‘After a minute, the traffic began to nudge forward and the complex expanse of traffic islands and monuments came into view — but on the nearest island stood a new pedestal topped by a squat Soviet tank; its barrel faced the way they’d come and it made as much of a statement as Edward I’s castle at Caernarfon. “They can take some getting used to and all,” said the driver as they crawled to a standstill beside it.’
The squat tank is the IS-3, the third in the series of heavy tanks named after Iosif Stalin. But this tank was different. It had a domed turret. Its armour was heavily sloped. And it had a pointed prow, earning it the nickname Shchuka (Pike).
Known initially as Objeck 703, the IS-3 was developed in late 1944 at ‘Tankograd’, the collective tank works at Chelyabinsk, just east of the Urals. It didn’t enter service until May 1945, too late see action against Germany. Instead, its first appearance was at the Berlin Victory Parade.
On 7 September 1945, the broad Charlottenburger Chaussee was thronged with crowds. Senior officers from the four participating major powers watched on as wave after wave of troops marched past followed by the rumble of military vehicles and tanks, their barrels level. But Stalin took full advantage of the occasion to make a statement: and when 52 of his latest heavy tanks appeared, barrels raised defiantly from their squat domed turrets, the Western Allies were shocked.
The shape was new to the world, but it was soon to become the norm for Soviet tanks. Despite its impressive debut, however, the squat turret limited headroom. More importantly, the early IS-3s suffered from mechanical and welding problems, but these were solved in the 1952 upgrade. In all, over 2300 IS-3s were produced, seeing use against uprisings in Hungary and Czechoslovakia, as well as by Egypt in the Six-Day War, where their thick armour proved highly effective.
Photo: IS-3 heavy tanks at the Berlin Victory Parade, 7 September 1945. Unfortunately, I have been unable to locate copyright information and am reproducing the image here for purely educational purposes. If the owner wishes the picture taken down, please message me and I will happily comply.