KV Early Angled Turret Tank

KV Early Angled Turret Tank MT -1

Trumpeter Kit Number 00311

Research by Ian Sadler IPMS UK Armour TAS

When I started this research into the KV series, based on the then available KV kits from Trumpeter. Rumours were flying round that they would in time produce a kit of the early Big Turret MT-1 KV.

I had to wait a fair amount of time to get my hands on one, so was it worth the wait for a model of an original tank that still to this day the exact numbers produced are unknown?

As a starting point to the early KV Big Turret tanks YES; but it is flawed in one major area that sticks out in all the reference photographs I have used for this mini research.

This is part C5 the front angled armour plate. The kit part has 11 welded rings on the surface; these are meant to represent the welding round the locating pins used in the construction.

In all the photographs I have examined very closely the number should be 17 on the top and bottom. Unlike the kit welded rings; the pins are raised and stand proud of the armour plate and the tops are flattened off and then welded.

This can be clearly seen on page 7 in Tankograd KV-2 special by Jochen Vollert. This is on tank U-O and the other detail to notice is the size and placement of the radio aerial armoured socket and also the oversize headlamp. I am unable to determine just what the object is in front of the aerial armoured ring. The other detail to notice is the drivers hatch, totally different to the kit.

As far as can be made out if you are attempting to build U-I to U-3 then you will have either make a new turret top plate K1 or remove and fill in the ventilation fan housings; as these were not fitted in the early stages of production. It would seem that they first appeared on U-4.

Lastly the placement and number of turret ladder rungs is an easy way to identify the series number U-1 to 3 has two on the turret side and the top one is welded flat to the turret side and is sticking up above the top plate.

U-4 has them as per the kit in location and size.

The only other detail that is missing from the kit is the small stowage box seen on some of them; this is an oblong steel box with the front of the lid angled downwards. This box can be clearly seen on the internet web page http://www.mechcorps.rka.ru/files/kv2/kv2.htm ref number photo 4b kv-2 -131.

You can use the kit wheel hubs or modify them by smoothing off the ribs on J3 to give the only other type I can find used , see above webpage and photo ref kv 2-067. This means that no 2 and 3 wheel types are correct for the tank see previous article and scan of wheel types .

Likewise I can find no use of slogans or tank numbers on any of the original photographs used. The only marking I can find is traces a white triangle on the outer surface of the turret hatch. I have yet to find any use of camouflage other than dust or mud and leaves thrown up onto the surfaces.

In conclusion, with careful research and modifications to the parts listed above you can build a true representative of one of the early KV MT-1 tanks. Out of the box I am sorry to say NO!

MT-1 Modify Part C5

By Ian Sadler IPMS UK Armour

Trumpeter has made the wrong style of armoured plate C5 in the KV MT-1 and for the early KV 2 kits.

See research paper above on the KV MT-1 and KV 2.

This is how I have made a correct version, you need to smooth off all he welding circles on C 5. Then mark in from each end a 1 mm vertical line and then every 3 mm make vertical line in pencil; you should end up with 17 divisions on the face. From the bottom edge mark out a 1mm line parallel to the bottom repeat for the other face.

You now need to make 34 discs plus a few for the carpet monster; I made mine from 10 thousands of an inch plastic card. Using the smallest size hole punch on my trusty Multi Turreted Leather punch. Each of the discs are slightly under 2mm in diameter. See scan of completed part C5.

All you need to do is glue each disc every 3 mm apart on one of the faces of the part C5. Pay very careful attention to lining them up and I would only modify one face at a time. Leave at least a day to dry out before you tackle the second face.