Kliment Voroshilov tank

KV-1
KV-1 on display in Kirovsk
Type	Heavy tank
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1939–1945
Used by	Poland, Soviet Union
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	Maximum (front): 90 mm (3.5 in) Side: 75 mm (3.0 in) Rear: 70 mm (2.8 in)
Main armament	76.2 mm M1941 ZiS-5 gun
Secondary armament	3 or 4 × DT machine guns
Engine	V-2K based on the Model V-2 V12 diesel 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 in Central 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 mm M-10T howitzer (20 rounds)
Secondary armament	2 × DT machine guns (2,079 rounds)
Engine	V-2K based on the Model V-2 V12 diesel 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
KV-85
Type	Heavy tank
Place of origin	Soviet Union
Service history
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 mm DT machine guns
Engine	V-2K based on the Model V-2 V12 diesel 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)

The Kliment Voroshilov (KV; Russian: Климент Ворошилов, КВ) tanks are a series of Soviet heavy tanks named after the Soviet defence commissar and politician Kliment Voroshilov who operated with the Red Army during World 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 the German invasion of the Soviet Union. In certain situations, even a single KV-1 or KV-2 supported by infantry could halt German formations. The German Wehrmacht 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 the 3.7 cm KwK 36 and howitzer-like, short-barreled 7.5 cm KwK 37 guns mounted, respectively, on the early Panzer III and Panzer IV tanks fielded by the invading German forces. Until the Germans developed more effective guns, the KV-1 was invulnerable to almost any German weapon except the 8.8 cm Flak gun.^[8]

Prior to the start of Operation 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 the T-34 medium 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 the IS (Iosif Stalin) series of tanks and self-propelled guns.