KV-1S Heavy Tank Company (SBX04) and KV-1S Heavy Tank (SU083) Includes options for KV-8S Heavy Flame Tank In 1942 it was decided to improve the design of the KV-1 tank. The aim of the project (headed by N. F. Shashmurin) was to produce a lighter, and therefore faster, version of the KV-1. This product is no longer currently available for sale...

Part of the design brief was to also make it more reliable, in combat conditions the KV often proved more than a match for German armour only to be lost on the field through mechanical failure. Some in the Red Army command thought that heavy tanks were of no real benefit and that resources could be better used to produce more T-34s which had proved more reliable and faster and cheaper to build. Despite the opposition the project went ahead. The new tank was designated the KV-1S, the "S" referring to "skorostnoy" or "speed". The KV-1S was lighter than its predecessor by up to 5 tons.

The lightening was achieved by reducing the thickness of the frontal armour from 90mm to 75mm, The existing road wheels were replaced with a lighter design and a new lighter cast turret replaced the old design. The new turret came with a commander’s cupola and mounted the same F-34 gun as the T-34 (though some were fitted with the ZIS-4 76.2mm gun). It was lower and smaller than the previous turret. The tank was also armed with four machine-guns: co-axial MG, hull MG, AA machine-gun, and a turret rear MG.

The KV transmission was re-designed to make it more reliable and capable of the desired speed and new tracks were designed. The summer of 1942 saw the prototype tested and on August 20 the KV-1S went into production. While the KV-1S was successful in terms of its design brief, it was soon decided heavier armour and a more powerful gun was required. A total of 1370 KV-1S were built. In April 1943 its production was cancelled, and the KV-85 and the IS series of heavy tanks were produced.

The KV-1S was issued to all forms of heavy tank brigade and took part in all major operations of the Red Army from late 1942 to 1945.     A flame-thrower version was also build on the new KV-1S, this was known as the KV-8S (left). It had a 45mm gun installed in place of main gun and an ATO-41 flame-thrower fixed next to it coaxially. It carried 670 litres of oil and could fire around fifty bursts of flame. The range of the flame-thrower was about 46 meters.

KV-1S obr 1942 Manufacturer: Factory No.100 Kirovskiy Works in Chelyabinsk (ChKZ or Tankograd) Production Quantity: 1370 Production Period: August 1942 ~ April 1943 Crew: (5) Commander, gunner, auxiliary driver, driver/mechanic, radio-operator Length overall: 7.0m Width: 3.3m Height: 2.8m Combat Weight: 42500kg (compared to KV-1 of 48000kg Radio Equipment: 9R or 10R Weapon: 76.2mm gun (ZIS-5 or F-34) +3 7.62mm machine-guns

Armour: 75mm front, 82mm gun mantlet/turret front, 75mm turret sides and rear, 60mm hull side and rear Speed: 43kph    Both the Box and Blister contain parts for making the KV-1S or the KV-8S. The box also contains dismounted crew, bases and decals.

In Flames Of War The KV-1S was used to arm both the Guards Heavy Tank Companies and the Heavy Tank Companies of the 1942 organisation Mixed Tank Battalion.     Despite it being lighter than the KV-1e it is still a formidable tank. It has excellent mobility being Fully-tracked but not limited by the Slow Tank rule of other KVs. It also had Wide Tracks making it excellent in difficult terrain. The improved turret with the command cupola also means it does not suffer from Limited Vision.

It still has excellent armour, Front 8, Side 6 and Top 2. It is armed with the same gun as the T-34 giving it range 32”/80cm, ROF 2, AT 9 and FP 3+. Designed by Evan Allen Painted by Wayne Turner