Troyanov began work to further evolve of the IS-2 design under the code name Obiekt 701. In both cases these were overreactions to the Soviet T-10 heavy tank, and only a few hundred of each type were built, compared with several thousand Soviet heavy tanks. Production of the IS-3 at Chelyabinsk lasted until 1951 by which time about 1,800 had been manufactured.īoth Britain and the United States did build heavy tanks in the 1950s, namely the 120mm armed Conqueror and the M103. This included strengthening the hull, improving the final drive and reinforcing the engine mounts. From 1948 to 1952, a redesign effort was undertaken to correct the problems. The thick armor plates on the front of the hull proved worrisome as the welds tended to crack open after service use, probably from the vibration of rough cross-country travel and the shock of gun firing. Large numbers of IS-3 tanks were sidelined with mechanical problems. The IS-3 design had been pushed into production much too quickly. Although influential overseas, the IS-3 had a troubled career in the post-war Soviet Army. In the West, the shape influenced designs such as the American M-48, German Leopard-1 and French AMX-30. In the Soviet Union, the simple hemispherical shape was later adopted on subsequent Soviet medium tanks such as the T-54A and made was the standard until today's T-72B and T-80. The hull and turret configuration of the IS-3 were enormously influential for their sleek simplicity. No significant number of IS-3s were ready before the end of the war in Europe, and the IS-3 was first publicly displayed at a victory parade in Berlin on 7 September 1945. As a result, the IS-3 replaced the IS-2M at the sole production facility at the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant Number 100 (Tankograd) by late 1945. Both shared a common powertrain and armament system the principal difference was in the hull and turret castings with the IS-3 embodying the latest trends in Soviet design. Current Russian main tanks such as the T-64, T-72, and T-80 have all evolved out of medium tank designs and have tended to be much lighter and smaller than their American and British counterparts, which evolved out of World War 2's definition of heavy tanks.Īt the conclusion of the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet Union had two heavy tanks in production, the IS-2M and the IS-3. The Soviet Union maintained the medium tank/heavy tank distinction much later than any other major army, and this had significant impact of the nature of its main battle tank design. In both cases, this was a reaction to the German Panther tank, which set the benchmark for late the Great Patriotic War tank development. Likewise in Britain, the Centurion tank continued in production as the main battle tank, and tanks like the Churchill infantry tank and Cromwell cruiser tank simply disappeared. In the US Army, production of the M-4A3 medium tank was halted, and the M-26 Pershing tank became the forerunner of future main battle tanks. In the immediate post-war years, the evolution of Soviet heavy tanks proceeded in a very different fashion from heavy tank development in NATO. The modern main NATO tanks have exceeded the 55-ton milestone: (M1A1 - 57.1 tons Leopard-2A4 - 55.2 tons Challenger - 62 tons). Thus, according to our classification, such western medium tanks as, for example, M26, M46, M47, M60 (USA) or Centurion and Chieftain (England) should be classified as heavy tanks. In the USSR, tanks were classified by their combat weight, and combat vehicles weighing over 40 tons were considered heavy. What is a heavy tank? In NATO countries, a tank with a heavy gun of 120 mm caliber or more was considered heavy. They were created in an atmosphere of utter secrecy, were not exported abroad, did not participate in local wars, and by the 1990s they had been completely forgotten. Post-war heavy tanks are hardly known to the general reader. We see these tanks on pedestals, in museums and in cinema. On Jthe best heavy tank in the world was the KV-1, and on the IS-3 *. From the first to the last day of the war, Soviet heavy tanks terrified the enemy.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |