World of Tanks news » Tank Preview: KV-4

Tankers!

Much like the American heavy tree update in version 7.2, the Soviet heavy tree will soon be undergoing changes, including the expansion of the KV branch. The KV-4 is one of the upcoming tanks, and we're happy to share more details on it with you.

Development History

In late 1938 a special engineering unit of the Soviet Armed forces, based in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), began the development of a heavy one turret tank. It was named KV (Kliment Voroshilov) after a famed Soviet general.   

In fact, KV was not thought out from the scratch: it was a shortened version of another Soviet tank, SMK, with one turret and a diesel engine. Nikolay Dukhov was a lead engineer of the project. In September 1939, a prototype was tested successfully in Kubinka (a town west of Moscow).

First ready-for-battle models were used during the Winter War with Finland in 1940. However, KV was not completely ready for war: it had a limited maneuverability and it was breaking down too often. Despite these facts, Soviet officers were happy with the tank: the vehicle’s armor was impenetrable by any tank-mounted weapon then in service except at point-blank range. It also had a good firepower and a good traction on soft ground.

Adjusted and re-tuned KV modifications did quite well in World War II battles. German soldiers nick-named it “Gespenst” (Ghost) thanks to its invincibility and massive fire power.

Tactical and Technical Specifications

 Tier VIII Heavy Tank
Weight 82.5 t
Armament: 106.7 mm and 45mm 20K guns in one turret. A smaller gun will be inactive. A 130 mm howitzer will be its top gun.
Engine: 1200 hp (882 kW)
Max. speed: 50 km/h

Armour:
Upper front hull armour plate: 120 mm + 30 mm (spaced armour)
Lower front hull armour plate: 100 mm +30 mm (spaced armour) (доп. Плита)
Hull side: 110 mm
Hull back: 90 mm
I turret: 120/110 mm
II turret: 150/150 mm
Crew: 6 - driver, commander, gunner, two loaders, radio operator

The current specifications are still in testing phase. However this may change later through in-game adjustments.