World War II Database

1.  Bill says:
22 Nov 2010 07:57:59 AM

The KV-II was a support vehicle and made its appearence in 1940. It had a six-six-man crew the large turret could rotate 360 degrees. It carried a 15.2cm./152mm howitzer w/36rds. of ammo, it was neither a tank or a armored howitzer, its design was a failure, and production ended in 1941 with about 334 being built. The vehicle did not prove its self in combat it carried 2x7.62mm machine guns with about 3,087 rounds of ammo, one on the bow and the other in the rear of the turret. Its armor was 100mm thick but it wasn't capable of fighting other tanks. The KV weighted 57 tons. Top speed was about 22km/h on the road, and off road it was 12km/h. it was powered by a 600hp disel engine. When it faced the German 88mm gun its slow speed, and large turret made it an easy target. During the German invasion of June 22, 1941 many KVs were destroyed or abandoned because of mechnical failure, or due to running out of fuel. Impressive as it was because of its size, it was slow had a large turret that could only be rotated on flat ground. After the summer offensive of 1941, it was rarely seen. The Germans captured the KV-II and called them Sturm Panzerkampfwagen KV-II 754(r).

2.  Bill says:
11 Feb 2012 08:01:22 PM

The KV series of tanks, were named after Kliment Voroshilov who was the Soviet Defense Commissar. The KV-II was used as a pillbox, and bunker buster or whatever fortifications needed to be knocked out. During the German invasion the KV tank factory was moved in 1941/42, but production of the KV-II wasn't continued as the war continued, the KV was later developed into the Iosif Stalin Heavy Tank. Salvaged and damaged hulls were rebuilt and modified. The Germans captured many KV-IIs that had been abandoned due to running out of fuel, ammo or breakdowns and lack of spare parts they were victums of a weak russian supply system. Many found there way back to the Fatherland, the survivors were used during the Battle of Berlin in April 1945 as strong points or stationary bunkers and used against their former owners.