View source for SU-85

{{Infobox weapon
| name = SU-85
| image = SU-85 tank destroyer at the Muzeum Polskiej Techniki Wojskowej in Warsaw.jpg
| image_size = 300
| caption = SU-85 tank destroyer in [[Polish Army Museum]].
| origin = Soviet Union
| type = [[Self-propelled anti-tank gun]]
| is_vehicle = yes
| service = 1943-1950s (USSR)
| wars = [[World War II]]
| designer = Lew S. Trojanow
| design_date = 1943
| production_date = 1943-1944
| number = 2,650
| variants = See [[SU-85#Variants|Variants section]]
| length = {{convert|8.15|m|ftin|abbr=on}} overall<br />{{convert|6.10|m|ft|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} hull only
| width = {{convert|3.00|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| height = {{convert|2.45|m|ft|abbr=on|sigfig=1}}
| weight = 29.6 tonnes (65,256&nbsp;lbs)
| suspension = [[Christie suspension|Christie]]
| clearance = 0.40 m
| fuel_capacity = 460 L <br /> 810 L - 900 L (with additional fuel tanks)
| speed = 55&nbsp;km/h (34&nbsp;mph) (road)
| vehicle_range = Road: <br />{{convert|280|km|mi|abbr=on}}<br />{{convert|400|km|mi|abbr=on}} (with additional fuel tanks) <br /> Cross-country: <br /> {{convert|140|km|mi|abbr=on}}<br />{{convert|200|km|mi|abbr=on}} (with additional fuel tanks) <ref>Soviet Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War Two (Steven J. Zaloga, James Grandsen) page 179.</ref>
| primary_armament = 85&nbsp;mm (3.34&nbsp;in) [[D-5T]] gun
| secondary_armament = none
| armour = 45&nbsp;mm(1.77&nbsp;in){{clarify|date=March 2020}}
| engine = Kharkiv [[Diesel model V-2|model V-2]] V-12 diesel engine
| crew = 4 (commander, driver, gunner, loader)
| engine_power = 493 hp (500 PS, 368&nbsp;kW)
| pw_ratio = 16.7 hp/tonne (12.43&nbsp;kW/tonne)
}}
{{T-34 navigation}}

The '''SU-85''' (''[[Samokhodnaya ustanovka]]'' 85) was a [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] [[Self-propelled artillery|self-propelled gun]] used during [[World War II]], based on the chassis of the [[T-34]] medium tank. Earlier Soviet self-propelled guns were meant to serve as either [[assault gun]]s, such as the [[SU-122]], or as [[tank destroyer]]s; the SU-85 fell into the latter category. As with the other AFVs in the SU series, the designation "85" refers to the vehicle's main armament, the 85&nbsp;mm [[85 mm air defense gun M1939 (52-K)#Tank guns|D-5T]] gun.

== Development history ==
Early in [[World War II]], Soviet tanks such as the [[T-34]] and [[KV-1 (tank)|KV-1]] had adequate firepower to defeat any of the [[Panzer|German tanks]] then available. By the fall of 1942, Soviet forces began to encounter the new German [[Tiger I|Tiger tank]], with armor too thick to be penetrated by the 76.2&nbsp;mm guns used in the T-34 and KV tanks at a safe range.<ref name="The Russian Battlefield">{{cite web|url=http://www.battlefield.ru/content/view/64/44/lang,en/|title=Самоходная установка СУ-85|work=BATTLEFIELD.RU - всё о Великой Отечественной войне}}</ref> The Soviet command also had reports of the [[Panther tank]], that was in development then and possessed thicker armor than the Tiger; both represented an advance in German tank design. Although the Panther was not seen in combat until July 1943, the new generation of German vehicles meant the [[Red Army]] would need a new, more powerful main gun for their armoured formations.

In May 1943, work was begun on a new [[anti-tank gun]]. Military planners directed the design bureaus of both Gen. [[Vasiliy Grabin]] and Gen. [[Fyodor Petrov]] to modify the 85&nbsp;mm [[anti-aircraft gun]] for use as an anti-tank weapon. Petrov's bureau developed the D-5 85&nbsp;mm gun. Though much too large for the T-34 or KV-1 turret, it was thought the gun could be mounted upon the chassis of the [[SU-122]] self-propelled gun to give the weapon mobility. The version of this gun intended to be mounted upon the SU-85 was called the D-5S, with the "S" standing for self-propelled. Initially the production factory at [[Uralmash]] rejected the proposed design. Nevertheless, the administrators at Uralmash were persuaded to proceed, and the new design was put into production. The weapon was later modified to include a [[telescopic sight]] and a new [[Gun mantlet|ball gun mantlet]]. This vehicle was retitled the SU-85-II.<ref name="The Russian Battlefield"/>

== Description ==
The SU-85 was a modification of the earlier [[SU-122]] self-propelled howitzer, essentially replacing the 122&nbsp;mm M-30S howitzer of the SU-122 with a [[D-5T]] high-velocity 85&nbsp;mm antitank gun. The D-5T was capable of penetrating the [[Tiger I]] from 1000 m.<ref name=RuBF>{{cite web|last1=Potapov|first1=Valeri|title=JS-1 and JS-2 Heavy Tanks|url=http://english.battlefield.ru/tanks/10-heavy-tanks/19-js-2.html|website=The Russian Battlefield|access-date=2015-08-28|archive-date=2018-12-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181226184252/http://english.battlefield.ru/tanks/10-heavy-tanks/19-js-2.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The vehicle had a low profile and excellent mobility. Initially given an armored commander's cap on the first batch, the SU-85's observational optics were improved by the introduction of a standard commander's cupola - the same as on the T-34/76 model 1942 - in addition to the already existing prismatic observation sights installed in left side and rear. On later vehicles, the same optics were added, allowing all-around observation.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Boldyrev|first1=Eugeni|title=SU-85 Tank Destroyer|url=http://english.battlefield.ru/tanks/11-spg/31-su-85.html|website=The Russian Battlefield|access-date=2015-08-28|archive-date=2018-04-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401004421/http://english.battlefield.ru/tanks/11-spg/31-su-85.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Production history ==
[[File:Su-85 TBiU 8 2.jpg|thumb|left|SU-85 (1944)]]
SU-85 production started in mid-1943, with the first vehicles reaching their units by August. When the up-gunned T-34-85 medium tank entered mass production in the spring of 1944, there was no point in continuing production of a tank destroyer without superior firepower.<ref>(Zaloga 1984:181, Perrett 1987:84)</ref> In light of this, SU-85 production was stopped in late 1944 after 2,650 vehicles had been produced. It was replaced on the production lines by the [[SU-100]] tank destroyer, armed with the more powerful 100&nbsp;mm [[D-10S]] gun, but due to delays with 100&nbsp;mm ammo, a stopgap version called SU-85M appeared in September 1944, which was SU-100 fitted with 85&nbsp;mm gun, already with thicker frontal armor and commander's cupola.

== Service history ==
The SU-85 entered combat in August 1943. It saw active service across the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]] until the end of the war. Though a capable weapon, it was found that its 85&nbsp;mm weapon was not adequate to penetrate the armour of the larger German armoured fighting vehicles.{{Citation needed|reason=Contrary to ballistic data on D-5T's page itself, showing penetration capacity of 100mm at 1k range. End of production was due to introduction of T-34/85 making SU-85 a redundant platform, as noted in this very page itself.|date=February 2020}} It was replaced by the SU-100.

The SU-85 was withdrawn from Soviet service soon after the war, and was exported to many Soviet client states in Europe and elsewhere. Some SU-85s were converted to use as command and recovery vehicles.<ref>(Perrett 1987:85)</ref> Countries such as [[North Korea]] and [[Vietnam]] kept it in service for many years.<ref>(Perrett 1987:84)</ref>

== Variants ==
=== Former Soviet Union ===
* '''SU-85''' Basic version with four periscopes and no commander's cupola.
* '''SU-85M''' SU-100 hull fitted with 85 mm gun as a stopgap vehicle. 315 built.

=== Poland ===
* '''WPT-34''' (1960s) - Polish repair and maintenance vehicle with a superstructure replacing the casemate, a crane, a large-diameter telescoping snorkel for deep fording operations as well as a large-spade type [[earth anchor]] in the rear. It was converted from SU-85 tank destroyers as well as T-34 medium tanks and SU-100 tank destroyers.

== Operators ==
* {{flag|Bulgaria}}
* {{flag|Czechoslovakia}}
* {{flag|Hungary}}
* {{flag|North Korea}}
* {{flag|Poland}}
* {{flag|Romania}} – 26 [[armored recovery vehicle]]s based on the SU-85 were received by 1 January 1956<ref>{{cite journal |last=Sămușan |first=Alin |date=2017 |title=Contribuții la istoria dotării cu armament a armatei române între 1944 și 1959 |trans-title=Contributions to the history of the Romanian army's weaponry endowment from 1944 to 1959 |url=https://www.academia.edu/37411353 |language=ro |journal=Bulletin of the [[National Military Museum, Romania|National Military Museum]] |volume=15 |access-date=June 28, 2021}}</ref>
* {{flag|Soviet Union}}
* {{flag|Vietnam}}
* {{flag|Yugoslavia}}
* {{flag|East Germany}} from 1952/56 until 1962<ref>{{cite book |last1=Siegert |first1=Jörg |last2=Hanske |first2=Helmut |date=2011 |title=Kampfpanzer der NVA |trans-title=Battle tanks of the NVA |location=Stuttgart |publisher=Motorbuch Verlag |page=23–26 |language=de |isbn=978-3-613-03294-1}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Soviet tanks]] - covers all periods
*[[ASU-85]]
*[[SU-100]]

===Tanks of comparable role, performance and era===

* Germany – [[Sturmgeschütz III|StuG III]], [[Sturmgeschütz IV|StuG IV]] and [[Jagdpanzer IV]]
* Italy – [[Semovente da 75/34]]
* Romania – [[Mareșal tank destroyer|Mareșal]]
* United Kingdom – [[Cruiser Mk VIII Challenger|SP 17pdr, A30 (Avenger)]]
* United States – [[M10 tank destroyer|M10 GMC]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
* Perrett, Bryan (1987). ''Soviet Armour Since 1945,'' London: Blandford. {{ISBN|0-7137-1735-1}}.
* Zaloga, Steven J., James Grandsen (1984). ''Soviet Tanks and Combat Vehicles of World War Two,'' London: Arms and Armour Press. {{ISBN|0-85368-606-8}}.

==External links==
{{Commons|SU-85}}
*[http://english.battlefield.ru/su-85.html SU-85] at Battlefield.ru{{dead link|date=February 2020}}
*[http://www.wwiivehicles.com/ussr/tank-destroyers/su-85.asp SU-85] at WWIIvehicles.com

{{WWIISovietAFVs}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Self-propelled anti-tank gun]]
[[Category:World War II tank destroyers]]
[[Category:World War II self-propelled artillery]]
[[Category:Self-propelled artillery of the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:85 mm artillery]]
[[Category:Uralmash products]]
[[Category:Military vehicles introduced from 1940 to 1944]]
[[Category:World War II armoured fighting vehicles of the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Tracked self-propelled artillery]]