-85 saw service in August 1943 in Soviet service, which coincides the time the Soviets engage in a counteroffensive against the Battle of Kursk. It was praised for its low profile to be able to conceal itself and its excellent mobility. The initial production batch had low visibility due to lack of optics, with only four periscopes in the design, but this was improved on the [[SU-85M]] with a commander's cupola seen on the later variants of the T-34. The 85 mm gun was able to destroy a Tiger tank from 1,000 me out, proving much capable against the newer German tank designs. Though capable, its firepower was still seen as lacking considering the Tiger could still destroy it and T-34s from up to 2,000 m away. The lack of range on the SU-85, plus the up-arming of T-34s from the 76.2 mm F-34 gun to the same 85 mm gun as well in the [[T-34-85]] caused the production of the SU-85 to be cancelled in late 1944 as it no longer provided any beneficial firepower over the standard tank unit.
 Even after it was retired from Soviet service, replaced by the more powerful [[SU-100]], it was exported to Soviet allies in the Warsaw Pact after World War II. The SU-85s were either kept as tank destroyers or converted into armour recovery or command vehicles. These vehicles saw service in North Korea, Vietnam, and may still be in service today by Central European countries like Albania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Romania.