The ISU-152 was a Soviet Self-Propelled gun produced in 1943 and nicknamed Зверобой
“Zveroboy” (The Beast Killer)”. It had no turret making it necessary to maneuver the entire tank.
One of the best uses for it was as a Tank Destroyer waiting to ambush German vehicles. The
ISU-152 was also used in fire support as long as it was accompanied by heavily armored
vehicles. The BL-10 main gun wasn’t always accurate and slow to aim but it did cause terrific
damage if its shell hit the target.
The ISU-152 was used as a heavy assault gun in urban locations, SPG and a heavy tank
destroyer. The ISU-152 was produced beginning in 1943 and ended with approximately 4,635
units being produced. The Battle of Berlin took place from April 16 – May 2, 1945 involving these
Soviet forces wearing white stripes for recognition; 1st Belorussian Front led by Zhkov, 2nd
Belorussian Front led by Rokossovsky, 1st Ukrainian Front led by Konev and Yeremenko's 4th
Ukrainian Front to the south west of Konev to fight German forces in Saxony.
Specifications for ISU-152
Variants
ISU-152 produced 1943
ISU-152-2 produced 1944
ISU-152 model 1945
ISU-152K produced 1956
ISU-152M produced 1959
Crew – 4 or 5
Dimensions
Length – 9.18 m (30 ft 1 in)
Width – 3.07 m (10 ft 1 in)
Height – 2.48 m (8 ft 2 in)
Weight – 47.3 metric tons (53 U.S, Tons)
Powerplant
ISU-152 - V-2IS diesel engine, 520 hp (382 kW)
ISU-152-K - V-54K diesel engine 520 hp (382 kW)
Speed
ISU-152 - 30 km/h (19 mph) on road, 15-20 km/h cross terrain
ISU-152 model 1945, ISU-152K, ISU-152M - 40 km/h (on road)
Range
ISU-152 - 120 km (cross terrain) (with internal fuel tanks), 170 km (on a road) (maximum) (with
internal fuel tanks)
ISU-152K, ISU-152M - 220 km on road (with two external fuel tanks) 670 km on road (with
internal fuel tanks)
Main Armament
ISU-152 - 152.4 mm ML-20S gun-howitzer (18 rounds)
ISU-152-2 - 152.4 mm BL-8 or BL-10 gun (21 rounds)
ISU-152 model 1945 - 152.4 mm ML-20SM model 1944 gun-howitzer (20 rounds)
Secondary Armament
ISU-152, ISU-152-2, ISU-152K - 12.7 x 108 mm DShK anti-aircraft machine gun (200 rounds)
ISU-152, ISU-152-2 - (300 rounds)
ISU-152K, ISU-152M - 12.7 x 108 mm DshKM anti-aircraft machine gun (300 rounds)
ISU-152 model 1945 - 12.7 x 108 mm DShK anti-aircraft machine gun (300 rounds)
12.7 x 108 mm DShK co-axial machine gun