Heavy tank kv 1s 85. New Soviet heavy tank - KV-85

Each tank in World of Tanks has the right to life - you can learn to play even on the LT, win serious battles with it and benefit your team. Most often it turns out that it is the players with heavy tanks who need help in mastering. This is due to the fact that most players believe that heavy tank- this is automatically an imba that anyone can control, that this machine will give you an incredible advantage over your opponents. But in fact, this is far from the case - you gain power, but lose in speed, gain armor thickness, but lose in agility. In general, everything in this game is extremely balanced, so it makes no sense to hope that a heavy tank will automatically lead you to victory. You have a lot to learn to win at TT. In this article you will find a strategy for the KV-85. The guide will allow you to learn how to handle this tank much faster.

Tank upgrade

All tanks have different options for pumping various components, of course, the same is present in the KV-85. The guide will teach you how not to make mistakes in pumping, but to immediately take those actions that will lead you to the optimal configuration of the tank. So, the first thing you need to learn is the new one, because it will give you the maneuverability you need for a TT, and also open up access to the top turret. Accordingly, the next in line is the very tower that adds as many as twenty points of view. Then go to at least important element- a tool. Do not spend points on intermediate options, immediately study the most powerful weapon. Well, then complete the pumping by installing a top-end engine that will speed you up significantly, as well as a radio station that will give you 440 meters of communication range. That's all you need to upgrade for the KV-85. The guide does not end there, of course - you still have a lot to learn about this tank.

Combat tactics

If you thought that you could go to the TT immediately to open fight with all the enemy tanks, then you definitely should not have chosen the KV-85. The guide tells you the bad news - this tank is quite "cardboard", so you will get out of the game very quickly if you drive around the open area and get involved in every brawl. You should immediately understand that this model is a support tank, it should always go in the second row. And be sure to have cover from a partner. What's more, you shouldn't have a direct firefight - use the pendulum tactic, constantly rolling away from the enemy's line of fire to reload. Then you can significantly increase your tank, as well as seriously help your teammates - as you can see, the TT KV-85 is not so easy to handle. WoT-guide will tell you further more interesting details about this model.

Tank Benefits

As a main plus, this guide allocates quite impressive damage per shot. If you are accurate enough, you can bring a lot of value to both your team and yourself. Combined with a high armor penetration rate, your tank can actually become powerful weapon if you learn how to use it wisely. Pay attention also to the fact that with maximum pumping, you get quite acceptable speed and maneuverability for a TT, as well as a competent turret shape, which increases the chance of ricochet. Naturally, other guides can highlight other advantages of the KV-85 - the guide from Amway, for example, also highlights the variety of distances from which you can fight, but here we can say that long distance- it's definitely not for this car. Given the fact that you need to hit as often as possible, not the highest accuracy will allow you to do this from a long distance.

Tank Disadvantages

Naturally, you can’t limit yourself solely to the advantages of the tank, because it also has disadvantages that you also need to be aware of. Firstly, it is the low angle of depression of your gun, which makes it very difficult to fight on rough terrain. Also, do not forget that your tank, as gamers say, is "cardboard", that is, it has a low armor thickness. Plus, the reload time forces you to constantly move like a pendulum, alternating shots and reloads. And, of course, not the widest view adds more inconvenience to driving this tank.

Tank equipment

Each tank has its own equipment and equipment, which you need to be able to choose wisely. Naturally, everyone can take what he wants. But if you still want to quickly achieve success on the KV-85, your best bet is to opt for a rammer, ventilation, and aiming drives to speed up the firing of your slow gun, reduce engine overheating, and also make your shots more accurate, which will be extremely important for a tank like the KV-85, which has a very powerful gun, but not with the highest accuracy.

The heavy tank KV-85 was created in response to the appearance of the new German Tiger tanks. The armor of the KV tank, which was impenetrable by German tank and anti-tank guns in 1941 and early 1942, was not particularly difficult for the Tiger gun, and the 76-mm ZiS-5 gun mounted on the KV could only penetrate the side and rear armor of the Tiger from a distance not exceeding 200 m. Under these conditions, work was accelerated on the development of a new heavy tank IS for the Red Army and samples artillery weapons, capable of penetrating the armor of the "Tiger".

The first attempts to equip a tank with a powerful 85-95 mm gun were made before the war, in 1939. At the same time, these weapons were being developed. The experiments were carried out with the T-28 and KV-1 that were at that time in mass production, but for a number of reasons they were not accepted for service. With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War such work was temporarily curtailed.

However, in December 1941, Uralmashzavod offered the 85-mm U-12 gun, developed by designers Sidorenko and Usenko, to arm the KV tank. But the cost of the gun turned out to be excessive for that time, and its adoption was recognized as inexpedient.

In the spring of 1942, three design groups at once approached the NKV with projects for 85-mm tank guns, namely, TsAKB (V. Grabin), OKB No. 8 named after. Kalinin and design bureau of plant number 92 under the leadership of V. Savin.

All design bureaus proposed the use of a cradle and recoil devices for 76-mm ZIS-5 or F-34 tank guns, imposing on them an 85-mm barrel with anti-aircraft gun ballistics mod. 1939. At the same time, to compensate for the recoil, the TsAKB assumed an increase in the recoil mass, OKB No. 8 - the use of a regular anti-aircraft gun muzzle brake, and Savin Design Bureau - redesigned the recoil brake.

All three projects were rejected, because at that time, according to the technical department of the NKV and the leadership of the NKTP, the transition to the 85-mm caliber was unjustified, since the cost of an 85-mm shot was much more than a 76-mm one.

However, in 1943, after the appearance on the battlefield of new German tanks Tiger and Pz.Kpfw.V "Panther", as well as the insufficient high-explosive fragmentation action of a 76-mm grenade against new field fortifications, interest in 85-mm caliber guns manifested itself with renewed vigor.

May 5, 1943 at a meeting State Committee Defense (GKO) Decree No. 3289 "On strengthening the artillery armament of tanks and self-propelled guns" was adopted. In it, tank and artillery designers were tasked with developing tank and self-propelled 85-mm guns with anti-aircraft ballistics. These guns were supposed to be installed in the standard turret of the KV-1s tank and on the new IS heavy tank.

The Central Artillery Design Bureau (TsAKB) under the leadership of Vasily Gavrilovich Grabin and the Design Bureau of the Artillery Plant No. 9 under the leadership of Fedor Fedorovich Petrov were responsible for this assignment. Each of these teams tried to put its design into service, and their heads more than once sent letters to higher authorities with accusations against "competitors" and answers to them on various technical or organizational issues. Nevertheless, by June 14, 1943, both teams submitted their guns for installation in experimental tanks. TsAKB developed the 85 mm S-31 cannon based on the serial 76 mm ZiS-5 tank gun by imposing an 85 mm receiver group on its cradle. The Design Bureau of Plant No. 9 used its own design for the self-propelled 85 mm D-5S gun, the bolt and lifting mechanism for which were taken from the serial 76 mm F-34 tank gun.

By July 20, 1943, Experimental Plant No. 100 assembled two experimental KV tanks armed with these guns. The first of these was the Object 238, sometimes referred to as the KV-85G. This machine fully complied with the terms of reference - for the KV-1s tank with a standard 1535 mm turret, the 76-mm ZiS-5 cannon was replaced with an 85-mm S-31 gun designed by TsAKB.

However, it soon became clear that the standard turret was too small for the new gun, and Object-238 was not even allowed to be tested at the factory. Fortunately for this machine, it did not go to the smelter and did not become a target at the training ground, but became an exhibit of the museum in Kubinka near Moscow.

The second experimental tank was the Object 239 or KV-85, built on an initiative basis by the designers of ChKZ and Plant No. 100 under the leadership of Joseph Yakovlevich Kotin. Since there was an extra tower from the new IS tank (the hull for it was not yet ready), it was installed on the KV-1s chassis, increasing the diameter of the lower shoulder strap on the roof of the fighting compartment from the standard 1535 mm to 1800 mm. This operation was very technically difficult, since the diameter of the shoulder strap generally exceeded the width of the roof of the fighting compartment. The solution was found in the expansion of the turret box by welding cylindrical armor inserts under the protruding parts of the shoulder strap. Since there was no second S-31 gun for arming the “Object 239”, it was equipped with an 85-mm D-5T gun designed by Design Bureau of Factory No. 9. Together with two prototypes of the IS KV-85 tank, he took part in factory tests, in which the KV- 85G did not participate - it was clear to everyone that the last one would not pass them due to the extreme tightness of the fighting compartment.

In total, the KV-85 passed 284.5 km on tests, the average speed was 16.4 km / h. In view of the great need of the Red Army for new tanks, these tests were read out as state tests and, without waiting for their end, on August 8, the State Defense Committee adopted Decree No. 3891 on the adoption of the KV-85 and the start of mass production of these tanks at ChKZ. A few days later, the first production KV-85s had already left the ChKZ assembly lines.

The gun was mounted on trunnions in the turret and was fully balanced. The turret itself with the D-5T gun was also balanced: its center of mass was located on the geometric axis of rotation. The D-5T gun had vertical angles pickup from -5 ° to + 25 °, with a fixed position of the tower, it could be induced in a small sector of horizontal pickup (the so-called "jewelry" pickup).

The shot was fired by means of an electric or manual mechanical trigger. The ammunition load of the gun was 70 rounds of unitary loading. The shots were stacked in the turret and along both sides of the fighting compartment. Compared to a wide range of ammunition for the 85-mm anti-aircraft gun 52-K - the ancestor of the D-5T gun, the KV-85 ammunition load was significantly less diverse. It included: an armor-piercing unitary shot weighing 16 kg with a blunt armor-piercing tracer with a ballistic tip BR-365 weighing 9.2 kg (weight explosive- TNT or ammotol - 164 g) and a G-365 charge weighing 2.48-2.6 kg; starting speed 792 m/s; armor-piercing unitary shot weighing 16 kg with a sharp-headed armor-piercing tracer projectile BR-365K weighing 9.2 kg (explosive mass - TNT or ammotol - 48 g) and a G-365 charge weighing 2.48-2.6 kg; initial speed 792 m/s; armor-piercing unitary shot weighing 11.42 kg with a BR-365P sabot projectile weighing 5.0 kg and a G-365 charge weighing 2.5–2.85 kg; initial speed 1050 m/s; a fragmentation unitary shot weighing 14.95 kg with an O-365 projectile with a total mass of 9.54 kg (explosive mass - TNT or ammotol - 741 g) and a G-365 charge weighing 2.6 kg; initial speed 792 m/s.

Most of the KV-85 as part of the Guards tank regiments of the breakthrough came to the Southern Front (2nd formation), later the 4th Ukrainian Front, where they participated in the liberation of Ukraine and Crimea. Since the Soviet machine, in general, did not outperform the German heavy tanks, the battles went on with varying degrees of success. The results depended mainly on the training of the crews of the opposing sides and on the tactics they chose.

The 28th Army of the 4th Ukrainian Front included the 34th Guards. Chamber of Commerce and Industry (20 KV-85 tanks), which, together with the 40th TSAP (heavy self-propelled artillery regiment) as part of 9 SU-152, fought on November 20-25 near the village of Yekaterinovka.

On November 20, both regiments attacked the positions of the enemy in a two-echelon order, which, in addition to artillery, had buried tanks Pz.IV Аusf. H and self-propelled guns Marder II (up to 18 pieces). During the day, tankers and self-propelled gunners managed to capture the first lines of German trenches, while losing 6 KV-85 tanks (left on enemy territory) and 6 SU-152. On the second day of fighting, up to 10 tanks Pz.IV Аusf. H made a counterattack on the position Soviet troops. The attack was repulsed by the forces of the infantry and both tank regiments, the enemy lost 5 tanks, there were no losses on our side. On November 23, 1943, all serviceable vehicles of the regiment again attacked the German positions, broke through its defenses and advanced 5 km. In this operation, 2 more KV-85 tanks were lost, one of them burned down. On November 23, 1943, the 34th Guards Chamber of Commerce and Industry was assigned to the rear for repairs, fighting Until November 28, 1943, only the 40th T SAP continued, losing one or two vehicles daily in battle. Along with the 19th Tank Corps, a separate 1452nd Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment (SAP) participated in the liberation of Crimea, which included 11 KV-85, 5 KV-1s, only 6 Su-152, and also 3 Su-76M . Apparently, due to the fact that there was an acute shortage of self-propelled guns, they decided to equip the SAP with KV tanks - they had the most impressive weapons among the tanks available in the Crimea. In the 19th TC there were only T-34s and light tanks, and the enemy had two brigades of assault guns: the 191st and 279th under the command of Major Muller and Captain Hoppe (in total, the 17th German Army had 215 tanks and self-propelled guns, mainly StuG III with 75-mm guns). But for a number of reasons related to the leadership of the operation, the regiment fought with skillfully retreating German infantry, which widely used mines.

April 8, 1944, according to the order of the commander of the 3rd Guards rifle division, to which the regiment was operationally subordinated (11 KV-85, 5 KV-1s, 2 SU-152), tankers and infantrymen, concentrating 1.6 km south of the Turkish Wall, attacked enemy positions with the task of capturing the city of Armyansk. A few minutes after the start of the attack, the regiment ran into a minefield not indicated on the map. The sappers assigned to demining were in tanks and could not leave them, as the Germans opened heavy fire from all types of weapons. Paradoxically, three hours after the start of the attack, they still managed to make passes and the 1452nd SAP broke through the enemy defenses, losing 1 KV-85 burned, 3 KV-85 and 5 KV-1s blown up by mines, as well as 4 KV-85 and 2 Su-152s, knocked out by enemy artillery fire. There were no losses in personnel, 6 people were injured (2 officers and 4 privates). At 14.00 on April 8, 1944, the 3 remaining KV-85s with the troops of the 3rd Guards Rifle Division reached the city of Armyansk. The regiment completed its mission. As a result of this battle, 11 bunkers were destroyed, 5 anti-tank guns and up to 200 enemy soldiers and officers. Even our wrecked tanks fired at the German firing points. So the main loss personnel and the material part were due to the insufficient competence of the leadership, which could not organize the interaction of various branches of the military during the breakthrough of the German defense.

Until April 10, 1944, the regiment was repairing its materiel, and already on April 11, 1944, a tank group (3 KV-85, 2 SU-152, 2 SU-76) of the 1452nd SAP again attacked the German defenses in the Ishuni area. The tanks supported the infantry of the 3rd Guards Rifle Division. Due to the fact that reconnaissance was not carried out, the tanks fell into an 8-meter anti-tank ditch and special tank traps that looked like pits. The attack failed, a pair of KV-85s and SU-76s were pulled out of the pits with the help of tractors. After such a sad experience in the use of heavy tanks, the command of the 2nd Guards. The army decided to radically change the tactics of using this unit. Moreover, on April 10-11, the Germans began an organized withdrawal of their troops to Sevastopol. By order of the commander of the 2nd Guards Army (No. 005 / OP dated 10.04.44), the material part of the 1452nd SAP and the 512th OOTB (separate flamethrower tank battalion) was distributed among army mobile units. They consisted of infantry on Studebakers, as well as tanks and self-propelled guns, and had the task of breaking through to Sevastopol as quickly as possible. These detachments also included KV-85 tanks.

On May 9, two surviving vehicles of the regiment - KV-85 and SU-152, together with the 264th Guards. rifle regiment broke into Sevastopol.

During the liberation of Crimea, KV-85s rarely dueled with enemy tanks and self-propelled guns and were used mainly as self-propelled guns to support infantry.

The use of KV-85 against German heavy tanks Pz.IV Аusf. H took place in the combat zone of the 38th Army of the 4th Ukrainian Front on January 28, 1944. Wherein soviet tanks The troops acted competently and decisively, without building vain illusions about the training of German tankers and the quality of their tank equipment.

A few examples of the use of KV-85 tanks showed that the 85-mm gun is an effective weapon against German heavy equipment and should be installed on the T-34 medium tank, which was subsequently done. Even during the operation to liberate the Crimea, the commanders of the mobile pursuit units complained that the KV-85 and SU-152 were not fast enough and lagged behind trucks with infantry. This is understandable, because the KV-85 is a heavy tank. However, its lower maneuverability and dynamism had to be compensated for by powerful armor and weapons. And if the security of the KV was considered quite sufficient at that time, then a much more powerful gun was required in order to hit German vehicles from maximum distances.

Based on the results of the KV-85 combat operations, the designers and the military concluded that further modernization of the KV family tanks was inappropriate, that the 85-mm cannon, although sufficient to counter German tanks, was noticeably inferior to the latter’s artistes in terms of armor penetration when firing from long ranges, which Soviet heavy tanks are weaker armored than their German counterparts, and therefore the concept of medium and heavy tanks (T-34 and KV), armed with one caliber cannon, is outdated, and it is necessary to have a heavy tank with a powerful artillery system, superior to the German 88 caliber guns in all main parameters -mm.

The first issued copy of the KV-85 after the war was installed on a pedestal as a monument in the Avtovo district, St. Petersburg. Another experienced tank KV-1s, re-equipped with the 85-mm S-31 experimental gun, is on display at the Armored Museum in Kubinka. Another KV-85 tank stands on the territory of ChKZ, near the plant's clinic. The factory has a day open doors when you can get into its territory and see the tank.

In total, according to the order of the NKTP No. 530 of September 7, 1943, the industry was to ship 63 KV-85s in September and 63 in October, after which it was planned to stop their production in favor of the IS tank. But according to the report of the People's Commissariat, 148 KV-85 tanks, produced in parallel with the KB-1C, were handed over to the customer. In December 1943 issue latest machines The KB family has been discontinued.

On August 8, 1943, the KV-85 tank was adopted by the Red Army. He became the answer of Soviet designers to the heavy German tank "Tiger". KV-85 fought for a little over a year. But he made it possible to close the gap in the segment of heavy armored vehicles until the appearance of a more advanced IS-1.

1. Klim Voroshilov fights the Tigers

The KV-85 was developed at the Design Bureau of Pilot Plant No. 100 under the leadership of Joseph Yakovlevich Kotin in record time. At the beginning of May, it was decided to create new car, and in early August, the tank began to enter military units.

The army badly needed it. The heavy tanks KV-1 ("Klim Voroshilov") that were in service were hopelessly outdated by the beginning of 1943. Their 76mm cannon was only capable of penetrating the Tiger's side and rear armor. And even then from a distance not exceeding 200 meters. At the same time, they became easy prey for a German tank armed with an 88-mm cannon.

The KV-1 lagged behind the "German" not only in terms of armor protection and the caliber of the main gun, but was also inferior in speed, both on the highway and on rough terrain, more than 10 km / h.

2. Heavy consumable

When designing the tank, the main attention was paid to strengthening its striking force. At the same time, the survivability of the car remained practically unchanged. What was predetermined by the harsh laws of wartime. KV-85 became, in fact, "cannon fodder". 148 vehicles were produced, which were supposed to last until the IS-1 heavy tank entered service. They have completed this task.

When choosing a tank gun that could hit the Tigers, a captured German tank was used. When fired upon from various types guns - on the rise, so as not to immediately smash the "experimental" instance - the choice was stopped at anti-aircraft gun 52-k model 1939. From a distance of 1000 meters, she pierced the 100-mm frontal armor of the Tiger.

Initially, it was supposed to take the path of least resistance. That is, to install a newly developed 85-mm gun in the turret of the KV-1s tank (s - high-speed).

The creation of the gun was simultaneously taken up by the Central Artillery design department and Bureau of the Artillery Plant No. 9. The D5-T factory gun turned out to be better. And it was installed on the first prototype KV-85 with minimal alterations in relation to KV-1s.

However, the second sample, developed at the initiative of Kotin, turned out better. Since it became a hybrid of a new gun, a KV-1s tank and a gun turret from the developed prototype IS-1 (“Joseph Stalin”). Naturally, the hull of the old KV had to be significantly modified in order to install a large turret on it.

3. From the assembly line - into battle

Due to the urgent need of the front for a new tank, its factory tests were combined with state ones. Moreover, without waiting for their completion, the KV-85 was adopted by the Red Army, it began mass production at the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant. It happened on August 8, 1943.

Until mid-November 1943, 148 tanks were produced, which went straight from the assembly line to the front. And then the KV-85 was taken out of production due to the full loading of factory capacities with the new, more advanced IS-1.

KV-85 tanks took part in the fighting, in fact, until the autumn of 1944, and their number was constantly decreasing. Most of them died in battle, a certain percentage was written off due to the impossibility of repair in the field.

By the end of 1944, not a single combat-ready KV-85 remained.

4. Characteristics of the tank

The 46-ton tank had a length of 6900 mm, a width of 3250 mm and a height of 2830 mm. The length with the gun was 8490 mm. Clearance ( ground clearance) was equal to 450 mm.

The armored body was welded from rolled armor plates 75, 60, 40, 30 and 20 mm thick. The turret was cast with a side thickness of 100 mm and a roof of 40 mm. The forehead of the hull was protected by 75 mm armor plates, the sides - 60 mm, the stern - 40 mm, the bottom and roof of the hull - 20 mm and 30 mm.

A 500-horsepower V-shaped 12-cylinder diesel engine was used. 600-liter fuel tanks were located both in the combat and engine-transmission compartments. There were also 4 external tanks with a total capacity of 360 liters, not connected to the fuel system.

The tank was armed with an 85-mm cannon with 70 rounds of four types of ammunition: 3 armor-piercing different kind and 1 fragmentation. Armor-piercing shells from a distance of 500 meters pierced a 140-mm armor plate. The forehead of the Tiger hull was protected by 100 mm plates.

Three 7.62 mm machine guns with 3276 rounds of ammunition were installed.

KV-85 overcame a 40-degree slope, an 80-centimeter wall, a ditch 2.7 meters deep and a ford 1.6 meters deep. 4 crew members also had hand grenades F-1.

5. The answer turned out to be asymmetrical

KV-85 still did not reach the Tigers in terms of their capabilities. They lost, albeit slightly, in armor protection. And in terms of armament - the "German" had an 88-mm cannon with a large ammunition load of 20 rounds. It was also better protected from infantry attempts to approach it. Why was an anti-personnel mortar used, which fired a mine at a height of 5-7 meters, hitting manpower with shrapnel.

KV-85s tried not to engage in direct confrontation with German heavy tanks. The main task that was set before them was to break through the fortified defensive lines of the enemy. In this connection, he fought against self-propelled guns, destroyed engineering structures and "plowed" minefields.

However, direct clashes between a Soviet heavy tank and "Germans" of the same weight category were not uncommon. Before the advent of the KV-85, their outcome was a foregone conclusion. The KV-85 was by no means helpless compared to the Tiger. A lot depends on preparation and combat experience crew. So, for example, there is a case when three KV-85s destroyed 5 Tigers, 7 light tanks, 7 armored personnel carriers and 6 anti-tank guns.

Snapshot at the opening of the article: KV-85 tank.

The heavy tank KV-85 appeared in World of tanks in update 0.93. Owners of the old KV-1S instead received a new KV-85 located on the sixth level. What is the new fighting machine, how to play the KV-85, and will this updated tank be able to become like its predecessor KV1S? Let's try to understand this article.

How to research KV-85 in World of tanks

In order to research the heavy tank KV-85, you will need to gain 28800 experience on the new KV-1S tank of the fifth level. The cost of the KV-85 is 900,000 silver.

How to play the KV-85

According to the characteristics of the KV-85, it is similar to the KV-1S - the same mobile heavy tank, with a not very strong hull, capable of keeping up with some medium tanks, as well as competing with heavy ones. The KV-85 is a versatile tank capable of going in the direction of attack of medium tanks, or resisting heavy ones. Being at the top of the list of the team in WoT is better to choose the direction in which the heavy tanks go, hitting the bottom of the list is usually better to break through with the medium tanks.

What gun to install on the KV-85 in World of tanks

In World of tanks, the main difference between the KV-85 and its predecessor KV-1S are new guns 122 mm D2-5T and 100 mm S-34. The D2-5TT on the KV-85 is different from what was available on the old KV-1S tier 6. A new muzzle brake is installed on the KV-85 D2-5T gun, and the main difference is the sharply reduced rate of fire - 3 shots. The 100mm S-35 gun has a much higher rate of fire, but less damage per shot. Let's compare the characteristics of the D2-5T and S-34 guns.

The characteristics of the armor penetration of the D2-5T and S-34 guns in World of tanks are almost equal (170mm and 175mm with the base projectile, respectively). Let's compare the potential damage of these guns in World of tanks.

D2-5T is capable of delivering 3 rounds per minute with an average damage of 390 units (3*390=1170 - damage per minute).

S-34 can fire 7.89 rounds with 250 damage (7.89*250=1972.5). It turns out that playing with the 100mm S-34 cannon can cause more than one and a half times more damage. In addition, the S-34 gun in WoT has much better accuracy than the D2-5T, and is reduced faster.

The characteristics shown indicate that it is better to install the S-34 gun on the KV-85. At the same time, regardless of the choice of gun, it is worth carrying several sub-caliber shells on the Kv-85, because the armor penetration of the base shell may not be enough.

How to upgrade KV-85 in WoT

Playing the KV-85 in WoT First of all, it is worth exploring the KV-122 turret, which opens access to the S-34 gun - we study and install it. The gun and turret are installed on the stock chassis. After installing the S-34 gun, we examine the chassis, engine and radio station.

Soviet heavy tank KV-85

Design Bureau N.L. Dukhov, who can rightfully be considered the main author of the mighty KB, continued hard work to improve the anti-shell tank. In a short time, the design bureau developed a number of fundamental solutions that facilitated the mass production of machines. Armor casting was widely introduced, butt joints were simplified, and the technology for manufacturing individual units was simplified. In the spring of 1942, the TsAKB (V. Grabin), OKB No. 8 named after V.I. Kalinin and design bureau of plant number 92 under the leadership of V. Savin.

Soviet heavy tank KV-85

Soviet heavy tank KV-85

All projects were rejected. It was believed that the transition to the caliber 85 mm is not economically justified. But after the appearance at the front of new German
Tanks -Tiger" and "Panther" interest in guns of 85 mm caliber manifested itself with renewed vigor. In the autumn of 1943, on the basis of the KB-1 tank, heavy tanks with an 85-mm cannon with improved ballistics began to be produced. The power of the fire of this weapon equalized new tank with the German tanks that appeared - "Panthers- and" Tigers -. The machine receives the KV-85 index. The first KV-85s were assembled from the rear of the KV-1S tank hulls. in diameter, shoulder straps of an improved tank turret.

Soviet heavy tank KV-85

It was cast, had a larger support diameter and increased armor thickness. on the roof of the tower there was a commander's cupola with a viewing device on a hinged cover. On the roof of the turret there was a periscope covered with an armored cap, which significantly improved the possibility of observing the battlefield and controlling fire. Along the axis of the roof of the tower, in front, above the gun, there was a fan cap. At the rear of the tower are welded handrails for landing. A machine gun is installed in the aft part of the turret, and a course machine gun is in front of the hull.

At the same time, the seat for the ball joint was welded. Due to the new placement of the ammunition rack and the expanded shoulder strap of the turret, the number of crew members was reduced to four.

Soviet heavy tank KV-85

On the fenders of the rear of the hull, additional round-section fuel tanks are fixed - two tanks on each shelf. Spare tracks were attached to the front of the shelves.

Soviet heavy tank KV-85

The production of new guns D-5T was carried out with great difficulty. The gun turned out to be quite complicated, and the plant lacked its capacity to produce guns for three types of tanks at once - the IS-85. KV-85. T-34-85. This did not allow mass production of the KV-85. A total of 148 tanks of this type were produced.

Soviet heavy tank KV-85

From the first days of the Great Patriotic War, KB heavy tanks showed their strength and power in battles with the enemy. They could withstand the enemy, several times their number. Lieutenant General of the Panzer Troops, twice Hero Soviet Union Z.K. Slyusarenko recalled that in the battalion of heavy tanks, which he commanded, the vehicle commander, Senior Lieutenant A. Kozhemyachko, destroyed 8 German tanks, 10 all-terrain vehicles with machine gunners in one day of battle and towed a serviceable enemy vehicle. Tankers counted about 30 dents from shells on the KB armor. There were cases when the tank received up to 200 hits and not a single hole. successes combat use The KB alarmed the Nazi command so much that in the autumn of 1941 the troops were instructed not to engage in battle with Soviet heavy vehicles. Against KB, the Germans had to use 88-mm anti-aircraft guns and large-caliber guns.

Soviet heavy tank KV-85

German designers were forced to start developing such new heavy tanks for the Wehrmacht as the T-VI - -Tigr- and T-VIB - - Royal tiger-. In an effort to surpass Soviet tanks in terms of armor and firepower, they equipped them with an 88 mm gun and dressed the Tiger in 80-120 mm armor and the King Tiger in 150-100 mm armor in the front and 80 mm in the side. But even these German tanks could not become masters of the battlefields. Soviet designers, anticipating the creation of more powerful German tanks as early as 1942, outlined a program for the development of heavy combat vehicles.

Soviet heavy tank KV-85

One of the first batches of manufactured tanks was sent to participate in the battles on Kursk Bulge, where the battlefields were literally covered with burned-out fascist vehicles. KV-85 was rightfully considered best tank the initial period of the Patriotic War. True, he was released for a short time. The insufficient reliability of the transmission, as well as the need to strengthen armor protection, led to the search for new solutions.

Most of the KV-85 as part of the Guards tank regiments of the breakthrough came to the Southern Front (2nd formation), later to the 4th Ukrainian Front, where they participated in the liberation of Ukraine and Crimea.

Soviet heavy tank KV-85

Since our vehicle as a whole did not outperform the German heavy tanks, the fighting went on with varying degrees of success. The results depended mainly on the training of the crews of the opposing sides and on the tactics they chose. In 1942, two design teams worked on a new heavier machine on their own initiative - N.L. Dukhov and Zh.Ya. Kotina is a variant of the KV-13 tank.

The task was to place a 122-mm cannon and shells over large caliber without increasing the weight and dimensions of the machine. There is little information about the KB-13 in the literature, it remained a mobile laboratory, but the solution to these complex problems was found, which called for further development of a series of IS tanks.

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Data source: author Arkhipova M.A. "Complete encyclopedia of tanks and armored vehicles of the USSR"