The last tank created during the Great Patriotic War was the heavy IS-3 (Kirovets-1, Object 703). It was developed in 1944 - 1945 at pilot plant No. 100 in Chelyabinsk under the leadership of lead designer M.F. Balzhi. Serial production began in May 1945, during which 1,170 combat vehicles were produced.
The tank hull was welded from rolled armor plates. The front hull sheets were installed with a double slope at a large angle to the vertical. The driver was located in front along the axis of the car. Above his seat there was a hatch with a lid that moved to the side, in which a periscope viewing device was installed. Before opening the hatch, it had to be removed. Behind the driver's seat, in the bottom, there was an emergency hatch designed for leaving the tank in emergency situations. The tower is cast, flattened spherical in shape. There was a large oval hatch in the roof of the tower, closed with two lids. The MK-4 loader's viewing device was fixed in the right cover, and the commander's observation hatch was located in the left cover, closed by a round rotating lid in which the TPK-1 commander's viewing device was located.
The IS-3 chassis consisted of six road wheels with internal shock absorption on board, three support rollers, a rear drive wheel with removable ring gears (lantern gear) and a guide wheel. The suspension of the road wheels is individual torsion bar. The transmission included: a multi-disc main dry friction clutch, an eight-speed gearbox with a range multiplier, planetary turning mechanisms and final drives.
The turret rotation mechanism is planetary, with manual and electric stepless drives. The electric drive was equipped with a commander's control system. The commander could, keeping the target in the field of view of his viewing device, press a button mounted on the device and turn the turret in a given direction along the shortest path. When the line of sight coincided with the axis of the bore, the turret stopped.
The 122-mm D-25T cannon was equipped with a two-chamber muzzle brake and a horizontal wedge breech with a semi-automatic mechanical type. The combat rate of fire was 2-3 rounds/min. The gun's ammunition consisted of 28 separately loaded rounds, including 18 with high-explosive fragmentation shells and 10 with armor-piercing shells. A 7.62 mm DT machine gun was paired with the cannon. On the roof of the tower, there was a new turret installation of a 12.7-mm anti-aircraft heavy machine gun DShK, which allowed both the loader and the commander to fire at aircraft.
The fuel system of the tank included four internal box-shaped metal welded tanks with a total capacity of 450 liters, located two to the right and left of the engine, as right and left groups. Four external cylindrical tanks with a capacity of 90 l. each was mounted on inclined hull plates along the sides of the aft part and were connected to the internal ones. The tanks had mechanical release devices.
When developing the project for the IS-3 tank, the conclusions of the commission were taken into account, which examined combat damage received by tanks during the Battle of Kursk in front-line conditions. The massive damage to the frontal elements of the hull and turret was noteworthy. Therefore, it was decided to develop a new design for the turret and hull on the basis of the IS-2 tank to give them a streamlined shape and sharply differentiate the armor protection. This work was carried out on the turret by designer Kruchenykh, and on the hull by designer Malinin. It should be noted that the prototype of the IS-3 tank had a straight, inclined frontal plate, like the T-34 medium tank.
As a result of the design work, the inclination of the welded sheets, especially in the front part of the hull, was brought to the maximum possible. Thick 120-mm plates of frontal armor were positioned in such a way that a three-slope, cone-shaped, elongated forward bow was formed, called the “pike nose.” The hatch was placed in the roof above the driver, which was not the case in the IS-1 and IS-2 tanks. There was no longer a need for a through viewing slit in the frontal armor in front of the driver - it was replaced by periscope viewing devices. New structural forms of armor provided better protection against projectiles. Due to a slight decrease in ground clearance and the absence of a commander's cupola, the overall height of the tank decreased by 0.3 m compared to the IS-2.
However, during the design of the IS-3, a number of design miscalculations and errors were made. Therefore, already in 1946, a commission was created to analyze the defects of this tank, which included the failure of the engine, gearbox, armored hull elements in the area of the engine and transmission compartment, etc. Taking these shortcomings into account, all IS-3 tanks were subjected to modernization and alterations under the UKN program (elimination of design deficiencies). The engine mount and gearbox were strengthened, the turret plate was strengthened, the design of the main clutch was improved, and the seals of the final drives and road wheels were improved. Radio station 10-RK was replaced by 10-RT. The weight of the tank increased to 48.8 tons. Despite a significant amount of modifications, the tanks were never brought to the required level of operational requirements. In mid-1946, the tank was taken out of production.
IS-Z tanks, contrary to popular belief, were not used in combat operations of the Second World War, but on September 7, 1945, one tank regiment, which was armed with these combat vehicles, took part in the parade of Red Army units in Berlin in honor of the victory over Japan, and the IS-3 made a strong impression on the Western allies of the USSR in the anti-Hitler coalition.
In 1960, the tank underwent additional modernization and became known as the IS-ZM. Compared to the IS-3, it had increased hull rigidity, more advanced transmission units, chassis components, an air cleaner, an improved V-54K-IS engine, an R-113 radio station and a DShKM anti-aircraft machine gun. The tank was additionally equipped with a TVN-2 night IR driver device and a nozzle heater. The weight of the IS-3M tank increased to 49 tons.
Soviet researchable heavy tank of the eighth level of World of Tanks - IS 3. According to its tactical and technical parameters, the IS-3 is considered a heavy breakthrough tank.
For a more in-depth understanding of the Soviet heavy aircraft IS-3, it is necessary to fully analyze all the capabilities. IS 3 has good dynamics for a heavy weapon, devastating damage per shot - 390 units, excellent armor and shielded sides.
These features allow you to feel comfortable in any situation on the battlefield. Depending on the position in the team's list, the tank can be used in different ways. With classmates, the IS-3 can break through a direction, confidently dealing damage.
With high-level opponents, the tank can support the attack of teammates. In addition, the heavy can quickly change flanks, performing the function of a medium tank. 
Of course, even the famous “pike nose”, which is the hallmark of the third IS, is not without its drawbacks. When placed in a diamond shape, the risk of breaking through the VLD increases. In addition, criticism is caused by the safety margin, the small viewing radius - 350 meters and weak vertical pointing angles of the gun.
The crew of the IS 3 tank consists of 4 people. The choice of pumpable perks for the IS-3 is typical for any heavy tank in the game. For personal skills, you can use the following set:
Sixth Sense is a must-have skill for a commander.
“Smooth rotation of the turret” - useful for the gunner.
“The King of Off-Roads” will help the driver-mechanic.
“Non-contact ammo rack” is ideal for the loader.
Among the required perks, the following skills are pumped out: “Repair Speed”, “Combat Brotherhood”, “Disguise”. Please note that the choice of skills should be a recommendation.
For example, instead of “Disguise” for a driver, you can pump out the “Off-Road King” perk. This will make the tank more visible, but will increase its cross-country ability on difficult soils.
To hide the shortcomings of the machine, it is necessary to choose the right additional equipment. The main task of IS-3 players is to maximize the damage dealt, which, by the way, is 390 units per shot.
In addition, we must not forget about mediocre accuracy, not the best convergence and stabilization times. Therefore, the optimal set of modules will look like this:
- Rammer.
- Ventilation.
- Stabilization of vertical guidance.
It should be clarified that some players prefer to use strengthening the aiming drives, reducing aiming time, against improving all the characteristics of the vehicle. However, such a choice is often unjustified.
The fact is that ventilation gives an additional bonus to all characteristics, including convergence speed. If you level up the “Combat Brotherhood” skill for all crew members, you get a full-fledged bonus, equivalent to using an additional ration. In addition, this reduces the reload time of the gun, which allows you to feel confident in close combat.
Equipment selection
Here, too, everything looks pretty standard for this class of equipment. In particular, the choice for the IS-3 will be as follows:
- Fire extinguisher (manual).
- Repair kit (small).
- First aid kit (small).
Instead of a fire extinguisher, you can opt for an additional ration to get an additional bonus to the skills of tankers.
The most important question for beginners is where is the easiest way to break through IS 3 in battle. Everything is very simple, a pike nose can easily be penetrated if you know the penetration values of your weapon; the image below shows a detailed designation of the penetration zones of IS 3. 
Main places, lower armor plate, shooting in the VLD is advisable only if penetration is more than 205 mm. And the main thing is not to get into the fixed caterpillar track, because it adds 20 mm of armor.
How to play on IS 3
To determine combat tactics on the IS 3, you should start with the fact that the machine is very easy to master even for inexperienced players. In addition, let’s not forget that the “troika” is a first-line vehicle, so there is no need to shoot damage at someone else’s light while hiding in the green.
The tank should be in front, making maximum use of the power of its gun. At the same time, it’s clearly not worth throwing yourself into a pile of enemies in splendid isolation: fireflies and sts will easily “peck” any heavy enemy. In addition, the low accuracy and long aiming times characteristic of the “Soviets” are not conducive to firefights at a distance. Therefore, the ideal conditions for the IS-3 are city maps.
To fully enjoy the high potential of a vehicle, you need to learn how to play armor wisely: stay in cover, substitute a turret, and tank with side screens. By the way, the screens absorb hits not only from classmates, but also from high-level opponents.
If there is a need to leave cover, you should not drive out in a diamond pattern, hoping for a rebound. In this position, the VLD becomes flat, so if it hits, there is guaranteed to be a penetration.
The IS-3 is one of the few tanks in the game that catches ricochets at right angles: the “pike nose” fulfills its function. At the same time, do not forget about dancing: tilting the body from side to side at angles of 5-10 degrees. This technique makes it difficult to target weak points, increases the likelihood of non-penetration and gives time to reload the weapon.
The IS-3 feels good in the clinch, but only with opponents of equal silhouette. When approaching tall vehicles, the IS exposes the roof of the turret, which has only 20 mm of armor. Always remember one important nuance: any tank tanks well with a full margin of safety. Therefore, sitting out in the bushes in such a car with 100% health would be simply the height of madness.
IS 3 video
The development of the IS-3 tank, or as it was also called “Kirovets-1,” began in the summer of 1944. Part of this tank, namely the turret, was designed at the design bureau of the Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant, chief engineer and designer M.F. Balzhi.
A special feature of the tank from Balzhi was a non-standard design solution, based on a study of damage to destroyed Soviet IS-2 tanks, in the design of the turret, namely its low silhouette and shape, which, in combination with strong frontal armor, was a very formidable weapon. Initially, the hull of the IS-3 tank was different from its successor. To this day, only one photograph of the tank designed at the Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant has survived.
Now let's move to Experimental Plant No. 100, headed by Zh.Ya. Kotin. As soon as Kotin learned that a new tank was being created at ChKZ, a decree was issued on his behalf to prepare a project for an experimental tank that could compete with ChKZ.
It was decided to make the body of the future tank from the top two plates of rolled, homogeneous armor at an angle of 56° and a rotation of 43°, and in the middle it was covered with a small roof, triangular in shape (yes, we are talking about the body) at an angle of 73°, in The driver's hatch was located there. The lower armor plate was located at an angle of 63°. Then this arrangement of armor plates began to be called “pike nose” because of their similarity.
Unfortunately, information about the tower produced by Experimental Plant No. 100 has not been preserved; no samples were built.
So, two projects were sent for approval to the People's Commissar of the Tank Industry V.A. Malyshev. After reviewing both, it was decided to take the tower from the design of M.F. Balzhi, and the body from the design of Zh.Ya. Kotin. It should be noted that the director of ChKZ I.M. Zaltsman, when writing a decree on the construction of a prototype, called the tank “Pobeda”, but this name was rejected in favor of the name of the IS-3 tank.
The tests took place under the supervision of Marshal of the USSR Tank Forces P.A. Rotmistrov. At the end of the tests, he personally got into the tank and said the words:
This is the kind of car the army needs!
After the tests, Marshal Zhukov and Vasilevsky presented the project to I.V. Stalin, who signed a document on its adoption and production at ChKZ.
Tank armament
The IS-3 tank was equipped with a D-25T gun of the 1943 model with a 122mm caliber and a coaxial DT machine gun. The gun had a muzzle brake. The initial flight speed of the armor-piercing projectile was 781 m/s.
With the help of a telescopic sight, the aimed shooting range could be 5000 meters.
The gun's rate of fire was approximately 2 rounds per minute, and with a trained crew it reached 3 rounds per minute. The gun's ammunition consisted of 18 high-explosive fragmentation shells and 10 armor-piercing shells, which made a total of 28 (interestingly, for ease of training of loaders, the armor-piercing shell was painted black, and the rest were painted steel gray.)
The first batch of tanks rolled off the assembly line in May 1945.
Service record of the IS-3 tank
IS 3 heavy tanks did not take part during the .
The IS-3 was first shown at the Berlin WWII Allied Forces Parade on September 7, 1945. The IS-3 shown then against the backdrop of American Pershings was simply magnificent; the Red Army then made it clear that they were not fools and could once again march through Europe. 
The IS-3 heavy tank was actively used by Soviet troops during the suppression of the Hungarian uprising of 1956.
The IS-3 was also used by Egypt in the six-day war against Israel, but even then the IS-3 was inferior in terms of performance characteristics to such tanks as the M48 and Centurion.
IS-3 modifications
Despite the fact that the tank was produced for only one year from 1945 to 1946, several more upgrades of this tank were produced:
IS-3K - Usually in Soviet and Russian armored forces the letter K indicates that the tank is a command tank. In the case of the IS-3K, it is supplemented with the R-112 radio station.
IS-3M - This is a more serious modernization, in which parts were replaced and some errors of the previous version were corrected, namely:
- Strengthened the commander's (rotating) hatch
- Night vision device for the driver
- Replacing the engine with another, more reliable one. Engine power has not been changed.
- The support roller and idler wheel assemblies are reinforced.
- “Electrification” of the tank, from the emergency lighting circuit to the electric heater.
- Replaced the DShK machine gun with the DSh KM, and the DT machine gun with the DTM
- Installation of radios with IS-3K and new intercoms.
IS-3MK - supplemented with another radio station R-112
Vehicles developed on the basis of the IS-3
Object 704, also known as ISU model 1945, was developed on the basis of the IS-3, but did not go into production. 
Also, based on the IS-3 heavy tank, a missile tank called “Object 757” was developed. The tank did not pass the test; preference was given to another tank, the Object 772, but it was also not built. Subsequently, it was decided to abandon the concept of creating a heavy missile tank.
A total of 2,311 IS-3 tanks and its modifications were produced. The tank was in service with the regular armies of some countries until 1993 
The development of a project for a new heavy tank, which was significantly superior to the serially produced IS-2 in terms of armor protection, began in accordance with GKO Decree No. 5583 of April 8, 1944 and had its own background. A group of researchers from the Military Academy of Mechanization and Motorization named after I.V. Stalin, headed by engineer-colonel A. Zavyalov, studied the nature of the damage caused by shells hitting tanks at the sites of the tank battles of the Battle of Kursk. It turned out that not all parts of the turret and hull were affected equally: the frontal parts suffered more, and the number of hits to the turret was greatest. The result of these studies was the design of a new tank.
All design work was carried out under conditions of fierce competition between two design teams - Experimental Plant No. 100, organized in March 1942 and headed by Zh.Ya. Kotin and A.S. Ermolaev, who sought to confirm their leadership in the development of heavy tanks, and the design bureau of the Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant, led by N.L. Dukhov and M.F. Balzhi, who hoped to show their maturity and independence.
The main feature of the project proposed by the Chelyabinsk plant was the original flattened turret with a 122-mm D-25 cannon, developed by designer G.V. Kruchenykh. The large angles of inclination of the armored walls of the turret contributed to the ricochet of armor-piercing shells, and the successful internal layout ensured its minimal dimensions, which made it possible to increase the thickness of the frontal armor to 250 mm without unnecessarily making the vehicle heavier, versus 100 mm on the heavy IS-2 tank.
Zh.Ya.Kotin prepared his own version, based on the developments of the Pilot Plant for objects 244, 245 and 248, in which the unusual shape of the bow of the hull was immediately noticeable. The fact is that on almost all tanks of that period, the upper frontal part of both welded and cast hulls was a surface placed perpendicular to the longitudinal plane or at a slight angle to the vertical. This shape was necessary as long as there were two people sitting in the front of the tank. With the exclusion of the gunner-radio operator from the crew, when there was only one driver left in front, moreover, seated in the center, it became possible to cut corners on the front plate. Thus, on the IS-2, “cheekbones” appeared in the cast frontal part. At the same time, it became possible not only to reduce the weight of the hull, but also to significantly increase the durability of armor parts in the event of shelling of the tank from the front. The designers of the Experimental Plant G.N. Moskvin and V.I. Tarotko proposed to compose the entire upper frontal part of the hull from two armor plates connected and strongly inclined to the vertical plane, rotated in plan at a large angle. These sheets were covered on top with a triangular roof, inclined to the horizon at an angle of 7°. In this roof, directly above the driver’s head, there was a hatch through which he could get into and leave the tank. This type of gable nose was given the name “humped nose” by the designers (however, the name “pike nose” stuck more firmly).
The transition to a fully welded hull with the exception of large cast parts was explained, on the one hand, by the achievements of welders led by Academician E.O. Paton, on the other hand, by the capabilities of the foundry, which was fully loaded with the production of cast turrets for IS-2 tanks.
1 - 122 mm gun; 2 - tower eye; 3 - gunner's observation device; 4 - DShK machine gun; 5 - turret; 6 - external fuel tank; 7 - drive wheel; 8 - support roller; 9 - drive wheel cleaner; 10-supporting roller; 11 - balancer stop; 12 - caterpillar track; 13 - loader observation device; 14 - turret hatch cover; 15 - commander’s observation device; 16 - earrings for self-pulling; 17 - antenna input; 18 - gun mask; 19 - mounting bracket for the gun in a traveling manner; 20 spare tracks. The DShK machine gun is not shown in the top view. All detailing is done on a scale of M1:25
On October 28, 1944, the first sample of the new ChKZ tank left the factory gates and underwent sea trials on the Brodokalmaksky tract. During the run, an oil leak was discovered from the gearbox, and the car was returned to the workshop. Only in November this tank was allowed to undergo factory 1000-km tests, which again ended in failure. It became clear to ChKZ designers and technologists that some of the planned changes could significantly complicate serial production and further operation of the tank. Therefore, they decided to abandon the 620 hp V-11 engine, which greatly overstressed the transmission, and not to change the existing design of the chassis, power plant and transmission of the IS-2 tank, limiting themselves only to improving the armor protection.
On November 25, 1944, ChKZ produced a second prototype, which the military acceptance team called “Sample A” and the plant called “Kirovets-1.” Soon, in accordance with the order of the commander of the BT and MV spacecraft, it received the official name “heavy tank IS-3 (sample No. 1).”
After completion of factory tests, the tank was sent to the NIIBT testing ground to undergo state tests, which were carried out from December 18 to 24. At the same time, he was examined by the deputy commander of the armored and mechanized forces of the Red Army, Marshal of the Armored Forces P.A. Rotmistrov. He walked around the car from all sides, climbed up, climbed inside the tank, sat in the driver’s seat and, after listening to a detailed report from the lead engineer of the car, M.F. Balzhi, said:
This is the kind of car the army needs!
At the same time, Experimental Plant No. 100 and TsNII-48 presented their project for modernizing the IS-2 armor protection to the NKTP. In this regard, the Moscow branch of TsNII-48 conducted a comparative analysis of the two projects and came to the conclusion that the best solution to the issue of enhancing the armor protection of the IS-2 tank is to create a design that will make maximum use of the advantages of both options. In particular, the new armor protection of the IS tank could include the bow of the hull according to the type proposed by Plant No. 100 and TsNII-48 (gable nose); the bottom of the hull is according to the ChKZ version (trough-shaped); in the cross section of the tower, the principle proposed by ChKZ could be used (dome-shaped), and in horizontal sections, the towers of plant No. 100 and TsNII-48 could be used (section approaching an ellipse).
Approximate calculations showed that using these proposals it was possible to create (within the tank mass specified by the Kirov Plant and Plant No. 100) an armor protection design that would reduce the probability of penetration of the hull when fired by 88-mm shells to 34% versus 39.5 % at the building of plant No. 100 - TsNII-48, and 44.1% at the building of the Kirov plant.
Two independent projects, two variants of one tank, were submitted for consideration to the People's Commissar of the Tank Industry V.A. Malyshev. The first was represented by the director of ChKZ I.M. Zaltsman and the chief designer N.L. Dukhov, the second by the director and chief designer of the Experimental Plant Zh.Ya. Kotin. Having examined the projects and taking into account the recommendations of TsNII-48, V.A. Malyshev issued order No. 729 of December 16, 1944, which determined the further progress of work on the creation of the tank. The machine was already officially assigned the index “Kirovets-1”. The work schedule was approved and the volume of the pilot batch was determined - 10 pieces. Moreover, 8 of them needed to be assembled by January 25, 1945.
Thus was born a new model of a breakthrough tank - the fruit of the joint efforts of two Kirov design teams, which, in principle, are impossible to separate. Before the formation of the Pilot Plant, the main team of designers worked in the state and on the territory of ChKZ and only later was partially re-registered at the Pilot Plant. However, this staff for the most part was located and worked at the main plant, continuing to carry out design and production tasks at ChKZ.
In the work calendar of ChKZ director I.M. Zaltsman, where he marked the completion of the work schedule, the new machine was named “Pobeda”. But no matter how much he wanted to give “his” car a big name, the tank went into production under the already familiar name - IS-3. The only thing that the serial plant achieved was that the object number for the tank was assigned to the Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant - object 703.
1 - emergency exit hatch; 2 - plug for draining water; 3 - sub-engine hatch cover; 4 - hatch cover for draining fuel from the left tanks; 5 - hatch cover under the main clutch release mechanism; 6 - plugs for draining oil from the PMP; 7 - plug for draining oil from the gearbox; 8 - hatch cover for draining oil from the oil tank and fuel from the right tanks; 9-armor box heater boiler; 10-hole plug for exhaust gases of the heater lamp
By February 12, 1945, ChKZ completed the assembly of two hulls of the IS-3 tank (No. 2 and No. 3), which were sent to the NIIBT test site for shelling tests. And the first IS-3 was presented with military acceptance on February 20 and sent to Moscow. Its field tests were carried out from March 23 to April 11 in Kubinka. After the tests, the tank was presented to G.K. Zhukov and A.M. Vasilevsky. The marshals reported about the new vehicle to I.V. Stalin, who signed the GKO decision No. 7950ss on the adoption of the tank by the Red Army and its production at the Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant. On May 21, the head of the Technical Department of the GBTU of the Red Army, A.I. Blagonravov, signed the order “On approval of technical documentation for the IS-3 tank.” As of May 24, 29 IS-3 tanks had been assembled, of which only 17 passed factory tests.
The IS-3 heavy tank (object 703) had very advanced hull and turret shapes for its time with large thicknesses of armor plates. The frontal plates of the hull were installed in the shape of a “pike nose” with a double slope at a large angle to the vertical. The upper part of the side was given a reverse slope to accommodate the wide turret ring. Inclined armor plates at the junction of the sides and bottom made it possible to reduce the total surface area of the hull and, due to the saved weight, enhance armor protection. The hull aft sheet was made folding for easy access to the power transmission units.
The driver was located in front along the axis of the car. Above his seat there was a hatch with a lid that moved to the side, in which a viewing device was installed. Before opening the hatch, it had to be removed. Behind the driver's seat, in the bottom, there was an emergency hatch.
The cast tower had a flattened spherical shape. There was a large oval hatch in the roof of the tower, closed with two lids. The loader's viewing device - MK-4 - was placed in the right cover; on the left was the commander's observation hatch, closed by a round rotating lid in which the TPK-1 commander's viewing device was mounted.
This device was intended to monitor the terrain, determine the range to the target, target designation and adjust artillery fire. The tank did not have a developed commander's cupola. Another MK-4 device, for the gunner, was installed in the upper part of the turret, on the left along the direction.
The turret rotation mechanism is planetary, with manual and electric stepless drives. The electric drive was equipped with a commander's control system. The commander could, keeping the target in the field of view of his viewing device, press a button mounted on the device and turn the turret in a given direction along the shortest path. When the line of sight coincided with the axis of the bore, the turret stopped. The maximum turret rotation speed was 12 degrees/s.
A 122-mm D-25T tank gun model 1943 with a barrel length of 48 calibers and a coaxial 7.62-mm DT machine gun were installed in a cast mantlet. The gun was equipped with a two-chamber muzzle brake and a horizontal wedge breech with semi-automatic mechanical type. The initial speed of the armor-piercing projectile was 781 m/s. The target firing range (using the TSh-17 telescopic sight) was 5,000 m, and using the side level - 15,000 m. The rate of fire was 2-3 rounds/min.
On the roof of the turret, on a turret, there was an anti-aircraft 12.7-mm DShK machine gun.
The gun's ammunition consisted of 28 separate-loading rounds, including: 18 with high-explosive fragmentation shells and 10 with armor-piercing shells. It should be noted that to make it easier for the loader to orient himself, all the mountings intended to accommodate armor-piercing projectiles were painted black, and the rest were painted steel gray.
The ammunition for the DT machine gun consisted of 945 rounds of ammunition loaded into 15 magazines, and for the DShK machine gun - of 5 belts of 50 rounds each, each of which was placed in a separate box. One box was installed on the machine gun, the rest were located in the fighting compartment.
Twelve-cylinder four-stroke V-shaped diesel engine V-11-IS-3 liquid cooled with a displacement of 38,880 cm3 and a maximum power of 520 hp. (382.5 kW) at 2200 rpm. was installed on brackets welded to the side plates of the hull.
1 - hatch cover; 2 - bracket glass; 3 - spring; 4 - bracket; 5 - roller; 6 - profile cam; 7 - clamp; 8 - folding handle for turning the lid; 9- axis of the hatch cover; 10 - guide sleeve; 11 - stopper ring; 12 - handle; 13 - rubber band; 14 - lock bolt; 15 - bracket; 16 - folding handles
The tank's fuel system included four internal tanks with a total capacity of 450 liters, located two to the right and left of the engine. Four external cylindrical tanks with a capacity of 90 liters each were mounted on inclined hull sheets along the sides of the aft part and were connected to the internal ones. The tanks had mechanical release devices (cable-operated latches). The release handles were installed on the sides of the rear part of the fighting compartment.
Power transmission is mechanical. The main clutch is multi-disc, dry (steel over asbestos bakelite). Gearbox (Gearbox) - eight-speed, with range. The planetary rotation mechanisms were two-stage, located at the ends of the main gearbox shaft. PMP locking clutches are multi-disc, dry (steel on steel). Floating, band brakes (cast iron on steel). Final drives are reduction gearboxes with a simple gear and planetary set.
The drive wheels had removable rims with 14 teeth. The idler wheel was interchangeable with the road wheels. The track tensioning mechanism is screw and crank.
On each side there were six double road wheels and three support rollers. The suspension of the rollers is individual, torsion bar. The caterpillar is fine-linked, pinion geared. The nominal number of tracks in each track is 86, the minimum is 79. The tracks are connected by an open hinge. Track pitch - 160 mm, width - 650 mm. The track was a casting or shaped stamping.
The tank was equipped with a 10-RK-26 radio station and a TPU-4bisF tank intercom.
As mentioned above, the first batch of IS-3 heavy tanks left the factory floors at the end of May 1945. They did not take part in the hostilities of the Great Patriotic War and the war with Japan.
The first display of these combat vehicles to the world community took place only on September 7, 1945 in Berlin during the parade of the Allied forces in honor of the end of World War II.
The parade was hosted by the Commander-in-Chief of the Soviet occupation forces, Marshal G.K. Zhukov, the commander of the 3rd American Army, General George Patton, the English General Robertson and the French General Koenig. In addition, a large number of senior officials from both Soviet and Allied forces were present. The parade was opened by foot columns: infantrymen from the 9th Rifle Corps of the 5th Soviet Shock Army marched in front of the general's stand, followed by soldiers from the 2nd French Infantry Division, Alpine Riflemen and Zouaves, and the 131st British Infantry Brigade showed off its bearing. Closing the line on foot were a thousand paratroopers from the American 82nd Airborne Division. After a short break, a mechanized column approached the spectators, which was opened by 32 M24 General Chaffee light tanks and 16 M8 armored vehicles from the American 705th Tank Battalion, followed by tanks and armored personnel carriers of the French 1st Tank Division. The British fielded 24 Comet tanks and 30 armored vehicles of the 7th Tank Division in the parade. And finally, at the end of the parade, 52 IS-3 tanks marched along the Charlottenburg Highway. The consolidated tank regiment was formed on the basis of the 71st Guards Heavy Tank Regiment of the 2nd Guards Tank Army. The new Soviet heavy tanks made a shocking impression on our Western allies.
The IS-3 tank was in serial production until mid-1946 (in May 1945, for some time, together with the IS-2).
A total of 2,311 tanks were produced.
The IS-3 was in service with heavy self-propelled tank regiments of the Soviet Army. The baptism of fire of these vehicles as part of the Soviet Army took place in 1956 in Hungary. In this case, several tanks were lost.
However, already at the very beginning of their operation among the troops, a number of shortcomings were revealed, which were the result of a number of design miscalculations and errors made during its design. Therefore, already in 1946, a commission was created to analyze the defects of the IS-3, which included failure of the engine, gearbox, armored hull elements in the area of the engine-transmission compartment, etc.
In 1948-1952, all IS-3 tanks were subjected to modernization and alterations under the UKN program (elimination of design deficiencies). The engine mounting brackets were strengthened, the gearbox mount was changed, the turret plate was strengthened, the design of the main clutch was improved, and the seals of the final drives and road wheels were improved. Instead of a manual oil pump, an electric one is installed. Radio station 10-RK was replaced by 10-RT. The weight of the tank increased to 48.8 tons. Despite the significant amount of alterations and the high cost of work (the UKN program for one tank cost 260,000 rubles), the tanks were never brought to the required level of operating requirements.
At the end of the 1950s, the tank underwent additional modernization and became known as the IS-ZM. The purpose of modernization was to bring it to the level of combat vehicles of that period and the maximum possible unification of components and assemblies with more modern tanks. At the same time, the following changes and additions were made to the design of the tank: the rigidity of the hull was increased by introducing slats into the rear plate and braces in the bottom; a hole was cut in the bottom under the gearbox and covered with a cover welded on an overlay to increase the gap between the gearbox and the bottom; the DShK machine gun was replaced with the modernized DShKM, and the DT machine gun with the DTM; the rotating hood of the commander's hatch is sealed; a night vision device TVN-2 for the driver was installed; Instead of the V-11-IS-3, the V-54K-IS engine with a maximum power of 520 hp is installed. Air cleaners of the “Multicyclone” type have been replaced with VTI-2 with two degrees of purification and injection-based dust removal from the first stage. A new oil tank with a heat exchanger and a defoamer is installed in the lubrication system. The cooling system has a built-in heater NIKS-1 with an electric drive; at the stern there is provision for mounting two 200-liter barrels of fuel; The bearing units of the track rollers and idler wheels have been strengthened, and the oil seals have been changed; A two-wire emergency lighting circuit has been introduced into the electrical equipment system. An external trigger socket is mounted at the stern. The commander's control system was removed from some of the tanks. Direct-acting instrumentation has been replaced by electric ones; R-113 radio stations and R-120 tank intercoms were installed.
It should be emphasized that the modernization has significantly increased the reliability of the tank. However, his life was already over. After modernization, the tanks were sent to parks, where they were placed in long-term storage.
1 - torsion rollers; 2 - tank commander’s viewing device; 3 - cover of the commander's observation hatch; 4 - grips; 5 - copiers of the commander’s turret control device; 6 - left turret hatch cover; 7 - right turret hatch cover; 8 - handles; 9 - loader viewing device; 10- anti-aircraft gun turret mounting grip
In 1946, two tanks were transferred to Poland to familiarize themselves with the design and train instructors. Apparently, it was intended to be adopted by the Polish Army. In the 1950s, both vehicles participated in military parades several times. Subsequently, until the early 1970s, one vehicle was located at the Military Technical Academy in Warsaw, and then was used as a target at one of the training grounds. The second IS-3 was more fortunate - it was transferred to the Higher Officer School of Tank Forces named after S. Charnetsky, in whose museum it is still kept. In 1950, one IS-3 tank was transferred to Czechoslovakia for a similar testing purpose.
Significantly more IS-3 tanks were sent to the DPRK (after the end of the Korean War). In the 1960s, two North Korean tank divisions each had one regiment of heavy tanks.
The Egyptian army received its first IS-3 tanks in the mid-1950s. On July 23, 1956, they took part in the Independence Day parade in Cairo. Most of the 100 IS-3 and IS-ZM delivered to Egypt arrived in this country in 1962-1967.
On June 5, 1967, Israeli troops went on the offensive in the Sinai Peninsula - the war, called the “six-day” war, began. The decisive role in operations on the land front was played by tank and mechanized formations, the basis of which on the Israeli side consisted of American M48A2 tanks with 90-mm cannons, British "Centurion" Mk5 and Mk7, modernized in Israel by installing a 105-mm cannon, as well as modernized M4 Sherman tanks with French 105 mm guns. On the Egyptian side they were opposed by Soviet-made tanks: T-34-85, T-54, T-55 and IS-3. The latter, in particular, were part of the 7th Infantry Division, which occupied the defense at the Khan Yunis - Rafah line. The 125th Tank Brigade, whose positions were located near El-Kuntilla, had another 60 IS-3s.
Soviet-made heavy tanks (like all others) could become a serious threat to the Israelis. However, this did not happen, although several M48s were shot down by them. In conditions of highly maneuverable combat, the IS-3 was inferior to the more modern Israeli tanks. The low rate of fire, limited ammunition and a hopelessly outdated fire control system had an effect (for comparison, the M48A2 had an optical rangefinder sight and a two-plane guidance stabilizer). The IS-3 engines were also poorly suited for operation in hot climates. But, most importantly, the combat training of Egyptian tank crews was much lower than that of Israeli tank crews. The low general educational level of the bulk of the personnel affected, which made it difficult to master military equipment. The morale of the soldiers, who did not show the necessary fortitude and perseverance, was also low.
The last circumstance is well illustrated by a unique point of view of tank battle, but a typical episode for the “six-day” war. One IS-ZM was hit in the Rafah area by a hand grenade that accidentally flew into... an open turret hatch. Egyptian tank crews went into battle with open hatches in order to be able to quickly leave the tank if it was defeated.
The soldiers of the 125th Tank Brigade, retreating, simply abandoned their tanks, including the IS-ZM, which the Israelis received in completely serviceable condition. As a result, the Egyptian army lost 73 IS-3 and IS-ZM tanks. By 1973, it had only one tank regiment of these combat vehicles. There is no information about his participation in hostilities.
The IDF used captured IS-ZMs until the early 1970s. At the same time, worn-out V-54K-IS engines were replaced with V-54s from captured T-54A tanks. At the same time, the roof of the engine and transmission compartment was borrowed from the latter. By the Arab-Israeli War of 1973, most IS-ZMs were installed as fixed firing points dug into the ground along the Suez Canal. During the fighting they did not play any significant role and again fell into the hands of the Egyptians.
This ends the only full-fledged episode of combat use in the fate of the IS-3 heavy tank.
In terms of its tactical and technical characteristics, the IS-3 was certainly superior to its predecessor, the IS-2 tank. “IS-Third” also received very flattering reviews abroad. According to West German expert Dr. Von Senger und Etterlin, “the rational design of the bow of the hull and turret deserves the highest praise. In addition, this tank has a very low height. As of 1956, the IS-3 tank retains the best combination of combat qualities for a heavy vehicle.”
All this is true, but the listed design flaws negatively affected the combat capabilities of the tank. Despite the implementation of two modernization programs, they were never completely eliminated.
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The Soviet heavy tank IS-3 appeared at a time when the end of World War II was getting closer and could become a formidable weapon if it had time to fight. But all he got was a victory parade in Berlin, where the tank made a strong impression on spectators from Western countries.
Its fate turned out to be quite difficult; the IS-3 fought, but in unsuitable conditions and with more advanced enemies. It is worth adding that both the T-10 and the IS-7 inherited the shape of the frontal armor, and on many pedestals the IS-3 is installed as a symbol of victory over fascism.
Creation
Experience in collisions with enemy equipment has shown that the IS-2 has pronounced shortcomings that need to be corrected.
Therefore, the development of the IS-3 began, designed to replace its predecessor.
This program was approved in April 1944, and development was carried out at the Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant under the leadership of Balzhi.
In parallel, work on the creation of the tank was carried out at plant No. 100, which later proposed an unusual externally frontal part, called the pike nose.
The first batch was created in May 1945, and in the same year, September 7, IS-3s marched in formation along the Charlottenburg Highway, participating in the Victory Parade, and exactly a year later they marched along Red Square in Moscow.
Design and layout
Analyzing the destroyed vehicles, it became clear that most of both the IS-2 and T-34-85 were destroyed or damaged in the frontal part of the turret, which was subject to change first. Also, the cast frontal part of the hull was not able to withstand hits from German guns, and the fuel tanks in the fighting compartment did not contribute to the fire safety of the crew.
But the transmission, chassis and power plant turned out to be successful and should have remained unchanged.
We can say that the main task was to create a tank that remained within the same weight limits, but at the same time had much better protection.
The IS-3 was created according to a classic layout scheme, similar to the IS-2. The building was divided into four sections.
The driver's place was in the first of them - control. Along with the change in the shape of the frontal part, a hatch for the driver appeared on the roof of the hull and a periscope observation device MK-4.
Behind the partition, which contained removable sheets with round hatches designed to remove powder gases from the tank, was the engine compartment. Inside there was an engine with all additional units and internal fuel tanks.
The transmission, the last one, was located at the back. A friction clutch, gearbox, gearboxes and planetary turning mechanisms were installed in it.
Due to the dense layout, it was necessary to additionally place detachable fuel tanks on the outside.
Frame
The primary goal when creating a new tank was to increase protection while maintaining the same weight. The IS-3 was not supposed to be penetrated by Tigers and Panthers from any distance. At first glance, this might seem like an impossible task, however, the solution turned out to be quite simple and original at the same time.
The armor was located at strong slopes and was highly differentiated; it was assembled using welding. The 110 mm thick front plates were installed at a double inclination of 56° and 43° to the vertical, thus creating a striking unusual hull forehead, called the pike nose.
This form of armor made it possible to provide protection against most modern guns, for example, 8.8 cm Pak 43 or 7.5 cm Pak 40, which was confirmed at the test site when the German 88 mm and Soviet 122 mm guns left only dents on the hull.
The sides of the IS-3 also had a complex shape and consisted of two parts 90 mm thick - the upper one with an inclination of 60° and the lower vertical one. Additionally, the upper part was covered with screens 30 mm thick and an inclination angle of 30°.
Tower
The IS-3 received a new teardrop-shaped turret, manufactured using casting and providing excellent protection. Its thickness gradually changed from 255 mm in the frontal part to 220 mm on the sides at the bottom and 110 mm at the top. All armor was located at an angle - from 42° to 59°.
There was also a 250 mm thick gun mantlet, which additionally protected the weak point.
Despite the powerful armor, during testing one of the shots fired from an 88 mm cannon pierced the forehead of the turret when fired from a distance of 300 meters.
For the crew, a hatch with two covers was placed on the roof of the turret, on the right of which a viewing device for the MK-4 loader, similar to that of the gunner, was installed, and on the left there was a commander’s hatch along with the TPK-1 observation device.
An interesting feature was the automation of turret rotation, which allowed the commander to aim the gun at the target in his sight with one press of a button.
The rotation mechanism itself was planetary, with electric and manual drive.
Armament
The main gun D-25Ts with a two-chamber muzzle brake and separate loading migrated to the IS-3 from the IS-2, since it fully met the requirements.
The main drawback of the gun was inherited - the low rate of fire, at best reaching a little more than 2 rounds per minute.
The ammunition load was 28 shells. 18 high-explosive fragmentation, stacked in gray, and 10 armor-piercing, stacked in black. This division by color was used to speed up the work of the loader.
In the mantlet, along with the gun, a DT machine gun with a caliber of 7.62 mm and an ammunition load of 756 rounds was installed, and on the roof there was an anti-aircraft DShK of 12.7 mm caliber with an ammunition load of 250 rounds.
Engine and transmission
The V-12 V-11-IS-3 diesel engine was chosen for the power plant, developing power up to 520 hp. It had a volume of 39 liters and was cooled by a closed liquid cooling system, which received a boiler for heating the coolant using a blowtorch when using the tank in low temperature conditions.
An electric ST-700 was used as a starter, which was duplicated by a starting system using compressed air.
A mechanical transmission was installed on the IS-3, which received a four-speed gearbox and a range-shifter, thanks to which the tank had 8 forward gears and 2 reverse gears.
The rotation was carried out due to two planetary mechanisms.
This design allowed the IS-3 to accelerate to 40 km/h, having a specific power of 11.2 hp/t.
The internal fuel system consisted of 4 tanks with a total capacity of 450 liters, it was supplemented by 4 external tanks with a capacity of 360 liters.
The range was approximately 185 km on the highway.
Chassis
The tank's chassis was borrowed from the IS-2; the only differences were in the track tensioning mechanism.
In front, on each side, there was a guide wheel along with a new tension mechanism, behind it were six support and three support rollers, and at the back was a drive gear.
Each of the road wheels had its own independent torsion bar suspension unit; on the sides of the body there were balancer stops that limited the movement of the suspension while driving on an uneven surface.
Modifications
It soon became clear that the IS-3 had quite a lot of flaws and shortcomings, so in 1946 a commission was convened to analyze them, and from 1948 to 1952 all IS-3s were subject to correction of design flaws.
At the end of the 50s, they decided to raise the level of the tank to a more modern one, and as a result the IS-3M appeared.
It received an increased rigidity hull, a V-54K-IS engine, new DShKM and DTM machine guns, a TVN-2 night vision device, VTI-2 air purifiers, reinforced suspension units, new electrical equipment and radio communication devices.
Although such a comprehensive improvement significantly increased the performance characteristics and reliability, its time had already passed, so the IS-3M after modernization was placed in long-term storage.
Based on the Is-3, 2 original vehicles were created - Object 704 and Object 757.
Object 704 had a record low height and powerful protection for heavy Soviet self-propelled guns, but the cramped layout and long recoil length turned out to be too unfortunate for the crew, and therefore this experimental vehicle was never put into service. Another name for this self-propelled gun was ISU-152 model 1945.
Object 757 was manufactured in 1952 and fired Rubin guided anti-tank missiles at a range of up to 4 km. Due to the shortcomings of the missiles, the appearance of Object 772 and the obsolescence of heavy tanks, it remained in a single copy.
Epilogue
The IS-3, as part of the Soviet troops, was able to fight only in Budapest in 1956.
In 1967, during the Six-Day War, the Israeli M48A2 Patton literally defeated the Egyptians with the IS-3M, since the heavy Soviet tanks lacked mobility, rate of fire, modern fire control systems, and crew training.
The IS-3 performed best at the parade in Berlin, even though it sounds funny. But you shouldn’t blame the tank or its designers for anything. The time of heavy tanks was slowly coming to an end, missile weapons appeared and the view on the use of armored vehicles changed.
The IS-3 was created as a highly improved version of the IS-2, and not a fundamentally new tank. And he did an excellent job with this role.