capable of dislodging the turret of a Tiger tank (at any range), and numerous German armoured fighting vehicles were claimed destroyed or damaged by SU-152s during the Battle of Kursk. However, it proved less reliable at permanently destroying the Ferdinand heavy tank destroyer, whose bulkier, simplified design was more resistant to non-penetrating HE blast. While the Russians knocked out at least seven German Ferdinands in SU-152 ambushes at Kursk during one operation, German after-action engineers were able to repair, recrew and return nearly all to battle the next day. This has been attributed to the gun's blast killing the crew and destroying the vehicle's interior via concussion and spalling without harming the ammunition supply or chassis. Soviet SU-152 crews were ordered to continue firing at incapacitated tanks until their turrets were knocked off, but the Ferdinand did not have a turret. After Kursk, the 152 mm BR-540 solid-core AP round was produced in small numbers and issued to heavy tank destroyer battalions as a penetrating projectile, but the gun's low velocity made the AP round no more accurate and only moderately more effective than the standard HE round (which could also be used against infantry). After Kursk, the SU-152 played an important role in destroying German fortifications during the Operation Bagration offensive, this being the vehicle's original design goal..From the second half of 1943 to the end of World War II SU-152s were used on all Soviet fronts, from Finland to the Crimea. Due to combat losses and mass production ceasing in December 1943, the number of SU-152s in the Soviet Army decreased. Eventually SU-152s were replaced by the more reliable and better-armored ISU-152, which used the same armament and ammunition in the same dual-purpose role. Despite this, the SU-152 remained in Soviet Army service throughout World War II and post-war until 1958. A few were used during clean-up and demolition operations after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Operators - Captured units. - 3 vehicles used for training from 1945 until 1949. Organization The SU-152 was used by the Independent Heavy Self-propelled Artillery Regiments (OTSAP, ОТСАП, in Russian, from Otdel'niy Tyazheliy Samokhodno-Artilleriyskiy Polk, Отдельный Тяжелый Самоходно-Артиллерийский Полк). Initially each OTSAP had twelve SU-152s, divided into three batteries of four vehicles. One KV-1S tank served as a commander's vehicle. After November 1943 the OTSAP organisation changed to 21 vehicles per regiment. See also List of Soviet tanks Notes References Solyankin A. G.,