question Russian kv-1

[sharky]

not sure where to put this question ?

How long did the Kv-1 see service did they make it as far as Berlin or were they obsolete by then ????

cheers

Iain

[Rick W]

The KV1's went out of production about 1943. The KV 85 was produced 43-44, and the last KV variant the KV85 was made up to Spring 1944, replaced by the IS-2. Although production ceased they still saw service until they broke down or were destroyed.

The 260th Guards Heavy Breakthrough Tank Regiment, based on the Leningrad front, operated a number of 1941-vintage KV-1s at least as late as the summer of 1944 before re-equipping with IS-2s. KVs saw service in Manchuria in August 1945, and a few KV-85s were used in the Crimea in the summer of 1944. The Finnish forces had two KVs, nicknamed Klimi, a Model 1940 and Model 1941, both of which received minor upgrades in their service, and both of which survived the war. A single captured KV-2 was used by German forces in 1945 against US forces in the Ruhr.

[steveo578]

KV1, mostly KV1s were still in use during the clearance of the Baltic States and Belorus in mid 1944. Because Is2 were primarily organised in the so called shock armies other units had to get by with what they could cobble together- there is a photo in the new vanguard book N017 of a KV1s in the Baltic states with a 1942 model KV1 square edge turret, an obvious case of Soviet make do and mend.

 

As Rick W mentioned the Finns used KVs, 2 are displayed at the Finnish tank museum at Parola they are a KV1 with bolt on re-enforced armour and a model 1942 with the heavy cast turret. Bovington has one too, again a model 1942 with cast turret.

 

Steve

[sharky]

cheers guys