"Pike nose" refers to the three welded armor plates of the tank corps in the front. There are many misconceptions around this detail. For the first time, the "pike nose" was proposed in the Soviet tanks IS-2U in 1944. However, in practice, in mass production, it was used only in IS-3 machines. In the future, the considered structural element in tanks did not take root, despite the fact that in the 1940s it was considered an excellent solution. Why?
In fact, everything turned out to be quite simple. "Pike nose" was developed by Soviet designers in order to increase the survivability of the tank in the conditions of using cast and welded armor. Contrary to existing misconceptions, this element really contributed to the ricochet of enemy projectiles. Photos from tests with split armor actually refer to tests of calibers that the IS-3 could not withstand in principle.
Already in the first post-war decade, the “pike nose” was virtually out of work, as tank armor from the Second World War began to become a thing of the past. In its pure form, the considered structural element was not used anywhere else. And all because the concept of main battle tanks with a new type of armor occupied more and more space in the army.
Composite armor replaced the classic welded and cast armor. Such armor will receive much less benefit from the slope than the "classic". At least some slope in ceramic armor is needed only to exclude the possibility of the most dangerous perpendicular projectile. The “pike nose” became an unreasonably complex production solution, not to mention the fact that its use significantly increased the dimensions of the combat vehicle.
If you want to know even more interesting things, then you should read about how the new T-34-85 tank showed itself in the first battles, appearing at the front in March 1944.
Source: https://novate.ru/blogs/040522/62895/
