Jim Warford

The only two IS-3s in the US:  

Great pic...thanks!
 
 

It's one of four "T-80UDs" (actually T-84s or something close to that) that were supplied to the US by Ukraine. They arrived at Aberdeen in Dec 2003, first publicly shown in the summer of 2004...
 
  

It's one of four "T-80UDs" (actually T-84s or something close to that) that were supplied to the US by Ukraine. They arrived at Aberdeen in Dec 2003, first publicly shown in the summer of 2004...
 
  

They wanted to keep this thing under wraps until it marched in the parade...
 

heretic88; first of all...the quote I included above regarding the performance of the 122mm gun is from official Soviet sources...that's not my opinion. As far a performance against the M48 is concerned, I've dug-up reports that claim that the bow (or lower glacis), and the turret front can be penetrated by the D-25...also, a lot of the reporting available on the performance of the D-25 relates to testing of the BR-471 APHE and BR-471B APBC rounds, not the more capable BR-471D APCBC round. It's important to remember that according to authoritative Israeli sources, IDF M48s were knocked out by Egyptian IS-3s in 1967. So far, I haven't been able to confirm the AP rounds the Egyptians were using...it's possible that in combat, the significant amount of force created by being hit by a full-bore 122mm AP round alone did enough damage to knock out the Israeli tanks.
 
According to previously classified US reports, Soviet assault gun organizations used 122mm-armed assault guns at least through 1969/1970...including both the ISU-122S and the SU-122-54. Getting organizational details about the SU-122-54 is challenging since most of the details were highly classified at the time. You're right about medium tank regiments having an "SU" company, but it was more than "some" and included MRRs as well. According to official US references, both tank divisions and mechanized divisions had 122mm-armed assault guns. Some of the references include: 1955 = SAU-122 company, 1958 = SU-122 assault gun company, and 1964 = assault gun battery. In rifle divisions, by far, most of the regimental assault gun/tank destroyer companies were equipped with SU-100s. In some select cases however, those were replaced by SU-122-54s...confirmed in the 128th Guards Motorized Rifle Division for example (when they were deployed in Czechoslovakia during Operation Danube in 1968). It's likely, that the ISU-122S was pulled from front line service when the tank division Heavy Tank/Assault Gun Regiment was dropped and replaced by a third Medium Tank Regiment in the 1962-1964 timeframe.
 
IMO, it's much more likely that the ISU-122S was finally removed from service because the MBTs it was supporting evolved to the point where they simply no longer needed assault guns or gun-armed tank destroyers. That's also the likely reason that (AFAIK), the SU-122-54 wasn't ever seen supporting T-62-equipped units...only T-54/55 units. As far as gun accuracy is concerned, the D-10 is an excellent gun...with a good gunner, it could be very accurate. The advantage the SU-122-54 and it's D-49 main gun had was the use of the TKD-09 stereoscopic rangefinder. As a retired "Tankist" myself, I have a lot of experience with rangefinders...and I know what a good gunner can do with a rangefinder...especially at longer ranges. This system gave the SU-122-54 an accuracy advantage over all other fielded Soviet assault guns, tank destroyers, and tanks until the introduction of the T-64.
 
Finally, there are actually two surviving SU-122-54s; the one at Kubinka (which I have seen in person), and the one at the military museum in Krasnodar. The Krasnodar SU-122-54 is shown below:
 

 
 

heretic88; first of all...the quote I included above regarding the performance of the 122mm gun is from official Soviet sources...that's not my opinion. As far a performance against the M48 is concerned, I've dug-up reports that claim that the bow (or lower glacis), and the turret front can be penetrated by the D-25...also, a lot of the reporting available on the performance of the D-25 relates to testing of the BR-471 APHE and BR-471B APBC rounds, not the more capable BR-471D APCBC round. It's important to remember that according to authoritative Israeli sources, IDF M48s were knocked out by Egyptian IS-3s in 1967. So far, I haven't been able to confirm the AP rounds the Egyptians were using...it's possible that in combat, the significant amount of force created by being hit by a full-bore 122mm AP round alone did enough damage to knock out the Israeli tanks.
 
According to previously classified US reports, Soviet assault gun organizations used 122mm-armed assault guns at least through 1969/1970...including both the ISU-122S and the SU-122-54. Getting organizational details about the SU-122-54 is challenging since most of the details were highly classified at the time. You're right about medium tank regiments having an "SU" company, but it was more than "some" and included MRRs as well. According to official US references, both tank divisions and mechanized divisions had 122mm-armed assault guns. Some of the references include: 1955 = SAU-122 company, 1958 = SU-122 assault gun company, and 1964 = assault gun battery. In rifle divisions, by far, most of the regimental assault gun/tank destroyer companies were equipped with SU-100s. In some select cases however, those were replaced by SU-122-54s...confirmed in the 128th Guards Motorized Rifle Division for example (when they were deployed in Czechoslovakia during Operation Danube in 1968). It's likely, that the ISU-122S was pulled from front line service when the tank division Heavy Tank/Assault Gun Regiment was dropped and replaced by a third Medium Tank Regiment in the 1962-1964 timeframe.
 
IMO, it's much more likely that the ISU-122S was finally removed from service because the MBTs it was supporting evolved to the point where they simply no longer needed assault guns or gun-armed tank destroyers. That's also the likely reason that (AFAIK), the SU-122-54 wasn't ever seen supporting T-62-equipped units...only T-54/55 units. As far as gun accuracy is concerned, the D-10 is an excellent gun...with a good gunner, it could be very accurate. The advantage the SU-122-54 and it's D-49 main gun had was the use of the TKD-09 stereoscopic rangefinder. As a retired "Tankist" myself, I have a lot of experience with rangefinders...and I know what a good gunner can do with a rangefinder...especially at longer ranges. This system gave the SU-122-54 an accuracy advantage over all other fielded Soviet assault guns, tank destroyers, and tanks until the introduction of the T-64.
 
Finally, there are actually two surviving SU-122-54s; the one at Kubinka (which I have seen in person), and the one at the military museum in Krasnodar. The Krasnodar SU-122-54 is shown below:
 

 
 

Wow...as many of you know and may remember from various discussions over the years, there has always been a series of myths and legends in the armor community. Most have been resolved over the years...like the myth that the French used Panthers in Indochina. Historically, the rumor regarding T-64s in Angola has lingered-on for quite some time. Most people and reliable military sources continued to disregard this rumor immediately, considering it a case of poor vehicle ID, etc. Reports that very specifically identify T-64s in Angola and specifically name Ukraine as the source, continued to appear...but interestingly enough, through political and diplomatic reporting. 
 
These photos (finally) confirm that T-64s were present...thanks for posting the link and sharing the photos...great stuff.
 

Wow...as many of you know and may remember from various discussions over the years, there has always been a series of myths and legends in the armor community. Most have been resolved over the years...like the myth that the French used Panthers in Indochina. Historically, the rumor regarding T-64s in Angola has lingered-on for quite some time. Most people and reliable military sources continued to disregard this rumor immediately, considering it a case of poor vehicle ID, etc. Reports that very specifically identify T-64s in Angola and specifically name Ukraine as the source, continued to appear...but interestingly enough, through political and diplomatic reporting. 
 
These photos (finally) confirm that T-64s were present...thanks for posting the link and sharing the photos...great stuff.
 

This is a very interesting pic...one of these two captured Megach 3s (shown in Syria in 1982 with Russian advisors), is very likely the "key" tank that was captured by the Syrians and paraded through Damascus. It became the focus of Israeli POW/MIA organizations since the missing Israeli crew was unaccounted for. There were even rumors (which the Russian government has strongly denied), that crew remains and personal belongings were still on-board when the Syrian government provided the tank to the Russia. The tank was on display at Kubinka for many years until June 2016 when it was finally exchanged for a different less meaningful Megach 3 after an official ceremony at Kubinka. A link to the video of the ceremony is included below: 
 

 
 
 

Hopefully, this isn't a repost...
 
 

US Army MBT-70 and XM803 at Fort Benning GA (June 2019):
 

 

 
 
 
 
 

US Army MBT-70 and XM803 at Fort Benning GA (June 2019):
 

 

 
 
 
 
 

An iconic photo from Operation Danube, August 1968...
 

US Army MBT-70 and XM803 at Fort Benning GA (June 2019):
 

 

 
 
 
 
 

US Army MBT-70 and XM803 at Fort Benning GA (June 2019):
 

 

 
 
 
 
 

Interestingly enough, the photos shown here in the famous IDR article are from the French delegation visit in October 1977, a month before the T-72's first appearance in Red Square...and over a year after the T-64A was first spotted in East Germany in September 1976. The article confirmed that the US and NATO had incorrectly labeled the T-64A, as the T-72.     
 

 

Interestingly enough, the photos shown here in the famous IDR article are from the French delegation visit in October 1977, a month before the T-72's first appearance in Red Square...and over a year after the T-64A was first spotted in East Germany in September 1976. The article confirmed that the US and NATO had incorrectly labeled the T-64A, as the T-72.     
 

 

Interestingly enough, the photos shown here in the famous IDR article are from the French delegation visit in October 1977, a month before the T-72's first appearance in Red Square...and over a year after the T-64A was first spotted in East Germany in September 1976. The article confirmed that the US and NATO had incorrectly labeled the T-64A, as the T-72.     
 

 

SU-122-54s in Operation Danube (August 1968):
 

 

 
 

SU-122-54s in Operation Danube (August 1968):
 

 

 
 

SU-122-54s in Operation Danube (August 1968):
 

 

 
 

The two known surviving SU-122-54s...
 

 
 

It's like finding a photo of Bigfoot...
 
SU-122-54 in Roznava 1968:

Two of my pics of Fury from Tankfest last summer...