The Kliment Voroshilov (KV) tanks were a series of Soviet heavy tanks named after the Soviet defence commissar and politician Kliment Voroshilov and used by the Red Army during World War II.The KV series 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.

• • • • • • • • The Kliment Voroshilov (KV) tanks were a series of named after the Soviet defence commissar and politician and used by the during. The KV series were known for their heavy armour protection during the early stages of the war, especially during the first year of the of the. In certain situations, even a single KV-1 or KV-2 supported by infantry was capable of halting large German formations. German tanks at that time were rarely used in KV encounters as their armament was too poor to deal with the ' Russischer Koloss' – 'Russian Colossus'. The KV tanks were practically immune to the and -like, short barreled guns mounted, respectively, on the early and tanks fielded by the invading forces. Until more effective guns were developed by the Germans, the KV-1 was invulnerable to almost any German weapon except the. Prior to Operation Barbarossa, 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 performed better (or at least equally well) in all practical respects. In fact the only advantage it had over the T-34/76 was its larger and roomier three-man turret. Later in the war, the KV series became a base for the development of the (Iosif Stalin) series of tanks and self-propelled guns. KV-1 with KV-1S turret in the Great Patriotic War Museum, Moscow. After disappointing results with the multi-turreted heavy tank, Soviet tank designers started drawing up replacements.

The T-35 conformed to the 1920s notion of a 'breakthrough tank' with very heavy firepower and armour protection, but suffered from poor mobility. The demonstrated the need for much heavier armour on tanks, [ ] and was the main influence on Soviet tank design just prior to World War II. Several competing designs were offered, and even more were drawn up prior to reaching prototype stage. Free download full version software. All had heavy armour,, wide tracks, and were of welded and cast construction. One of the main competing designs was the, which in its final form had two turrets, mounting one 76.2 mm and one 45 mm weapon.

The designers of the SMK independently drew up a single-turreted variant and this received approval at the highest level. Two of these, named after the People's Defence Commissioner, were ordered alongside a single SMK. The smaller hull and single turret enabled the designer to install heavy frontal and turret armour while keeping the weight within manageable limits.