Object 268

Object 268

SU-122-54

IT-1

Object 268

SU-122-54

IT-1

USSR

V Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
7.3	7.0	7.0

Class:

Tank destroyer

Research:95 000

Purchase:270 000

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Description

The Object 268 is a rank V Soviet tank destroyer with a battle rating of 7.3 (AB) and 7.0 (RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.69 "Regia Aeronautica". The Object 268 is a self-propelled gun based on the T-10M heavy tank featuring a 152 mm M-64 cannon.

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades

Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle

Armourfront / side / back

Hull120 / 80 / 60

Turret187 / 100 / 50

Crew4 people

Visibility93 %

Overall, the armour protection of the Object 268 can be called reasonable, but not amazing. The hull, as it is a T-10 hull, has very good protection for most kinetic rounds it will face at the battle-rating, at least as long as most of them are being APDS and APCBC.

The tank destroyer should not be angled because angle is already built-in into tank via hull pike and turret "cheeks". Angling from even 10 degrees negates the sloped armour. When not angled, the pike is able to deflect and stop APDS and full calibre kinetic rounds and cheeks often block direct shots at the ammo racks, as at various angles hull protection reaches up to 200 mm effective thickness. However, chemical rounds such as HEAT and ATGM will have no issues penetrating the entire construction and any chemical hit to the top will be able to reach ammo racks in the back.

Moving to the turret, the area around the gun is poorly armoured even against APDS. It may visually resemble the Tiger II (H)'s turret, but it is not likely to stop APCBC shells directly fired at it, and should not be relied on to stop APDS, HEAT shells and ATGMs at all.

Overall, this makes the Object 268 very inconvenient to fight head-on with kinetic shells, particularly during a surprise attack, as it will win snapshot contests against many tanks despite not having a stabiliser. However, it will absolutely lose against vehicles equipped with HEAT shells and is very likely to lose to experienced tankers, as the way to disable and destroy the Object 268 are basically one and the same: fire at the gun, worst case its gun will break, best case its ammo rack will explode.

It also has the same smoke screen barrels as the ASU-85 and the SU-122-54, which can be used to hide from aircraft or to break aim assist for the enemy in AB.

Armour	Front	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	120 mm (57°) Front glacis 120 mm (49°) Lower glacis 40/60 mm (78-79°) Driver's port	80 mm (0-42°)	60 mm (52-56°)	30 mm (84-90°) Engine Deck 5 mm (13-14°) Vents
Superstructure	187 mm (0-27°) Turret front 157 mm (50-61°) Gun mantlet	100 mm (20°)	50 mm (13-14°)	30 mm (81-89°)
Cupola	40 mm	40 mm	40 mm	40 mm

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB55 / 11 km/h

RB and SB51 / 10 km/h

Number of gears8 forward

2 back

Weight50.0 t

Engine power

AB1 431 hp

RB and SB750 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB28.6 hp/t

RB and SB15.0 hp/t

Mobility-wise, as it is a T-10 with a heavier gun and turret, it lacks speed as well as agility. However, the horsepower generated by the engine makes this a beast when moving obstacles and even dead tanks.

The mass can be seen as a pro and a con. Due to heavy mass, it has more traction and will not be flipped by explosions or rammed so easily by other tanks. However, the mass drastically reduces the top speed as well as the acceleration. Overall, it is a heavier, slower and less agile T-10.

In arcade mode, it might reach 54 km/h offroad when spaded, but overall it is slower than medium tanks.

Depending on current upgrades, to freely turn around it needs to reach forward gear 5, 4, or 3. The higher the gear, the faster it can turn around, so keep this in mind when flanked. The reverse gear is not good enough to turn around when flanked.

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	55	11	50	1,065	1,431	21.3	28.62
Realistic	51	10		663	750	13.26	15

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB4 949 → 6 547

RB4 855 → 6 423

SB6 815 → 9 016

Total cost of modifications76 500

129 500

Talisman cost2 000

Crew training78 000

Experts270 000

Aces1 100

Research Aces670 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

150 / 210 / 250 %

190 / 190 / 190 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 5 300 Cost: 8 600 220 Suspension Research: 4 500 Cost: 7 300 185 Brake System Research: 4 500 Cost: 7 300 185 Filters Research: 4 000 Cost: 6 500 165 Transmission Research: 8 700 Cost: 14 000 360 Engine Research: 8 700 Cost: 14 000 360	Improved Parts Research: 3 400 Cost: 8 600 220 Improved FPE Research: 2 900 Cost: 7 300 185 Crew Replenishment Research: 4 000 Cost: 6 500 165	Horizontal Drive Research: 5 300 Cost: 8 600 220 Adjustment of Fire Research: 4 500 Cost: 7 300 185 Elevation Mechanism Research: 4 000 Cost: 6 500 165 152mm_ussr_M64_HEAT_ammo_pack Research: 4 000 Cost: 6 500 165 Smoke grenade Research: 4 000 Cost: 6 500 165 Rangefinder Research: 8 700 Cost: 14 000 360

Armaments

Rangefinder

Reduces the error and increases the maximum measurable distance of the rangefinder

Main armament

152 mm М-64 cannon

Ammunition35 rounds

First-order24 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

22.3 → 17.1 s

Vertical guidance-5° / 15°

Horizontal guidance-6° / 6°

The Object 268 is fitted with the 152 mm M-64 cannon, a very fearsome weapon at this BR with three potent rounds that are capable of destroying virtually any vehicle in the game, as long as the operator is skilled in its use. The ammunition loadout consists of HE, APHEBC and HEAT, all three of which are excellent solutions to various situations in a battle.

This 152 mm cannon has an usually long reload time for such a cannon. It is still faster to reload than the IS-3, which means it can fire more often.

The BR-540B APHEBC shell is arguably the best shell due to having higher angled penetration than the ones on the SU-122-54, allowing it to annihilate tanks with a similar armour level to a T-54 (1951) at close range. When at long range, HEAT or HE shells should be used instead.

The OF-540 HE shell is decent enough at this tank's BR, as most enemy tanks once again have weak roof armour and can be destroyed by hitting their top machine gun, so the Object 268 can countersnipe with it. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to hit such a small target without a rangefinder, and even with it, the shot can be quite impossible in RB.

The BP-540 HEAT projectile can be used just like APHEBC, but it will not knock out tanks in a single shot, despite having stats very similar to ATGMs. THe HEAT shell on this tank is only marginally better in penetration statistics than the APHEBC and deals far less post-penetration damage. Overall it's not as bad as the HEATFS round on the SU-122-54, but should be carried around only for long range engagements.

152 mm M-64					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	35	-5°/+15°	±6°	N/A	7.0	9.8	11.8	13.1	13.9	22.23	19.67	18.13	17.10
Realistic					4.8	5.6	6.8	7.5	8.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
OF-540	HE	49	49	49	49	49	49
BR-540B	APHEBC	233	230	220	208	197	186
BP-540	HEAT	250	250	250	250	250	250

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile Mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
OF-540	HE	750	43.56	0	0.1	5,900	79°	80°	81°
BR-540B	APHEBC	760	48.96	1.2	19	1,020	48°	63°	71°
BP-540	HEAT	770	27.67	0.05	0.1	5,910	62°	69°	73°

Ammo racks

Full ammo	Ammo type	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	6th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
35	Projectiles Propellants	29 (+6) 33 (+2)	27 (+8) 30 (+5)	18 (+17) 27 (+8)	1 (+34) 18 (+17)	N/A 13 (+22)	N/A 1 (+34)	No

Ammo racks of the Object 268

Notes:

• The Object 268 uses two-piece ammunition, composed of projectiles (yellow) and propellant bags (orange). Both have separate racks.
• Projectiles and propellant bags are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
• For the projectiles:
  • Rack 4 is a first stage ammo rack. It totals 17 projectiles and gets filled first when loading up the tank.
  • This rack is also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 4 - 1 - 2 - 3.
• For the propellant bags:
  • Racks 5 and 6 are first stage ammo racks. They total 17 charges and get filled first when loading up the tank.
  • These racks are also emptied early: the rack depletion order at full capacity is: 6 - 5 - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4.
• Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will move ammunition from other racks into ready racks. Firing will interrupt the restocking of the ready racks.

Machine guns

14.5 mm KPVT machine gun

Ammunition500 rounds

Belt capacity50 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate600 shots/min

Vertical guidance-5° / 85°

The Object 268 is armed with a single 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun manned by the commander. It is effective in dispatching lightly armoured vehicles when used manually and is very useful when defending from air attacks.

This machine gun is loaded with 50-round belts, which only allows for a few short bursts punctuated with a lengthy reload. It also has no flash suppressor, so when you use it manually in sniper mode it will absolutely blind you, so aim first, fire after.

It technically can damage enemy gun barrels, but to fully deteriorate someone's gun, HMG will have to spend 2 belts worth of ammo, assuming they do not turn the gun away, so usually it is used to damage tracks of enemy heavy tanks so that they can't run away. However, since people often panic when they see their gun turning orange from being shot by MG and try to turn away, firing MG at the gun can be used with conjunction with smoke screen to prevent people from aiming for the tank's weak spots.

14.5 mm KPVT
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Pintle	500 (50)	600	-5°/+85°	±180°

Usage in battles

The Object 268 is far from being a frontline tank, especially when in uptier, meaning it has to stay away from the enemy's line of sight (LoS) due to the long reload time and relatively exposed weak spots. This does not mean it should be taken all the way through the outskirts of a map to get into position (can be done but not recommended on all maps). It should be used as a sniper in long range maps and a support vehicle in the rest.

It is able to defend itself pretty well if a good defensive position is found or set. Its armour makes it very inconvenient for most kinetic ammunition tanks to quickfire at it, so ambushes are a viable strategy. All close quarters combat (CQC) should be avoided, however, as the lack of turret and slow hull turn rate invites enemy tanks to flank you from all sides, and front is the only side you can defend yourself from them.

The only exception is if you can dictate the situation and your HMG is still functional, so that you can choose which way the enemy comes at you, and then detrack them so that they can't escape or rush you down. For example, some places in CQC environments (urban areas, city ravines, etc) can be used as stroke point (holding a full street waiting for someone to push if that street is the only access point) due to its powerful gun and decent armour. This tank faces almost nothing that can be a too hard cookie to crack.

In AB, if you lay down an ambush, pay attention to ongoing air battles. If there is an incoming enemy plane (even a fighter) you should drop a smoke canister to avoid being marked on a map via "radio communication" skill. The fewer the people know where exactly you are and have direct aim assist support towards you, the better.

List of opponents important notes when facing frontally:

• Panther/M48/Pershing: all front can be penetrated by both rounds
• M60: gun mantlet and upper front plate can be penetrated by BR540B.
• Tiger II: gun mantlet can be penetrated by all rounds as well as hull (aim at right side of the turret if the tank is facing at you for a safe reload)
• Centurion: all front can be penetrated with all rounds
• M103: hull has to be penetrated by BP540, center of mass shot has to be done frontally as the hull and turret are curvy, hull is impenetrable by all rounds
• T32/T32E1: gun mantlet and hull have to be penetrated by BP540, aim at lower half of the frontal glacis to fire at ammunition rack
• Maus/E-100: gun mantlet has to be penetrated by BP540 hull is impenetrable by all rounds.
• Jagdtiger: gun mantlet has to be penetrated by BP540, hull can be penetrated by both rounds
• Leopard 1/AMX-30: all front can be penetrated with BR540B and higher penetration rounds
• T95: gun mantlet and hull have to be penetrated by BP540

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Reasonable frontal protection, the armour is more than 200 mm thick in most places and can deflect virtually any kinetic energy projectile at its BR if opponents don't aim well, there is no need to waste time angling like with the previous SPGs
• Single frontal weak spot is relatively small and can be concealed with bushes in RB
• Excellent firepower, with a fast-firing 152 mm and a 14.5 mm machine gun it can defeat most tanks one on one if not taken out immediately
• Impressive mobility in a straight line
• All ammunition types remain effective at long ranges, solving an issue that persists with many Russian tanks at this BR
• Side armour of the casemate can reach up to 100 mm, which can afford the tank to engage targets from multiple directions without having to worry about autocannon tanks and SPAA destroying it instantly
• The original reload speed is retained with the loss of one loader
• Has access to a unlockable "Rangefinder" modification, increasing its already impressive performance at longer ranges in RB

Cons:

• Weak spot next to the gun is a flat 187 mm area, and is usually lethal if penetrated, making it a no-brainer to fire at the tank's gun to disable or destroy it with the same move, especially in AB
• Any HEAT-based tank will obliterate Object 268 without even trying to aim
• Large and boxy profile makes the Object 268 relatively easy to spot
• Unimpressive turning ability makes it difficult to deal with flanking enemies at closer ranges, and nearly impossible to counter targets directly behind the vehicle
• Large ammo racks on the sides and rear of the vehicle's casemate make flanking shots extremely lethal and very unforgiving when user forgets to un-angle
• Firing the cannon kicks up a massive dust cloud, making the vehicle easy to spot when its firing from a concealed position
• The top-mounted 14.5 mm KPV machine gun cannot point directly to the vehicle's left side, as its traverse is blocked by the rangefinder and cupola, however it is still more versatile than the one on the SU-122-54, as it has an overall better firing arc
• Shells have low velocity for its battle rating

History

Development

The Object 268 self-propelled gun was one of the many derivative designs of the T-10 heavy tank. The concept began on 2 July 1952 at the Leningrad Kirov Plant on the order of the Council of Ministers USSR. The Object 268 would follow in the same line of doctrine as had the earlier Soviet self-propelled guns of World War II, the SU-100, -122, and -152. This contrasted with the Western concept of a self-propelled gun being used as an artillery piece rather than the Soviet usage as a tank destroyer. There had been earlier attempts at converting a heavy tank to a self-propelled gun, using the chassis of the IS-4 and IS-7, but those had not been fully developed and were cancelled. The IS-4 production was running too slowly and the IS-7 had been too complex to manufacture in large numbers. The Leningrad Kirov Plant worked to produce an SPG on the T-10 chassis by combining it with the 152 mm M-48 cannon, which had high velocity and was much more powerful than earlier 152 mm cannons. Drawing work led to the Object 730 SPG which would be paired with the M-53 cannon, a parallel development to the M-48.

The Object 730 SPG had five different variants drawn up with each one being unique. Version No.1 was a front mounted casemate design which would be developed into the Object 268. Version No.2 had a rear casemate with the main armament using a drum magazine at the rear of the fighting compartment and the engine at the front of the vehicle. Version No.3 abandoned the casemate design and used a conventional turret with all ammunition being stored in the rear of the turret. Version No.4 was a slightly modified No.2 with a lengthened hull, addition of a second loader (bringing the crew to five) and a new cupola with a rangefinder and machine gun. Version No.5, likewise, was a reworked No.3 to also bring the crew to five and the addition of a 14.5 mm KPV machine gun, along with it using the same engine as would be used in the T-10M. Versions No.4 and 5 were rejected due to being too drastic of changes to the base design, and it was decided to go with a slightly modified Version No.1 with the same engine as the T-10M.

Final Design and Prototype

The final design for the Object 268 was presented to the committee in June 1953 using technical drawings and a scale model, which was approved on 25 August by A.I. Radzievsky. This would be armed with the 152 mm M-64 cannon along with a 14.5 mm KPVT machine gun on the roof of the casemate, along with a stereoscopic rangefinder. While the crew was kept at five (having two loaders), it was intended to have a crew of four as soon as an automated loading mechanism could be made for the M-64 cannon. The main armament was being slowly developed due to being lower priority than 122 mm development, but the M-64 was created by taking the M-53 cannon and slightly shortening it while still maintaining a muzzle velocity of 750 m/s. The final drawings for the Object 268 were finalized in June 1954, reviewed in August and construction on prototypes had begun in March 1955.

Work continued on the M-64 cannon, with the prototype being completed in December 1955 and one being sent to Leningrad for installation into the Object 268 in February 1956. The prototype Object 268 was finally completed in March 1956 and was also still modified from the final drawings, as it was decided to use flat steel plates for the roof and rear of the casemate rather than the originally planned rounded plates as well modifications to allow the main armament to be installed and removed.

Completed Vehicle and Cancellation

The completed Object 268 prototype was armed with the 152.4 mm M-64 cannon, built at the Leningrad plant, using the TSh-2A "Sharik" sight for direct fire and the ZiS-3 panoramic sight. A TKD-09 stereoscopic rangefinder was mounted on the roof of the casemate along with a 14.5 mm KPVT heavy machine gun in a rotating ring above the gunner's hatch. Full ammunition load was 35 rounds, with AP and HE-FRAG being available. The range at which a target could be engaged in direct fire was 900 meters with a maximum indirect fire range of 13,000 meters. The hull of the Object 268 was 120 mm thick of RHA and the casemate was 187 mm. The engine used was the V-12-6 generating 750 HP, as well as using the same transmission as the T-10. Weight of the tank was 50 tonnes with a maximum speed of 48 km/h.

The Object 268 was ultimately cancelled, largely due to internal problems associated with the development of Soviet tanks. By the time the prototype was completed and trials had finished it was approaching the end of 1957 and even further development had been done. These designs had specifications and characteristics that were more advanced that the Object 268 and would have been so well protected that the M-64 cannon would have difficulty in taking them out. It was expected that the Western tank development would also be able to defend against the Object 268, and the T-10 heavy tank had already begun production which could have caused issues if tank plants were made to manufacture a different version at the same time. In addition, a major shift in Soviet doctrine to incorporate more usage of anti-tank guided missiles, which had just been created in the Soviet Union in 1956. The Object 268 was not accepted for mass production and further development of the Object 268 was halted, with only the single prototype having been made. It remains in the Kubinka tank polygon and museum.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Object 268 from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

Best tank destroyers discusses the Object 268 at 2:35 - War Thunder Official Channel

Object 268 Tank Review - NUSensei

Object 268- Tank Review - Napalmratte

See also

• T-10M - Object 268 was developed on the hull of the T-10
• ISU-152 - Object 268 was intended as the successor to the ISU-152

External links

• Kinnear, James and Stephen L. Sewell. Soviet T-10 Heavy Tank and Variants. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2017.