The KV-1B was a variant of the Soviet KV-1 heavy tank, developed during World War Two to address some of the operational limitations of the original design. The KV-1, introduced in 1939, was one of the heaviest and most heavily armored tanks of its time, but its weight and mechanical issues were problematic. The KV-1B version, introduced in 1941, was a modified design of the KV-1 M1940, to improve the tank’s combat effectiveness and production efficiency.
The KV-1B was upgraded with a more powerful 76.2 mm F-34 gun, which provided excellent firepower against German tanks and infantry. But the most notable difference in the KV-1B was its turret design. This was a fully cast turret with thicker armor of up to 90 mm, making it even more resistant to enemy fire. The improved turret also featured a more efficient internal layout, which allowed for better crew efficiency.
The tank was powered by a 600-horsepower V-2K diesel engine, giving it a top speed of around 35 km/h (22 mph) on roads, though its weight of approximately 45 tons limited its mobility. Its armor ranged from 75 mm to 90 mm thick, making it resistant to most German anti-tank weapons of the early war years.
Despite its strengths, the KV-1B faced mechanical reliability issues and was eventually replaced by more advanced Soviet tanks, such as the T-34-76 and the later T-34-85.
This Soviet KV-1B Heavy Tank “Kliment Voroshilov” is from 1941 and armed with a longer-barrelled F-34 ZiS-5 (76mm) tank gun M1940 F-34 which was also used on the T-34-76.
