Soviet armored fighting vehicle production during World War II

During the Second World War from the start of the war between the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

and Germany (German invasion

Operation Barbarossa

Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...

of the Soviet Union) on 22 June 1941 Soviet armoured vehicle production was necessary to replace losses due to combat and the loss of production facilities.

Figures are up until the first half of 1945 and only include new production. The Soviet Union had 25,664 or 25,481 armoured fighting vehicles on 1 June 1941 before it entered the war.

Not shown here are armoured cars, aerosan

Aerosan

An aerosani is a type of propeller-driven snowmobile, running on skis, used for communications, mail deliveries, medical aid, emergency recovery and border patrolling in northern Russia, as well as for recreation...

s, artillery tractor

Artillery tractor

Artillery tractor is a kind of tractor, also referred to as a gun tractor, a vehicle used to tow artillery pieces of varying weights.-Traction:...

s and armoured train

Armoured train

An armoured train is a train protected with armour. They are usually equipped with railroad cars armed with artillery and machine guns. They were mostly used during the late 19th and early 20th century, when they offered an innovative way to quickly move large amounts of firepower...

Light armoured fighting vehicles

Armoured vehicles under about 15 tonnes could be produced and rebuilt in many light industrial installations, such as automotive, streetcar, and light tractor factories. Most were driven by standard automotive engines.

For these reasons light tank production continued well into the war, even though the medium T-34 was much more cost-effective. Foreign light tanks continued to be delivered under Lend-Lease

Lend-Lease

Lend-Lease was the program under which the United States of America supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, China, Free France, and other Allied nations with materiel between 1941 and 1945. It was signed into law on March 11, 1941, a year and a half after the outbreak of war in Europe in...

, but domestic production would be replaced by cheaper armoured cars and the plentiful SU-76M self-propelled gun, which was simpler but packed a bigger high-explosive punch.

	Type	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	Total
Tanks	T-26 T-26 The T-26 tank was a Soviet light infantry tank used during many conflicts of the 1930s as well as during World War II. It was a development of the British Vickers 6-Ton tank and is widely considered one of the most successful tank designs of the 1930s....	1,601 1,613	116 47					1,717 or 1,660
	BT-7	779 780						779 or 780
	T-40	41	668 675	180				709 or 896
	T-50 T-50 tank The T-50 light infantry tank was built by the Soviet Union at the beginning of World War II. The design for this vehicle had some advanced features, but was complicated and expensive, and only a short production run of 69 tanks was completed...		48 60	15				63 or 75
	T-60 T-60 The T-60 scout tank was a light tank produced by the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1942. In this time over 6,292 were built. The tank was designed to replace the obsolete T-38 amphibious scout tank.-Design:...		1,388 1,366	4,477 4,352	55			5,920 or 5,773
	T-70 T-70 The T-70 was a light tank used by the Red Army during World War II, replacing both the T-60 scout tank for reconnaissance and the T-50 light infantry tank for infantry support. The T-80 light tank was a more advanced version of the T-70 with a two-man turret—it was only produced in very small...			4,883	3,348			8,231
SP guns	ZiS-30 ZiS-30 The ZiS-30 was a light self-propelled anti-tank gun built for the Soviet Red Army in 1941. It was based on the Komsomolets armored artillery tractor...		101					101
	SU-76 SU-76 The SU-76 was a Soviet self-propelled gun used during and after World War II.- History :The SU-76 was based on a lengthened and widened version of the T-70 tank chassis...			25	1,908	7,155	2,966	12,054
	SU-76 SU-76 The SU-76 was a Soviet self-propelled gun used during and after World War II.- History :The SU-76 was based on a lengthened and widened version of the T-70 tank chassis... i				201			201
	Total	2,422 or 2,433	2,321 or 2,249	9,580 or 9,455	5,512	7,155	2,966	29,956 or 29,770

The SU-76

SU-76

The SU-76 was a Soviet self-propelled gun used during and after World War II.- History :The SU-76 was based on a lengthened and widened version of the T-70 tank chassis...

was a 76 mm gun mounted on a lengthened version of the T-70

T-70

The T-70 was a light tank used by the Red Army during World War II, replacing both the T-60 scout tank for reconnaissance and the T-50 light infantry tank for infantry support. The T-80 light tank was a more advanced version of the T-70 with a two-man turret—it was only produced in very small...

chassis.

Medium armoured fighting vehicles

Building and overhauling heavier armoured vehicles required specialized heavy machinery. Their main components were produced and assembled in facilities which also built heavy tractors, artillery, locomotives, and ship components.

The T-34 tank's basic design was optimal, and continual development of industrial processes allowed it to be produced in greater numbers than any other armoured vehicle during the war.

Medium self-propelled guns were reasonably successful in the pure antitank role, but larger-calibre guns would become more common on heavier chassis, which could better handle their heavy recoil and carry an adequate provision of their large ammunition.

	Type	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	Total
Tanks	T-28 T-28 The Soviet T-28 was among the world's first medium tanks. The prototype was completed in 1931 and production began in late 1932. It was an infantry-support tank intended to break through fortified defences...	12						12
	T-34 T-34 The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank produced from 1940 to 1958. Although its armour and armament were surpassed by later tanks of the era, it has been often credited as the most effective, efficient and influential design of World War II...	115	2,800	12,553	15,812	3,500		34,780
	T-34-85					10,449	12,110	22,559
	T-44 T-44 The T-44 was a medium tank first produced towards the end of the Second World War by the Soviet Union. It was the successor to the famous T-34...						200	200
SP guns	SU-122 SU-122 The SU-122 was a Soviet self-propelled howitzer used during World War II. The number "122" in the designation represents the caliber of the main armament—a 122 mm M-30S howitzer.-Development history:...			25	630	493		1,148
	SU-85 SU-85 The SU-85 was a Soviet self-propelled gun used during World War II, based on the chassis of the T-34 medium tank. Earlier Soviet self-propelled guns were meant to serve as either assault guns, such as the SU-122, or as mobile anti-tank weapons; the SU-85 fell into the latter category...				750	1,300		2,050
	SU-100 SU-100 The SU-100 was a Soviet tank destroyer. It was used extensively during the last year of World War II and saw service for many years afterwards with the armies of Soviet allies around the world.- Development :...					500	1,175	1,675
	Total	127	2,800	12,578	17,192	16,242	13,485	62,424

The T-28

T-28

The Soviet T-28 was among the world's first medium tanks. The prototype was completed in 1931 and production began in late 1932. It was an infantry-support tank intended to break through fortified defences...

was an older tank reaching the end of its production in 1940, and there were several hundred fielded already.

The T-34

T-34

The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank produced from 1940 to 1958. Although its armour and armament were surpassed by later tanks of the era, it has been often credited as the most effective, efficient and influential design of World War II...

was originally armed with a 76-mm gun; this was upgraded to a higher-velocity 76-mm, then finally to an 85-mm gun in a bigger turret. The production given for the T-34/85 in 1945 is the full production of that year.

The SU-85

SU-85

The SU-85 was a Soviet self-propelled gun used during World War II, based on the chassis of the T-34 medium tank. Earlier Soviet self-propelled guns were meant to serve as either assault guns, such as the SU-122, or as mobile anti-tank weapons; the SU-85 fell into the latter category...

, SU-122

SU-122

The SU-122 was a Soviet self-propelled howitzer used during World War II. The number "122" in the designation represents the caliber of the main armament—a 122 mm M-30S howitzer.-Development history:...

and SU-100

SU-100

The SU-100 was a Soviet tank destroyer. It was used extensively during the last year of World War II and saw service for many years afterwards with the armies of Soviet allies around the world.- Development :...

were all self-propelled guns mounted on the chassis of the T-34. The SU-85 and the later SU-100 mounted high-velocity guns and were designed for anti-tank work. The SU-122 mounted the lower-velocity 122-mm M-30 howitzer, and was mainly used as battlefield assault artillery against infantry.

Heavy armoured fighting vehicles

Soviet heavy tank production was constantly in danger of cancellation during the war, and only continued thanks to constant improvement and liberal doses of political interference. These vehicles required significantly more resources to produce than the T-34 medium tank, and were always outmatched by it in some significant way. The most successful were the later IS-2 tank and heavy self-propelled guns, whose large-calibre firepower was generally useful against both soft and hard targets. Soviet high command had examined and rejected the 100mm D-10s Gun for the IS2, despite its very high penetration, as it was not able to provide the high explosive support needed against soft targets.

	Type	1940	1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	Total
Tanks	KV-1	141	1,121	1,753				3,015
	KV-1S			780	452			1,232
	KV-8			102	35			137
	KV-85				130			130
	IS-2				102	2,252	1,500	3,854
	IS-3						350	350
SP guns	KV-2	102	232					334
	SU-152 SU-152 The SU-152 was a Soviet heavy self-propelled heavy howitzer used during World War II.It mounted a 152 mm gun-howitzer on the chassis of a KV-1S heavy tank. Later production used IS tank chassis and was re-designated as ISU-152...				704			704
	ISU-122 ISU-122 The ISU-122 was a Soviet self-propelled gun used during World War II.-History:A prototype of the ISU-122 heavy self-propelled gun was built at the Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant, , in December 1943... /152 ISU-152 ISU-152 was a Soviet multirole fully enclosed and armored self-propelled gun developed and used during World War II, with a subsequent use, mainly in the Soviet military, till the 1970s.-History:...				35	2,510	1,530	4,075
	Total	243	1,353	2,635	1,458	4,762	3,030	13,831

Heavy tanks

The KV-1 (after Kliment Voroshilov

Kliment Voroshilov

Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov , popularly known as Klim Voroshilov was a Soviet military officer, politician, and statesman...

) was armed with a 76 mm gun; as with the T-34, the length of the gun was increased during production. The KV-1S was a version of the KV-1 with lighter armour (making it faster) and a new turret (still with a 76 mm gun). KV-85 was a KV-1S fitted with an 85 mm gun in the same turret as the IS-1.

After Voroshilov lost political favour, the new KV-13 model with the KV-85's turret and gun was renamed IS-1

Iosif Stalin tank

The Iosif Stalin tank , was a heavy tank developed by the Soviet Union during World War II and first used in the Kursk area in September 1943...

after Joseph (Iosif) Stalin

Joseph Stalin

Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...

. It was soon upgraded to a new turret with high-velocity 122 mm gun, and renamed IS-2, finally giving a slow, expensive heavy tank one clear superiority over the medium T-34.

The IS-3 was an IS-2 with new, advanced hull and turret armour. It saw no combat in World War II.

KV-8 was a flamethrower tank.

Heavy self-propelled guns

The KV-2 used the same hull as the KV-1 but was armed with a 152 mm howitzer in a huge turret, and was intended for use against fortified targets and infantry. The SU-152

SU-152

The SU-152 was a Soviet heavy self-propelled heavy howitzer used during World War II.It mounted a 152 mm gun-howitzer on the chassis of a KV-1S heavy tank. Later production used IS tank chassis and was re-designated as ISU-152...

was a 152 mm howitzer on a KV-1S hull. Like the KV-2 it was intended for use as an assault weapon against infantry, but in a hull mount would have a much lower profile, and be cheaper and easier to produce.

The ISU-122

ISU-122

The ISU-122 was a Soviet self-propelled gun used during World War II.-History:A prototype of the ISU-122 heavy self-propelled gun was built at the Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant, , in December 1943...

and ISU-152

ISU-152

ISU-152 was a Soviet multirole fully enclosed and armored self-propelled gun developed and used during World War II, with a subsequent use, mainly in the Soviet military, till the 1970s.-History:...

were self-propelled guns on IS hulls. They were both used as heavy assault guns; and both were useful as Anti Tank weapons. The 122s D25 Gun could penetrate almost any German Tank, and the 152s ML20 had long been used against enemy armour; although it had a low velocity, the massive shell could inflict considerable damage through concussive effects.

Light armoured fighting vehicles

Medium armoured fighting vehicles

Heavy armoured fighting vehicles

Heavy tanks

Heavy self-propelled guns

See also