SU-85A

SU-85A

SU-85A

USSR

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
4.0	4.0	4.0

Class:

PREMIUM

Tank destroyer

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

Show in game

MARKET

Description

The SU-85A is a premium gift rank II Soviet tank destroyer with a battle rating of 4.0 (AB/RB/SB). This vehicle was offered as a reward during the 2018 Festive Quest event.

This tank destroyer was created for testing at the end of 1943, as a potential successor of the SU-76M. The most notable difference was the replacement of the older 76 mm gun with an adapted version of an 85 mm anti-aircraft cannon. Ultimately the vehicle was not accepted for anything beyond testing due to poor mechanical performance.

General info

Survivability and armour

Like the SU-76M that the SU-85A was developed from, the SU-85A's armour leaves a lot to be desired. The chassis itself is loosely based off of the light tanks T-70 and T-80- As a result, the lower frontal plate is 30 mm RHA, the upper plate and front of the crew compartment is 25 mm RHA, and the gun mantlet is 35 mm. There is a relatively small additional armour plate (25 mm) that is welded onto the upper frontal plate in front of the engines to give them slightly better protection. The sides and rear are 15 mm (hull) and 10 mm (crew compartment), making this vehicle vulnerable to heavy machine gunfire. This vehicle is also open-topped, making it a prime target for fighters looking to strafe an easy kill. All in all, this vehicle is the embodiment of a "glass cannon", unable to defend itself from anything but perhaps a glancing blow.

At Battle Rating 4.0, where one of the most common ammunition types used is APHE/APCBC, this vehicle has abysmal survivability. In most cases, the armour is just thick enough to arm the fuse in these shells- With a large fuel tank, lots of ammunition, and a crew packed into such a tight space, it is likely the shell will do crippling damage or knock the tank out with a single hit.

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	44	6	12.2	199	267	16.31	21.89
Realistic	41	6		124	140	10.16	11.48

The SU-85A's manoeuvrability is exactly what one might expect when the tank designers start with a light tank and weight without increasing engine power- not amazing. It has two coupled 70 horsepower motors, giving it a combined output of 140 HP. Weighing in at 12.2 tons, it has a power to weight of almost 11.5 horsepower per ton. As it utilizes high-revving gasoline motors, the SU-85A doesn't have nearly as much torque to help it move around had it been powered by diesel.

Maximum speed forwards is an acceptable 40 km/h with four forward gears, and maximum speed in reverse is -5 km/h with a single reverse gear. Across flat off-road terrain, it cruises comfortably at 30-35 km/h.

Armaments

Main armament

The SU-85A has a powerful 85 mm D-5S main gun which is the same cannon as the SU-85. In a battle at its rank, the SU-85A can one-shot almost all enemy tanks and the reloading time is good but not exceptional (9.4 seconds). However, with crew training, the reloading can be enhanced to under 9 seconds, making the difference between life and death on the battlefield.

The BR-365 APHE standard shell can pierce up to 143 mm of armour at 100 meters at 0°, which is more than enough to deal with the frontal armour of any opponent.

The ultimate shell for this tank is the BR-365P APCR shell which can pierce 187 mm of armour at 100 meters (0°)! And with the explosive power of the O-365K HE shell will have devastating power over soft targets and lightly armoured vehicles.

In terms of ballistics, the gun is very accurate and doesn't drop too much. Under 1,000 meters, there will not be a need to compensate for the Earth curvature.

Usage in battles

In Tank realistic battles, this vehicle plays best from the sidelines in a support role. It does not possess the speed to rush anywhere, even if it is not slow. It does not have the ability to take a hit without enduring crippling damage. It can hide behind walls and relatively low cover and remain hidden where a taller light or medium tank would likely be spotted. Its gun is superior to other guns at its BR range, such as American short 75 and 76 mm guns commonly found on Shermans and German 75 mm guns found on Panzer IV's. As such, the SU-85A can typically penetrate most tanks it battles against through their frontal armour out to distances in excess of a kilometre.

Modules

Tier	Mobility		Protection	Firepower
I	Tracks		Parts	Horizontal Drive	BR-365A
II	Suspension	Brake System	FPE	Adjustment of Fire
III	Filters		Crew Replenishment	Elevation Mechanism	BR-365P
IV	Transmission	Engine
This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Powerful 85mm D5-S cannon at a low rank
• Relatively small target / low silhouette
• Great choices of ammunition to deal with all opponents

Cons:

• Armor is not thick enough to protect the crew from much of anything, making the vehicle a "glass cannon".
• Open-topped (Often strafed by planes)
• Crew is grouped tightly together - A penetrating shot that does not result in ammunition or fuel detonation will likely incapacitate several crew members.

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 === In-game description ===, also if applicable).

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.

Winter events
2022	Winter Quest
Pilot stars	Late 298D · ◄Tornado IDS MFG
Tanker stars	T-80UM2
Sailor stars	USS Newport News
2021	Operation W.I.N.T.E.R.
Pilot stars	C. 202D · ◊MiG-23MF
Tanker stars	A.C.I · AGS
Sailor stars	IJN Hayanami · MPK Pr.201K
2020	Operation W.I.N.T.E.R.
Pilot stars	Ro.57 Quadriarma · MiG-21PFM
Tanker stars	E.B.R. (1954) · Class 3 (P)
Sailor stars	Type K-8 No.13 · USS Baltimore
2019	Operation F.R.O.S.T.
Pilot stars	TIS MA · J6K1
Tanker stars	QF 3.7 Ram · ▃Merkava Mk.2B
Sailor stars	PT-811 · Jaguar
2018	Festive Quest
Pilot stars	M.B.152C1 · Fw 190 C
Tanker stars	SU-85A · T30
Christmas Lights	P-43A-1 · Comet I "Iron Duke IV"
2017	Festive Quest
Pilot christmas toys	P-40C · NC.900
Tanker christmas toys	AEC Mk II · Ersatz M10
Christmas Lights	Fw 189 A-1 · KV-2 (1940)
2016	Winter Holiday
Pilot stages	Ki-21-I hei · Me 262 A-2a
Tanker stages	▃LVT(A)(4) (ZIS-2) · ▂Type 62
2015	War Thunder Fulfills Your Wishes!
Pilot reward	▂P-63C-5
Tanker reward	VK 45.01 (P)
2014	Holiday War Thunder Marathon!
Pilot reward	I-301
Tanker reward	M8A1 GMC