IS-2

IS-2 in the Czechoslovak Army
Eight IS-2 tanks were acquired by the fledgling Czechoslovak Army just after the official end of World War II. The tanks were loaned or donated by the Soviet 42nd Guards Heavy Tank Brigade to the 1st Czechoslovak Tank Brigade, which took part in the May 1945 parade in Prague (17 May 1945). The tanks received Czechoslovak circular tricolour markings on the sides of the turrets and the tanks were marked with the numbers 112, 113, 114, 115, 119, 120 and 129 (number 118 is not confirmed from surviving photographs). The tanks were driven by Soviet soldiers, Czechoslovak soldiers formed the visible crew of the machines.
Talks about the formation of one heavy tank battalion led to a promise to supply 20 IS-2 tanks. Eight tanks of the 1st CSTB were subsequently redeployed to guard the Czech-Polish border in northern Moravia (Ostrava region). As late as 19 July 1945 to 21 July 1945, a full complement of eight tanks was maintained, but this was soon reduced to five tanks. What happened to the trio of IS-2s is unknown. They were probably broken down vehicles that were not in the power of our soldiers to repair them. It is possible that they were returned to some Soviet unit.
As of 15 September 1945, the 1st CSTB was reorganized into the Tank Corps, which included a battalion of heavy tanks (Pr. TT). However, it was kept off the table numbers of tank troops. The battalion was stationed in Moravská Ostrava, from 10/1945 in Vysoké Mýto. Five IS-2 tanks were given military registration numbers 73700 - 73704. These tanks formed the basis for designated training. Further deliveries of this type of tanks were awaited. Although it is reliably documented that at the time of the donation of the tanks and during the inspection on 17 May 1945 they were tanks of a newer version of the IS-2 with a one-piece hull front armour and a gun with a wedge-shaped breech, at the time of the formation of the Heavy Tank Battalion a pair of tanks of an older design (model 1943 - different shape of the hull front, a gun with a bolt-action breech) appeared in the state of five IS-2 tanks. Where the original tanks came from and where they disappeared to is not clear. The insufficient number of tanks was supplemented by T-34/76 and T-34/85 tanks, some of which were later (1.4.1946) transferred to other units. One machine was in the state of the command unit, two machines each had the 1st Company and the 2nd Company (the pair of IS-2 tanks in each company was supplemented by one T-34/85).
As the expected deliveries did not arrive and the hope of obtaining additional IS-2 tanks was not fulfilled, the Tank Command decided to disband the Heavy Tank Battalion. The tanks were to be transferred to the newly established Tank Training School. This was done by official transfer on 25 January 1947, but they were not physically transferred until 21 February 1947. The Tank Apprenticeship received four IS-2 tanks, the fifth tank (registration number 73700) was assigned as a model tank to the Military Academy in Hranice na Morave.
The tanks were accompanied by malfunctions, which were difficult to remove due to the lack of spare parts.
Tank No. 73704 had been in the AZ-1 Autozbrojovka in Přelouč since 1945. Due to the fact that it was not possible to repair the machine in the foreseeable future, it was scrapped in 1949 and served as a memorial directly in Přelouč. It lasted there until the 1990s, after which it entered the collection of the Military Technical Museum in Lesany.
Tank No. 73700 was in the condition of the Military Academy as well, after some time it was inoperable for a long time and constituted a static training aid.On 25 July 1950 it was moved to Tank Training School, where however it was no longer introduced into the vehicle status.
Tank No. 73703 was without an engine since 11/1949, which was sent to Škoda Plzeň for repair. The tank was not commissioned until the early 1950s.
Due to the failure rate and lack of spare parts, these tanks were driven minimally. At the end of 1950, the four tanks (registration numbers 73700 - 73703) still kept in army condition were transferred to the newly formed 1st Heavy Tank-Mobile Regiment. They were armed along with a pair of IS-3 and SD-152 (ISU-152) self-propelled guns. In 1955, a trio of IS-2 tanks were maintained in the unit's status, presumably lasting there until the unit was disbanded on 1 October 1956. They were subsequently scrapped. Two tanks served as memorials (Trutnov and Kroměříž). The Trutnov IS-2 was brought to the memorial from the 2nd Tank Base in Žilina in 1960. The tank had a rough time when it was torn down from its pedestal by demonstrating citizens in 1969. Its barrel was detonated by autogen. Until 1992 it stood in the local barracks with a dummy barrel made from a piece of pipe mounted on it. Today the tank is in the collection of the Military Technical Museum in Lesany. The tank in Kroměříž was also rescued from the scrap metal in 1992 and is also in the collection of the Military Technical Museum in Lesany.


Older sources list the numbers somewhat differently.
In 1946 and as of 1.2.1949 in the army's state of the army reported 7 IS-2s, as of 1.5.1951 only 6 IS-2s, as of 8/1958 4 IS-2s are in storage at the 2nd tank base in Žilina and as of 1.6.1960 no IS-2 machine is listed in the army's total state of the army anymore. These figures are interesting in that one can speculate that the actual numbers of tanks were increased by a pair of IS-2s of an older design. They may not have been in unit status, but may have been in storage somewhere outside of the active numbers, but may have figured in the total numbers reports.
E.g. "In 1946 and as of 1.2.1949, 7 IS-2s were reported in Army status" - 5 active tanks + 2 stores
Or "as of 1.5.1951 only 6 pcs" (4 + 2)
The active numbers would agree with the claims of Messrs Francev and Kopecky. However, this is just my speculation.

V.Francev, M. Kopecký - Soviet armored vehicles in the armament of the Czechoslovak army 1943-1951, Capricorn publications, year of publication 2018, ISBN 978-80-87578-19-3
Břetislav Nakládal - Organizational Construction of Tank Units of the Czechoslovak Army 1945-50, HPM No.6/2001
https://vojenstvi.kvalitne.cz/vasedotazy_9.htm (issue no.132...)
https://vojenstvi.kvalitne.cz/
Vladimir Frantsev - armada.vojenstvi.cz
VZaV 1958 (photo of IS-2 with matriculation No.4)
cs.wikipedia.org

Smíchovský IS-2 - diskusia


Jeden IS-2 stál na podstavci na Smíchově před justičním palácem jako pomník připomínající osvobození Prahy Rudou armádou - byl vydáván za první tank, který vjel na území Prahy. První byla ovšem mnohem menší T-34, která byla zasažena, poškozena a odtažena kamsi do neznáma.


Po maďarském povstání z něj byl vymontován motor a převodovka. Podobné "pomníkové" tanky v Budapešti byly totiž schopny provozu a povstalci této skutečnosti využili.


V roce 1991 byl tento tank natřen výtvarníkem Davidem Černým na růžovo, poté ho armáda přetřela opět na zeleno. Po bouřlivé diskusi byl tank natřen opět na růžovo, poté byl odvezen do Vojenského muzea v Lešanech (kde stojí dodnes) a jeho místo zaujal růžový trabant. Podstavec byl poté zbourán.


*edit : Braňo

V roku 1988 bol nastriekaný na zeleno. A potom ...

Zdroj : Obrana lidu 1988 č.20

Pred časom bežali v televízii zábery ako bol tento tak " inštalovaný " na podstavec. Bol vytvorený šikmý nájazd zo železničných pražcov, po ktorom tank nacúval použitím vlastného motoru na podstavec. Bolo zaujímavé, že sa tak dialo vo večerných hodinách. Tento tank sa teraz nachádza v expozícii lešanského múzea aj keď v " trochu " inej kamufláži.

"Růžový tank" ze Smíchova, Lešany 2009, vlastní foto

IS-2 (IS-122, the czechoslovak military registration number 73704), Tank day, Military technical museum, Lešany, August 2014. This tank was made at the turn of the years 1943 and 1944, making it one of the oldest version (refered to as the IS-122), which had an older version of the chassis and the 122mm cannon with screw finish. In 1945 he was in a condition 42. guards heavy tank brigade, which with him took part in the fighting Ostrava. Together with seven other cars, the IS-2 was loaned 1. the czechoslovak independent tank brigade before the solemn military parade in Prague, which took place 17. may 1945. All IS-2 tanks ultimately remained permanently in the arsenal of the post-war czechoslovak army. Their operator will become a Battalion of heavy tanks, which had in the arsenal of only five IS-2 IS supplemented by four T-34/85 and one the T-34/76. The expected delivery of another 20 cars IS-2 from the USSR took place, which, together with poor technical condition of the already operated IS-2 and the lack of spare parts led to the cancellation of this service. Tank no. 73704 has stood since the year 1945 in the premises of Autozbrojovky 1 in Přelouči, where he was waiting for servicing and repair. To do this however never happened and the car was in 1949 eliminated and subsequently ended up as a monument to přeloučském square. There lasted until 1990, when it was passed into the collections of the Military historical institute. Between the years 2013 and 2014, the tank underwent extensive renovation into a mobile state in the race VOP CZ. After the reconstruction was first publicly introduced to a Tank day in 2014..

After oslobodení Bratislava, v apríli 1945, ženijné unit CHA for výdatnej help German zajatcov started from rekonštrukciou bridge over the Danube in Bratislave.

The bridge was slávnostne given to užívania vo februári 1946. However, in januári 1946 predchádzali záťažové skúšky, on that bol used tank IS-2.

Source : The Internet.

The command staff of the 88th Guards Heavy Tank Regiment stands in front of an IS-2 tank.
From left to right: deputy regimental commander for material and technical support Major N.P. Romanchenko (Н.П. Romanchenko), regimental chief of staff Major N.V. Shirokich (Н. В. Широких), deputy regimental commander Major F.M. Zharkoy (Ф. М. Жаркой), the deputy regimental commander for political affairs Major L.A. Glushkov (L. A. Glushkov), deputy regimental commander for supply Major V. M. Khaykin (V. M. Khaykin), deputy chief of staff Major I. German (I. German) is sitting on the tank, the picture is undated.

http://tankfront.ru/ussr/tp/tp-f/gvtp088f.html

German captured IS-2 with inscription on the turret "besstimt für OKW", i.e. "intended for the High Command of the Armed Forces", undated image.

albumwar2.com

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A prototype of the IS-2 tank (blueprint #234) was completed #OTD in 1943. This tank was far from the IS-2 (Object 240) that entered into production later that year, featuring a shorter hull with 5 road wheels and a 122 mm howitzer. #tanks #History #WW2 #WWII pic.twitter.com/Rl2JrcZ2K5
— Tank Archives (@Tank_Archives) March 12, 2024