KV-13

The KV-13 is a Soviet tier 7 Medium tank. It leads to both the T-43 as well as the IS. The tank benefits from being faster than the KV-1S. The KV-13 is also the only medium tank to be able to research another tank that is on its own tier. Since the KV-13 does not have as heavy armor as the rest of the KV series, it is advised that you stay close to teammates as well as taking down enemy artillery or go for scouting.

The KV-13 leads to the IS and to the T-43.

KV-13/Modules KV-13/Equipment KV-13/Consumables

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Historical Info

The predecessors of the IS-1 and IS-2 tanks were the KV-1 Heavy Tank and KV-13 Heavily Armored Medium Tank. KV-13 (and its subsequentversion — Object 233) became the first major independent project of the Experimental Tank Factory, created in March 1942 in Chelyabinsk from Design Bureau No.2. N. V. Tseits, who had been recently released from a Gulag, was appointed head designer of the project.

Other members of the design team were K. I. Kuzmin (hull), N. M. Sinev (turret), S. V. Mitskevich (chassis) and G. N. Moskvin (general assembly). KV-13 was designed as a universal tank — medium tank weight and heavy tank protection. This project was distinguished by its extensive use of cast armour. Casting was used not only for the turret, but also for the main elements of its hull — the glacis, turret ring and rear. This reduced the usable internal space, but increased the effective armour protection whilst reducing the amount of armour needed for its manufacture. The last point was especially important in light of the State Defense Committee's decree of 1942 to minimise the consumption of armour materials.

The first test unit was designed and produced in an extremely short period of time and in May of 1942 it was delivered to the factory testing facilities. The tank weighed 31.7 tonnes and was armed with a 76.2 mm ZiS-5 gun and a coaxial DT TMG. The maximum front armour thickness of its hull was 120 mm, that of its turret — 85 mm. Its V-2K 600 h.p. engine allowed it to reach speeds of up to 55 km/h. Elements of the T-34's chassis, including tracks, were used, whilst the road wheels were taken from the KV. The KV-13 had an improved (U-shaped) radiator similar to the one previously used on the Kirov Factory variant of the T-50 tank. This allowed for a more efficient engine block configuration and also increased the efficiency of its air intake.

Several flaws surfaced during the testing of the first experimental unit of the KV-13: poor acceleration due to transmission problems, tracks and rollers easily damaged, tracks being thrown while making turns, etc. In July 1942, in the middle of its testing, the head designer N. V. Tseits died and N. F. Shamshurin was appointed in his place. On his initiative the KV-13 received the transmission developed by F. A. Marishkin for the KV-1S, as well as some other parts of its chassis. However, even after these improvements, the tank did not pass its tests and the military quickly lost interest in it. Despite these early failures, in December of 1942 the assembly of two new variants of the KV-13 began at the Experimental Tank Factory. The new vehicles shared only the hull, torsion bar suspension, and chassis from the first version. The turrets and many other elements were completely new designs. The transmission used was significant in its use of a planetary 2-step travesing gear designed by A. I. Blagonravov. The cooling system was improved, while the track links were lightened by making every other link flat (the so-called «Chelyabinsk tracks»).

The appearance of the German heavy Tigers on the Eastern Front played a direct and decisive role in increasing the speed of development of these new models. Kirov factory in Chelyabinsk and factory No.100 (the new name of the Experimental Tank Factory) of of NKTP were to manufacture two experimental tanks of the new «Josef Stalin» (IS) class, based on the two latest models of the KV-13, and prepare them for testing. The model armed with a 76.2 mm gun was designated IS-1 (Object 233). The second model, armed with a 122 mm U-11 tank howitzer was designated JS-2 (Object 234).

Both models were tested between March 22 and April 19, 1943 and in general performed quite well. The state commission noted that both JS tanks weighed less than the KV-1S, could achieve higher speeds, had better armour protection and had equal (IS-1) or better (IS-2) armament.

Historical Gallery

Sources and External Links

https://www.battlefield.ru/en/tank-development/28-heavy-tanks/32-js1-js2.html

Soviet Tanks

Light Tanks	MS-1 • BT-2 • Tetrarch • T-26 • T-60 • BT-7 • BT-SV • LTP • M3 Light • T-127 • T-46 • T-70 • A-20 • T-50 • T-80 • Valentine II • T-50-2 • MT-25
Medium Tanks	A-32 • T-28 • Matilda IV • T-34 • T-34-85 • A-43 • KV-13 • T-43 • A-44 • T-44 • Object 416 • T-54 • Object 430 II • Object 283 • T-62A • Object 140 • Object 430
Heavy Tanks	Churchill III • KV • KV-1 • KV-220 • KV-220 Beta-Test • KV-1S • KV-2 • T-150 • IS • KV-3 • IS-3 • IS-6 • KV-4 • KV-5 • IS-8 • ST-I • IS-4 • IS-7
Tank Destroyers	AT-1 • SU-76 • SU-85B • SU-85 • SU-85I • SU-100 • SU-100Y • SU-100M1 • SU-122-44 • SU-152 • ISU-152 • SU-101 • Object 704 • SU-122-54 • Object 263 • Object 268
Self-Propelled Guns	SU-18 • SU-26 • SU-5 • SU-122A • SU-8 • S-51 • SU-14-1 • SU-14-2 • 212A • Object 261

Medium Tanks

USA	II T2 Medium Tank • III Convert. Medium Tank T3 • III M2 Medium Tank • IV T6 Medium • IV M3 Lee • V M4 Improved • V M4A2E4 Sherman • V M4A1 Sherman • V Ram II • VI M4A3E8 Fury • VI M4A3E8 Thunderbolt VII • VI M4A3E8 Sherman • VI M4A3E2 Sherman Jumbo • VII T26E3 Eagle 7 • VII T20 • VII T23E3 • VIII T25 Pilot Number 1 • VIII TL-1 LPC • VIII T42 • VIII ASTRON Rex 105 mm • VIII AMBT • VIII M46 Patton KR • VIII M26 Pershing • VIII T26E4 SuperPershing • VIII T69 • VIII T95E2 • IX M46 Patton • X M48A5 Patton • X M60 • X T95E6
UK	I Vickers Medium Mk. I • II Vickers Medium Mk. II • III Vickers Medium Mk. III • IV Matilda • IV Matilda LVT • IV Grant • IV AC 1 Sentinel • V Cavalier • V Valiant • V Sherman III • V Matilda Black Prince • VI Sherman Firefly • VI Cromwell • VI AC 4 Experimental • VI Cromwell B • VI Sherman VC Firefly • VII Comet • VIII Centurion Mk. I • VIII FV4202 • VIII Chieftain/T95 • VIII Centurion Mk. 5/1 RAAC • VIII Chimera • IX Cobra • IX Centurion Mk. 7/1 • X Centurion Action X
Germany	III Großtraktor - Krupp • III Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. A • III Pz.Kpfw. S35 739 (f) • IV Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. J • IV Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. D • IV VK 20.01 (D) • V Pz.Kpfw. III Ausf. K • V Turán III prototípus • V Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. H Ankou • V Pz.Kpfw. III/IV • V Pz.Kpfw. IV hydrostat. • V Pz.Kpfw. V/IV • V Pz.Kpfw. V/IV Alpha • V Pz.Kpfw. IV Ausf. H • V Pz.Kpfw. T 25 • V VK 30.01 (H) • VI Pz.Kpfw. IV Schmalturm • VI VK 30.01 (D) • VI VK 30.02 (M) • VII Panther/M10 • VII Panther • VII VK 30.02 (D) • VIII Panther mit 8,8 cm L/71 • VIII Panzer 58 • VIII Schwarzpanzer 58 • VIII Panzer 58 Mutz • VIII M48A2 Räumpanzer • VIII Kampfpanzer 07 RH • VIII Indien-Panzer • VIII Panther II • IX E 50 • IX T 55A • IX Kampfpanzer 50 t • IX Kunze Panzer • IX Leopard Prototyp A • X E 50 Ausf. M • X Leopard 1
France	III D2 • III Somua S35 • IV SARL 42 • V Renault G1 • VI Bretagne Panther • VI M4A1 FL 10 • VIII Bat.-Châtillon Bourrasque • VIII AltProto AMX 30 • VIII Lorraine 40 t • VIII AMX Chasseur de chars • VIII M4A1 Revalorisé • IX AMX 30 1er prototype • IX Char Futur 4 • IX Bat.-Châtillon 25 t AP • X Bat.-Châtillon 25 t • X AMX 30 B
USSR	III T-29 • IV A-32 • IV T-28E with F-30 • IV T-34 with L-11 • IV T-28 • V Matilda IV • V T-34 shielded • V M4-85 • V T-34 • VI A-43 • VI T-34-85M • VI T-34-85 Rudy • VI Loza's M4-A2 Sherman • VI T-34-85 • VII A-44 • VII KV-13 • VII T-43 • VII T-44-122 • VIII Object 416 • VIII T-54 first prototype • VIII T-44-100 Igrovoy • VIII T-44-100 (R) • VIII STG • VIII STG Guard • VIII Object 274a • VIII T-44 • IX Object 430 Version II • IX Object 430 • IX T-54 • X Object 140 • X Object 907 • X T-22 medium • X K-91 • X Object 430U • X T-62A
China	V Type T-34 • VI Type 58 • VII T-34-1 • VIII Type 59 • VIII T-34-2 • VIII T-34-3 • VIII 59-Patton • VIII 122 TM • VIII Type 59 G • IX WZ-120 • X 121 • X 121B
Japan	II Chi-Ni • II Type 89 I-Go/Chi-Ro • IV Type 1 Chi-He • V Type 3 Chi-Nu • V Type 3 Chi-Nu Kai • VI Type 4 Chi-To • VII Type 5 Chi-Ri • VIII STA-1 • VIII STA-2 • IX Type 61 • X STB-1
Czechoslovakia	IV ST vz. 39 • V Škoda T 24 • VI Škoda T 40 • VI Škoda T 25 • VII Konštrukta T-34/100 • VIII TVP VTU Koncept • VIII Škoda T 27 • IX Škoda T 50 • X TVP T 50/51
Sweden	IV Lago • V Strv m/42 • VI Strv m/42-57 Alt A.2 • VI Strv 74 • VII Leo • VIII Strv 81 • VIII Primo Victoria • VIII Lansen C • VIII UDES 14 Alt 5 • IX UDES 16 • X UDES 15/16
Poland	V 25TP KSUST II • V DS PZInż • VI Pudel • VI 40TP Habicha • VI T-34-85 Rudy • VI B.U.G.I. • VII CS-44 • VIII CS-52 LIS • VIII CS-53 • IX CS-59 • X CS-63

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KV-13