KV-IB (Germany)

▀KV-IB

▀KV-IB

Germany

III Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
4.3	4.0	4.3

Class:

PREMIUM

Heavy tank

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

MARKET

This page is about the German heavy tank KV-IB (Germany). For other uses, see KV-1 (Family).

Description

The ▀KV-IB is a gift rank III German heavy tank with a battle rating of 4.3 (AB/SB) and 4.0 (RB). It was first unveiled in the game in Update 1.41.27. Possibly the second rarest tank in-game, next to the E-100, the KV-1B cannot be obtained by ordinary means. It was first obtainable by purchasing selected MSI products in Russia. In 2015, an event known as "Summertime Madness" had the KV-1B available to be obtained as a prize. The vehicle has since been available to be obtained via events, such as the March 2016 "War Thunder:100" team deathmatch event and the Warbond shop in the 4th, 5th, and 6th War Thunder anniversary. Aside from these events, it is not available in-game or via the gift shop.

Performance wise, the KV-1B is identical to the Soviet KV-1E with the applique armour. The applique armour is seen on the front hull plate, lower glacis, bits of the sides, and the turret sides.

The KV-1B is unique for the German tree with its three-tone default camouflage of green, white, and brown. This was the Finnish armour camouflage scheme in World War 2, as the KV-1B represents one captured and being used in Finnish service.

The KV-1B is armed with a 76 mm F-32 gun, which in-game is equivalent to the L-11 gun on the early T-34. This gives the KV-1B a rather poor firepower rating as a point-blank shot could only penetrate 73 mm, although the APHEBC rounds with their explosive fillers are more than adequate to cripple enemy tanks should it penetrate. The choice between high-explosive and frag ammunition is also liberty to take against lightly armoured vehicles. Another worry for the firepower department is the turret traverse rate, which is rather slow.

Armour on the KV-1B is brought up to the great amount for the battle rating, the hull plates of 75 mm on the front and sides being bolstered by an additional 25 mm plates. The turret side armour also experiences the same upgrade. The common weak point on the KV-1 tanks from the front, the turret, also has some 25 mm applique armour covering the flat turret cheeks, reducing the flat 75 mm profile by a large margin. This leaves only the round slope gun mantlet and the minuscule turret cheeks as prominent weak points towards the enemy.

The KV-1B's mobility is a mixed bag due to the heavier weight. On flat grounds going forward, it can accelerate efficiently, but constant turning will burn off speed rapidly. Going up hills will be problematic if speed is not conserved for the climb. Overall, the KV-1B can be trusted to drive over distance, but any quick changes in a pre-planned path could hinder its overall movement speed.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

• Rolled homogeneous armour

Armour	Front	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	75 + 25 mm (30-31°) Front plate 40 mm (72°) Front glacis 75 mm + 25 mm (26-51°) Lower glacis	75 + 25 mm	60 mm (13-89°) Top 70 mm (14-57°) Bottom	30 mm
Turret	75 + 30 mm (14°) Turret front 90 mm (1-62°) Gun mantlet shield 75 mm (4-36°) Gun mantlet	75 + 30 mm (14-15°)	75 mm (15-16°)	40 mm

Notes:

• Suspension wheels are 20 mm thick, tracks are 30 mm thick.
• Roof armour is quite excellent. 30 - 40 mm is nothing to ignore. It will reliably protect from most autocannons. Although aircraft with good driveability and +30mm arms may still pierce it. More importantly, it makes the vehicle quite resilient against rocket strikes from vehicles such as the Calliope.
• The lower glacies, unlike most other tanks, is not a weak spot! It is significantly better angled than the upper frontal plate. Further, neither the MG port nor the drivers view slit are weak points. Discard them as targets if aiming for them.
• Gun mantlet is an extra 75 mm bolted on to the turret, with some parts with an extra 90 mm added instead. This results in a spaced overlapped part with ~150 mm. Only the cheeks left and right of the mantlet bulges should be shot! However, these areas are quite small and easily missed, if the turret is traversed.
• Extra armour indicated by the addition to the armour is not placed all over the tank, thus revealing some weaker areas on the front hull and sides.

The Finnish KV-1B has excellent protection characteristics. Above from its naturally tough KV-1 body that consists primarily of 75 mm of armour, it has armour screens ranging of 25 and 30 mm thick on the hull and turret respectively. Those who fight the Russian KV-1E may understand some weak points, but the KV-1B remains a tough tank. Another part of why the KV-1E is quite a threat is that the tank is overall quite fast once it has accelerated, coupled with its armour makes it quite a swift bruiser.

Among this extra armour, the KV-1B still possesses a few weak points. Starting from the hull front, the driver hatch and bow machine gun are uncovered by the extra plating. There are some small uncovered areas in the lower glacis as well if it can be targeted. In the hull sides, the 25 mm extra armour is mostly present at the higher part of the side armour behind the suspension, so aim closer towards the wheels, or even between the suspension wheels, to hit the thinner 75 mm side. Hitting the hull sides is a recommended tactic as behind the hull sides are the ammunition and fuel tanks, which can ignite or explode if hit that will instantly destroy the KV-1B. If these extra armours prove too hindering, rest assured that the rear hull armour is actually unprotected by these extra plates, so the usual thickness of 60-70 mm at the rear can be exploited by fast and flanking vehicles to immobilize the KV-1B through the transmission and engine. However, the strong hull front and sides make an angled KV-1B a dangerous enemy as it will then be very hard to penetrate through there,

The turret is better protected than the hull with 30 mm extra plates, but some weakness can still be found. In the turret front, the extra armour covers the flat side area that would nominally be 75 mm thick, preventing easy turret cheek shots. However, the gun mantlet cheeks that are 90 mm and the tiny area under it that is 75 mm is not covered by these extra plates. With a sufficiently powerful weapon, this turret front area can be the only area that is easily penetrable when a KV-1B is aiming towards the player. The turret sides are another story, with 30 mm extra armour covering a large portion of it, it might actually be one of the worst areas to shoot the KV-1B at as coupled with this armour, and movement from the KV-1B turret can change the shot angle and simply bounce away from the shot. There are small slivers of weak points in this 30 mm plate, right around the area the 30 mm plates seem to intersect, there are two holes present that will reveal the 75 mm armour underneath. This allows a clean shot to the turret side and, if the enemy is carrying lots of ammunition, a chance to strike one of the ammo racks in the turret and instantly destroying the tank. The turret rear, like the hull rear, is not protected by extra armour so a manoeuvre around the KV-1B to it can allow the player to use their weaponry against the more vulnerable hull and turret rear sides.

Though the F-32 gun is the weaker end of the Russian 76 mm guns, it is still quite powerful against most vehicles so take caution when fighting it. One firepower trait to exploit on the KV-1B is the rather slow turret traverse rate, which means the KV-1B will have a hard time keeping track of flanking vehicles and especially vehicles that are up close to it on the sides, especially without turning the hull with it. With allies, a small light tank can get up close and force the KV-1B to try and turn its turret and hull to keep up with the small circling tank, and allow an ally with a powerful gun to hit the KV-1B at weak points when it is concentrating on the more immediate threat of a light circling it. Nevertheless, a small light tank can do plenty of damage itself using the aforementioned armour weak points and while outrunning the KV-1B, it is helpless to a quick foe if there are no other enemy players around to assist it.

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons)	Add-on Armour weight (tons)	Max speed (km/h)
49.0	N/A	36 (AB)
		34 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	775	954
Realistic/Simulator	531	600
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	15.82	19.47
Realistic/Simulator	10.84	12.24

Armaments

Main armament

76 mm F-32
Capacity			Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance	Stabilizer
111			-5°/+25°	±180°	N/A
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode	Stock	Upgraded	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade	7.1	9.9	_.__	_.__	_.__
Realistic	7.1	8.4	_.__	_.__	_.__
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock	Prior + Full crew	Prior + Expert qualif.	Prior + Ace qualif.
9.3	_.__	_.__	_.__

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration in mm @ 90°
		10m	100m	500m	1000m	1500m	2000m
BR-350A	APHEBC	73	71	65	57	51	45
BR-350B	APHEBC	77	76	69	61	54	48
OF-350M	HE	9	9	9	9	9	9
Sh-354T	Shrapnel	37	35	29	25	20	17

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity in m/s	Projectile Mass in kg	Fuse delay in m:	Fuse sensitivity in mm:	Explosive Mass in g (TNT equivalent):	Normalization At 30° from horizontal:	Ricochet:
								0%	50%	100%
BR-350A	APHEBC	615	6.3	0.15	10.0	150	+4°	48°	63°	71°
BR-350B	APHEBC	615	6.8	0.9	15	108.8	+4°	48°	63°	71°
OF-350M	HE	615	6.2	0.05	0.1	621	+0°	79°	80°	81°
Sh-354T	Shrapnel	615	6.2	0.5	8.0	85	+0°	62°	69°	73°

Shell types

• BR-350A: The typical APBC with HE filler, the standard round most players will take as the default type, and also able to cause massive post-penetration damage if it does penetrate.
• BR-350B: The new APHEBC with HE filler, sacrificing some explosive post-pen damages for raw penetrating power and solid-shot spalling pose-penetration damage. Recommended taking this shot as the primary weapon to use the extra penetration values.
• OF-350M: High-explosive shell. Though should never be used for the purpose of penetrating an enemy tank, it can be useful for hull-breaking vulnerable vehicles that are trucks and the such.
• Sh-354T: Shrapnel shell. In ways, it is similar to the HE shell, except it has sufficient penetration value to deal with light tanks as well. Its explosion can also create shrapnel as the name suggests that can also be used against light-skin vehicles in a manner similar to HE shells.

Ammo racks

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	Recommendations	Visual discrepancy
111	107 (+4)	102 (+9)	82 (+29)	1 (+110)	Yes

Turret empty: 102 (+9)

Machine guns

7.62 mm DT
Coaxial mount
Capacity (Belt capacity)				Fire rate (shots/minute)	Vertical guidance	Horizontal guidance
1,890 (63)				600	N/A	N/A

Usage in battles

In game, this tank is possesses great armour and an adequate gun, however, sometimes it will not be able to destroy the enemy from the front and will require very close distance or a flank shot. The defining characteristic of this tank is its armour and it can be a tough tank to destroy, most of the weak spots from the predecessor have been armoured and from the front, the only weak spot is the centre of the upper hull. When using this tank to not be afraid to advance towards the enemy, especially against tanks such as the 75 mm M4s and T-34s since they will find it very difficult to penetrate the thick armour. This tank can also be used for long-range support since when the armour is properly angled almost no tank that it faces can pierce its armour.

The typical weapon of choice that would be used against the KV-1B would be the German long 75 mm gun seen on the Panzer IV or tank destroyers. Another weapon to take care of is the Type 5 guns on the Japanese Na-to tank destroyer and Chi-To tank. However, if playing in RB/SB, since the KV-1B is on the Axis side, there is no risk of coming up against the long 75 mm on both the German and Japanese tank.

Against Allied guns, high-velocity guns like the 76 mm, 17-pounder, and 85 mm guns can cut through with ease through the hull at a perpendicular angle or the turret. Though these most likely won't be seen except in an up-tier, and so will most likely be seen in the version of more vulnerable tank destroyers like the SU-85 or Achilles, rather than on medium tanks like the M4A1 (76)W and Firefly.

Tactics

Urban environment
Urban areas tend to result in very close range engagements and at this range, the armour of this tank can no longer offer the degree of protection that it does at range. With this being said urban can also present nice medium range opportunists such as open-air squares and long streets in which this tank can use its armour. Urban fighting presents the largest challenge for this tank as close range flank shots can easily pierce its mighty armour, as such here are some tactics to use in a city setting:

• Hold down a street - set up in a way that minimizes the chance to be flanked while allowing for the largest angle fire. This will allow the KV-IB to fire at the enemy while minimizing the chance of getting knocked out by a close-range flank shot
• Move with a group of tanks - try to stay in the middle of a group as this will minimize the chances of a close-range flank shot. At this range the cannon of the tank can penetrate most tanks and has a decent rate of fire, allowing it to quickly engage multiple targets.
• Never blindly drive through an intersection - always check both ways before crossing as this presents the largest area of danger for this tank.

Open country
The armour of this tank allows it to engage in the long-range fighting that defines an open country. However, the gun on this tank does not allow it to engage targets at range. this means that in open country it is a good idea to get into a good overwatch position or to charge the enemy until the KV-IB is capable of engaging at the optimal range for the 76 mm weapon. While the armour on this tank is among the best for the enemies it faces, there are still certain tanks to worry about. The main tanks to work about is tanks with the American 76 mm, German 75 mm L/48, Russian 57 mm and 85 mm, and of course all the large calibre guns such as the KV-2. These weapons are capable of piercing through the KV-IB armour at range, however, this requires a lucky hit on an un-angled plate. Here are some tips when fighting in open country:

• Always angle the tank - the armour unangled is good, but with it angled, it is almost impossible to pierce.
• Don't be afraid to expose the tank - use the armour to give a degree of freedom in finding the targets.
• Advance - take the point or lead the charge, the KV-IB has the armour to break through enemy lines

Hill country
This is the type of terrain that this tank excels in. The average range of engagements allows for both the armour and gun to shine. The terrain also makes flanking hard since going over a hill exposes a tank to fire from multiple directions, but still, don't forget to check the surroundings. Here are some tips and tactics for fighting in this environment:

• In this type of environment move through the area between hills - this will allow a degree of control on where the enemy will come from and angle the armour in accordance
• Going over large hills can be dangerous as it exposes the KV-IB to fire from all directions and also exposes the bottom of the tank to fire
• Check the surroundings - while is dangerous, many newer player will attempt to do this and will sometimes manage to flank the tank.

Long range
This tank does not excel due to the low penetration of the gun, however, the armour of this tank makes it almost invulnerable to enemy fire at long ranges. Due to this, it is possible to safely attack enemies with little fear of return fire, just remember to properly angle the tank in order to maximize its armour. While long range combat is not the best option for this tank it can use its armour to sit in positions that no other tank could do safely. When using this tank from long range the first advice would be to close in on the enemy however this is sometimes not possible. When one finds that long-range combat is necessary or is a preferred strategy, one can use place this tank in a highly visible position to draw enemy fire. This will allow teammates to find the enemy and eliminate them, it also allows for this tank to choose its target since its gun necessitates shooting at weakly armoured targets or the sides and rear of tanks.

Medium range
This tank excels in medium range combat due to great armour. Many tanks it faces will find penetrating this tank almost impossible even from the side, due to the additional armour.

Close range
This tank does not excel due to bad mobility, and at this range, the greatest strength of this tank, its great armour, is no longer as potent.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Has extra 25mm armour on the hull front and sides, and 30mm on the turret sides
• Features a unique Finnish camouflage
• Good reload time
• Very good brawler
• Above average premium reward of 296%
• Very good at absorbing damage
• Gun does a lot of damage upon penetration
• Very good top armour
• Crew of five
• Bouncy turret cheeks

Cons:

• Some of the spots are not covered by the additional armour
• Gun is basically the same as the L-11 cannon, therefore it's weak compared to other guns
• Slow repair times
• No access to APCR shells
• Driver's port can easily be penetrated
• Sluggish turn when not in motion, and turning while in motion will make the KV-IB lose a lot of speed
• Does not like obstacle and hills
• Reverse speed is below average

History

Development of KV-1

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

During the developmental progress, the prototypes of all these heavy tanks were made and the Winter War with Finland was on its way. The Soviets sent these tanks into Finland for combat testing, to which the KV design outperform in every way with its superior armour and firepower. The armour on the KV tank was impenetrable by a tank cannon in service and most anti-tank guns as well, the 76.2 cannon also gave it a huge firepower boost compared to the usual 37 mm in use by other countries. However, the design was found to be difficult to steer, the transmission was unreliable, ergonomics was poor and vision was limited, plus with its 45-ton weight, it was a very heavy tank for its time. In truth, while formidable in power and protection, courageous crew member willing to curse the name would speak out about the trouble the KV tank really was. The main variant of production before World War II broke out was the KV-1 model.

The initial production in 1939 had the KV-1 equipped with an L-11 cannon, this was upgraded to the F-32 in 1940, then to the F-34 (or ZiS-5) cannon in 1941. The Model 1941 production also had the KV-1 up-armoured for increased survivability. The tank had an additional 25-35 mm of armour added to the turret, hull front and sides. The turret was also now made of cast construction rather than welded. This KV-1 construction was designated the KV-1B and it served with the Soviet Union and was a response from complaints about the inadequacy of the KV tanks, though the tank did little to mitigate its criticism, it was a welcome feature by the crew due to the additional protection. However, the increased armour on the KV-1B caused an increased weight and thus a lower top speed. The tank can only do about 19 mph (30 km/h) on roads and goes even slower in cross-country. The operational range of the vehicle is only 155 miles (250 kilometres).

Captured usage

Finnish troops captured many Soviet armoured vehicles during the Winter War and continuation war. One of those was the KV-1B, which the Finnish affectionately nicknamed the "Klimi". This KV-1B (real model is KV-1E) was captured near Solomennoye, Petrozavodsk at the start of continuation war, also second KV-1 was captured at the same time, it was 1942 Model. The KV-1s and other tanks in Finnish service fought off the Soviets when they invaded Finland again in the Continuation War in June 1944. The KV-1B "Klimi" was used in battles, such as the Battle of Tali-Ihantala, in defence against the Soviets. This conflict ended with the treaty agreement between the Soviet Union and Finland for peace in late August 1944. Both Finnish KV-1's survived the war and are nowadays in the tank museum at Parola.

Several KV-1s survive after the war, most as monuments, but also in museums. Only one genuine KV-1 was restored to running condition in Russia after it was found in the bottom of the Neva River. One KV-1B can also be found at the Bovington Tank Museum at England.

In-game description

This was a captured KB-1 Soviet tank modified under field conditions. The gun was replaced with a German KwK 40 with a corresponding scope, and a commander’s turret was also installed.

Media

Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

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

External links

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• topic on the official game forum;
• encyclopedia page on the tank;
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Super heavy tanks	Maus · E-100
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USSR	▀KV-IB · ▀KW I C 756 (r) · ▀KW II 754 (r)