The ISU-152 was the first of the Soviet heavy self-propelled artillery carriages of World War II, entering service in 1943, just in time to take part in the Battle of Kursk in July. It was intended for a dual role as an antitank weapon and heavy assault gun. The vehicle was in the vanguard of the Soviet advances in 1944 and 1945, and the vehicles were amongst the first to enter Berlin at the end of the war. The ISU-152's major drawback was a lack of internal stowage space for ammunition, and each vehicle thus required constant supply by ammunition carriers, which was hazardous and affected tactical mobility. Nevertheless, the ISU-152 remained in service after the war, being used during the crushing of the 1956 Hungarian uprising.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a Polish People's Army ISU-152 self-propelled gun. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Length: 4-inches
Width: 1-1/2-inches

Release Date: February 2018

Historical Account: "Polish Armed Forces in the East" - Polish Armed Forces in the East (Polish: Polskie Siły Zbrojne na Wschodzie) (or Polish Army in USSR) refers to military units composed of Poles created in the Soviet Union at the time when the territory of Poland was occupied by both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union in the Second World War.

Broadly speaking, there were two such formations. The first was the Anders Army, created in the second half of 1941 and loyal to the Polish government-in-exile, after the German invasion of the USSR led to the Polish-Soviet Sikorski-Mayski Agreement declaring an amnesty for Polish citizens held captive in the USSR. In 1942 this formation was evacuated to Persia and transferred to the Western Allies, whereupon it became known as the Polish II Corps and went on to fight Nazi German forces in Italy, including at the Battle of Monte Cassino.

Following this, the remaining Polish forces in USSR were reorganised into a Soviet-controlled Polish I Corps in the Soviet Union, which in turn was reorganised in 1944 into the Polish First Army (Berling Army) and Polish Second Army, both part of the Polish People's Army (Ludowe Wojsko Polskie, LWP).

In 1944, the Polish People's Army was reorganised to become the military of the communist-ruled People's Republic of Poland.