Russian Project 704 SPH (Trumpeter)

This is the Trumpeter 05575 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘Russian Project 704 SPH’.

Russian Project 704 SPH

History

One prototype, developed in 1945. It used elements of the IS-2 and IS-3 tanks. The overall height of the vehicle was reduced to 2240mm, which was compensated with an increased width of the superstructure.The factory designation was Object 704 (Объект 704). It was armed with the 152.4mm ML-20SM model 1944 (МЛ-20СМ обр. 1944 г) gun-howitzer, with a barrel length of over 4.5 meters (29.6 calibers) and no muzzle brake, which further increased the firepower of the gun. It had a maximum range of 13,000 meters.

The self-propelled gun carried 20 rounds of two piece (shell and charge) armor-piercing and high explosive ammunition. The secondary armament of the fighting vehicle consisted of two 12.7 x 108mm DShK machine guns, one anti-aircraft and one co-axial.

Source: Trumpeter website

Manufacturer

Where I got it

Russian JS-2M Heavy Tank (Early production) (Trumpeter)

This is the Trumpeter 05589 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘Russian JS-2M Heavy Tank (Early production)’.

Russian JS-2M Heavy Tank (Early production)

History

The Iosif Stalin tank (or IS tank, named after the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin), was a heavy tank developed by the Soviet Union during World War II. The tanks in the series are also sometimes called JS or ИС tanks.

The heavy tank was designed with thick armour to counter the German 88mm guns, and sported a main gun that was capable of defeating the German Tiger and Panther tanks. It was mainly a breakthrough tank, firing a heavy high-explosive shell that was useful against entrenchments and bunkers.

The IS-2 was put into service in April 1944, and was used as a spearhead in the Battle for Berlin by the Red Army in the final stage of the war.

Source: Trumpeter website

Manufacturer

Russian JS-2 Heavy Tank (Trumpeter)

This is the Trumpeter 05588 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘Russian JS-2 Heavy Tank’.

Russian JS-2 Heavy Tank

History

The Iosif Stalin tank (or IS tank, named after the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin), was a heavy tank developed by the Soviet Union during World War II. The tanks in the series are also sometimes called JS or ИС tanks.

The heavy tank was designed with thick armour to counter the German 88mm guns, and sported a main gun that was capable of defeating the German Tiger and Panther tanks. It was mainly a breakthrough tank, firing a heavy high-explosive shell that was useful against entrenchments and bunkers.

The IS-2 was put into service in April 1944, and was used as a spearhead in the Battle for Berlin by the Red Army in the final stage of the war.

Source: Trumpeter website

Manufacturer

Where I got it

Russian JS-4 Heavy Tank (Trumpeter)

This is the Trumpeter 05573 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘Russian JS-4 Heavy Tank’.

Russian JS-4 Heavy Tank

History

Originally developed in competition with the IS-3, the IS-4 (Object 245) was similarly an extensive redesign of the IS-2. The hull was lengthened, with an extra set of road wheels added and an improved engine. Both the hull and turret were uparmoured.

Several alternative armaments were explored in paper studies, although ultimately the IS-2’s original 122mm gun was retained. An effort was also made to make use of technical data derived from study of the German wartime Panzer V Panther tank, which influenced the layout of the IS-4’s engine cooling system.

The tank was approved for mass production in 1948 but due to disappointing speed and mobility only 200 were build. Most of these were transferred to the Russian Far East in 1950 in preparation for the planned Soviet intervention in the Korean War. When this operation was aborted the tanks nevertheless remained stationed in the region until their decommissioning in the 1960s.

Source: Trumpeter website

Manufacturer

Where I got it

Russian Heavy Tank, JS-2, model 1944 ChKZ (Tamiya)

This is the Tamiya 35 289-4200 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘Russian Heavy Tank, JS-2, model 1944 ChKZ’.

Russian Heavy Tank, JS-2, model 1944 ChKZ

History

The Russian Tank that was too much for the Germans – The Russian Heavy Tank JS-2 was built to overthrow the German Tiger I. The JS-2 which was put into production in the latter half of WWII in December 1943, had a long powerful 122mm gun and superior mobility. From August, 1944 the upper part of the hatch was removed from the hull which greatly improved its defensive ability.

The JS-2 was produced in the Chelyabinsk Kirov factory (ChKZ), and a characteristic of the tank is it’s one piece cast rounded front. The JS-2 showed great strength in the break through of defensive positions but also in anti-tank battles. The Russian tank JS-2 played a major part which contributed to the victory of the end of the Great War.

Source: Tamiya website

Manufacturer

Where I got it

  • Hobbymesse 2012