Trumpeter 05573 Soviet JS-4 Heavy Tank

The IS-4 is a Soviet heavy tank from the early days of the Cold War. The first prototypes of this vehicle were made in 1945, and the production of the car lasted in 1946-1949. In the course of production, approximately 250 vehicles of this type were produced. The combat weight of the tank was up to 60 tons. The drive was provided by a single diesel engine with a power of up to 750 HP. The main armament consisted of a 122 mm D-25T gun and two 12.7 mm DSzK machine guns.

Design work on the IS-4 began in 1943 and was to lead to the creation of a vehicle with more powerful armor and better survivability on the battlefield than the IS-2. At the same time, it was assumed that the IS-4 vehicles would replace the IS-2 tanks in the future. Ultimately, the aim was to create a vehicle that would exceed the combat values of both the domestic IS-2 and the German Pz.Kpfw VI Tiger II. The tank entered mass production and turned out to be the heaviest of the heavy tanks used by the Soviet Army. At the same time, however, it did not live up to the hopes placed on it, mainly due to its low maneuverability, resulting from too much weight, and a power unit with inadequate power for a tank weighing around 60 tons. The IS-4 vehicles were never used in combat.