The KW-1 is a Soviet heavy tank from the Second World War. The first prototypes of this vehicle were made in 1939, and the car entered service a year later (1940). Approximately 4,700-5,000 vehicles of this type were produced in the course of production. The combat weight of the tank was up to 42.5 tons. The drive was provided by a single W-2K diesel engine with a power of up to 600 HP. The main armament consisted of a 76.2 mm ZiS-5 gun and three 7.62 mm DT machineguns.
The KW-1 vehicle was developed as a successor to the failed T-35 tank. Compared to its predecessor, it differed on many levels, and above all, the multi-turret system was abandoned in favor of a single turret with main armament. What's more, based on the experience of the civil war in Spain (1936-1939), the armor of the entire car was also very impressive, for the late 1930s. Finally, when it was introduced to the KW-1 line, it clearly exceeded the armor and firepower of virtually every German tank. However, it was not without disadvantages, including poor maneuverability and high failure rate of some mechanical elements - especially the drive train. The KW-1 was used on a large scale during the German-Soviet war of 1941-1945, and its serial production was maintained until 1943 in parallel with the production of the T-34. The variants of the KW-1 include the KW-1s (a vehicle with improved reliability and ergonomics) and the KW-85 (armed with a 85mm D-5T gun).
The KW-2 is a Soviet heavy tank from the interwar period and the beginning of World War II. The first prototypes of this vehicle were created in 1940, and the car entered service in the same year. About 330 vehicles of this type were built during the production process. The combat weight of the tank was up to 52 tons. The drive was provided by a single diesel engine with a power of up to 600 HP. The main armament consisted of a 152mm M-10 gun and three 7.62mm DT machineguns.
The KW-2 vehicle was developed as a development of the KW-1 tank, and its production was the responsibility of the Leningrad Plant named after Kirov. The vehicle was created as a result of the experience of the Winter War (1939-1940), and its main task was to destroy the enemy's fortified resistance points and support their own infantry in the attack, not fight with tanks. For this reason, one can risk a statement that the KW-2 was essentially a self-propelled gun, and not a strictly senso tank. Despite their powerful armament and armor, the KW-2 vehicles suffered from high faults, especially in the drive train, which effectively reduced their combat value. Cars of this type were used primarily in the initial phase the German-Soviet war in 1941, although some of them served until 1945.