Description
The KV-2 is a Soviet heavy tank.
Developed on the basis of the KV-1 in January 1940, with a total of 334 vehicles manufactured from 1940 through 1941. The KV-2 tanks were used in action in 1941, with most of the vehicles lost the same year.
When the Soviets entered the Winter War, the KV was among the tanks sent to be tested in combat conditions. The KV outperformed others. It’s heavy armor proved highly resistant to Finnish anti-tank weapons, making it more difficult to stop. However, the Soviets found it difficult to deal with the concrete bunkers used by the Finns and a request was made for a tank with a large howitzer. One of the rush projects to meet the request put the howitzer in a new turret on one of the KV tanks. The 152 mm howitzer one as KV-2 Heavy Artillery Tank.
During the Battle of Raseiniai (23–27 June 1941)German forces encountered a unit equipped with the Soviet KV heavy tanks for the first time. The Germans’ Panzer 35(t) tanks and antitank weapons were practically ineffective against the Soviet heavy tanks—some of them were out of ammunition, but closed with and destroyed German antitank guns by literally driving over them. Attempts to destroy these armoured giants concentrated on first immobilising them by firing at their tracks and then by tackling them with artillery, AA Guns, or by blowing them up at close range by high explosive charges of the Sticky Bomb type
Barrel pitching
Turret rotating
Metal tracks
Movable wheels and tracks
Movable suspension
