The Kalinin front KV-1(m.42) heavy tank in 1:72

[KRK4m]

Like the lozenge-shaped "landship" for the Britons 20 years earlier, the KV-1 was the Russians’ first indigenous heavy tank, manufactured in the thousands.

The chuckle of history is the fact that in a supposedly perfectly bureaucratic and police state like Soviet Russia, the KV has even existed.

 

 

When in 1938 the Russians decided to create a successor to the ill-fated 5-turret T-35 (60 built), two Leningrad factories built prototypes of two-turret tanks. Kotin's prototype was named SMK, and Barykov's prototype - T-100. Each of them, with a hull length of almost 9 m, weighed 55 tons. And here something unimaginable in Soviet conditions appears – a private venture. Kotin built a second prototype, shortening the SMK by 2 meters and removing the lower (forward) turret with a 45mm gun.

 

 

And during trials in a real war with Finland in December 1939, this smaller and - despite thicker armour - 10 tons lighter single-turret tank turned out to be better than both twin-turret mastodons. It’s armour was invulnerable for any tank gun in the world. Immediately put into production, it became the first "modern" heavy tank, a year ahead of Churchill, two years ahead of Tiger and 4 years ahead of Pershing.

 

 

KV are the initials of Kliment Voroshilov - the then Soviet defence minister, after his defeat in the war with Finland... promoted to the prime minister of the USSR.

The KV tank was produced until 1943 in four basic versions:  

• 3,260 KV-1 with a 76mm gun  
• 200 KV-2 with a 152mm howitzer
• 1,120 KV-1S with a new, lower turret and weight reduced by 6 tons  
• 150 KV-85, i.e. the KV-1S with an 85mm gun 

 

 

The designations KV-1A, -1B, -1C, repeated after the German war publications, do not make sense, because the Russian alphabet has a different order of letters (a, b, v, g, e ...).

These subsequent variants, differing only in the turret technology and shape, were distinguished in Russia as the 1940, 1941 and 1942 models.

 

 

The best KVs in Braille scale are Trumpeter kits, introduced in 2007. Mine, built from box #7231, presents the most numerous variant - m.42 (called KV-1C by the Germans), weighing 47 tons.

Crewed by 5 men, the m.42 was armed with a 76mm gun and two 7.6mm MGs. It was powered by the 600hp Kharkiv (nee Hispano-Suiza) diesel V-12 engine (the same as in the 20 tons lighter T-34).

 

 

The set includes 73 styrene parts, two vinyl tracks and 4 towing ropes - after choosing the right eyelet pattern, the second pair is left in the drawer. I wanted it in an improvised winter paint, typical for the Kalinin-Rzhev area (200 km west of Moscow) in February 1943. Such a kit is offered by Trumpeter in 1:35 and by Hobby Boss in 1:48 - unfortunately, in 1: 72 I had to deal with myself.

First of all, the photos showed that these KVs were equipped with additional fuel tanks - the spares from the Unimodels T-34 kit fit perfectly. Second, the Chinese misinterpreted the white and olive green areas on the sides and rear of the tank.

 

 

The list of changes was closed with the drilling of the gun barrel and exhaust pipes. The paints are (as always) Humbrol enamels: 226 for the 1941-43 period 4BO and 34 for the temporary whitewash - painted with Italeri brushes. The yellow tactical number is somewhat retouched serial number from some USAAF fighter, probably a P-39 or P-47. Afterwards the Vallejo acrylic matt varnish was brush-applied overall.

 

 

The antenna made of 0.3 mm Aber steel wire appears thick in the photo, but be aware that the image on the 15” screen is about twice the size of an actual 1/72 model.

The photos are taken with an LG smartphone.

Comments are welcome

Cheers

Michael

Edited January 18, 2022 by KRK4m

[JWM]

Very nice! - since you mentioned it already the antenna made of 0.3 mm in 72 scale corresponds to ~2 cm in real - so it looks like it... Perhaps could be done from a  hair (diameter of some 0,06 mm, when in scale gives some 4 mm in real thing)  taken from silver head person (or cat)...

Regards

J-W

 

[KRK4m]

I tried a human hair some time ago - unfortunately you can't get the desired shape (curvature). It's too weak.

Cat whiskers (vibrissae) could be better, but it's you - not me - who have the cats home

Cheers

Michael