2S3M
Contents
Description
The 2S3M is a rank IV Soviet tank destroyer with a battle rating of 6.3 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update "Winged Lions".
General info
Survivability and armour
The survivability of the 2S3M is a very situational one. Due to having absolutely no effective armour to stop any munition but small firearms, it is very vulnerable to all damage. However, solid shots such as APCR have a chance to go right through the armour without making any damage whatsoever. The armour of the 2S3M can also partially stop artillery strikes fragmentation depending on the distance between the explosion and the platform. The best armour of the 2S3M is not to be seen. As a howitzer with a very potent weapon, it should be never stay stationary after firing, as this can disclose the location of the platform and be killed.
Armour type:
| Armour | Front (Slope angle) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hull | 15 mm (74°) | 15 mm Top 15 mm Bottom |
15 mm | 10 - 15 mm |
| Turret | 10 - 30 mm Turret front 20 mm Gun mantlet |
15 mm | 15 mm | 10 - 15 mm |
| Cupola | 10 mm | 10 mm | 10 mm | 5 mm |
Notes:
Mobility
The 2S3M is not exactly agile, but it is nowhere near being sluggish. It takes time to accelerate and brake due to the heavy weight of the main gun, but it reaches the top speed fairly easily. It holds a max speed of 60 km/h, which is fast for a vehicle. As it is based on the SU-100P hull, it has a very decent turn rate and reverse speed, being able to reach up to -14 km/h while on reverse. It has a very capable cross-country capability and when track module is researched, along with a much better turn radius.
| Game Mode | Max Speed (km/h) | Weight (tons) | Engine power (horsepower) | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward | Reverse | Stock | Upgraded | Stock | Upgraded | ||
| Arcade | 66 | 16 | 27.5 | 739 | 992 | 26.87 | 36.07 |
| Realistic | 60 | 15 | 460 | 520 | 16.73 | 18.91 | |
Modifications and economy
| Mobility | Protection | Firepower | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
Armaments
Main armament
The 2S3M has access to the 152 mm 2A33 howitzer, a very potent gun with a significant firepower. It is the only howitzer in game capable of firing HEAT and APCBC rounds. The performance of the gun leaves nothing to expect, decent muzzle velocity for rounds as well as a slow but steady aiming speed. While it is slower in performance compared to the Type 75 SPH or the Bkan 1C, it holds one of the most devastating rounds in game: the 3OF25. Holding more than 10 kg of TNT equivalent explosive mass, it is able to annihilate any ground vehicle with almost any hit. The 3OF25(PF) has the same characteristics but has the trait of being a variable time fuze shell allowing it to take down aircraft far more effectively than normal shells. Additionally, this fuze works on ground vehicles which can allow the 2S3M to destroy light to moderately armored vehicles hiding behind terrain by exploding down into the roof. Do note that the fuse arms at 300m, so utilizing this feature in close combat would not work.
| 152 mm 2A33 | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
| Arcade | 46 | -4°/+60° | ±180° | N/A | 8.8 | 12.2 | 14.8 | 16.4 | 17.4 | 17.29 | 15.30 | 14.10 | 13.30 |
| Realistic | 6.0 | 7.0 | 8.5 | 9.4 | 10.0 | ||||||||
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 |
| BP-540 | HEAT | 250 | 250 | 250 | 250 | 250 | 250 |
| BR-540B | APHEBC | 166 | 164 | 156 | 146 | 137 | 129 |
| 3OF25 | HE | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 |
| 3OF25 (PF) | HE-VT | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 | 62 |
| 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 | 655 | 43.56 | 0 | 0.1 | 5,900 | 79° | 80° | 81° |
| BP-540 | HEAT | 680 | 27.4 | 0.05 | 0.1 | 5,910 | 62° | 69° | 73° |
| BR-540B | APHEBC | 600 | 48.96 | 1.2 | 19 | 1,020 | 48° | 63° | 71° |
| 3OF25 | HE | 655 | 43.56 | 0 | 0.1 | 10,120 | 79° | 80° | 81° |
| Proximity-fused shell details | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Arming distance (m) |
Trigger radius (m) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | ||
| 0% | 50% | 100% | |||||||||
| 3OF25 (PF) | HE-VT | 655 | 43.56 | 0 | 0 | 300 | 3 | 10,120 | 79° | 80° | 81° |
Ammo racks
| Full ammo |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
6th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46 | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ (+__) | __ |
Machine guns
| 7.62 mm PKT | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Pintle | 1,500 (250) | 700 | -6°/+15° | -160°/+155° |
Usage in battles
The 2S3M should be used as a support gun, able to take down even the heaviest of targets with a single shot. Teammates should be supported with the power of this weapon as well as the variety of projectiles available to it. It is not to be played as a frontline vehicle due to the immense reload time and aiming of the weapon. However it is a very good guerilla combatant and skirmisher if used as a backup for frontline vehicles.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Its deadly HE shells can finish anything with overpressure, like Panther II, Tiger II (H), M4A3E2 (76) W, etc.
- HEAT with a penetration of 250 mm is able to penetrate most tanks at the rank
- Has a variety of shell types: HE, HEAT, HE-VT, APHEBC
- Is turreted, allowing more flexible tactics
- -14 km/h reverse speed is good enough to retreat into cover
- Has a dozer blade to build a dirt cover
- Has NVD for night battles
Cons:
- Thin armour, any weapon larger than a MG is threatening
- Poor -4° gun depression limits its ability in hilly terrains
- Long reload time
- Turret is huge, easy to get spotted and hit
- Slow turret steering speed
History
By 1964, NATO was equipped with the M109 self-propelled artillery. However, the Soviet army were still using artillery developed during WWII. During an exercise at Yavoriv military base, senior officials determined that the various types of artillery developed during World War II were not suitable for the war at that time. In order to make up for the technological gap with NATO countries, Resolution No. 609-201, issued by the Central Committee of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union on July 4, 1965, was finalized, starting the development plan for the new 152 mm self-propelled gun. In 1971, the Soviet Union passed the acceptance of the 2S3 self-propelled gun and began mass production.
Media
- Skins
- Videos
See also
External links
| USSR tank destroyers | |
|---|---|
| SU-76M | SU-76M · SU-76M (5th Gv.Kav.Corps) · SU-85A |
| SU-57B | SU-57B · SU-76D |
| T-34 Derivatives | SU-122 · SU-85 · SU-85M · SU-100 · SU-122P |
| Heavy Tank Derivatives | SU-100Y · ISU-122 · ISU-122S · SU-152 · ISU-152 · Object 268 |
| SU-100P and Derivatives | SU-100P · Object 120 |
| Wheeled | YaG-10 (29-K) |
| Airborne | ASU-57 · ASU-85 |
| Rocket | BM-8-24 · BM-13N · BM-31-12 |
| ATGM | IT-1 · Shturm-S · Object 775 · Khrizantema-S |
| Artillery | 2S1 · 2S3M |
| Other | SU-5-1 · ZiS-30 · SU-122-54 |
| USA | SU-57 |
