Video: IS-7 tank in 1946

The Red Army wanted a superheavy tank since its inception and in 1945 the conditions were finally right to procure one. The IS-7 was the heaviest Soviet tank yet, but could it see service if the war lasted long enough?

 

Controversial Commander's Cupola

Three-man turrets appeared in the USSR back in the 1930s. The T-28 and T-35 tanks already had a dedicated commander. The problem was that his abilities were limited. He only had a periscope at his disposal, which had a limited field of view. The KV-1 tank that came to replace the T-28 and T-35 kept the overall layout of the fighting compartment. As before, the commander sat in the front right and had a periscope to look through. It was clear by 1940 that this was not enough. Nevertheless, it took a while for engineers to arrive at a classic commander's cupola.

The commander's cupola on the KV-1S tank appeared a full two years after the start of the KV tank family.

Video: Three Way Heavy Tank Contest

In 1939, the Red Army had not one, not two, but three whole heavy tank designs. Find out how they competed and who the winner was in my latest video.

Book Review: Tank by Mark Urban

When I'm asked to review books, they are usually written by tank historians for tank historians. They bristle with technical details, tables of organization, unit numbers, millimeters and kilograms, with some pages more footnotes than text and a thick heft bibliography that can be the size of a chapter of its own. This is not one of those books.

Video: KV-1 with Applique Armour

The KV-1 was the heaviest and best protected heavy tank in the world, but the Red Army still wanted even more armour! Find out why and how effective this add-on armour was in my latest video. 

The Oldest IS

It often so happens that a truly unique tank stands in shadow, unknown to those around it. There are many examples. For instance, the T-34 tank "Kantemirovets" on display at the Road of Life exhibit is no simple tank. It turns out that this is the only "general's" T-34 that used to carry an RSB-F radio. Now it needs to be reunited with its former components, but that's a whole separate affair. Secret past lives of tanks that appear to be well known are discovered every so often.

How the hero of this article looks today.

The Kirov Factory in St Petersburg has an IS-2 installed as a monument on its grounds. It was installed here in 1947. This tank is fairly well known. It is often referred to as an IS-2 from the first production batches. However, this tank is even more interesting than this. It is actually one of the progenitors of the whole IS tank series with a very complicated fate.

Video: 76 mm HE vs German Armour

We know how effective 152 mm high explosive shells were against German tank armour, but what about slightly smaller ones? Check out my latest video to find out.

Tractors and Prime Movers

A maneuver war requires a large fleet of motorized vehicles, including artillery tractors. This lesson was learned back during the First World War. It is no wonder that the Red Army cared about mechanization so much. Soviet industry carried out their orders. A whole series of specialized tractors were designed in the 1930s. Many of them were built in great numbers and some were even the most numerous in their class.

Voroshilovets, the best Soviet artillery tractor. The Voroshilovets could tow heavy guns even faster than the rating of their chassis.

It so happened that production of artillery tractors ceased after the start of the Great Patriotic War. Some claim that the USSR should have built more tractors instead of tanks. This article will tell the story of why this was a bad idea and compare the results of Soviet mechanization with that of the Germans.

Buggy Americans

"To Deputy Chief of the Engineering Department of the People's Commissariat of Foreign Trade, comrade Ryavchenko

I report preliminary data regarding defects of American tanks based on use in training.

1. Both types of tanks have no range markings on their sights. It is necessary to order new ones urgently.

Video: Lend Lease Tier List Part 1

Lend Lease reviews can be a thorny topic. Did the Red Army like any foreign tanks at all? Watch my latest video and find out.