Inside the Chieftain's Hatch: IS-3M, Part 2

The IS-3, when it first appeared on the scene, was a shock to the West and created a "Tank Panic". Lean, mean... and with a number of flaws not immediately evident, it was a tank which had a psychological and cultural effect far in excess of its numbers built. This vehicle is located in Bastogne Barracks, Belgium.
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[@Marcus-ki1en]

Of all the great things you are, one of the things you are not, is the right size for a Soviet/Russian Tanker. Thanks for the sacrifice, pants and otherwise.

[@suspicionofdeceit]

What was their average height do you reckon?

[@ExcavationNation]

5:20 It's OK the Russians figured out a solution for this. They would not install the turret basket so they could shorten the crew by turning the turret unannounced...

[@darthcalanil5333]

​@@suspicionofdeceitcertainly less than an Irish giant 😂

[@MozzaBurger88]

If he keeps doing Soviet tanks he'll soon discover what spinal discs can do to you when you mistreat them bad enough ;)

[@drupiROM]

One of this days he will get stuck in to some vehicle and will require the local firefighters to pry him out :)

[@EnSayne987]

Batteries to the left of me, batteries to the right. Here I am, stuck in an IS-3 with you

[@dilbert0815]

Trusty german battery brand selling to all war parties 😛

[@Stktnc]

Just got to this part of the video. Came here to make similar comment. Defer to your genius.

[@s.marcus3669]

Weird Al Yankovic you aren't, but it was still funny as hell!!

[@stefannaumann4010]

They had these Bosch batteries in 1945? Amazing!

[@DenKHK]

@@stefannaumann4010 Part of the late-war advanced German technology that was under development and confiscated by the Soviets, like the turboprop, StG 44 etc 😆

[@chrishanson9748]

Seems like the position of the loader was designed for a left handed, powerlifting dwarf. Population of which certainly was huge in Soviet Russia.

[@Voron_Aggrav]

Powerlifting at least can be learned on the job

[@mattyb7736]

Vladmina was her name 😂😊

[@Nick-rs5if]

😂

[@Cancun771]

Angry short blokes with massive chips on their shoulders? One of those is in charge of all of Russia _right now!_

[@trioptimum9027]

@@Cancun771I'm looking around there, and I think the loader would definitely want to wear a shirt. As I recall, that's a dealbreaker for our man in Moscow, when he's doing his stunts.

[@kristiangoransson6104]

“I can easily slide into the drivers position…” proceeds to make sounds as if the Chieftain was a significantly older man than he is…

[@whitephosphorus15]

I thought I was watching Jeremy Clarkson for a moment

[@SC-vq4zc]

You can take the man from Ireland. You cannot take Ireland from the man.

[@mikepette4422]

you must recall playing the WWII tanker is a young man's game by necessity

[@903lew]

Military life will do that for you. I had the knees of a 40 year old when I was 25.

[@henryturnerjr3857]

No Files or Grinding wheels were harmed in the construction of this tank.

[@jajanka10]

Yes, they all fell of the train cart as soon as they left the tool factory. Oh, shift stashina's new car just arrived, let's drink to that!

[@ottovonbismarck2443]

Good one ! I was just shaking my head as I saw the turret opening for the gunner's periscope. "Wassilij, get blowpipe and cut hole somewhere in turret roof !"

[@timberinternational2377]

I like how every hole seems like it was just hand cut with a torch in whatever shape the operator decided.

[@NOYB11]

because that takes time, resulting in fewer tanks produced. Makes sense to cut down on unneeded operations when producing war machines for total war.

[@immikeurnot]

@@timberinternational2377 I was impressed with the poor and uneven casting pour in the turret.

[@VekhGaming]

"I kinda like it" The Chieftain after not having to get back in the damn thing again.

[@Diego-zz1df]

The IS3 later that evening: "Back for more, Chieftain?"

[@nixosianarrt2419]

"A Tiger will notice if you hit it with a 122 HE" , one of the most dramatic understatements I ever heard...

[@crichtonbruce4329]

Something the Chieftain has consistently proved with the "Inside" series is: Those with any degree of claustrophobia, or taller than 5'6", need not apply to be a tanker. Thank you Sir for putting your body at such risk for us!

[@naamadossantossilva4736]

That only applies to non-western tanks or anything pre-Sherman.

[@comradeurod9805]

​@@naamadossantossilva4736in modern tanks you're pretty much good up to 6ft, anything past that might be "cozy"

[@user-yv7ip3ck6g]

В далёкие школьные году удалось залезть в Т-54. И я сразу понял,что танкистом не буду НИКОГДА.

[@datnade2299]

@@comradeurod9805 Depends a bit on the position. 6'4" feels almost like the perfect size to drive a Leo2, but you'd have an aweful time as a gunner.

[@lukedogwalker]

About when we got to the driver's position, I began to have visions of Oddball's gunner/mechanic, Moriarty, from Kelly's Heroes when he yelled "It's a piece 'a junk!"

[@gusgone4527]

Junk is the term I would use too. It's the unrefined, dysfunctional product of a failed communist mess.

[@leonardtreadway7082]

It's a beautiful mother bridge! Positive vibes!👍😜👍

[@lukedogwalker]

@@leonardtreadway7082 you know me. Always with the negative waves 🤷‍♂️

[@scrubsrc4084]

Exactly the same thought

[@BobSmith-dk8nw]

The thing is - compared to a Sherman - there were a lot of tanks that - mechanically - were junk. .

[@SuiLagadema]

I have to ask: Have you ever gotten stuck inside a tank to the point they've had to call technicians to disassemble a portion to extricate you?

[@TheChieftainsHatch]

Only to the point that it was required to disassemble it to get in in the first place. Fortunately, the steering wheel on universal carriers comes off easily.

[@ericzaiz8358]

There was that one time in both the Stuart and the Locust thro

[@racernatorde5318]

@@ericzaiz8358 Comet (?) was pretty bad too

[@jamesedwardladislazerrudo1378]

​@@racernatorde5318 British tank have questionable space tho.

[@classifiedad1]

@@jamesedwardladislazerrudo137815 cwt CMP truck: Amateurs.

[@genericpersonx333]

It is somewhat easier to work inside a Soviet tank if you have the Soviet tanker cap on because you can focus on squeezing through spaces rather than worrying about your unprotected head grinding and bashing on things. I am not arguing the tanks become ergonomic dreams by wearing the protective padding, but it does remove a lot of the literal pain and danger that amplify the discomfort caused by the lack of space.

[@cheyannei5983]

The rough, tough boiler suit uniform probably helps with less ripped clothes, too.

[@inertrhombus8]

24:18 To answer the question about the radio, at 4:07 there's a plaque near the top of the radio saying R-113 (P-113 in Cyrillic)

[@TheChieftainsHatch]

That would be a giveaway, all right.

[@yeoldenewbie]

I find it hilarious that I had to wait for Irish American to come to Belgium to watch a thorough review of a Soviet made tank because I can get nothing from Russian speaking folks with comparable quality. Thank you Chief once again =)

[@willyvereb]

Most IS-3s in Russia are in scrap metal quality. A decade or so ago perhaps there was a driveable model but they aren't preserved much aside from maybe Kubinka.

[@kimjanek646]

Germany: Make the tanks way too heavy to achive more armor protection. Soviet Union: Make the tanks way too small internally to achive more armor protection.

[@justforever96]

Well those are the two ways to do it unless you can develop some newer, more advanced kind of armor. If you need a given thickness of armor, if you make the interior larger that means making the whole tank larger, which requires more area of armor, which increases weight. The thicker the armor the more rapidly weight increases for every inch larger in dimensions.

[@animal16365]

I'd be interested in a video discussing ergonomics of tanks from the Soviet Union, America, Britian and so on

[@CallanElliott]

Soviet Union: Do you think we're Capitalist, Fascisti pigs? Cyka, who needs comfort?! US: We must maximise crew crew comfort so they can fight with optimal efficiency! Britain: What were we doing again?

[@besteffortint]

This one

[@xxxlonewolf49]

Easy. Americans have them. The brits have their stupid water heater because MA T! The Russian have 'shut up and do job comrade or die'.

[@ZETH_27]

@@CallanElliott In defence of the British, they did get the kettle in the tanks the fastest.

[@c1ph3rpunk]

Is there a word for, or even a concept of, ergonomics in the Soviet vocabulary.

[@falcovg2]

'I know the T-34 didn't have a turret basket, but I'm sure they got to that at this point' 3 minutes later: "While the gun is trying to kill the loader, it also has no turret basket"

[@ahmedvawda1282]

I believe that the T34-85 had a turret basket

[@cheyannei5983]

​@@ahmedvawda1282IIRC initial 85 still had no basket. Soviet tank designs really like/prefer having full access to the hull space and a basket gets in the way of that in theory

[@Marc83Aus]

Is it to much to ask for a small shield just at the foot area to give you somewhere to rest the things? :s

[@cheyannei5983]

@@Marc83Aus I agree, Object 416 had it so it's not like the concept was alien. In fact I think T-43 also had some leg support/safety

[@ctid107]

I was under a sink, most of today, twisted to get at a pipe junction..... I feel your pain !

[@karoltakisobie6638]

There are pictures out there of German panzers partially disassembled from being hit with large caliber HE rounds. Welds holding armor plates crack entirely.

[@Mati_Panzer]

this beast looks big, heavy, and intimidating, even for tank standards... it is the tankiest tank I've seen from the 40s since the tiger 2,

[@Conserpov]

*1946 program* was not initiated because the tank was "bad" - they were built to *wartime* standards, and 1946 program was to bring them up to *peacetime* standards. Average man's height in Russia in 1940s was about 168 cm. It is much more efficient to pick a few thousand shorter men out of millions than to build a bigger tank for bigger men (and a new tank was designed around already existing tankers).

[@rdfox76]

Your comment about hoping the gun isn't trained directly forward brought back memories of the one time I got into the driver's hole on a Marine A1 Abrams at the Miramar Air Show. (I don't think I was supposed to, but they left the hatch open, so...) Specifically, it reminded me of the sound of me trying to get my 300-pound ass *out* of there without knowing the trick to getting out with the gun trained directly forward. Imagine the following series of sounds: [bonk] "Ow." [ *bonk* ] "Ow!" [pause, scraaaaaape] "...I think I'm stuck..." [sound of maniacal cackling from PFC in the turret there to keep the civvies touring it from breaking anything] I'm... pretty sure I ended up being a meme in that unit for a week or so...

[@LitD]

I would have never guessed the Chieftain would have more difficulty moving around in an IS3 than he did in a tankette...

[@willyvereb]

I did, tankettes are designed for people to use. IS-3 was designed for armor and feature creep first, people second.

[@user-it3xy2cw1t]

​@willyvereb to be fair people would drive this tak werent more than 5'6

[@willyvereb]

@@user-it3xy2cw1t I don't think a particularly skinny loader at 5'6" was anywhere near comfortable doing his job for the tank. I also wonder if they conscripted dwarves to drive the tank.

[@user-it3xy2cw1t]

@@willyvereb who said that those 5'6 were skinny And yes the shorter you are the better but to be a loader you needed to be fit If anything the skinny one are gonna be riflemen

[@Sobk100]

This is because in the USSR he would never have joined a tank crew with his height.

[@cirian75]

Crude, mean, unrefined, sounds like your typical squaddie.

[@Schlipperschlopper]

Russia rules!

[@hallstuart6604]

You had "I'm getting too old for this shit" look on your face a few times😂

[@GarioTheRock]

I am quite certain that the universal trait possessed by all patriotic revolutionaries (farmers and anyone rural), is that most of them have farm boy strength and with malnutrition throughout life as a constant, I believe the dimensional challenges for finding adequate individuals to be loaders in the IS-3 was well accounted for. Little men with the strength of two or three otherwise average men from elsewhere. The kind of men who do something casually and yet shatter your world upon witnessing. I call it grandpa strength in English and babushka strength when I'm back in the motherlands (bg/ua/ru). A few years ago I was climbing a mountain in Bulgaria with my uncle - who, as a sample: is a woodworker/craftsman, electrical engineer, architect, landscaper and coder who weighs almost 200 kilos, is 178 cm tall, has a stomach the size of a moon and biceps as big as my massive head, a.k.a. the size of a 2 month old in the fetal position, every new doctor that sees him keep thinking they're humongous tumors and its never not been funny. Anyway, a truck passes us on this seemingly forgotten dirt road halfway up the relatively steep mountain, we're in the middle of nowhere in thick woods, the truck then comes to a stop ahead of us as its the end of the road. A TINY babushka gets out of the rusted sky blue cabin of this GAZ flatbed, walks around back, picks up FOUR filled-to-the-brim water jugs like the ones on top of the water dispensers in offices, all hooked onto a single stick, and then this 80+ year old woman, while holding the FOUR massive jugs of water, descends down the back of the flatbed, and then walks off faster than the pace of my uncle and I. The truck stopped 40 meters in front of us, she was already walking off up the trail by the time we got to it ourselves. That b*tch could load two IS-3's at once, I don't care. What my eyes saw didn't make sense, which tells me the same applies to people like that loading IS-3 tanks xD I'm sure she's the sweetest woman imaginable as well, those mountain babushkas always are. When mountain climbing in Bulgaria, they're like the people at the water table for marathon runners except the table is being carried by a grandmother and a dyado (grandfather) who are out-pacing you and offer you food, a bottle of water and blessings as they pass by. TELL ME THAT ISN'T EXACTLY THE TYPE OF PERSON THAT COULD EASILY LOAD AN IS-3. I'm laughing my ass off remembering all this, man those were great memories. Best raspberries I've ever had.

[@Davey-Boyd]

Great memories indeed, thanks for giving me a chuckle!

[@Ava-uq5dh]

Absolutely the kind of loaders these tanks would've been expected to have haha, makes me remember my now passed grandpa who had so much strength and muscle in him despite his looks, even after 8 years of cancer and treatment did him in he was going on miles of walks and servicing a huge former farm and building new extensions to it to help an actually frail, injured wife when by all means his doctor was telling him he should have been the one resting in bed. Thank you so much for the hearty laugh and smiles. A very good set of memories both shared, and brought back :)

[@ret7army]

Crude, mean, unrefined ... should be on the design requirements for a tank. I was in West Berlin 85-88, never thought the wall would come down. But to the point, saw the military parade there once first the French, the AMX light tank series, very curious with that oscillating turret. Then the American M-60s OD green paint wiped down with Johnson and Johnson's baby oil, because we weren't allowed to camouflage them (because reasons), and finally the British Chieftains, those things made the M60s look like toys. Definitely scary. IS-3 right there with the Chieftains.

[@WildBillCox13]

I'll link this to my old M60 driver buddy. Just the vicissitude of you getting into the driver's spot is worth +2 interwebby things. Oh. In official jargon that would be: liked and shared . . . SIR!

[@TOFMDrone]

you should see and hear this driving in real life in Bastogne. IT'S GLORIOUS!

[@whyjnot420]

That is actually far far far quieter than I thought it would be. I worked for an excavation company and moving at around 1/3 the speed you see this tank move at, our largest excavator must have been at least twice as loud. Granted the style of track for our excavators was more akin to what you see with stuff like the Mark IV along the bottom, with return rollers more like this. For context, you can barely talk to someone next to you, if you were walking near it. Even shouting at the top of your lungs. I doubt the mic would have picked up anything more than the track noise if we did something like that part at around 27:45. addendum: My boss refused to ever say "Run the excavator over to..." he had us all say "walk" instead. Because of how slow they are. At most, they could get to a brisk walking pace. Maybe 4-5 mph on firm, flat ground. addendum 2: By no means do I call this tank quiet. I was only speaking in relative terms. It is obviously loud as F.

[@Coconut-219]

'The angriest garage door'

[@PaulMcElligott]

It looked that an IS-3 gave birth to a Chieftain.

[@iivaripaakkonen2699]

The rhino scene from Ace Ventura

[@ScottKenny1978]

Joke was also made about the MPF.

[@charlesemerson6763]

I did like the owners manual lying on the shelf when you were in the gunners seat.

[@stevem7923]

IS-3 Haynes manual. Who knew?

[@Alex_Shishkin_1962]

Having been in front of a moving ISU-152 SPG as a kid, the noise and ground vibration comments brought up some fond memories. For values of 'fond'...🙂

[@Djamonja]

They might have the same engine? They both look imposing for sure.

[@Alex_Shishkin_1962]

@@Djamonja Yes, they do: the same diesel that debuted in T-34, with some mods. It proved to be a very long-lasting design, too: pretty much all Soviet tanks that went into production since WWII had been powered by that engine. It gradually evolved in reliability and power, but the core design remained the same. I think the only two exceptions to date have been T-90 (turbine powered) and T-14 Armata.

[@Djamonja]

@@Alex_Shishkin_1962 Do you know if they added more cylinders? The IS-3, T-54, T-62, T-72, etc. must weigh much more than a T-34

[@Alex_Shishkin_1962]

@@Djamonja No, this has been a V-12 engine over its entire life cycle. There have been smaller derivatives, used in lighter vehicles, but the version used in tanks has always been a V-12. BTW, I was wrong: the engine debuted in a BT-7, not a T-34. Look up a Wikipedia article 'Kharkiv model V-2', it has a fairly comprehensive list of this engine's variants, and differences between them. As to it being underpowered for the larger, heavier tanks: yes, it was. Among other things, this was the reason why Soviet tanks, up to and including T-72, have been smaller, lighter, and more cramped (to the point that crewmen had to be selected from shorter, smaller-sized conscripts) than their Western counterparts. Engines have consistently been among the weakest aspects of Soviet equipment, both military and civilian. And it has not been limited to land vehicles: Soviet aircraft engines, both piston and later jet ones, have always, consistently, been worse than their contemporary Western counterparts. There are areas where one can compensate for lack of quality by increasing quantity. Engine design and manufacture is not one of them, as shown conclusively by the Soviet 70+ years of consistently trying, and failing, to catch up to the West in this area.

[@Alex_Shishkin_1962]

​@@Djamonja I wrote a detailed reply, but youtube, in its infinite wisdom, deleted it. So I am going to censor a few things. 🙂 Search for 'Kharkiv model V-2', and look for W***a article by the same name. You'll find a comprehensive list of this engine's modifications and of tanks it was used in. BTW, I was wrong, the engine debuted in a BT-7, not a T-34. The engine remained a V-12 throughout. And yes, it was underpowered for larger, heavier tanks. This was one of the reasons the tanks using it, up to and including T-72, were made lighter and smaller (and cramped to the point of impairing functionality) than their Western counterparts.

[@tmdblya]

Seems bananas a tank at that time having no turret basket.

[@Schlipperschlopper]

it has two stroke Diesel thats interesting

[@Driver-dg9lw]

@@Schlipperschlopper chieftain is two stroke, m113 is two stroke, m4a2 is two stroke. and two stroke diesels were very common place at one point for heavy industry stuff such as cranes, trucks, mobile generators, ect

[@BlackHawkBallistic]

​@@Driver-dg9lw the biggest manufacturer in the US of two strokes for on road trucks, Detroit Diesel, made them until something like 2006 when emissions laws finally killed them, though they hadn't been a "common" engine for OTR trucks for decades at that point

[@interpl6089]

Most Soviet tanks didn't have a turret basket, even things like T-64 or T-72...they simply didn't need one. Its solved differently...supported by the fact that nobody from the crews complained about lack of a basket...(and no, it wasn't because they weren't allowed to complain....they were allowed but didn't)

[@davidbrennan660]

In Soviet Union there is only Turret Monster in service of State.

[@promethysivanov4428]

Track tension from the inside?! HERESY!!!!

[@jasont6287]

Chally 2 has electronic track tension from inside ....Tech heresy...lol

[@RustedCroaker]

On the other hand, it won't get clogged with dirt.

[@Cadadadry]

@@RustedCroaker ...or ice !

[@joe125ful]

I think its good idea...

[@iivaripaakkonen2699]

BMP-1 and 2 also has it inside.

[@Sleepy.Time.]

IS-3 is my most played tank in WoTs, think i have 2300 games in it..such a great tank

[@derrickstorm6976]

It was good like 6 years ago, almost every popular tier 8 heavy is now better than it

[@slip6699]

It was strong back then. Same most played along with Lowe. I loved the look of the is3.

[@rupertboleyn3885]

Mine too, and I gave up on WoT before it become completely out-classed. Got tired of high-tier lights out-gunning mediums, and they killed off my scouts to make room for armoured cars.

[@jamesedwardladislazerrudo1378]

​@@rupertboleyn3885 RNG killed the WoT.

[@Sleepy.Time.]

@@jamesedwardladislazerrudo1378exactly why i quit years ago, fully aimed shots going no where near the target just killed the game for me

[@Mountain-Man-3000]

The great Contortionist Tanker returns!!

[@CallanElliott]

"It's functional" High praise for a Soviet vehicle.

[@duke0salt717]

If soviets could read they'd be very upset

[@osmacar5331]

HEY! their manufacture is bad ok! give the children some credit. XD tbh if you look at the engineering aspects of it though there's a LOT that is good and can be taken, and even more that has propaganda out the gastric ward's wazoo against almost all of it post ww2.

[@yeoldenewbie]

@@duke0salt717 we are not upset I assure you =)

[@CatEatsDogs]

Мы то можем прочитать. А ты?)

[@CallanElliott]

@@CatEatsDogs I don't read Third-Best Superpower.

[@themomaw]

Armor, gun, commander position, gunner position: Soviet standard Driver position, loader position: Lilliput standard

[@davidstrother496]

I can see that I am grateful that I was not a Soviet tank crewman. Give me my M60A3 instead. Thanks for the video, Chieftain. Greetings from Texas.

[@glorgau]

I can only imagine the fumes of those things when they start up the battalion in the motor pool.

[@alexandermonro6768]

The built-in smoke screen generator seems to be working well...

[@xgford94]

Never realised how much impact the “Chieftain Music “had on

[@derrickstorm6976]

It's not been the same for a long time :(

[@pcz1642raz]

idk if its the best tank in the world in 1945, but it definitely is the brutalist

[@viandengalacticspaceyards5135]

You could say that. In one German tanker's diary, he describes one of his buddies getting hit in the turret by a 122. It didn't pierce, but ripped the turret off the tank.

[@derrickstorm6976]

Brutal design indeed, just as painful for the people using it as for the people getting shot by it 😂

[@derrickstorm6976]

​@@viandengalacticspaceyards5135no f'ing way a 60-pound shell at ~2400 feet per second has enough energy to move a multi-ton turret, and the turret is also embedded in the turret ring so you'd have to lift it straight up for multiple inches at the same time. Total bs

[@ernestcline2868]

It doesn't look like it's made out of concrete. 😂

[@viandengalacticspaceyards5135]

@@derrickstorm6976 Sorry, can't judge that. But it's what he wrote.

[@kingfish2703]

Imagine you got a tiny Chaffee and see like 50 or so of these rolling up

[@markfergerson2145]

You could probably hear them coming from a mile away. That thing *is* very loud. Come to think of it you might feel them coming from a mile away as a mild earthquake.

[@RaikoTechnologies]

The exact parade has been(partially) filmed.

[@ottovonbismarck2443]

@@markfergerson214550 of them at night ? Probably more than 5 miles, depending on the terrain.

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

Easy. Just drive around at speed and wait for the IS-3 crew to lose legs as they traverse the turret to follow you. 😊

[@kingfish2703]

@@Kevin-mx1vi I hope you're joking

[@LeftToWrite006]

Thank you for your sacrifice in climbing around inside that... thing.

[@lewiswestfall2687]

Thanks Nick

[@Godl1ked]

Amongst many things, thanks for showing sights, and peeping through them. Always always interesting to see how those work/look like.

[@MrTylerStricker]

Totally iconic episode with a fully driving IS-3!!! Thank you Chieftain! 🫡

[@dennisdilmore7115]

Excellent demonstration as to why maintaining a proper maintenance schedule is so important!

[@Ryan66437]

Love being able to watch and hear it move!

[@philipbossy4834]

Great tour, and nice ride!

[@JimWarford1]

Nick; great and informative video (as always). The best part; the loader's position...one loader with no space to do his job. It's the same problem with all 122mm armed Soviet tanks, while the T-10M had a rigid-chain rammer to help, it retained a single loader with very litle room to load. The fix actually hit the field with the SU-122-54 assault gun/tank destroyer...same rigid-chain rammer as the T-10M but with two loaders with plenty of room to work. That combination made the most of the powerful 122mm main gun. Finally, the Egyptian use of the IS-3M in the '67 war was actually pretty impressive...they were knocking out Israeli M48s with Soviet ammo from 1944-45 and 1947.

[@ianbell5611]

Great video. Wow what a beast of a machine

[@czelsi05]

Finally, episode on IS-3!

[@lucadiruggiero339]

i went through some pictures of the hungarian uprising of 1956 on an online archive while researching for a university project and was surprised to see that there were some knocked out is-3s. The archive is Fortepan if anyone's interested

[@jwenting]

in another episode of "does the Chieftain fit"...

[@johnroberts3824]

Very interesting video. Thanks!

[@justforever96]

I literally just mentioned the periscope being able to look backwards in the comments of one of your videos recently, interesting that you bring it up now. I didn't recall you ever mentioning it before but I understand that most tanks in the major nations used it in all rotating periscopes. It basically has a viewing sight on each side so you can flip it around and it's looking to the rear while you are looking in the opposite side from where you usually do.

[@michaelguerin56]

Nicholas, have you considered asking Carhartt for a trouser sponsorship😁? I have read and listened to a number of adverse comments on the crew ergonomics of the IS-3 but this video truly puts matters into perspective. Thank you for going where no sane person more than 1.6m tall-in full tanker kit-would dare to go! Cheers from NZ🇳🇿.

[@288gto7]

The aux gearbox is what makes it 8 speed. Main gearbox is 4 speed aux is 2 speed. By combining both you get 8 speeds in total

[@ILikeTheThingsIDo]

I missed watching this man pretzel himself into tanks.

[@kimjanek646]

I was waiting for this moment, where the Chieftain is put inside an IS-3 😍

[@BasmatiJones]

Greatly enjoyed TC's review and tour of such an iconic AFV. I literally had to stop viewing for a bit during the driver's seat portion as I was getting quite claustrophobic just sitting in front of my PC. The fine folks at the Bastonge Barracks, Belgium were doubtlessly very generous and cordial, but they must also be quite the mechanismo wizards to keep a 1946+ Soviet AFV in running condition. Thanks again for a simply outstanding series on AFVs from everywhere.

[@Davey-Boyd]

If I remember correctly they use serving Belgian Army mechanics at the museum.

[@danielpetrov9179]

Tankers in USSR were not 2 meters tall for sure :) In the army I was MT-LB driver and my driving position was something like knees hit the chin, I am only 1.80m tall.

[@dominiqueboy666]

great episode

[@ogilkes1]

Thanks for this, ever since I built a model kit of this at age 14 it has fascinated me. What a great tank...... yeah. One thing that always shocks me is the finish quality on some of the casting. I visited a Sovremmeny class destroyer at Portsmouth decades ago and noted there the very rough castings of the turret mounts among other things. I suppose with a tank, as long as it does not laminate easily its not soo tricky, or is it?

[@louislowery2877]

Very enjoyable thanks was worried you forgot the track tensioning but you never do lol

[@roberttucker8129]

As he's climbing down into the driver position, "It's a family show, have to watch what I say", only a few moments later, describing the hatch mechanism, "My fucking around". That had me rolling

[@VirginiaRican]

Man, I enjoyed you pointing out the slip ring. Until recently, I worked at the company that manufacturers the turret slip rings for Abrams, Bradley, K2, etc cheers

[@novus80]

Superb to hear the thing, with all it’s metal to metal noice.

[@andwildai]

Very interesting to see the inside after you hear so much about the ergonomics. I hope to see a video on your certain british namesake tank someday :p

[@comentedonakeyboard]

17:51 Finaly the Track Tensioning we have all been waiting for😂

[@leoarc1061]

As far as it not having a turret basket, there is most definetly a drawback. As far as it being tightly packaged and claustrophobic, I am sure that the crews would've gotten used to it quite quickly. During an engagement, with adrenaline pouring out of their ears, muscle memory and spatial awareness inside of the tank will take care of the tight space, just as it had happen during WWII with many Soviet and German designs. We need to put it into perspective. Modern tanks are lot more comfortable when compared to their WWII ancestors. But so are aircraft, trains, houses, cars, motorcycles, and so on. Not every tank should be compared to an M1 Abrams :)

[@julianturberfield7101]

I mean, he's comparing it to a Sherman, an even earlier design.

[@rupertboleyn3885]

It's a matter of priorities. If you want a 122mm gun, lots of armour, a reasonable speed with an engine that's not as powerful as you'd like, a lot overall height, and a weight that lets you use most bridges, ergonomics is going to suffer (along with a number of other things, like maximum ammo capacity). Making the interior bigger means less armour or a bigger overall size (which means thinner armour for a given weight). As it turned out, this was probably not the best set of priorities, but then again, western heavy tanks of late WWII and immediately thereafter weren't so great either.

[@19Koty96]

Saw a label on it briefly, it's indeed the R-113 radio set.

[@TheKencoffee]

Very convenient they placed the batteries and fuel primers in the driver's hole for ease of ignition. Especially given the two lever and screw system needed to open the hatch.😮 I also appreciate the in-built smoke screen to obscure it from friendly forces 🚗💨

[@asmoduce]

Is this the progenitor for the old rub, "all Russian Tankers are 5 feet tall, with two left arms", that used to be bantered around in the 80s and 90s?

[@immikeurnot]

Pretty sure it was about the T72 likewise being extremely cramped, and the legend of the autoloader having a tendency to tear arms off.

[@Lightning_Mike]

Don't know about the hands part, but they really were _tiny._ Back in the day, when mandatory service was still a thing, short guys were automatically sent to tank units. Though, I know a 6ft guy that I still have no ideea how he used to fit in a T-55.

[@jannek5757]

Great stuff! :)

[@roderickhamilton9891]

This video is spiritually part of the Spelunking milieu

[@Cobaltxj5]

Hello from Bulgaria - can give a little bit of insight to the batteries that were used way back when - identical batteries were used on Diesel Trains all the way to the mid 90s all over east Europe - single 24 volt unit is about 70cm long with an actual steel box they weigh ALOT as you might imagine but were relatively shorter height than the modern plastic ones...As with anithing soviet in construction interchangibility with agrocultural and/or infrastructural machinery was a common place, for example the Zil truck speedo which is just as optimistic for the truck as it is on the tank.

[@colintwyning9614]

Big Irish fella in a Russian tank with German batteries. What a combo. Great video, great info. Fantastic its stil working . Bravo Belgium

[@sementarian]

Nice...just what is needed for a rainy day.

[@samholdsworth420]

It's raining here in San Diego 😢

[@soldiersvejk2053]

@@samholdsworth420Same here in Northeast!

[@tomhenry897]

Freezing in Iowa

[@barryabrams3634]

Thanks!

[@fuse557]

Great vid!

[@markcraig4341]

Hope to see you do the T-10 someday, Soviet armor is so fascinating, As always enjoy your videos, Look forward to many more, Stay safe on your travels

[@Ethnarches]

Possibly the most menacing looking tank ever! Interestingly that appearance of menace turned out to be it’s only significant achievement...

[@generalfailure9730]

Great video. I'm keen to see whether there's an upcoming video on the ISU-152, which has been at the museum since its arrival alongside the IS-3 in 1989.

[@rpamartin]

Thanks

[@tarjei99]

That explains the lack of track tensioning in part 1. I saw it was in good shape, but never expected it to be able to move on its own.

[@markval4261]

😅 ...Pooped my pants watching the "Escape from drivers position" , Informative. Entertaining, Ol' Tanker banter, warms my heart .... Excellent !!!!

[@richardbell7678]

An emergent feature of the rear view periscope that is worth mentioning is that the prism that allows you to look backwards flips the image top to bottom, so you know, at a glance, which way the periscope is facing.

[@Southerly93]

Always a great day when a soviet tank is featured on this channel. Least user friendly pieces of metal out there

[@mistag3860]

With auto-smoke facilty! constant camo +5

[@alancranford3398]

Thanks, Chieftan, you reminded me of how claustrophobic I am. I'm only 1,95 meters and even the Abrams was a tight fit. Getting out of a HMMWV was hard enough.

[@johnpope515]

Been a loader on the MK 3 Chieftain luxurious

[@elsamu9458]

Its probably on the top 5 most menacing looking tanks for me. 27:33, that is scary and badass, at least from the outside. Tiger I, Tiger II, IS-2 maybe Panther, Maus, IS-7 but the IS-3 has something that says Im gonna blow u up and you wont pen me. That look was probably what started the m103 and conqueror

What a brilliant Segway :)

[@chuck2998]

You look like you're doing Urbex climbing from the gunners area to the drivers hatch😂

[@ZGryphon]

"It's a family show, be careful what you say. How in the name o' _Christ"_ just _slew_ me.

[@Turloghan]

These periscopes, which can look forwsrd and backward only thru change mirrors position are designed and constructed in Poland , before the war by our inventor mjr. Gundlach. They were tested just before war by Polish Army in tankettes TKS . Then they were adopted in other allied armies, for example for british takns they were produced as Mk4 Periscope. Russians adopted theirs production without licence, and put massive use around 1943.

[@ronaldfrancis5813]

I swear i could smell that exaust smoke through the screen

[@mattholland8966]

It does look like a beast!!!