Wednesday 31 May 2017

Rough Handling

It's no secret that the F-34 gun was also tested out on the KV-1 as a part of the various efforts to improve its firepower in 1941. After the gun was tested, the tank was converted back into its original form.

Experimental KV-1 with an F-34 gun.

Here's a little more about the tank's post-trial fate:

"Technical Act
May 24th, 1941
The commission, composed of:
  • Chair, Military Technician 1st Class A.S. Kaz
  • Members:
    • Senior SD-2 plant foreman, V.P. Kazakov
    • Representative of the OTK, I.A. Bretan
performed an inspection of KV tank #9694, engine number #1528-05, to determine its technical condition.

The inspection and testing by the commission established the following:
  1. The engine worked for a total of 14:25:00, and the tank traveled 141.7 km.
  2. The engine is functional.
  3. Transmission: there are grease marks on the right side, near the labyrinth grease gland. Adjustment is required.
  4. Running gear: functional.
  5. Electrical equipment: the batteries need to be recharged, electric lamps and fuses restocked.
  6. Hull: functional, needs painting.
  7. Turret: the turret ring guard was removed under the gun and the turret bay. The set of turret ring guard bolts is incomplete. The machinegun ammunition racks to the right of the turret, above the gun, by the batteries, and by the gate valve weer removed. The machinegun ammunition racks need repairs. The cassettes were bent and the turret hatch does not close.
  8. Commission conclusions:
    1. The vehicle is functional.
    2. Restocking and correction of defects is necessary.
[Signatures]"

2 comments:

  1. What advantage does the F-34 have over the ZiS-5? Aren't they effectively identical ballistically?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is the pre-war ZIS-5. This one had the same ballistics as the 3-K AA gun.

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