KV-1 & 2 Heavy Tanks 1939–45
Named after Klimenti Voroshilov, the People's Commissar for Defence, the KVs proved a nasty surprise for German tank crews during the early days of Operation Barbarossa.
Although slow, they were extremely heavily armoured. This compact, detailed guide examines the transition from multi-turreted tanks to heavy single-turret vehicles, consisting of the KV-1 and 2, and the increased favour given to the heavy single-turret after the Germans began to develop ammunition capable of penetrating even the thickest armour, whilst detailing the design, development and operational history of the Soviet Union's monstrous KV series of tanks.
Steven J. Zaloga has published numerous books and articles dealing with modern military technology, especially armoured vehicle development. His main area of interest is military affairs in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe in the Second World War.
Jim Kinnear has researched the topic of Soviet and Russian military hardware since his first visit to the Soviet Union as a young teenager. He is a formal contributor to IHS Jane's defence yearbooks and has published books on Soviet military technology with Barbarossa, Darlington, Osprey and Tankograd.
Peter Sarson has produced graphic cutaways for many armoured vehicle publications, and is regarded as one of the world’s great illustrators of military vehicles. Peter lives and works in Dorset.