The last thing many Nazis saw.
Iosif Stalin tank was a heavy tank used by the Soviet Union, the successor to the Kliment Voroshilov tank, renamed after Joseph Stalin following Voroshilov's fall from grace.
Background[ | ]
An evolution of the Kliment Voroshilov tank, the Iosif Stalin series of tanks was born at the SKB-2 design bureau at the Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant. The capture of a Tiger tank in early 1943 showed the need for a tank capable of fighting Germany's big cat on even footing. The SKB-2 bureau devised the KV-85, a KV-1 with an 85mm tank gun, to bolster the firepower of Soviet tank units in the summer of 1943 while they worked on a new design.
The first generation IS tank, IS-85 was born out of a cancelled KV-13 prototype, featuring a superior armor layout, better reliability, and a large, three-man turret accommodating the 85mm gun. Pressed into service in October 1943, production lasted until January 1944. By then, the T-34 armed with the same gun was commonplace, and Soviet engineers focused on upgunning the existing tank. The new IS-122 entered service in January 1944, armed with a 122mm gun that could destroy any German tank from well outside their firing range.
The end result was a tank lighter than the Tiger and almost equal to the Panther, at 46 tons, with thicker armor than either of the big cats, and a decisive advantage in firepower. It was also a potent tool for breakthroughs, as its 122mm gun was incredibly effective against fortifications and soft targets. A total of 3 854 IS tanks were manufactured before production terminated in 1945.
Models[ | ]
IS-1[ | ]
An IS-1 in the armory.
IS-1, initially designated IS-85, was the first generation Iosif Stalin tank. It was armed with the 85mm tank gun and was quickly matched in terms of firepower by T-34 tanks. With the introduction of the IS-122, IS-1s still on the factory floors were quickly upgraded with 122mm guns.
- IS-1 Komroti: One of the remaining IS-1s used as a command tank.
IS-2 obr. 1943[ | ]
An IS-2 rolling through the countryside.
The first generation of the IS-2 featured a complex, stepped front hull shape with a small driver's visor, and the A-19 122mm gun. While offering tremendous firepower, the tank suffered from low fire rate due to two-piece ammunition. However, it proved to be a tremendous asset to Soviet tank units on the battlefield.
- IS-2 obr.1943: The basic tank.
- Beute Stalin: A captured tank pressed into Nazi service.
- IS-2 Komroti: A commander's tank.
IS-2 obr. 1944[ | ]
IS-2 late models advance past burning Panthers; the distinctive forward glacis plate is visible.
The 1944 variant introduced late in the year added a number of changes to the design, most notably a simplified, single cast front glacis with an incredible protection of 120mm steel angled at 60 degrees. The A-19 gun was replaced with the D-25T model, improving the rate of fire and fire control.
- IS-2 obr. 1944: The basic tank.
Conversions[ | ]
ISU-152[ | ]
A platoon of ISU-152s advances, screened by a company of Emchas. One assault gun has been taken out.
Зверобой (Zveroboy, lit. beast killer) was a modernisation of the SU-152, created to update the design, since the production of the KV-1S chassis used for the old design was coming to an end. The new assault gun, IS-152, based on the superior IS tank chassis, mounting the ML-20S 152mm howitzer inside a spacious casemate. After trials revealed a number of deficiencies, the design was revised and upgraded, resulting in the ISU-152, accepted for production.
Although it mounted an even more powerful gun than the IS-2, the lack of a turret allowed it to conserve weight and the end design was only a ton heavier than the base tank. It had thicker forward armor and was also cheaper to build. All of these made it an exceptional weapon in a variety of roles, including supporting assaults, urban combat, and destroying enemy tanks. That last role was the source of its nickname, as the ISU-152 could destroy any German tank at range, or at least maul it severely, while remaining safe from return fire.
The only drawback was a low rate of fire, which precluded its use in a traditional tank destroyer role. Despite that, it was one of the most versatile and powerful tools in the Soviet arsenal, and the ISU-152 remained in production and service into the 1960s, with a total of 4 635 vehicles produced.
- ISU-152: The basic tank.
- ISU-152 (Fin): A captured unit pressed into Finnish service.
ISU-122[ | ]
An ISU-122 in the armory.
ISU-122S[ | ]
An ISU-122S in the armory.