Dick W. Kerry - Soviet Heavy Tanks IS “Joseph Stalin” Series : Weapons and combat vehicles of the world

Soviet Heavy Tanks IS Joseph Stalin Series

Weapons and combat vehicles of the world

Dick W. Kerry

All rights reserved

Dick W. Kerry, 2017

Published in accordance with the edition

"Tanks of the USSR during the Second World War"

PBS Astreul, Kiev, Ukraine, 2018

None of the parts of this book cannot be copied without the consent of the author or the right holders

Design by Fred Burgess

Fotos by:

Jim Thorston

Daniel Smith

Gina Smith

Tanya Dolski

Sam Sanderson

Chris Parkinson

This publication is devoted to the history of the "heavy tank of wartime", bearing the name of "Leader of All Nations", Joseph Stalin. Despite the fact that the tank is not among the little-known, the authors do not spoil it with their attention.

The technical album offered to your attention contains a brief history of the creation of this tank, written on the basis of the study of the documents of the People's Commissariat of the Tank Industry, the People's Commissariat of Armaments, the Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant, as well as the Museum of the Artillery, the Engineer and Signal Corps, the Museum of Armored Weapons and Equipment, NII-48 and the Main Armored Control.

Content:

Ancestors of the IS tank

We can safely say that the progenitors of the "Victory Tank" - IS-2 became a heavy tank KV-1 and medium KV-13. But if the name of the first one says something to anyone who is interested in the history of the Second World War - then the second knows more about hearsay. What kind of legends did not come up with this unusual name! The number of cars produced, their TTC - everything is cool "floating" in different sources. There are even some speculations about the participation of KV-13 in battles, but none of this is more than the imaginations and guesses of the authors (mostly foreign ones). And since it was this tank that became the "turning point" on the way to the legendary IS - it would be useful to consider it a bit more in detail.

Over the project of this "high-speed heavy reservation tank", the KB of the Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant (ChKZ) began operating immediately after the GKO order was issued on February 23, 1942. This order ordered the tank builders to save armor in every possible way, the lack of which was felt very acutely. It went so far that the managers of the factories were to inform the leadership of the People's Commissariat directly (a copy - in the GKO) of not only the availability of air conditioning, but also all the scraps of armor in three categories that differed in the area of pruning. All previous improvements to the tanks, aimed at strengthening the armor protection, were canceled.

So the frontal armor of the new T-34, KV and T-60 should be reduced by 15-10 mm, which was supposed to be compensated by the imposition of sheets of non-armored (or off-cut scraps of armor) steel with a thickness of 15-25 mm. Special attention was given to heavy KV tanks, the cost and weight of which, in the opinion of the top management, did not match their fighting qualities (one of the points of order was "... to bring the cost of heavy tanks into line with their real combat characteristics ...... mass and raise the speed of motion ").

So the tank KV-13 should look like, according to the approved project

In these conditions, the tank builders needed to find a radical solution that would make it possible, without reducing the output of heavy tanks, to make them as cheap as possible and to facilitate them, by improving the maneuverability and maneuverability. In March 1942, at the newly created Experimental Tank Plant in Chelyabinsk (chief designer - A.Ermolaev), work began on designing a "lightweight version of the KV-1 tank on a shorter base" (from the plan of experimental work on "improving the characteristics of tanks, standing in service ", 1942).

And the design team led by the lead designer N.Tseits (just released from detention), which included K.Kuzmin (building), N.Sinev (tower), S.Mickiewicz (running gear) and G.Moskvin (overall layout) , proposed to leave the thickness of the armor protection of the tank at the level of KV-1, and at the same time, if possible, do without rolling. Based on the experience of creation in 1940-41. solid body of the KV tank, as well as achievements in the field of creating cast towers, they expected to use casting in the manufacture of a large range of hull parts.

On the eve of March 8 (this day was then considered a worker) A. Ermolaev reported to the People's Commissar of the tank industry that "... a layout layout of the new tank was developed, in which ... by using liquid armor, sealing the assembly ... (and also) reducing the dimensions of the hull and the tower, it was possible (in comparison with KV-1) to significantly reduce the weight ... ", while the new machine retained armored protection and KV-1 weapons, and in principle could argue in speed with the T-34 (design speed The new tank was 55-60 km / h). The designed tank received the KP-13 index (Object 233), and with the blessing of the People's Commissar, the plant opened an extraordinary sunset and allocated excessive funds for the rapid production of the prototype.

The tank was manufactured in a record-breaking short time and in the first ten days of May the plant reported on the transfer of the tank to factory tests (it is interesting that in three documents different dates are called: May 4. May 7 and May 2). The mass of the manufactured KV-13 was 32,400 kg (which was only 700-1200 kg higher than the then-well-weighted "thirty-four-kilogram" weight), while the tank had a smoother course than the T-34 and KV, and developed a steep ground speed of 51.7 km / h. A feature of the tank was that it provided for the possibility of using caterpillar chains and a driving roller both from T-34 and from KV which was especially important for repair units.

During additional tests of KV-13, which took place in July 1942, N.Vseits suddenly died and NF Shashmurin was appointed the leading designer of the car. However, numerous tests and running-in revealed a large number of defects and defects in the tank, which could not be eliminated within the time allotted. The tank never came out of the category of experienced.

It should be noted that contrary to the statement of some authors, not only three, but one KV-13 tank was built, that at first glance "does not fit in" with photos of three different five-car KV-like cars. But it was the two subsequent cars that became the first carriers of the name of "the father of all peoples," who later moved to the "victory tank".

It's hard to say who initiated the assignment of such a loud name to a new heavy tank. But in the letter-report devoted to the birthday of V. Lenin (the letter was sent on April 21, 1942), the employees of the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant and the Experimental Tank Plant wrote: "... the collective of the plant and the design bureau, inspired by the victories of the Red Army over the German hordes near Moscow... assume the obligation to give the Red Army a new offensive tank. This tank will be held in the front ranks of the Native Red Army, contributing to its victory over the Nazi invaders ... The collective of the plant and the design bureau unanimously decided to give the new tank the name of our Great Vozhd - Comrade Stalin, the organizer and inspirer of our victories over the German fascist invaders... "Perhaps this letter refers to the KV-13 tank, but the official name of" IS" was received only by his followers.