The IS-2 continued in service with the armies of China, North Korea and Cuba well into the Cold War era. The IS-2 was withdrawn from front-line Soviet units following the introduction of the more streamlined IS-3 in 1945. However, the IS-2 did not prevail in every encounter with its German adversaries. It was a potent and effective answer to the heavy frontal armour of even the best German AFVs. The sheer weight of the 122mm shell compensated for the lack of muzzle velocity. This was not entirely without justification. During the fighting around the bridgehead on the River Vistula in August 1944, IS-2 tanks of the Red Army’s 71st Guards Independent Heavy Tank Regiment knocked out four Tiger IIs for the loss of three of its own vehicles.Īlthough the IS-2 weighed in at around 40 tons (the same as the German 'medium' Panther), the Soviets classified it a heavy tank. This formidable new weapon proved itself emphatically against the most heavily armoured German tanks. The IS-2 entered service in 1944 as a breakthrough tank.

The installation of the bigger gun resulted in the Iosef Stalin 2. This gun offered excellent performance in the anti-tank role and was also effective against fortified defensive positions. Only a small number of these IS-1 tanks saw service, however, as the more powerful A-19 122mm gun was selected as the standard weapon for this series. This new vehicle was named Iosef Stalin 1 in honour of the Soviet leader. This stop-gap vehicle received increased frontal armour, an improved turret and overall reduced weight compared to the heaviest KV tanks. The 76m guns of the T-34 and KV series tanks were ineffective against these powerful new vehicles, so the 85mm anti-aircraft gun was adapted for use in the KV-85 tank. Although the T-34 and KV-1 were more than capable of dealing with this first generation of German Tanks including the Panzer III and Panzer IV, the new Tiger and Panther tanks encountered in 1943 were another matter entirely. The KV series of heavy tanks was also in service at time the Wehrmacht swarmed across the Soviet border in June 1941. The T-34 tank was already entering service by the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. Simple parts breakdown but very well detailed authentic but easy to assembly link and length tracks with sag optional metal ingots for 'scale weight' excellent surface texture. 32571 - Russian Heavy Tank JS-2 Model 1944 ChKZ.Ģ11 parts in dark green plastic, four metal ingots, four polythene caps, a length of string and markings for four vehicles

Russian Heavy Tank JS-2 Model 1944 ChKZ Tamiya, 1/48 scale 32571 - Russian Heavy Tank JS-2 Model 1944 ChKZ

Js 2 vs german tanks battles