Engines of the Red Army in WW2

KV-1 Model 1941 Heavy Tank

KV-1 Model 1941 — Late Version

Simplified welded turret with reinforced turret-armour, ZIS-5 gun, built at ChTZ After the production of the stop-gap measure KV-1 Model 1941 sEkranami had ceased, the Ishorskiy Factory began in September 1941 with the work on a completely new turret to replace the hitherto improvised types.
In late October 1941 Chelyabinsk began with the production of this new type, designated KV-1 Model 1941 ChTZ with welded turret and simplified production features as well as better armour around the rear of the turret ring based on the turret design #157.

This new turrei should overcome many of the drawbacks encountered with the previous designs.
The new turret is externally identifiable by the rear turret ring, now fully integrated into the turret armour. Thus, the turret rear overhang appears shorter.
Additionally the episcopes of the turret rear gunner have been moved to the turret rear to eliminate the dead spot above the engine deck.
The tanks of this series were armed with the improved 76.2mm Z1S-5 (F-34) gun although the early production-variant was still armed with the F-32 until the ZIS-5 became available in quantity.
The very last production batch incorporated the early-production batch of the type 1942 hull with the angled rear.

Source : J.Vollert, KV-1 Sov.Heavy Tank of WWII - Late Variants, Tankograd Publishing

KV-1 Model 1941 - "Merciless"

The famous "Bezposhadni"- "Merciless", commanded by Lt. Pavel Khoroshilov, was "subscribed for" and heavily decorated by famous Moscowite artists, poets and dancers in early 1942.
It was presented to the 12^th Tank Regt. of the 1^st Moscow Motor Rifle Div. during a ceremony on a Moscow square on May 25, 1942. On both turret sides a Hitler cartoon, the artists' names and the following poem by M.Kupriyanof:

Storming through fire goes
Our KV heavy tank
From the heartland it rolls
To smash the Nazi flank

Crowed by heroic men
Never showing fear
As they carry out commands
Of their homeland dear

After nine months of hard fighting,in March 1943, "merciless" and its commander finally found their match near the village of Ashkovo by which time the tank had been in action for the range of 700 km, knocking out no less than 27 tanks, seven armoured cars, four SP anti-tank guns, nine mortars, 10 guns, 17 machine guns, ten trucks, five motorcycles, a staff bus and a supply dump.
These were noted by painting small white stars, circles and triangles below the tank's name on the rear turret sides.

After the war, the tank was transferred to Kubinka proving ground in 1948.
Having survived the war, the tank ended up in the smelter at the Moscow plant "Hammer and Sickle", "merciless" indeed...

Special thanks to Mr.Dimitriy Vasilyev, Russia, for providing the correct turret inscription

Note standard applique armour on upper hull side, sharp-angled rear and missing engine dome

Special thanks to Mr.Dimitriy Vasilyev, Russia, for providing the correct turret inscription