ZSU-37 – self-propelled anti-aircraft weapon

Throughout the Great Patriotic War, the Red Army troops often suffered heavy losses on the march and in the attack on enemy aircraft. Fighters often do not have time to ensure the protection of ground parts, and towed 37mm antiaircraft machine had low mobility and maneuverability and moreover the time required for translation from traveling to combat. Only at the end 1944 in the USSR the first self-propelled anti-aircraft gun ZSU-37 was developed. It was a 37-mm anti-aircraft gun 61 K sample 1939 of the year, mounted in an open top tower circular rotation on the chassis light tank T-70M.

Rate guns reached 60 rounds per minute, a firing range was vertically 6500 m. In ammunition were shrapnel and armor-piercing projectiles weighing, respectively, 0,732 and 0,785 kg. Just a pretty spacious tower housed 320 shots, of which 130 – the cage of 5 shells. The fire control system included sight stereoscopic rangefinder. The machine had a tank intercom and radio.
Self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, designated ZSU-37, produced in series with 1945 by 1948 year. although 1945 the factory produced 70 such machines, in combat they did not participate. ZSU-37 was quite easy and maneuverability. Reservation frontal part of the housing was 35 mm. Two successively mounted GAS-203 automotive gasoline engine power by 70 HP. provided the machine speed on highway 45 kmh. Chassis, borrowed from the T-70M, It consisted of 6 rubber road wheels on board with individual torsion suspension. The drive wheel is in front.
ZSU-37 – The first Soviet self-propelled anti-aircraft gun, but after the war it was the rate is clearly insufficient to deal with low-flying targets, and the car was soon removed from service.

Performance characteristics of the gun mount-37

Photo ZSU-37 from the Kantemir division on Red Square on the day Tankistov, 8 September 1946 of the year.

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