JSU-122 VS PANZERJÄGER (3 IN 1) JSU-122, JSU-122S OR JSU-152

The ISU-152 is a Soviet self-propelled gun (also classified as a tank destroyer) from the Second World War. The first prototypes of this vehicle appeared in 1943, and the weapon entered mass production and the line in the same year. The weight of the vehicle in the basic version was 46 tons. The drive was provided by a single 520 HP W-2-IS engine. It was armed with a 152.4 mm ML-20S cannon-howitzer and one 12.7 mm DSzK machine gun. The self-propelled gun ISU-152 was developed at the Fabryka im. Kirov in Chelyabinsk. Initially, it was assumed that the new vehicle would be structurally based on the KW-1s tank, but it was quickly decided to use the new IS-2 heavy tank for this purpose. It is worth adding that the ISU-152 shared many structural elements and components with the ISU-122 self-propelled gun, which of course greatly facilitated the production and operation of both types of vehicles. As the ISU-152 showed high combat value in the course of combat operations in 1944-1945, the vehicle remained in the line or reserve of the Soviet Army for a good part of the Cold War. After 1945, two modernized versions of this vehicle were built. The first one was called ISU-152K and was developed in 1953. It had a new engine (the same as in the T-54 tank) and an increased supply of fuel and transported ammunition. In 1959, a version of the ISU-152M was created, which differed slightly from the ISU-152K. Among other things, she used another machine gun as an additional weapon.The ISU-122 is a Soviet self-propelled gun (also classified as a tank destroyer) from the Second World War. The first prototypes of this car appeared in 1943, and the production of serine continued in the years 1943-1945. The weight of the vehicle was 45.5 tons. The drive was provided by a single 520 HP W-2-IS engine. It was armed with a 122mm D-25S gun and one 12.7mm DSzK machine gun. The crew also had two 7.62 mm PPS submachine guns. The self-propelled gun ISU-122 was developed at the Fabryka im. Kirov in Chelyabinsk. In order to shorten the development work, the new weapon was based on the chassis of the IS-2 heavy tank. It is worth adding that the new self-propelled gun shared many structural elements and components from the ISU-152, which of course greatly facilitated the production and operation of both vehicles. A modified version, designated ISU-122S, was also produced in the course of production and was armed with a modified 122mm D-25S cannon. The ISU-122 SPG is rated as a generally successful vehicle, with powerful armament that could successfully engage enemy armor. The disadvantages, however, include the limited field of view of the crew and some problems while driving off-road, resulting from the long barrel of the main armament. The ISU-122 vehicles were used successfully on the Eastern Front from 1944 to 1945.The German army had experience in fighting enemy armored vehicles from the period of World War I (1916-1918). After the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, the development of anti-tank weapons was hindered, but in 1928 the gun was put into mass production 3.7 cm PaK 36 which at that time was one of the most modern anti-tank guns in the world. However, with time, especially in the 1930s and with the development of own armored weapons, the problem of anti-tank weapons was treated in the German army rather of secondary importance. As a result, the German army entered World War II, still having the P aK 36 caliber 37 mm, which turned out to be completely insufficient against the French Char B1 Bis or the Soviet T-34 and KW-1. Moreover, with the development of fighting on the Eastern Front, the problem of destroying Soviet armored weapons became more and more urgent, which led to the introduction of new 50 and 75 mm anti-tank guns into the line. From 1943, the Panzerfaust recoilless rifles were introduced on an increasingly larger scale, which were used to saturate their own infantry units as much as possible. For example, in 1943, the German infantry division had 108 recoilless guns and 35 towed and self-propelled anti-tank guns.