KV-1

by Thorleif Olsson

The KV-1, mass-produced from Feb 1940 to early 1943. It first saw service in the Finnish winter war, and when Germany attacked Soviet in June 1941, some 636 KV (Kliment Woroshilov) tanks had been built. The KV-I was armed with a 76.2mm L/30.5 gun, but later variants (KV-1A, KV-1B, KV-1C and KV-1S) housed a 76.2mm L/41 gun with better armour penetration. The KV-1E later appeared with additional armour plates. Also a KV-2 was produced. It's main task was to support infantry and was armed with a 152mm cannon. But since the KV-2 had bad performance it was only produced until 1942. Plans were also made to construct a KV-4, KV-5 and a KV-13, but all projects were abandoned.

The experience from the front showed that the KV started to be too slow. This resulted in a new version; the KV-1S (skorostnoj, fast), a lighter and faster KV which appeared in late 1942. When Soviet needed more firepower they built the KV-85 which had an 85mm cannon.

A total of 130 KV-85s were manufactured. Later the KV was replaced by the IS (Iosef Stalin) series. A total of 4.775 KV-I were manufactured along with some 1.470 KV-1S. Prototype named KV-1K was built based upon the KV-1 Model 1942 equipped with 82mm RS-82 rockets.

KV-1 tanks were equipped with many different guns 76.2mm guns; L-11 L/30.5, F-32 L/39, F-34 L/41.5, ZiS-5 L/41.5. KV tanks also had different radio equipment; 71-TK, 71-TK3, TP-2-4, TPU-2, TPU-4-bis, TPU-4R, TPU3bisF and TPU-4. Each vehicle also carried a flair pistol.

Captured KV-1 tanks were specified by Germans as PzKpfw. 753 (r). Germans were happy to send in as many captured KV-1's to battle as they could, and some KV-1 were equipped with a commanders cupola and rearmed with a 75mm KwK L/48 gun (when available) to ease ammo support.

Soviet tank crew jumping onto a KV-1 Model 1941

(Courtesy of Thorleif Olsson)

KV-1S of the 6th Heavy Tank Regiment

(Courtesy of Thorleif Olsson)