Tag Archives: heavy tank

Russian Heavy Tank, KV-1S/85 (Trumpeter)

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This is the Trumpeter 01567 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘Russian Heavy Tank, KV-1S/85’.

Russian Heavy Tank, KV-1S/85

History

KV-1S – A lighter variant of late 1942 with higher speed, but thinner armour. A new, smaller, cast turret and redesigned rear hull were used. 1370 were built.

In response to criticisms, the lighter KV-1S (Russian language: КВ-1С) was released, with thinner armour and a smaller, lower turret in order to reclaim some speed. Importantly, the KV-1S also had a commander’s cupola with all-around vision blocks, a first for a Soviet heavy tank.

However, the thinning-out of the armor called into question why the tank was being produced at all, when the T-34 could seemingly do everything the KV could do and much more cheaply. The Soviet heavy tank program was close to cancellation in mid-1943.

Source: Trumpeter website

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Russian Heavy Tank, JS-3 (Tamiya)

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This is the Tamiya 35 211-3900 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘Russian Heavy Tank, JS-3 (Tamiya)’.

Russian Heavy Tank, JS-3 (Tamiya)

History

On September 7th 1945, the allied nations were staggered by Russia’s disclosure of their JS-3 heavy tank at a victory parade in Berlin. Although coded a “JS” (Josef Stalin) tank, it had a totally different appearance from its preceding models. The one-piece cast turret had a simple flattened hemispherical shape. The maximum thickness of the turret armor reached 250mm. The front hull was constructed by welding three 120mm thick armor plates, forming a shape like a ship’s bow. The main armament used the same L/43 122mm gun as the JS-2.

The 520 horsepower diesel engine provided 40km/h of maximum speed. With the concerted effort of the talented Russian tank engineers such as N.L Jukhov and Z.A Kotin, the prototype was completed in October 1944 and the mass production began in the following year.

There have been a lot of controversy concerning whether or not the JS-3 saw any fighting during the Berlin campaign. At least one regiment was equipped with the JS-3 by then, but it’s still uncertain if they were committed to the actual fighting. Other sources claim that it was first deployed in combat against the Japanese in Manchuria in August 1945.

Incorporating several modifications, its production was continued until 1951 and about 1,800 JS-3’s were produced. Its simple and effective turret and hull configuration deeply influenced not only the following Russian tanks, but also fighting vehicles of the western nations.

Source: Tamiya website

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Russian Heavy Tank, JS-3M (Trumpeter)

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This is the Trumpeter 00316 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘Russian Heavy Tank, JS-3M’.

Russian Heavy Tank, JS-3M

History

Russian Heavy Tank IS-3M – The IS-3M was a modernized IS-3, the parallel program for the IS-3M began in 1960 and included additional hull reinforcement, replacement of the DShk 12.7mm machine gun with the DShKM, addition of a TVN-2 might vision device for the driver, substitution of the V-54K-IS engine, incorporation of the Multitsiklon air filter system and many other small changes.

New wheels were added from the T-10 heavy tank which, had improved ball-bearings. In addition, external stowage was improved and dust shirts were added over the suspension.

Source: Trumpeter website

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Russian Heavy Tank, KV-1 Type C (Tamiya)

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This is the Tamiya 35 066-1600 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘Russian Heavy Tank, KV-1 Type C’.

Russian Heavy Tank, KV-1 Type C

History

The name KV, were the initials of Klim Voroshilov. Klim was a Soviet hero who did a great job back in the Russian Civil War (at least that is what Soviet propagandists sell). Between the wars he spent his time pointing the big finger at his comrades so that Stalin had plenty of cannon fodder for his purges. His value as a Marshal during WW2 was less than spectacular. He was quickly replaced on the front line and spent the remainder of the war reviewing parade troops. This rather dim witted Marshal was probably under qualified to even do that.

When first introduced in late 1930’s, the KVI was no doubt one of the most powerful tanks in the world, and a complete secret. It was built to be completely “bulletproof”, and was shot proof against the 37mm Anti-Tank Gun with it’s thick 100mm armor.

In the B-model, armor was increased an additional 25-35mm. The C-model used a cast turret, replacing the old plated one to increase protection.

This heavy tank, weighing around 45 tons with crew of five, was armed with 76.2mm main gun and two MGs. The armament was considered heavy for 1940, but by 1943 the main gun lacked punching power against new Panthers and Tigers. Its weight caused constant trouble with the transmission. As weight increased due to additional armor, the engine power was not increased. This caused successive models to become slower.

Source: Tamiya website

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Russian Heavy Tank, KV-1 model 1942 (Trumpeter)

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This is the Trumpeter 00359 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘Russian Heavy Tank, KV-1 model 1942’.

Russian Heavy Tank, KV-1 model 1942

History

Because warlike vehemence, the Kriov factory gave birth to casts the KV-1 of the quick-fried tower, nameding after the KV-1 model 1942 (heavy cast Turret), Turret in this kind of foundry contain better bullet-proof features, the armor thickness also comes to 95mm of, the main firecrackers also changed to pack better types ZIS-5s in function 76.2mm artillery.
Source: Trumpeter website

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Russian Heavy Tank, KV-1 model 1942, Lightweight Cast Turret (Trumpeter)

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This is the Trumpeter 00360 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘Russian Heavy Tank, KV-1 model 1942, Lightweight Cast Turret’.

Russian Heavy Tank, KV-1 model 1942, Lightweight Cast Tank

History

The superior armor protection of the heavy cast turret on the KV-1 model 1942 tank has its cost! The weight of the tank now reaches 47 tones and this weight are consider heavy even for a modern tank standard!

The KV series utilize the same engine without major changes and the more and more added heavy weight drops the maximum speed from 35 Kilometers/hours to 28 kilometers/hour.

Off road performances are even worst and hard to operate. To solve the problem, a lightweight cast turret was born. One feature helps to identify turret of this type – A large cast ring around rear machine gun mount.

Source: Trumpeter website

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Russian Heavy Tank, KV-2 (Zvezda)

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This is the Zvezda 3608 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘Russian Heavy Tank, KV-2’.

Russian Heavy Tank, KV-2

History

76-mm tank gun L-11, mounted on KV, didn’t prove to be sufficiently powerful to fight Pillboxes and other fortifications. A new KV-2 tank, fitted with the M-10 152-mm howitzer in the turret, was designed for the destruction of defensive military fortifi cations.

The production of the KV-2s started in 1940 and soon after the start of WWII in Russia the production of the vehicles was phased out as this single-purpose tank was an exorbitant luxury in the severe conditions of the initial period of the war.

Source: Zvezda website

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Russian Heavy Tank, KV-85 (Trumpeter)

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This is the Trumpeter 01569 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘Russian Heavy Tank, KV-85’.

Russian Heavy Tank, KV-85

History

A stopgap upgrade to the KV series was the short-lived KV-85 or Objekt 239. This was a KV-1S with a new turret designed for the IS-85, mounting the same 85mm D-5T gun as the SU-85 and early versions of the T-34-85.

Already-high demand for the gun slowed production of the KV-85 tremendously, and only 148 were built before the KV design was replaced. The KV-85 was produced in the fall and winter of 1943-44; they were sent to the front as of September 1943, and production of the KV-85 was stopped by the spring of 1944 once the IS-2 entered full scale production.

Source: Trumpeter website

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Russian Heavy Tank, JS-2, model 1944 ChKZ (Tamiya)

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This is the Tamiya 35 289-4200 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘Russian Heavy Tank, JS-2, model 1944 ChKZ’.

Russian Heavy Tank, JS-2, model 1944 ChKZ

History

The Russian Tank that was too much for the Germans – The Russian Heavy Tank JS-2 was built to overthrow the German Tiger I. The JS-2 which was put into production in the latter half of WWII in December 1943, had a long powerful 122mm gun and superior mobility. From August, 1944 the upper part of the hatch was removed from the hull which greatly improved its defensive ability.

The JS-2 was produced in the Chelyabinsk Kirov factory (ChKZ), and a characteristic of the tank is it’s one piece cast rounded front. The JS-2 showed great strength in the break through of defensive positions but also in anti-tank battles. The Russian tank JS-2 played a major part which contributed to the victory of the end of the Great War.

Source: Tamiya website

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  • Hobbymesse 2012

Russian Heavy Tank, KV-1 model 1941 small turret (Trumpeter)

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This is the Trumpeter 00356 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘Russian Heavy Tank, KV-1 model 1941 small turret’.

Russian Heavy Tank, KV-1 model 1941 small turret

History

The KV type tank that research to manufacture wins in the competition of the heavy type tank from the factory of Kirov in 1939, ising named after KV-1.

KV-1 the beginning batch quantity produces in 1942 February, at the beginning of the production model number calls the KV-1 model 1941 “small turret”, first material in KV-1 types L-11s 76.2mm of artillery; July of 1940, the heavy type in the series of KV tank production be transfered by the factory of Kirov the 100 factory production, henceforth the KV-1 that produce all changed to pack better types F-32s in function 76.2mm of artillery.

Source: Trumpeter website

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German Panzerkampfwagen VI, Tiger I, Ausf. E (Early version) (Tamiya)

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This is the Tamiya 35 216-4000 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘German Panzerkampfwagen VI, Tiger I, Ausf E – Early version’.

German Panzerkampfwagen VI, Tiger I, Ausf E - Early version

History

It was the end of 1942 when a German heavy tank with extra thick armor and a powerful main gun first appeared on the North African front. The new tank, long-desired by the German soldiers who had hard-fought battles against the allies, became known as the Tiger I Ausf. E.

Development of the Tiger I began at the end of May 1941. The German Army Weapons Branch ordered the Henschel firm to vie with Porsche in producing a prototype. The first prototypes underwent trials on April 1942. The result of these and subsequent trial showed the superiority of the Henschel vehicle to the Porsche’s, and thus production orders were placed for it. The Henschel’s prototype had thick armor of 100mm at the front and 80mm on both sides, and the main gun was the then most potent, the 8.8cm KwK 36 L/56. The powerplant was Maybach’s HL 210 P45, yielding 650 horsepower.

Mass production started already in August 1942 with little alteration from the prototype. Starting from November 1942, air pre-cleaners were added on the rear hull plate. The mantlet was partly strengthened and “S” mine dischargers were fitted on five mounting points around the hull roof beginning from December. Moreover, a loader’s periscope was fitted from January 1943. The Tiger I produced from November 1942 to July 1943 featured these modifications, are referred to as the early production. About 200 units of these early production versions were produced.

Source: Tamiya website

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Russian Heavy Tank, KV-2 model 1939, big turret (Trumpeter)

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This is the Trumpeter 00311 kit in 1/35 scale, of the ‘Russian Heavy Tank, KV-2 model 1939, big turret’.

Russian Heavy Tank, KV-2 model 1939, big turret

History

The KV heavy tank was designed and used as heavy break-through tank. To a tank of this task, the shortcomings of its L-11 main gun, which is not good at dealing with enemies’ bunkers and fortifications, could be fatal! So a heavy tank carrying a much bigger gun to better do the job was created along side the 76.2mm gun tanks.

The first of this type uses a new big high turret of 7 sides that mounting the 152mm M-10 howitzer. This version, which had many detail differences to the later standard type was usually dubbed KV ‘Big Turret’ or KV-2 Model 1939. As such a big turret on the usual KV hull proved to be very un-maneuverable it soon earned a funny nickname of “Mobile washroom”!

Source: Trumpeter website

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