ZSU-37

ZSU-37

ZiS-12 (94-KM)

BTR-152D

ZSU-37

ZiS-12 (94-KM)

BTR-152D

USSR

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
4.0	3.3	3.3

Class:

SPAA

Research:9 200

Purchase:47 000

Show in game

Description

The ZSU-37 is a rank II Soviet self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicle with a battle rating of 4.0 (AB) and 3.3 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.43.

It is based on a SU-76M chassis with a special turret mounting the 37 mm 61-K mod. 1939 anti-aircraft cannon.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour

Armour	Front	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	35 mm (60°) Front glacis 45 mm (30°) Lower glacis 60 mm (34-84°) Driver's port	15 mm	10 mm Top 15 mm (32°) Bottom	6 mm
Turret	15 mm (16°) Turret front 15 mm (0-12°) Gun mantlet	15 mm (1-2°)	8 mm	N/A

Notes:

• Suspension wheels are 10 mm thick while tracks are 15 mm thick.
• Belly armour is 10 mm thick.
• The turret has an armoured basket which is 10 mm thick

Mobility

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	46	6	12.2	199	267	16.31	21.89
Realistic	43	6		124	140	10.16	11.48

Armaments

Main armament

61-K (37 mm)
Capacity (Belt capacity each)			Fire rate (shots/minute)	Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance
318 (5)			160	-5°/+85°	±180°
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade	??	??	44.4	49.1	52.2
Realistic	??	??	25.5	28.2	30.0
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
??	0.6	0.5	0.5

Ammunition

• Default: AP-T · HEFI-T*
• UO-167: HEFI-T*
• BR-167: AP-T
• BR-167P: HVAP-T · HEFI-T* · HEFI-T*

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
	10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
Default	71	68	57	46	37	30
UO-167	3	3	3	3	3	3
BR-167	71	68	57	46	37	30
BR-167P	102	95	80	59	35	28

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the ZSU-37

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
58	49 (+9)	39 (+19)	29 (+29)	20 (+38)	10 (+48)	1 (+57)	Yes

Usage in battles

Overview:

The ZSU-37 is a dedicated AA, however the gun can also threaten enemy ground vehicles. Air targets should be the ZSU-37's main priority. The ZSU-37 has thin armour and low survivability, but it should stay near friendly tanks, as it may prove useful in supporting them with its cannon. Staying near the front can also help with shooting down enemy aircraft, as the ZSU-37 will be close to them when they make attack runs on friendly vehicles.

Tips:

The ZSU-37 is best used as a second or third spawn, because aircraft will not spawn at the beginning of the match. Do not engage aircraft too early, as you will only expose yourself. Begin firing at no more than 1-1.5 km range for the best effect. Always watch out for multiple aircraft, as one may hit you with bombs or rockets while you are distracted. The gun is surprisingly potent, and will quickly dispatch most air targets after a few hits, even against heavy fighters and bombers. The 37 mm gun does have a somewhat slow fire rate, so it may be difficult to hit enemy aircraft. It is a good idea to learn the weak spots of enemy ground vehicles you will commonly face near the ZSU-37's BR, as knowing these will allow the ZSU-37 to penetrate enemy tanks with more ease.

Modules

Tier	Mobility		Protection	Firepower
I	Tracks		Parts	UO-167	Horizontal Drive
II	Suspension	Brake System	FPE	BR-167	Adjustment of Fire
III	Filters		Crew Replenishment	BR-167P	Elevation Mechanism
IV	Transmission	Engine		Artillery Support

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Single 37 mm 61-K cannon is capable of completely destroying enemy aircraft with only one or two hits
• Great anti-armour performance with AP and HVAP-T belts of ~60 mm and ~90 mm penetration respectively at close range, allowing the vehicle to engage lightly armoured vehicles easily from the front, and more heavily armoured ones through the side armour
• Has reasonably better hull armour compared to previous SPAAs
• Reloading is extremely fast; can fire almost constantly until the ammo storage is completely empty

Cons:

• Crew members are very vulnerable to aerial strafing and tank machine gun fire due to open-top construction
• Struggles in rough terrain and steering is very stiff due to low engine power
• Turret rotation is somewhat sluggish
• Prone to hull-break
• Low fire rate can make landing shots on aircraft difficult, while complicating lead estimation.

History

Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History) and add a link to it here using the main template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <ref>, as well as adding them at the end of the article. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under === Encyclopedia Info ===, also if applicable).

In-game description

Since tank divisions were facing greater losses from attacks by enemy assault aircraft, the decision was made to create a self-propelled anti-air mount based on light tanks. Work on the creation of a self-propelled installation based on the T-70 tank began in 1942. Two experimental models were released. Serious design flaws were uncovered during the testing phase.

In December, 1943 the ZSU-37 SPG was built at Factory #38 under the management of M.N. Shukin. It was armed with a 37mm KB M.N. Loginov 61-K AA cannon. The vehicle was based on the SU-76M SPG, but instead of a combat cockpit they installed an open, rotating turret. An experimental model of the vehicle successfully underwent state-run testing and was recommended for serial production. However, due to production difficulties, serial production was moved to Factory #40 in Mytishchi.

The vehicle’s design was enhanced at the new factory, and, after undergoing testing in October-November 1944, the vehicle began to be released serially. The vehicle was released in a small series of 75 units from 1945-1946. It was never used in combat.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the vehicles;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the tank;
• other literature.

USSR anti-aircraft vehicles
GAZ-AAA	GAZ-AAA (4M) · GAZ-AAA (DShK)
BTR-152	BTR-152A · BTR-152D
Wheeled/Half-tracked	GAZ-MM (72-K) · ZiS-12 (94-KM) · ZiS-43
Radar SPAAG	ZSU-23-4 · ZSU-37-2
SAM	ZSU-23-4M4 · Strela-10M2 · 2S6 · Pantsir-S1
Other	ZSU-23-4M2 · ZUT-37 · ZSU-37 · BTR-ZD · ZSU-57-2
Czechoslovakia	M53/59
North Vietnam	▂Phòng không T-34