Difference between revisions of "SU-5-1"

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{{Specs-Card|code=ussr_su_5_1}}
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{{Specs-Card
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|code=ussr_su_5_1
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|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
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}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''
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<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.67 "Assault"]].
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The SU-5-1 is a crude SPG built off the T-26 chassis. The T-26 chassis of the SU-5-1 allows it to place itself with relative ease on any spot of the map. The high gun shield can lure the enemy into firing too high, missing the crew. If a hit goes into the body, with a bit of luck, APHE ammo will not detonate on contact and instead go straight through, leaving little spalling damage. The vehicle's crew of 5 will allow some casualties before loss of efficiency.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpfull for survival in combat?''
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{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
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<!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
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'''Armour type:'''
 +
 
 +
* Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, gun shield)
 +
* Structural steel (gun barrel, gun breech)
  
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
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{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
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! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || 15 mm ''Upper plate'' <br> 15 mm (17°) ''Upper plate - Driver hatch'' <br> 7 mm (79°) ''Upper glacis'' <br> 15 mm (10°) ''Lower plate'' <br> 15 mm (53°) ''Lower glacis'' || 15 mm || 10 mm || 7 mm (11°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 8 mm ''Engine compartment''
 +
|-
 +
| Gun shield || 15 mm (27°) ''Gun shield - Top'' <br> 15 mm ''Gun shield - Bottom'' <br> 15 mm (cylindrical) ''Gun mantlet'' || 15 mm || N/A || N/A
 +
|-
 +
|}
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 +
'''Notes:'''
 +
 
 +
* Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick and tracks are 15 mm thick.
 +
* Belly armour is 6 mm thick.
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 +
Given the very thin armour on the hull and gun shield, this vehicle is a textbook example of a glass cannon. The T-26 chassis has mobility, and due to the top and back having no armour, stray artillery strikes can easily decimate the whole 5 crew members. The SU-5-1's all-round armour protection, being around 15 mm, is inadequate against anything other than rifle-calibre bullets. Any cannon is able to easily tear through the thin sheet of metal and hurt the crew/modules inside. Moreover, any flanking light tank and strafing aircraft poses a paramount threat to the {{PAGENAME}}, since a spray of their machine gun and your crew members are knocked out. However, you have a 76 mm gun armed with APHEBC, so a skilled marksman with this vehicle will pose a threat to any light or medium tank, easily knocking out any of them in a single shot at its battle rating.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''
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{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
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<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
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{{tankMobility|abMinHp=128|rbMinHp=80}}
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The SU-5-1 has extremely unsatisfactory mobility, sharing the chassis with [[T-26-4]] and all of its poor drive characteristics. Its average speed on hard surfaces is only ~25 km/h, with very sluggish acceleration due to the weak engine, meaning it will be left behind by pretty much every other unit, including low-BR SPGs, so taking the most attractive points will be tricky. The top speed is also low, meaning it is bad at both short-range and long-range manoeuvres. It's still sufficiently mobile to climb the hills or traverse muddy terrain, albeit really slowly. Its hull traverse is very very slow, making it hard to respond to flankers. It's reverse speed is slow too, at -5 km/h, is barely usable. Overall the mobility of the SU-5-1 is a huge limitation.
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=== Modifications and economy ===
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{{Specs-Economy}}
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
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{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibilty of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
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<!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' -->
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{{main|1902/30 (76 mm)}}
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The 76 mm main gun has above average horizontal guidance for this SPG of ±15°, allowing th SU-5-1 to fight without traversing the hull too much. The stock BR-350A APHEBC shell is able to frontally penetrate and one-shot pretty much any target (eg. [[Pz.IV C]], [[Crusader (Family)|Crusader]], [[Chi-Ha (Family)|Chi-Ha]], etc) it encounters at its BR, making the SU-5-1 a capable tank destroyer. The large explosive filler also means that if the shot is not placed well enough (eg. hitting the very edge of crew compartment instead of dead centre) it is still more than likely to knock out most of the crew members with the post-penetrtion explosion, which is less precision-demanding and more beginner-friendly. A similar gun can be found on the [[KV-1 (L-11)]], being a great testament to the staying power and the capability of this gun. The gun slewing speed is adequate to keep track of targets with moderate speed, but will struggle against fast targets like an [[AS 42]], especially if they are up close. The reload time  is quite decent for the gun's power.
  
=== Additional armament ===
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However, the biggest and most noticeable drawback of the SU-5-1's armament is the extremely limited ammunition capacity of only 8 rounds. While most players are likely to die before they can fire all of that, this can be a serious issue if one manages to survive long enough and has no friendly capture points nearby. As such, the player must make every shot count. Another disadvantage is the below-average gun depression of -5°, but this is not as limiting since the SU-5-1 is not a very tall vehicle.  
''Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.''
 
  
=== Machine guns ===
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft, but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''
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|-
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! colspan="5" | [[1902/30 (76 mm)|76 mm 1902/30]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
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|-
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! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
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! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
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! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
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|-
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! ''Arcade''
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| rowspan="2" | 8 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+60° || rowspan="2" | ±15° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 7.04 || 9.75 || 11.84 || 13.09 || 13.93 || rowspan="2" | 6.50 || rowspan="2" | 5.75 || rowspan="2" | 5.30 || rowspan="2" | 5.00
 +
|-
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! ''Realistic''
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| 4.76 || 5.60 || 6.80 || 7.52 || 8.00
 +
|-
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|}
  
== Usage in the battles ==
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==== Ammunition ====
''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''
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{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
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|-
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! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
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! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
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! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
 +
|-
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! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
 +
|-
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| BR-350A (MD-5 fuze) || APHEBC || 87 || 85 || 76 || 67 || 59 || 52
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|-
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| BR-350SP || APBC || 102 || 100 || 91 || 81 || 72 || 64
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|-
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| OF-350M || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
 +
|-
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| Sh-354T || Shrapnel || 37 || 35 || 29 || 25 || 20 || 17
 +
|-
 +
|}
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{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="10" | Shell details
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|-
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! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
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! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
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! rowspan="2" | Velocity<br>(m/s)
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! rowspan="2" | Projectile<br>Mass (kg)
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! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay<br>(m)
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! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity<br>(mm)
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! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass<br>(TNT equivalent) (g)
 +
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
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|-
 +
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
 +
|-
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| BR-350A (MD-5 fuze) || APHEBC || 662 || 6.3 || 1.2 || 14.0 || 150|| 48° || 63° || 71°
 +
|-
 +
| BR-350SP || APBC || 655 || 6.78 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
 +
|-
 +
| OF-350M || HE || 680 || 6.2 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 621 || 79° || 80° || 81°
 +
|-
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| Sh-354T || Shrapnel || 680 || 6.2 || 0.5 || 8.0 || 85 || 62° || 69° || 73°
 +
|-
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|}
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 +
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
 +
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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|-
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! Full<br>ammo
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! 1st<br>rack empty
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! Visual<br>discrepancy
 +
|-
 +
| '''8''' || 1&nbsp;''(+7)'' || No
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|-
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|}
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Notes:
 +
 
 +
* Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
 +
* It is recommended to go into battle with a full rack as the ammo capacity is already limited.
 +
 
 +
== Usage in battles ==
 +
<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
 +
This vehicle is the perfect (and only) SPG for Russian tech tree beginners: somewhat fragile, decently fast and a gun similar to what is found on higher ranks, it is a great trainer for later gameplay.
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 +
As an open-backed SPG, the SU-5-1 should never be seen by the enemy, especially if flanked. Since the gun's ballistics are somewhat tricky and the ammo count is limited, it is recommended to ambush enemies near capture points (preferably by your team's side). Aim carefully, regarding both the vertical and horizontal leading when attacking a moving target, although this is not recommended if the moving target is a heavy tank or is very fast, since that will make leading your heavy shells a hard task. With a capacity of 8 shells, you cannot afford to miss a shot
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 +
As a tank destroyer/SPG, you should bring supporting fire in the rear lines of the team, never at the front but not too far, repelling enemy assaults on the point. Find a spot with a good view near a capture point or bury yourself in a dark alley (if you have fast reflexes since if you miss the target might be aware and attack you) and wait to see the enemy fall into your sights. Do not forget to move to the nearest captured point after each 1-2 enemy down to reload since your ammo count is that low (sometimes you won't even have enough ammo to finish the second enemy, make sure to engage only if necessary in this case).
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This role can be accomplished at any time in the game but it needs two things to be fulfilled: a captured objective nearby and a cooperative team. The objective will be your ammo and target supply since when waiting on a captured point you get an ammo refill. Ammo will be refilled one by one at roughly the same rate as your vehicle can shoot (about a minute for full loadout in this case). A cooperative team will help holding the point, since you can't do it all by yourself since moving means putting yourself in high risk of being spotted in a wrong position. If your team looses the point, do not rush for it (if you're not out yet...) since the enemy team may follow behind the person capturing the point. Wait for your allies to help and stay hidden, taking careful shots at well-chosen enemies. Remember to mobilize after firing a shot, since you pose a large threat in terms of firepower at that battle-rating, and the light tanks will start hunting for you if you keep camping.
 +
 
 +
'''Enemies worth noting:'''
 +
 
 +
* [[Flakpanzer 38]], [[AS 42]]: although SPAAs in general are a huge threat, these two are especially menacing since they are fast, small and armed with powerful autocannons. Their shells can easily penetrate the SU-5-1's armour even without using HVAP rounds, and their high rate of fire allows them to spray shells evenly over the SU-5-1 to knock out any surviving crew member, significantly decreasing the SU-5-1's survivability. These two SPAAs are also weakly armoured, meaning that the SU-5-1's AP shells will overpenetrate without detonating thus dealing minimal damage. The SU-5-1 doesn't have any MG which makes it even harder to deal with fast and tiny targets with exposed crews like them. A lot of the times these SPAAs will only expose their gunner while scraping back and forth, and it is quite challenging to precisely hit something the size of a human torso moving patternlessly behind cover.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''
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<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
  
'''Pros:'''  
+
'''Pros:'''
  
 
* Decent penetration on stock rounds
 
* Decent penetration on stock rounds
 
 
* Decent reload (6.5s base)
 
* Decent reload (6.5s base)
 
+
* Good gun traverse angle
*
+
* High crew count means it can afford to take a few shots, especially from tanks without HE filler or MG
 +
* Transmission in the front can absorb shots (i.e. in a sniper battle, it is the "ideal" spot to be shot)
 +
* Good shell diversity (somewhat meaningless since it is recommended to fill it with APHE)
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
 
* Extremely low ammo count (8 rounds)
 
* Extremely low ammo count (8 rounds)
 +
* Exposed and cramped gun crew that can be destroyed with machine gun fire, or a HE shell somewhere in the rear
 +
* Rather tall profile due to gun placement
 +
* Poor gun depression of -2°
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* Weak front armour (machine guns can penetrate this vehicle)
 +
* Somewhat low shell speeds means it's hard to land a shot on a moving target
  
*
+
== History ==
 +
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the 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: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
 +
[[File:Su-5-1 Historical.jpg|thumb|right|Photograph of one of the SU-5-1 units built]]
 +
SU-5-1 (СУ-5-1) was conceived as the first of "small triplets" (малого триплекса, the other two being SU-5-2 and SU-5-3), with a goal of providing support for the mechanized troops and cavalry using a standardized chassis for multiple roles. SU-5-1 was anti-tank, -2 was howitzer and -3 provided mortar support. This was to ease maintenance and production. An estimated 5 units were built, after testing they took part in 1939 invasion of Poland at the beginning of World War 2, however they never fired at the Polish units.
  
== History ==
+
The dated, but abundant, [[1902/30 (76 mm)#History|76 mm divisional gun M1902]] is put on a modified chassis of the T-26. The key difference includes moving the engine to the front of the chassis, to make space for the gun crew. Overall the evaluators concluded the chassis to be overweight, and pressed for AT-1 instead, which in the end didn't enter into serial production either. Eventually the Soviet army settled for [[T-26-4]] and BT-7A (BT-7a is the basis for the in game [[BT-7 (F-32)]]).
<!--''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 big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''-->
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Based on the [[T-26]] chassis and designed in the early part of the 1930s, the SU-5 was part of many new Soviet designs in mechanized vehicles. The SU-5 ended up seeing 3 test vehicles built in 1934 starting with the SU-5-1, a SPG (Self Propelled Gun) armed with a [[1902/30_(76_mm)|76.2 mm Divisional Gun (Model 1902/1930)]]. Other configurations that following the SU-5 design were the SU-5-2, an SPG with an 122 mm howitzer gun, and the SU-5-3, another SPG design with a 152.4 mm divisional mortar gun. Ultimately, in 1936, the Soviet Red Army ordered 23 vehicles in the SU-5-1 configuration. Once the Soviet Union entered the war in 1941, the large majority of the SU-5 fleet was placed on the Far Eastern Front. During the war, the SU-5’s, as with most SPG’s of the time, were used to provide indirect fire on enemy positions. This process consisted of firing without direct line of site of the target.
+
This SPG was operated from a stationary position, where two crew members operated the gun from the ground. It was designed to be accompanied by an ammunition carrier based on the same chassis, that would support the firing position.
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
+
<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
 +
 
 +
;Skins
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* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ussr_su_5_1 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
  
== Read also ==
+
;Videos
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
+
{{Youtube-gallery|sS7fOV2UGH4|'''Community Choice, {{PAGENAME}}. Putting the record straight''' - ''Joseph 2000''|wwmY3WG5IRY|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|_KkCsRzeh-A|'''A Meme Gone Too Far - ☭{{PAGENAME}} Tank Destroyer''' - ''MikeGoesBoom''}}
  
 +
== 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;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
+
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
  
''ETC.''
+
;Vehicles of comparable role, configuration and era
  
== Sources ==
+
* [[Panzerjager I]]
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
+
* [[Lorraine 37L]]
 +
* [[Spj fm/43-44]]
  
 +
== External links ==
 +
<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''
+
* ''other literature.'' -->
 +
 
 +
* [https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/su-5-1933.htm <nowiki>[GlobalSecurity.org]</nowiki> SU-5 self-propelled artillery]
 +
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/soviet/su-26 <nowiki>[The Online Tank Museum]</nowiki> SU-26]
 +
 
 +
{{USSR tank destroyers}}

Revision as of 12:18, 19 July 2021

Rank VI | Premium | Golden Eagles
Chinese A-5C Pack
SU-5-1
ussr_su_5_1.png
GarageImage SU-5-1.jpg
SU-5-1
AB RB SB
1.0 1.0 1.0
Research:2 900 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:700 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The SU-5-1 is a rank I Soviet tank destroyer with a battle rating of 1.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.67 "Assault".

The SU-5-1 is a crude SPG built off the T-26 chassis. The T-26 chassis of the SU-5-1 allows it to place itself with relative ease on any spot of the map. The high gun shield can lure the enemy into firing too high, missing the crew. If a hit goes into the body, with a bit of luck, APHE ammo will not detonate on contact and instead go straight through, leaving little spalling damage. The vehicle's crew of 5 will allow some casualties before loss of efficiency.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull15 / 15 / 10
Turret15 / 15 / 0
Crew5 people
Visibility77 %

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour (hull, gun shield)
  • Structural steel (gun barrel, gun breech)
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides Rear Roof
Hull 15 mm Upper plate
15 mm (17°) Upper plate - Driver hatch
7 mm (79°) Upper glacis
15 mm (10°) Lower plate
15 mm (53°) Lower glacis
15 mm 10 mm 7 mm (11°) Front glacis
8 mm Engine compartment
Gun shield 15 mm (27°) Gun shield - Top
15 mm Gun shield - Bottom
15 mm (cylindrical) Gun mantlet
15 mm N/A N/A

Notes:

  • Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick and tracks are 15 mm thick.
  • Belly armour is 6 mm thick.

Given the very thin armour on the hull and gun shield, this vehicle is a textbook example of a glass cannon. The T-26 chassis has mobility, and due to the top and back having no armour, stray artillery strikes can easily decimate the whole 5 crew members. The SU-5-1's all-round armour protection, being around 15 mm, is inadequate against anything other than rifle-calibre bullets. Any cannon is able to easily tear through the thin sheet of metal and hurt the crew/modules inside. Moreover, any flanking light tank and strafing aircraft poses a paramount threat to the SU-5-1, since a spray of their machine gun and your crew members are knocked out. However, you have a 76 mm gun armed with APHEBC, so a skilled marksman with this vehicle will pose a threat to any light or medium tank, easily knocking out any of them in a single shot at its battle rating.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB33 / 4 km/h
RB and SB31 / 4 km/h
Number of gears5 forward
1 back
Weight10.0 t
Engine power
AB172 hp
RB and SB90 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB17.2 hp/t
RB and SB9.0 hp/t
Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 33 4 10 128 172 12.8 17.2
Realistic 31 4 80 90 8 9

The SU-5-1 has extremely unsatisfactory mobility, sharing the chassis with T-26-4 and all of its poor drive characteristics. Its average speed on hard surfaces is only ~25 km/h, with very sluggish acceleration due to the weak engine, meaning it will be left behind by pretty much every other unit, including low-BR SPGs, so taking the most attractive points will be tricky. The top speed is also low, meaning it is bad at both short-range and long-range manoeuvres. It's still sufficiently mobile to climb the hills or traverse muddy terrain, albeit really slowly. Its hull traverse is very very slow, making it hard to respond to flankers. It's reverse speed is slow too, at -5 km/h, is barely usable. Overall the mobility of the SU-5-1 is a huge limitation.

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB90 → 111 Sl icon.png
RB112 → 138 Sl icon.png
SB126 → 155 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications2 985 Rp icon.png
895 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost190 Ge icon.png
Crew training200 Sl icon.png
Experts1 000 Sl icon.png
Aces20 Ge icon.png
Research Aces96 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
10 / 20 / 20 % Sl icon.png
100 / 100 / 100 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
60 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
135 Rp icon.png
Cost:
40 Sl icon.png
35 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
135 Rp icon.png
Cost:
40 Sl icon.png
35 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
250 Rp icon.png
Cost:
75 Sl icon.png
65 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
480 Rp icon.png
Cost:
145 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
480 Rp icon.png
Cost:
145 Sl icon.png
120 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
60 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
135 Rp icon.png
Cost:
40 Sl icon.png
35 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement ussr.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
250 Rp icon.png
Cost:
75 Sl icon.png
65 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
200 Rp icon.png
Cost:
60 Sl icon.png
50 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
135 Rp icon.png
Cost:
40 Sl icon.png
35 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
76mm_AP_1942_ammo_pack
Research:
135 Rp icon.png
Cost:
40 Sl icon.png
35 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
250 Rp icon.png
Cost:
75 Sl icon.png
65 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Main armament

76 mm 1902/30 cannon
Ammunition8 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
5.6 → 4.3 s
Vertical guidance-5° / 60°
Horizontal guidance-15° / 15°
Main article: 1902/30 (76 mm)

The 76 mm main gun has above average horizontal guidance for this SPG of ±15°, allowing th SU-5-1 to fight without traversing the hull too much. The stock BR-350A APHEBC shell is able to frontally penetrate and one-shot pretty much any target (eg. Pz.IV C, Crusader, Chi-Ha, etc) it encounters at its BR, making the SU-5-1 a capable tank destroyer. The large explosive filler also means that if the shot is not placed well enough (eg. hitting the very edge of crew compartment instead of dead centre) it is still more than likely to knock out most of the crew members with the post-penetrtion explosion, which is less precision-demanding and more beginner-friendly. A similar gun can be found on the KV-1 (L-11), being a great testament to the staying power and the capability of this gun. The gun slewing speed is adequate to keep track of targets with moderate speed, but will struggle against fast targets like an AS 42, especially if they are up close. The reload time is quite decent for the gun's power.

However, the biggest and most noticeable drawback of the SU-5-1's armament is the extremely limited ammunition capacity of only 8 rounds. While most players are likely to die before they can fire all of that, this can be a serious issue if one manages to survive long enough and has no friendly capture points nearby. As such, the player must make every shot count. Another disadvantage is the below-average gun depression of -5°, but this is not as limiting since the SU-5-1 is not a very tall vehicle.

76 mm 1902/30 Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 8 -5°/+60° ±15° N/A 7.04 9.75 11.84 13.09 13.93 6.50 5.75 5.30 5.00
Realistic 4.76 5.60 6.80 7.52 8.00

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
BR-350A (MD-5 fuze) APHEBC 87 85 76 67 59 52
BR-350SP APBC 102 100 91 81 72 64
OF-350M HE 10 10 10 10 10 10
Sh-354T Shrapnel 37 35 29 25 20 17
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%
BR-350A (MD-5 fuze) APHEBC 662 6.3 1.2 14.0 150 48° 63° 71°
BR-350SP APBC 655 6.78 N/A N/A N/A 48° 63° 71°
OF-350M HE 680 6.2 0.05 0.1 621 79° 80° 81°
Sh-354T Shrapnel 680 6.2 0.5 8.0 85 62° 69° 73°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the SU-5-1
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
8 (+7) No

Notes:

  • Shells are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
  • It is recommended to go into battle with a full rack as the ammo capacity is already limited.

Usage in battles

This vehicle is the perfect (and only) SPG for Russian tech tree beginners: somewhat fragile, decently fast and a gun similar to what is found on higher ranks, it is a great trainer for later gameplay.

As an open-backed SPG, the SU-5-1 should never be seen by the enemy, especially if flanked. Since the gun's ballistics are somewhat tricky and the ammo count is limited, it is recommended to ambush enemies near capture points (preferably by your team's side). Aim carefully, regarding both the vertical and horizontal leading when attacking a moving target, although this is not recommended if the moving target is a heavy tank or is very fast, since that will make leading your heavy shells a hard task. With a capacity of 8 shells, you cannot afford to miss a shot

As a tank destroyer/SPG, you should bring supporting fire in the rear lines of the team, never at the front but not too far, repelling enemy assaults on the point. Find a spot with a good view near a capture point or bury yourself in a dark alley (if you have fast reflexes since if you miss the target might be aware and attack you) and wait to see the enemy fall into your sights. Do not forget to move to the nearest captured point after each 1-2 enemy down to reload since your ammo count is that low (sometimes you won't even have enough ammo to finish the second enemy, make sure to engage only if necessary in this case).

This role can be accomplished at any time in the game but it needs two things to be fulfilled: a captured objective nearby and a cooperative team. The objective will be your ammo and target supply since when waiting on a captured point you get an ammo refill. Ammo will be refilled one by one at roughly the same rate as your vehicle can shoot (about a minute for full loadout in this case). A cooperative team will help holding the point, since you can't do it all by yourself since moving means putting yourself in high risk of being spotted in a wrong position. If your team looses the point, do not rush for it (if you're not out yet...) since the enemy team may follow behind the person capturing the point. Wait for your allies to help and stay hidden, taking careful shots at well-chosen enemies. Remember to mobilize after firing a shot, since you pose a large threat in terms of firepower at that battle-rating, and the light tanks will start hunting for you if you keep camping.

Enemies worth noting:

  • Flakpanzer 38, AS 42: although SPAAs in general are a huge threat, these two are especially menacing since they are fast, small and armed with powerful autocannons. Their shells can easily penetrate the SU-5-1's armour even without using HVAP rounds, and their high rate of fire allows them to spray shells evenly over the SU-5-1 to knock out any surviving crew member, significantly decreasing the SU-5-1's survivability. These two SPAAs are also weakly armoured, meaning that the SU-5-1's AP shells will overpenetrate without detonating thus dealing minimal damage. The SU-5-1 doesn't have any MG which makes it even harder to deal with fast and tiny targets with exposed crews like them. A lot of the times these SPAAs will only expose their gunner while scraping back and forth, and it is quite challenging to precisely hit something the size of a human torso moving patternlessly behind cover.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Decent penetration on stock rounds
  • Decent reload (6.5s base)
  • Good gun traverse angle
  • High crew count means it can afford to take a few shots, especially from tanks without HE filler or MG
  • Transmission in the front can absorb shots (i.e. in a sniper battle, it is the "ideal" spot to be shot)
  • Good shell diversity (somewhat meaningless since it is recommended to fill it with APHE)

Cons:

  • Extremely low ammo count (8 rounds)
  • Exposed and cramped gun crew that can be destroyed with machine gun fire, or a HE shell somewhere in the rear
  • Rather tall profile due to gun placement
  • Poor gun depression of -2°
  • Weak front armour (machine guns can penetrate this vehicle)
  • Somewhat low shell speeds means it's hard to land a shot on a moving target

History

Photograph of one of the SU-5-1 units built

SU-5-1 (СУ-5-1) was conceived as the first of "small triplets" (малого триплекса, the other two being SU-5-2 and SU-5-3), with a goal of providing support for the mechanized troops and cavalry using a standardized chassis for multiple roles. SU-5-1 was anti-tank, -2 was howitzer and -3 provided mortar support. This was to ease maintenance and production. An estimated 5 units were built, after testing they took part in 1939 invasion of Poland at the beginning of World War 2, however they never fired at the Polish units.

The dated, but abundant, 76 mm divisional gun M1902 is put on a modified chassis of the T-26. The key difference includes moving the engine to the front of the chassis, to make space for the gun crew. Overall the evaluators concluded the chassis to be overweight, and pressed for AT-1 instead, which in the end didn't enter into serial production either. Eventually the Soviet army settled for T-26-4 and BT-7A (BT-7a is the basis for the in game BT-7 (F-32)).

This SPG was operated from a stationary position, where two crew members operated the gun from the ground. It was designed to be accompanied by an ammunition carrier based on the same chassis, that would support the firing position.

Media

Skins
Videos

See also

Vehicles of comparable role, configuration and era

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 · Khrizantema-S
Artillery  2S1 · 2S3M
Other  SU-5-1 · ZiS-30 · SU-122-54 · Object 775
USA  SU-57