Pz.753(r)

The Kliment Voroshilov (KV) tanks were a series of Soviet heavy tanks, named after the Soviet defense commissar and politician Kliment Voroshilov. The KV series were known for their extremely heavy armour protection, which was capable of resisting all German anti-tank weapons up to 75 mm and 88 mm calibre, both of which were comparatively rare at the time of the initial German invasion of the Soviet Union in World War II. Prior to the invasion, about 500 of the over 22,000 tanks in Soviet service at the time were of the KV-1 type. The Soviets did not recognize production models of KV-1 during the war, therefore designations like model 1939 (or M1939, Russian: Obr. 1939) were introduced later in military publications. These designations however are not strict and describe leading changes, while other changes might be adapted earlier or later in specific production batches. Designations like KV-1A were applied by the Germans during the war. Panzerkampfwagen KV-IA 753(r) and Panzerkampfwagen KV-IB 755(r) - The KV-1 in German service.