ISU-152 is a Soviet Support unit in Steel Division II.
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.
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.
Camos[ | ]
Strategy[ | ]
Notes[ | ]
- The slogan on the side of the basic skin reads Cильный or Strongman.