Service 57 mm anti-tank gun M1943 (ZiS-2)

zis-2 model 1943 in poznań citadel, poland.

the zis-2 mounted on few vehicles. in 1941 hundred zis-2 guns mounted on komsomolets armored tractor chassis create zis-30 tank destroyer.

the zis-2 gun mounted in @ least 3 different prototypes based on su-76 assault gun (su-74, su-76d, , su-57b). none accepted production.

there tank gun version of zis-2, called zis-4. in 1941, trying improve anti-tank performance of t-34 tank, members of morozov design bureau experimentally equipped zis-4. small number of these t-34-57 tanks built , used tank hunters. idea resurfaced in 1943, after battle of kursk, because germany fielded heavily armoured tiger , panther tanks. again limited number produced, equipped modified version of gun, zis-4m, had new breech simplified production. although high-velocity gun had superior armour penetration f-34, small weight of shell meant not fire adequate high-explosive round general use. ultimate solution tank design new turret allowing use of 85 mm gun; new model called t-34-85.

a modernized version of zis-2 used in asu-57, post-war self-propelled airborne antitank gun.

post-war history

captured zis-2, israel defense forces history museum.

due improvements in tank armour protection, zis-2 lost anti-tank value. in soviet anti-tank artillery forces, mid-1950s, zis-2 replaced more powerful 100 mm gun. however, small size , weight kept in active service soviet airborne troops longer.

on july 15, 2013, north korean ship intercepted smuggling weapons cuba; discovered carrying zis-2 ammunition among other old weaponry, indicating examples remain active in north korean forces. until incident namibia believed last operator of zis-2; namibian defence force continued maintain 6 examples 1990s. although no longer in active service, large number of zis-2s remained in storage part of reserve stocks of various national armies around 2008.