Easy Model KV-1 Model 1941 captured tank of the 8th Panzerdivision / KW-1 KB-1
For the tabletop game STRATAK BATTLES PANZERSCHLACHT
In September 1939 the prototype of the russian heavy tank KV-1 (KW-1) (KW = Kliment Woroschilow) was introduced to the red army command.
It was produced since February 1940.
In February 1940 a small unit with KV-1s fought broke through the finnish line of fire during the war with Finnland. None of the KV-1 tanks was destroyed during this attack.
Beside the KV-1 which had the same gun like the T-34, another version was equipped with a heavy howitzer which was the KV-2 model. As this was too heavy for tank warfare, e.g. the turret could not be turned if the tank stood on sloped terrain, it was not produced for a long time.
The KV-1 was modernised over the time. The welded turret was exchanged by a casted turret, the front armour became thicker and the gun barrel became longer.
This modernization made the tank too heavy, so a lighter KV-1s version was produced since the second half of 1942.
The requirement of a bigger gun caused a new version, the KW-85, which led to the production of the even more powerful Josef Stalin (JS) tank which had a changed armour.