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Soviet Union's IS-2 heavy tank:
JS-2 heavy tank10,11:

IS-2 heavy tank:
Soviet Union's IS-2 Heavy Tank
Aberdeen Tank Museum
IS-2 heavy tank:
Soviet Union's IS-2 Heavy Tank
IS-2 heavy tank:
Soviet Union's IS-2 Heavy Tank
IS-2 heavy tank:
Soviet Union's IS-2 Heavy Tank
IS-2 heavy tank:
Soviet Union's IS-2 Heavy Tank
IS-2 heavy tank:
Soviet Union's IS-2 Heavy Tank
IS-2 heavy tank:
Soviet Union's IS-2 Heavy Tank
IS-2 heavy tank:
Soviet Union's IS-2 Heavy Tank
IS-2 heavy tank:
Soviet Union's IS-2 Heavy Tank
IS-2 heavy tank:
Soviet Union's IS-2 Heavy Tank
IS-2 heavy tank:
Soviet Union's IS-2 Heavy Tank
IS-2 heavy tank:
Soviet Union's IS-2 Heavy Tank
IS-2 heavy tank:
Soviet Union's IS-2 Heavy Tank
IS-2 heavy tank:
Soviet Union's IS-2 Heavy Tank
IS-2M heavy tank:
Soviet Union's IS-2M Heavy Tank
Hradec Kralove in Bohemia, Czechoslovakia, in May 1945.
IS-2M heavy tank:
Soviet Union's IS-2M Heavy Tank
Berlin, April 1945.

Design

Based on the IS-1 with a longer turret to accept the 122mm, which was designed by General A. A. Petrov.2 Initially had a single muzzle brake which later became a double.

Had a cast hull front which was uniformly sloped, not bent as in the IS-1.7 The ammunition was in 2 parts which slowed it's loading.

Type Weight Muzzle Velocity Direct
Fire Range
Indirect
Fire Range
Penetration
500 m
    2,562'/sec8
780 m/sec8
     
  25 kg2 790 m/sec2     140 mm2
APHE10   2,600'/sec10      

Prototype

Was demonstrated to the Main Defense Commissariat and was accepted for production on October 1943.8

Production

The first one was finished in January 1944 at the Chelyabinsk factory.2

Variants

Usage

A guard tank brigade had:

First battle was in February 1944 at Korsun Shevcherkov (Chevchenkovski).2

  IS-2 IS-2 19442 IS-2 M
Crew Driver, loader, commander, gunner
43,4,5,8,9,10,11,12
41,2 41,2
Physical Characteristics      
Weight 101,963 lb8, 99,200 lb,
45 tons12, 45.3 tons3,11, 45.5 tons7 46 tons4,5,9, 46.1 tons6, 50.6 tons10
46,000 kg3,11, 46,250 kg8
46 tons2 49.6 tons1, 45,000 kg1
Length w/gun 31' 6"12, 31' 6.75"10, 32' 5.8"5, 32' 6"3,11, 32.8'8, 33' 10.75"
9.83 m6,9, 9.9 m3,4,5,11, 10.7 m8
9.83 m2 33' 6"1, 10.33 m1
Length w/o gun 21' 10"7 6.77 m2  
Height 8.9'8,12, 8' 11.5"5, 8' 11"3,11, 9'7,10, 9' 6.75"
2.73 m3,4,5,9,11, 2.74 m6, 2.9 m8
2.73 m2 2.92 m1, 9' 6"1
Width 10' 1.6"5, 10' 2"3,11, 10' 3"7,12, 11', 14' 3.25"10
3.07 m6,9, 3.09 m3,4,5,11
3.07 m2 3.36 m1, 11'1
Width over tracks      
Ground clearance 13.75"10, 1' 4.5"
0.42 m4, 0.47 m9
0.46 m2  
Ground contact length 14' 3.25"10, 14.3'12
4.3 m9
   
Ground pressure 11.25 psi, 11.3 psi8, 11.66 psi, 12.6 psi10
0.8 kg/cm2 8, 0.81 kg/cm2 9, 0.82 kg/cm2 4
0.8 kp/cm2 2  
Turret ring diameter      
Armament      
Main 122 mm D-253,11
122 mm M1943 (D-25) L/438
122 mm D-25T6
122 mm4,5
122 mm L/437
122 mm M194312
122 mm M1943 (D-25)10
122 mm 1943 D-25 T2 122 mm1
Secondary      
MG 3: 7.62 mm DT MG3
4: MGs4
7.62 mm MG5
12.7 mm MG5
12.7 mm DShK-38 MG10
3: 7.62 mm MG11
  3: 7.62 mm MG1
MG - coaxial 1: 7.62 mm DT MG6,7
1: 7.62 mm DT or DTM MG10
1: 12.7 mm M1938 DshK8
1: 7.62 mm DT MG2  
MG - rear turret 1: 7.62 mm DT MG6,7
1: 7.62 mm DT or DTM MG10
1: 7.62 mm DT MG2  
MG - hull 1: 7.62 mm DT MG7
1: 7.62 mm DT or DTM MG10
1: 7.692 mm DT or DTM MG8
1: 7.62 mm DT MG2  
MG - antiaircraft 1: 12.7 mm DShK7
1: 7.62 DT MG (May 1944+)6
1: 12.7 mm DSchK 382 12.7 mm AA1
Side arms      
Quantity      
Main 284,6,8,10,12 282  
Secondary      
MG 12.7: 35010
7.62: 3,02410
2,33012, 2,6314
7.62: 2,3302
12.7: 2502
 
Side arms      
Armor Thickness (mm) 1203,11, 1325, 19 - 1328
Front: 1606
Side: 1106
Turret: 1007
Hull: 1057
   
Hull Front, Upper 4.3"@0°10, 90-1204, 1209,12 120-1602 1201
Hull Front, Lower 90-95    
Hull Sides, Upper 3.5"@0°10
89 - 9012, 90 - 954, 909
902 951
Hull Sides, Lower 90    
Hull Rear 2"@0°10, 604,9 60-902 601
Hull Top 20 - 304, 2512, 309 20-302 301
Hull Bottom 20 - 304,9, 2512 20-302 301
Turret Front 3.9"@0°10, 1604, 30 - 1009, 30 - 10212 1002 1601
Turret Sides 3.7"@0°10, 160 - 1004 902 1101
Turret Rear 904 60-902 1001
Turret Top 304 302 301
Engine (Make / Model) V-2-IS3,4,5,8,11
1943: V-2-IS2
V-2K10
V-2-IS (V2K)12
W-2-IS2  
Bore / stroke   4 stroke2  
Cooling Water8,10    
Cylinders V-125,8,10, 1211,12 V-122  
Capacity      
Net HP 51311,12, 6005,6,10
520@2,000 rpm8
600@2,000 rpm2  
Power to weight ratio 11.3 hp/ton9, 13 hp/ton8 11.3 hp/ton2  
Compression ratio      
Transmission (Type) 8 forward, 2 reverse
2x4 forward, 2 reverse4
5 forward, 1 reverse10
Sliding mesh10
   
Steering Clutch brake10    
Steering ratio      
Starter      
Electrical system      
Ignition      
Fuel (Type) Diesel5,8,10,11,12 Diesel2  
Octane      
Quantity 217 gallons, 158 gallons + 104 gallons in auxiliary tanks10
820 liters4
800 liters2  
Road consumption      
Cross country consumption      
Performance      
Traverse 360°10
Electric or hand10
360°  
Max speed 23 mph3,5,8,11,12, 25 mph10, 27 mph7
37 kph3,4,5,6,8,9,11
37 kph2 37 kph1, 23 mph1
Cross country speed 15 mph    
Road radius 94 miles8, 120 miles7, 149 miles3,5,11, 150 miles12, 160 miles10
150 km8, 240 km3,4,5,11, 130 - 240 km9
150 km2 155 miles1, 149 miles1
250 km1, 240 km1
Cross country radius 130 miles12
110 - 125 km9, 210 km4
  130 miles1
210 km1
Turning radius      
Elevation limits -4° to +20°10    
Fording depth 4' 3"10
1.3 m4,9
1.3 m2  
Trench crossing 8.1'8, 8' 2"5,10
2.49 m5, 2.5 m9, 2.9 m8
2.5 m2  
Vertical obstacle 3' 3"5,10
1 m5,9
1 m2  
Climbing ability 24° slope10 30 - 36°2  
Suspension (Type) Torsion Bar4
Torsion arm10
   
Wheels each side 64,10    
Return rollers each side 310    
Tracks (Type) Cast allow steel, dry pin10    
Length      
Width 1' 9", 2' 1.5"10, 2' 1.63"12
650 mm4
   
Diameter      
Number of links 87-9010    
Pitch 6.25"10    
Tire tread Steel4    
Track centers/tread 97.25"10    

Sources:

  1. Russian Tanks of World War II Stalin's Armored Might, by Tim Bean & Will Fowler, 2002
  2. Russian Tanks and Armored Vehicles 1917-1945, by Wolfgang Fleischer, 1999
  3. The Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles - The Comprehensive Guide to Over 900 Armored Fighting Vehicles From 1915 to the Present Day, General Editor: Christopher F. Foss, 2002
  4. Panzer Truppen The Complete Guide to the Creation and Combat Employment of Germany's Tank Force 1943-1945, Thomas L. Jentz, 1996
  5. The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Chris Bishop, 1998
  6. Jane's World War II Tanks and Fighting Vehicles The Complete Guide, Leland Ness, 2002
  7. Tanks of World War II, Duncan Crow, 1979
  8. Battle Winning Tanks, Aircraft & Warships of World War II, David Miller, 2000
  9. Russian Armour Volume 1: The IS Tanks IS-1, IS-2, IS-3, Mikhail Baryatinskiy, 2006
  10. Tank Data 2, Aberdeen Proving Grounds Series, E. J. Hoffschmidt and W. H. Tantum IV, 1969
  11. The Illustrated Guide to Tanks of the World, George Forty, 2006
  12. Airfix Magazine Guide 22 Russian Tanks of World War 2, John Milsom and Steve Zaloga, 1977
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