IS-4

IS-4 (Stock)

Totals

6100000 Cost

2200 HPDurability

60.02 / 66.3 Weight

Crew

1. Commander
2. Radio Operator
3. Gunner
4. Driver
5. Loader

Armor

140/160/100Hull Armor(front/sides/rear, mm)

250/200/170Turret Armor(front/sides/rear, mm)

Maneuver

750 h.p.Engine Power

43 km/hTop Speed / Reverse Speed

25 deg/sTraverse Speed

Firepower

400 damage

175 mmAverage Penetration

11.3353370545298 Time for Complete Loading

17 deg/sGun Traverse Speed

Communication

250 mView Range

500 mSignal Range

ST-I

IS-4

X

6100000

The project was developed by the Design Bureau of the Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant starting in December 1943. In April 1944 two prototypes of the Object 701 were built. After prototype trials, the design was improved. In late 1944 and early 1945 two more prototypes underwent trials. The Object 701 No. 5 was recommended for adoption into service. However, production was called off in favor of the IS-3 just entering mass-production. After IS-3 production was suspended in 1946, production of the IS-4 began, continuing until 1949. A total of 25 IS-4M tanks were built in 1951. Later all previously produced tanks were modernized to the level of the IS-4M. According to different sources, between 235 and 258 vehicles were built in total; they were stationed in the Far East.

The IS-4 is quite a versatile tank, with a good gun, and thick sloped armor. These are opposed by its somewhat low speed and agility. When armed with the 122mm M62-T2 gun, it becomes a fearsome opponent, capable of belting out generous amounts of damage. It trades frontal armor from its predecessor, the ST-I, in exchange for better side armor and higher mobility. It sports better penetration and rate of fire, it still is far from being as nimble as its counterpart, the IS-7, and feels very sluggish and slow in comparison. While its frontal armor is thinner than other tier X tanks, it compensates by having a great slope on the frontal armor plating, meaning that you will bounce enemy shots effectively. Unfortunately, the lower front plate is very soft and a rather big target to hit, effectively negating the good slope of the upper front plate. Therefore, it is best to either hull-down or position yourself at an angle to maximize your sloped armor. Take into consideration that you are a close-range brawler, not a sniper, as your guns have poor or mediocre accuracy at best, and if you miss a shot it can be painful. You do not have the speed and maneuverability to get yourself into position quickly and relocate if needed. However, you can utilize cover sufficiently effective - peek out, fire a shot at the enemy, then dive back into safety. The good side armor also makes it very suitable for side scraping. Generally, it is more well-rounded over the IS-7, but it doesn't have any extremely strong points.

Turret

Level	Turret	Turret Armor (front/sides/rear, mm)	Gun Traverse Speed (deg/s)	View Range (m)	Experience	Weight (t)
X	IS-4M	250/200/170	17	250	0	14200

Level	Gun	Average Penetration (mm)		Rate of Fire	Dispersion at 100 m	Aiming Time	Experience	Weight (t)
VIII	122 mm D-25T	175/217/61	400/400/500	5.29	0.46	2.9	0	2590
X	122 mm M62-T2	258/340/68	420/420/500	5.29	0.38	2.9	61000	3397

Engine

Level	Engine	Engine Power (h.p.)	Chance of Fire on Impact	Experience	Weight (t)
X	V-12	750	15	0	1024

Level	Suspension	Load Limit	Traverse Speed (deg/s)	Experience	Weight (t)
X	IS-4	66.3	25	0	11000

Radio

Level	Radio	Signal Range (m)	Experience	Weight (t)
X	_10RK-26	500	0	160

Compatible Equipment

Compatible Consumables

Player Opinion

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Excellent turret armor with strong nose and sides
• Larger hitpoint pool more reminiscent of a heavy tank unlike IS-7
• Very good thick hull armor with creative sloping to allow a range of defensive tactics
• Excellent side armor thickness and slope allows for excellent sidescraping abilities
• Lower profile makes weak spots difficult to target

Cons:

• Very poor traverse speed and ground resistance makes the tank feel sluggish
• Below average gun handling and below average DPM
• Driver vulnerable from frontal hits and damaged often
• Small ammunition capacity can be a factor in drawn out engagements

Performance

IS-4 can be an excellent tank when played properly. Its’ lack of low end mobility can limit the available play styles, yet when the strong turret, side armor, and penetration are taken advantage of, this tank can be invaluable.

Of the tactics IS-4 does well, hull down is likely its’ best. The turret is exceptionally strong from the front, capable of deflecting all but tier X Tank Destroyer rounds. It does however have a weak hatch door similar to an IS-3 or IS-6, requiring drivers need to ensure they have an elevated hull down position over their target. Even a few meters of elevation is all that’s needed to mitigate the weak hatch. When truly hull down, IS-4 can loiter there, fully aim, and easily penetrate weak armor points on most enemy tanks. Locations such as the windmill at Winter Malinovka, top hill on Copperfield, caves at Black Goldville are examples of terrain where this tank is most effective.

IS-4’s other main strength is sidescraping. The side armor is thick, heavily sloped, and riddled with spaced portions. At a proper angle, one can reliable reliably deflect even Tier X tank destroyer rounds if necessary. IS-4 drivers should hope to engage other heavy tanks in areas where the side armor can be taken advantage of. When setting up a position for side scraping, one must remember to always have the enemy fire and miss/bounce first, as the frontal armor is not as reliable and will be slightly vulnerable when a proper shot can be returned.

IS-4 drivers should be cautious whenever engaging medium tanks as the poor traverse and low end acceleration make it very vulnerable to circle tactics. When engaging medium tanks, defending at medium or greater range will increase chances for success. Despite this weakness, IS-4 should not be choosing locations that are medium tank friendly. It instead should be looking to mix it up with enemy heavy tanks or hold a front line position.

Historical Info

Originally developed in competition with the IS-3, the IS-4 was similarly an extensive redesign of the IS-2. The hull was lengthened, with an extra set of road wheels added and an improved engine. Both the hull and turret were up-armored. Several alternative armaments were explored in paper studies, but ultimately the IS-2's original 122mm gun was retained. An effort was also made to incorporate technical data derived from study of the German wartime Panzer V Panther tank, which influenced the layout of the IS-4's engine cooling system. The tank was approved for mass production in 1948, but due to disappointing speed and mobility, only 200 were manufactured. Most of these were transferred to the Russian Far East in 1950, in preparation for the planned Soviet intervention in the Korean War. When this operation was aborted, the tanks nevertheless remained stationed in the region until their decommissioning in the 1960's.

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Historical Gallery

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  The IS-4 somewhere in the fields

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  The IS-4 somewhere in the fields

Sources and External Links

External Links

• Iosef Stalin (IS) Series Heavy Tanks IS-1, IS-2, IS-3, IS-4, IS-6, IS-7 at wikipedia.

• IS-4 Drive By at YouTube.

USSR

Heavy Tanks

ja:Blitz:IS-4