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IS-3

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IS-3 (Stock)

AnnoIS-3.png
Totals
2568500 Price
1450 Hit Points
48.58 / 50.56 kgWeight
Crew
  1. Commander
Armor
110/90/60Hull Armor(front/sides/rear, mm)
175/175/100Turret Armor(front/sides/rear, mm)
Maneuver
650 h.p.Engine Power
38 km/hSpeed Limit
27 deg/secTraverse Speed
Firepower
390 Standard Shell Damage
175 mmStandard Shell Penetration
14.7 Time for Complete Loading
28 deg/secTurret Traverse Speed
Communication
330 mView Range
440 mSignal Range
IS-3
VIII
IS-3
2568500
Development was started in 1944. The IS-3 tanks were not deployed during World War II. However, 52 vehicles took part in the Berlin Allies Victory Parade on September 7th, 1945. The IS-3 tank was mass-produced at the Chelyabinsk Kirov Plant by the end of 1946. A total of 2,305 vehicles were manufactured.

The IS-3 has more agility and speed than the German Pz.Kpfw. Tiger II, and finds itself at home engaging in close-quarters combat. While not having as thick of frontal hull armor as its German counterpart, it more than makes up for this because it is sloped and has agility. The front of its upgraded turret is also very armored and sloped, making it difficult to penetrate, and has small weak points. However, it cannot use that to hull down very well because it is small and lacks gun depression. The IS-3 is also a devastating tank up front when it is equipped with its top gun, with high alpha damage and penetration.

Level Turret Weight (t) Turret Armor (front/sides/rear, mm) Gun Traverse Speed (deg/s) View Range (m)
turret VIII Kirovets-1 11200 175/175/100 28 330
Level Gun Weight (t) Average Penetration (mm) Rate of Fire Dispersion at 100 m Aiming Time
gun VII 122 mm D-2-5T 2600 175/217/61 390/390/530 4.08 0.46 3.4
Level Engine Weight (t) Engine Power (h.p.) Chance of Fire on Impact
engine VIII V-11 750 650 15
Level Suspension Weight (t) Load Limit Traverse Speed (deg/s)
chassis VII IS-3 10000 50.56 27
Level Radio Weight (t) Signal Range (m)
radio VII 10RK 0 440

IS-3-100

Attack

Level Turret Weight (t) Turret Armor (front/sides/rear, mm) Gun Traverse Speed (deg/s) View Range (m)
turret VIII IS-3 11500 249/172/100 26 350
Level Gun Weight (t) Average Penetration (mm) Rate of Fire Dispersion at 100 m Aiming Time
gun VII 100 mm D10T 2257 175/235/50 250/250/330 7.41 0.42 2.9
Level Engine Weight (t) Engine Power (h.p.) Chance of Fire on Impact
engine VIII V-11 750 650 15
Level Suspension Weight (t) Load Limit Traverse Speed (deg/s)
chassis VIII IS-3M 10000 53.9 30
Level Radio Weight (t) Signal Range (m)
radio IX 12RT 0 625

Object 703

Defense

Level Turret Weight (t) Turret Armor (front/sides/rear, mm) Gun Traverse Speed (deg/s) View Range (m)
turret VIII IS-3 11500 249/172/100 26 350
Level Gun Weight (t) Average Penetration (mm) Rate of Fire Dispersion at 100 m Aiming Time
gun VII 122 mm D-2-5T 2600 175/217/61 390/390/530 4.08 0.46 3.4
Level Engine Weight (t) Engine Power (h.p.) Chance of Fire on Impact
engine VIII V-11 750 650 15
Level Suspension Weight (t) Load Limit Traverse Speed (deg/s)
chassis VIII IS-3M 10000 53.9 30
Level Radio Weight (t) Signal Range (m)
radio IX 12RT 0 625

IS-3 M1945

Attack

Level Turret Weight (t) Turret Armor (front/sides/rear, mm) Gun Traverse Speed (deg/s) View Range (m)
turret VIII IS-3 11500 249/172/100 26 350
Level Gun Weight (t) Average Penetration (mm) Rate of Fire Dispersion at 100 m Aiming Time
gun VIII 122 mm D-25T 2590 175/217/61 390/390/530 4.88 0.46 3.4
Level Engine Weight (t) Engine Power (h.p.) Chance of Fire on Impact
engine IX V-2-54IS 700 700 12
Level Suspension Weight (t) Load Limit Traverse Speed (deg/s)
chassis VIII IS-3M 10000 53.9 30
Level Radio Weight (t) Signal Range (m)
radio IX 12RT 0 625

IS-3M

Attack

Level Turret Weight (t) Turret Armor (front/sides/rear, mm) Gun Traverse Speed (deg/s) View Range (m)
turret VIII IS-3 11500 249/172/100 26 350
Level Gun Weight (t) Average Penetration (mm) Rate of Fire Dispersion at 100 m Aiming Time
gun IX 122 mm BL-9 2790 225/265/68 390/390/530 4.51 0.4 3.4
Level Engine Weight (t) Engine Power (h.p.) Chance of Fire on Impact
engine IX V-2-54IS 700 700 12
Level Suspension Weight (t) Load Limit Traverse Speed (deg/s)
chassis VIII IS-3M 10000 53.9 30
Level Radio Weight (t) Signal Range (m)
radio X R-113 0 730

Compatible Equipment

Vertical Stabilizer Mk 2
Large Spall Liner
Camouflage Net
Fill Tanks with CO2
Coated Optics
Enhanced Gun Laying Drive
Enhanced Torsion Bars 5+ t Class
Cyclone Filter
Improved Ventilation Class 3
Large-caliber Tank Gun Rammer
Binocular Telescope
Toolbox
"Wet" Ammo Rack Class 2

Compatible Consumables

Automatic Fire Extinguisher
Manual Fire Extinguisher
Large First Aid Kit
Large Repair Kit
Lend-Lease Oil
Extra Combat Rations
Removed Speed Governor
Small First Aid Kit
Small Repair Kit

Player Opinion

Pros and Cons

Pros:


  • Very tough frontal turret armor.
  • Very mobile & low profile for a heavy tank.
  • Excellent spaced & internally angled side armor, in addition to large tracks, can absorb poorly aimed side shots.
  • Good alpha and excellent AP & APCR penetration.
  • Highly angled armor plates can give bounces, but only with proper attention to angling them.


Cons:


  • Center turret roof panel is only 20mm, meaning almost all guns faced will overmatch it if they can see it.
  • Poor gun depression.
  • Very bad view range.
  • Pike nose is pre-angled, limiting manual angling.
  • Ammo rack damage is possible through the frontal armor (shoulder area).


Performance

Low profile, sloped armor, speed and high damage make this tank very useful in all situations, particularly in urban and close-range combat. At this tier the once-fearsome 122 mm D-25T bounces off enemy armor more frequently, so try to get side shots when you can until you can research the BL-9. The upgraded BL-9 gun wreaks havoc on tier 9 tanks and below, although it won't always pen the front of other heavily armored tier 8 tanks. The Gun Laying Drive and Vertical Stabilizer are reasonably effective, but taking more than the occasional potshot beyond 300m is not recommended. Angled properly, the IS-3's armor will consistently bounce shots from other tier 8's and below, especially from the front. It requires no frontal angling because of its frontward-angled "pike" front plate; counter-intuitively, trying to angle it further will ruin it. Instead, point the tank straight at the enemy & close the range to hide and/or increase the angle of your lower glacis. Be careful about closing inside 50m, as the center turret roof panel is extremely prone to overmatch, especially at very close range against taller tanks, of which there are many.

Its playing style is well-suited to aggressive force leading and peek-a-booing. The IS-3 will find itself at home on urban maps and other maps that allow it to take cover and move to get close to its target. A semi-hull-down position works well in the midrange, covering the vulnerable lower glacis and forcing shots to be taken on the effective frontal armor or extremely hard-to-penetrate turret. Thanks to its spaced side armor, it often takes non-damaging shots on the sides, but the tracks tend to get damaged often. Once the 122 mm BL-9 is unlocked, the IS-3 displays truly fearsome power and is among the kings of tier 8 tanks, able to threaten even tier 10's.

Contrary to popular belief, the little hole on the front of the the turret is not a weak-spot, the tracks are very good at eating shots, and the sides and corners have spaced armor, thus making them areas where you will shoot but almost certainly do no damage whatsoever.


Early Research

  • The V-2-54IS engine, the 12RT radio, and the 122 mm D-25T gun carry over from the IS and can be installed immediately, putting the IS-3 in a great starting position.
  • Start by researching the upgraded turret. The extra meters of view range, additional 50 hit points and greatly increased armor and sloping can make a difference.
  • Researching the fearsome BL-9 next will boost firepower, turning this tank from an opportunist to a grade A brawler.
  • For an additional 3 deg/s traverse speed, one can research the upgraded suspension before the top gun, but the added weight capacity isn't necessary.


Historical Info

Designed in 1944, with 29 vehicles produced by the end of WWII and 2,282 by mid-1946.

The Iosef Stalin 3, also known as the Joseph Stalin 3 had improved armor layout, and a hemispherical cast turret (resembling an overturned "soup bowl") which became the hallmark of post-war Soviet tanks. While this low, hemispherical turret may have made the IS-3 better protected, it also imposed severe penalties inside the tank by significantly diminishing the working headroom, especially for the loader (Soviet tanks in general are characterized by uncomfortably small interior space compared to Western tanks). The low turret also limited the maximum depression of the main gun, since the gun breech had little room inside the turret to pivot on its vertical axis. As a result, the IS-3 was less able to take advantage of hull-down positions as Western tanks. The IS-3's pointed prow earned it the nickname Shchuka (Pike) by its crews. It weighed slightly less than the IS-2 and stood 30 cm lower.

Firepower

The 122mm A19 main gun was an established field gun as a towed howitzer and not only offering a capable armour piercing capacity at short ranges, it offered a superior bunker bashing capability thanks to the High Explosive rounds it fired. The 122m A19 had been around since the 1930’s and had an established manufacturing infrastructure behind it, which also supported the decision to adopt it as the main gun. Also known as the D25-T, it used Separate Loading ammunition, which limited the amount of shells carried to 28. The HE round or Armour piercing round was loaded in to the breach and then the combustible charge was loaded after, at which point the breach was closed and the gun fired. Two 7.62mm and one 12.7mm MG’s were used as secondary armaments.

The D25-T had an unfortunate tendency to explode, and its gun tube had a relatively short life. During trials on the A19's muzzle brake, the tube exploded, seriously injuring Marshall Kliment Voroshilov in the process; this led to protests against further development of the A-19, but Joseph Stalin intervened and insisted the A-19 be fielded regardless. The 122/40 D25-T also had a short tube life; approximately 200 rounds could be fired out of the main gun before the gun barrel wore out.

Despite these problems, the IS-3's main gun possessed an impressive amount of firepower. The D25-T could throw a 122mm APBC round 2000m and potentially penetrate up to 129mm of RHA steel. At 500m, the A-19's BR-471B APBC could penetrate up to 157mm.

Service History

The IS-3 came too late to see action in World War II. Though some older sources claim that the tank saw action at the end of the war in Europe, there are no official reports to confirm this. It is now generally accepted that the tank saw no action against the Germans, although one regiment may have been deployed against the Japanese in Manchuria.

In post-war conflicts, the IS-3 saw combat with the Soviet Army during the 1956 invasion of Hungary, and the Prague Spring in 1968.

Starting in 1960, the IS-3 was slightly modernized as the IS-3M, in a manner similar to the IS-2M. The Egyptian Army acquired about 100 IS-3M tanks in all from the Soviet Union. During the Six Day War, a single regiment of IS-3M tanks was stationed with the 7th Infantry Division at Rafah; the 125th Tank Brigade of the 6th Mechanized Division at Kuntilla was also equipped with about 60 IS-3M tanks.

Israeli infantry and paratrooper units had considerable difficulty with the IS-3M when it was encountered due to its thick armour, which shrugged off hits from normal infantry anti-tank weapons such as the Bazooka. Even the 90 mm AP shell fired by the main gun of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) M48 Patton tanks could not penetrate the frontal armour of the IS-3s at normal battle ranges. However, due to the IS-3's much thinner flank armor, Israeli Patton and Centurion Tanks had little trouble penetrating the sides of the IS-3 tanks. Captured tanks were subsequently used by the Israeli army as static artillery pieces.


Historical Gallery

Sources and External Links

USSR
Light Tanks IMS-1 IIBT-2 IIT-26 IIT-60 IITetrarch IIIBT-7 IIIBT-SV IIIM3 Light IIIT-127 IIIT-46 IIIT-70 IVA-20 IVT-50 IVT-80 IVValentine II VIMT-25 VIILTTB VIIIT-54 ltwt.
Medium Tanks IVT-28 VMatilda IV VT-34 VIA-43 VIT-34-85 VISpectre VIT-34-88 VIIA-44 VIIKV-13 VIIT-43 VIIT-44-122 VIIIObject 416 VIIIT-44 IXObject 430 Version II IXT-54 XObject 140 XObject 430 XT-62A
Heavy Tanks VChurchill III VKV-1S VKV-220 VKV-1 VIKV-2 VIKV-85 VIT-150 VIIIS VIIKV-3 VIIIIS-3 VIIIIS-6 VIIIKV-5 VIIIKV-4 IXIS-8 IXST-I XIS-4 XIS-7
Tank Destroyers IIAT-1 IIISU-76 IIISU-76I IVSU-85B VSU-85 VSU-85I VISU-100 VISU-100Y VIISU-152 VIISU-100M1 VIISU-122-44 VIIIISU-152 VIIISU-101 IXObject 704 IXSU-122-54 XObject 263 XObject 268
Self-Propelled Artillery IISU-18 IIISU-26 IVSU-5 VSU-122A VISU-8 VIIS-51 VIISU-14-1 VIIISU-14-2 IX212A XObject 261
Heavy Tanks
USA VT14 VT1 Heavy Tank VIM6 VIIT29 VIIIM6A2E1 VIIIT32 VIIIT34 IXM103 XT110E5 XT57 Heavy Tank
UK VChurchill I VExcelsior VIChurchill VII VITOG II* VIIBlack Prince VIIICaernarvon IXConqueror XFV215b
Germany IVPz.Kpfw. B2 740 (f) IVDurchbruchswagen 2 VVK 30.01 (H) VIVK 36.01 (H) VIIPz.Kpfw. VI Tiger VIIPz.Kpfw. VI Tiger (P) VIIILöwe VIIIPz.Kpfw. Tiger II VIIIVK 45.02 (P) Ausf. A IXE-75 IXVK 45.02 (P) Ausf. B XE-100 XMaus
France IVB1 VBDR G1 B VIARL 44 VIIAMX M4 mle. 45 VIIIAMX 50 100 VIIIFCM 50 t VIIIFCM 50 t Liberté IXAMX 50 120 XAMX 50 B
USSR VChurchill III VKV-1S VKV-220 VKV-1 VIKV-2 VIKV-85 VIT-150 VIIIS VIIKV-3 VIIIIS-3 VIIIIS-6 VIIIKV-5 VIIIKV-4 IXIS-8 IXST-I XIS-4 XIS-7
China VIIIS-2 VIII110 VIII112 IXWZ-111 model 1-4 X113
Japan
Czechoslovakia
Sweden
ja:XBOX:IS-3