After the adoption of the IS-3 tank into service in March 1945 and the introduction of the machine into mass production in May of the same year at the Chelyabinsk Kirov plant, it began to enter service with the tank forces of the Red Army (Soviet - since 1946). First of all, the IS-3 tanks were transferred to the armament of tank regiments in the Group of Forces in Germany, and then to other units. On September 7, 1945, IS-3 heavy tanks marched through the streets of defeated Berlin as part of the 71st Guards Heavy Tank Regiment of the 2nd Guards Tank Army, taking part in the Allied Forces parade in honor of the end of World War II. For the first time at the parade in Moscow, the new IS-3 tanks were shown on May 1, 1946.
The arrival of the IS-3 tank in the army coincided with a new organizational restructuring of the units. The organizational reorganization of the tank forces after the end of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 began with bringing the names of their organizational forms in line with their combat capabilities, as well as the name of the corresponding forms of rifle troops.
In July 1945, the lists of the staffs of tank and mechanized divisions were approved, into which the tank and mechanized corps of the Red Army were renamed. At the same time, the brigade link was replaced by the regimental, and the former regimental - by the battalion. Among other features of these states, it is necessary to note the replacement of self-propelled artillery regiments of three types, each with 21 self-propelled guns, by a guards heavy tank regiment (65 IS-2 tanks) and the inclusion of a howitzer artillery regiment (24 howitzers of 122 mm caliber) in such divisions. The result of the transfer of tank and mechanized corps to the states of the corresponding divisions was that mechanized and tank divisions became the main formations of tank forces.
In accordance with the instructions of the General Staff, on October 1, 1945, the transfer of tank divisions to new states began. According to the new states, the tank division consisted of: three tank regiments, a heavy self-propelled tank regiment, a motorized rifle regiment, a howitzer battalion, an anti-aircraft artillery regiment, a division of guards mortars, a motorcycle battalion, a sapper battalion, and logistics and technical support units.
Tank regiments in these states retained the structure of the previous tank brigades and were of the same type but combat strength. In total, the division's tank regiment had 1,324 men, 65 medium tanks, 5 armored vehicles and 138 vehicles.
The motorized rifle regiment of the tank division did not undergo any changes in comparison with the motorized rifle brigade of the war period - it still did not have tanks.
A really new combat unit of the tank division was a heavy tank-self-propelled regiment, which had two battalions of heavy tanks, a battalion of SU-100 self-propelled guns, a battalion of submachine gunners, an anti-aircraft battery, and a company: reconnaissance, control, transport, and repair; platoons: economic and medical. In total, the regiment consisted of 1,252 personnel, 46 IS-3 heavy tanks, 21 SU-100 self-propelled guns, 16 armored personnel carriers, six 37 mm anti-aircraft guns, 3 DShK machine guns and 131 vehicles.
The organizational and staff structure of mechanized divisions, regardless of their organizational affiliation, was unified and corresponded to the structure and combat composition of the mechanized division of the rifle corps.
In the mechanized division of 1946 there were: three mechanized regiments, a tank regiment, as well as a heavy self-propelled tank regiment, a division of guards mortars, a howitzer regiment, an anti-aircraft artillery regiment, a mortar regiment, a motorcycle battalion, a sapper battalion, a separate communications battalion, a medical battalion and a command company.
As you know, during the war years, the tank armies were the highest organizational form of tank forces, their operational unification.
Taking into account the increase in the combat capabilities of the troops of potential adversaries in the post-war years, the Soviet leadership came to the conclusion that it was necessary to dramatically increase the combat capabilities of tank forces and increase their number. In this regard, during the organization of the ground forces, nine mechanized armies were formed instead of six tank armies.
The new formation of tank forces differed from the tank army of the Great Patriotic War by the inclusion of two tank and two mechanized divisions in its composition, which increased (its) combat power and operational independence. In the mechanized army, there were 800 medium and 140 heavy tanks (IS-2 and IS-3) among various weapons.
Taking into account the increasing role and specific weight of tank forces and the change in their organizational structure, already in the first post-war years, attempts were made to clarify the previous provisions on the use of armored forces in an offensive, taking into account the changing conditions of combat operations. For this purpose, in 1946-1953, a number of military and command-staff exercises, war games, field trips and military scientific conferences were held. These measures had a great influence on the development of the official views of the Soviet military leadership on the use of tank forces in the offensive, which were enshrined in the Field Regulations of the USSR Armed Forces (corps, division) of 1948, the Combat Regulations of the BT and MB of the Soviet Army (division, corps, battalion) 1950, the draft manual for the conduct of operations (front, army) 1952 and the Field Manual of the Soviet Army (regiment, battalion) 1953.
In accordance with this and the adopted documents, the offensive was considered as the main type of combat operations of the troops, as a result of which the main goals of the complete defeat of the opposing enemy could be achieved. From the point of view of the sequence of solving combat missions, the offensive was divided into two main stages: breaking through the enemy's defenses and developing the offensive. At the same time, the breakthrough of the defense was considered the most important of the stages of the offensive, since only as a result of its implementation conditions were created for the successful development of the offensive in depth. According to the views of the Soviet military leadership, the offensive began with a breakthrough of the defense prepared or hastily taken by the enemy. The breakthrough of the prepared defense was considered the most difficult type of offensive, as a result of which special attention was paid to it in the governing documents and in the practice of combat training of troops.
When attacking a prepared defense and a fortified area, a heavy self-propelled tank regiment was intended to reinforce medium tanks and infantry. Usually it was attached to rifle formations. Its heavy tanks and self-propelled artillery mounts were used to directly support the infantry, combat tanks, self-propelled guns, artillery and enemy firing points located in fortifications. After breaking through the enemy's tactical defense to its entire depth, the army's heavy tank-self-propelled regiment was withdrawn to the reserve of the corps commander or the army commander and could subsequently be used as the situation arises to combat tanks and self-propelled artillery units and formations of the enemy.
The transition of troops in the first post-war years to a new organizational basis greatly increased their capabilities in creating a stable and active defense.
Tank and mechanized units, formations and formations in defense were supposed to be used mainly in the second echelons and reserves for delivering powerful counterattacks and counterattacks from the depths. Along with this, domestic military theory allowed the use of tank and mechanized divisions, as well as a mechanized army for conducting independent defense in the main directions.
In the defense of the rifle division, part of the units of the tank-self-propelled regiment was attached to the rifle regiment of the first echelon. Most, and sometimes the entire regiment, was supposed to be used as a tank reserve for the commander of a rifle division to conduct counterattacks in the event that the enemy broke through the first position of the main line of defense.
A separate heavy self-propelled tank regiment (IS-2, IS-3 and SU-100) in the defense of the combined arms army was supposed to be used as a tank reserve for the commander of the army or rifle corps to conduct counterattacks against the enemy wedged into the defenses, especially in the areas of action of his tank groupings.
In the event of a breakthrough by the enemy to the depth of the defense of the first echelon regiments, the conduct of counterattacks by the forces of tank reserves was considered inexpedient. Under these conditions, the defeat of the enemy who had wedged in and the restoration of defense was entrusted to the second echelons of rifle corps, the basis of which, according to the experience of the exercises, was made up of mechanized divisions.
Unlike counterattacks during the Great Patriotic War, which were usually carried out only after the preliminary occupation of the initial position, the mechanized division, as a rule, carried out a counterattack on the move, using from its composition parts of tank regiments that were armed with T-34-85 medium tanks at support of heavy tanks IS-2, IS-3 and self-propelled guns SU-100 of a heavy self-propelled tank regiment. This method provided a strong initial blow to a greater extent.
In a frontal defensive operation, the mechanized army usually constituted the second echelon of the front or the reserve of the front and was intended to deliver a powerful counterattack to the enemy and go over to the offensive.
Considering that the advancing enemy had the opportunity to create groups of significant strength and impact, saturated with tanks and fire weapons, it was planned to build a defense that was already deeply echeloned and completely anti-tank. For this purpose, the units of the heavy self-propelled tank regiment were attached to a rifle battalion and a rifle regiment of the first echelon to strengthen the anti-tank defense of the infantry in the first position or depth of defense.
To strengthen the anti-tank defense of the rifle corps and rifle divisions defending in important areas, it was envisaged to use part of the units of separate heavy tank-self-propelled regiments of the combined-arms army and RVGK.
To increase the stability of defense in the domestic military theory, it began to envisage the use of formations, as well as formations of tank forces for defense and in the first echelon, moreover, not only during offensive operations, but also during defensive operations.
The emergence of nuclear missile weapons, which became the defining means of warfare, also influenced the development of the organizational forms of tank forces during the 50s and early 60s, since the first tests of nuclear weapons showed that armored vehicles are the most resistant to their effects. weapons and equipment.
In the early 1950s, in connection with the development of methods of conducting military operations in conditions of the use of nuclear weapons and the arrival of new equipment in the troops, activities were actively carried out to improve the staff organization.
To increase the survivability of troops in the conditions of the use of nuclear weapons, the new states adopted in 1953-1954 provided for a sharp increase in the number of tanks, armored personnel carriers, artillery and anti-aircraft weapons in their composition.
According to the new states of the tank and mechanized divisions, adopted in 1954, a mechanized regiment was introduced into the tank division, and 5 tanks were included in the tank platoons of the tank regiment. The number of tanks in a tank regiment increased to 105 vehicles.
In mid-1954, new staffs were introduced for mechanized divisions of rifle corps. The mechanized division now includes: three mechanized regiments, a tank regiment, a heavy self-propelled tank regiment, a separate mortar battalion, an artillery regiment, an anti-aircraft artillery regiment, a separate reconnaissance battalion, a separate engineer battalion, a separate communications battalion, a radiochemical protection company and a helicopter link.
In the new organization, a tendency has emerged to reduce the proportion of rifle subunits in the formations and units, which is confirmed by the replacement of tank and mechanized divisions of battalions with motorized rifle companies in the heavy self-propelled tank regiments. This was due to the desire to reduce the number of personnel not covered by armor, and thereby increase the anti-nuclear resistance of units and formations.
As the experience of the battles of the Great Patriotic War and post-war exercises showed, the armies that were breaking through the enemy's defenses were in dire need of increasing their striking force, which at that time were carried by heavy tanks IS-2 and IS-3.
In 1954, a decision was made to form heavy tank divisions. The heavy tank division consisted of three heavy tank regiments, armed with 195 heavy tanks of the IS-2 and IS-3 types. Characteristic in the organizational structure of a heavy tank division was: a low proportion of infantry (only one motorized rifle company in each of the three regiments), the absence of field artillery, and a reduced composition of combat support and service units.
In the same year, the number of tank (or self-propelled artillery) battalions in the mechanized army was increased from 42 to 44 (including heavy ones - from 6 to 12), the number of motorized rifle battalions was reduced from 34 to 30. Accordingly, the number of medium tanks increased to 1,233, heavy - up to 184.
The number of heavy tanks in the SA Panzer Division remained unchanged - 46 IS-2 and IS-3 tanks. The number of heavy tanks in the mechanized division increased from 24 to 46, that is, in terms of the number of heavy tanks IS-2 and IS-3, it became equal to the tank division.
Such structures and the composition of divisions were determined by their purpose and methods of combat use and provided them with high striking power, mobility and controllability.
The main directions of improving the organizational and staff structure of tank and mechanized divisions were to increase their combat independence, as well as survivability, achieved by increasing their firepower, striking power and capabilities for all-round support of combat operations. At the same time, tendencies were outlined for an increase in the uniformity of the combat composition of tank formations and units and a decrease in the proportion of infantry in their composition.
The need to protect the personnel of mechanized units and formations from being hit by enemy fire weapons was confirmed by the Hungarian events that took place in the fall of 1956.
During the Great Patriotic War, Hungary fought on the side of Germany. On the Eastern Front, 200 thousand Hungarian servicemen fought against the Red Army on the territory of the USSR. Unlike other allies of Nazi Germany - Italy, Romania, Finland, who, after the defeat of the Wehrmacht in 1943-1944, turned their weapons 180 degrees in time, the overwhelming majority of Hungarian troops fought to the end. The Red Army lost 200 thousand people in the battles for Hungary.
According to the peace treaty of 1947, Hungary lost all of its territories, acquired on the eve and during the Second World War, and was forced to pay reparations: $ 200 million to the Soviet Union and $ 100 million to Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. The Soviet Union, in accordance with the treaty, had the right to keep its troops in Hungary, which were necessary to maintain communications with its group of troops in Austria.
In 1955, Soviet troops left Austria, but in May of the same year Hungary joined the Warsaw Pact Organization, and the SA troops were left in the country in a new capacity and received the name Special Corps. The Special Corps consisted of the 2nd and 17th Guards Mechanized Divisions, from the Air Force - the 195th Fighter and 172nd Bomber Aviation Divisions, as well as auxiliary units.
Most Hungarians did not consider their country to be to blame for the outbreak of World War II and believed that Moscow acted with Hungary extremely unfairly, despite the fact that the former Western allies of the USSR in the Anti-Hitler coalition supported all the clauses of the 1947 peace treaty. In addition, Western radio stations Voice of America, the BBC and others actively influenced the Hungarian population, calling on them to fight for freedom and promising immediate assistance in the event of an uprising, including an invasion of Hungarian territory by NATO troops.
On October 23, 1956, in an atmosphere of a brewing public explosion and under the influence of Polish events, a 200,000-strong demonstration took place in Budapest, in which representatives of almost all segments of the population took part. It began under the slogans of the country's national independence, democratization, complete correction of the mistakes of the "rakoshist leadership", bringing to justice those responsible for the repressions of 1949-1953. Among the demands were: the immediate convocation of the party congress, the appointment of Imre Nagy as prime minister, the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Hungary, the destruction of the monument to I. V. Stalin. In the course of the first clashes with the forces of law enforcement, the nature of the manifestation changed: anti-government slogans appeared.
The first secretary of the Central Committee of the VPT Gere appealed to the Soviet government with a request to send Soviet troops stationed in Hungary to Budapest. In a radio address to the people, he qualified the incident as a counter-revolution.
On the evening of October 23, 1956, the uprising began. Armed demonstrators seized a radio center and a number of military and industrial facilities. A state of emergency was declared in the country. At this point in time, about 7 thousand Hungarian troops and 50 tanks have been deployed in Budapest. At night, the plenum of the Central Committee of the VPT formed a new government headed by Imre Nagy, who, being present at the meeting of the Central Committee, did not object to the invitation of the Soviet troops. However, the next day, when the troops entered the capital, Nagy rejected the request of the USSR Ambassador to Hungary, Yu. V. Andropov to sign the corresponding letter.
On October 23, 1956, at 23:00, the Chief of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces, Marshal of the Soviet Union V. Sokolovsky, gave an order to the commander of the Special Corps, General P. Lashchenko, to move troops to Budapest (plan "Compass"). In accordance with the decision of the government of the USSR "to provide assistance to the government of the Hungarian People's Republic in connection with the political unrest that arose in the country," the Ministry of Defense of the USSR involved only five divisions of ground forces in the operation. They included 31,550 personnel, 1,130 tanks (T-34-85, T-44, T-54 and IS-3) and self-propelled artillery guns (SU-100 and ISU-152), 615 guns and mortars, 185 anti-aircraft guns, 380 armored personnel carriers, 3830 vehicles. At the same time, air divisions, numbering 159 fighters and 122 bombers, were brought to full combat readiness. These planes, in particular, fighters covering Soviet troops, were needed not against the rebels, but in case NATO planes appeared in the airspace of Hungary. Also, some divisions on the territory of Romania and the Carpathian Military District were put on high alert.
In accordance with the "Compass" plan, on the night of October 24, 1956, units of the 2nd Guards Division were brought into Budapest. The 37th tank and 40th mechanized regiments of this division were able to clear the center of the city from the rebels and secure the most important points (train stations, banks, airfield, government agencies). In the evening, they were joined by units of the 3rd Rifle Corps of the Hungarian People's Army. In the first hours, they destroyed about 340 armed insurgents. The numerical and combat strength of the Soviet units in the city was about 6 thousand soldiers and officers, 290 tanks, 120 armored personnel carriers and 156 guns. However, this was clearly not enough for military operations in a large city with a population of 2 million.
On the morning of October 25, the 33rd Guards Mechanized Division approached Budapest, and by the evening of the 128th Guards Rifle Division. By this time, the resistance of the rebels in the center of Budapest intensified. This happened as a result of the murder of a Soviet officer and the burning of one tank during a peaceful rally. In this regard, the 33rd division was given a combat mission: to clear the central part of the city from armed detachments, where the rebel strongholds had already been created. To combat Soviet tanks, they used anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns, grenade launchers, anti-tank grenades and Molotov cocktails. As a result of the battle, the rebels lost only 60 people killed.
On the morning of October 28, an assault on the center of Budapest was planned together with units of the 5th and 6th Hungarian mechanized regiments. However, before the start of the operation, the Hungarian units were ordered not to participate in hostilities.
On October 29, the Soviet troops also received a ceasefire order. The next day, the government of Imre Nagy demanded the immediate withdrawal of Soviet troops from Budapest. On October 31, all Soviet formations and units were withdrawn from the city and took up positions 15-20 km from the city. The headquarters of the Special Corps is located at the Tekel airfield. At the same time, the Minister of Defense of the USSR G. K. Zhukov received an order from the Central Committee of the CPSU "to develop an appropriate plan of measures related to the events in Hungary."
On November 1, 1956, the Hungarian government, headed by Imre Nagy, announced the country's withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact and demanded the immediate withdrawal of Soviet troops. At the same time, a defensive line was created around Budapest, reinforced by dozens of anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns. Outposts with tanks and artillery appeared in the settlements adjacent to the city. The number of Hungarian troops in the city reached 50 thousand people. In addition, more than 10 thousand people were part of the "national guard". The number of tanks increased to one hundred.
The Soviet command carefully worked out an operation codenamed "Whirlwind" to capture Budapest, using the experience of the Great Patriotic War. The main task was performed by the Special Corps under the command of General P. Lashchenko, which was assigned two tank, two elite parachute, mechanized and artillery regiments, as well as two battalions of heavy mortars and rocket launchers.
The divisions of the Special Corps were aimed at actions in the same areas of the city in which they held objects until they left it in October, which somewhat facilitated the fulfillment of the combat missions assigned to them.
At 6 o'clock in the morning on November 4, 1956, Operation Whirlwind began at the Thunder signal. The forward detachments and the main forces of the 2nd and 33rd Guards Mechanized Divisions, the 128th Guards Rifle Division in columns along their routes from various directions rushed to Budapest and, having overcome armed resistance on its outskirts, by 7 o'clock in the morning broke into the city.
The formations of the armies of generals A. Babajanyan and H. Mamsurov began active actions to restore order and restore the authorities in Debrecen, Miskolc, Gyor and other cities.
The SA airborne units disarmed the Hungarian anti-aircraft batteries blocking the airfields of the Soviet air units in Veszprem and Tekel.
Units of the 2nd Guards Division by 7:30 am.captured the bridges over the Danube, parliament, the building of the Central Committee of the party, the ministries of internal and foreign affairs, the State Council and the Nyugati station. A guard battalion was disarmed in the parliament area and three tanks were captured.
Colonel Lipinsky's 37th Tank Regiment disarmed about 250 officers and "national guards" during the seizure of the building of the Ministry of Defense.
The 87th heavy self-propelled tank regiment captured the arsenal in the Fot area, and also disarmed the Hungarian tank regiment.
During the day of the battle, units of the division disarmed up to 600 people, captured about 100 tanks, two depots of artillery weapons, 15 anti-aircraft guns and a large number of small arms.
Units from the 33rd Guards Mechanized Division, without first encountering resistance, seized the artillery depot in Peshtsentlerinets, three bridges across the Danube, and also disarmed the units of the Hungarian regiment, which had gone over to the side of the rebels.
The 108th Airborne Regiment of the 7th Guards Airborne Division by surprise action disarmed five Hungarian anti-aircraft batteries that were blocking the Tekla airfield.
The 128th Guards Rifle Division of Colonel N. Gorbunov, by the actions of forward detachments in the western part of the city, by 7 o'clock captured the Budaersh airfield, capturing 22 aircraft, as well as the barracks of the communications school, disarmed the mechanized regiment of the 7th mechanized division, which was trying to resist.
Attempts of divisional units to seize the Moscow Square, the Royal Fortress, as well as the districts adjacent to Mount Gellert from the south, were unsuccessful due to strong resistance.
As the Soviet divisions advanced towards the city center, the armed detachments offered more organized and stubborn resistance, especially with the units reaching the Central Telephone Station, the Corvin area, Keleti station, the Royal Fortress and Moscow Square. The strongholds of the Hungarians became more powerful, the number of anti-tank weapons increased in them. Some of the public buildings were also prepared for defense.
It was required to strengthen the troops operating in the city, and organize training and support for their actions.
For the quickest defeat of the armed detachments in Budapest, at the direction of Marshal of the Soviet Union I. Konev, the Special Corps of the SA was additionally assigned two tank regiments (100th tank regiment of the 31st tank division and 128th tank-self-propelled regiment of the 66th Guards Rifle Division), 80 1st and 381st Airborne Regiments from the 7th and 31st Guards Airborne Divisions, a rifle regiment, a mechanized regiment, an artillery regiment, as well as two divisions of a heavy mortar and rocket brigade.
Most of these units were assigned to reinforce the 33rd Mechanized and 128th Rifle Guards Divisions.
To capture strong pockets of resistance - the Corvin area, University town, Moscow square, Korolevskaya square, where armed detachments of up to 300-500 people were stationed, division commanders were forced to attract significant forces of infantry, artillery and tanks, create assault groups and use incendiary shells. flamethrowers, smoke grenades and bombs. Without this, attempts to capture the indicated centers of resistance led to large losses in personnel.
On November 5, 1956, units of the 33rd Guards Mechanized Division of General Obaturov, after a powerful artillery raid, in which 11 artillery battalions took part, which had about 170 guns and mortars, took the last heavily fortified rebel stronghold in Corvin Lane. During November 5 and 6, units of the Special Corps continued to eliminate individual rebel groups in Budapest. On November 7, Janos Kadar and the newly formed government of the Hungarian People's Republic arrived in Budapest.
During the hostilities, the losses of Soviet troops amounted to 720 people killed, 1540 wounded, 51 people were missing. More than half of these losses were suffered by units of the Special Corps, mainly in October. Parts of the 7th and 31st Guards Airborne Divisions lost 85 people killed, 265 wounded and 12 people missing. In street battles, a large number of tanks, armored personnel carriers and other military equipment were knocked out and damaged. Thus, units from the 33rd Guards Mechanized Division lost 14 tanks and self-propelled guns, 9 armored personnel carriers, 13 guns, 4 BM-13 combat vehicles, 6 anti-aircraft guns, 45 machine guns, 31 cars and 5 motorcycles in Budapest.
The participation of heavy tanks IS-3 in hostilities in Budapest was the only one during their operation in Soviet tank units. After measures to modernize the machine, carried out in 1947-1953 and up to 1960, during overhaul, first at industrial plants (ChKZ and LKZ), and then at overhaul factories of the Ministry of Defense, the IS-3 tanks, which received the designation IS-3M, were operated by the troops until the end of the 70s.
Subsequently, some of the vehicles were put into storage, some - after the expiration of their service life, as well as replacement with new heavy T-10 tanks - for decommissioning or as targets at tank ranges, and some were used in fortified areas on the Soviet-Chinese border as fixed firing points … As noted above, the IS-3 (IS-3M) tanks, along with the IS-2 and T-10 heavy tanks, with their subsequent modifications, were removed from service by the Russian (Soviet) Army in 1993.
Although the IS-3 (IS-3M) tank did not take part in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, in many cities of Russia it was erected as a monument in honor of the victory in this war. A large number of these machines are in museums around the world. IS-3M tanks in Moscow are on display at the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. on Poklonnaya Hill, at the Museum of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, at the Museum of Armored Weapons and Equipment in Kubinka.
During serial production, the IS-3 was not exported. In 1946, two tanks were transferred by the Soviet government to Poland to familiarize themselves with the design of the vehicle and train instructors. In the 50s, both vehicles took part in military parades in Warsaw several times. Subsequently, until the early 70s, one machine was at the Military Technical Academy in Warsaw, and then was used as a target at one of the training grounds. The second tank IS-3 was transferred to the Higher Officer School of Tank Forces named after S. Charnetsky, in whose museum it is kept to the present.
In 1950, one IS-3 tank was transferred to Czechoslovakia. In addition, a significant number of IS-3 tanks were transferred to the DPRK. In the 60s, two North Korean tank divisions had one regiment of these heavy vehicles.
At the end of the 50s, tanks of the IS-3 and IS-3M types were delivered to Egypt. On July 23, 1956, IS-3 tanks took part in the Independence Day parade in Cairo. Most of the IS-3 and IS-3M tanks out of 100 vehicles delivered to Egypt arrived in this country in 1962-1967.
These tanks took part in hostilities during the so-called "six-day" war, which began on June 5, 1967 in the Sinai Peninsula between Egypt and Israel. A decisive role in combat operations in this war was played by tank and mechanized formations, the basis of which on the Israeli side were American M48A2 tanks, British "Centurion" Mk.5 and Mk.7, whose armament was modernized in Israel by installing a more powerful 105-mm tank cannons, as well as modernized M4 Sherman tanks with French 105-mm cannons. On the Egyptian side, they were opposed by Soviet-made tanks: medium T-34-85, T-54, T-55 and heavy IS-3. Heavy tanks IS-3, in particular, were in service with the 7th Infantry Division, which defended the Khan-Younis-Rafah line. 60 IS-3 tanks were also in service with the 125th Tank Brigade, which occupied combat positions near El Cuntilla.
Egyptian tank lost during the Yom Kippur War
Heavy tanks IS-3 (IS-3M) could become a serious enemy for the Israelis, but this did not happen, despite the fact that several M48 tanks were destroyed by them. In a highly maneuverable battle, the IS-3 lost out to more modern Israeli tanks. Affected by the low rate of fire, limited ammunition and an outdated fire control system, as well as the inability to work in a hot climate of the V-11 engine. In addition, the insufficient combat training of Egyptian tankers also affected. The morale and fighting spirit of the soldiers was also low, who did not show steadfastness and perseverance. The latter circumstance is well illustrated by an episode, unique from the point of view of a tank battle, but typical for a "six-day" war. One IS-3M tank was knocked out in the Rafah area by a hand grenade that accidentally flew into … an open tower hatch, since the Egyptian tankers went into battle with open hatches in order to be able to quickly leave the tank in case of defeat.
The soldiers of the 125th Tank Brigade, retreating, simply abandoned their tanks, including the IS-3M, which the Israelis got in perfect working order. As a result of the "six-day" war, the Egyptian army lost 72 IS-3 (IS-3M) tanks. By 1973, the Egyptian army had only one tank regiment, armed with the IS-3 (IS-3M) tanks. To date, there is no data on the participation of this regiment in hostilities.
But the Israel Defense Forces used captured IS-3M tanks until the early 70s, including as tank tractors. At the same time, worn-out V-54K-IS engines were replaced with V-54 from captured T-54A tanks. On some of the tanks, the roof of the MTO was changed simultaneously with the engine, obviously, along with the cooling system. One of these tanks is currently at the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in the United States.
For the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, the Israelis removed engines and transmissions from several IS-3M tanks, and placed additional ammunition in the vacated places. These tanks were installed on inclined concrete platforms, which made it possible to provide elevation angles of the barrels of tank guns up to 45 °. Two of these IS-3 tanks were used during the War of Attrition in 1969-1970 at the Tempo (Okral) fortified point of the so-called Bar-Leva Line (the northernmost fortified point along the Suez Canal, in 10 km south of Port Said). Two more tanks of the IS-3 type, equipped in a similar way, were installed in the fortified point "Budapest" (on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, 12 km east of Port Said). After the stocks of captured ammunition for the D-25T guns were used up, these vehicles again fell into the hands of the Egyptians during the hostilities.
