The Soviet designers managed to create a fighting self-propelled installation SU-85 with a full booking, able to deal with medium and heavy enemy tanks with high maneuverability and passability. Offices and engine and transmission were the same as the T-34 tank. This allowed us to complete the crew without retraining. Unitary munitions and gave an opportunity to reduce its numbers to four, which made a more concerted actions of the crew in battle.
For the commander -installation in the roof of the wheelhouse was welded to the armor cap with prismatic periscopes. In subsequent episodes to improve surveillance armor dome was replaced with a commander’s cupola as the tank T-34, with the double hatch. In addition, the crew could conduct surveillance through the prismatic devices back and to the left. In later samples introduced additional prismatic devices of the commander of the installation,” having previously governed them forward and to the left rear corner of the case, and for the crew still to the right. Personal weapons fired in three loopholes: in the frontal and on the sides. They were closed by conical plugs. To embed the panorama bracket in the front windshield the sheet was formed a ledge.
The driver’s hatch was done the same as in the T-34. The crew entered the tank, in addition, through manholes and roof: for the gunner in the front for the commander and loader — in the rear part of the cabin (with two doors). Through the hatch gunner also exhibited a view of the guns firing from closed positions.
Fig. 1. SU-85:
1 — eye 2 — armor plug the loopholes for firing personal weapons of a 3 — prismatic surveillance device commander, 4 — rear prismatic surveillance device, 5 — additional fuel tanks (4 PCs.), 6 — antenna input 7 — and the armored covers panoramic sight, 8 — hole sight, 9 — a surge in the housing for panoramas, 10 — prismatic surveillance device gunner, 11 — pokrishka of surveillance device gunner, 12 — cover of the driver’s hatch, 13 — light, 14 — box of ZIP system, 15 — loop rear armor plate, 16 — armor covers the exhaust pipe (2 PCs), 17 — tube for the wires to smoke flares (2 PCs), 18 hatch cover over the transmission, 19 — the tow hook (4 PCs), 20 — carters side gear 21—cover with mesh over louvers of the fan, 22 — cap over the gas cap of an oil tank (2 PCs), 23 — louver radiator (2 PCs), 24 — cover nadoennogo hatch 25 cover boarding hatch 26 — surge housing for observation devices commander, 27 — cover of panorama, a 28 — tube front power tanks.
Fig. 2. Chassis parts:
A — normal tracks, B — tracks widened.
For direct fire vehicle is first equipped with an eye 10, T-15, and later more perfect sight TSH-15. Gun had a rate of fire of 8 rounds per minute, she was given ammo: 48 unitary armor-piercing and subcaliber shells. In addition! in the fighting compartment fit 1600 rounds for rifles, 24 grenades f-1 and five anti-tank.
