War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

ORP Garland

2021-10-16T00:51:16Z

U55910445:

{{Specs-Card
|code=uk_destroyer_g_garland
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|market=items_HMS Garland (H37) (Britain)
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a premium gift rank {{Specs|rank}} British destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during [[Update "New Power"]] as a reward for [[Battle Pass: Season I]].

HMS Garland is a British-built G-class destroyer loaned to the Polish Navy in 1940, under the designation of ORP Garland. She operated as part of convoys escort almost the entirety of the Second World War and visited most of the war theatres.

She performs very similar to the playstyle of the sister ship already in the regular tree, the destroyer [[G-class (H89)|(H89) HMS Grafton]]. While at the same time, having some pros and cons on her own. Such as the increased variety of secondary armaments that reinforces the support role of this class.

Unfortunately, some drawbacks in mobility are present, as well as reductions in the main armament to increase the auxiliary armament.

== General info ==
The Garland (H37) appears more aggressive than the escort destroyers [[Town (L45)]] and the [[Hunt (Family)]], this is thanks to her long and taller hull with a raked type of bow that provides increased sea-worthiness and enhanced cruising speed - at least before armaments refits. The destroyer can be differentiated from the similar [[G-class (H89)]] because of the Polish naval ensign with a horizontal bicoloured red and white, located in the stern of the ship. Another way to differentiate between the two is the Garland's light grey hull painting and the olive-green coloured upper decks. The Grafton's hull will be painted black with maroon red upper decks, though these colour schemes might vary in arctic scenarios. Garland's second funnel top is lower, a stern-located 120 mm cannon and one set of quadruple torpedo tubes is also missing.

Knowing these armament layout and visual differences should help to recognise these destroyers since ORP Garland lacks the destroyer vs. destroyer armaments of the HMS Grafton, and HMS Grafton lacks the support armament of the ORP Garland.

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Armour}}

''Talk about the vehicle's armour. Note the most well-defended and most vulnerable zones, e.g. the ammo magazine. Evaluate the composition of components and assemblies responsible for movement and manoeuvrability. Evaluate the survivability of the primary and secondary armaments separately. Don't forget to mention the size of the crew, which plays an important role in fleet mechanics. Save tips on preserving survivability for the "Usage in battles" section. If necessary, use a graphical template to show the most well-protected or most vulnerable points in the armour.''

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Mobility}}

''Write about the ship's mobility. Evaluate its power and manoeuvrability, rudder rerouting speed, stopping speed at full tilt, with its maximum forward and reverse speed.''

{{NavalMobility}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armament ==
{{Specs-Fleet-Armaments}}
=== Primary armament ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Primary}}

{{main|4.7 inch/45 Mk.XII (120 mm)}}

''Provide information about the characteristics of the primary armament. Evaluate their efficacy in battle based on their reload speed, ballistics and the capacity of their shells. Add a link to the main article about the weapon: <code><nowiki>{{main|Weapon name (calibre)}}</nowiki></code>. Broadly describe the ammunition available for the primary armament, and provide recommendations on how to use it and which ammunition to choose.''

=== Secondary armament ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Secondary}}

{{main|OQF 3in 20cwt (76 mm)}}

''Some ships are fitted with weapons of various calibres. Secondary armaments are defined as weapons chosen with the control <code>Select secondary weapon</code>. Evaluate the secondary armaments and give advice on how to use them. Describe the ammunition available for the secondary armament. Provide recommendations on how to use them and which ammunition to choose. Remember that any anti-air armament, even heavy calibre weapons, belong in the next section. If there is no secondary armament, remove this section.''

=== Anti-aircraft armament ===
{{Specs-Fleet-AA}}

{{main|20 mm/70 Oerlikon Mk.II (20 mm)}}

''An important part of the ship's armament responsible for air defence. Anti-aircraft armament is defined by the weapon chosen with the control <code>Select anti-aircraft weapons</code>. Talk about the ship's anti-air cannons and machine guns, the number of guns and their positions, their effective range, and about their overall effectiveness – including against surface targets. If there are no anti-aircraft armaments, remove this section.''

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Fleet-Additional}}

{{main|Mk.IX (533 mm)|Y-gun Mk.VII depth charge}}

''Describe the available additional armaments of the ship: depth charges, mines, torpedoes. Talk about their positions, available ammunition and launch features such as dead zones of torpedoes. If there is no additional armament, remove this section.''

== Usage in battles ==

''Describe the technique of using this ship, the characteristics of her use in a team and tips on strategy. Abstain from writing an entire guide – don't try to provide a single point of view, but give the reader food for thought. Talk about the most dangerous opponents for this vehicle and provide recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of playing with this vehicle in various modes (AB, RB, SB).''

=== Pros and cons ===
'''Pros:'''

* Large medium to short range anti-air firepower
* Dual-purpose main calibre guns, also with readiness of SAP rounds
* Large capacity of additional weaponry: 24 depth charges and 8 torpedoes

'''Cons:'''

* Limited firepower with only 3 main calibre guns
* Inadequate crew size: out-classed when dueling rank III destroyers
* Top speed is more similar to escort destroyers than combat-capable Fleet destroyers.

== History ==

''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ship in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the ship and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Ship-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the ship's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable)''

== Media ==

[[File:Garland Devblog Image 001.jpg|none|thumb|356x356px|Garland devblog image.]]

== See also ==

''Links to articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the ship;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==

''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{Britain destroyers}}
{{Britain premium ships}}

User:U55910445

2021-10-06T02:13:20Z

U55910445: Created page with "a"

P-39N-0

2021-10-06T01:58:51Z

U55910445: I fixed some grammar error as mentioned on Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/Warthunder/comments/q28kh0/does_gaijin_outsource_their_wiki_to_the_interns/

{{About
| about = American fighter '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = P-39 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=p-39n
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
|cockpit=cockpit_p-39n.jpg
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} American fighter {{Battle-rating}}. It has been in the game since the start of the Open Beta Test prior to Update 1.27.

The primary purpose of a P-39 is that of a low-level interceptor. It lacks the high-altitude performance needed to engage strategic bombers or high-flying fighters, but is extremely competitive under 4,000m and easily one of the best, if not the best plane at its BR.

== General info ==
=== Flight performance ===
{{Specs-Avia-Flight}}


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 3,048 m)
! rowspan="2" | Max altitude (metres)
! colspan="2" | Turn time (seconds)
! colspan="2" | Rate of climb (metres/second)
! rowspan="2" | Take-off run (metres)
|-
! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB !! AB !! RB
|-
! Stock
| 613 || 593 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 18.9 || 19.9 || 10.5 || 10.5 || rowspan="2" | 280
|-
! Upgraded
| 680 || 641 || 17.8 || 18.0 || 21.2 || 14.9
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || X || X 
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="7" | Limits
|-
! rowspan="2" | Wings (km/h)
! rowspan="2" | Gear (km/h)
! colspan="3" | Flaps (km/h)
! colspan="2" | Max Static G
|-
! Combat !! Take-off !! Landing !! + !! -
|-
| {{Specs|destruction|body}} || {{Specs|destruction|gear}} || 426 || 396 || 241 || ~13 || ~9
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 360 || < 380 || < 450 || > 312
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 2,800 m || 1,125 hp || 1,446 hp
|-
|}

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Avia-Armour}}


* 15.87 mm Steel - Propeller hub
* 15.87 mm Steel - Plate in front of the cockpit
* 7 mm Steel - Plate over instrument cluster
* 6 mm Steel - Upper pilot's seat and headrest encasement
* 6 mm Steel - Rear tail
* 38 mm Bulletproof glass - Windscreen
* 64 mm Bulletproof glass - Headrest of pilot's seat

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Avia-Armaments}}
=== Offensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Offensive}}

{{main|M4 (37 mm)|M2 Browning (12.7 mm)|Browning (7.62 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is armed with:

* 1 x 37 mm M4 cannon, nose-mounted (30 rpg)
* 2 x 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine guns, nose-mounted (200 rpg = 400 total)
* 4 x 7.62 mm Browning machine guns, wing-mounted (300 rpg = 1,200 total)

=== Suspended armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Suspended}}

{{main|AN-M64A1 (500 lb)|M8}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' can be outfitted with the following ordnance:

* Without load
* 6 x M8 rockets
* 1 x 500 lb AN-M64A1 bomb (500 lb total)

== Usage in battles ==

The P-39 Airacobra is an exceptional aircraft, American planes are known to be heavy, sluggish, slow turning aircraft with mediocre climb rates. Not this one though. With a turn time of 18.0 seconds and a climb rate of 14 m/s, this is a formidable opponent to even the most agile of aircraft. With a deadly arsenal consisting of 4 x 7.62 machine guns, 2 x 12.7 Brownings, and a 37 mm M1 cannon, firepower is not a reason to worry. With 3000 rounds for your six machine guns, and 30 rounds for the 37mm, ammo shouldn't bother you.

'''Stock Grind'''

The P-39 has a relatively easy stock grind as it's easy to fly and doesn't require "ace" skills to master it. Your first priority should be performance mods, as you have enough firepower and ammo, so shooting down planes should not be an issue. M8 rockets are relatively useless; only equip them if you have no other CAS options. They can be effective at destroying bombers in a diving attack though, albeit the 37mm should be enough.

'''Tactics: Air Realistic'''

Air realistic is where the Airacobra shines. It performs best as a Boom n Zoom fighter, due to its relatively solid rate of climb & energy retention. It doesn't turn the best, but can dance around lower-energy targets with flaps. Its engine power significantly decreases above 4 km, but it is fine to climb higher at the start of the match-just try not to fight people there, especially if they do perform well at altitude.

'''Tactics: Ground Realistic'''

Since you are unable to carry any serious ordnance, your role is air superiority. Get rid of light armoured vehicles with the rockets and strafe targets so the friendlies can see them. Deal with other fighters challenging your dominance and try to deal with bombers. Always try to keep the element of surprise on your side. However, overall, the A-36 is preferable over the P-39 in ground battles.

'''Enemies worth noting'''

'''Germans'''

You will commonly see Bf 109 Es and Fs, as well as 190 As. While Es are not as serious of a threat, the 109 Fs are due to their more powerful engines. Wait until they dive or you are at a higher energy state to engage them. As for 190s, their engines are rather underwhelming so doing vertical turns will easily stall them out. In an uptier however, you can do little against 109 F-4s.

'''Japanese'''

You will see A6M2s most often in the P-39. While they posses great manoeuvrability and firepower, they are very slow planes and the P-39 will easily outrun them as well as outclimb them.

'''British'''

Spitfires are very hard to deal with if inexperienced. Your best option is to bait them into vertical turns, where they will easily stall out, making them easy prey. Make sure not to stall out in front of their guns, and plan your ascent with that in mind. Early Typhoons are not much of a threat and can be dealt with easily.

'''Soviets'''

Yours scariest opponents are the La-series of aircraft. They turn relatively well and have good energy retention. It is best to fight them only when you have a decisive energy advantage. You will fight early Yak-9s as well, but they have anaemic engine performance above 2 km and poor armament.

=== Manual Engine Control ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | MEC elements
|-
! rowspan="2" | Mixer
! rowspan="2" | Pitch
! colspan="3" | Radiator
! rowspan="2" | Supercharger
! rowspan="2" | Turbocharger
|-
! Oil !! Water !! Type
|-
| Controllable || Controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Not auto controlled || Controllable Not auto controlled || Separate || Not controllable 1 gear || Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Heavy armament & lots of ammo for MGs
* Great dive speed and acceleration
* Good roll rate
* Responsive
* Climbs well
* 3 flap options & the flaps deploy/retract quickly
* Decent stock grind
* Great energy retention
* Great stall control

'''Cons:'''

* Three different weapon trajectories make aiming difficult, although this is less of a problem if you are a proficient P-400 pilot
* Cannot fire the 2 MGs separately
* Compresses quite a lot, advisable to reduce throttle in a dive
* Cannot out-turn many opponents

== History ==


The P-39 Airacobra was a single-engine fighter used in the Pacific and Eastern fonts. The aircraft was produced from 1940 – May 1944, and its first flight was 6 April 1938. The manufacturer of this aircraft was Bell Aircraft. As mentioned before in the intro this aircraft is great in low attitude combat making it useful in naval battles for escorting torpedo bombers. The original idea for the Airacobra was a defensive interceptor which would protect American shores for the Axis powers. Destroying low flying torpedo and normal bombers was a wet dream for this aircraft has it could easily rip the wings and tail. The plane was originally sent to Britain; however, the aircraft became more powerful and dogfights were happening higher and higher in the atmosphere and it was sent back to the United States. The US then gave the P-39 Airacobra to the Aussies and was used to patrol the northern shores of Australia. The aircraft was later fitted with bombs and more cannons, which forced the plane into a ground support role and now could penetrate some tanks of the 1939-1942 era. Today, P-39 Airacobra can be found in the Air Force Museum and others around the world.

=== In-game description ===
Bell's P-39 Airacobra was a WWII-era American fighter that was notable for its uncommon design: the engine was placed behind the cockpit, and the landing gear moved from the tail to the nose. The aircraft was adopted by five countries: USA, Britain, Soviet Union, Portugal and Australia.

The P-39N was the first variant to be mass produced, with the P-39N-0 getting a new V-1710-85(E19) engine and a 3-blade Aeroproducts propeller with a 3.15 meter diameter. Starting from aircraft #167, some fuel tanks were removed from the wings to reduce weight, and a connection for additional fuel tanks was installed under the hull. To further increase flight performance, Soviet engineers often removed the wing-mounted machine guns, leaving two nose machine guns and a cannon.

As this variant, Bell produced 2,095 aircraft. Most of these were sent to the Soviet Union on the US's Lend-Lease program. In November 1942, the USSR received the first Airacobras, and the fighters showed good results in battle maneuvers at low and moderate altitudes. Many famous Soviet aces — such as Pokrishkin Alexander Ivanovich, Rechkalov Gregory Andreevich, Gulaev Dmitry Nikolaevich and Kutakhov Pavel Stepanovich — piloted the Airacobras during WWII.

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the aircraft;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [https://forum.warthunder.com/index.php?/topic/314746-bell-p-39n-0/ Official data sheet - more details about the performance]

{{AirManufacturer Bell}}
{{USA fighters}}

MILAN

2021-09-25T02:42:03Z

U55910445:

{{DISPLAYTITLE:MILAN ATGM}}
[[File:Milan.jpg|right|thumb]]

== Description ==

[[File:WeaponImage MILAN.png|thumb|left|420px|The MILAN missile (the launch tube, missile with fist stage motor, and deployed missile are shown; scale is approximate)]]
{{Break}}
The MILAN is a French/German developed anti-tank guided missile, with a single shaped-charge warhead. MILAN means "Missile d'Infanterie Léger ANtichar" (light anti-tank infantry missile). It is also the name for a family of a bird of prey (Kites) in French.

=== Vehicles equipped with this weapon ===


* {{Specs-Link|germ_marder_1a1}}
* {{Specs-Link|germ_marder_1a3}}
* {{Specs-Link|uk_ratel_20}}
* {{Specs-Link|uk_fv510_isv}}

== General info ==


{| class="wikitable"
|'''Caliber'''
|103 mm
|-
|'''Projectile Mass'''
|6.55 kg
|-
|'''max. speed'''
|200 m/s
|-
|'''Guidance system type'''
|Semi-automatic
|-
|'''Firing range'''
|2.00 km
|-
|'''Explosive Mass'''
|1.4 kg
|-
|'''TNT equivalent'''
|1.83 kg
|-
|'''Fuze Sensitivity'''
|0.1 mm
|}

=== Effective damage ===


{| class="wikitable"
!
!0°
!30°
!60°
|-
|'''10 m'''
|530 mm
|459 mm
|265 mm
|-
|'''100 m'''
|530 mm
|459 mm
|265 mm
|-
|'''500 m'''
|530 mm
|459 mm
|265 mm
|-
|'''1,000 m'''
|530 mm
|459 mm
|265 mm
|-
|'''1,500 m'''
|530 mm
|459 mm
|265 mm
|-
|'''2,000 m'''
|530 mm
|459 mm
|265 mm
|}

=== Comparison with analogues ===
''Give a comparative description of missiles that have firepower equal to this weapon.''

== Usage in battles ==
''Describe situations when you would utilize this missile in-game (vehicle, pillbox, base, etc)''

=== Pros and cons ===
''Summarize and briefly evaluate the weaponry in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark pros and cons as a list.''

'''Pros:'''

* Because it is wire-guided, the missile is not affected by radio jamming or flares.

'''Cons:'''

* Visual contact has to be maintained with the target at all times until the missile hits the target.
* Short range

== History ==
''Examine the history of the creation and combat usage of the weapon in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the weapon and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Weapon-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>.''

== Media ==
''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.''

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the article about the variant of the weapon;''
* ''references to approximate analogues by other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{Missiles}}

[[Category:Suspended armaments]]

Maus

2021-09-17T22:30:22Z

U55910445:

{{Specs-Card
|code=germ_pzkpfw_Maus
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.47 "Big Guns"]] as a main tree vehicle, however as of [[Update 1.91 "Night Vision"]] it was shifted to become a gift vehicle for players who previously owned it. It was later reopened to research for a limited time during [[wt:en/news/6907-special-8th-anniversary-of-war-thunder-en|War Thunder's 8th anniversary]]. The Maus is the definitive tank of ''heavy armour'' in Rank V and is the largest ground vehicle in game. The Maus can be a menace in the battlefield and conversely also a bullet magnet, a double-edged sword that must be played correctly or else fall victim to heavy enemy fire.

The "Maus" lives up to its reputation as a mobile bunker. The dual guns do great damage, however, against high-rank tanks it is best to use the 128 mm main gun. It is important to protect the back armour on the Maus and to make sure it does not get outflanked. Preferable used at long range and choke points. Best used as an armoured beast able to destroy vehicles and take any shot.

Speed on the vehicle is roughly 20 km/h. The sheer mass of the vehicle and its speed makes the mobility difference from the road to off-road negligible. The vehicle can actually turn pretty fast once at Gear 6, which is better than the Jagdtiger and some other Rank V heavy counterparts. Keep that in mind and use it as an advantage in {{Annotation|CQC|Close Quarters Combat}}.

The 128 mm is a great gun in-game, very accurate and perfect for mid to long range engagements. The reload is very good too for its calibre (23-second stock) that is a big advantage versus IS-4s, because the Maus has three seconds for an extra shot. KwK44 has the second best penetration value of any APHE shell in-game surpassed only by the 130 mm on the [[IS-7]]. However, the APCR and HEAT shells of the T-54 and late US vehicles surpasses it. Damage wise the 128 mm PzGr.43 is equivalent to the [[IS-3|122 mm BR-471 of the D-25T]], where penetration usually means a knock-out.

Coaxial LMG? Pff, that's for normal tanks (But it is there anyway). On the Maus, everything is ''bigger''. The short 75 mounted alongside the main 128 originally served as anti-infantry and soft target weapon of choice. In War Thunder, these vehicle types are either not found on the battlefield or as latter only on certain maps. It comes without question that the 75 mm should be used against AAA, trucks and SPAA. However, the HEAT shell can be used to harass the enemy, lure them out/in of cover, or just damage medium tank's sides (T-54 and M46 do not exceed 80 mm of armour) tracks and even hull break some lightly armoured vehicles such as the BMP 1. In addition, the secondary cannon has a good reload rate of around 5 sec, thus it can be used to defeat [[:Category:Light_tanks|light tanks]] and [[:Category:Anti-aircraft_vehicles|SPAA]] without wasting the precious 128 mm ammo for more heavily armoured targets.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

'''Armour type:'''

*Rolled homogeneous armour
*Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 200 mm (55°) ''Front glacis'' 200 mm (35°) ''Lower glacis'' || 180 mm ''Top'' 100 mm ''Bottom'' 300 mm ''Weld joints''|| 150 mm (36°) ''Top'' 150 mm (31°) ''Bottom'' || 50 mm ''General area'' 100 mm ''Front roof''
|-
| Turret || 232 mm (3-53°)''Turret front'' 240 mm ''Gun mantlet'' || 205 mm (30°) || 200 mm (15°) || 60 mm
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Armour on the Maus is quite complex, and definitely does not end with the above-mentioned values
** Gun mantlet is 240 mm thick and nicely rounded, right around both guns the armour is 300 mm thick
** Tracks at the front are protected by 100+60 mm plates (100mm basic plate + attached tracks)
** Behind the frontal upper plate on deck armour, there are many 60mm highly sloped plates of armour, protecting the engine vents and turret ring from HEAT/HE shells and some small-calibre fire
** Frontal part of the belly is also 100 mm thick (Would be probably good against mines/other explosives), the rest is 50mm
** Deck armour in front of these plates is also strengthened to an impressive 100 mm
** Side armour is split to two parts, top with 180 mm and bottom with 100 mm + tracks
** Even inside the tank there is armour - there are many 20 mm plates inside the tank, separating crew compartments from various modules, and partially protecting the interior from shrapnel that penetrated the tank from other areas
***One plate is at the rear of the tank, between the enormous transmission and the fighting compartment
*** Second one is more to the front, separating fighting compartment from the middle-mounted Engine and its radiators
*** Third is in the front between the driver's compartment and the Engine
*** Around the driver there are many more 20 mm plates, adding some protection to Fuel Tanks located there

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=1,549|rbMinHp=1,061}}

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|KwK44 (128 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[KwK44 (128 mm)|128 mm KwK44]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 68 || rowspan="2" | -7°/+23° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 6.6 || 9.0 || 10.9 || 12.0 || 12.8 || rowspan="2" | 23.66 || rowspan="2" | 20.93 || rowspan="2" | 19.30 || rowspan="2" | 18.20
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 4.8 || 5.6 || 6.8 || 7.5 || 8.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| PzGr || APC || 252 || 249 || 237 || 222 || 208 || 196
|-
| Sprgr. L/5 || HE || 37 || 37 || 37 || 37 || 37 || 37
|-
| PzGr 43 || APCBC || 272 || 269 || 257 || 242 || 228 || 215
|-
|12,8/8,8 Pzgr.TS
|APCBC
|312
|307
|288
|266
|245
|226
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| PzGr || APC || 930 || 26.35 || 1.2 || 19 || 786.5 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| Sprgr. L/5 || HE || 750 || 28 || 0.1 || 0.5 || 3,700 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| PzGr 43 || APCBC || 940 || 28.3 || 1.2 || 19 || 786.5 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
|12,8/8,8 Pzgr.TS
|APCBC
|1230
|9.85
|1.2
|19
|108.8
|48°
|63°
|71°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! Ammo parts
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! 7th rack empty
! 8th rack empty
! 9th rack empty
! 10th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''68''' || style="text-align:right" | ''Projectiles'' ''Propellants''|| 62 ''(+6)'' 62 ''(+6)'' || 55 ''(+13)'' 55 ''(+13)'' || 50 ''(+18)'' 50 ''(+18)'' || 45 ''(+23)'' 45 ''(+23)'' || 39 ''(+29)'' 39 ''(+29)'' || 33 ''(+35)'' 33 ''(+35)'' || 25 ''(+43)'' 25 ''(+43)'' || 17 ''(+51)'' 17 ''(+51)'' || 9 ''(+59)'' 9 ''(+59)'' || 1 ''(+67)'' 1 ''(+67)'' || No
|-
|}
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
Turret empty: 45 (+23)

=== Additional armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}

{{main|KwK44 L/36.5 (75 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="4" | [[KwK44 L/36.5 (75 mm)|75 mm KwK44 L/36.5]] || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
| 100 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 5.20 || 4.60 || 4.24 || 4.00
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80
|-
| Hl.Gr 38C || HEAT || 100 || 100 || 100 || 100 || 100 || 100
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 420 || 5.74 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 686 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 450 || 4.4 || 0 || 0.1 || 872.1 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
| Hl.Gr 38C || HEAT || 450 || 4.8 || 0 || 0.1 || 875.5 || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="7" | Smoke shell characteristics
|-
! Ammunition
! Velocity (m/s)
! Projectile Mass (kg)
! Screen radius (m)
! Screen deploy time (s)
! Screen hold time (s)
! Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
|-
| K.Gr.Rot Nb. || 423 || 6.2 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|center|framed|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''100''' || 76 ''(+24)'' || 51 ''(+49)'' || 26 ''(+74)'' || 1 ''(+99)'' || No
|-
|}

Turret empty: 76 (+24)

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|MG34 (7.92 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[MG34 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm MG34]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 1,000 (150) || 900 || -7°/+23° || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

Versus heavy tanks, the Maus has all the advantages. While slower it can make up for this in close combat thanks to the good turn rate of both tracks and turret. Just quickly angle the Maus (both turret and hull!) and ''turn'' it almost invincible heat shells can still penetrate the angled turret, be advised. Try angling the front drive wheel at the enemy tank and turn the turret so that the armour is at ~45 degrees to the enemy fire. The tanks that pose a threat are the [[M103]], the [[M48 Patton (Family)|M48]], the [[T-62 545 (China)|Chinese T-62]], and especially the BMPs, and the [[Object 120]], basically every tank that has got HEAT-FS, ATGM, and the APFSDS that can penetrate more than 320mm of armor. One other good strategy is to capture the objective and just defend it. This can be really helpful to the team.

Versus medium tanks, the Panzerkampfwagen VIII can fight in {{Annotation|CQC|Close Quarter Combat}} with its great turret rotation speed, but at the cost of exposing the side armour and getting flanked, this should be kept as one's last and or only option. Distance is the ally of the Maus, which should be easy to do considering that the top speed is 20 kph.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* One of the most armoured tanks in the game
** Practically invincible, if angled properly
** Capable of soaking a large amount of damage
* Only vulnerable to large-calibre HE shells
* Very resilient to bombs and rockets
* Turret sides are as strong as, if not stronger than, the front of the turret
* Access to smoke grenades
* Surprisingly good off-road maneuverability
* Makes decently fast turns in high gear movement or in neutral steering
* Very difficult to immobilize, due to extremely thick track skirts
* Powerful 128 mm cannon
* Secondary 75 mm coaxial cannon is surprisingly effective when using HEAT rounds

'''Cons:'''

* Very slow
* Struggles on hilly terrain
* Requires good teamwork to perform adequately
* Slow turret rotation
* The sides of the Maus are littered with ammo racks
* Very loud engine, players will be able to locate the Maus just by the engine sounds
* Vulnerable at all ranges to modern rounds such as sabot rounds
* Towing is practically impossible unless it is done by another Maus
* Large bombs will commonly cripple the Maus, or detonate its fuel tanks
* Optics have little zoom capability, making it difficult for hitting long range targets
* Big target for ATGMs
* No modern armour of any kind, relies completely on conventional armour plating
* Secondary 75 mm is hard to aim

== History ==

===Development===
This monster of a tank started development in 1942 on the suggestion of Ferdinand Porsche to Hitler, which was approved. The first prototype was to be completed by 1943 and the project vehicle was designated the ''Mammut'' (Mammoth). The name changed in December 1942 to ''Mäuschen'' (Little Mouse), then once more to the '''Maus''' (Mouse) in February 1943, which stayed as its designation (and perhaps proving that Germany does have a sense of humour).

The prototype used Ferdinand's "electric transmission" that was previously used on the rejected [[VK 45.01 (P)|Tiger(P)]], the vehicle would be powered by an MB 517 diesel engine. The Maus has a suspension design with 24 wheels on each side, 2 per bogie with two bogies side by side and six bogies lining up from front and back. The armour was perhaps the most defining feature at 220 mm thick at the hull front, the sides and rear were 190 mm thick. The turret was even thicker at 240 mm on the front and 200 mm on the sides and rear. The vehicle was to also have a 128 mm KwK 44 main gun with a 75 mm KwK 44 gun as a coaxial. The overwhelming design was approximated to weight 100 tons.

The production plan was to have the prototype completed by mid-1943 and for 10 vehicles per month after the prototype delivery. Work would be divided between Krupp and Alkett for the production of the machine. The wooden model of the tank was presented on May 1943 to Hitler. It was then approved for production and 150 of them were to be built. With the final design finished, it was estimated to weight 188 tons now. Though Hitler and his peers saw it with much favour, Heinz Guderian criticised the Maus design because there was a lack of machine guns, thus it was extremely vulnerable to infantry attacks at close-quarters for the same reason as the [[Ferdinand|Ferdinand tank destroyer]]. The anti-infantry problem was solved with the addition of a coaxial machine gun and a ''Nahverteidigungswaffe'' dischargers, firing smoke or high-explosive shells in its surrounding area, installed on the turret.

===Production and cancellation===
Two prototypes of the Maus were made in 1943 and 1944. The first one, called ''V1'' was turretless and assembled by Alkett in December 1943, it was fitted with a mock turret that helped finalise the turret design in 1944. Here they determine the Maus was definitely too heavy for any bridges in existence so the Maus would ford rivers with a snorkel. The second prototype called ''V2'' by Alkett again had the first produced Maus turret attached with the 128 mm gun, coaxial 75 mm gun, and coaxial machine gun. In July 1944, Krupp was producing four more hulls, but these were scrapped and the whole project stopped on August 1944, though tests with the ''V2'' continued. The weight of the tank meant that the power-to-weight ratio was extremely poor, resulting in the Maus' ideal speed of about 8 miles per hour maximum in ideal conditions.

However, the Maus was never fully produced because it was the only tank that seized production because of a strategic bombing campaign that would ruin its production facilities. Adding to this, by 1944, the Red Army was advancing deeper and deeper into what was previously German-controlled territory. The vision that the Red Army might capture the testing grounds of the Maus prototypes and the prototypes themselves seem to come closer to reality. The Germans were forced to destroy the prototypes to prevent their capture by the Soviets, placing charges onto the ''V2'' prototype (the ''V1'' was only a hull so it wasn't combat-effective). The second prototype had the entire hull damaged as there was ammunition still in the tank when the charges went off, but the turret was mostly intact. The Russians captured the damaged prototypes and held them until the end of the war. After World War II, the Soviet Commander of Armoured and Mechanized troops ordered for the V1 hull to be attached with the turret from the V2 prototype. They had to use six ''Sd.Kfz. 9'', the largest half-track vehicles produced by Germany, to move the 55-ton turret to the hull. The fixed prototype was sent back to the Soviet Union for testing and arrive on May 4, 1946. Once this is done, the prototype was sent to Kubinka Tank museum in Russia where it lays today on display for the public.

=== In-game description ===
An experimental super-heavy tank built in Germany towards the end of the war. The project was developed by Ferdinand Porsche.

The first tank was assembled at the Alkett factory in Berlin on August 1, 1943.

The first trial run of the Type 205/1 tank was conducted on December 24, 1943. The turret still wasn't ready, so a load equal to the weight of the turret was placed on top of the tank. The prototype turned out to be quite maneuverable once it was able to leave the assembly area, where it had been rather cramped. According to those who had the opportunity to drive the tank, the Maus was easier to drive than the Pz.Kpfw. IV.

In November, 1943 a 44 caliber, 128mm KwK 44 cannon was built that was intended for the tank. The cannon's designation was later changed to 12.8 cm KwK 82. The weapon was tested at the Meppen training ground. The turret was installed on the 205/1 prototype on July 6, 1944, and on October 3, 1944 the armament was installed and the fully-outfitted tank was tested at the training ground in Kummersdorf.

Both prototypes were tested in Kummersdorf, but no reliable information on these tests is available. Whether or not experimental firing was conducted is also unknown.

Toward the end of the war, bodies and turrets had begun to be produced in addition to the prototypes that had been built.

As the Soviet troops were approaching in 1945 both prototypes were blown up. Soviet specialists were able to reconstruct one Maus from the wreckage. This rebuilt tank was delivered to the training ground in Kubinka in 1946, where various tests were performed.

The Panzerkampfwagen Maus can currently be viewed on display at the tank museum in Kubinka.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=germ_pzkpfw_Maus Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Images
<div><ul>
<li style="display: inline-block;"> [[File:Wallpaper MAUS 000012.jpg|thumb|none|300px|]] </li>
</ul></div>

;Videos

Gameplay/History:
{{Youtube-gallery|6ZtvfyAsmM4|'''The Shooting Range #68''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 09:31 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.|B2woWvJK4ew|'''Top 7 most armoured vehicles''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 4:35 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|ly9JS6errQQ|'''Best secondary armaments''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 3:14 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|x97HKmhCRsE|'''The Maus''' - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|Zs9_u_plcSw|'''The Maus Super-Heavy Tank''' - ''Simple History''}}
Review:
{{Youtube-gallery|_x9vub-xk9Y|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|SfMT-d6Kez4|'''Mighty Maus''' - ''TheDevildogGamer''}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/737/|[Devblog] Panzerkampfwagen VIII «Maus»]]
* <nowiki>[Historical]</nowiki> Panzerkampfwagen VIII "Maus", [[wt:en/news/2825-historical-panzerkampfwagen-viii-maus-part-i-en|Part I]], [[wt:en/news/2831-historical-panzerkampfwagen-viii-maus-part-ii-en|Part II]], and [[wt:en/news/2843/current/|Part III]]

{{Germany heavy tanks}}

IS-3

2021-09-17T22:28:57Z

U55910445:

{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_is_3
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the closed beta testing for Ground Forces before [[Update 1.41]]. The IS-3 keeps the same [[D-25T (122 mm)|D-25T]] gun as its predecessor while ''drastically'' upgrading its armour without hindering mobility too much.

Anyone familiar with the [[IS-2]] and [[IS-2 (1944)]] will sit comfortably behind the driver's controls of this behemoth.

As with previous IS models, the IS-3 sports the same D-25T 122 mm cannon, with its awesome destructive potential. Experienced tankers will know which weak points to look for on most targets, although the weapon's effectiveness increases dramatically once the BR-417D ammunition is researched, upgrading its penetration from 207 to 230 mm while retaining most of the HE filler. At its battle rating, the IS-3 will come up against many other heavy tanks with large, slow reloading guns, making the playing field much more even. Despite this, always beware the faster, lightly armoured targets such as the [[Ru 251]], [[Leopard I]], and other vehicles that can essentially ignore the IS-3's armour like the [[FV4005|FV4005]]. As with the IS-2 mod. 1944, the IS-3 has a spindle-mounted Heavy Machine Gun, good for warding off strafing aircraft or deterring light vehicles.

The IS-3 once again demonstrates sub-par mobility, despite being relatively light for a heavy tank. It has an engine that produces a measly 671 horsepower, making the vehicle feel sluggish when attempting to initiate a turn from both standstills and when moving. Its' acceleration also leaves much to be desired, however, it does have a reasonably high top speed, and usually will reach it eventually regardless of the surface it is driving on. Fortunately, as with all late Soviet heavy tanks, the reverse speed of the IS-3 is very respectable, often allowing it the time necessary to back out of bad situations to reload or repair. The reverse gears and low forward gears allow the vehicle to climb surprisingly sharp slopes, despite what some might expect from such a large vehicle.

The most obvious changes over the previous IS tanks are of course the redesigned turret and the sharply angled 'pike' nose. The front is not only angled, but the armour is also relatively thick, with 110 mm on both the top and bottom, angled at 54°-56° and 54° respectively. As with previous designs, the IS-3 has somewhat sub-par side and rear armour, and angling should be avoided. The redesigned turret is much more resilient than the older designs, with more angling, a much smaller flat area around the mantlet, and significantly thicker casting. The tank is somewhat vulnerable to trap shots and turret ring penetration - these can be somewhat negated by depressing the gun and blocking the vulnerable areas.

The IS-3 is the definition of a 'breakthrough' tank, which excels at close-range, front-on conflict where the chances of flanking are minimal and drivers can take advantage of the heavy frontal armour and reverse speed. When up-tiered, or against certain enemies with HEAT, HESH or ATGMs, IS-3 drivers should play cautiously as the tank is extremely vulnerable to high-penetration and chemical rounds.

== General info ==
[[File:IS-3 Screenshot 1.jpg|thumb|Screenshot of the IS-3 on [[Berlin (Ground Forces)|Berlin]]]]

=== Survivability and armour ===
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull, Turret roof)
* Cast homogeneous armour (Turret)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 110 mm (54-56°) ''Front glacis'' 110 mm (54°) ''Lower glacis'' || 90 mm (0-40°) ''Top'' 20 mm (60°) ''Bottom'' || 60 mm (47°) ''Top'' 60 mm (41-42°) ''Bottom'' || 20 mm
|-
| Turret || 250 mm (1-78°) ''Turret front'' 100 + 250 mm (9-79°) ''Gun mantlet''|| 75-220 mm (33-69°) || 70-120 mm (22-52°) || 20 mm ''Front, Hatch roof'' 40 mm ''Center'' 75 mm ''Sides''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick while tracks are 30 mm thick.
* The thickest armour of the tank is at the front – the "beak" at the front of the hull raises the effective thickness of the armour from 110 to around 180 – 200 mm, depending on the exact spot.
* The turret front of the IS-3 is an also fairly well armoured, with 250 mm of heavily sloped armour equating to around 400 mm effective thickness.
* Turret side armour is not equal throughout its length. In the side middle, it is 130 mm, then bordering the rear armour is 150 mm thick.
* Gun mantlet side and bottom are boosted by the 250 mm of the turret front, whereas the top of gun mantlet has no armour behind it.
* Side armour of the hull has an additional 5 mm of sheet metal on above the suspension area.
* Turret ring is 200 mm thick with a 20 mm "collar" covering the front and sides.
* Upper half of the side armour is at a very steep angle, meaning conventional rounds will simply bounce

=== Mobility ===
{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 671|rbMinHp= 460}}

The mobility and speed of the IS-3 is decent, and is somewhere between other heavy tanks of the same tier and mediums tanks of the same tier. The IS-3 drives very similar to its predecessors the [[IS-1]] and [[IS-2]]. Whenever the IS-3 turns at all, much of the speed of the tank is instantly lost, making the hull turn rate lacklustre, especially without neutral steering. This is, of course, akin to those previously mentioned predecessors.

=== Modifications and economy ===
{{Specs-Economy}}

== Armaments ==
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
[[File:IS-3 Screenshot 2.jpg|thumb|Screenshot of the IS-3 on [[Berlin (Ground Forces)|Berlin]]]]

=== Main armament ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}

{{main|D-25T (122 mm)}}

The IS-3 carries a heavy 122 mm D-25T cannon, the same weapon mounted on the IS-2 and IS-4M, as well as other variants of the IS-3. This cannon, based on a heavy howitzer, is a highly-effective weapon capable of hitting extremely hard. However, it has an extremely slow reload speed, and rather poor gun depression.

The D-25T cannon fires large 122 mm shells, which are relatively effective against most targets at the IS-3's BR. However, the cannon's effectiveness is hampered by two main drawbacks - relatively bad gun handling (particularly the gun depression and turret rotation speed), and the ridiculously long reload rate. Firstly, the turret has a weak gun depression of just 3 degrees as well as a slow rotation speed, which can hamper the IS-3's ability to get its gun on target quickly and efficiently. Secondly, and more importantly, the IS-3 has a massive gun reload of 20+ seconds. This means that the IS-3 is more suited for a longer-ranged, "heavy fire support" role, as it makes use of the gun's massive punching power without running into situations where the IS-3's gun cannot reload quickly enough to return fire. However, these two drawbacks are compensated for by the IS-3's powerful ammunition, capable of dealing with most targets at its BR. While it retains the 3 shell types found on the previous IS-2, the IS-3's gun also gets access to the BR-471D APCBC shell. This shell gets less TNT filler than the other shells, but gains improved penetration of 230 mm at point-blank range. This shell is capable of frontally-penetrating most tanks at the IS-3's BR.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[D-25T (122 mm)|122 mm D-25T]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
|-
! ''Arcade''
| rowspan="2" | 28 || rowspan="2" | -3°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 7.3 || 10.1 || 12.2 || 13.5 || 14.4 || rowspan="2" | 26.00 || rowspan="2" | 23.00 || rowspan="2" | 21.20 || rowspan="2" | 20.00
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 5.4 || 6.3 || 7.7 || 8.4 || 9.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
|-
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
|-
| BR-471 || APHE || 205 || 201 || 183 || 162 || 144 || 128
|-
| BR-471B || APHEBC || 205 || 203 || 191 || 178 || 166 || 155
|-
| BR-471D || APCBC || 230 || 227 || 215 || 200 || 186 || 173
|-
| OF-471 || HE || 37 || 37 || 37 || 37 || 37 || 37
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" | Velocity (m/s)
! rowspan="2" | Projectile Mass (kg)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay (m)
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity (mm)
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
|-
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
|-
| BR-471 || APHE || 795 || 25 || 1.2 || 19 || 246.4 || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| BR-471B || APHEBC || 795 || 25 || 1.2 || 19 || 246.4 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| BR-471D || APCBC || 800 || 25 || 1.2 || 19 || 192.5 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| OF-471 || HE || 800 || 25 || 0 || 0.1 || 3,600 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
|}

==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Full ammo
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''28''' || 23 ''(+5)'' || 17 ''(+11)'' || 13 ''(+15)'' || 10 ''(+18)'' || 8 ''(+20)'' || 1 ''(+27)'' || No
|-
|}

The D-25T cannon fires two-piece ammunition that are stored all around the crew compartment. The majority of the projectiles are found lining the sides and rear of the turret while the majority of the propellant found in the hull, with two large piles flanking the driver and a few kept on the hull floor and rear. Next to the cannon breech on the loader's side is a small ready rack containing 5 propellant charges, with the 5 accompanying projectiles found to the loader's right against the turret side. The time it takes the loader to load one round into the ready rack from the stowage racks is about 21 seconds.

* Recommended ammo load is 12, which empty all of the racks but racks 1 and 6.
* Ammo Rack 1 is a ready rack, and takes priority in being filled at the beginning of the battle, then fills racks 6 through 2.
* Full reload speed will be realized as long as ammo exists in the ready racks. If all three ready racks are empty, a penalty to reload speed will occur.
* Simply not firing when the gun is loaded will load ammo from racks 2-6 into rack 1, as long as there is ammo in racks 2-6. Firing will interrupt the loading of the ready racks.

=== Machine guns ===
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|3}}

{{main|DShK (12.7 mm)|DT (7.62 mm)}}

The IS-3 carries two secondary machine guns, being a 12.7 mm DShK machine gun on the turret roof as well as a coaxial 7.62 mm DT machine gun. The DT machine gun is relatively ineffective, as its small calibre prevents it from doing any sort of real damage against targets with any armour. As well, the coaxial mounting prevents the DT from firing at air targets effectively. The DShK, on the other hand, can be a more potent weapon when used against lightly-armoured vehicles or aircraft. The gun can penetrate the sides/back of some IFVs/SPAAs/light-armoured vehicles, and also has good firing angles allowing it to engage enemy aircraft and helicopters.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[DShK (12.7 mm)|12.7 mm DShK]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Pintle || 300 (50) || 600 || -4°/+85° || ±180°
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[DT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm DT]]
|-
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
|-
| Coaxial || 2,000 (63) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==


The IS-3, continuing the tradition of the Russian IS line of heavy tanks, sports a powerful 122 mm cannon, strong frontal armour and reasonable mobility for its class. As with its predecessors, it excels at dispatching anything it can penetrate with its explosive-filled rounds, and relies heavily on its excellent reverse speed and sharply angled armour to keep itself out of trouble. However, an IS-3 commander will increasingly encounter HEAT, HESH and ATGMs which pose a serious threat to the vehicle. The IS-3 also has a rather exposed and exploitable trap-shot directly under the gun barrel when the turret is facing directly forward, which even conventional rounds can use. It is also recommended to make sure that the enemy tank has around the same height advantage as you, as the armour plate on top of the gun breech can be penetrated by enemy shells shot from above, damaging the gun breech and possibly killing your tank.

One important thing to note is that the stock grind of this vehicle is rather bad. When stock, the vehicle is sluggish, and has a shell that really struggles to penetrate some of the well armoured tanks of its BR bracket, which you will regularly face. This will lead to you being more of a support tank when stock, but as you research more modifications the IS-3 becomes better.

[[File:IS-3 Screenshot 3.jpg|thumb|Screenshot of the IS-3 on [[Berlin (Ground Forces)|Berlin]]]]

=== General Gameplay ===
One of the most important points about the IS-3 is that angling does not work - your pike nose will become easier to get through as you angle your tank, so handle all enemies head-on, if possible. However your gun is still the same 122 mm cannon as on the initial [[IS-2]] at which is situated at a lower battle rating, so it is understandable that you will struggle to penetrate many heavy enemies frontally now at the higher battle rating, even with the new shell that can go through 230 mm of armour at close range.

In the current meta, faster vehicles are more viable than heavier ones, and the IS-3 is at a big disadvantage especially in Realistic. Your armour is amazing in a downtier, but it's basically non-existent in an uptier (to Battle Ratings 8.0 / 8.3, where you start seeing APFSDS and HEAT shells all the time), so knowing when to take this tank out is also a big part of gameplay with it.

'''Arcade Battles'''

Surprisingly, the IS-3 can do very well in Arcade. Many enemies in Arcade don't seem to know that the best way to kill the IS-3 with a conventional round is via a shot-trap, so your survivability is increased. Moreover, when fully upgraded, the IS-3 becomes extremely mobile in Arcade allowing you to get into cover after shooting, or quickly advance on an unsuspecting enemy. The best strategy against a single enemy is to just rush them - the terrain usually bounces your tank around slightly making it very difficult to penetrate, and the sheer sight of a heavy tank speeding towards the enemy will cause some panic.

The more experienced tanker will know when to take the IS-3 out in battle and when to use other vehicles. If you know that the game is an uptier (e.g. by checking the statistics tab, or by the map draw) you should decide against the IS-3 and take out a tank like the [[BMP-1]], which fits better into the high tier meta. Also, long-range engagements are a gamble, since your top round and long reload times make it difficult to successfully attack enemies, while they might have a HEAT shell that disregards distance. However, the rush strategy can work here as well, especially if you turn your tank in random directions once in a while, making it harder for opponents to aim at you.

'''Realistic Battles'''

In Realistic, the IS-3 is much more difficult to play, because enemies take more time to aim at weakspots and your mobility is toned down. Due to that, you need to take time with your own shots and know your opponents - is there an ammo-rank in the side of the Caernarvon, or should you shoot at the driver's position? and etc. Generally, you need to play with stealth in Realistic, because the person who shoots first is usually the one that gets the kill. Flanking can, and does, work with the IS-3, not because of speed, but because your teammates are shot and you can return fire at the perpetrators and continue your advance. Moreover, some light tanks that are prevalent at the higher Battle Ratings outright cannot penetrate you with their main guns (most of them have ATGMs, though).

Against ATGMs, it's a good idea to use your machine guns to shoot at the ground in front of your tank - this makes a small smoke-screen out of dirt and rubble that makes it difficult for enemies to aim their ATGMs. Keep in mind though, that you should still move your tank away from the initial position, because enemies will try to predict where you are going (it's a good idea to shoot machine guns increasingly to the left, while moving to the right, because it causes a sense of your tank moving with machine guns, while actually, you're moving in the other direction).

'''General Tips'''

The IS-3 is relatively versatile, but excels in close-range combat against conventional rounds - it is very good at taking on other heavy tanks such as the [[T32|T32]] and [[Caernarvon]].

* It has a reasonably decent top speed, and on solid ground, acceptable acceleration, allowing it to reach cap points and combat areas fairly promptly and set up in positions to allow it to make the most of the frontal armour.
* When down tiered, the IS-3 performs excellently, able to push forward and play its 'breakthrough' role with impunity.
* Good climbing capabilities allow the IS-3 to reach some surprising positions for sniping or supporting teammates pushing points. Despite the gun's effectiveness being reduced at the range, the armour of the vehicle becomes much more effective as weak spots become significantly harder to hit.
* Since the IS-3 can keep up with most medium tanks like the Centurions, Panthers or T-44s, it can be played as early-game heavy support for those lighter, more vulnerable hulls to assist in taking objectives.
* In up tiered games (7.7-8.3), the IS-3 can come across a lot of chemical rounds and must be played significantly more carefully, as its armour simply cannot compete with the high penetration of these rounds.

Play this tank almost any way that is favourable. A few tips to increase this vehicle's performance:

* Always face towards the enemies directly, avoid exposing the weak hull sides.
* Cover the frontal weak spots if necessary with the gun's large barrel by pointing it downwards. It's better to have the gun barrel destroyed than it is to lose crew members and be potentially unable to reverse out of bad situations.
* Stop only to fire. Movement makes the weak spots harder to target. Even when there is no destination to move to, go back and forth a few meters just so that the IS-3 hull wobbles a bit on start and stop.
* Plan aggressive pushes and movements around enemy locations. The gun has negligible depression and very bad horizontal traverse, making reacting to enemies slow and risky, and impossible if they're on lower ground.
* Avoid engaging vehicles over hills by climbing the hill as it will be hard to aim with only -3° depression and the lower plate will be vulnerable due to the angling.
* Avoid fighting tanks with HEAT/HESH/APFSDS.
* Be careful when brawling at extremely close ranges, as the top of the turret is quite vulnerable due to the vehicle's low profile.
* Avoid facing elevated opponents, as this decreases LOS thickness for hull and exposes turret top.
* Carrying less ammo helps increase survivability from penetrating shots to the turret (ammunition is spread around the edges of the turret).

=== The Stock Grind ===
This vehicle can be a pain to play when stock, because enemies will try to kill you in any way, often by setting you on fire 3 times in a row. Your tracks and gun barrel are frequent targets as well, and without Parts or FPE gameplay is going to be painful. Due to this, you must '''research Parts and FPE first''', this is extremely important. Generally, you would want to be behind your teammates, to let them get shot more instead of you, when reloaded you can poke out and shoot your shot, right before going back into the cover or behind teammates. Sniping is an option, but it's not the most viable since there's quite a lot of bullet drop and missing your shots will cause the very long reload.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros''':

* Very good frontal armour. Upper and lower plates are basically immune to all conventional shells
* First Soviet heavy tank that comes with the V-shaped hull and ridiculously strong spaced armour lining the sides
* Really strong turret. Even the sides of the turret are heavily armoured and angled
* Very powerful 122 mm gun; top APHE shell has high penetration and very good damage potential
* Good top speed and maneuverability

'''Cons''':

* Horrifying reload speed; despite the armour, fighting two tanks at once is ill-advised
* Armour is still no match for APDS and HEAT
* Terrible gun depression; finding a good hull-down location to use the gun is difficult
* Despite the good turret, the left side of the gun mantlet can be penetrated by conventional rounds with good penetration (Like the 88 mm shell found on the Tiger II)
* Bottom of the gun mantlet is an infamous shot trap
* While a small target, the entirety of the turret ring is exposed
* Ammo is strewn throughout the entire crew compartment
* Roof-mounted 12.7 mm machine gun only has a 50 box magazine before needing to reload
* Only four crew members in a small crew compartment; any APHE shell that penetrates will likely knock out the entire crew
* 122 mm gun is the same as the IS-2 with the exception of the new BR-471D shell and will struggle to knock out hull down American mediums and heavies like the M48 Patton and T32

== History ==


===Development===
Late in 1944, development of the next generation of the IS heavy tanks started, following after the [[IS-2 (1944)|IS-2]] tank. The tank was to be better in armour compared to the IS-2 as a response to the new [[Tiger II (H)|Tiger II]] that showed up and is able to penetrate the front armour of the hull. The project was codenamed ''Kirovets-1'' and was headed by General Nikolai Dukhov.<ref name="ZalogaIS">Zaloga Steven. ''IS-2 Heavy Tank 1944-73'' Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 1994</ref> Design bureaus at the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant "Tankograd" (ChTZ) and Factory No. 100 worked on the design of the vehicle. A focus on the armour improvement came from a study by an engineer in the teams that most tank losses occurred from hits to the front turret, with the front hull coming in second. The two design bureaus came up with their own ideas on how to make the armour of the tank more effective, with ChTZ developing an extremely rounded turret and No.100 developing a new angled front armour in a shape of a "beak". Soviet command decided that the design should use both features in the armour as both ideas were promising. The prototype vehicle was then produced at ChTZ and completed in October 1944 when it trialled and accepted for production as the '''IS-3'''. Production for the IS-3 started in 1945 at ChTZ alongside the IS-2 production. As the first tanks rolled off production lines, it was determined that the design was rushed and unproven with its multiple mechanical problems, some of which included the armour plates welds cracking open from the vibration of cross-country movement and muzzle blast from the gun. Because of this, the IS-3 was not available in large numbers to be committed into battle, leading to their absence in the final months of World War II before Germany surrendered in May 1945.<ref name="ZalogaIS" />

Despite its rough introduction and prevalent mechanical issues, the IS-3 continued production with gradual fixes to the front hull, final drive, and engine mounts. The Chelyabinsk factory produced IS-3s from 1945 to 1951 for a total of 1,800 tanks.<ref name="ZalogaIS" />

===Usage===
Though the IS-3 was not available in large numbers at the start, the Soviets attempted to transport the IS-3 to Germany in April 1945 to assist in the fighting, but they arrived too late to be committed to any fighting. It is reported that the IS-3 did see service during the Soviet invasion of Manchuria in August 1945 to fulfil Stalin's promise in the Yalta Conference to invade Japan after the capitulation of Germany, however not much information is present about this topic.<ref name="ZalogaIS" />

The end of the most destructive war in history did not waver the Soviet's opinion of the IS-3 however, and the Soviet command had the 52 IS-3 tanks from the 2nd Guards Tank Army paraded in the Berlin Victory Parade on September 7, 1945.<ref name="ZalogaIS" /> The reveal of the IS-3 in the parade came as a huge shock to the Western Allies who saw the IS-3 as a nigh-invulnerable breakthrough tank with their heavy armour. The response to the tank was there to develop their own heavy tanks able to do the same job and with a gun able to fight the IS-3, such as the British [[Conqueror|Conqueror]] and the American [[M103|M103]] heavy tanks. Despite its very ominous stature, the IS-3 was still plagued with mechanical issues at this point with its poor armour quality and mechanical reliability. A short modernization program from 1948 to 1952 was made to fix these issues with tanks in production and in the depots with no change to the name designation. The IS-3 was then modernized further in the 1960s to keep it up with changing times. The modifications done were similar to the IS-2M, which gave the IS-3 extra external fuel tanks, storage bins, and protective side skirts as well as an improved engine, engine filtration, new radios, new machine guns, new gun optics, and many more small changes. The modernized IS-3 was named the ''IS-3M''.<ref name="ZalogaIS" />

One of the few actions the IS-3 saw in the post-war era with the Soviet Union was in 1956 during the Hungarian Revolution with a single heavy tank regiment. The Soviet's heavy tank regiments used to consist of 21 heavy tanks during World War II. In 1947, the regiment composition is changed to between 44-46 heavy tanks and 21 heavy assault guns in a mixed formation. Another change between 1958-1959 saw this mixed unit changed to consist of only heavy tanks but now consists of up to 100 heavy tanks. Despite their armour, a number of heavy tanks were lost before the Soviets were able to crush the revolution. The IS-3 after that did not see much action afterwards in the Soviet Union's hands before it started to be replaced by the newer [[T-10M|T-10]] heavy tank in the 1960s. During this time, many heavy tanks were transported to the border between the Soviet Union and China in face of the rising tension between the two countries.<ref name="ZalogaIS" />

The IS-3 would also be supplied to the Soviet Union's allies such as Poland, Czechoslovakia, North Korea, and Egypt. Poland and Czechoslovakia never adopted the tank after trials however, thus leaving only North Korea and Egypt as the main foreign users of the IS-3. The Egyptians used the IS-3M, 100 of which were received from the Soviets, against the Israelis in the Six-Day War in 1967. Of all the tanks used in that war, the IS-3M was the most feared by the Israelis due to the thick front armour. Israeli infantry's standard anti-tank weaponry could not penetrate through the front, and tanks as modern as the [[M48A1|M48 Patton]] also could not defeat the IS-3M. Nevertheless, the better tactics and training among the Israeli tank units were able to prevail against the IS-3M, with the IS-3 being commented by the Egyptians for its low rate of fire and outdated fire-controls to the crew's deficiency in combat. Of the 100, 73 tanks were lost during the Six-Day War. The Israeli managed to capture a number of IS-3 and pressed them into service, though only for a short period before its faults become more problematic than its benefits. The engine on the IS-3 proved to be unsuitable in the desert climate of the Middle East, and an attempt by the Israeli to alleviate this by replacing the engine with one from the [[T-54 (1951)|T-54]], though this did not prove fruitful. In the Yom Kippur War in 1973, both the Egyptians and Israeli used the IS-3M to a smaller degree than the Six Day War, the IS-3 not seeing much combat in the Egyptian forces and were used as dug-in pillboxes on the Jordan River by the Israelis.<ref name="ZalogaIS" />

===Decline and Discontinuation===
With the introduction of the lighter and more mobile [[T-54 (1951)|T-54]] main battle tank in the 1950s, the IS-3 saw less usage among the Soviet front-line as it started to become obsolete. Further development to improve and continue the IS tank series became the [[IS-4M|IS-4]], IS-7, and the [[T-10M|T-10]] tanks. However, in 1960, Nikita Khrushchev, the new premier of the Soviet Union after Stalin died, ordered heavy tank production to be terminated in wake of a new military strategy of missiles rather than conventional forces.<ref name="ZalogaIS" /> His orders are not without reason, heavy tanks are difficult to maintain and transport across the huge Soviet Union, which also did not have many bridges that could support a heavy tank. Another reason was the changing anti-tank technology that made tank armour extremely vulnerable, especially against the new anti-tank missiles that are becoming more and more efficient at their task in destroying tanks. Still, the order did not mean the dissolution of heavy tank units as by 1978, there were still up to 2,300 heavy tanks in the Far East. To this day, many heavy tanks are still either in inactive reserves or dug in as pillboxes along the borders of the Soviet Union.<ref name="ZalogaIS" /> The heavy tank's place in the Soviet Union's military was replaced by the main battle tanks (MBT) like the T-64, which presented a much better firepower, armour, and mobility for only a weight of 35 tons, a technological sign on the rising prevalence of the MBT.

=== In-game description ===
In spite of the fact that the IS-2 lived up to expectations, a decision was made a year after the end of the war to create a tank with even higher characteristics. Its unique welded hull and cast turret construction significantly increased its armour strength in comparison to the IS-2, from which it took many key parts and components.

The hull was welded together from rolled armour plates and contained no cast armour pieces. The dual-sloping inclined nose design allowed a driver's hatch to be placed in it, significantly improved visibility in the field and provided high armour strength to the frontal hull. For increased fire safety, its fuel tanks were moved from the fighting compartment to the engine compartment. It was armed with a 122 mm D-25T cannon with a coaxial 7.62 mm DT machine gun. The turret's roof was equipped with a 12.7 mm DShK anti-aircraft machine gun. It had no bow or rear machine guns.

At the beginning of their deployment, a range of flaws resulting from a number of design errors and miscalculations was revealed in these tanks. Among other issues, these included failures in the engine, gearbox, and parts of the armoured hull in the region of the engine compartment. In 1948-1952, all IS-3 tanks were reworked and modernised. The engine brackets were reinforced, the gearbox fixings changed, the underturret plate strengthened, the main friction coupling design updated, and the sealing enhanced on the final drive and road wheels. The 10-RK radio set was replaced with the 10-RT radio set. These changes increased the tank's mass to 48.8 tonnes.

The first experimental group of IS-3 heavy tanks left their factories in 1945. In total, 2,311 of them were made by mid-1946.
They were not deployed in combat in the Great Patriotic War. There are some indications that the IS-3 was used in the defeat of the Japanese army in August 1945.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=ussr&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=heavy_tank&vehicle=ussr_is_3 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|_-YJo8JRBEM|'''Shooting Range #190''' - ''Metal Beasts'' section at 1:00 discusses the IS-3.}}

== See also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/news/2948--en|[Vehicle Profile] IS-3]]

=== References ===
<references />

{{USSR heavy tanks}}