Review by: Adam Brown (September 2011)
Background
In late 1944, an earlier design was upgraded to the JS-3. This tank had improved armour layout, and a hemispherical cast turret (resembling an overturned “soup bowl”) which became the hallmark of post-war Soviet tanks.
While this low, hemispherical turret may have improved protection, it also significantly diminished the working headroom, especially for the loader (Soviet tanks in general are characterized by uncomfortably small interior space compared to Western tanks).
The low turret also limited the maximum depression of the main gun, since the gun breech had little room inside the turret to pivot on its vertical axis. As a result, the JS-3 was less able to take advantage of hull-down positions than Western tanks.
The JS-3’s pointed prow earned it the nickname Shchuka (Pike) by its crews. It weighed slightly less and stood 30 cm lower than its predecessor.
The JS-3 came too late to see action in World War II. Though some older sources claim that the tank saw action at the end of the war in Europe, there are no official reports to confirm this. The tank saw no action against the Germans, although one regiment may have been deployed against the Japanese in Manchuria.
A real treat if you like old Soviet armour…
This is quite an old tooling being 15 years old, but the detail is as crisp as some of today’s offerings, especially the beautiful cast turret.
On opening the box, the first thing that hits you is the sheer size of the tank…then the lack of substance inside. What I mean is you only get 4 sprues and some Flexible track (groan), which isn’t a bad thing if you like your armour simple as I know some do!
One niggle I’ve found is the main gun barrel, which is a two piece affair, and you may want to seek a turned aluminium replacement for that extra wow factor.
Decal options allow you to build one of 3 examples and you get a nice looking commander figure to pop in your finished model. I’m not an armour expert, but would suggest that this is the ideal subject to try your weathering processes involving filters, washes and pigments.
Conclusion
So this one is for the novice armour nuts and the hardcore alike, so you won’t be disappointed. I’ve seen what careful weathering and a well made stand can do to a simple model such as this one. (There is a beautiful example in the Hendon Model Show Gallery in Show reports).
Highly Recommended.
Adam B.