| marklt31 | 18 Feb 2016 12:51 p.m. PST |
Hi guys I have some IS-2 tanks and was wondering if anyones knows what tank regiments actually had the tanks and there markings I have all ready done 3 which were part of the 7th Guards separate heavy tank brigade
so was looking to do do A different tank brigade |
| Cujoman | 18 Feb 2016 1:39 p.m. PST |
Here's a useful thread on the axis history forum:
link |
Frederick  | 18 Feb 2016 1:40 p.m. PST |
The IS-2 tanks were usually organized in heavy tank regiments of 20-25 tanks per regiment- for example, 71st Guards Independent Heavy Tank Regiment was equipped with the IS-2 (the first IS-2 regiment to meet King Tigers in combat) |
| number4 | 18 Feb 2016 3:24 p.m. PST |
A Guards Heavy Tank Battalion had ten IS-2 tanks in two companies plus one IS-2 for the Battalion commander. Heavy tank regiments consisted of two battalions and a command tank (23 tanks) plus an SMG company and a pioneer company. A Guards Heavy Tank Brigade consisted of three regiments or 65 tanks Tactical markings could by symbols or numbers, but the most common seem to have been a three digit number on the turret: the first digit was the brigade identification code followed by the individual tank number (01 to 65) |
| marklt31 | 18 Feb 2016 4:49 p.m. PST |
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| marklt31 | 18 Feb 2016 5:04 p.m. PST |
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| Lion in the Stars | 18 Feb 2016 7:10 p.m. PST |
@Number 4: your math doesn't add. 21 tanks in a battalion, two battalions per regiment should be (21*2, +HQ=) 43 tanks, and 3 regiments per brigade should be (43*3 +HQ=) 130 tanks. |
| Mark 1 | 18 Feb 2016 7:38 p.m. PST |
@Number 4: your math doesn't add. 21 tanks in a battalion, two battalions per regiment should be (21*2, +HQ=) 43 tanks … You have misread what he wrote. You're presumption is 21 tanks per battalion. He wrote it is 11 tanks per battalion: "ten IS-2 tanks in two companies" means companies of 5 tanks (correct), and two companies per battalion. Add the command tank and you have 11 tanks per battalion. Two battalions + command tank = 23 tanks per regiment. Unfortunately I don't know how to get from there to 65 tanks in a brigade. 3 regiments + command should be 70 tanks, not 65. My understanding is that the independent regiments were 23 tanks per regiment, but the brigaded regiments were 21 tanks per regiment and 65 tanks per brigade. Could be wrong on that… -Mark
(aka: Mk 1) |
| Neroon | 18 Feb 2016 8:00 p.m. PST |
Close tovarich, but not enough to move you up on the list for a larger apartment. In Soviet HEAVY tank units there was no intermediate battalion organization. It was 4 companies (of 5 tanks each) plus 1 HQ tank per Regiment. Three such Regiments plus 2 HQ tanks make up a Brigade (total 65 tanks). cheers |
| number4 | 18 Feb 2016 9:16 p.m. PST |
Correct, tovarich: the battalion existed in the earlier mixed separate tank regiments and not the Heavy/Breakthrough regiments. I don't have enough furniture for a bigger apartment anyway. According to Zaloga (in Companion to the Red Army), one 65 tank brigade of three IS-2 regiments plus a scout platoon of 3 armored cars 19 'armored trucks' (White Scout cars?)and a 4 gun SU76 battery was converted from an existing Medium tank brigade in February 1945 |
| Mark 1 | 19 Feb 2016 1:51 p.m. PST |
In Soviet HEAVY tank units there was no intermediate battalion organization. It was 4 companies (of 5 tanks each) plus 1 HQ tank per Regiment. Спасибо товарищ. Очень полезно! (Spacibo tovarisch. Ochen' polezno!)(Thank you, comrade. Very helpful!) The missing piece of information for me. No battalion, just 4 companies per regiment. Now it makes sense. Of course it was staring me in the face all the time, but I could not see it without someone pointing it out. Again, spacibo (cпасибо)(thanks)! I have reviewed the TO&E of several Breakthrough Tank Regiments and Guards Tank Regiments. 26th, 28th, 29th, 31st and 64th, all equipped exclusively with heavy tanks (KV-1, KV-1s, KV-85 or IS-2), all showing 4 companies of 5 tanks each, and in 4 of 5 cases also showing 1 command tank at regiment. (All derived from German intelligence reports, compiled in the Nafziger collection at: link ) See that? Learn something new every day. Particularly around here! -Mark
(aka: Mk 1) |
| Timbo W | 19 Feb 2016 4:32 p.m. PST |
Hi all, anyone know which sort of units the Heavy Breakthrough Bdes were usually assigned to support? Im thinking tank Corps or infantry divisions I suppose. |
| marklt31 | 20 Feb 2016 2:02 p.m. PST |
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| Martin Rapier | 21 Feb 2016 1:01 a.m. PST |
Some Tank Corps had attached Heavy Tank regiments, but in the main all types support and breakthrough tank and assault gun units were assigned to the Combined Arms armies, and more specifically the rifle units, doing th breakthrough. Tank Corps and Armies were for operational exploitation. |
