KV2s

KV-2s were Soviet heavy assault tanks produced in the late 1930s, built on the KV-1 chassis and distinguished by an oversized turret housing a 152 mm howitzer. The design aimed to deliver powerful indirect fire from a single vehicle to breach fortified positions and provide close support for infantry. The turret’s large size, height, and weight made the KV-2 slow, mechanically complex, and difficult to maneuver, limiting its battlefield usefulness.

Technically, the KV-2 weighed about 52 tons, with a top speed around 20 km/h and a range roughly in the vicinity of 150 to 200 kilometers. It carried a five-man crew: commander, driver, gunner, loader, and radio operator. The main armament was the 152 mm howitzer, intended to deliver high-explosive fire at fortifications and personnel; defensive close-range fire was provided by a machine gun, as in other Soviet tanks of the period.

Production occurred from 1939 to 1940 in relatively small batches, and the vehicles saw limited front-line service after the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941. Their combination of heavy firepower and poor mobility led to high vulnerability to mechanical failure, air attack, and anti-tank weapons, and many KV-2s were sidelined or destroyed in early combat. Despite its ambitious concept, the KV-2s highlighted the challenges of integrating very heavy artillery with armored mobility. The design influenced later thinking about heavy assault guns, even as practical performance limited its impact on the war.