KV-1

After the poor results of the KV-1 multi-turreted heavy tank , Soviet designers began searching for a new design. The KV-1 met the supposed requirements for a "breakthrough tank" of the 1920s, with its high firepower, low mobility, and poor protection. The Spanish Civil War demonstrated the need for more protection for tanks, and this was the main influence on Soviet designers before the start of World War II . Several designs were studied before starting a prototype . All were heavily armored, used torsion bar suspension , wide tracks, and were manufactured using rolled, molded , and welded construction. One of the main designs was the SMK, which reduced the number of turrets on the KV-1 from five to two with the same armament combination. Finally, when two prototypes were ordered, a single-turreted design was chosen, with the excess weight being used for increased armor. The smaller chassis size and single turret allowed the designer to add greater protection to the vehicle while keeping the weight within reasonable limits.

The KV series was a production line of Soviet-made heavy tanks . They were named after Defence Commissar and politician Kliment Voroshilov . At the time of Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union in World War II , the KVs were the best protected tanks of their time, but only constituted 2% [ 2 ] of total Soviet armoured forces on 22 June 1941. Their initial success in stopping and decimating "panzer" forces earned them the nickname " Nazi-killers ".