Soviet Super Heavy Tank KV-5

Takom, 1/35 scale

Reviewed by Cookie Sewell

Summary

FirstLook

As the KV series of tanks began to progress through evolution and development, in early 1941 a fight broke about among the designers. One group - the “tankists” – wanted to build a very heavy super-tank mounting at least an 85mm gun; another – the “artillerists” – wanted a super-heavy self-propelled gun for fire support. Both teams went their separate directions.

One team worked on what was dubbed the KV-220 design in which a longer and more heavily armed chassis would have seven road wheels and be powered by a new design 850 HP diesel engine. The other team worked on 12 different designs of what the artillery tank would look like. The first design was dubbed the KV-3 project, the second one the KV-4 project.

In the midst of this came Vasiliy Grabin, who bragged he could build a gun which could defeat ANY tank in the world for years to come. The government called his bluff, but Grabin delivered and came up with the 107mm ZIS-6 gun. Even in just its early developmental state he was right, for even then it could have defeated all later German tanks up to the Tiger II at combat ranges of 1000 meters or less.

The first team designed a new oval turret for the KV-3 and planned on using the ZIS-6 in their tank. Two running chassis were built and a mockup of the turret completed, with firing tests conducted using a KV-2 with the ZIS-6 mounted in it. But final approval by Stalin was ill timed - it was due on 22 June 1941, and after that date all new products were scrubbed.

The KV-4 was considered too restricted, but the design submitted by Nikolay Tseyts was considered the most promising and so a new version based on that plan dubbed KV-5 was drawn up. This tank woul use a massive turret with the ZIS-6 gun mounted and a machine sub-turret at the front of the hull as well as on the roof of the turret with an eight-wheel chassis and a 1000 HP diesel engine. But the engine was not materializing in time and as a result the designers planned to use TWO V-2 engines of 500 HP each as power. But the vehicle was still in final drafting status on 22 June and as a result never saw the light of day.

For reasons best known to themselves Takom has released a kit based on both known KV production features and extant versions of Tseyts’ original plans. The kit does a great job of matching them but as none were ever built it is hard to say they could have made a mistake!

Based on the engine deck layout this appears to be the final design with twin V-2 engines as the radiator air intakes on the engine deck support that layout. The turret design shows its evolution from the KV “Bol’shoy Bashny” version (AKA KV-2 Early) and looks the part.

The road wheels each consist of a wheel and face and are probably the most detailed KV early production reinforced wheels on the market. The individual link tracks are tedious but nicely done and will look the part when installed.

For reasons again best known to Takom the kit comes with a Chemical Troops soldier in full suit with gas mask and a flamethrower using a stocked flame gun. Not sure why they did that but he somehow fits right in with the KV-5!

A set of optional markings is provided as well as two finishing schemes, one Soviet and one Finnish. (Well, if you are going to dream go whole hog!)

Overall this is a nicely done kit of a tank that never saw the light of day, so it is hard to fault them for any mistakes!

Sprue Layout:

A 89x2 Suspension, road wheels, return rollers
B 80x3 Track links
C 50 Sub-turrets, ZIP bins, details + 15 bolt heads
D 17 Fenders, turret base, front and rear plates, belly pan
E 9 Figure with gas mask and flamethrower
F 2 Clear styrene
TP 5 Etched brass
– 1 Upper hull
– 1 Turret shell
– 1 Turned aluminum barrel
– 2 Vinyl keepers