Giant immobilised ... KV-2. - Soviet Forces | Gallery

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Giant immobilised ... KV-2.

If the Germans were unpleasantly surprised by the KV-1 and the T-34A, they were not particularly pleased to meet the KV-2 either. This was a Soviet take on the "breakthrough tank" concept, designed to supply infantry support and bunker-busting against fixed fortifications. It was slow (some 16 kmph on road, slower off-road) and had a very high profile but, on the other hand, packed a 152mm gun-howitzer with bunker-busting in mind. This could be turned very effectively to anti-tank use. The Germans - whose anti-tank guns (other than the AA "88") were pretty useless against these monsters - except when it came to detracking them. However, simply immobilizing a KV-2 did not necessarily end the problem. KV-1s and KV-2s were particularly prominent in the Army Group North area, owing to the fact that a major production facility for these vehicles was located at Leningrad. The forested, swamp-infested territory over which Army Group North had to pass offered ample opportunity for the Red Army to conduct blocking actions at strategically important locations which could not effectively be bypassed. The KV-2 was very effective in this role. A KV-2, sitting in the middle of a street in an "un-bypassable" village, could absorb considerable damage while firing back - even if detracked. Soviet crews, where supported by infantry, tended to fire back until they had run out of ammunition, or were "killed" by an "88". Since its large gun could destroy any German tank in the field - even with high-explosive or bunker-busting ammunition - this practice caused repeated delays to the progress of Army Group North towards Leningrad. The weaknesses of the KV-2 were quickly recognized by the Soviets, who went on to develop more effective replacements. Nonetheless, it played its part. Best regards, JR.

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This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.ww2incolor.com/gallery/soviet-forces/53405/giant-immobilised-...-kv-2.

[brummbar]

Quote from ‘tanks on the prowl’:

"On June 23rd the German 6th Panzerdivision established two bridgeheads over the Dubissa river, seizing the town of Rasyenya. The attack to this bridgeheads (formed by Pz 35(t), infantry, artillery and AT guns) begun the same day by the 12th Mechanized Corps and 2nd Tank Division and its KV heavy tanks of the 3rd Mechanized Corps as reinforcement. General Solyalyskin sent a single KV-2 and some infantry to sever the road connection with the rest of 6th Panzer.

It remained in that point for two days, destroying with its 152mm gun twelve trucks which tried to supply the isolated bridgeheads. Six 50mm PaK 39 were moved to dispatch the tank but as they succesfully scored five direct hits, the tank’s gunner opened fire destroying the first gun and damaging the others. An 88mm gun (from the FlaK Abt. 298) was moved from its camouflaged position in the Northern bridgehead and with its halftracked prime mover used the wreckage of the trucks to reach a distance of 900 metres from its target where it was spotted by the tank crew a destroyed with two direct hits. Relief parties were kept away from MG fire. Night actions of the German Pz.Pionier Bn. 57 Engineers to blow it up failed due to heavy armor which remained unscatted from the explosive charge applied to the hull. A new attempt was only able to broke the track. Heavy MGs’ fire prevented other tentatives.

So desperate was becoming the situation that the 6th Panzerdivision requested the 1st Panzer to come to the rescue by striking the Western flank of the 12th Mechanized Corps and 2nd Tank Division. The 1st Pz. Div. was largely equipped with the neawer Pz III and IV, whcih have proved to be more succesfull (although in very unusual circumstances) than the Pz. 35(t) which equipped the 6th. In its drive, the 1st Pz. Div. succeded in breaching the Russian lines and defeat their armored forces as many KV tanks among their ranks (29 were destroyed or abandoned in the actions). This helped the bridgeheads by a grave pressure and so a Platoon of Pz. 35(t)s was sent to distract the KV-2 tank while another 88mm was carefully brought forward. When in position it opened fire, scoring six direct hits apparently disabling the tank. Further examination proved that only two projectiles had penetrated and while the German crew climbed over the tank, its turret rotated against them. An engineer finished it by launching some explosive in."