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IS
Iosef Stalin tank IS2, IS3
The Iosef Stalin tank, named after Joseph Stalin, was a
heavy tank developed by the Soviet Union during World War
II. It is sometimes transliterated Iosif Stalin, from the
Russian. The tanks in the series are also sometimes
called JS-1, JS-2, and JS-3.
Production started in 1943 and was later increased due to
the performance of the German Panther and Tiger tanks at
Kursk.
The IS-1 was the first production
version and was equipped with an 85 mm gun. Very few were
produced.
Second model was the IS-2 with a new powerful 122 mm gun;
this model was later modified into the IS-2m (not to be
confused with the IS-2M), which had an improved hull cast
without a shot trap.
In late 1944 the design was upgraded to the IS-3. This
tank had improved armor layout, and a semicircular cast
turret which was to be the hallmark of post-war Soviet
tanks. Its pointed prow earned it the nickname Shchuka
(Pike) from its crews. IS-3 came too late to see action
in World War II. Though some sources claim that the tank
saw action at the end of the war, there are no official
reports to confirm this.
The IS-3 was used in the 1956 Soviet invasion of Hungary
and the Prague Spring in 1968. It was supplied to Egypt,
seeing action in the Six Day War, but by this time the
concept of the heavy tank was showing its deficiencies.
It was transferred to Red Army reserve service (with both
the IS-2 and IS-3 slightly modified into the IS-2M and
IS-3M) and war stores; the IS-2m remained in active
service much longer in the armies of Cuba, China and
North Korea.
In 1952, a further development was put into production,
named IS-10. Due of the political climate in the wake of
Stalin's death in 1953, it was renamed T-10.
General Specs:
IS-2
Length: 9.85 m
Width: 3.2 m
Height: 2.44 m
Weight: 45.8 tonnes
Engine: V-2-IS or V-2-K water cooled V12-cylinder diesel
600 hp (450 kW) at 2300 rpm (V-2-IS)
520 hp (390 kW) at 2200 rpm (V-2-K)
Speed on road: 37 km/h
Range: 190 km (on road)
Armament: 122 mm D-25T gun with 28 shells
Secondary armament:
12.7 mm DCHK machine gun with 945 cartridges
7.62 mm DCHM machine gun with 1000 cartridges
Armor thickness
Front: 120 mm
Side: 90 mm
Stern: 60 mm
Top and bottom: 20 mm
Turret: 230-75 mm
Crew: 4
Text is available under
the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
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