Comparing: KV vs. KV-1S

Developed by the Special Design Bureau No. 2 at the Kirov Plant in Leningrad in 1939. Produced from February 1940 through September 1942, with a total production of 2,769 KV-1 vehicles and 334 KV-2 vehicles.

A further modification of the KV-1 heavy tank series developed in the summer of 1942. It passed into Red Army service on August 20, 1942. Compared to its predecessors, KV-1S had several design features which allowed for the tank’s weight to be reduced to 42.3 tons. Also, the KV-1S had increased top speed, maneuverability, and durability. However, the 76-mm ZIS-5 gun remained. This, coupled with reduced and inefficient armoring, made the new vehicle basically equal to the Т-34 in terms of battle performance. A total of 1,083 vehicles of this modification were manufactured. This tank was widely used on all fronts of the Great Patriotic War.