Tank kv 2 penetration of his cannon is historical. Computer service expert

So remembered the Hero Soviet Union Grigory Penezhko about his first meeting with the heavy Soviet KV-2 tank.

The history of the tank began on December 19, 1939, when the Decree of the USSR Defense Committee No. 443ss was signed, according to which the KV-1 tank was adopted by the Red Army. At this time, a prototype of the KV-1 tank was undergoing military tests and took part in the Soviet-Finnish War. During the fighting, the Soviet command came to the conclusion that in addition to a tank armed with a 76.2 mm cannon, it was also necessary to have a heavy tank capable of fighting pillboxes, gouges and other fortifications.

KV-2 the only surviving copyAt the request of the Military Council of the North-Western Front, the first four vehicles from the KV installation batch were to be armed with a 152-mm howitzer. To solve this problem, 2 design bureaus: Design Bureau of the Leningrad Kirov Plant under the general supervision of Zh.Ya. Kotin (the senior group of designers was N.L. Dukhov) and engineers of the artillery AOKO (factory No. 172 named after Molotov) headed by N.V. Kurin. The development of the project took only a few days. The designers were transferred to the barracks and worked 16-17 hours a day. In just two weeks, the project was ready, and already in February 1940, a prototype was made, which received the designation U-1. According to the original project, it was planned to install a 152-mm howitzer mod. 1909/30. Subsequently, this artillery system was abandoned in favor of the M-10 howitzer mod. 1938/40. The project for installing the M-10 howitzer in the KV tank was designated "402" or MT-1. Lead installation engineers artillery system were N.N. Ilyin and G.N. Rybin. To install such a bulky artillery system, it was necessary to develop a new large turret. The shoulder strap of the new large tower was equal to the shoulder strap of the standard (small) KV tower. Only at the beginning of 1941 did the tanks begin to be called KV-1 and KV-2. Prior to that, they were called "tank with a small turret" and "tank with a large turret".
The KV-2 was intended to break through heavily fortified defensive lines (destruction by direct fire of pillboxes and bunkers), to reinforce units armed with light and medium tanks.
The first MT-1 installation was mounted on an experimental tank, instead of a small turret. Already on February 10, the tank was tested by live firing at a trench stand right on the territory of the plant. The experiment went well, the tank did not tip over, and the engine started on the first try.

In addition to the howitzer, the KV-2 was also armed with three 7.62-mm DT tank machine guns (coaxial with a howitzer; in the ball bearing of the aft wall of the tower; in the front plate of the turret box to the left of the driver). The howitzer had relatively high performance at that time. Her armor-piercing projectile (sea grenade) weighing 52 kg with initial speed 436 m / s pierced an armor plate 72 mm thick at a distance of 1500 m at a meeting angle of 60 °. For firing at reinforced concrete fortifications, there was a concrete-piercing projectile weighing 40 kg with an initial speed of 530 m / s. Howitzer pointing angles horizontally 360°, vertically from -5° to +12°.

KV-2 with 107 mm F-32 gun

In addition to the 152-mm howitzer, they tried to arm the tank with long-barreled guns. One of these attempts was made in May 1941, when an experimental KV-2 with an F-32 cannon was created (another name is ZIS-6, not to be confused with the three-axle truck of the same name based on the ZiS-5). From May to mid-June of the same year, the tank passed factory tests at factory No. 92, and from June 25 to July 5, field tests at ANIOP. Due to unsatisfactory accuracy of fire, low survivability (300-400 shots) and insufficient strength of the bolt parts, the ZIS-6 gun did not pass field tests. In addition, with shots of such a length and mass, it was almost impossible for one loader to shoot down in combat conditions. This tank was not mass-produced and was not accepted into service. The machine differed from the serial KV-2 in the installation of weapons, which was carried out by plant No. 92 under the leadership of Vasily Grabin. Directly installing the gun in the tank turret was led by P.F. Muravyov. The main weapon was a 107 mm F-32 (ZIS-6) gun paired with a 7.62 mm DT machine gun. The vertical pointing angles of the twin installation ranged from -6 to +21 degrees.

The gun had a semi-automatic vertical wedge breech. The initial speed of the armor-piercing projectile was 830 m/s. This projectile at a distance of 600 m pierced a 120 mm cemented armor plate located at an angle of 30 degrees to the vertical. The initial speed of the high-explosive fragmentation projectile was 730 m/s. For shooting, a TD telescopic sight was used.

In the frontal sheet of the hull there was a ball mount for a 7.62 mm DT machine gun. The third DT machine gun was a spare and was placed in the fighting compartment. The tank's ammunition consisted of 50 rounds for the cannon and 3087 rounds for machine guns. In addition to the ZIS-6, an 85-mm F-39 gun was experimentally installed on the KV-2 tank. By decision of the NPO, in March, this gun was tested in the KV-2 tank. Unfortunately, everything technical problems related to the chassis and transmission of the KV tanks, they also fully affected the KV-2. This, as well as the poor training of tankers, affected the huge losses of KV-2 tanks in the first months of the Second World War. Also, the tank units were practically not equipped with ammunition. Often, caterpillars became the only weapon of tankers. But nevertheless, for the Germans, the KV tanks turned out to be a terrible shock.

A new high-speed V-2K diesel engine with a capacity of 600 liters was installed on the tank. With. The armor, which reached 75 mm in the frontal part of the hull, could not be penetrated by anti-tank guns from any distance. The crew of the KV-2 consisted of six people. The control department housed the commander, driver and radio machine gunner with a DT machine gun. The specifics of the maintenance of the ML-20S provided, in addition to the gunner and loader, also a lock, since the lock was of a piston type, it did not automatically open and close.

The first tests in the factory dash dispelled all doubts: the structural strength was sufficient, and two experienced tank The KV-2 was sent to break through the Mannerheim Line.

“Obstacles on the Mannerheim line,” recalled later the commander of one of these machines, E. F. Glushak, “were made solid. Before us rose in three rows of huge granite gouges. And yet, in order to make a passage 6-8 meters wide, we needed only five shots of concrete-piercing shells. While we were cracking the gouges, the enemy fired at us continuously. We quickly spotted the dot, and then completely destroyed it with two shots. When they left the battle, 48 dents were counted on the armor, but not a single hole.

For the Germans, the meeting with the KV-2 was a real shock. Here is what the commander of the 11th tank regiment (6th tank division of the 4th tank group) wrote in his diary on June 25, 1941:

“In the morning, the 2nd battalion of the 11th tank regiment, together with the von Scheckendorf group, advanced along the road, bypassing the swamp on the right. All day, the units repelled the constant attacks of the Russian 2nd Panzer Division. Unfortunately, Russian 52-ton heavy tanks have shown that they are almost insensitive to the fire of our 105-mm guns.

Several hits from our 150-mm shells also proved to be ineffective. However, as a result of the constant attacks of the Pz Kpfw IV tanks, most of the enemy tanks were knocked out, which allowed our units to move forward three kilometers west of Dubysa.

The Raus group managed to hold its bridgehead, but at noon, having received reinforcements, the enemy counterattacked on the left flank in a northeasterly direction towards Raseniai and put the troops and headquarters of the 65th to flight tank battalion. At this time, a Russian heavy tank cut off the path connecting us with the Raus group, and communication with this unit was absent throughout the day and the following night. A battery of 88-mm anti-aircraft guns was sent to fight the tank. The attack was as unsuccessful as the previous battle with a battery of 105 mm howitzers. In addition, the attempt of our reconnaissance group to get close to the tank and burn it with incendiary bottles failed. The group did not manage to get close enough due to the heavy machine-gun fire from the tank.

The only thing the Germans could oppose to the Russian Goliaths was the 88-mm Flak 18 and Flak 36 anti-aircraft guns. But the main losses of the tanks were losses due to technical reasons. So the 41st Panzer Division out of 31 KV-2s lost 22 tanks by July 6, 1941. Of these, only 5 tanks were hit. The rest of the cars were lost for technical reasons or abandoned due to lack of fuel.

From 1940 to 1943, 4775 KB tanks of all modifications were produced. Of these, only 434 pieces made up the KV-2. The last copies were collected in besieged Leningrad. They fought on all fronts of the Great Patriotic War, first as part of mixed tank brigades, then as part of separate breakthrough tank guards regiments. Until 1945, very few KB survived, used as battle tanks. Basically, after the dismantling of the tower, they served as evacuation tractors.

The last time the KV-2 entered combat was in 1945. It was a KV-2 captured by the Germans and used by them in the defense of Koenigsberg. KV-2 in German troops received the designation Panzerkampfwagen KV-II 754(r)
To date, only one KV-2 has been preserved, exhibited at the Central Museum Armed Forces in Moscow.

Overview of the Soviet Tier VI heavy tank KV-2 in World of Tanks

In this article, I propose to consider combat characteristics heavy tank level 6 KV-2. The web is full of reviews, guides, waters and other materials that tell about the tactics of combat on this machine, they all either contradict or complement each other. However, this car is so interesting and unusual that I decided to analyze the battle tactics on it myself.

The KV-2 is not as popular as the T-150 and, moreover, the KV-1S, mainly because after it you cannot research Tier 7 vehicles. At the same time, this tank is unique in its own way, that is, the tactics of playing on it differ significantly from the tactics of playing on other types of vehicles, which is a rarity in World of Tanks, so it is worth exploring and buying it at least in order to diversify the gameplay. Many people buy KV-2 for "fun", that is, not to bend over or improve their battle statistics, but solely to enjoy the game. And this is understandable, because not every tank can be equipped with a 152-mm howitzer and sent to the hangar equipment up to level 7 anti-tank guns with one shot.

And so, the KV-2 is a Soviet tank of the sixth level with mediocre armor for a TT, low visibility characteristic of Soviet tanks, snail dynamics and a truly powerful, but oblique cannon with a long reload time. Next, we will consider these characteristics in detail, but first we will traditionally plunge into history.

The tank was developed in January 1940 and was originally called the "KV with a large turret". It was developed in connection with the army's need for good armored tank with powerful weapons to fight the fortified fortifications of the Mannerheim Line during the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940. That is, the tank's gun was intended primarily for the destruction of the enemy's concrete pillboxes. The tank was put into service and mass-produced until July 1941. The regular ammunition of the tank consisted of OF-530 high-explosive fragmentation steel howitzer grenades weighing 40 kilograms, however, due to the situation at the front, due to a lack of shells, any 152-mm howitzer shells were used, due to which a number of restrictions were imposed on firing. For example, firing at full charge was prohibited, because the turret could jam due to recoil, and the components of the motor-transmission group could suffer from concussion. For the same reasons, firing on the move was prohibited, which had a negative effect on both the strike power and the security of the tank. With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the production of the tank was stopped, by that time 204 tanks had been produced. They actively took part in the hostilities of 1941 and then almost all were lost.

In the game, the tank is a powerful, but weak in terms of self-defense combat unit.

Dynamics and speed

The speed and dynamic characteristics of the tank are consistent with its appearance and mass. In general, the dynamics of the tank is the same as that of its predecessor, the KV-1 tank. You can’t call it good dynamics, the tank accelerates slowly, has a low turning speed of both the chassis and the turret. The maximum speed of the tank is 35 km / h from the hill, but in practice its speed usually does not exceed 20 km / h. Reaches top speed tank is very slow. Engine power is 600 hp. s., but with an average weight of 53 tons, only 11 and a half horses per ton are obtained, which is also very small.

In general, KV-2, along with KV-1 and T-150, claim to be the slowest tanks in the game, after British tank destroyers, certainly.

Booking

The tank inherited armor from the KV-1, but if at level 5 the KV-1 in the top is an impregnable fortress, then the KV-2 at level 6 of such armor is clearly not enough. Enemies of levels 4 and 5 pierce the tank every other time, but enemies of level 6 practically do not experience problems with penetration, but sometimes they save tilt angles and shells ricochet. The thick mantlet of the gun sometimes makes it possible to play from the turret, hiding the hull in a shelter, but this is usually of little effect, since hits near the mantlet usually lead to contusions of several crew members at once.

In general, it is better not to stick out under the shots, you should wait for the right moment to shoot and hide in cover. KV-2 alone in the field is not a warrior, so it's better to stick with allies, a lone KV-2 is a very easy target.

Armament

The KV-2 is armed with two top guns to choose from. The first one is the 107 mm ZIS-6 with 167 mm base projectile penetration, an average damage per shot of 300 units, a rate of fire of 6 rounds per minute and an ammunition load of 50 rounds. The KV-5 has exactly the same gun at level 8, but the KV-2 is not famous for this gun at all.

The second and most important weapon, for which the KV-2 is bought, is its 152 mm M-10 gun, the so-called "Duda", capable of sending the enemy up to level 7 into the hangar with one shell, or, in any case, concussing half the crew and disable several modules. Penetration of this gun is not great: 110 mm base projectile, 136 mm sub-caliber and 86 mm high-explosive fragmentation. But it’s worth looking at the damage it does: 700 units of armor-piercing and sub-caliber and 910 (!) High-explosive fragmentation, while remembering that often high-explosive shells undermine enemy ammunition. You have to pay for such damage with a long reload (about 20 seconds, depending on the skills of the crew and installed modules), as well as the "lack" of accuracy in quotation marks, because there seems to be no accuracy, but it seems to be, and even allows you to throw with distances of 300-400 meters without aiming straight at the target.

A common mistake made by newbies who bought the KV-2 for the first time and did not understand the damage mechanics of the game is that they roll the KV-2 with a cannon, but with armor-piercing shells that are loaded into the default ammo load. Or, even worse, they buy and load expensive, but not effective armor-piercing sub-caliber shells. Both of them very, very often ricochet off the enemy's armor, without causing damage. That is, for 3-5 shots they pierce 1-2 times, and taking into account the accuracy and speed of reloading this gun, more than 5 times with the result "did not pierce" and "ricochet" it will not work to shoot - most likely, during this time you will already sent to the hangar. Remember, please: firstly, the KV-2 rides only with a pipe. Secondly, you need to take a full ammunition load of high-explosive fragmentation shells with you. He does not need BB, much less BP. Yes, this is one of the few tanks that does not require gold shells.

However, an inquisitive beginner will ask, what kind of RP if their penetration is only 86 mm? In fact, the mechanics of damage with HE shells is different from that of AP shells, and the difference is that HE shells do not need to penetrate the tank's armor at all in order to deal damage. As an example, we can cite a situation when artillery, hitting a projectile next to a tank, inflicts damage on it with a "splash", that is, a blast wave from a burst of a high-explosive fragmentation projectile. The caliber of the guns of most tanks is not sufficient to deal damage with high explosives, since the damage is absorbed by armor and screens, while the 152 mm KV-2 howitzer deals high explosive damage with each hit.

In practice, we have the following situation: with a successful shot at a weakly armored enemy or when it hits a weak spot in a tank, a high-explosive projectile pierces the armor and inflicts full damage, which is 910 units, which is enough to destroy any enemy of level 6 with one shot and knock out most of the points health enemy level 7. If not penetrated, a high-explosive projectile deals 300 points of damage or more, depending on the armor of the enemy and the presence of screens. Land mine damage is also good because almost every time, in addition to causing, in fact, damage points, a module is disabled or one or more crew members are shell-shocked.

As a result, it turns out that when using BB we get 1 penetration out of 3 and deal 700 damage, and when using HE, it turns out that each shot deals damage on average by 300 damage, as a result, for the same 3 shots we will deal at least 900 damage or more. Therefore, you need to roll the KV-2 only with a pipe and only with high-explosive fragmentation shells.

And yes, I will answer a common question among beginners: high-explosive fragmentation shells in World of Tanks (as in reality) NEVER ricochet, because they explode on contact with armor. And if this sometimes happens, it is only because of an error in the game mechanics. I have never encountered such an error, however, some players reported this, the reliability of the information is on their conscience.

Overview and disguise

The viewing range is 320 meters, which is generally typical for Soviet technology at level 6, that is, the visibility is very low. Thanks to its huge turret, the tank has a very a high degree visibility and hide it in the bushes is impossible, it will definitely be illuminated and sent to the hangar, so you should not count on sniping from the bushes. Due to the low visibility, it also makes no sense to go to reconnaissance, unless it is a city map, where after the enemy is illuminated, you can shoot and hide around the nearest corner.

KV-2 in combat

At close range, the situation is two-sided: on the one hand, the chance of inflicting critical damage to the enemy is extremely high, as is the chance of hitting him, however, after the shot, a long reload begins, during which the enemy has a chance to shoot back several times. Therefore, you should only engage in close combat if there is cover to hide behind after a shot, and one or more allies should be behind you for cover in order to prevent the enemy from leaving to return fire. Cliffs and houses are good cover in such cases, broken tank hulls are usually not suitable, since the high tower of the KV-2 remains a good target.

The most profitable tactic is to fight at medium distances using all the same shelters to reload the gun. At medium distances, there is a good chance of both hitting the enemy and not taking damage in response. If there is artillery in battle, you should also take into account its approximate location and use cover so that the self-propelled guns could not throw a projectile there, since slow TTs are their main target. The KV-2 performs best in urban environments, where there are plenty of buildings to hide behind. Although the accuracy of the gun is not great, if it is not possible to shoot the enemy in the side or stern, and weaknesses in the enemy’s forehead, then you should aim at least at the gun in order to damage it.

When fighting on long distances and when shooting at someone else's light, the chance to find yourself is minimal, but the accuracy of the duda is this case is unlikely to allow much damage, because with such a spread from a distance of 400 meters, only the will of the VBR and Serb's favor for Soviet guns will allow you to hit the target. Usually such tactics are ineffective and you will bring a minimum of benefit to the team, especially since when the allies die, they will still come for you. However, if there are about 10 tank destroyers in the battle that do not go on the offensive, but stand and wait in the bushes when you yourself drive up to them, you should stick to just such tactics, rather than go ahead and go to the hangar.

When fighting, it is better to be guided by the following: in battles with a level 6 enemy (when the tank is in the top), we use offensive tactics and try to push through any of the flanks with the support of allies; in battles of level 8 (when there are level 8 tanks in the top), you should choose support tactics and inflict damage on the enemy from behind the backs of more armored and durable allies. Being in the top, the KV-2 can tank with its turret, or rather with its gun mantlet. The hull should be hidden behind a fold in the terrain or behind the remains of a destroyed tank and deal damage without rolling, but you should be aware of artillery, which can suddenly throw a splash from the top.

Crew

The crew consists of a commander, gunner, driver, radio operator and two loaders. It is worth noting that due to the huge tower, one of the loaders often gets shell shock. As for skills and abilities, first of all, repairs should be studied for the entire crew (the commander can have a sixth sense if desired), then individual skills, which are discussed below, then " the Brotherhood of War. Why is the combat brotherhood in the third skill and not the second? Because it is pumped for a long time, it is more expedient to first pump out individual skills that will be more useful. And so, here is my recommended sequence of learning skills:

• Commander: sixth sense, repair, combat brotherhood, any of your choice
• Driver Mechanic: Repair, Off-Road King, Combat Brotherhood, any of your choice
• Gunner: repair, smooth turret rotation, brotherhood in arms, smooth running
• Radio operator: repair, radio interception, combat brotherhood, repeater
• Loader 1: repair, non-contact ammo rack, combat brotherhood, any of your choice
• Loader 2: Repair, Desperate, Combat Brotherhood, any of your choice

Equipment and gear

The most important indicator of a tank is its DPM, so when choosing equipment it is necessary to increase this indicator. Tellingly, such a set of equipment is universal and is installed on almost all tanks, these are:

• Gun rammer (will reduce the reload time in the case of the KV-2 by a few seconds)
• Reinforced aiming drives (increase the speed of aiming)
• Improved ventilation (will slightly improve all indicators)

It makes no sense to put anything else on the KV-2 with a pipe, however, if you want to roll it with a 107 mm gun, then instead of ventilation, you can try installing a stereo tube and try to engage in bush sniping, but the KV-2 is not very suitable for this, since it will immediately discovered by the enemy.

A standard set of a repair kit, a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher is also taken into battle. Since situations are not uncommon when several crew members are concussed at once, you can take a large first-aid kit, it makes no sense to carry a large repair kit with you.

The ammunition rack is completely filled with high-explosive fragmentation shells.

In general, the KV-2 is neither an unbalanced nor a nagibatory tank, but it gives you the opportunity to significantly diversify your gameplay. I advise you to buy it and experience the sensations when a level 7 enemy tank destroyer is sent to the hangar with one well-aimed shot, or when a suddenly illuminated enemy tank standing 500 meters from you receives a splash of 500 units from a turn.

If you have any comments, additions or suggestions, please leave them in the comments to the article.

Thanks and good luck on the run!

Soviet heavy tank KV-2

In the course of hostilities during the Soviet-Finnish conflict, the vulnerability of our tank equipment was discovered when breaking through the powerful fortifications of the Mannerheim Line with reinforced concrete firing points and gouges. The guns of the T-26 and BT tanks, due to their power, could not suppress enemy artillery pillboxes and bunkers, and thin bulletproof armor did not make it possible to get closer to the distance necessary for fire damage. The new experimental KV-1 with its 76.2 mm gun could not fully solve this problem either.

Video: Soviet heavy tank KV-2

We needed vehicles with reliable armor protection and powerful gun systems of caliber 130. 152. 210, 230 mm. A program called the "Big Triplex" was developed, providing for the creation of self-propelled vehicles on the basis of heavy T-35 tanks and with an independent undercarriage. artillery mounts. The designers developed the SU-14 Br-2 with a 152 mm howitzer gun and the SU-100 Y with a 130 mm gun. But they turned out to be bulky, little maneuverable, and most importantly, they could not withstand fire. anti-tank artillery.

Soviet heavy tank KV-2

The solution to the problem was proposed by N.L. Spirits: install a 152-mm howitzer-cannon on your heavy KV-1 tank. It was hard to believe it: after all, the 76.2 mm caliber for tanks was the limit. And immediately a lot of questions arose: whether the tank would tip over when fired, how the undercarriage and transmission and a number of others could withstand a large mass.

Soviet heavy tank KV-2

But despite this, the designer was confident in the calculations and reliability of his car, the KB-1 base had already been tested. The undercarriage of the tank consisted of a wide, finely serrated lantern gear caterpillar, six dual track rollers on board with internal shock absorption, three support rollers, a guide wheel with a tensioning device and a rear drive wheel with a removable ring gear. The torsion bar suspension and planetary turning mechanisms proved to be reliable and invulnerable. Diesel engine V-2K designed by I.Ya. Trashutina was also distinguished by increased reliability and sufficient power. The frontal 75-mm armor of the hull was not penetrated by anti-tank gun shells from any distance.

Soviet heavy tank KV-2

In order to mount the 152-mm ML-20S howitzer in the tank, it was necessary to make a higher turret, as a result of which the frontal projection of the tank increased and its speed slightly decreased (in this case, its main quality is not).

Video: test drive of the Soviet KV-2 tank

The crew of the KV-2 consisted of six people. The 8th department of management housed the commander, driver and radio operator-machine gunner with a DT machine gun. Since the lock was of a piston type and had no automation, the maintenance of the ML-20S required, in addition to the gunner and loader, also a lock.
The KV-2 differed from other tanks in another feature - it could fire concrete-piercing shells. This quality of the KV-2 was also used later, at the beginning of World War II, when it happened that the tanks were without shells for a 152-mm gun, and then concrete-piercing ones were used.
This was recalled in his book "Memoirs and Reflections" Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K. Zhukov.

Soviet heavy tank KV-2

"The concrete-piercing projectile had a fuse that worked with a delay, i.e. first it penetrated the thickness of the concrete, and then exploded. And when it hit the tank turret, it simply tore it off, throwing it to the side."

At the beginning of the 1940s, the KV-2 was not yet called a self-propelled unit, but it was obvious that such a machine was very necessary and it was destined to solve specific tasks. Since the high tower was very vulnerable, in 1940 the designers increased the inclination of the frontal armor plate and thereby reduced its height, and removed the machine gun from the hull.

Hero of the Soviet Union G. Penezhko recalls his first meeting with the KV-2. The battle was in the village of Sitnoy. Huge bright yellow German Rheinmetall tanks appeared on the outskirts of it. 45-mm cannon of the BT tank, in which G. Penezhko was located. of course, could not penetrate his frontal armor. But there was nowhere to retreat, and he gave the command to the mechanic "fire", and he himself pressed the descent pedal. However, the shot did not follow due to the fact that a shell casing was stuck under the pedal. Through the scope, Penezhko saw that German tank instead of a tower, only a cloud of smoke! What happened? Looking out of the hatch, he saw that in the place where the German tank stood, a black spot was smoking and warped sheets of armor were lying around, and behind us the huge tower of our KV-2 was turning to the right. It turns out that it was his shot, after which another one rumbles, and the turret flies off the next German heavy tank and the hull falls apart.

Soviet heavy tank KV-2

The KV-2 was produced in a small series, but fought with dignity and was the basis for the creation of heavy artillery mounts in the future.

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The KV-2 has a choice of two alternative guns: the M-10 caliber 152mm and the ZiS-6 caliber 107mm. Do not look at the difference in levels, they are a formality and do not reflect real characteristics. Rather, it is a tribute to the division of tanks by levels, which has little effect on anything. It is important to note that these two weapons involve completely different gameplay, so a lot depends on the choice here.

Introduction and characteristics

Most players choose M-10. Someone looks at the high damage rates, while others like the unique gameplay that this weapon offers. This is a really unusual gun, on which you need to use shells with a penetration of 86 mm and damage 910 units, in fact, this is a land mine from self-propelled guns. Penetration of 110 mm shells (136 mm for premium ones) is not enough to hit even single-tier tanks, so they are rarely used.

We can say that with the M-10, the Soviet KV-2 turns into a kind of self-propelled guns with armor. This is supported not only by penetration and damage, but also by simply terrible accuracy (0.6), as well as extremely long mixing (4 seconds, and a full 8 seconds). If you shoot immediately after stopping, then you can miss even point-blank. But if you get into the thin stern of some tank of the eighth level, you can deal 800-1000 damage to it. But the M-10 shoots, to put it mildly, infrequently: the rate of fire is only 2.5 rounds per minute. Indeed, like the self-propelled guns.

The ZiS-6 is a standard weapon for a Tier 6 heavy tank. Penetration of 167 mm with a conventional projectile is enough to hit single-level opponents in the forehead. For sevens and eights, you can use sub-caliber with a penetration of 219 mm. One-time damage of 300 units is a good indicator for your level. Accuracy (0.45) and aiming (3.4 seconds) are poor, but this is practically the standard for heavy Soviet tanks of this level. The rate of fire is 6.67 rounds per minute with the top turret.
In general, ZiS-6 is a good tool for a heavy tank of the sixth level. It is worth saying that it is the top one for the T-150, which is also a heavy Soviet tank, which is at the sixth level.

Conclusion

What tool to choose? It all depends on personal preference. If you want to play the KV-2 like a regular heavy tank, then the ZiS-6 is the one to choose. If you want an unusual gameplay with a "fugaska", then the choice should be stopped on the M-10. It is worth reiterating that most players rides the KV-2 with the M-10 caliber 152 mm. Still, it is better to play with the ZiS-6 on the T-150: it has a little better armor, which is important for a heavy tank. And the M-10 makes the KV-2 special and unique.

The tank was adopted by the Red Army in 1940 and was a modification of the KV-1, designed to deal with long-term firing points. Prototype, released in February 1940, participated in the war with Finland and proved itself with positive side. In accordance with its intended purpose, the KV-2 was armed with a very powerful 152-mm M-10 gun, mounted in a high armored turret with circular rotation. Shooting from this gun was carried out with separate loading shots, so the combat rate of fire was low.

In addition, the KV-2 could only fire from a place. Fire control was carried out using the T-5 telescopic tank sight and the PT-5 panoramic tank sight. A 71-TK-Z radio station was installed on all machines. To protect against air attack, some KV-2s were armed with an anti-aircraft machine gun mounted on the roof of the tower. Production was stopped with the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. In total, about 330 KV-2s were produced.

The serial heavy tank with anti-shell armor KV-2 was designed in Leningrad at the Kirov Plant under the direction of Zh. Ya. Kotin and manufactured in February 1940. N. L. Dukhov was the head of the group of designers. The KV-2 was intended to break through heavily fortified defensive lines (destruction by direct fire of pillboxes and bunkers), to reinforce units armed with light and medium tanks.

A feature of this machine was the installation in an enlarged turret (compared to the KV-1) of a 152-mm M-10 howitzer of the 1938-1940 model. In the world practice of tank building of that time, this was a unique case. To install such a large-sized system, it was necessary to develop a new tower. The turret with the M-10S howitzer for the KV received the factory designation MT-1, and the tank itself received the KV with a "big turret" (the designation KV-2 appeared only in 1941)

Live firing tests were carried out on a trench stand right on the territory of the plant. No one knew how the tank would behave after being fired from a gun of this caliber. They fired from the position along the side, that is, the most dangerous for the overturning of the car. The experiment went well, the car did not tip over, and the engine started on the first try.

In addition to the howitzer, the KV-2 tank was also armed with three 7.62-mm DT tank machine guns (coaxial with a howitzer; in a ball bearing in the aft wall of the turret; in the front plate of the turret box to the left of the driver). The howitzer had relatively high performance at that time. Her armor-piercing projectile (sea grenade) weighing 52 kg with an initial speed of 436 m / s pierced an armor plate 72 mm thick at a distance of 1500 m, at an angle of 60 °. For firing at reinforced concrete fortifications, there was a concrete-piercing projectile weighing 40 kg with an initial speed of 530 m / s. Howitzer pointing angles horizontally 360, vertically from -5 ° to +12. For vertical aiming the sectoral mechanism was used. Shooting was carried out using a telescopic sight T-5 (TOD-9) or a periscope sight PT-5 (PT-9). Ammunition consisted of 36 artillery rounds of separate loading and 3087 cartridges for DT machine guns (49 magazines).

In the aft part of the tower there was a hatch for loading ammunition, on the roof there were hatches for landing the crew, observation devices and fans. On the side walls there are brackets for climbing to the roof and loopholes for firing from personal weapons, closed from the inside with conical plugs. The same loophole was on the door of the aft wall of the tower. The turret rotation was controlled by mechanical and electrical drives.
Booking has been changed compared to KV-1. It consisted of rolled armor plates with a thickness of 75 mm (frontal part, sides and turret), 60 mm (aft), 40 mm (bottom) and 30 mm (roof), connected by electric welding. The engine, transmission and chassis, as well as the means of external and internal communications, are unified with the KV-1.

With a combat weight of 52 tons, the tank had a good cross-sectional cross-country ability for its type, comparable to the KV-1.
The crew consisted of six people: commander, driver, gun commander (gunner), castle, junior driver and gunner-radio operator. The driver and gunner-radio operator were located in the front of the hull (control compartment), and the rest of the crew members were in the turret (fighting compartment).

In November 1940, a machine with the so-called "lowered turret" was put into production. Compared to the MT-1, the new turret (armed with the same 152 mm howitzer and designated MT-2) had smaller overall dimensions and was easier to manufacture. A 7.62 mm DT machine gun was attached to the rear of the turret in a ball mount. To dismantle the gun, there was a hatch in the rear wall of the turret, which was also used for loading ammunition, boarding and disembarking the crew.

The mask of the gun has been changed. As a result of the alterations, it was possible to reduce the weight by 2 tons. The tank had standard external fuel tanks, a radio station and an intercom system for four crew members. Part of the cars received anti-aircraft guns on the turret. Shooting from the gun was carried out only from a place, in connection with which the machine is often qualified as a "self-propelled gun with a rotating turret."

Several KV-2s in mid-February 1940 were tested during the breakthrough of the Mannerheim Line. With the help of artillery fire, they made passages in granite gouges and destroyed pillboxes at close range that hindered the advance rifle units. The armor withstood the strong fire of enemy anti-tank artillery. In particular, one of the vehicles received 48 dents from shells, but remained in service. After the successful completion of the tests, the KV-2 was put into service and was in serial production until the second half of 1941. With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the tank was discontinued.

In the early years of the war, the KV-2 remained practically invulnerable to almost all types of anti-tank artillery, with the exception of guns with a high muzzle velocity, which fired dangerously at direct fire. short distance. The only thing the enemy could do was to force the crew to leave the car, disabling the rollers or tracks. Due to the large size and thickness of the armor of the KV-2 and its crew of 6 people, the tank was nicknamed "Dreadnought".

Nevertheless, the KV-2 paid dearly for its powerful gun and impenetrable armor. Its mobility on the march and in combat was severely limited by the clutch, transmission and crew accommodation problems it inherited from the KV-1. The situation was aggravated due to the increased mass (53.8-57.9 tons, depending on the modification), as well as due to the use of an unimproved 500 hp engine.

Turret rotation problems that arose when the tank was not on a relatively flat surface affected its effectiveness in combat. The KV-2 was a formidable opponent when static, but it lacked the mobility and speed that were vital in the first year of the war on the Eastern Front.

The Germans first encountered the KB-2 on 23 June during the fighting in Lithuania. According to the memoirs of servicemen from the 1st Panzer Division, this is recorded as follows: “Our companies opened fire from 700 m. We were getting closer. Soon we were already 50-100 m apart. But we could not succeed. Soviet tanks continued to advance, and our armor-piercing shells simply bounced off their armor. The tanks withstood direct fire from 50 mm and 75 mm guns. more than 70 shells hit the KV-2, but not one of them could penetrate its armor. Several tanks were put out of action when we managed to hit the tracks and then shoot from a short distance with cannons. Then they were attacked by sappers with backpack charges. .

From the memoirs of an officer of the 8th mechanized corps G. Penezhko: “Several KVs appeared from behind the forest. One of the tanks stopped on a hill. The gun in the giant turret was turned in our direction. The tank was engaged in another fascist. A shot, an explosion, the turret of a German tank was torn off its shoulder strap, and the hull went to pieces at the seams".

Most of the losses of the KV-2 in 1941 were due to a lack or shortage of fuel, due to which they had to be simply abandoned. The 41st Panzer Division lost two-thirds of its 33 KV-2s, with only five of them lost in action.

Tactical and technical characteristics

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Combat weight, t
Crew, pers.
Case length, mm
With the gun forward, mm
Width, mm
Tower roof height, mm
Clearance