War Thunder Wiki - User contributions [en]

IS-1

2020-04-04T00:24:43Z

U45261376: /* Development */

{{Specs-Card|code=ussr_is_1}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage_IS-1.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a Rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced during the closed beta testing for Ground Forces before Update 1.41. It is the first unlockable IS series heavy tank.

Operational and visual characteristics of the IS-1 retain the visual and operational similarities to the previous KV line of heavy tanks of which it is descended from. Players experienced in operating previous models of the KV series of tanks should have little to no difficulty in adjusting to this vehicle. Unlike its predecessor, the IS series of tanks are designed with a priority of engaging enemy armoured vehicles in mind and as such, come with increased yet more sloped armour than its KV predecessors whilst sporting a slightly longer chassis, more powerful 85mm D-5T gun and a larger, rounded turret.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===

'''Armour type:'''

* Cast homogeneous armour (Front hull, Turret)
* Rolled homogeneous armour (Rear hull, Gun mantlet)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 120 mm (35°) ''Front plate'' 60 mm (75°) ''Front glacis'' 100 mm (28-36°) ''Lower glais'' || 100 mm (11-27°)''Top front'' 90 mm (11°) ''Top rear'' 90 mm ''Bottom'' || 60 mm (48°) ''Top'' 60 mm (35°) ''Lower'' || 30 mm
|-
| Turret || 100 mm (0-89°) ''Turret front'' 100 mm (4-59°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 100 mm (19-21°) || 100 mm (2-36°) || 30 mm 35 mm ''Turret hatches''
|-
! Armour !! Sides !! Roof
|-
| Cupola || 90 mm || 35 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick and tracks are 30 mm thick.
* Though the front plate is 120 mm thick, it is not very sloped in comparison to the front glacis. Despite front glacis 60 mm thickness, slope effect up to ~130 mm and ricochet chances improves protection.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 671|rbMinHp= 460|}}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|D-5T (85 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[D-5T (85 mm)|85 mm D-5T]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer

|-
| colspan="3" | 59 || -5°/+25° || ±180° || N/A
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| ''Arcade'' || 8.30 || 11.50 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
|-
| ''Realistic'' || 8.30 || 9.80 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| 9.60 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| BR-365A || APHEBC ||135||133||125||115||106||97
|-
| BR-365K || APHE ||147||143||126|| 107 ||90||77
|-
| O-365K || HE ||12||12||11||11||11||11
|-
| BR-365P || APCR || 180 || 175 || 136 || 100 || 73 || 54
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="10" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| BR-365A || 792 || 9.2 || 1.2 || 15 || 164 || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| BR-365K || 792 || 9.2 || 1.2 || 15 || 81.6 || -1° || 47° || 60° || 65°
|-
| O-365K || 780 || 9.5 || 0.1 || 0.3 || 646 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| BR-365P || 1030 || 5.4 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 66° || 70° || 72°
|-
|}

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
[[File:Ammoracks_IS-1.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] of the IS-1.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |6th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |7th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
|| '''59''' || 42 ''(+17)'' || 37 ''(+22)'' || 32 ''(+27)'' || 27 ''(+32)'' || 24 ''(+35)'' || 11 ''(+48)'' || 1 ''(+58)'' || style="text-align:left" | no
|-
|}

Turret empty: 37 (+22)

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|DT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | [[DT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm DT]]
|-
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 1,890 (63) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in the battles ==

As the tank's design purpose suggests, the IS-1 is a heavy tank built with an emphasis on engaging hostile armoured vehicles as well as a breakthrough tank. The tanks heavy armour has similar properties of its previous KV-1 line, but the introduction of sloped armour on the front plate and turret mantlet can allow operators to withstand a significant amount of damage at most ranges, especially when armour is angled. The fast reloads speed of the 85mm gun (on par with its T-34 and KV-85 mounted sisters) also allows it to be an effective brawler in close quarters combat against multiple targets. When encountering better-protected targets, the IS tank (although equipped with the same type of cannon) has access to APCR rounds to better deal with more heavier opponents, something the KV and T-34 models lack.

Although classified as a heavy tank and an upgraded improved design over the KV predecessor, the tank is not invulnerable. The vehicle's armour thickness is quite effective in its class. Unlike its Tiger rivals and KV predecessors, the IS-1 has better or equal thickness armour on almost all sides except the rear hull and is sloped increasing the chance of ricochet and damage reduction when struck. Of note is the large turret and exposed turret mount which is commonly targeted at engaging hostile vehicles from the front. Armaments and ammunition options aside, the IS tank can perform similarly if not better at engaging targets than the common T-34, albeit with more satisfactory armour protection, able to allow users to lead a charge from the front with relative confidence or provide fire support from the sides or rear. This tank is quite sufficient in holding its own on the battlefield in many situations where a lighter vehicle cannot.

Another significant note of this vehicle is its considerably fast reverse rate, the highest of its Rank and Battle-Rating for the nation's faction, topping at 17 km/h. During situations where close-quarters engagement is expected, an unorthodox strategy can be utilized when the operator of the IS tank re-positions the vehicle 90 degrees and drive in reverse towards the enemy. By driving in reverse with the rear facing the opposition, the engine blocks make a crude yet somewhat effective shield and protecting the more delicate crew. As the fuel tanks are mostly stored at the front on the left and right side of the driver's station, the risk of fire and fuel-tank explosion is reduced significantly (but not completely eliminated) and thus, the tank is able to resist even the most powerful of shots. Be aware that more experienced players may attempt to instead fire at the more exposed turret of the IS tank and instantly knocking out the crew with a common APHE penetrating the shell.

When engaging the common Tiger tank and Panzer IV models, each of these vehicles retains the design flaw of 90 degree flat armour plates on the front and sides of each respective vehicle. The IS-1's 85mm cannon should have little no difficulty in penetrating this and destroying the opposition's vehicle in a single shot if this weakness is exploited. The Panther and occasional Tiger II models are more considerably dangerous and difficult to dispatch when encountering them head-on due to the thicker and sloped armour of which the 85mm cannon of the IS-1 cannot penetrate. In head-on engagements, operators of this vehicle should note to precisely target the right and left side turret mantlet of each respective vehicles instead. Time expended in attempting to find a penetration confirmation indication on the cross-hair when inspecting the sloped front plate is time wasted and instead, should be diverted on precise targeting of the mantlet. Other more common tanks such as opposition USSR KV, IS and T-34 models are usually less of a concern than the common Panther tank, as most of these respective tanks also inherit the weakness of somewhat slopped frontal chassis and turret armour which can be easily penetrated even from significant distances with a precise aim.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* Good armour
* Sufficient firepower
* High rate of fire
* Good mobility
* Significantly fast reverse speed
* Ability to fire APCR
* Extremely durable against in down-tiered battles (when encountering lower rank M4 Shermans, Valentines, Pz.IV etc.)
* Re-positioning of fuel tanks reducing chances of fires.
* Player skill compatibility between older and newer KV and IS models

'''Cons:'''

* Poor gun depression (a common trait in all USSR tanks)
* Large silhouette and profile (slightly longer than its KV predecessor)
* Difficult to angle armour due to weaker hull cheeks

== History ==

===Development===
The start of the development for a new heavy tank in the Red Army came from the many criticisms of their current heavy tank, the [[KV-1 (ZiS-5)|KV-1]]. The KV-1 had poor mobility and a lack of firepower and armour advantage over the standard [[T-34 (1942)|T-34]], plus the KV-1 was more expensive to produce for no real advantage. Attempts to remedy this problem produced the ''KV-1S'' and the ''[[KV-85]]'', which tried to make the KV-1 more mobile, more ergonomic, and have better firepower. Though they were improvements over the original KV-1 design, it was already determined that the KV-1 designs are to be replaced by a new heavy tank design and the newer KV-1 developments were to be interim designs until the heavy tank development is complete.

The heavy tank project, code-named ''Object 237'', had its basis from the cancelled KV-13 program and was restarted from the discovery of the [[Tiger H1|Tiger I]] after one was captured in Leningrad, thus it began in January 1943. However, despite the ensuing development, the intense tank fighting in 1943 in Kursk and ensuing operations forced the Object 237 to see action early, with its turret used on the KV-85, which itself was built atop the KV-1S hull. The turret mounted the new 85 mm D-5T gun and would be a great firepower advantage enjoyed by the Soviet tank forces as it gave them a heavy tank with comparable firepower to the Tiger I's 88 mm cannon. At the end of 1943, the Object 237 project was finished and was accepted into service as the '''IS-85''', or the '''IS-1''', named after Iosef (Joseph) Stalin, the current leader of the Soviet Union during World War II, putting an end to the Voroshilov (KV) line of tanks. The IS-1 began to be delivered in October 1943 and went into service in the same month. The IS-1 stayed in service until January 1944, when its production also ended with about 200 units produced.

===Combat usage===
The IS-1, like the KV-85 before it, was a great assist to the Soviet tank forces, giving them a heavily armoured tank with a great 85 mm gun that could defeat most of the German tanks in service except their heaviest ones such as the [[Tiger E|Tiger I]] and the [[Panther D|Panther]] tanks. The IS-1 was issued to Guards Heavy Tank Regiments for service, most notably the 1st, 8th, and 13th Guards Heavy Tank Regiments which saw service in Ukraine and Slovakia. Within a standard IS-1 issue tank, there were often 59 85mm rounds and 2500 rounds for the three DT machine guns, which allowed it to have both superior armaments and capacity compared to the standard [[Tiger E|Tiger I]].

The IS-1 had a short-lived production due to advances in Soviet tank technology. Their standard [[T-34 (1942)|T-34]] medium tanks were upgraded with the same 85 mm gun on the IS-1 into the [[T-34-85]]. The lack of firepower advantage the IS-1 now presented due to this upgrade prompted an up-gunning of the IS tank with a much bigger gun. After further development in late 1943, the IS-1 evolved into the [[IS-2]], which has the larger and much more powerful 122 mm A-19 gun.

=== In-game description ===
The IS-1 was developed in the spring and summer of 1943 by factory No. 100's design bureau led by Z.Y. Kotin. The tank's hull design and overall layout were taken from the previously developed experimental KV-13 tank.The main priority was creating reliable protection against the German 88 mm Flak 18 artillery cannon and making considerable mobility improvements by reducing the tank's mass and introducing a new epicyclic gearbox. The results of battles in 1943 revealed the need for a new heavy assault tank to replace the outdated mass-produced KV tanks. The prototype, designated IS, was built, tested and put into service in the Red Army in July-September 1943. Thanks to its new gearbox and the more streamlined placement of its strengthened armour, the new tank possessed superior mobility.

The IS's tight layout in its habitable section meant that a fifth crew member - the gunner/radio officer - would not fit inside. His duties were distributed between the commander and the driver.

Three crew were housed in the turret: the tank commander and the driver worked to the left of the gun, and the loader to the right. A command cupola with 82 mm thick vertical armour was installed in the tank's turret, and its hull had a hatch leading to the underside of the tank to allow the crew to evacuate in an emergency.

The IS-1 was armed with an 85 mm D-5T Mod. 1943 tank cannon and three machine guns.

It entered mass production in October 1943 at the ChKZ factory. In total, 130 of them were built.

The IS-1 was deployed in battles from February 1944 up to and including the winter of 1945. The results of these battles led to the conclusion that the armament and armour of the new tank were not equal to those of German heavy tanks. At that time, it was recommended that the shape and armour of the frontal hull be changed and the tank's armament upgraded immediately.

== Media ==

[http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23is1 Skins and camouflages for the IS-1 from live.warthunder]

==References==
<references />

== Read also ==
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''

* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''

''ETC.''

== Sources ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{USSR heavy tanks}}

KV-1 (L-11)

2020-04-04T00:18:47Z

U45261376: /* Combat usage */ First time here, I really like war history so I thought I would give this a try!

{{Specs-Card|code=ussr_kv_1_L_11}}
{{About
| about = Soviet heavy tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
| usage = other uses
| link = KV-1 (Family)
}}

== Description ==

[[File:GarageImage KV-1(L-11).jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
{{break}}
The '''{{specs|name}}''' is a rank {{specs|rank}} Soviet heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. This tank was introduced during the closed beta testing for Ground Forces before [[Update 1.41]]. The KV-1 L-11 is the first unlockable Soviet heavy tank which boasts raw firepower and armour at the cost of mobility.

The first heavy tank available in the Soviet branch. It's slow, difficult to manoeuvre and heavily armoured, and mounts the same gun of the [[T-34 (1940)|T-34 1940]], sharing its awful penetration. In Rank II battles, this tank is tough to penetrate so you can lead the assault and absorb shots that will quickly destroy your lighter and better-armed teammates. It's better to prefer short-range engagements, and you must aim for weak spots, but your best weapon is other players, so act like a steel wall and cover other tanks with better guns.

== General info ==
=== Survivability and armour ===

'''Armour type:'''

* Rolled homogeneous armour
* Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
|-
| Hull || 75 mm (31°) ''Front plate'' 70 mm (72°) ''Front glacis'' 25 + 70 mm (7-71°) ''Joint plate'' 75 mm (26-51°) ''Lower glacis'' || 75 mm || 60 mm (13-89°) ''Top'' 70 mm (14-57°) ''Bottom'' || 30 mm
|-
| Turret || 75 mm (15°) ''Turret front'' 90 mm (1-52°) ''Gun mantlet shield'' 75 mm (15-57°) ''Gun mantlet'' || 75 mm (14-15°) || 75 mm (16°) || 40 mm
|-
|}
'''Notes:'''

* Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick, tracks are 30 mm thick.
* Roof armour is quite excellent. 30 - 40 mm is nothing to ignore. It will reliably protect from most autocannons. Although aircraft with unique diving capability and +0 mm arms may still pierce it. More importantly, it makes the vehicle quite resilient against rocket strikes from vehicles such as the [[Calliope|Calliope]].
*The lower glacies, unlike most other tanks, is not a weak spot! It is including your own turrets height significantly better angled than the upper frontal plate. Further, neither the MG port nor the drivers view slit are weak points. Discard them as targets.
* Gun mantlet is an extra 75 mm bolted on to the turret, with some parts with an additional 90 mm added instead. This results in a spaced overlapped part with ~150 mm. Only the cheeks left, and right of the mantlet bulges should be shot! However, these areas are quite small and easily missed, if the turret is traversed.

=== Mobility ===


{{tankMobility|abMinHp= 775|rbMinHp= 531|}}

== Armaments ==
=== Main armament ===

{{main|L-11 (76 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="6" | [[L-11 (76 mm)|76 mm L-11]]
|-
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
|-
| colspan="3" | 111 || -7°/+25° || ±180° || N/A
|-
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
|-
! style="width:4em" |Mode
! style="width:4em" |Stock
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| ''Arcade'' || 7.1 || 9.9 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
|-
| ''Realistic'' || 7.1 || 8.4 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
|-
| 9.3 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
|-
|}

===== Ammunition =====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
|-
! 10m
! 100m
! 500m
! 1000m
! 1500m
! 2000m
|-
| BR-350A || APHEBC ||78||76||69||61||53||47
|-
| BR-350SP || APBC ||93||91||83||74||66||58
|-
| OF-350M || HE ||10||10||10||10||10||10
|-
| Sh-354T || Shrapnel|| 37 || 35 || 29 || 25 || 20 || 17
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
! colspan="11" | Shell details
|-
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of warhead
! rowspan="2" |Velocity in m/s
! rowspan="2" |Projectile Mass in kg
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
''in m:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
''in mm:''
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):''
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° from horizontal:''
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
|-
! 0%
! 50%
! 100%
|-
| BR-350A || APHEBC || 615 || 6.3 || 0.15 || 10.0 || 150 || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| BR-350SP || APBC || 615 || 6.8 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
|-
| OF-350M || HE || 615 || 6.2 || 0.05 || 0.1 || 621 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
|-
| Sh-354T || Shrapnel || 615 || 6.2 || 0.5 || 8.0 || 85 || +0° || 62° || 69° || 73°
|-
|}

===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
[[File:Ammoracks_KV-1(L-11).png|right|thumbnail|x250px|Ammo racks of the KV-1 L-11]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full ammo
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th rack empty
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual discrepancy
|-
| '''111''' || 107 ''(+4)'' || 102 ''(+9)'' || 82 ''(+29)'' || 1 ''(+110)'' || style="text-align:center" | Yes
|-
|}

Turret empty: 102 (+9)

=== Machine guns ===

{{main|DT (7.62 mm)}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="7" | [[DT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm DT]]
|-
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate (shots/minute)
! rowspan="1" | Vertical guidance
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal guidance
|-
| colspan="4" | 1,890 (63) || 600 || N/A || N/A
|-
|}

== Usage in the battles ==

The first thing to know about the tank, just because it's a heavy tank ''does not'' mean you should charge headfirst into the enemy. While it may look intimidating as you watch the enemy's shells deflect off your vehicle as you move slightly forward to their front lines, you risk getting flanked as moving forward gives the enemy enough space to get around and hit you in the vulnerable rear area. Try to avoid letting the enemy get close enough to catch your turret ring and destroy each of your crew from there. Despite the 75 mm all-around armour, don't think for a second that you are invulnerable and play smart still.

One of the more common and dangerous enemies this vehicle will face is the [[Pz.IV F2|Pz IV F2.]] The Panzer IV F2 has thin armour, but the long [[KwK 40 (75 mm)|75 mm]] cannon can easily pierce the KV-1 armour if it is not angled properly. The penetration for the PzGr 39 Shell, which is an APCBC and the stock shell for the Panzer IV F2, at normal combat ranges of 100 meters and 500 meters has 133 mm and 121 mm respectively.

===Counter-tactics===
''Never'' charge into a KV-1 unless you are also playing as a heavy tank. The L-11 is a low-quality gun but can do devastating damage at short range. As a light tank, medium tank, or tank destroyer, ''always'' sneak around the KV-1 and get in shots from the back or side. It is not advised to engage with a KV-1 at all if you are playing as an SPAA.

As a heavy tank, if your gun is capable of penetrating the front of the KV-1's frontal armour, aim for the lower middle of the upper glacis, where the large ammo rack is located. If the shot penetrates, it almost guarantees a destroyed KV-1 as the ammo rack is huge.

As a light tank, medium tank or tank destroyer/SPG, use the advantage of cover (building, hill, trees, etc.) to flank or get behind a KV-1. It will be hard-pressed to turn quickly enough to angle its near-impervious frontal armour towards you. If you are not confident in your gun's ability to deal significant damage to the engine block or ammo racks, it is advised to fire at the tracks and disable the tank before rushing up to it and firing directly at the back. Shooting at the rear of the turret is also an option to attempt to hit one of the ammo racks on either side. However, smarter drivers will empty their turret of ammunition, so firing at the turret will not always work.

===Modules===
As usual, ''Parts'' and ''FPE'' first. ''Tracks'' is a good additional choice, a frequently targeted module. Also, it increases your turning capability a lot. After these, research ''Adjustment of fire'' and ''Brake System'', because the accuracy of the L-11 cannon is slightly increased, even though it is still subpar. The suspension is useful for firing on the move, something particularly useless for a slow, heavy tank. Braking quickly and being able to fire a more accurate shot proves to be much more efficient. The BR-350SP does not see any use. The small gain in penetration is offset by the lack of any HE filler, and the round should be ignored entirely. Afterwards, all Tier III & Tier IV upgrades are equally useful.

=== Pros and cons ===

'''Pros:'''

* All points of armour are better than good at its rank
* Angling your hull makes it virtually immune to most guns it faces
* Virtually no weak spot except the small turret ring
* Gun does decent damage upon penetration
* Heavily armoured for a Rank II tank
* One of the few Russian tanks that have a crew of five
* Excellent rate of fire, useful for short-range engagements
* Quicker and better armed than the other first-rank II heavy tank; the [[Matilda Mk II|Matilda II]]

'''Cons:'''

* L-11 gun is very inadequate for its battle rating
* Low speed, typical for heavy tanks
* Slow turret traverse, if you need to change targets quickly you must rotate both the turret and the hull
* Making turns, especially when playing as the stock KV-1, will decrease your speed dramatically
* Penetration shots from the sides and below the turret are typically catastrophic
* Heavy and slow, you can't relocate quickly, and you are vulnerable when climbing hills
* Later variant of the Panzer IV can easily penetrate your armour, even from the front
* Large fuel tanks lined up on the side
* Cannot reliably compete with other heavy tanks in its BR range
* Most British tanks can penetrate your armour even from long range
* Trying to knock out another KV-1 L-11 is just a waste of shells and time

== History ==

===Development===
The start of the KV-1 heavy tanks began after the heavy tank [[T-35]]'s flaws came to light. Designers were ordered to draw up new designs to become the basis of a breakthrough heavy tank needed for the Soviet doctrine. This made for a tank that was heavily armoured, but not very mobile as it was to be for siege warfare. The designs offered all had heavy armour, wide tracks, and used the torsion-bar suspension. The designs were the [[SMK]], T-100, and what would be the '''KV tank''', which was named after the then Soviet Defense Commissar '''K'''liment '''V'''oroshilov.

During the developmental progress, the prototypes of all these heavy tanks were made, and the Winter War with Finland was on its way. The Soviets sent these tanks into Finland for combat testing, to which the KV design outperform in every way with its superior armour and firepower. The armour on the KV tank was impenetrable by a tank cannon in service and most anti-tank guns as well; the 76.2 mm cannon also gave it a colossal firepower boost compared to the usual 37 mm in use by other countries. However, the design was found to be challenging to steer, the transmission was unreliable, ergonomics were weak, and vision was limited, plus with its 45-ton weight, it was a weighty tank for its time. In truth, while formidable in power and protection, courageous crew member willing to curse the name would speak out about the trouble the KV tank was. The first variant of production before World War II broke out was the '''KV-1''' model. The first model production was equipped with the L-11 cannon, but this was deemed insufficient in performance and was later replaced in subsequent production models by the improved [[KV-1 (ZiS-5)|F-34, or the ZiS-5 cannon]].

===Combat usage===
When Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941, the Red Army had 508 of the KV tanks. With that many KV tanks available, the Russians shocked the German forces as their anti-tank and tank forces had few weapons capable of defeating it, having to rely mostly on the 88 mm Flak guns and the 5 cm Pak 38 with APCR rounds. But by 1942, Germany fielded large amounts of long barreled 50mm and 75mm cannons in both tanks and towed format, making the KV lose much of its armour advantage.

Perhaps the most memorable moment of glory for the KV-1 was at Krasnogvardeysk near Leningrad on the 19th of August 1941 when 5 KV-1s, led by Lt Zinoviy Kolobanov, ambushed the German 8th Panzer Division (a light panzer division consisting mainly of Panzer II, III and 38(t)). But there are some contradicting stories about what happened, and even if it indeed did happen. One story that supports the claim goes like this: each of the five KV-1s was hiding at different locations, came out one by one to fire at the incoming German tanks, then retreat before the next tank could come out. Such tactic boxed an entire tank and ended with 43 tanks destroyed before the KV-1 tanks retreated from running out of ammo, all in a span of about half an hour. During this battle, one of the KV-1 tanks was struck 135 times with no penetration. For their feat, Lt Z. Kolobanov and a few officers were decorated with the Order of Lenin and Order of the Red Banner medal.

The KV-1 continued to serve until the end of the war, though in dwindling numbers as they were lost due to mechanical failures, combat, and being superseded by more modern tanks. Some KV-1s built in 1941 still saw service in 1944 at the Leningrad front before being replaced by IS-2 tanks, then they saw service in Manchuria in 1945 before retired altogether at the end of World War II.

===Variants===
Many variants of the KV tank would be produced in the span of World War II as the Soviet try to keep it in production as long as possible, the initial version was called the '''KV-1''' and remained most part as the main Soviet heavy tank for the first part of World War II. A bunker-buster variant mounting a 152 mm howitzer after experiences in Finland brought the monster '''[[KV-2 (1939)|KV-2]]''' assault tank, which is very turret heavy that it must be on a flat surface to properly rotate. After complaints of its mechanical issues and lack of performance compared to the lighter [[T-34 (1941)|T-34]] medium tank was heard, the factory updated the tank, thinning its armour, and adding a commander's cupola with all-around vision blocks, so in 1943 it was designated as the '''[[KV-1S]]'''. But the KV-1S introduction was a little too late as then the better German tanks such as the [[Panther D|Panther tanks]] could knock them out with ease. An attempt to up-gun the KV-1S was to give it the 85 mm D-5T gun then in use on the [[SU-85]]. This variant was called the '''[[KV-85]]'''. Though it was seen favourable for a nice increase in firepower among the armoured forces, soon even the lighter T-34 began mounting the 85 mm gun as the [[T-34-85]]. It was determined that the heavy tank would have a much bigger gun than the medium tanks, but at the time the KVs were falling out of favour in preference to the newer [[IS-1]] and [[IS-2]] heavy tanks coming into service, which were based off the ''KV-13'' prototype tanks developed in 1942 as a medium tank.

===Survivors===
Several KV-1s survive after the war, most as monuments, but also in museums. Only one genuine KV-1 was restored to running condition in Russia after it was found in the bottom of the Neva River.

=== In-game description ===
The first clashes with Spanish nationalists armed with light anti-tank weapons made it clear that a new heavy tank with cannonproof armour had to be created. The heavy tank's design began at the end of 1938.

For 1940, the mass-produced KV-1 was a truly pioneering innovation, embodying the most advanced ideas of its time: individual torsion-bar suspension, reliable cannonproof armour and a single powerful universal weapon within a classic layout. This was the first time such an arrangement was used on a Soviet mass-produced heavy tank, which meant that the KV-1 received the strongest defences and most potential for modernisation. The tank's armoured hull was welded from 75, 40, 30 and 20 mm thick rolled armour plates. The KV-1 was equipped with a 500 hp B-2K diesel engine and a 76.2 mm L-11 cannon with an ammunition complement of 111 shots, in addition to three 7.62 mm DT machine guns. One was paired with the cannon, while the others were placed on the bow and stern in ball mounts. When necessary, the machine guns could be removed and used outside the tank.
The KV-1 tanks made their debut on the Winter War front. The tank successfully passed its trial by fire. No enemy anti-tank cannon was able to destroy it. Many times, the new vehicles survived battle not only with several, but with several dozen German tanks.

The tank had some serious drawbacks: its poorly designed transmission and air filter, insufficiently durable tracks and road wheels, a crowded fighting compartment and poor vision. The engine and transmission often broke down during intensive use. The tank's 7 tonne turret also caused many problems. Its weight lead to rotation issues related to the high force placed on the aiming mechanism levers and the low power of the electric motors.

== Media ==
[http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=%23kv1l11 '''Skins''' and '''camouflages''' for the KV-1 L-11 series from live.warthunder.com.]

== Read also ==
[https://warthunder.com/en/news/2783/current/ Official War Thunder article: [Historical<nowiki>]</nowiki> Tanks of Kliment Voroshilov] 

== Sources ==
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''

* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''other literature.''

{{USSR heavy tanks}}