War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

IS-4M

2022-06-19T03:54:53Z

U72232395: Took out a pointless statement

{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_is_4m
|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.

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

'''Armour type:'''

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

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 140 mm (62°) ''Front glacis'' 160 mm (40°) ''Lower glacis'' 160 mm (34-77°) ''Driver's port'' 40 mm (44-87°) ''Top of Driver's port''|| 160 mm (30-53°) ''Top'' 160 mm ''Middle'' 30 mm (61°) ''Bottom'' || 100 mm (37°) ''Top'' 30 mm (80°) ''Middle'' 100 mm (31-39°) ''Bottom'' || 30 mm
|-
| Turret || 200-250 mm (2-89°) ''Turret front'' 200 mm (0-65°) , 170 + 250 mm (2-61°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 200 mm (3-40°) || 150 (62-72°) ''Top'' 170 mm (21-49°) ''Bottom'' || 30 mm ''Front, Hatch roof, Ventilators'' 50 mm ''Front sides'' 170 mm ''Center''
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick, torsion bars are 10 mm thick, and tracks are 30 mm thick.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp=968|rbMinHp=663}}

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

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

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

{| 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" | 30 || rowspan="2" | -3°/+19° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 8.1 || 11.2 || 13.6 || 15.0 || 16.0 || rowspan="2" | 27.04 || rowspan="2" | 23.92 || rowspan="2" | 22.05 || rowspan="2" | 20.80
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 6.0 || 7.0 || 8.5 || 9.4 || 10.0
|-
|}

==== 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
! Ammo part
! 1st rack empty
! 2nd rack empty
! 3rd rack empty
! 4th rack empty
! 5th rack empty
! 6th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''30''' || ''Projectiles'' ''Propellants'' || 29 ''(+1)'' 29 ''(+1)'' || 24 ''(+6)'' 24 ''(+6)'' || 19 ''(+11)'' 19 ''(+11)'' || 14 ''(+16)'' 14 ''(+16)'' || 9 ''(+21)'' 9 ''(+21)'' || 1 ''(+29)'' 1 ''(+29)'' || No
|-
|}

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

{{main|DShK (12.7 mm)}}

{| 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
|-
| Coaxial || 1,000 (50) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
| Pintle || 250 (50) || 600 || -10°/+60° || ±180°
|-
|}

== Usage in battles ==

The IS-4M is a direct successor to the [[IS-3]], and it features even more armour, so much armour that some APDS and APFSDS cannot penetrate its UFP and most of the turret, needless to say this tank is practically invulnerable to conventional rounds from the front. Unfortunately the gun remains the same 122 mm D-25T that is featured on all IS-series tanks from the [[IS-2]], and at its BR it isn't enough sometimes, while other times a weird bounce can still lead to some good hits. Overall, though, this tank feels much better at its BR than the [[IS-3]], which has a huge shot trap.

=== General Gameplay ===
The playstyle is slightly different from its predecessor, as angling can work - it just needs to be done carefully. The frontal side armour is actually thicker than the front, so a slight angle will even-out hull armour all around (in a best case scenario it can get to 275 mm, or just slightly more). Also, the IS-4M is less mobile, because it's heavier - all speeds are dampened and mobility is heavily impaired. However, if you've played the stock [[IS-3]] this tank will feel a bit better.

'''Arcade Battles'''

The IS-4M will show a lot of red and yellow on the reticle when a player looks at it in Arcade. Only some HEAT and APFSDS shells can penetrate this beast frontally, and damage will only be substantial if the player takes their time to aim at the important components, because some shells will penetrate but their effect will be minimal inside the tank. However, there is little the IS-4M can do to make it harder to be damaged, because there are practically no weakspots to hide, and wiggling will not stop top rounds from penetrating.

In Arcade Battles, the improved speed should be used to rush any lone enemies and objectives. When this tank is at speed, enemies will often shoot the biggest part they see - the UFP, and many shots will bounce or not penetrate if they hit at an awkward angle; but even if they do penetrate the UFP, the IS-4M will be able to return fire because only the driver and possibly the transmission are knocked out. Very rarely will the IS-4M get one-shot through the UFP. Again, being at speed is being protected, and it is a big surprise to many enemies when a heavy tank drives around a corner at high speed - giving you extra seconds to take aim and disable them (usually you will pass them, so their side and/or rear is visible).

Rushing mostly works in cities, where your speed is further increased by paved roads, and enemies will be spaced apart between buildings. In open areas, rushing will usually end up in the IS-4's demise, as opponents will quickly flank you because it's easy to do.

If rushing is not an option, and you find yourself in close-quarters, your best bet is to try to bait shots either for yourself or for your teammates. You can poke your gun barrel out from a corner, and if enemies shoot it, your teammates can drive out and destroy the enemy. Poking out the side of the turret or heavily angled UFP is an option, but most enemies will realize that it's no use shooting there.

'''Realistic Battles'''

In Realistic, the IS-4M retains its ability to rush, although it's subdued. When fully upgraded you can still get up to speed and surprise enemies, especially if you can choose weird routes that are not likely to be checked by enemies. From experience, it's possible to destroy up to 3-4 enemy tanks on city maps like Alaska, American Desert and Middle East, when playing against a good mix of lighter tanks (e.g. Leopard I, Centurion Mk 10, Vickers MBT), as well as some heavier vehicles that can be out-manoeuvred.

Armour can protect the IS-4M, but most enemies usually have HEAT loaded, or will be able to load it for the next shot. Most importantly you should never find yourself fighting alone against 3 or more enemies, even 2 are hard to handle most of the time. At least when fighting one-on-one you can always try to retreat or one-shot them, depending on the situation (i.e. either gunner/gun or driver/transmission knocked out).

All in all, you should play the IS-4M as if it is a slow medium tank with sub-par firepower due to the reload speed - hope that armour withstands some shots, while taking on enemies one or two at a time; if speed can be gained - use it.

=== The Stock Grind ===
The IS-4M is less painful to play when stock because at times you can get very lucky matches where no-one seems to penetrate you and you get tons of research points for withstanding a lot of shots. Nonetheless, the experience is very much similar to the IS-3 - slow tank, slow reload, gun and engine are often out of commission. 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 direct shots away from 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; can bounce 128 mm shells from the Maus and even point blank shots from some British tanks using APDS (like [[Vickers MBT]]) will often be deflected, unless hit in a weak spot
* Armour on the back of the turret is very tough and due to its angle is arguably as strong as the front, causing confusion and/or shock for enemies expecting the rear to be weaker
* Retains the powerful D-25T 122 mm gun as on the previous IS-2 and IS-3
* Strong combination of armour and armament
* Wider choices of ammo compared to the IS-2 and IS-3
* Good reverse speed for a heavy tank
* Can easily knock out most tanks with a single shot

'''Cons:'''

* Priority target for the enemy team due to its fearsome reputation
* Long reload of 25 seconds
* Frontal armour has small but noticeable weak spot below the gun barrel, where the turret meets the hull, and shots coming through it often one-shot IS-4M
* Ammo rack in the back of the turret; if a shell penetrates, the ammo could detonate
* Can be vulnerable to tanks equipped with HEAT and APFSDS, although early HEAT shells are often used by short light tanks and tend to land at a very high angle and may fail to penetrate, unlike late HEAT-FS
* Armour penetration for the shells can be lacking at the rank

== History ==

===Development===
During the development of the [[IS-3]] in 1944 under General Nikolai Dukhov, a separate project was underway by a design team led by L.S. Troyanov to improve the [[IS-2 (1944)|IS-2]] design. This separate project commenced under the designation ''Object 701''. The project produced three proposed design. The ''Object 701-2'' with a S-34 100 mm gun, ''701-5'' with a different armour configuration, and the ''701-6'' with the 122 mm D-25 gun. The ''701-6'' was accepted for further development, to which was modified with thicker armour, longer hull, and a more powerful engine. There was some implementation of German designs into the prototype; the engine has a cooling system that uses a pair of circular fans on the engine deck, a feature also is seen on the [[Panther A|Panther tank]].<ref name="ZalogaIS">Zaloga Steven. ''IS-2 Heavy Tank 1944-73'' Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 1994</ref>

===Usage===
''Object 701'' was eventually approved for production in 1947 as the '''IS-4'''. The production turned out 200 tanks (some sources say 250) before the production was halted. The reason being that the IS-4 was criticized for being inadequate in mobility despite its new engine.<ref name="ZalogaIS" /> While production ended, the remaining IS-4 still saw service in the Soviet Union. When the Korean War broke out in 1950 and the United States and its allies got involved, the IS-4s were all shipped to the Far East of the Soviet Union in anticipation of Soviet intervention in the Korean War. They were not committed despite pressure by the Chinese from fear of inciting another world war. Even so, the IS-4 stayed in the region ready for action. In the late 1950s, the IS-4 underwent a modernization program along the lines of the IS-3 with increased ammo stowage, new machine gun armaments, new gun optics, better engine, and better filtration system and this modernized variant was named the '''IS-4M'''.<ref name="ZalogaIS" /> The IS-4 stayed in service in the Soviet Union until the 1960s.

===Legacy===
The IS-4, as a relatively unsuccessful Soviet tank, faded to obscurity with little information on it passed its development period. It was the heaviest of the Soviet heavy tanks that were slated for production. The IS-4's design was further developed on in the IS tank family with the ''Object 703'', with the design using an electrical transmission instead of a mechanical one. This vehicle redesignated the ''[[IS-6]]'', also proved to be problematic and was shelved.<ref name="ZalogaIS" />

=== In-game description ===
Development of this tank began in July 1943 at the ChKZ factory. The main impetus for creating a new Soviet heavy tank was the prospect of being able to install more powerful artillery on it than what was installed on the IS-2. The vehicle underwent testing until the autumn of 1944. The new vehicle had one inarguable virtue - no tank or anti-tank cannon of Soviet or German make could penetrate its 160 mm frontal armour. At the end of 1944, two more vehicles equipped with modernised transmission were produced.

In April 1945, the tank was put into service and mass-produced under the designation IS-4. The vehicle's hull was fully welded, while its turret was cast with tapering armour thickness. Along with its 122 mm D-25T cannon, it was also armed with a coaxial 12.7 mm machine gun. An identical machine gun was placed as an anti-aircraft gun on a ring mount above the loader's hatch. One of the vehicle's characteristic features was its original ammunition rack, in which shells were housed in special metal canisters. The tank had epicyclic transmission and individual torsion-bar suspension. The crew consisted of 4 people. The vehicle's powertrain was a 750 hp B-12 diesel engine. With this engine, the tank could reach 43 km/h on-road.

The IS-4 was mass-produced until 1949. In total, around 250 of them were made. These vehicles served in the Far East.

It became clear during its deployment that the tank's mass exceeded the carrying capacity of most bridges and transport platforms. It was this fact that effectively buried the idea of building vehicles with a mass greater than 50 tonnes. The IS-4 was taken out of operation and placed in long-term storage, and then withdrawn from service entirely. After this, it was often used on ballistic ranges as a target.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ussr_is_4m Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|B2woWvJK4ew|'''Top 7 most armoured vehicles''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 3:49 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''|MNacjyimuCQ|'''The Shooting Range #95''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 07:03 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[M103]]
* [[Conqueror]]

== External links ==


=== References ===
<references />

{{TankManufacturer ChTZ}}
{{USSR heavy tanks}}

Ar-2

2022-02-08T11:23:32Z

U72232395: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
| about = Soviet bomber '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other variants
| link = SB 2M (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=ar_2
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

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

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


The Ar-2 is a pleasant aircraft to fly with a good climb and turn rate, as well as a low stall speed and takeoff requirement.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="70%"
! rowspan="2" | Characteristics
! colspan="2" | Max Speed (km/h at 4,700 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
| 490 || 477 || rowspan="2" | {{Specs|ceiling}} || 22.8 || 23.4 || 10.0 || 10.0 || rowspan="2" | 366
|-
! Upgraded
| 536 || 512 || 21.3 || 22.0 || 15.4 || 12.5
|-
|}

==== Details ====
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
! colspan="5" | Features
|-
! Combat flaps !! Take-off flaps !! Landing flaps !! Air brakes !! Arrestor gear
|-
| ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || ✓ || 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}} || 315 || 309 || 280 || ~9 || ~5
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="4" | Optimal velocities (km/h)
|-
! Ailerons !! Rudder !! Elevators !! Radiator
|-
| < 320 || < 320 || < 300 || > 350
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="3" | Compressor (RB/SB)
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 1
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 2,000 m || 1,100 hp || 1,188 hp
|-
! colspan="3" | Setting 2
|-
! Optimal altitude
! 100% Engine power
! WEP Engine power
|-
| 4,000 m || 1,050 hp || N/A
|-
|}

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


* 6mm Steel plate in the pilot's seat & headrest.

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

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

{{main|FAB-100 (100 kg)|FAB-250M43 (250 kg)|FAB-500 (500 kg)}}

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

* 6 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs (600 kg total)
* 10 x 100 kg FAB-100 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 2 x 250 kg FAB-250M43 bombs (500 kg total)
* 4 x 250 kg FAB-250M43 bombs (1,000 kg total)
* 6 x 250 kg FAB-250M43 bombs (1,500 kg total)
* 1 x 500 kg FAB-500 bomb (500 kg total)
* 3 x 500 kg FAB-500 bombs (1,500 kg total)

=== Defensive armament ===
{{Specs-Avia-Defensive}}

{{main|ShKAS (7.62 mm)}}

The '''''{{PAGENAME}}''''' is defended by:

* 1 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine gun, nose turret (500 rpg)
* 1 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine gun, dorsal turret (1,000 rpg)
* 1 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine gun, ventral turret (600 rpg)

== Usage in battles ==

Ar-2 is quite fast, and is faster than most other bombers at a similar BR (like [[B-18A]] and [[He 111 H-3]]). Use this as an advantage. Go directly for the enemy bases, then go back to the airfield and restart a bombing run. If an enemy plane targets you, keep flying straight and have a slight climb. Use your defensive turrets to scare away enemies tailing you. In Mixed battles, its armament of 3 x 500 kg bombs is quite the loadout for the battle rating and can be used to carpet-bomb a point. However, only spawn in the Ar-2 if there are no enemy fighters up and don't go low altitude- SPAA and roof-mounted MGs will easily chew this plane up.

=== 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 || rowspan="2" | Controllable Not auto controlled || rowspan="2" | Not controllable Not auto controlled || rowspan="2" | Controllable Not auto controlled || rowspan="2" | Combined || rowspan="2" | Controllable 2 gears || rowspan="2" | Not controllable
|-
|}

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* It is pretty fast (able to outrun [[Bf 109 (Family)|Bf 109s]])
* The air brakes allows for easy landings (even with critical damage), and excellent diving capabilities
* Excellent mobility for a bomber (expanded further with the use of combat flaps and air brakes)
* Good frontal turret aiming range
* Adequate payload for its speed and mobility (able to take one base and a half when fully loaded)

'''Cons:'''

* Lightly armoured and easily taken down by anything from 20 mm and above
* Prone to flat spins with engine damage or when pushed too far
* Most components are located in the front which makes it easy to destroy in frontal attacks
* Despite the ShKAS machine guns having great belts, they are not very effective against more armoured fighters

== History ==
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the aircraft 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 vehicle and adding a block "/ History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-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 vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).''

=== In-game description ===
Arkhangelsky Ar-2 (SB-RK) twin-engine front-line dive bomber (Tupolev OKB).

An all-metal, twin-engine monoplane dive bomber with a retractable landing gear system including a tail wheel. Its crew consisted of three persons.

This aircraft was designed under the direction of A. A. Arkhangelsky and was a further structural development of the high-speed SB bomber.

It differed from the SB in its shorter wing and its streamlined, spindle-shaped nose section and modified nacelles, with water-cooled radiators removed from them and placed on the wing (hence the "SB-RK" designation where "SB" means "high-speed bomber" and "RK" means "radiators-wing"). The SB-RK prototype was tested in 1939. Full-scale production of the aircraft designated the Ar-2 started in 1940 at Factory No. 22, in Moscow.

Production Ar-2s were equipped with 1,100 hp Klimov M-105R twelve-cylinder, V-type, geared water-cooled engines.

The plane's defensive armament included an NU nose mount with a 7.62 mm ShKAS machine gun with 500 rounds. The machine gun was fitted in a special sphere that enabled it to fire forward within a 50-degree cone-shaped region.

The TSS-1 upper rear machine gun mount ("TSS" standing for "high-speed aircraft turret") had a 7.62 mm ShKAS machine gun with 1,000 rounds and a K-8T collimator sight. When firing, the upper canopy (nicknamed the "turtle") was moved back on rollers along rails and partially raised upward to protect the gunner from the incoming flow.

In order to protect the plane from below, the aircraft had a retractable MV-2 turret which housed a 7.62 mm ShKAS machine gun with 600 rounds and an OP-2L periscope sight.

The aircraft's standard bomb capacity was 600 kg (carried internally), which was the same as that of the SB, its predecessor, while its maximum bomb capacity could reach 1,500 kg with various combinations of internal and external loads. More advanced NP-1 racks were fitted under the Ar-2's centre wing section to carry bombs weighing 250 or 500 kg. The bombs were fastened in one central holder near the plane's center of gravity, and the plane's hold on them was reinforced with the help of side stops.

The Ar-2 entered service with the Red Army Air Force in the spring of 1940. The plane was in service from the beginning of the war until late 1944, with the units of the Red Army Air Force and Soviet naval aviation, as a dive bomber and a reconnaissance aircraft. The Ar-2's production was discontinued in early 1941. A total of about 200 aircraft were produced.

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ar_2 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|ElWz1Tl6BwY|'''The Shooting Range #109''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 05:01 discusses the Ar-2.}}

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

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

{{AirManufacturer Tupolev}}
{{USSR bombers}}

KV-1S

2021-09-14T12:32:05Z

U72232395: /* Pros and cons */

{{About
| about = Soviet heavy tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other versions
| link = KV-1 (Family)
}}
{{Specs-Card
|code=ussr_kv_1s
|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}}
}}

== Description ==

The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.57 "Battle March"]]. A lightened KV-1 made to improve its manoeuvrability, the KV-1S has less overall armour than the original design but keeps its same lethality with improved speed.

Compared to the KV-1 L-11, side and rear armour are decreased to 60 mm, lightening the vehicle and increasing its speed to maximum 43 kph. A new turret was installed, presenting a smaller profile, thicker armour, and better angling all around. The armament is also changed to the ZIS-5, the equivalent of its [[KV-1 (ZiS-5)|successor]] and the [[T-34 (1941)|T-34]]'s F-34 guns.

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

The KV-1S is a lighter, more mobile version of the KV-1, meaning it has thinner armour. The KV-1S features thinner hull side armour at 60 mm, thinner lower front plate at 60 mm, and a very weak gun mantlet of only ~50 mm thick. Though against opponents of lower BR the KV-1S can still utilise the angling tactic and stack the effective thickness up to 100 mm, the gun mantlet becomes a very fatal weak spot if the opponent knows it. At 50 mm unangled, even a Pz.III can frontally penetrate it and break the gun breech or knock out a few crews. But apart from the gun mantlet, the turret is overall more sturdy than the original KV-1, at 82 mm all-round. This may bounce off some poorly aimed shells if they impact the edge. Roof armour, at 30-40mm, is very reliable against strafing planes. Post-penetration survivability against common opponents is not great as the crew members are closely packed together. Overall, due to the reduction of armour thickness here and there, the KV-1S no longer grants the player a sturdy protection. Rather they must rely more on the improved mobility to not get hit.

'''Armour type:'''

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

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 75 mm (30°) ''Front plate'' 50 mm (70°) ''Front glacis'' 25 + 50-60 mm (25-70°) ''Joint plate'' 60 mm (26-50°) ''Lower glacis'' || 60 mm || 60 mm (35-75°) ''Top'' 60 mm (2-69°) ''Bottom'' || 40 mm ''Front'' 30 mm ''Rear''
|-
| Turret || 82 mm (2-76°) ''Turret front'' 50-75 mm (4-71°) ''Gun mantlet shield'' 90 mm (0-29°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 82 mm (0-25°) || 82 mm (27-56°) 75 mm (1-43°) ''Machine gun port''|| 30 mm
|-
| Cupola || colspan="3" style="text-align:center" | 60 mm || 30 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick, tracks are 30 mm thick.
* The gun mantlet shield has varying thickness, thickest just a little above and below the centre 55 mm area.

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


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 775|rbMinHp= 531}}

The core of the KV-1S is its enhanced mobility over the heavier KV-1. With a powerful 600 hp engine driving a 42-ton chassis, the KV-1S is quite fast and mobile, and may even resemble the handling of a T-34 sometimes, though the acceleration is of course slower. The top speed of 45 km/h seems average, but due to the increased power-to-weight ratio the KV-1S can reach an average speed of ~35 km/h on most surfaces which is faster than common heavy tanks. It also performs significantly better on soft terrain and hills, when other heavy tanks tend to struggle to move around the KV-1S can pretty much keep up with medium tanks. The KV series tank has an impressive reverse speed topping at 17 km/h, allowing it to quickly reverse away from danger. The hull traverse speed is also good so the player can angle very fast should a flanker appears unexpectedly. Overall the KV-1S can be treated and played as a heavily armoured medium tank.

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

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

{{main|ZIS-5 (76 mm)}}

The KV-1S is armed with a 76 mm ZIS-5 cannon which is quite similar to that of a SU-76M. In general, the gun has inadequate penetration at this BR but comes with a wide range of ammunition. From APHE to APCR and smoke shells, these shells can fit various scenarios. The 76 mm APHE shells have an explosive filler, allowing them to knock out most enemy tanks with a single shot if it is placed correctly. However, their mediocre penetration of ~90 mm becomes below average when facing well-armoured tanks at similar BR like the [[Pz.IV H]], [[StuG III G]] and [[T14]], especially when at a distance or when they are angling. The player have to be familiar with common foes' weak spots or else they will struggle to penetrate in most cases.

The gun depression is of a typical Soviet style, at -5 degrees, which is inadequate for mountainous battlefields. The aiming speed can be underwhelming against fast flankers, but overall the turret rotation speed of ~10 degree/s is enough for combat. Lastly, the gunsight magnification is poor at 3.5x. But given the curved trajectory and low projectile velocity of the ZIS-5 cannon, long range battle is not a good role for the KV-1S anyways, thus this level of zoom is generally enough.

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
! colspan="5" | [[ZIS-5 (76 mm)|76 mm ZIS-5]] || 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" | 114 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 9.7 || 13.4 || 16.3 || 18.0 || 19.2 || rowspan="2" | 8.97 || rowspan="2" | 7.94 || rowspan="2" | 7.31 || rowspan="2" | 6.90
|-
! ''Realistic''
| 7.1 || 8.4 || 10.2 || 11.3 || 12.0
|-
|}

==== Ammunition ====
The available ammunition allows for engaging all types of targets:

* '''BR-350A (MD-5 fuze)''': APHEBC; a shell with high explosive mass that will one-shot any tank it penetrates but has an average penetration power.
* '''BR-350P''': APCR; a composite round with the best penetration but no explosive filler and will only penetrate flat vertical surfaces.
* '''BR-350SP''': APBC; a solid shot with an even better penetration but no explosive filler.
* '''BR-350B (MD-8 fuze)''': APHEBC; same shell as the BR-350A but with increased penetration at the cost of slightly less explosive filler.
* '''OF-350M''': HE; useful for destroying open and lightly armoured vehicles.
* '''Sh-354T''': Shrapnel; useful against vehicles that are resistant to the HE shells but too thinly armoured to trigger the fuzes of AP shells.
* '''D-350A''': Smoke; useful to blind enemy vehicles that are too remote for you to disable so that you can progress towards objectives.

{| 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-350A (MD-5 fuze) || APHEBC || 87 || 85 || 76 || 67 || 59 || 52
|-
| BR-350P || APCR || 125 || 119 || 92 || 68 || 50 || 36
|-
| BR-350SP || APBC || 102 || 100 || 91 || 81 || 72 || 64
|-
| BR-350B (MD-8 fuze) || APHEBC || 94 || 92 || 83 || 73 || 65 || 57
|-
| OF-350M || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
|-
| Sh-354T || Shrapnel || 37 || 35 || 29 || 25 || 20 || 17
|-
|}
{| 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-350A (MD-5 fuze) || APHEBC || 662 || 6.3 || 1.2 || 14 || 150 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| BR-350P || APCR || 950 || 3.02 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
| BR-350SP || APBC || 655 || 6.78 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| BR-350B (MD-8 fuze) || APHEBC || 655 || 6.3 || 0.9 || 14 || 98.56 || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| OF-350M || HE || 680 || 6.2 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 621 || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| Sh-354T || Shrapnel || 680 || 6.2 || 0.5 || 8 || 85 || 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)
|-
| D-350A || 680 || 6.45 || 13 || 5 || 20 || 50
|-
|}

==== [[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
! 7th rack empty
! Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''114''' || 110 ''(+4)'' || 105 ''(+9)'' || 100 ''(+14)'' || 68 ''(+46)'' || 36 ''(+78)'' || 24 ''(+90)'' || 1 ''(+113)'' || No
|-
|}
Notes:

* As they are modeled by sets of 2, shells disappear from the rack only after you fire both shells in the set.
* Turret empty: 100 ''(+14)'' shells.

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

{{main|DT (7.62 mm)}}

{| 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 || 3,087 (63) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}
The small calibre of the DT machine gun makes it largely ineffective against all armoured vehicles but the ones with an open compartment. It still can be used to ping targets as a rangefinding help or to mow down minor obstacles blocking your line of sight.

== Usage in battles ==

When playing the {{PAGENAME}}, remember that you are still a heavy tank. Keep your front armour facing your enemies at all times, and preferably angled (but slightly less than [[KV-1 (L-11)]]). The turret is more durable and can deflect more shots than before, so if possible expose your turret only. Gun has no special penetration value, so try to target weak spots or areas with the least armour. Flanking attacks could end in a fiery demise. Also, this tank is still a KV-1 in its heart.

The best tactics for this tank is: keep a low profile and stay behind the main assault. When your team has advanced to the enemy's base, the KV-1s is best used to round up straggling enemy tanks behind your lines. If these tanks aren't destroyed, they'll attack your team's rear.

The common enemies are armed with guns that usually can penetrate the driver's hatch. Watch out for enemy T-34 (especially mod. 1941 and 1942, sometimes mods 1943 and the 57 variants), since they can flank you easily. Also, watch out for all German [[Pz.IV F2|Pz.IV]] & [[StuG III F|StuG]] armed with long 7.5 cm gun, as it can penetrate your front armour even if you are angled.

This vehicle (due to its higher BR) can also meet many opponents that your armour has no chance of stopping, avoid direct confrontation with them. (Includes: [[T-34-85]], [[SU-85]], [[Dicker Max]] & [[Nashorn]], [[Sherman Firefly]] & [[Achilles]])

Meeting other KV-1's and [[Churchill Mk VII|Churchill]] may become a stalemate as the KV-1S gun may not penetrate against their formidable armour. This leads to the hope that the APCR ammunition works, and the firing of several rounds into the target for penetration.

=== Pros and cons ===


'''Pros:'''

* Faster than its [[KV-1 (L-11)|predecessor]] and [[KV-1 (ZiS-5)|successor]], yet frontal armour is the same
* Exceptional reverse speed and acceleration, allowing it to get back into cover quickly after firing
* Very hard to knock out in one shot
* Adequate gun
* Bouncy turret front
* Wide tracks make for good cross-country performance
* Resilient. Can remain reasonably effective, even with a lot of damage
* Very effective overall

'''Cons:'''

* Side armour is considerably weaker (75 mm into 60 mm)
* Turret is cramped
* Vulnerable to the long-barreled 75 mm gun of the StuG III and Pz.IV F2,G, H and J
* Still carries most of the flaws of the KV-1 L-11
* Still a heavy vehicle, poor acceleration.
* Still cannot move on pace with T-34s
* Gun lacks penetration against heavier opponents: The [[KV-1 (ZiS-5)|KV-1 ZiS-5]] and both [[Churchill Mk VII|Churchill]]s are very hard to get through. APCR is unreliable.

== History ==


The KV-1S was an attempt by the Soviet Union (USSR) to come up with a more mobile variant of the KV-1 heavy tank. The 'S' stood for 'Skorostnoy' which means 'fast' in English.<ref name=":0">https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/soviet/soviet_KV-1s.php</ref>

'''Development'''

After the Soviet Union met Germany on the field of battle in 1941, both nations began attempts to up-armour their tanks. The Soviet efforts resulted in the KV-1 Model 1942 which thickened the armour but did not improve the engine. Soviet tank crews were pleased with the increased protection but did not appreciate the worsened mobility from increased weight. As such, a project began to design a KV-1 with greater mobility. The resulting tank was designated as the KV-1S.

Measures taken to increase the mobility included reduction of weight by decreasing armour thickness as well as by fitting a more powerful engine.<ref name=":1">http://tank-photographs.s3-website-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/russian-soviet-ww2-kv1S-fast-tank.html</ref>

'''Design'''

The KV-1S had a crew of five, two in the hull and three in the turret. It weighed only 42.5 tonnes compared to 47 tonnes on a KV-1B Model 1942. The KV-1S turret was a completely new, cast (rounded shape) turret that also featured a new commander's cupola with greater field of view. The armament consisted of a 76.2 mm ZiS-5 tank gun as well as three 7.62 mm DT machine guns; one coaxial to the main gun, one in the rear of the turret, and in a ball mount in the hull front.

The powerplant used was a 600 brake horsepower V2 engine. The road wheels were made smaller and a new planetary transmission gearbox was fitted. This allowed a top speed of 40 kilometers per hour compared to 28 kph on the KV-1B Model 1942. The armour though was reduced from 20 - 130 mm to only 20 - 82 mm on the KV-1S.<ref name=":1" />

'''Production and Service'''

Production lasted from August 1942 until late 1943 with a total of 1,370 KV-1S tanks built. The production ended when it did due to thoughts that it was a useless vehicle due to the T-34-76 being able to do everything the KV-1S could. The mobility of the KV-1S met requirements but only with a reduction in armour, which made the mobility a moot point especially since it was also more expensive than a T-34-76.

The KV-1S did end up serving on the front line for a while, taking part in the Battle of Kursk in 1943 under the herd Guards Heavy Tank Brigade. It's stated by some sources that the KV-1S had also taken part in the Berlin offensive but that may not be true because by then the KV-1S had been mostly removed from combat units.<ref name=":0" />

== Media ==


;Skins

* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=ussr&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=heavy_tank&vehicle=ussr_kv_1s Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

;Videos
{{Youtube-gallery|DwbexTKZA-A|'''The Shooting Range #49''' - ''Pages of History'' section at 03:09 discusses the {{PAGENAME}}.}}

== See also ==


;Vehicles equipped with the same chassis

* [[KV-1 (Family)]]

;Other vehicles of similar configuration and role

* [[MK-II "Matilda" (USSR)]]
* [[Churchill Mk III]]
* [[ARL-44 (ACL-1)]]

== External links ==


* [[wt:en/devblog/current/868/|[Devblog] KV-1S: How's the tank?]]
* [[wikipedia:Kliment_Voroshilov_tank|[Wikipedia] Kliment Voroshilov tank]]
* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/soviet/soviet_KV-1.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> KV-1]

=== References ===
<references />

{{USSR heavy tanks}}