BWPicSovietArmorBerlin1945

By 1945 the Red Army had not only rectified many of the long existing
weaknesses' plaguing it's main battle tank; the T-34 - but it had also
taken delivery of increasing numbers of even heavier tanks and
assault guns capable of defeating the armor on any German tank then
in service. That said, the T-34 was still the Red Army's dominant tank
in 1945 and for good reason.

Beginning in 1944 the Red Army had begun taking delivery of the
newest model T-34s. These tanks, having received numerous
upgrades, featured most prominently a new 85mm main gun, from
which the tank drew its late-war designation; T-34/85. The T-34's
85mm gun represented a potent increase in firepower over the old
F-34 76mm gun that was not only a smaller caliber but also could only
fire its AP rounds at a 662meters/sec muzzle velocity that was hardly
adequate for penetrating modern German tank armor. In comparison to
the old F-34 the new 85mm gun could fire a standard AP round at a
muzzle velocity reaching 899 meters/sec (or 2950feet/sec).
Consequently, the T-34/85 possessed better penetrating power than
the newest Panzer IV marks, and comparable penetrating power to
the Panther. Even the much-vaunted British 17-pounder gun only
produced a muzzle velocity similar to the T-34/85, although the
venerable 88mm cannon on the Tiger outclassed all of these weapons.
Besides the new primary armament the T-34/85 also featured a
redesigned heavily armored three-man turret; reducing some of the
inefficiencies characterizing the old turret in the T-34/76. In addition,
the T-34/85 carried thicker armor; with 75mm of sloped frontal armor
on the T-34/85 vs. the sloped 60mm frontal armor on the older
T-34/76. The T-34/85 also possessed one other great advantage over
its foes. Because the T-34/85 was really a modification of an existing
model, that tank's production meant the Soviet economy could
maintain the enormous economic efficiencies necessary to crank out
the massive numbers of tanks needed to propel the Red Army into
Germany. Thus, not only did the T-34/85 regain parity with Germany's
medium tanks in terms of hitting power it also maintained existing
Soviet advantages in output. Producing the T-34/85 did not require
the Soviet Union to conduct large scale retooling of factories; as
needed for instance by the Germans to phase in Panther over Panzer
III production, or later in the war when the Tiger II replaced the Tiger
I.

Furthermore, in addition to the presence of the T-34/85 in its ranks
the Red Army had also taken delivery of the Russian made answer to
the Tiger I and even Tiger II. This new tank, which had trickled into
select frontline units during the spring of 1944; was a brand new
heavy tank; the IS-2 or JS-2 - as the I/JS derivation came from
Stalin's name; Iosef/Josef Stalin. Unlike the T-34/85, the IS-2 was a
new design and in fact was the long awaited replacement for the KV
series of heavy tanks. Weighing 46 tons, the IS-2 featured superb
protection with 160mm of frontal armor, again sloped. The IS-2 also
carried even more impressive armament than armor, equipped with a
122mm cannon. Although the 122mm gun arming the IS-2 only
produced a muzzle velocity reaching 747 meters/sec, it more than
made up for its comparatively slow muzzle velocity with a 56-pound
shell twice as heavy as the 88mm shell fired by the Tiger. With the
ability to fire a powerful shell the IS-2 could engage and defeat the
frontal armor on a Tiger I at ranges approaching 2000 meters; though
the Tiger II, when it wasn't breaking down, proved more than capable
of holding its own against the Red Army's newest heavy tank.

The 1945 era Red Army had also, and much like the German army,
buttressed its burgeoning strength in tanks with a growing inventory
of self-propelled guns such as the SU-76; equipped with a 76mm gun
and protected by 55mm of frontal armor and a low profile. Much less
common, but more dangerous, in the Red Army's ranks was the
SU-100; armed with a 100mm gun and 45mm of sloped frontal armor
again on a low profile frame. During the War, the SU-100 distinguished
itself as a superb anti-tank weapon; proving as effective as almost
any German self-propelled and assault guns. Finally, in 1945 the Red
Army could also count on ever-increasing numbers of ISU-152 series
self-propelled guns, built on the IS-2 chassis, and having evolved from
the SU-152, previously built upon the KV-1 chassis during 1943.
Manufactured at Chelyabinsk, these potent armored fighting vehicles,
powerfully armed with a 152mm howitzer, proved to be superb infantry
support weapons and could more than hold their own against
Germany's most commonly fielded tanks during the Second World
War's final years. Nicknamed "Zveroboi" (the cat killer) for their ability
to destroy even Germany's vaunted Panther and Tiger tanks, these
weapons were even better suited for leveling heavily fortified strong
points in the built up areas and modern cities the Red Army typically
found itself fighting through in the final year of the Second World War.
Along with the numerically dominant T-34/85, the IS-2 the ISU-152
provided the 1944-45 era Red Army with a triumvirate of superb
armored fighting vehicles which led its men to final victory in the
spring of 1945.