relatively recently in terms of the most popular computer war games- "shooter" was announced by the Soviet heavy tank X-level ("Object 260").This car, according to the above specifications, is a formidable fighting vehicle, capable of hitting almost all types of armored vehicles.
So what is this same "object 260"?WOT (World of Tanks - «World of Tanks") issues are not very detailed information.The creators of the game were limited to sparse data, the year of issue and the basic combat characteristics, without specifying the many factors related to the creation of this remarkable but little-known sample of the Stalinist Soviet defense industry.But this theme is very interesting ...
Moscow hits
At the time of World War II, Soviet industry was almost completely militarized.The reason is clear: the country to exert every effort to defeat a powerful enemy.However, putting the economy on a war footing started to happen long before 1941, just from the beginning of the German attack, this process has become exaggerated.Excellent samples of military equipment, ahead of the modern analogues for decades, have been created in the second half of the thirties.It tanks T-34, BT-7 and SW.
By the end of the war the production of armored vehicles in the Soviet Union has reached an unprecedented scale in the history of both quantitative and qualitative terms.The climax of this era was the "object 260" 1945 release.It was a real masterpiece in tankostroitelnogo art.
military attaches were present at the Victory Parade 1945 in Moscow, when he saw Isa, could not hold back his emotions.
on the faces of the representatives of the West reflected a mixture of two senses mastered their minds: surprise and consternation.The Soviet comrades amiably slapped them on the back, "Do not worry, you will not be afraid, because we are allies!".But fear somehow did not go through.At the same tanks, which saw western military experts at that time were not the most modern, it was the IS-3."Object 260" it did not show.Even his appearance was a state secret at the time.
Allies and Soviet tanks
as of 1945 had a power of a tank quantitatively greater than all the rest of the armor together.But that's not the number of machines.US arms industry received a major development money in the budget was enough to increase production and, if necessary, the Americans could produce tens of thousands of tanks.Another question is what?"Sherman" "rivet"?Yes, in the truest sense, because this hull of the tank had riveted connections.The sample in all respects morally and technologically outdated.Next to him, and ordinary Soviet "Thirty" looked like a miracle of technology, not something that tank IS-7.The remaining samples of the Allied armored power made no less depressing.For the scheme to which Soviet designers came in the late thirties, the world tank manufacturing gets only in the mid-fifties.
four main differences between the Soviet tanks
main disadvantage of foreign tanks forties was carbureted engine that runs on gasoline.The second structural flaw - front-wheel drive, "eat" the interior space, complicating the kinematic scheme and forced to raise the profile at the same time increasing the weight of armor protection, and, consequently, the entire machine.The third problem was in most cases insufficient caliber turret gun.The fourth bad moment for the British, American, French, German and other tank of the war years was in irrational arrangement of armor plates, without properly calibrated angles of inclination.In other words, standing protivosnaryadnym booking had most of the Allied military vehicles.Some German sample at the end of the war got powerful weapons and a thick defense, sometimes even inclined.Until a rational layout and powerful diesel engine designers at Nazi hands never reached.
all these shortcomings had "object 260".Tank, a photo which demonstrates the long "trunk" of 130-mm guns, streamlined contours of towers and hulls, can not give an idea of all that is hidden under the armor.But experts on appearance might guess a lot.
Chelyabinsk-Leningrad
«Object 260" (tank IS-7) was developed under the guidance of the brilliant chief designer Nicholas Shashmurina, and the author of the design drawings was ZYKotin, who worked at the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant.It happened shortly after the victory, in September 1945, from which we can conclude that improvement of our armored vehicles took place in constant mode.
project was the further development of the concept implemented by the example of IS-3, but in the course of working on it there were many new ideas, was very successful and application in other samples later, including the latest Russian and foreign tanks."Object 260" was brought to perfection in the Leningrad.
For what Stalin needed a tank
In socialist society, economy (as well as science, culture, and everything else) has been planned.That some American Christie could reinvent the suspension, and then think about who this thing to sell.Soviet engineers have not worked well.If you create an "object 260" (tank IS-7, named after the leader of the most important), then on the direct orders of Stalin.But he just did not order.
Whether such a machine to deal with potential enemy armor?The game World of Tanks is used for this Soviet heavy tank X-level."Object 260" is opposed to "Tiger" and "Panther" (which in real life never was), shoots at him and wins victory by adding the gamer points.But not for this it was created in 1945, and then he was not worthy opponents.
JS-7 is designed to strengthen the defense of the assault.He was supposed to take place unhindered by any Uram, wreaking havoc and destruction.The name itself says it.Even the idea that Joseph Stalin burned or broken, can be expensive at the time.
against "Object 260" all anti-money mid-forties, was virtually powerless.This explains the surprise and the fear of foreign observers during the parade of September 7, 1945.Military experts were quite clear what will end ISov attack on any line of defense of the frontiers of the "free world" in the event of an armed conflict with the Soviet Union.This tank is similar laments heavy hammer, which can knock a wide opening.After a gaping hole in the rush thousands of T-34 fast and too powerful, producing coverage surrounding, cutting communications, most recently, in the spring of 1945 ...
hulls and Tower
«Object 260" arr.1945 is smoothly faired that even with deadly purpose of this sample is as aesthetically pleasing.
Tower - flattened hemispherical cast with a large internal volume.Hulls technologically flawless, used for press bending, welding, has the shape of the nose of the "pike nose" like applications in the IS-3.
«Object 260" has a powerful book, its thickness varies from 20 (some parts of the roof of the engine compartment and underbody) to 210 mm, and the gun mask reaches 355 mm.Such differentiated solutions talk about the pursuit of rationalization of weight affecting the combat characteristics of the machine.The inclination angle of the reflecting planes ranges from 51 to 60 degrees.JS-7 - is not just a good technical pattern, it is beautiful.
Power section
In order to assess the true military pattern, it is time to move from discussion about the concept to the dry figures.What was the technically "object 260"?The tank is constructed under the scheme, it is now considered a classic.The engine is located in the aft compartment, its capacity is more than a thousand horsepower.Used marine diesel M-50T, which speaks volumes.
transmission was designed in two versions.In the first number of transmissions is limited to six, eight-planetary PPC had "object 260-2."Tank included fourteen twin track rollers (seven on board).Caterpillars of the first in the Soviet Union equipped with rubber-metal hinges.
driving characteristics and geometry
There is a stereotype of the heavy tank as a low-speed hulking monsters.Dimensions and weight of the last "Joseph Stalin" are impressive: length - 10 meters (with the gun), width - 3.4 m, weight - 60 tons. But all these cyclopean parameters are not talking about low mobility, which has an "object 260".The tank can reach speeds up to 55 km / h, climbing a slope of 30 degrees, wade with the depth up to six meters.Cruising - 300 km, which is not so little.JS-7 is not high, its profile of just 2.5 meters.That's good, because it is difficult to get.
Cannon Cannon C-70 threaded, initially, ships, its size - 130 mm.The projectile is charged separately from the liner, the process is time-consuming, which caused the need to increase "the crew fighting machine" up to 5 people, and the drive is used.
The gun is equipped with perfect for those times fire control devices.Ammunition consisting of 30 shells (high-explosive and caliber), located at the rear of the tower.Rate is small - up to 8 rounds per minute.Muzzle Brake single chamber, mesh type.Barrel length is greater than 57 caliber.
Their machine guns, eight, and their "object 260" had to fight with his arch enemy - the infantry, armed with anti-tank weapons.KPVT 14.5mm guns mounted on the mask with two SGMT (7.62 mm).One krupnokalibernik - turret on the tower.Two SGMT protect the rear hemisphere in the tower.And two - on the sides of the housing.Get close to the JS-7 would be a challenge, because it is covered on all sides.And another interesting fact: the guns are controlled remotely by a telemetrically-electromechanical assemblies.
Vain efforts?
So why not go to a series of "object 260"?Tank, so perfect, was an experimental, made only a few copies.Apparently, the reason is to change the military doctrine of the Soviet Union.In 1945, armed with the American army appeared the atomic bomb, a fact that made the deep strategic operations (in Western Europe, for example) adventurous affair.The country faced the high-tech task requiring besides the huge material costs to build its own nuclear weapons.
Despite the small number of copies produced, "Project 260" can be considered a success.In the course of its implementation of the Soviet tank building a quantum leap, the results of which are modern and engineers.
