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SU-152 in Combat

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"1836th Heavy Self Propelled Artillery Regiment

The 1838th Guards Heavy Self Propelled Artillery Regiment participated in offensive and defensive combat.

In offensive combat, the regiment fought among the tanks and behind them, destroying Tiger tanks and Ferdinand SPGs in counterattacks and ambushes, as well as enemy fortifications and dugouts.

In defensive combat, the regiment fought from ambushes, by the battery, positioned in locations of likely enemy tank attacks. Ambushes and maneuvers ensured that enemy tanks and SPGs were destroyed while SU-152s remained invulnerable.

The armoured 152 mm gun-howitzer on the KV chassis destroys enemy heavy tanks and SPGs that are difficult to destroy with tanks with its powerful fire. During these battles, it was established that a 152 mm HE shell knocks off the turret from 1200-1500 meters, and, if it hits the hull, destroys the tank's armour. The 152 mm shell destroys any field fortification or dugout.

The regiment began fighting at the Bukrin foothold with 12 SU-152s and one KV-1S. In almost all cases, the regiment was parcelled out by batteries. Batteries were used to reinforce tank brigades in the main direction of the offensive. The regiment's main objectives were: combat against heavy tanks, heavy SPGs, and guns concealed in fortifications.

On October 12th, 1943, during the offensive at Lesser Bukrin, Lieutenant Grinchenko's battery, in cooperation with the 241st Rifle Division and 229th Tank Regiment of the 27th Army, met an enemy counterattack coming from Lesser Bukrin. Lieutenant Grinchenko decided to put his battery ahead of the tanks and deflect this attack. As a result of decisive action, the battery deflected the counterattack, destroying two PzIV tanks and one Ferdinand type SPG, 4 trucks with cargo, and up to 150 soldiers and officers. Grinchenko's battery helped carry out the order to capture Lesser Bukrin.

On October 21st, 1943, Lieutenant Kolotilo's SPG was placed in ambush near height 194.8. Having picked out a convenient location for direct fire and organized thorough observation, he detected two Ferdinand type SPGs that were firing on our tanks, which were advancing towards Hodorov, from a position north-east of Romashki. When the enemy tanks began to change positions, Guards Lieutenant Kolotilo opened fire at 1200 meters, knocked out one Ferdinand type SPG and one Tiger tank.

In the same region, Guards Lieutenant Yavorskiy's SPG destroyed three trucks with cargo, one warehouse, and up to 50 soldiers and officers."


As we know, the "Ferdinand type SPG" could have been anything, but Tigers are easy to check. 8./SS-Panzer-Regiment 2 just arrived at Pii (some 11 km away from Romashki). The company commander was wounded in "mid-October", and the records become very sparse after that, but the fact that the company was down to 3 operational tanks from a total of 16 (out of an authorized strength of 27), it's quite possible that a few of them ran into Kolotilo and his fellow SPGs.

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