Land Weapons

Heavy Tank (1939)

Kirovskiy Zavod

KV-1

KV-1 M1941
KV-1 (1940)
KV-1 (1941)
KV-1S

The KV-1 was the first of a series of Soviet Heavy tanks named after Marshal Kliment Voroshilov. At the time of its introduction in 1940 it the only true heavy tank design aside from the French Char B1 and it was by far the most heavily armored tank in the world, being largely impenetrable to most German ammunition (both towed anti-tank guns as well as tank guns) at the time of Operation Barbarossa. At the same time, it's 76.2mm gun was easily capable of destroying the German medium tanks it faced. Suspension was provided through independent torsion bars on the six road wheels, and wide tracks gave it low ground pressure for a tank of its weight (it was roughly twice as heavy as a German medium). Although speed was adequate for a medium tank, there were some significant issues with the clutch and transmission, and it was unable to change gears while moving. Crew visibility was also poor when the hatches were closed, and the commander was also in charge of loading the gun. Prototypes of the KV-1 were in action during the Russo-Finnish war where its performance was good enough to be selected for production over rival designs. A few hundred were in service by the time of the German invasion where, along with the T-34, they came as a shock to the Wehrmacht and prompted the development of more powerful weaponry, such as the Panther, to defeat them. The KV-1 remained in service throughout the war and in production until 1943 by which time a new generation of heavy tanks, the IS series, was being developed.

The prototype of the KV-1 competed against two other rival designs, the SMK and the T-100, and trials were undertaken directly during the Russo-Finish War. There it was decided that it was superior to the others and ordered into production. The initial Model 1939 was armed with short L-11 gun due to delays in delivering the higher velocity F-32 gun. This was finally fitted on the Model 1940 which also featured a more powerful engine as well as extra bolted armor plates on the turret and hull. An even more powerful ZiS-5 gun was used on the Model 1941 while the Model 1942 had a cast turret and thicker armor that reached a maximum of 120mm. The increase in armor protection resulted in a loss of speed, and this was rectified in the KV-1S which had thinner armor as well as other mechanical improvements, this was the last version of the KV-1 to be produced. A flamethrower version was known as the KV-8.

Preceded by:

None

Related:

KV-2 (1940)

Succeeded by:

KV-85 (1943)

Datafile

DesignKV-1 (M1940)KV-1 (M1941)KV-1 (M1942)KV-1S
TypeHeavy TankHeavy TankHeavy TankHeavy Tank
Year1940194119421943
Crew5555
Dimensions
Length (w/Gun)6.68 m6.75 m6.80 m6.80 m
Width3.320 m3.320 m3.320 m3.250 m
Height2.710 m2.750 m2.750 m2.640 m
Ground Clearance0 m0 m0 m0 m
Track0 m0 m0 m0 m
Track on Ground0 m0 m0 m0 m
Weight
Combat43,000 kg45,000 kg47,000 kg42,500 kg
Ground Pressure0.75 kg/cm²0.78 kg/cm²0.80 kg/cm²0.74 kg/cm²
SuspensionChristieChristieChristieChristie
Performance
Speed (Off-Road)35 km/h35 km/h28 km/h45 km/h
Range (Off-Road)335 km (150 km)335 km (170 km)250 km (180 km)250 km (160 km)
AmphibiousNoNoNoNo
Fording1.60 m1.60 m1.60 m1.60 m
Vertical Obstacle1.20 m1.20 m1.20 m1.20 m
Trench2.80 m2.80 m2.80 m2.80 m
Gradient72.7%72.7%72.7%72.7%
Powerplant
Engine1 x 600-hp
W-2-K
1 x 600-hp
W-2-K
1 x 600-hp
W-2-K
1 x 600-hp
W-2-K
FuelDieselDieselDieselDiesel
Power/Weight13.95 hp/t13.33 hp/t12.77 hp/t14.12 hp/t
Armament
Main1 x 76.2-mm L/31.5
F-32

Rifled Gun
↑ 25° / ↓ -4° / ↔ 360°
1 x 76.2-mm L/42.5
ZiS-5

Rifled Gun
↑ 25° / ↓ -4° / ↔ 360°
1 x 76.2-mm L/42.5
ZiS-5

Rifled Gun
↑ 25° / ↓ -4° / ↔ 360°
1 x 76.2-mm L/42.5
F-34

Rifled Gun
↑ 25° / ↓ -4° / ↔ 360°
SecondaryCoaxial:
1 x 7.62-mm
DT
Bow:
1 x 7.62-mm
DT
rear:
1 x 7.62-mm
DT
Coaxial:
1 x 7.62-mm
DT
Bow:
1 x 7.62-mm
DT
rear:
1 x 7.62-mm
DT
Coaxial:
1 x 7.62-mm
DT
Bow:
1 x 7.62-mm
DT
rear:
1 x 7.62-mm
DT
Coaxial:
1 x 7.62-mm
DT
Bow:
1 x 7.62-mm
DT
rear:
1 x 7.62-mm
DT
Ammo7.62-mm: 3,024
7.62-mm: 3,024
7.62-mm: 3,024
7.62-mm: 3,042
Armor
TypeSteelSteelSteelSteel
Thickness30 - 90 mm30 - 110 mm20 - 130 mm30 - 82 mm
Max Effective90 - 96 mm RHAe96 - 127 mm RHAe128 - 130 mm RHAe87 - 87 mm RHAe
Hull Upper Front75 mm / 30°110 mm / 30°110 mm / 30°75 mm / 30°
Hull Lower Front75 mm / 30°110 mm / 30°110 mm / 30°75 mm / 30°
Hull Upper Sides75 mm110 mm130 mm60 mm
Hull Lower Sides90 mm90 mm90 mm60 mm
Hull Lower Rear75 mm75 mm75 mm75 mm
Hull Top30 mm30 mm30 mm30 mm
Hull Bottom40 mm40 mm20 mm40 mm
Turret Mantlet90 mm / Round90 mm / Round120 mm / Round82 mm / Round
Turret Front90 mm / 20°90 mm / 20°120 mm / 20°82 mm / 20°
Turret Sides75 mm / 15°75 mm / 15°120 mm / 15°82 mm / 15°
Turret Rear75 mm / 15°75 mm / 15°90 mm / 15°82 mm / 15°
Turret Top35 mm35 mm40 mm30 mm
Production
Builtn/an/an/a1,370
Total3,015

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