Kliment Voroshilov (tank)

The tank Kliment Voroshilov ( Kv ) is a Soviet tank of rupture . It was unpleasant surprised for the Wehrmacht at the time of the Opération Barbarossa: it was at the time almost invulnerable with all its weapons except the Anti-aircraft gun Flak of 88 mm and the direct shootings of Artillerie.

Genesis

Its genesis took place at the time of a visit by students engineers at office SKB-2 of the factory of Kirov tanks to Leningrad, in October 1938. The prototype of the heavy tank Bi-turret SMK (for Sergeï Mironovich Kirov) there was drawn and at their exit, one asked them to study an alternative mono-turret. They worked there, resolvent for example the problems of gear box by the study of the Czech tank S-2a in test with Koubinka, close to Moscow.

The project seeming promising, the Minister for the war authorized his development in parallel of SMK, the February 27th 1940, under designation Kv (Kliment Vorochilov, Minister for the war of the time) and on September 1st, the prototype was in test, armed with two coaxial guns, one of 76,2 mm and one of 45 Misters It remained with Moscow, of the September 5th to the October 8th for test governmental.

The war of winter against the Finland having burst, the operational tests were carried out directly on the face, SMK, Kv and T-100, another derivative Bi-turret, was integrated in the 91e battalion armor-plated of the 20th brigade of heavy tanks. Kv, which one had modified for the replacement of the gun of 45 mm by two Mitrailleuse S, coaxial and one with the back of the turret, appeared definitely higher there and the December 19th, it was accepted in the Red Army . A plan of production of 50 then 200 specimens was launched, while one eliminated the defects from youth, on the level of the transmission and the trains of bearing, revealed by a gallop of test of 2648 km in May.

For the end of the year one substituted for the gun L-11, F-32 profiting more an high speed to the mouth, and V-2, V-2k of 600 horses, giving rise to the model 1940 . At the same time, a version, called to large turret, army of an howitzer of 152 mm shortened was studied then put in production like KV-2 . Little time after the beginning of the German invasion, one added additional armor-plates bolted on what exists thus giving, Kv-1e (E, for “ekranirovaniy” with shields).

In July, appeared the model 1941 , with its gun ZIS-5 even longer, assembled in a new better armor-plated welded turret. With the autumn, the loss of Kharkov, forced to adopt the petrol engine M17T on a hundred specimens.

“Fast” version

In 1942, the development was centered on a lighter model, because the increase in the shielding had seriously decreased mobility. This model was named Kv-1s (S for “skorostnoy”, rapid). It receives a new transmission, caterpillars extended to 608 mm, a shielding totaled 75 mm and a new turret with a cupola for the commander of tank which can embark either the ZIS-5 or F-34. The production is launched the August 20th 1942. A first test with a gun of 85 mm is tried with the Objet 220 weighing 63 tons, follow-up of the Objet 223 of 75 tons with one 107 mm F-42. A model lance-flame follows: KV-8 where the 76,2 mm yielded the place to 45 mm 20K, which had its “fast” alternative, Kv-8s and gave place to a series production.

Version anti-Tiger

In 1943, the idea to rearm Kv with one 85 mm, was concretized finally, made urgent by the appearance of the tanks Tigre German much more difficult to destroy. The object 237 armed with S-18 then Kv rearmed with S-31 and D-5T, were tested, and finally with the end of the year the KV-85 appeared which divided its turret with IS-85 . It was produced Kv-1s parallel to.

Another track was explored, by producing an alternative without turret armed with a Obusier ML-20 of 152 mm, able to perforate 110 mm of shielding to 2000 meters. This vehicle quickly developped at the point was accepted with the service under the designation of SU-152 , the February 14th 1943. The next summer, engaged with Koursk, it gains a nickname there: “Killer of animals” in reference of many the Tiger and Panther, which it put out of combat. However the frame of the IS (Joseph Stalin) had a higher potential and the appearance of IS-2 in 1944, armed by one 122 mm, marked the end of the development of tank Kv.

Engagements

The prototype and some specimens engaged in Finland in 1940 behaved brilliantly, and were one of the weapons which allowed the Soviet to finally bore the Mannerheim line, enabling them to put a term at the war of winter their advantage. The tank was then deployed in great number in the Red Army , during the year, so that at the time of the German attack in June 1941, 639 were in service. But like the T-34, the inexperience of the crews and the organization of the Red Army at that time, combined with its small defects of youth (in particular the gear box), was disastrous. The KV-1 engaged in dispersed order and after long walks of approach, were often given up or captured following a mechanical breakdown. On the other hand when they arrived operational at the combat, they posed, because of their relative invulnerability, of many concern to the German . On several occasions, only one KV-1, blocked the German advance, time that the aviation or the exhaustion of the fuel and the ammunition, made it possible to neutralize it.

Their only employment about grouped took place, at the time of against offensive against PanzerGruppe 1 of the general Von Kleist, in the neighborhoods of Rovono in Ukraine: this battle failed to turn to the advantage of the Soviets, in spite of the lack of coordination and support. For example, two of the armor-plated divisions, engaged in this operation, 8th and 10th respectively had 43 and 63 Kv, in their manpower. They lost of them 13 and 11 with the combat, 28 (like 2 cast in a marsh) and 34 on mechanical breakdown. The losses in material were moreover all final because of advance of the enemy and the absence of adapted means of breakdown service.

The losses of the summer and the delays of production due to displacements of industries towards the east, made that at the end of 1941, very few tanks KV-1 were in service. 1942 had to be waited until, to find important manpower of heavy tanks. These tanks initially were still integrated in the armor-plated brigades, which had succeeded the mechanized bodies, mixed with the other models of tanks then in service, like the T-34 or the T-60.

Thereafter, of new specific units were created: heavy tank regiments of opening, only equipped with 21 KV-1, then JS-2. These units were availability of the commanders of army or face, which employed them like reinforcements on the decisive points of the operations. It should be noted that the Soviet heavy tanks, contrary to employment which made the Germans as of their, did not have the role the first combat against the enemy armoured tanks, role allotted to the hunters of tanks of the KNOWN type and the anti-tank artillery, but the opening of the unfavourable defensive lines and thus the combat against the infantry. These doctrines involved on behalf of the Soviets to support the use of guns with a strong explosive and thus anti-personnel capacity, and an equipment in ammunition privileging this type of objective, the ammunition anti-tank device being embarked that in the event of bad meeting. The tanks of the type Kv, continued to be used until the end of the war in Europe, at the sides of their successors JS-1 and JS-2 and disappeared from the inventory of the Red Army, only after this one.

Alternatives

produced

Prototype KV-1 with the departure armed with one 76,2 mm L-11 and one 45 mm 20K, driving V-2 of 500 horses.
KV-1 model 1939 1st version of series built according to the prototype removed from sound 45 Misters
KV-2 derived armed with a M-10 howitzer shortened for the attack from the fortifications.
KV-1 model 1940 2nd version of series with V-2k engine and gun F-32
Kv-1e modification consisting with surblinder the tank of bolting plates of 15 Misters
KV-1 model 1941 3rd version of series, gun ZIS-5 and more solid welded turret.
KV-8 version flame thrower derived from the model 1941, gun of 45 mm 20K (92 blows) for reason of place and flame thrower ATO-41 (960 liters) in the place of the coaxial machine-gun and 3 machine-guns with 3400 blows.
Kv-1s version reduced with 42,5 tons, F-34 gun or ZIS-5, new turret.
Kv-8s similar to the KV-8, but based on Kv-1s.
KV-85 version combining frame Kv-1s with the turret of the IS-1 (or IS-85).
SU-152 self-propelled gun of 152 mm, produced as from February 1943.

experimental having fought

Object 220 prototype army with one 85 mm, 63 tons.
Object 222 prototype army with one 76,2 mm, 51 tons.
Objet 223 prototype army with one 107 mm F-42 then an of the same ZIS-6 gauges, 75 tons.

experimental

Object 224 project of tank of rupture from 85 to 110 tons.
Object 225 project of tank of rupture of 100 tons, armed with a ZIS-6.
Object 226 project of tank heavy flame thrower.
Object 227 two alternatives without turrets armed with two 76,2 mm, or one 76,2 mm and two 45 Misters
prototype Object 228 of the KV-8
fast Object 229 alternative, armed with an howitzer with 122 mm U-11, reduced shielding.
Object 230 tank rocket launcher (?).
Object 231 (?)
Object 232 heavy tank for the creation of smoke-producing screens.
Object 233 project of a general-purpose tank KV-13, precursor of the modern MBT.
prototype Object 236 of SU-152
Object 238 prototype of one Kv-1s armed with a S-31 of 85 mm, not modified turret.
prototype Object 239 of the KV-85 equipped with the same turret as the JS-85.

Technical information

Production

Machine n°100 “Kirovski” of Leningrad (LKZ), transferred thereafter, in the the Ural with Tcheliabinsk (ChKZ) called “Tankograd”. (*) including 1370 Kv-1s and 130 Kv-85.
end of the production in April 1943.

See too

; Related article

List of the armored vehicles.

; External bonds

battlefield.ru
Description of Kv 1

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