The new Soviet Army requirement called for a similar tank system with improved armor protection mounting an 85mm armament. The IS family was born from the interim evaluation "KV-85" tank and its 85mm main gun. The IS family set the stage for Soviet tank development doctrine for decades to come. One such development therefore became IS series of heavy tanks - popularly known as the "Josef Stalin" series - the most powerful tank to serve in the Red Army during all of World War 2. As such, endeavors were undertaken by the Red Army to present newer and better systems to level the playing field. The T-34, while an ever-evolving system, lacked the required firepower with its base 76.2mm main gun and armor protection was limited, particularly against the ranks of the newer German Panther and Tiger heavy tank series. The KV-2 mounted a 152mm howitzer and was more of a fire support vehicle thank tank destroyer. The KV-1 was more of a tank-killer with its F-34 76.2mm main gun. The stout KV (Kliment Voroshilov) heavy tank series (KV-1 and KV-2) proved adequate but only an extent for they lacked the necessary battlefield mobility of the fabled T-34 medium tank series while utilizing similar weaponry. The Soviet Army need for ever-more formidable tracked firepower came to the forefront after losses of much territory to the invading Germans in the summer of 1941.
0 kommentar(er)
