Difference between revisions of "KV-2 (ZiS-6)"
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{{About | {{About | ||
− | |about= gift | + | |about= gift Soviet heavy tank '''{{PAGENAME}}''' |
|usage= other versions | |usage= other versions | ||
|link= KV-2 (Family) | |link= KV-2 (Family) | ||
+ | }} | ||
+ | {{Specs-Card | ||
+ | |code=ussr_kv_2_zis_6 | ||
+ | |images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg}} | ||
}} | }} | ||
== Description == | == Description == | ||
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' --> | <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' --> | ||
− | + | The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a gift rank {{Specs|rank}} Soviet heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.59 "Flaming Arrows"]] as a [[wt:en/news/3698-development-new-additions-to-the-kv-2-series-en|premium pack]] but was removed from the store at the end of the [[wt:en/news/5865-special-big-war-thunder-birthday-sale-en|2018 6th Anniversary]] sale. It was available from the store for a short time during the [[wt:en/news/6488-shop-black-friday-sale-en|2019 "Black Friday"]]. It was also made available for purchase in-game with Golden Eagles ({{GE}}) during the [[wt:en/news/7054-event-defender-of-the-fatherland-en|2021 "Defender of the Fatherland"]], and the [[wt:en/news/6368-special-tankers-day-celebrate-with-us-en|2019]], [[wt:ru/news/15896-akciya-s-dnyom-tankista-ru|2022]], and [[wt:en/news/8456-special-the-kv-2-zis-6-and-a-decoration-for-tanker-s-day-en|2023]] "Tankers' Day" mini-events and finally returned as a permanent premium vehicle you can buy with GE {{GE}} during the [[wt:en/news/8710-special-anniversary-of-lifting-the-siege-of-leningrad-get-the-kv-2-zis-6-and-earn-a-decal-decoration-en|2024 "Anniversary of lifting the Siege of Leningrad"]] mini-event. | |
− | |||
− | The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a gift rank {{Specs|rank}} | ||
− | + | This tank is a spiritual successor of the original KV-2 in combat operations. Despite its high crew count of 6, the rate of fire is relatively slow; it is however faster than the howitzer-equipped KV-2s, with a higher velocity and flatter trajectory. It does share the same unfortunately slow turret traverse, reverse, acceleration, and heavy weight. | |
Operational and visual characteristics of the KV-2 (ZiS-6) retain the visual and operational similarities to the KV-2 which it is upgraded from. Players experienced in operating previous models of the KV-2 or Soviet SPGs should have little to no difficulty in adjusting to this vehicle. The ZiS-6 can be distinguished from its KV and KV-2 predecessors by its enlarged and tall rectangular turret and longer barrel. A quick glance at this vehicle may be mistaken for similar looking tanks such as the KV-2 in which shares the same turret shape. | Operational and visual characteristics of the KV-2 (ZiS-6) retain the visual and operational similarities to the KV-2 which it is upgraded from. Players experienced in operating previous models of the KV-2 or Soviet SPGs should have little to no difficulty in adjusting to this vehicle. The ZiS-6 can be distinguished from its KV and KV-2 predecessors by its enlarged and tall rectangular turret and longer barrel. A quick glance at this vehicle may be mistaken for similar looking tanks such as the KV-2 in which shares the same turret shape. | ||
− | The KV-2 (ZiS-6)'s closest and most popular competitor of the same battle-rating is the [[KV-85]]. The KV-85 when compared, is free to unlock with currency spending, is lighter in weight, more manoeuvrable, faster in fire rate and turret traverse at the expense of fewer crew members. What the ZiS-6 lacks in these qualities may be compensated by its firepower comparable to | + | The KV-2 (ZiS-6)'s closest and most popular competitor of the same battle-rating is the [[KV-85]]. The KV-85 when compared, is free to unlock with currency spending, is lighter in weight, more manoeuvrable, faster in fire rate and turret traverse at the expense of fewer crew members. What the ZiS-6 lacks in these qualities may be compensated by its firepower comparable to a "mini-[[IS-2]]" as well as the added Premium talisman RP and SL increase bonus of which the KV-85 will lack on the get-go. These detail and information should be considered by the interested user when deciding whether to purchase this tank and incorporating it into their existing arsenal, or when taking into battle. The KV-2 (ZiS-6) will reward those who are patient, and is a boon to those seeking increased premium firepower unmatched by any other USSR vehicle at its rank. |
== General info == | == General info == | ||
=== Survivability and armour === | === Survivability and armour === | ||
+ | {{Specs-Tank-Armour}} | ||
<!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' --> | <!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' --> | ||
+ | Despite its significantly powerful armament, the KV-2 (ZiS-6) is plagued by many of the same weaknesses as all of the the KV lineage. At its battle rating, the tank's armour will be of little protection against other hostile vehicles it will face. With just 75 mm armour all around and including the largely flat and exposed turret, almost all tanks the ZiS-6 will face - a significant number of which have double the penetration value of the thickness of the KV's armour - will penetrate with little to no difficulty. This will more than likely cripple the crew to the point the rate of fire is reduced to virtually a standstill. Besides, tightly packed ammunition both within and at the base of the turret will turn the entire vehicle into an erupting volcano upon ammo rack detonation. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The armour protection of the KV-2 (ZiS-6) is really not great at its BR. The hull front and sides largely consist of 75 mm thick armour plates, which allow the player to angle the hull and increase its effective thickness to ~90-110 mm. However this is still penetrable by common opponents, such as [[Tiger H1]], [[M4A2 (76) W]], [[Chi-Nu (Family)|Chi-Nu]], etc. The biggest and most noticeable weakspot of this KV-2 is of course the huge and flat turret. Protected by 75 mm unsloped armour all round, the turret usually fails to resist incoming shells regardless of whether the player angles it or not. While the original KV-2 has a large bulge on the gun mantlet that can bounce/absorb shells, the KV-2 (ZiS-6) does not. The huge gun mantlet only has the gun barrel sticking out, making it even easier to penetrate. The only advantage brought by this all-round protection is probably that the KV-2 is immune to almost all SPAA (eg. [[Wirbelwind]], [[M19]]) or, when angling, low tier tanks. Opponents who deliberately bring low tier tanks (eg. [[M22]], [[Ho-Ro]]) into this BR will have a hard time trying to penetrate a KV-2 (ZiS-6). The roof armour is between 30-35 mm which can effectively block .50 cal AP bullets, commonly used by Allied planes like P-47D and P-51. However, some aircraft have the ability to penetrate this 30 mm of armour even from far away, for example the Do 335 B-2 whose MK 103 penetrate ~60 mm at ~600 m. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Thanks to the spacious interior and an abundance of crew (6), the KV-2 (ZiS-6) can usually survive a few penetrations in the turret or even in the hull. However as soon as spare crews run out, the KV-2 will once again be very vulnerable. | ||
+ | |||
'''Armour type:''' | '''Armour type:''' | ||
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=== Mobility === | === Mobility === | ||
+ | {{Specs-Tank-Mobility}} | ||
<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' --> | <!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' --> | ||
− | {{tankMobility|abMinHp= 775|rbMinHp= 531 | + | {{tankMobility|abMinHp= 775|rbMinHp= 531}} |
+ | |||
+ | As a KV-2 heavy tank, the {{PAGENAME}} has a slow top speed and HP ratio. However, the acceleration on the {{PAGENAME}} is pretty good: the top speed is reached within seconds on flat terrain, even off-road. Its slow speed won't let you reach the frontline quickly but its good cannon combined with its tall profile and average armour rather call for a playstyle at a good distance from the enemy. The reverse speed is average: it won't let you retreat quickly but isn't a handicap either. The lack of neutral steering makes turning on the spot slow (2 km/h): make sure to build a little speed before turning to increase it (4 km/h). The tracks are quite large and grant you a decent mobility on hard (solid ground, roads) and soft terrain (mud, snow, sand). The {{PAGENAME}} reaches 16 km/h when fording, it struggles at a meagre 4 km/h when climbing uphill from idling and 12 km/h uphill with some speed built-up. Due to its weight, the tank's mobility is unhindered by obstacles. The {{PAGENAME}} also brakes quickly and without skidding although it is a heavy tank. | ||
+ | |||
+ | === Modifications and economy === | ||
+ | {{Specs-Economy}} | ||
== Armaments == | == Armaments == | ||
+ | {{Specs-Tank-Armaments}} | ||
=== Main armament === | === Main armament === | ||
− | <!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. | + | {{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}} |
+ | <!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' --> | ||
{{main|ZIS-6 (107 mm)}} | {{main|ZIS-6 (107 mm)}} | ||
+ | The KV-2 (ZiS-6) is a heavy artillery tank. It is an experimental up-gunned variant of the [[KV-1 (Family)|KV-1]] and [[KV-2 (Family)|KV-2]] models. It was built with an emphasis of destroying fortifications, bunkers, and enemy armoured vehicles, and featured the new 107 mm ZiS-6 cannon. While this vehicle has the same armour as the KV-1 and KV-2, this vehicle is notable for having a more powerful cannon; although smaller in calibre to the other KV-2 variants, the ZiS-6 has much higher armour penetration values. This tank will obliterate all enemy vehicles upon penetration with the exception of some lightly-armoured vehicles on which the contact fuse may fail to detonate. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The 107 mm ZiS-6 cannon, like many Soviet high-calibre cannons, has a few great strengths and some glaring weaknesses. In terms of ballistics, a close comparison in penetration would be the [[KwK36 (88 mm)|88 mm KwK36 cannon]] found on the [[Tiger I (Family)|Tiger I]], but the ZiS-6 has considerably more HE filler. The gun is fairly accurate out to one kilometre, but does suffer an occasional flyer. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As with most large-bore Soviet cannons, the biggest weakness is the long reload - almost 22 seconds with an untrained crew, and not much faster than 17 seconds with an Aced crew. The turret that the ZiS-6 is housed in offers no advantageous features - it is still in essence the same slow-traversing KV-2 turret found on the 152 mm models found at a lower BR. This means that the armour leaves much to be desired at the BR, and that the limited vertical guidance (particularly depression) will leave the ZiS-6 compromised in hilly terrain. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Due to the turret's slow traverse, limited vertical guidance, and the gun's very long reload, the KV-2 ZiS-6 is best used from longer ranges where it can utilize hard cover. | ||
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%" | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%" | ||
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|- | |- | ||
! ''Arcade'' | ! ''Arcade'' | ||
− | | rowspan="2" | 36 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+12° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 4. | + | | rowspan="2" | 36 || rowspan="2" | -5°/+12° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 4.9 || 6.7 || 8.2 || 9.0 || 9.6 || rowspan="2" | 21.71 || rowspan="2" | 19.21 || rowspan="2" | 17.70 || rowspan="2" | 16.70 |
|- | |- | ||
! ''Realistic'' | ! ''Realistic'' | ||
− | | 3. | + | | 3.6 || 4.2 || 5.1 || 5.6 || 6.0 |
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
==== Ammunition ==== | ==== Ammunition ==== | ||
− | + | The ammunition choice is limited but sufficient: | |
− | + | ||
− | + | * '''B-420''': APHEBC - A capped armour-piercing shell with a ballistic cap that has relatively high penetration power and explosive filler. It will destroy any armoured target it penetrates. | |
− | + | * '''OF-420''': HE; useful for destroying open and lightly armoured vehicles. | |
− | + | ||
− | + | {{:ZIS-6 (107 mm)/Ammunition|B-420, OF-420}} | |
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− | | B-420 | ||
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==== [[Ammo racks]] ==== | ==== [[Ammo racks]] ==== | ||
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]] | [[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]] | ||
+ | <!-- '''Last updated:''' --> | ||
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||
|- | |- | ||
! Full<br>ammo | ! Full<br>ammo | ||
− | ! Ammo<br> | + | ! Ammo<br>part |
! 1st<br>rack empty | ! 1st<br>rack empty | ||
! 2nd<br>rack empty | ! 2nd<br>rack empty | ||
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! Visual<br>discrepancy | ! Visual<br>discrepancy | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | '''36''' | | + | | '''36''' || ''Projectiles'' <br> ''Propellants'' || 34 ''(+2)'' <br> 33 ''(+3)'' || 31 ''(+5)'' <br> 18 ''(+18)'' || 16 ''(+20)'' <br> 12 ''(+24)'' || 12 ''(+24)'' <br> 7 ''(+29)'' || 6 ''(+30)'' <br> 4 ''(+32)'' || 1 ''(+35)'' <br> 1 ''(+35)'' || No |
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
+ | '''Notes''': | ||
− | Turret left side empty: 18 ''(+18)'' | + | * The {{PAGENAME}} uses two-piece ammunition, composed of projectiles (yellow) and propellant bags (orange). Both have separate racks. |
− | + | * Projectiles and propellant charges are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded. | |
− | + | * Turret left side empty: 18 ''(+18)'' | |
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=== Machine guns === | === Machine guns === | ||
+ | {{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}} | ||
<!-- ''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.'' --> | <!-- ''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.'' --> | ||
{{main|DT (7.62 mm)}} | {{main|DT (7.62 mm)}} | ||
− | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | + | {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%" |
|- | |- | ||
! colspan="5" | [[DT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm DT]] | ! colspan="5" | [[DT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm DT]] | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | ! Mount | + | ! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal |
− | ! Capacity | ||
− | ! Fire rate | ||
− | ! Vertical | ||
− | ! Horizontal | ||
|- | |- | ||
− | | Coaxial || | + | | Coaxial || 3,087 (63) || 600 || N/A || N/A |
|- | |- | ||
|} | |} | ||
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== Usage in battles == | == Usage in battles == | ||
<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' --> | <!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' --> | ||
− | At its | + | At its rank and battle rating, the KV-2 (ZiS-6)'s armour is no longer up to par against newer and more powerful weapon systems of opposition vehicles it will face. Although unlike the [[IS-1]] successor of which is unable to protect itself by angling due to the rounded turret mount causing a vulnerability, the KV-2 has less of this issue as the entire front potion of the front and lower-plate is designed to be straight and rectangular and allowing it to deflect or ricochet some shots when angled optimally but the large turret is extreme exposed and vulnerable to head-on fire. |
− | Due to its unsatisfactory manoeuvrability, fire | + | Due to its unsatisfactory manoeuvrability, rate of fire and traverse speed, close-quarters engagements against multiple enemies in small-spaced environments are highly discouraged unless absolutely necessary. The tank is too large and slow to escape or retreat from what would be overwhelming situations, and too large to hide. Should the need to enter tight alleyways and streets if towns or cities, escort either by or with other friendly units are of utmost importance and should best serve in a support capacity should more heavily armoured opponents are encountered. This tank excels best at long to medium range engagements on largely open areas. Due to its poor -5 degrees of gun depression - a trait inherited by all USSR armoured vehicles, engaging hostiles by cresting over the tops of hills are highly discouraged unless absolutely necessary. Should clusters of multiple hostile vehicles are encountered in combat, the optimal tactic is to wait for them to split up before engaging them one-by-one if the opportunity presents itself. |
Lightly armoured vehicles where the contact fuse may not activate upon penetration such as the [[Waffentrager]] or [[Nashorn]] are of the most concern as the default B-420 APHE shell has the tendency of penetrating from the front to rear dealing less damage than what is expected. Follow up shots may be required. Although the HE OF-420 shell is an excellent solution, the 16 .7 to 21.51 seconds of shell swap may not warrant enough justification for use when few seconds are only available to determines survival. | Lightly armoured vehicles where the contact fuse may not activate upon penetration such as the [[Waffentrager]] or [[Nashorn]] are of the most concern as the default B-420 APHE shell has the tendency of penetrating from the front to rear dealing less damage than what is expected. Follow up shots may be required. Although the HE OF-420 shell is an excellent solution, the 16 .7 to 21.51 seconds of shell swap may not warrant enough justification for use when few seconds are only available to determines survival. | ||
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* Excellent firepower | * Excellent firepower | ||
* Greatly improved reload speed over previous KV-2 models | * Greatly improved reload speed over previous KV-2 models | ||
− | * High crew capacity (6) | + | * High crew capacity (6 crew members) |
* High velocity and powerful munition | * High velocity and powerful munition | ||
* Premium talisman with RP and SL increase bonus | * Premium talisman with RP and SL increase bonus | ||
Line 179: | Line 158: | ||
'''Cons:''' | '''Cons:''' | ||
− | * | + | * Reload time is still very long |
* Insufficient armour protection | * Insufficient armour protection | ||
* Poor gun depression of -5° (common trait of all USSR tanks) | * Poor gun depression of -5° (common trait of all USSR tanks) | ||
Line 188: | Line 167: | ||
== History == | == History == | ||
− | ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' | + | <!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' --> |
+ | In the late 1930s, the Soviet Directorate of Artillery, a part of the Soviet Ministry of Defense, issued a directive to design and build larger field artillery. By late 1937, going into 1938, proposals included both 95 mm calibre and 107 mm calibre. In the early 1940s, the Soviets had incorrectly received reports of up-armoured German tanks, leading them to question if their current 45 mm and 76 mm cannons were sufficient to combat the new German tanks. In response, the Soviets eventually drew up plans for the KV-4, to be armed with a ZiS-6 107 mm cannon. The 107 mm cannon passed factory tests in early 1941, and by mid 1941, had been mounted into the turret of a KV-2 for further testing and analysis. It was through this testing that the KV-2 with ZiS-6 cannon came into existence, as we see it in War Thunder. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Several hundred 107 mm ZiS-6 guns were created in anticipation of being fitted to the KV-4 and KV-5 heavy tanks. When the KV-4 was dropped in favour of the KV-5 (also to be armed with ZiS-6), and the KV-5 subsequently dropped due to the siege of Leningrad, all of the ZiS-6 guns were destroyed and scrapped, since the heavy tanks they were intended to be mounted in would never materialize. | ||
== Media == | == Media == | ||
− | ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' | + | <!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' --> |
+ | |||
+ | ;Skins | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ussr_kv_2_zis_6 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.] | ||
+ | |||
+ | ;Videos | ||
+ | {{Youtube-gallery|U1WIeQebl_E|'''KV-2 (ZiS-6) - Might be longer''' - ''War Thunder Wiki''|58HLHnOFjd0|'''KV-2 (ZiS-6)- Railgun''' - ''Oxy''}} | ||
== See also == | == See also == | ||
− | ''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:'' | + | <!--''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.'' --> | ||
− | * | + | * [[KV-220]] |
− | |||
== External links == | == External links == | ||
<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:'' | <!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:'' | ||
* ''topic on the official game forum;'' | * ''topic on the official game forum;'' | ||
− | |||
* ''other literature.'' --> | * ''other literature.'' --> | ||
* [[wt:en/news/3698-development-new-additions-to-the-kv-2-series-en/|[Devblog] New additions to the KV-2 series]] | * [[wt:en/news/3698-development-new-additions-to-the-kv-2-series-en/|[Devblog] New additions to the KV-2 series]] | ||
+ | {{TankManufacturer Kirov}} | ||
{{USSR heavy tanks}} | {{USSR heavy tanks}} | ||
{{USSR premium ground vehicles}} | {{USSR premium ground vehicles}} |
Latest revision as of 14:08, 25 February 2024
This page is about the gift Soviet heavy tank KV-2 (ZiS-6). For other versions, see KV-2 (Family). |
Contents
Description
The KV-2 (ZiS-6) is a gift rank III Soviet heavy tank with a battle rating of 5.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.59 "Flaming Arrows" as a premium pack but was removed from the store at the end of the 2018 6th Anniversary sale. It was available from the store for a short time during the 2019 "Black Friday". It was also made available for purchase in-game with Golden Eagles () during the 2021 "Defender of the Fatherland", and the 2019, 2022, and 2023 "Tankers' Day" mini-events and finally returned as a permanent premium vehicle you can buy with GE during the 2024 "Anniversary of lifting the Siege of Leningrad" mini-event.
This tank is a spiritual successor of the original KV-2 in combat operations. Despite its high crew count of 6, the rate of fire is relatively slow; it is however faster than the howitzer-equipped KV-2s, with a higher velocity and flatter trajectory. It does share the same unfortunately slow turret traverse, reverse, acceleration, and heavy weight.
Operational and visual characteristics of the KV-2 (ZiS-6) retain the visual and operational similarities to the KV-2 which it is upgraded from. Players experienced in operating previous models of the KV-2 or Soviet SPGs should have little to no difficulty in adjusting to this vehicle. The ZiS-6 can be distinguished from its KV and KV-2 predecessors by its enlarged and tall rectangular turret and longer barrel. A quick glance at this vehicle may be mistaken for similar looking tanks such as the KV-2 in which shares the same turret shape.
The KV-2 (ZiS-6)'s closest and most popular competitor of the same battle-rating is the KV-85. The KV-85 when compared, is free to unlock with currency spending, is lighter in weight, more manoeuvrable, faster in fire rate and turret traverse at the expense of fewer crew members. What the ZiS-6 lacks in these qualities may be compensated by its firepower comparable to a "mini-IS-2" as well as the added Premium talisman RP and SL increase bonus of which the KV-85 will lack on the get-go. These detail and information should be considered by the interested user when deciding whether to purchase this tank and incorporating it into their existing arsenal, or when taking into battle. The KV-2 (ZiS-6) will reward those who are patient, and is a boon to those seeking increased premium firepower unmatched by any other USSR vehicle at its rank.
General info
Survivability and armour
Despite its significantly powerful armament, the KV-2 (ZiS-6) is plagued by many of the same weaknesses as all of the the KV lineage. At its battle rating, the tank's armour will be of little protection against other hostile vehicles it will face. With just 75 mm armour all around and including the largely flat and exposed turret, almost all tanks the ZiS-6 will face - a significant number of which have double the penetration value of the thickness of the KV's armour - will penetrate with little to no difficulty. This will more than likely cripple the crew to the point the rate of fire is reduced to virtually a standstill. Besides, tightly packed ammunition both within and at the base of the turret will turn the entire vehicle into an erupting volcano upon ammo rack detonation.
The armour protection of the KV-2 (ZiS-6) is really not great at its BR. The hull front and sides largely consist of 75 mm thick armour plates, which allow the player to angle the hull and increase its effective thickness to ~90-110 mm. However this is still penetrable by common opponents, such as Tiger H1, M4A2 (76) W, Chi-Nu, etc. The biggest and most noticeable weakspot of this KV-2 is of course the huge and flat turret. Protected by 75 mm unsloped armour all round, the turret usually fails to resist incoming shells regardless of whether the player angles it or not. While the original KV-2 has a large bulge on the gun mantlet that can bounce/absorb shells, the KV-2 (ZiS-6) does not. The huge gun mantlet only has the gun barrel sticking out, making it even easier to penetrate. The only advantage brought by this all-round protection is probably that the KV-2 is immune to almost all SPAA (eg. Wirbelwind, M19) or, when angling, low tier tanks. Opponents who deliberately bring low tier tanks (eg. M22, Ho-Ro) into this BR will have a hard time trying to penetrate a KV-2 (ZiS-6). The roof armour is between 30-35 mm which can effectively block .50 cal AP bullets, commonly used by Allied planes like P-47D and P-51. However, some aircraft have the ability to penetrate this 30 mm of armour even from far away, for example the Do 335 B-2 whose MK 103 penetrate ~60 mm at ~600 m.
Thanks to the spacious interior and an abundance of crew (6), the KV-2 (ZiS-6) can usually survive a few penetrations in the turret or even in the hull. However as soon as spare crews run out, the KV-2 will once again be very vulnerable.
Armour type:
- Rolled homogeneous armour
Armour | Front (Slope Angle°) | Sides | Rear | Roof |
---|---|---|---|---|
Hull | 75 mm (31°) Front plate 70 mm (71°) Front glacis 75 mm (25-74°) Lower glacis 45 mm (1-50°) Machine gun port |
75 mm | 60 mm (3-86°) Top 70 mm (11-58°) Bottom |
35 mm Front 30 mm Rear 35 mm Hatches |
Turret | 75 mm (1°) Front turret 70 + 70 mm (1-62°) Gun mantlet |
75 mm | 75 mm (1°) 45 mm (1-50°) Machine gun port |
30 mm |
Notes:
- Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick, torsion bars are 20 mm thick, and tracks are 30 mm thick.
- Front belly armour is 35 mm thick, rear belly armour is 30 mm thick.
Mobility
Game Mode | Max Speed (km/h) | Weight (tons) | Engine power (horsepower) | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Forward | Reverse | Stock | Upgraded | Stock | Upgraded | ||
Arcade | 37 | 7 | 52.4 | 775 | 1,145 | 14.79 | 21.85 |
Realistic | 35 | 7 | 531 | 600 | 10.13 | 11.45 |
As a KV-2 heavy tank, the KV-2 (ZiS-6) has a slow top speed and HP ratio. However, the acceleration on the KV-2 (ZiS-6) is pretty good: the top speed is reached within seconds on flat terrain, even off-road. Its slow speed won't let you reach the frontline quickly but its good cannon combined with its tall profile and average armour rather call for a playstyle at a good distance from the enemy. The reverse speed is average: it won't let you retreat quickly but isn't a handicap either. The lack of neutral steering makes turning on the spot slow (2 km/h): make sure to build a little speed before turning to increase it (4 km/h). The tracks are quite large and grant you a decent mobility on hard (solid ground, roads) and soft terrain (mud, snow, sand). The KV-2 (ZiS-6) reaches 16 km/h when fording, it struggles at a meagre 4 km/h when climbing uphill from idling and 12 km/h uphill with some speed built-up. Due to its weight, the tank's mobility is unhindered by obstacles. The KV-2 (ZiS-6) also brakes quickly and without skidding although it is a heavy tank.
Modifications and economy
Armaments
Main armament
The KV-2 (ZiS-6) is a heavy artillery tank. It is an experimental up-gunned variant of the KV-1 and KV-2 models. It was built with an emphasis of destroying fortifications, bunkers, and enemy armoured vehicles, and featured the new 107 mm ZiS-6 cannon. While this vehicle has the same armour as the KV-1 and KV-2, this vehicle is notable for having a more powerful cannon; although smaller in calibre to the other KV-2 variants, the ZiS-6 has much higher armour penetration values. This tank will obliterate all enemy vehicles upon penetration with the exception of some lightly-armoured vehicles on which the contact fuse may fail to detonate.
The 107 mm ZiS-6 cannon, like many Soviet high-calibre cannons, has a few great strengths and some glaring weaknesses. In terms of ballistics, a close comparison in penetration would be the 88 mm KwK36 cannon found on the Tiger I, but the ZiS-6 has considerably more HE filler. The gun is fairly accurate out to one kilometre, but does suffer an occasional flyer.
As with most large-bore Soviet cannons, the biggest weakness is the long reload - almost 22 seconds with an untrained crew, and not much faster than 17 seconds with an Aced crew. The turret that the ZiS-6 is housed in offers no advantageous features - it is still in essence the same slow-traversing KV-2 turret found on the 152 mm models found at a lower BR. This means that the armour leaves much to be desired at the BR, and that the limited vertical guidance (particularly depression) will leave the ZiS-6 compromised in hilly terrain.
Due to the turret's slow traverse, limited vertical guidance, and the gun's very long reload, the KV-2 ZiS-6 is best used from longer ranges where it can utilize hard cover.
107 mm ZIS-6 | Turret rotation speed (°/s) | Reloading rate (seconds) | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mode | Capacity | Vertical | Horizontal | Stabilizer | Stock | Upgraded | Full | Expert | Aced | Stock | Full | Expert | Aced |
Arcade | 36 | -5°/+12° | ±180° | N/A | 4.9 | 6.7 | 8.2 | 9.0 | 9.6 | 21.71 | 19.21 | 17.70 | 16.70 |
Realistic | 3.6 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 5.6 | 6.0 |
Ammunition
The ammunition choice is limited but sufficient:
- B-420: APHEBC - A capped armour-piercing shell with a ballistic cap that has relatively high penetration power and explosive filler. It will destroy any armoured target it penetrates.
- OF-420: HE; useful for destroying open and lightly armoured vehicles.
Penetration statistics | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm) | |||||
10 m | 100 m | 500 m | 1,000 m | 1,500 m | 2,000 m | ||
B-420 | APHEBC | 155 | 152 | 143 | 131 | 121 | 111 |
OF-420 | HE | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 |
Shell details | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ammunition | Type of warhead |
Velocity (m/s) |
Projectile mass (kg) |
Fuse delay (m) |
Fuse sensitivity (mm) |
Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g) |
Ricochet | |||||
0% | 50% | 100% | ||||||||||
B-420 | APHEBC | 800 | 16.6 | 1.2 | 19 | 440 | 48° | 63° | 71° | |||
OF-420 | HE | 720 | 17.2 | 0 | 0.1 | 2,150 | 79° | 80° | 81° |
Ammo racks
Full ammo |
Ammo part |
1st rack empty |
2nd rack empty |
3rd rack empty |
4th rack empty |
5th rack empty |
6th rack empty |
Visual discrepancy |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
36 | Projectiles Propellants |
34 (+2) 33 (+3) |
31 (+5) 18 (+18) |
16 (+20) 12 (+24) |
12 (+24) 7 (+29) |
6 (+30) 4 (+32) |
1 (+35) 1 (+35) |
No |
Notes:
- The KV-2 (ZiS-6) uses two-piece ammunition, composed of projectiles (yellow) and propellant bags (orange). Both have separate racks.
- Projectiles and propellant charges are modeled individually and disappear after having been shot or loaded.
- Turret left side empty: 18 (+18)
Machine guns
7.62 mm DT | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Mount | Capacity (Belt) | Fire rate | Vertical | Horizontal |
Coaxial | 3,087 (63) | 600 | N/A | N/A |
Usage in battles
At its rank and battle rating, the KV-2 (ZiS-6)'s armour is no longer up to par against newer and more powerful weapon systems of opposition vehicles it will face. Although unlike the IS-1 successor of which is unable to protect itself by angling due to the rounded turret mount causing a vulnerability, the KV-2 has less of this issue as the entire front potion of the front and lower-plate is designed to be straight and rectangular and allowing it to deflect or ricochet some shots when angled optimally but the large turret is extreme exposed and vulnerable to head-on fire.
Due to its unsatisfactory manoeuvrability, rate of fire and traverse speed, close-quarters engagements against multiple enemies in small-spaced environments are highly discouraged unless absolutely necessary. The tank is too large and slow to escape or retreat from what would be overwhelming situations, and too large to hide. Should the need to enter tight alleyways and streets if towns or cities, escort either by or with other friendly units are of utmost importance and should best serve in a support capacity should more heavily armoured opponents are encountered. This tank excels best at long to medium range engagements on largely open areas. Due to its poor -5 degrees of gun depression - a trait inherited by all USSR armoured vehicles, engaging hostiles by cresting over the tops of hills are highly discouraged unless absolutely necessary. Should clusters of multiple hostile vehicles are encountered in combat, the optimal tactic is to wait for them to split up before engaging them one-by-one if the opportunity presents itself.
Lightly armoured vehicles where the contact fuse may not activate upon penetration such as the Waffentrager or Nashorn are of the most concern as the default B-420 APHE shell has the tendency of penetrating from the front to rear dealing less damage than what is expected. Follow up shots may be required. Although the HE OF-420 shell is an excellent solution, the 16 .7 to 21.51 seconds of shell swap may not warrant enough justification for use when few seconds are only available to determines survival.
Another class of vehicles of significant threat are fast-tanks such as the M18 GMC or T-34 tanks capable of running circles in ways the KV-2 (ZiS-6)'s slow turret traverse rate and poor manoeuvrability will be unable to cope in close-quarters engagements. The last type of vehicle of concern are low-chassis tanks such as the ASU-57, ASU-85, PT-76B and even some German tank-destroyers are so small to the point they safely drive up to the vicinity of KV-2 and be immune from retaliation due to the 107 mm gun situated on a high turret and only -5° degrees of elevation down and 15° up
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Excellent firepower
- Greatly improved reload speed over previous KV-2 models
- High crew capacity (6 crew members)
- High velocity and powerful munition
- Premium talisman with RP and SL increase bonus
Cons:
- Reload time is still very long
- Insufficient armour protection
- Poor gun depression of -5° (common trait of all USSR tanks)
- Large profile
- Poor manoeuvrability and slow speed
- High weight
- High risk of internal ammunition explosions by penetrating shells
History
In the late 1930s, the Soviet Directorate of Artillery, a part of the Soviet Ministry of Defense, issued a directive to design and build larger field artillery. By late 1937, going into 1938, proposals included both 95 mm calibre and 107 mm calibre. In the early 1940s, the Soviets had incorrectly received reports of up-armoured German tanks, leading them to question if their current 45 mm and 76 mm cannons were sufficient to combat the new German tanks. In response, the Soviets eventually drew up plans for the KV-4, to be armed with a ZiS-6 107 mm cannon. The 107 mm cannon passed factory tests in early 1941, and by mid 1941, had been mounted into the turret of a KV-2 for further testing and analysis. It was through this testing that the KV-2 with ZiS-6 cannon came into existence, as we see it in War Thunder.
Several hundred 107 mm ZiS-6 guns were created in anticipation of being fitted to the KV-4 and KV-5 heavy tanks. When the KV-4 was dropped in favour of the KV-5 (also to be armed with ZiS-6), and the KV-5 subsequently dropped due to the siege of Leningrad, all of the ZiS-6 guns were destroyed and scrapped, since the heavy tanks they were intended to be mounted in would never materialize.
Media
- Skins
- Videos
See also
External links
Leningrad Kirov Plant (Ленинградский Кировский Завод) | |
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Medium Tanks | |
T-28 | T-28 (1938) · T-28 · T-28E |
T-80 | T-80B · T-80U · T-80UK · T-80BVM |
Heavy Tanks | |
KV-1 | KV-1 (L-11) · KV-1 (ZiS-5) · KV-1E · KV-1S |
KV-2 | KV-2 (1939) · KV-2 (1940) · KV-2 (ZiS-6) |
Other | SMK · KV-220 · IS-7 · Object 279 |
Captured | |
KV | ▀KV-IB · ▀KW I C 756 (r) · ▀KW II 754 (r) |
Other | T-28 (Sweden) |
Export | T-80U (Sweden) |
See Also | Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant |
USSR heavy tanks | |
---|---|
KV-1 | KV-1 (L-11) · KV-1 (ZiS-5) · KV-1E · KV-1S |
KV-2 | KV-2 (1939) · KV-2 (1940) · KV-2 (ZiS-6) |
Other KVs | KV-85 · KV-122 · KV-220 |
IS-1/2 | IS-1 · IS-2 · IS-2 (1944) · IS-2 No.321 · IS-2 "Revenge" · Object 248 |
Other IS tanks | IS-3 · IS-4M · IS-6 · IS-7 |
T-10 | T-10A · T-10M |
Multi-turreted | T-35 · SMK |
Other | Object 279 |
Lend-Lease | ▂MK-II "Matilda" |
USSR premium ground vehicles | |
---|---|
Light tanks | BA-11 · RBT-5 · BT-7A (F-32) · T-26 (1st Gv.T.Br.) · T-26E · T-126 · PT-76-57 · 2S38 |
Medium tanks | T-34 (Prototype) · T-34 (1st Gv.T.Br.) · T-34E · T-34-57 (1943) · T-34-85E · T-34-100 · T-44-122 · TO-55 · T-55AM-1 · T-72AV (TURMS-T) · T-80UD · Т-80U-Е1 |
▂M3 Medium · ▂M4A2 · ▂T-III · ▂T-V · ▂МК-IX "Valentine" | |
Heavy tanks | SMK · T-35 · ▂MK-II "Matilda" · KV-1E · KV-2 (1940) · KV-2 (ZiS-6) · KV-122 · KV-220 · IS-2 "Revenge" · Object 248 · IS-6 · T-10A |
Tank destroyers | BM-8-24 · BM-13N · BM-31-12 |
SU-57 · SU-76D · SU-76M (5th Gv.Kav.Corps) · SU-85A · SU-100Y · SU-122P · Object 120 | |
SPAA | ▂Phòng không T-34 · ZUT-37 |