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ISU-122

Debuting in April 1944, the ISU-122 [ISU = Iosef Stalin Ustanovka or Gun of Iosef Stalin] managed to prove itself as a powerful tank destroyer and took part in all major operations of the Red Army. Along with the ISU-152, it was used against fortifications and against tanks, and often even "substituted" for its base - IS-2. Due to its high versatility, it takes a number of the best ACS of that war.

In the light of all these circumstances, the assertion that ISU-122 was the most universal of all Soviet automatic control systems during the Great Patriotic War will not look contrived. This machine was able to do a lot: destroy enemy armored vehicles, storm cities, support the attack of infantry or tanks in close interaction with them, shoot from closed positions. Despite the fact that in each of these aspects of the use of self-propelled artillery there is a self-propelled gun that is more effective than the ISU-122, the latter is still a good and reliable means of solving all these combat missions.

In a general review, this universalism characterizes ISU-122 only on the positive side, which in itself is a reward to ISU chassis designers and A-19 guns. In contrast to a sufficiently large number of conceived universal combat vehicles. Along with the ISU-152, SU-100 and SU-76M, the ISU-122 takes an honorable place among the self-propelled guns that helped the Red Army defeat Nazi Germany with its very formidable combat vehicles and very skilled troops.

ISU-122 was a heavy fighter of tanks weighing 46 tons (comparable to JagdPanzer) and armed with a 122 mm A-19 gun. The ISU-122S is an improved version of the ISU-122, it is distinguished by the presence of a muzzle brake and the presence of a 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun, and also by faster recharging due to the improvement of the basic gun.

The ISU-122 inherited the chassis from the IS-2, with all the advantages and disadvantages. By mobility it is comparable, again, with YagdPanter, but it has a much lower maximum speed (38 km / h vs. 55), and therefore on large maps of YagdPanter it will be on the jelly position faster. But the ISU-122 has more rear speed, which is convenient when shooting from the shelter and when you need to roll back to prevent getting a return gift.

The famous Destructor D-25 (or A-19, which is the same thing) was capable of destroying most German and Anglo-American tanks with a single shot, without thinking about their reservation, is installed on the ACS. For D-25C (A-19) there are the following types of projectiles:

• BR-471 - an armor-piercing sharp-pointed shotgun projectile. The initial speed is 800 m / s.
• BR-471B - armor-piercing, dull-headed shotgun projectile. The initial speed is 800 m / s.
• OF-471 - high-explosive fragmentation projectile. The initial speed is 800 m / s.

All the shells have a mass of 25kg and the same initial velocity of 800 m / s, which is pretty good - the ballistics of the shells are the same, so you do not have to shoot. As for the BR-471 , the penetration is acceptable, but if the target's VDD is at an angle, it is most likely that the projectile will not destroy it, but a ricochet will occur. BR-471B gets rid of this problem, as can be seen from its description. VLD Panthers, for example, will take easily. The OF-471 is suitable for the destruction of light targets like ZSU or Pz.IV, maximum - damage the gun or several modules from the Royal Tiger.

Despite a brief break in manufacture between 1945 and 1947, a total of 3130 ISU-122s were produced up to 1952.