Chapter 695: German-Soviet War (39)
"Your Highness, the Soviets are developing an upgraded version of the KV-1 tank, a heavy tank numbered IS-1. Three prototypes were rolled off the production line yesterday. Natasha said the design drawings will be delivered in a few days."
"IS-1? So soon?" Hearing Reinhard's report, Yannick couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. Because of his operation, the famous T-34 tank's chief designer Mikhail Ilyichkoshkin had already died young, so there was no T-34 tank in this time and space, and the Soviet army naturally had no chance to explode the T-34 tank sea. Unexpectedly, the IS-1 heavy tank was born. The IS-1 tank in the original time and space did not appear until 1943, but now it has come out two years ahead of schedule.
Before the implementation of "Operation Barbarossa", the German high-level reduced the number of tanks in existing and newly built armored divisions, thereby forming more armored divisions. For example, the German armored divisions in 1941 had 2-3 armored battalions, and each division had a strength of 150-202 tanks. But in reality, each division had an average of only 125 available tanks, many of which were insufficiently armed and outdated.
At the time, most German armored divisions were equipped with Panzer I and II light tanks, Panzer III and IV medium tanks and command tanks, as well as Czech-made 38t medium tanks, which many armored divisions used as a replacement for the Panzer III tank with a 37mm main gun.
However, the number of light tanks and command tanks accounted for as much as one-third of each armored division. These tanks were only equipped with machine guns and 20mm main guns, and their firepower was seriously insufficient, so they could not compete with new tanks such as T-34 and KV. On the other hand, the reliable second-generation Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks were enough to defeat old Soviet tanks such as the T-26 light tank, the T-8 medium tank and the T-35 heavy tank, but it was difficult to destroy the opponent's T-34, KV-1 and KV-2 tanks. In 1941, the Germans were busy replacing all Type III tanks with medium-speed 50mm main guns, while the Type IV tanks still retained a low-speed 75mm main gun. The initial velocity of the main gun is at least as important as the caliber, because effective penetration of armor plates requires high-speed flying shells. What annoyed the Germans was that their tank guns could not penetrate the frontal armor of the T-34 medium tanks and KV-1 heavy tanks that had just left the assembly line.
After suffering a big loss, the German army had to speed up its development. Finally, the Tiger tank appeared on Soviet soil in late 1942, and the Panther tank appeared in the Battle of Kursk the following year. The appearance of these two tanks broke the advantages of the Soviet T-34 and KV series tanks. The Soviet army also urgently needed a new tank that could compete with the German tanks, so the IS-1 heavy tank came into being.
Today, the German armored forces are truly a group of jackals and leopards, and the minimum caliber of the tank gun is 50mm; facing the 88mm caliber tank gun, the KV-1 and KV-2 tanks that were rampaging on the battlefield in the original time and space can only be completely abused, not to mention the other light tanks such as T-26, BT-7, BT-5, which are simply appetizers.
However, Yannick knew that the IS-1 tank was just a transitional model, and its final production was only a hundred or so. Although the original intention of the design was to deal with German heavy tanks, after entering the manufacturing, it was found that there was still a certain gap between it and the needs of the Soviet army, so only a few were produced. The IS-2 tank equipped with a 122mm gun later became the most terrifying opponent of the German army in World War II.
The IS-2 and IS-1 look almost the same in appearance, but the IS-2 is equipped with a D-25T 122mm gun. Although it has a long barrel with a caliber of 5 times, it is a howitzer. In combat, most of the IS-2 tank's ammunition was reserved for high-explosive shells. On the one hand, it was needed as a breakthrough tank to attack enemy bunkers with a large-caliber main gun. On the other hand, there were not so many heavily armored targets on the battlefield that needed it to use armor-piercing shells to attack. Tanks of the 3rd and 4th levels could not withstand its high-explosive shells. At the beginning, the IS-2 only had high-explosive shells (HE) and armor-piercing high-explosive shells (APHE, which is actually what is generally called AP). At the end of the war, the Soviet Union developed a special hollow capped armor-piercing shell (APCBC) for it. When using a 1 kg capped armor-piercing shell, it can penetrate a 160 mm thick uniform steel armor plate at a distance of 1000 meters, and a 120 mm thick uniform steel armor plate at a distance of 2000 meters.
The most popular rumor about the IS-2 in later generations is that the D-25T was modified from a howitzer, and its trajectory is like urination, and its accuracy is even worse. However, it can fire BR471 armor-piercing shells at an initial velocity of 795 meters per second. If the weight of the shell is not taken into account, this level is quite satisfactory for mainstream tank guns at that time. It is neither good nor bad. At that time, the most common 75mm tank gun in Germany had a barrel length of only L46-48 and an initial velocity of 800, which was not much better than the D-25T. Even the 56-caliber 88mm KWK36, which is famous for its accuracy, has a ballistic performance similar to that of the IS-2 and has no advantages.
The main disadvantage of the IS-2 is the backward sight and tank crew of the tank itself (another is the rate of fire). The Soviet army had a generally low level of cultural education in World War II. Tank crews rarely learned to systematically pre-aim moving targets or use axis calibration technology. The optical sights and gun barrels of tanks were rarely calibrated, which would greatly reduce the accuracy of the main gun. If the German Zeiss sight is replaced and the German tank crew is used to operate it, the IS-2 will definitely be a terrible weapon on the battlefield.
If it was just the Soviet Union, Yannik wouldn't care too much, but now that the Soviet Union and the United States have joined forces, the Soviet Union can use the sights provided by the United States. Although the performance is still not as good as the German Zeiss, it is much better than the Soviet-made sights, and the combat effectiveness will double.
As far as Yannik knows, in the original time and space, it only took half a year from the IS-1 heavy tank prototype to the IS-2 being put into the battlefield. That is to say, at most half a year later, the German tank troops will face the IS-2 heavy tank, which is more powerful than the original time and space.
"After getting the design drawings, send them to Krupp and ask them to build a few, then take Natasha's intelligence officer to visit and let him pass the news back to the country." When Stalin learned that the performance data of the new tank he had high hopes for was clearly mastered by Germany, would he continue to produce the IS series tanks?
In the last Soviet-Finnish War, Yannik sent a replica of the LaG-3 fighter. Stalin was furious and ordered Beria to investigate the matter thoroughly. As a result, all personnel related to the Lavochkin Design Bureau, from senior engineers to ordinary workers, were subjected to the most stringent scrutiny without exception. The famous Lavochkin Design Bureau in the original time and space was paralyzed and has not recovered yet, not to mention the production of excellent performance La-5, La-7 and other fighters.
I don’t know how many people will be unlucky this time.
But since he can’t use them, the more people die, the better.