View source for SU-85M

{{Specs-Card|code=ussr_su_85m}}

== 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.''-->
[[File:GarageImage_SU-85M.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{specs|name}}''' is a Rank {{specs|rank}} Soviet tank destroyer {{Battle-rating|3}}. It was introduced in during the Closed Beta Test for Ground Forces before Update 1.41. The SU-85M is basically the beefed up version of the regular [[SU-85]] with an increased frontal armour thickness from 45 mm into 75 mm that can save it from shots that would've been lethal for the SU-85. It also has an APCR shell modification for increased lethality against enemy tanks.

When taking the vehicle out the first time, two things will be instantly noticeable: The armour and slow movement of the gun. The former being welcome and the latter being very painful. With the right ammunition between AP and the APCR, the SU-85M is a very good vehicle in the role of a sniper and ambusher. Weary tanks will pop out of corners, unhappy to see an SU-85M locked and loaded. The SU-85M can also be used as a long range sniper due to the 85 mm's good velocity and damage, allowing for possible kills in just one shot. Range also comes at an advantage as the 75 mm of front sloped armour at a distance of more than 1500 m is impervious to most tanks of its BR.

== General info ==
=== 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?''

''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''-->
'''Armour type:'''
* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet, Driver's hatch)
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 75 mm (49-50°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 45 mm (60°) ''Lower glacis'' <br> 70 mm (50°) ''Driver's hatch'' || 45 mm (15-41°) ''Top'' <br> 45 mm ''Bottom'' || 45 mm (48°) ''Top'' <br> 45 mm (48°) ''Bottom'' || 20 mm
|-
| Superstructure || 75 mm (49-50°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 75 + 75 mm (0-89°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 45 mm (15-41°) || 45 mm || 20 mm
|-
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof 
|-
| Cupola || 45 mm || 20 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''
* Suspension wheels and tracks are 20 mm thick.

=== Mobility ===
<!--''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''-->
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!colspan="3" | Mobility characteristic
|-
! Weight (tons)
!colspan="1" | Add-on Armor<br>weight (tons)
!colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h)
|-
|rowspan="2" | 31.6 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | N/A || colspan="1" | 62 (AB) 
|-
|57 (RB/SB)
|-
!colspan="3" | Engine power (horsepower)
|-
!colspan="1" | Mode
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|''Arcade''
|710
|___
|-
|''Realistic/Simulator''
|442
|500
|-
!colspan="3" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
|-
!colspan="1" | Mode
!Stock
!Upgraded
|-
|''Arcade''
|22.47
|__.__
|-
|''Realistic/Simulator''
|13.99
|15.82
|-
|}

== Armaments ==
<!--''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.''-->
{{main|D-5S (85 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[D-5S (85 mm)|85 mm D-5S]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 60 || -3°/+20° || ±8° || N/A
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| ''Arcade'' || 4.8 || 6.6 || _.__ || __._ || __._
|-
| ''Realistic'' || 4.8 || 5.6 || _.__ || __._ || __._
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| 9.6 || __.__ || __.__ || __.__
|-
|}


===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| BR-365K || APHE || 145 || 142 || 125 || 107 || 92 || 78 
|- 
| BR-365A || APHEBC || 142 || 139 || 123 || 105 || 91 || 81 
|-
| O-365K || HE || 9 || 9 || 9 || 9 || 9 || 9 
|- 
| BR-365P || APCR || 180 || 175 || 136 || 100 || 73 || 54 
|- 
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity <br /> in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile<br />Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° <br> from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| BR-365K || APHE || 792 || 9.2 || 1.2 || 15 || 81.6 || -1° || 47° || 60° || 65°
|- 
| BR-365A || APHEBC || 792 || 9.2 || 1.2 || 15 || 164 || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| O-365K || HE || 780 || 9.5 || 0.1 || 0.3 || 646 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
|- 
| BR-365P || APCR || 1030 || 5.4 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 66° || 70° || 72°
|- 
|}

===== [[Ammo Racks|Ammo racks]] =====
[[File:Ammoracks_SU-85M.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] of the SU-85M.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full<br /> ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st<br />  rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd<br />  rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd<br />  rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th<br />  rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual<br /> discrepancy
|-
|| '''60''' || 46&nbsp;''(+14)'' || 31&nbsp;''(+29)'' || 16&nbsp;''(+44)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+59)'' || style="text-align:left" | No 
|-
|}

== Usage in the 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 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).''-->
As a tank destroyer, the SU-85M's job is to hunt down and ambush tanks and destroy them. When aiming at a tank, prioritize the area the enemy gunner sits at as if the first shot does not completely destroy the enemy vehicle, the downed gunner forces the enemy to fallback as the SU-85M goes through the lengthy reload time. 

Do not attempt to brawl with this vehicle as it is unsuited for mobile, frontal assaults due to the fixed gun traverse. Keep calm and wait for the enemy to roll into the gun sights instead so while the enemy panics upon the sight of the tank destroyer, the SU-85M can use this time to aim for a kill.

Heavy tanks and medium tanks should be engaged with caution due to their lethality against the SU-85M's armour. Heavy tanks are a concern as some have enough armour and angling to prevent a reliable penetration by the 85 mm, like the [[Assault Tank M4A3E2 (76) W Jumbo|M4A3E2 (76) W Jumbo]], [[IS-1]], [[IS-2]], and [[Pz.Kpfw. VI Ausf. H1|Tiger I]]. Have them distracted against teammates first to avert their cannons from the SU-85M's location. While they are engaged against them, aim the 85 mm onto weakpoints on their front armour, or flank around and attack them on their side armour. Though most medium tanks will be able to be destroyed by an 85 mm shot, some medium tanks could resist the 85 mm shot by a high degree such as [[Pz.Kpfw. V Ausf. D|Panthers]].

* [[Assault Tank M4A3E2 (76) W Jumbo|M4A3E2 (76) W Jumbo]]: Engage with caution. The 76 mm could penetrate through the front hull with ease at average combat ranges. The front hull armour is impervious to APCR in most cases, and could bounce most AP shots if angled correctly. Focus on weak spots such as the lower side armour and the turret ring, or even the shot trap on the lower sections of the gun mantlet.
* [[12.8_cm_Selbstfahrlafette_auf_VK30.01(H)_"Sturer_Emil"|Sturer Emil]]: Picking a long-range fight with Sturer Emil from the front is suicide, the Emil's 128 mm will reach and penetrate the SU-85M before it is in position to fire back. Only engage if certain the Emil is unaware of your presence on its flanks, or point it out to allies for more mobile friendlies to engage and destroy it. Allies could also divert its attention from the SU-85M to allow for an 85 mm shot into the thin armour on it.

=== 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".''-->
'''Pros:'''
* Modest Armour.
* 85mm gun is still effective for all vehicles at close range (except, in some cases, the IS-2).
* Access to APCR ammunition.
* Good speed of 40 km/h with great maneuverability on most angles and surfaces.
'''Cons:'''
* Gun depression is painful, even on a gentle slope.
* Turret turning time is enough for an enemy for to aim and do a point blank shot (from 250m).
* Like most tank destroyers, it comes without a turret.

== 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 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.''-->
===Development===
The development for this vehicle began in 1943 to supplement the firepower the [[T-34 1942|T-34]] and [[KV-1 ZiS-5|KV-1]] has. Before then, the T-34 and KV-1 tanks are more than adequate to deal with the German Panzer forces, but by the end of 1942, the appearance of the [[Pz.Kpfw. VI Ausf. H1|Tiger I]] revealed that the German armoured forces were becoming more developed and more armoured. This reveal showed the Red Army that needed better guns in order to deal with the rising threat of these new German vehicles.

The search for a better gun led to the deelopment of the D-5 85 mm gun, which was a modified anti-aircraft gun made by design bureaus of Vasiliy Grabin and Fyodor Petrov. It was found that the new gun was unable to be mounted on the current T-34 or KV-1, so it was to be mounted as a self-propelled gun like the [[SU-122]], which is a self-propelled gun made on a T-34 chassis. The vehicle to be produced was designated the '''[[SU-85]]''' and was similar to the SU-122, just replacing the 122 mm gun with a 85 mm one. The gun that was to be mounted in the self-propelled configuration was designated the D-5S (S for self-propelled) and the vehicle was produced at the Uralmash factory. Modifications were made overtime during its production such as a telescopic sight and a new ball gun mantlet, these modified vehicles were designated the ''SU-85-II''. Up to 2,050 units were produced from mid-1943 to late 1944.

===Combat usage===
The SU-85 saw service in August 1943 in Soviet service, which coincides the time the Soviets engage in a counteroffensive against the the Battle of Kursk. It was praised for its low profile to be able to conceal itself and its excellent mobility. The initial production batch had low visibility due to lack of optics, with only four periscopes in the design, but this was improved on the '''SU-85M''' with a commander's cupola seen on the later variants of the T-34. The 85 mm gun was able to destroy a Tiger tank from 1000 meters out, proving much capable against the newer German tank designs. Though capable, its firepower was still seen as lacking considering the Tiger could still destroy it and T-34s from up to 2,000 meters away. The lack of range on the SU-85, plus the uparming of T-34s from the 76.2 mm F-34 gun to the same 85 mm gun as well in the [[T-34-85]] caused the production of the SU-85 to be cancelled in late 1944 as it no longer provided any beneficial firepower over the standard tank unit.

Even after it was retired from Soviet service, replaced by the more powerful [[SU-100]], it was exported to Soviet allies in the Warsaw Pact after World War II. The SU-85s were either kept as tank destroyers, or converted into armour recovery or command vehicles. These vehicles saw service in North Korea, Vietnam, and may still be in service today by Central European countries like Albania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Romania.

== Media ==
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''

== Read 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.''
''ETC.''

== Sources ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{USSR tank destroyers}}