| KV-1 | |
|---|---|
 KV-1 on display inKirovsk | |
| Type | Heavy tank |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1939–1945 |
| Used by | Poland,Soviet Union,Finland (captured) |
| Wars | Winter War,World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Zhozef Kotin, TsKB-2 |
| Designed | 1938–1939 |
| Manufacturer | Kirov Factory,ChTZ |
| Produced | 1939–1943 |
| No. built | 5,219[1] |
| Variants | KV-2, KV-8 flamethrower, KV-1S, KV-85, KV-122 |
| Specifications (KV-1 Model 1941) | |
| Mass | 45 t (44 long tons; 50 short tons) |
| Length | 6.75 m (22 ft 2 in) |
| Width | 3.32 m (10 ft 11 in) |
| Height | 2.71 m (8 ft 11 in) |
| Crew | 5 |
| Armour |
|
Main armament | 76.2 mmM1941 ZiS-5 gun |
Secondary armament | 3 or 4 ×DT machine guns |
| Engine | V-2K based on theModel V-2V12diesel engine 600 hp (450 kW) |
| Power/weight | 13 hp/tonne |
| Suspension | Torsion bar |
Operational range | Road: 250 km (160 mi) Cross-country: 150 km (93 mi)[2] |
| Maximum speed | 35 km/h (22 mph) |
| KV-2 | |
|---|---|
 KV-2 inCentral Armed Forces Museum with KV-1 in background | |
| Type | Heavy tank/assault gun |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1940–1945 |
| Used by | Soviet Union |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Zh. Kotin, TsKB-2 |
| Designed | 1938–1939 |
| Manufacturer | Kirov Factory,ChTZ |
| No. built | 210 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 52 t (51 long tons; 57 short tons) |
| Length | 6.67 m (21 ft 11 in)[3] |
| Width | 3.35 m (11 ft 0 in)[3] |
| Height | 3.25 m (10 ft 8 in)[3] |
| Crew | 6 |
| Armour | 60–110 mm (2.4–4.3 in) |
Main armament | 152 mmM-10T howitzer (20 rounds) |
Secondary armament | 2 ×DT machine guns (2,079 rounds) |
| Engine | V-2K based on theModel V-2V12diesel engine 600 hp (450 kW) |
Operational range | Road: 225 km (140 mi) Cross-country: 150 km (93 mi)[4] |
| Maximum speed | 28 km/h (17 mph) |
| KV-85 | |
|---|---|
.JPG) KV-85 on display | |
| Type | Heavy tank |
| Place of origin | Soviet Union |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1943-1945 |
| Used by | Soviet Union |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Produced | 1943 |
| No. built | 148[5] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 46 t (45 long tons; 51 short tons) |
| Length | 8.49 m (27 ft 10 in) |
| Width | 3.25 m (10 ft 8 in) |
| Height | 2.87 m (9 ft 5 in) |
| Crew | 4 |
| Armour | 30–110 mm (1.2–4.3 in) |
Main armament | 85 mm D-5T tank gun |
Secondary armament | 3 × 7.62 mmDT machine guns |
| Engine | V-2K based on theModel V-2V12diesel engine 600 hp (450 kW) |
| Power/weight | 13 hp/tonne |
| Suspension | Torsion bar |
Operational range | Road: 250 km (160 mi) Cross-country: 180 km (110 mi)[6] |
| Maximum speed | 40 km/h (25 mph) |
TheKliment Voroshilov (KV;Russian:Климент Ворошилов, КВ) tanks are a series ofSovietheavy tanks named after the Soviet defence commissar and politicianKliment Voroshilov who operated with theRed Army duringWorld War II. The KV tanks were known for their heavy armour protection during the early stages of the war, especially during the first year of theGerman invasion of theSoviet Union. In certain situations, even a single KV-1 or KV-2 supported by infantry could halt German formations. The GermanWehrmacht at that time rarely deployed its tanks against KVs, as their own armament was too poor to deal with the "Russischer Koloss" – "Russian Colossus".[7]
The KV tanks were practically immune to the3.7 cm KwK 36 andhowitzer-like, short-barreled7.5 cm KwK 37 guns mounted, respectively, on the earlyPanzer III andPanzer IV tanks fielded by the invadingGerman forces. Until the Germans developed more effective guns, the KV-1 was invulnerable to almost any German weapon except the8.8 cm Flak gun.[8]
Prior to the start ofOperation Barbarossa in June 1941, about 500 of the over 22,000 tanks then in Soviet service were of the KV-1 type. As the war progressed, it became evident that there was little sense in producing the expensive KV tanks, as theT-34medium tank performed better (or at least equally well) in all practical respects. In fact the only advantage the KV had over the T-34/76 was its larger and roomier three-man turret.[9] Later in the war, the KV series became a base for the development of theIS (Iosif Stalin) series of tanks and self-propelled guns.
After disappointing results with the multi-turretedT-35 heavy tank, Soviet tank designers started drawing up replacements. The T-35 conformed to the 1920s notion of a "breakthrough tank" with very heavy firepower though its armour protection was lacking and it suffered from poor mobility. TheSpanish Civil War demonstrated the need for much heavier armour on tanks,[10] and was the main influence on Soviet tank design just prior to World War II.
Several competing designs were offered, and even more were drawn up prior to reaching prototype stage. All had heavy armour,torsion-bar suspension, wide tracks, and were of welded and cast construction. One of the main competing designs was theSMK, which in its final form had two turrets, mounting one 76.2 mm and one 45 mm weapon. The designers of the SMK independently drew up a single-turreted variant and this received approval at the highest level. Two of these, named after thePeople's Commissar for Defence, were ordered alongside a single SMK. The smaller hull and single turret enabled the designer to install heavy frontal and turret armour while keeping the weight within manageable limits.
The KV was ordered right off the drawing board.[11] When the Soviets entered theWinter War, the SMK, KV and a third design, theT-100, were sent to be tested in combat conditions. The KV outperformed the SMK and T-100 designs. The KV's heavy armour proved highly resistant toFinnishanti-tank weapons, making it more difficult to stop. In 1939, the production of 50 KVs was ordered. During the war, the Soviets found it difficult to deal with the concrete bunkers used by the Finns and a request was made for a tank with a large howitzer. One of the rush projects to meet the request was to put the howitzer in a new turret on one of the KV tanks.[12] Initially known as 'Malen'kaya Bashenka' (little turret) and 'Bol'shaya Bashnya' (big turret), the 76-mm-armed tank was redesignated as theKV-1 heavy tank and the 152 mmhowitzer one asKV-2 heavy artillery tank.
KV tanks first faced the Germans in theBattle of Raseiniai, just after the start ofOperation Barbarossa. On 23 June, over 200 German tanks advancing through Lithuania encountered Soviet armor including KV-1 and KV-2 tanks. Although the KVs' frontal armor was sufficient to deflect anti-tank fire, German troops were able to outflank them and destroy them with explosive charges or lure them to within point-blank range of direct-fire artillery. Of the more than 200 Soviet tanks lost at Raseiniai, 29 were KVs.[11]
The KV's strengths included armour that was impenetrable by any tank-mounted weapon then in service[13] except at point-blank range, that it had good firepower, and that it had good flotation on soft ground. It also had serious flaws: it was difficult to steer; the transmission (which was a twenty-year-oldHolt Caterpillar design)[14] "was the main stumbling block of the KV-1, and there was some truth to rumors of Soviet drivers having to shift gears with a hand sledge";[14] and the ergonomics were poor, with limited visibility.[15] Furthermore, at 45 tons, it was simply too heavy. This severely impacted the maneuverability, not so much in terms of maximum speed, as through inability to cross many bridges medium tanks could cross.[16] The KV outweighed most other tanks of the era, being about twice as heavy as the heaviest German tank at that time (before theTiger). Asappliqué armour and other improvements were added without increasing engine power, later models were less capable of keeping up to speed with medium tanks and had more trouble with difficult terrain. In addition, its firepower was no better than that of theT-34.[14] It took field reports from senior commanders "and certified heroes", who could be honest without risk of punishment, to reveal "what a dog the KV-1 really was".[14]
By 1942, when the Germans were fielding large numbers of long-barreled5 cm Pak 38 and7.5 cm Pak 40 anti-tank guns, the KV's armour was no longer impenetrable, requiring the installation of additionalappliqué armour. The KV-1's side (favorable approach: 30° at 300–500 m distance), top, and turret armor could also be penetrated by the high-velocityMk 101 30 mm cannon carried by German ground attack aircraft, such as theHenschel Hs 129.[17] The KV-1's 76.2 mm gun also came in for criticism. While adequate against all German tanks, it was the same gun as carried by smaller, faster, and cheaper T-34 medium tanks. In 1943, it was determined that this gun could not easily penetrate the frontal armour of the new Tiger, the first German heavy tank, one of which was captured nearLeningrad.[18] The KV-1 was also much more difficult to manufacture and thus more expensive than the T-34, its advantages no longer outweighed its drawbacks.
Because of its initial superior performance, the KV-1 was chosen as one of the few tanks to continue being built following the Soviet reorganization of tank production. Due to the new standardization, it shared a similar engine and gun as the T-34 (the KV used a 600 hp V-2K modification of the T-34's V-2 diesel engine, and had a ZiS-5 main gun while the T-34 had a similar F-34 main gun), was built in large quantities and received frequent upgrades.[citation needed] When production shifted to the "Tankograd" complex in theUral Mountains, the KV-2 was dropped. While impressive on paper, it had been designed as a slow-moving bunker-buster. It was less useful in the highly mobile, fluid warfare that developed in World War II. The turret was so heavy it was difficult to traverse on uneven terrain. Finally, it was expensive to produce. Only about 210 KV-2s were made, all in 1940–1941, making it one of the rarest Soviet tanks. The KV-1 continued to get more armor to compensate for the increasing effectiveness of German weapons. This culminated in theKV-1 model 1942 (German designation KV-1C), which had very heavy armor but lacked a corresponding improvement to the engine. It now weighed about 52 tons. Tankers complained that, although they were well-protected, their mobility was poor and they had no firepower advantage over the T-34 medium tank.[citation needed]
In response to criticisms, the lighterKV-1S was developed with thinner armor and a smaller, lower turret in order to reclaim some speed. The KV-1S had a commander's cupola with all-around vision blocks. It also had a sophisticatedplanetary transmission that significantly increased the reliability, and allowed use of more efficient regenerative geared steering, unlike the solely clutch and brake steering systems used by thePanzer III,IV and T-34 and previous KV tanks. Its reduced weight allowed it to achieve a top speed of 43.3 km/h. Over 1,300 were built before production ended in August 1943.[19] Although the KV-1S was, according to some, the best of the KV tanks, overcoming its predecessors' problems (at a cost of losing the heavy armor that made the earlier tanks so valuable, making it more of a slow medium tank than a heavy tank), more modern tanks were already in sight.[20] Up-arming the regular turret of the KV-1S with an 85 mm S-31 resulted in the KV-1S-85. This was rejected as it came with the unacceptable loss of a dedicated commander, reducing the turret crew to two (unlike the 3-man turret fitted to the T-34/85).[21] However, the thinning-out of the armor called into question why the tank was being produced at all, when the T-34 could seemingly do everything the KV could do and much more cheaply. The Soviet heavy tank program was close to cancellation in mid-1943.
The appearance of the GermanPanther tank in the summer of 1943 persuaded the Red Army to make a serious upgrade of its tank force for the first time since 1941. Soviet tanks needed bigger guns to take on the growing numbers of Panthers and the few Tigers.
A stopgap upgrade to the KV series was the short-livedKV-85 orObjekt 239. This was a KV-1S with the new turret from theObject 237 (IS-85) still in development, mounting the same 85 mmD-5T gun as theSU-85 and early versions of the T-34-85 (not yet in production at the time). The 85 mm proved capable of penetrating theTiger I from 1000 m and the demand for it slowed production of the KV-85 tremendously, only 148 were built between August and October 1943.[22] Soviet industry was therefore able to produce a heavy tank as well armed as theTiger I before the end of 1943. Although the KV-85 was an excellent opponent to the Tigers and Panthers, it was a stopgap and thus was built in small numbers.[19] Its weight had climbed up again to about 47 tons, which negated the whole point of trying to make a lighter KV. The complete Object 237 was accepted into service as theIS-85 and was produced in the autumn and winter of 1943-44; they were sent to the front as of October 1943 and production of the IS-85/IS-1 was stopped by the spring of 1944 once theIS-122/IS-2 entered full-scale production.
A new heavy tank design entered production late in 1943 based on the work done on theKV-13. Because Voroshilov had fallen out of political favour, the new heavy tank series was named theIosif Stalin tank, after the Soviet leaderStalin. The KV-13 program's IS-85 prototype was accepted for production as the IS-1 (or IS-85,Object 237) heavy tank. After testing with both the 100 mmD-10 and 122 mm guns, theD-25T 122 mm gun was selected as the main armament of the new tank, primarily because of its ready availability and the effect of its large high-explosive shell when attacking German fortifications. The 122 mm D-25T used a separate shell and powder charge, resulting in a lower rate of fire and reduced ammunition capacity. While the 122 mm armour-piercing shell had a lower muzzle velocity than similar late German 7.5 cm and 8.8 cm guns, proving-ground tests established that the 122 mm could penetrate the frontal armour of the German Panther tank at 2500 metres[23] and the HE shell would easily blow off the drive sprocket and tread of the heaviest German tank orself-propelled gun. The IS-122 replaced the IS-85, and began mass production as the IS-2. The 85 mm gun saw service in the lighter SU-85 and T-34-85.
 | This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Kliment Voroshilov tank" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(November 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
The Soviets did not recognize different production models of KV-1 during the war; designations likemodel 1939 (M1939, Russian:Obr. 1939) were introduced later in military publications. These designations, however, are not strict and describe leading changes, while other changes might be adapted earlier or later in specific production batches. Designations likeKV-1A were applied by the Germans during the war.[citation needed] All tanks in the series were heavily based on the KV-1.
| T-35 | KV-1 M1940 | KV-1 M1941 | KV-1 M1942 | KV-1S M1942 | KV-85 M1943 | IS-2 M1945 | IS-3[38] M1945 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 11 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Weight (tonnes) | 45 | 45 | 47 | 52 | 42,5 | 47 | 44 | 46.5 |
| Gun | 76.2 mm M. 27/32 | 76.2 mm F-32 (L/31.5) | 76.2 mm ZiS-5 (L/42.5) | 76.2 mm ZiS-5 | 76.2 mm ZiS-5 | 85 mm D-5T | 122 mm D-25T | 122 mm D-25T |
| Ammunition | 100 | 111 | 111 | 114 | 114 | 70 | 28 | 28 |
| Secondary armament | 2×45 mm tank gun (20-K) 5×7.62 mm | 2× 7.62 mmDT machine gun | 4× DT | 4× DT | 4× DT | 3× DT | 3× DT, 1 x 12.7mmDShK | 2× DT, DShK |
| Engine | 500 hp M-17Mgasoline | 600 hp V-2Kdiesel | 600 hp V-2 | 600 hp V-2 | 600 hp V-2 | 600 hp V-2 | 600 hp V-2 | 600 hp V-2-IS |
| Fuel (litres) | 910 | 600 | 600 | 600 | 975 | 975 | 820 | 520 + 270 |
| Road speed (km/h) | 30 | 35 | 35 | 28 | 45 | 40 | 37 | 37 |
| Road range (km) | 150 | 250 | 250 | 250 | 380 | 340 | 240 | 150 (225) |
| Cross-country range (km) | 70 | 150 | 150 | 150 | 240 | 220 | 180 | 120 (175) |
| Armour (mm) | 11–30 | 25–75 | 30–90 | 20–130 | 30–82 | 30–160 | 30–160 | 20–220 |
A KV-1 or KV-2 tank (accounts vary) advanced far behind the German lines after attacking a column of German trucks. The tank stopped on a road across soft ground and was engaged by four 50 mm anti-tank guns of the anti-tank battalion of the6th Panzer Division. The tank was hit many times but returned fire, disabling all four guns. A heavy8.8 cm gun of the German division's anti-aircraft battalion was moved about 730 m (800 yd) behind the tank, but was knocked out by the tank gunner before it could score a hit. During the night, German combat engineers attempted to destroy the tank withsatchel charges and failed despite possibly damaging the tracks. Early on the morning of 25 June, German tanks fired on the KV from the woodland while an 88 mm targeted the tank from its rear. Of several shots fired, only two penetrated the tank. German infantry then advanced, with the KV opening machine-gun fire against them.[39] The tank's resistance was finally ended by grenades thrown into the tank's hatches. According to some accounts, the crew was buried by the German soldiers with full military honours; in other accounts, the crew escaped during the night.[39]
GeneralErhard Raus was commander of theKampfgruppe of the6th Panzer Division, the unit delayed by the lone vehicle. He described it as aKV-1, which was damaged by several8.8 cmanti-tank gun shots fired from behind the vehicle while it was distracted byPanzer 35(t) tanks from Panzer Battalion 65, and the KV-1 crew were killed by members of apioneer unit who pushedgrenades through two holes made by the gun while the turret began moving again, the other five or six shots having not fully penetrated. Apparently, the KV-1 crew had remarkably only been stunned by the shots which had entered the turret. Afterwards, they were buried nearby with military honours by the German unit.[40][a]
| This sectionneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Kliment Voroshilov tank" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(March 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
On August 14, 1941, the vanguard of the German8th Panzer Division approached Krasnogvardeysk (Gatchina) nearLeningrad (St Petersburg), and the onlySoviet force available at the time to attempt to stop the German advance consisted of five well-hidden KV-1 tanks, dug in within a grove at the edge of a swamp. KV-1 tank no. 864 was commanded by the leader of this small force, LieutenantZinoviy Kolobanov.
German forces attacked Krasnogvardeysk from three directions. Near Noviy Uchkhoz settlement the geography favoured the Soviet defenders as the only road in the region passed the swamp, and the defenders commanded thischoke point from their hidden position. Lieutenant Kolobanov had carefully studied the situation and readied his detachment the day before. Each KV-1 tank carried twice the normal amount of ammunition, two-thirds being armour-piercing rounds. Kolobanov ordered his other commanders to hold their fire and await orders. He did not want to reveal the total force, so only one exposed tank at a time would engage the enemy.
On August 14, the German 8th Panzer Division's vanguard ventured directly into the well-prepared Soviet ambush, with Kolobanov's tank knocking out the lead German tank with its first shot. The Germans falsely assumed that their lead tank had hit ananti-tank mine and failed to realize that they had been ambushed. The German column stopped, giving Kolobanov the opportunity to destroy the second tank. Only then did the Germans realize they were under attack, but they failed to find the source of the shots. While the German tanks were firing blindly, Kolobanov knocked out the trailing German tank, thus boxing in the entire column.
Although the Germans correctly guessed the direction of fire, they could only spot Lieutenant Kolobanov's tank, and now attempted to engage an unseen enemy. German tanks moving off the road bogged down in the surrounding soft ground, becoming easy targets. 22 German tanks and 2 towedartillery pieces fell victim to Kolobanov's No. 864 before it ran out of ammunition. Kolobanov ordered in another KV-1, and 21 more German tanks were destroyed before the half-hour battle ended. A total of 43 German tanks were destroyed by just five Soviet KV-1s (two more remained in reserve).
After the battle, the crew of No. 864 counted a total of 135 hits on their tank, none of which had penetrated the KV-1's armour. Lieutenant Kolobanov was awarded theOrder of Lenin, while his Gunner Usov was awarded theOrder of the Red Banner. Later, former Captain Zinoviy Kolobanov was again decorated by Soviet authorities.
Kolobanov's feat was so great that when telling his story after the war, civilians and military personnel alike did not believe him, sometimes laughing in disbelief while listening to his tale.[42] A monument dedicated to this battle was installed in the village of Noviy Uchkhoz in 1980, at the place where Kolobanov's KV-1 was dug in, due solely to the demands of the villagers. It was impossible to find a KV-1 tank, so an IS-2 heavy tank was installed there instead.[42]
The Soviet victory was the result of a well-planned ambush in advantageous ground and of technical superiority. Most of the German tanks in this battle werePanzer IIs, armed with 20 mm guns, and a fewPanzer IIIs armed with37 mm KwK 36 L/46.5 guns. The German tank guns had neither the range nor the power of the 76 mm main gun of a KV-1, and the narrower track width of the German tanks caused them to become trapped in the swampy ground.
When German forces used captured KV-1s, they were renamed as "Panzerkampfwagen KV-IA 753(r)"[43]
The Finnish forces had two KV-1s, nicknamedKlimi, a Model 1941 and Model 1942, both of which received minor upgrades in their service, and both of which survived the war.[44][45][46]
Romanian forces captured one KV-1 as of 1 November 1942 and one more in March 1944.[47]
| Year | KV-1 | KV-2 | KV-1S | KV-8/8S | KV-85 | SU-152 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 139 | 110 | ||||
| 1941 | 1,252 | 100 | ||||
| 1942 | 1,802 | 626 | 127 | |||
| 1943 | 459 | 10 | 148 | 670 | ||
| Total | 3,193 | 210 | 1,085 | 137 | 148 | 670 |
Tanks of comparable role, performance and era include:
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)[1] Candil, Col.(R) A.J. (2020) ‘Armored Warfare during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939): The Experience Reconsidered’,eArmor.
