Russian tank KV-1 early model 1941 Tamiya-35372

Description

During the Spanish Civil War the Red Army, which supported the Republican side with military equipment, found that its T-26 tanks were not sufficiently well protected to cope with the German anti-tank weapons of the time (37mm PaK 36), this lesson, coupled with the need to modernize its heavy tanks (the T-35 multi-tank infantry support was outdated), led the Soviet Army to develop a new heavy tank, thus was born the KV-1.

The KV-1, named after the commissar for the people Kliment Voroshilov, was undoubtedly one of the protected cars of its time, as well as being well armed. It weighed 45 tons, had a maximum armor of 90 mm, and was powered by a 12-cylinder V-2 diesel engine with 600 hp, which allowed it to reach a maximum road speed of 35 km/h (22 mph). Its main gun was a 76.2mm F-32 cannon and its secondary gun could carry up to four 7.62mm DT machine guns.

The KV-1 was a very successful tank in the early stages of the war in the east. It was a reliable tank, very well protected and practically invulnerable to the attack of most of the German guns of that period. It was, however, slow and unmaneuverable due to its very poor transmission. As the conflict progressed, these deficiencies became more and more evident and forced the Red Army to produce better heavy tanks.