IS-3
Revision as of 07:36, 12 September 2012 Improved Early Research section | Revision as of 03:40, 20 September 2012 Improved wording and additional information added. | |||
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|InTheGame_cons= | |InTheGame_cons= | |||
* Poor gun depression | * Poor gun depression | |||
? | * | + | * Prone to track damage | |
* Slower aim time | * Slower aim time | |||
|InTheGame_performance= | |InTheGame_performance= | |||
? | Low profile, sloped armor, speed and high damage make this tank very useful in all situations, particularly in urban and close-range combat. The upgraded BL-9 gun wreaks havoc on tier 9 and below. Angled properly, the IS-3 will consistently bounce shots from other tier 8s and below, especially from the front. It requires little frontal angling because of its | + | Low profile, sloped armor, speed and high damage make this tank very useful in all situations, particularly in urban and close-range combat. The upgraded BL-9 gun wreaks havoc on tier 9 tanks and below. However, heavily armored tier 8 Heavy Tanks such as the [[Lowe]] and [[T34]] are capable of bouncing the BL-9 from the front, and care must be given to targeting weak spots in such situations. Angled properly, the IS-3 will consistently bounce shots from other tier 8s and below, especially from the front. It requires little frontal angling because of its frontward angled front plate. | |
|InTheGame_research= | |InTheGame_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. | * 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. | |||
? | * | + | * With these, it is proposed to first research the upgraded turret. The greatly increased armor and sloping, extra meters of view range and additional 50 hit points make a difference. Then, of course, one should research the dreaded BL-9, which turns this tank from an opportunist to a grade A brawler. | |
? | + | ** The additional weight capacity of the upgraded suspension is not necessary for the IS-3, but can be researched before the BL-9 if one feels the additional 3 deg/s traverse speed and reduced terrain resistance are worth it. | ||
? | + | |||
|InTheGame_equipment= | |InTheGame_equipment= |
Revision as of 03:40, 20 September 2012
IS-3
Mouse over "
[Client Values; Actual values in
2,568,500 Cost |
1450340 HP Hit Points |
48.68/50.5625.35/53.9 t Weight Limit |
- Commander (Radio Operator)
- Gunner
- Driver
- Loader
650700 hp Engine Power |
38/15 km/h Speed Limit |
2730 deg/s Traverse |
13.3527.61 hp/t Power/Wt Ratio |
NoNo Pivot |
// mm Hull Armor |
175/120/100249/172/100 mm Turret Armor |
AP/APCR/HE
AP/APCR/HE Shells |
1025/4800/608
1025/4800/608 Shell Cost |
390/390/530390/390/530 HP Damage |
175/217/61225/265/68 mm Penetration |
r/m ▲
4.08 r/m Standard Gun ▲
4.51 Rate of Fire Standard Gun |
▲
Standard Gun
▼
Standard Gun
▲
1591.2 Standard Gun ▲
Standard Gun
▼
Standard Gun
▲
1758.9 Damage Per Minute Standard Gun |
m ▲
0.46 m With 50% Crew: 0.57 m ▲
0.4 Accuracy With 50% Crew: 0.496 m |
s 3.4 s 3.4 Aim time |
2826 deg/s Turret Traverse |
360° Gun Arc |
-5°/+23°-5°/+23° Elevation Arc |
2828 rounds Ammo Capacity |
1512 % Chance of Fire |
m 330 m 350 View Range |
m 440 m 730 Signal Range |
VIII
2568500
The IS-3 is a Soviet tier 8 heavy tank.
Mass production of the vehicle started in May 1945. On September 7,1945, IS-3 tanks took part in the Allied Victory Parade through Berlin. A total of 1170 vehicles were manufactured by the end of 1946, when production was canceled. From 1948 through the late 1950s, the tanks underwent a number of modernization refits.
The IS-3 has more agility and speed than the German PzKpfw VIB Tiger II, and finds itself at home engaging in close-quarters combat. While not having as thick of frontal 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. Its playing style is more suited to aggressive force leading and peek-a-booing, while its German counterpart is suited for long-range engagements. The IS-3 will find itself more suited to urban maps and other maps which allow it to take cover and move to get close to its target. Because of 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 shows true power and is among the kings of tier 8 tanks, able to threaten even tier 10s.
The IS-3 leads to the T-10, and the Object 257.
Modules / Available Equipment and Consumables
Modules
Tier | Engine | Engine Power (hp) |
Chance of Fire on Impact (%) |
Weight (kg) |
Price ()
| |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VIII | V-11 | 650 | 15 | 750 | 55270 | |
IX | V-2-54IS | 700 | 12 | 700 | 79290 |
Tier | Suspension | Load Limit (т) |
Traverse Speed (gr/sec) |
Rmin | Weight (kg) |
Price ()
| |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VII | IS-3 | 50.56 | 27 | B/2 | 10000 | 17780 | |
VIII | IS-3M | 53.9 | 30 | B/2 | 10000 | 31450 |
Tier | Radio | Signal Range (m) |
Weight (kg) |
Price ()
| |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
VII | 10RK | 440 | 100 | 18600 | |
IX | 12RT | 625 | 110 | 33600 | |
X | R-113 | 730 | 80 | 52200 |
Compatible Equipment
Compatible Consumables
Player Opinion
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Very sloped armor and turret in the front
- High maneuverability for a heavy tank
- Low profile
- Spaced side armor bounces lower tiers when angled
- Very powerful gun
Cons:
- Poor gun depression
- Prone to track damage
- Slower aim time
Performance
Low profile, sloped armor, speed and high damage make this tank very useful in all situations, particularly in urban and close-range combat. The upgraded BL-9 gun wreaks havoc on tier 9 tanks and below. However, heavily armored tier 8 Heavy Tanks such as the Lowe and T34 are capable of bouncing the BL-9 from the front, and care must be given to targeting weak spots in such situations. Angled properly, the IS-3 will consistently bounce shots from other tier 8s and below, especially from the front. It requires little frontal angling because of its frontward angled front plate.
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.
- With these, it is proposed to first research the upgraded turret. The greatly increased armor and sloping, extra meters of view range and additional 50 hit points make a difference. Then, of course, one should research the dreaded BL-9, which turns this tank from an opportunist to a grade A brawler.
- The additional weight capacity of the upgraded suspension is not necessary for the IS-3, but can be researched before the BL-9 if one feels the additional 3 deg/s traverse speed and reduced terrain resistance are worth it.
Suggested Equipment
Gallery
Historical Info
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.