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Forums - Research / WW2 |
This WW2 forum is intended for asking and discussing reference or historical related issues pertaining to WW2 (1939-1945) subjects. |
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| Subject: | Re: KV-1 with extra armor |  |
| Date: | May 7, 2006 |
| From: | Neil Stokes | |
Martin...photographs of the KV-1 Ehkranami in various books show quite a bit of variation in the spacing between the two panels. Some show the panels butting up against one another, while others have a distinct "slot" between the panels. Since the add-on plates were produced and fitted by several different factories, and given the general standard of Soviet workmanship on these vehicles, some variation is higly probable.
Again, some photographs appear to show a "stepped" join between the front and rear turret panels, while others show a "level" join. My theory...and this is only personal opinion here...is that some vehicles had both the front and rear turret side panels spaced out from the turret, while others had only the front panels spaced. This difference would account for the stepped appearance.
The whole issue of the rear turret side panels is intriguing however, since they do not show the void at the top between the add-on panel and the turret itself, while the front side panels do. Are these panels the same thickness, spaced out and the voids at top and rear filled with blanking plates? This seems unlikely, but some photographs seem to show a void behind the rear side panel where the cutouts appear for the vision slot and pistol port.
If you do want to show a stepped join, remember that the two panels are not actually welded to one another, but are merely bolted to the turret itself, with or without spacers. Therefore, the "angle" of the connection is simply the angle formed by the edges of the two plates.
There is a void between the forward armour plate and the turret, though this can only be seen from the top and not from the front since a small "wraparound" plate is welded to the front add-on plate and covers the void at the front corners of the turret. The preserved KV-1E at Parola in Finland, shown in the Tankograd Soviet Special No. 2002, clearly shows this. The Trumpeter kit is correct in depicting the spacing and the wraparound plate.
The Parola vehicle shows the upper hull plates (above the fenders) being spaced out from the hull sides. Thinner plates are welded to the top edges to cover the void, though it remains open at the front and back end. I think these thinner plates are Finnish modifications since wartime photographs in the Tankograd book show them absent.
The photographs of the lower chassis plates on the Parola vehicle do not clearly show whether they are spaced or not, though there is a distinct shadow beneath the plate that would seem to indicate spacing. I would assume that Trumpeter got these right, as they correctly the depict the other plates.
Hope this helps...
Neil |
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