{"product_id":"atm-303-russian-stalin-tank","title":"ATM 303 Russian Stalin Tank","description":"\u003cp\u003e1\/48 Scale.  Features elevating 122mm gun, flexible tank\u003cbr\u003etreads, traversing turret, 12.7 MM machine gun, opening hatches, Molded\u003cbr\u003ein russian green.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJS-III Stalin Tank.\u003cbr\u003eIn 1943 the Russians developed the famous T-34 tank which\u003cbr\u003edid much to help drive the Nazis from their homeland. The T-34 was\u003cbr\u003eheavily armored and mounted a large caliber gun in a single 360-degree\u003cbr\u003etraverse turret. This tank set the pattern for future Russian tank\u003cbr\u003edesign and strongly influenced foreign designs including the\u003cbr\u003eworld-famous Panther Tank produced by Germany during World War II. The\u003cbr\u003ePanther copied much from the T-34 and the Germans developed these ideas\u003cbr\u003einto an even better fighting machine. With the introduction of the\u003cbr\u003eT-34, the large gun, heavy tank race was on. The Russians, utilizing\u003cbr\u003ethe experience gained with the T-34 design, came out with the KV-2, a\u003cbr\u003e52 ton, 76mm gun tank which was quickly followed by the first of the\u003cbr\u003eStalin Tank series, the JS-1. This new design was a 57 ton 122mm gun\u003cbr\u003etank which first appeared in 1945 and was improved in the following\u003cbr\u003eyears to produce the Joseph Stalin III.\u003cbr\u003eThe JS-III Tank incorporated two conspicuous departures\u003cbr\u003ein armor design that were entirely new in tanks. The first is a\u003cbr\u003eprow-shaped front hull, technically called compound obliquity. A shell\u003cbr\u003estriking the front of the tank must, because of the sharply angled\u003cbr\u003eplates, penetrate a thicker section of armor than would be encountered\u003cbr\u003ein a flat vertical plate. The second radical feature is the turret,\u003cbr\u003ewhich is the first turtle-back design on a standard tank. Because it is\u003cbr\u003ecast in steel with varying wall thicknesses, this type of turret\u003cbr\u003eaffords greater protection against high velocity anti-tank shells at a\u003cbr\u003esubstantial savings in weight, while still being sufficiently protected\u003cbr\u003eon the top surface.\u003cbr\u003eThe JS-III mounts a high-velocity 122mm cannon which\u003cbr\u003efires a 50 lb. shell. Because of the size of these shells, not many can\u003cbr\u003ebe carried in the closely-packed turret. Another disadvantage of this\u003cbr\u003egun is that the shells are hand-fed into the breach. A slower rate of\u003cbr\u003efire is affected by this, and this is critical when the first few\u003cbr\u003erounds of a tank battle count. The only other armament on the JS-III\u003cbr\u003eTank is the 12.7mm DSHK machine gun mounted on top of the turret in\u003cbr\u003efront of the Commander’s hatch. Periscopes are provided for both\u003cbr\u003edriving and observation to cut down the number of openings into the\u003cbr\u003einterior, and all steering instructions are radioed from the\u003cbr\u003eCommander’s hatch.\u003cbr\u003eThe JS-III is powered by a 60-degree V-type 12 cylinder,\u003cbr\u003eliquid-cooled diesel engine which gives the tank a top speed of 20\u003cbr\u003emiles per hour. The tracks are large and widely spaced, exerting 11.6\u003cbr\u003epounds per square inch making it possible for the JS-III to cross over\u003cbr\u003esoft ground that would bog down even lighter, smaller tanks.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ATM","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51387607515431,"sku":"ATM303ED950A","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0984\/7544\/2471\/files\/ATM303a__28267.1696612603.1280.1280.jpg?v=1778619930","url":"https:\/\/www.ippyshobbies.com\/products\/atm-303-russian-stalin-tank","provider":"Ippys Hobbies","version":"1.0","type":"link"}