Difference between revisions of "KV-2 (ZiS-6)"

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{{Specs-Card|code=ussr_kv_2_zis_6}}
 
 
{{About
 
{{About
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|about= gift Russian heavy tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
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|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.'' -->
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[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
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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.
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{{Break}}
 
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The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a gift rank {{Specs|rank}} Russian heavy tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.59 "Flaming Arrows"]] as a gift vehicle and was available on the Gaijin store for pre-order prior to the update. It is an up-gunned KV-2 featuring the new 107 mm ZIS-6 cannon.
 
  
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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 built with an emphasis of destroying fortification, bunkers and enemy armoured vehicles. Although the armour thickness is the same as the KV-1 and KV-2, this vehicle is notable for having a more powerful cannon; although smaller in calibre to the KV-2, has much higher armour penetration values. In fact, the tank fires Armour-Piercing High-Explosive (APHE) shells with the highest penetration value out of all USSR tanks both at and below its battle rating. With about 163 mm of penetration in normal combat conditions and with 440 grams of explosive filling carried by the default B-420 shell, this tank will obliterate all enemy vehicles upon penetration with the exception of some light-armoured vehicles of which the contact fuse may fail to detonate. Despite its significantly powerful armament, the KV-2 (ZiS-6) is plagued by inherited weaknesses shared within the KV lineage of tanks. 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 slat and exposed turret, almost all tanks and the ammunition they fire (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. Tightly packed and strewn ammunition both within and at the base of the turret will more than likely turn the entire vehicle into a erupting volcano upon being struck by stray shells, if not outright cripple the crew to the point the fire-rate is reduced to virtually a standstill. This tank is a spiritual successor of the original KV-2 in combat operations. Although a high crew count of 6, the rate of fire is relatively slow but faster than its predecessor with a higher velocity and flatter trajectory. The same is unfortunately to be said for its slower turret traverse, reverse and acceleration speed and heavy weight.
+
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.
  
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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 a boon to those seeking increased premium firepower unmatched by any other USSR vehicle at its rank.
+
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|<!--AoAweight=(optional) -->}}
+
{{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. Advise about how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' -->
+
{{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 || 4.86 || 6.72 || 8.16 || 9.02 || 9.60 || rowspan="2" | 21.7 || rowspan="2" | 19.7 || rowspan="2" | 17.7 || rowspan="2" | 16.7
+
| 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''
−
| 3.57 || 4.20 || 5.10 || 5.64 || 6.00
+
| 3.6 || 4.2 || 5.1 || 5.6 || 6.0
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
==== Ammunition ====
 
==== Ammunition ====
−
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
+
The ammunition choice is limited but sufficient:
−
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
+
 
−
|-
+
* '''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.
−
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
+
* '''OF-420''': HE; useful for destroying open and lightly armoured vehicles.
−
! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
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−
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
+
{{:ZIS-6 (107 mm)/Ammunition|B-420, OF-420}}
−
|-
 
−
! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
 
−
|-
 
−
| B-420 || APHEBC || 163 || 161 || 150 || 138 || 127 || 117
 
−
|-
 
−
| OF-420 || HE || 27 || 27 || 27 || 27 || 27 || 27
 
−
|-
 
−
|}
 
−
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
−
! colspan="11" | Shell details
 
−
|-
 
−
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 
−
! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
 
−
! rowspan="2" | Velocity<br>(m/s)
 
−
! rowspan="2" | Projectile<br>Mass (kg)
 
−
! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay<br>(m)
 
−
! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity<br>(mm)
 
−
! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass<br>(TNT equivalent) (g)
 
−
! rowspan="2" | Normalisation at 30°<br>from horizontal
 
−
! colspan="3" | Ricochet
 
−
|-
 
−
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
 
−
|-
 
−
| B-420 || APHEBC || 830 || 16.6 || 1.2 || 19.0 || 440 || +4.0° || 48° || 63° || 71°
 
−
|-
 
−
| OF-420 || HE || 720 || 17.2 || 0.4 || 0.5 || 2,150 || +0.0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
 
−
|-
 
−
|}
 
  
 
==== [[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>Part
+
! 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''' || style="text-align:right" | ''Projectiles''<br />''Propellants'' || 34&nbsp;''(+2)''<br />33&nbsp;''(+3)'' || 31&nbsp;''(+5)''<br />18&nbsp;''(+18)'' || 16&nbsp;''(+20)''<br />12&nbsp;''(+24)'' || 12&nbsp;''(+24)''<br />7&nbsp;''(+29)'' || 6&nbsp;''(+30)''<br />4&nbsp;''(+32)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+35)''<br />1&nbsp;''(+35)'' || style="text-align:left" | No
+
| '''36''' || ''Projectiles'' <br> ''Propellants'' || 34&nbsp;''(+2)'' <br> 33&nbsp;''(+3)'' || 31&nbsp;''(+5)'' <br> 18&nbsp;''(+18)'' || 16&nbsp;''(+20)'' <br> 12&nbsp;''(+24)'' || 12&nbsp;''(+24)'' <br> 7&nbsp;''(+29)'' || 6&nbsp;''(+30)'' <br> 4&nbsp;''(+32)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+35)'' <br> 1&nbsp;''(+35)'' || No
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
 +
'''Notes''':
  
−
Turret left side empty: 18&nbsp;''(+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.
−
<!--==== [[Optics]] ====
+
* Turret left side empty: 18&nbsp;''(+18)''
−
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
−
! colspan="3" | {{PAGENAME}} Optics
 
−
|-
 
−
!
 
−
! Default magnification
 
−
! Maximum magnification
 
−
|-
 
−
! Main Gun optics
 
−
| X1.9 || X3.5
 
−
|-
 
−
! Comparable optics
 
−
| colspan="2" | ___
 
−
|-
 
−
|}
 
−
-->
 
  
 
=== 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<br>(Belt capacity)
 
−
! Fire rate<br>(shots/minute)
 
−
! Vertical<br>guidance
 
−
! Horizontal<br>guidance
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Coaxial || 1,890 (63) || 600 || N/A || N/A
+
| 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 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.
+
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-rate 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.
+
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.
  
 
Another class of vehicles of significant threat are fast-tanks such as the [[M18 GMC]] or [[T-34 (Family)|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
 
Another class of vehicles of significant threat are fast-tanks such as the [[M18 GMC]] or [[T-34 (Family)|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
−
 
−
=== Modules ===
 
−
{| class="wikitable"
 
−
! Tier
 
−
! colspan="2" | Mobility
 
−
! Protection
 
−
! Firepower
 
−
|-
 
−
| I
 
−
| Tracks
 
−
|
 
−
| Parts
 
−
| Horizontal Drive
 
−
|-
 
−
| II
 
−
| Suspension
 
−
| Brake System
 
−
| FPE
 
−
| Adjustment of Fire
 
−
|-
 
−
| III
 
−
| Filters
 
−
|
 
−
| Crew Replenishment
 
−
| Elevation Mechanism
 
−
|-
 
−
| IV
 
−
| Transmission
 
−
| Engine
 
−
|
 
−
|
 
−
|-
 
−
! colspan="5" |This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase
 
−
|-
 
−
|}
 
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
Line 208: Line 152:
 
* 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 214: Line 158:
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
−
* Slow rate of fire
+
* 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 223: 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.'' -->
  
−
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
+
* [[KV-220]]
−
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 
  
 
== 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;''
−
* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
 
 
* ''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

Introducing Wiki 3.0
This page is about the gift Soviet heavy tank KV-2 (ZiS-6). For other versions, see KV-2 (Family).
KV-2 (ZiS-6)
ussr_kv_2_zis_6.png
GarageImage KV-2 (ZiS-6).jpg
KV-2 (ZiS-6)
USSR flag.png USSR
III Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
5.0 5.0 5.0
Class:
PREMIUM
Purchase:3 850 Specs-Card-Eagle.png

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 (Ge icon.png) 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 Ge icon.png 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

Armourfront / side / back
Hull75 / 75 / 70
Turret75 / 75 / 75
Crew6 people
Visibility156 %

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

Speedforward / back
AB37 / 7 km/h
RB and SB35 / 7 km/h
Number of gears5 forward
1 back
Weight52.4 t
Engine power
AB1 145 hp
RB and SB600 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB21.9 hp/t
RB and SB11.5 hp/t
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

Repair cost
AB1 921 Sl icon.png
RB2 085 Sl icon.png
SB2 983 Sl icon.png
Crew training10 000 Sl icon.png
Experts290 000 Sl icon.png
Aces710 Ge icon.png
Research Aces960 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
Talisman.png 2 × 110 / 170 / 190 % Sl icon.png
Talisman.png 2 × 166 / 166 / 166 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Mods tank reinforcement ussr.png
Crew Replenishment
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism

Armaments

Main armament

107 mm ZIS-6 cannon
Ammunition36 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
21.7 → 16.7 s
Vertical guidance-5° / 20°
Main article: 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 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

Ammo racks of the KV-2 (ZiS-6)
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 machine gun (coaxial)
Ammunition3 087 rounds
Belt capacity63 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate600 shots/min
Main article: DT (7.62 mm)
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
KV-2 (ZiS-6) - Might be longer - War Thunder Wiki
KV-2 (ZiS-6)- Railgun - Oxy

See also

External links


Leningrad Kirov Plant (Ленинградский Кировский Завод)
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

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