WW2Tank DestroyerSP ArtillerySoviet Union

SU-5 (Small Triplex)

In service 1935 - 1937

The first Soviet self-propelled artillery family, built on the T-26 chassis as a set of three interchangeable mountings.

Built byFactory No. 185 (Leningrad)

Photograph pending. No clearly licensed photograph of this vehicle was found.

Development history

The Small Triplex programme put a 76 mm gun (SU-5-1), a 122 mm howitzer (SU-5-2) or a 152 mm mortar (SU-5-3) on an open T-26 chassis. Only the 122 mm version reached a small production run; the light chassis could not absorb the recoil of the heavier pieces. Surviving vehicles saw action at Khalkhin Gol and in the opening months of 1941, and the programme taught the lessons behind the wartime SU series.

Variants

One canonical record, 3 recorded variants.

  1. SU-5-1

    1935

    76 mm divisional gun mounting

  2. SU-5-2

    1935

    122 mm howitzer mounting; the only version to reach a production batch

  3. SU-5-3

    1935

    152 mm mortar mounting; recoil proved too heavy for the chassis

Notable actions

  • Battles of Khalkhin Gol