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Soviet Union's IS-2 heavy tank:
JS-2 heavy tank^10,11:

IS-2 heavy tank: Aberdeen Tank Museum	IS-2 heavy tank:	IS-2 heavy tank:	IS-2 heavy tank:
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IS-2 heavy tank:	IS-2 heavy tank:	IS-2 heavy tank:	IS-2 heavy tank:
IS-2 heavy tank:	IS-2 heavy tank:	IS-2M heavy tank: Hradec Kralove in Bohemia, Czechoslovakia, in May 1945.	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

• IS-2: 3,800, 3,854²
  • 1943: 102^1,2, 35⁹
  • 1944: 2,210⁹, 2,252^1,2
  • 1945: 1,500^1,2, 2,350⁷
    • to May 9: 997⁹, after May 9: 1,150⁹
  • Manufacturer: Soviet arsenals¹⁰

Variants

• IS-2:
• IS-2m: Improved fire control system which extended the effective range of the 122 mm. The driver had his observation hatch replaced by a sight slit.

Usage

A guard tank brigade had:

• 3 regiments
  • 65 IS-2s each

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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