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Description
The KV-2 was a self-propelled gun, also classified as a heavy tank, used by the Soviet Union. It was based on the chassis of the KV-1 Heavy Tank, with a large 152mm Howitzer replacing its main gun. During the winter war in in Finland the Soviet general staff demanded a specially equipped version fitted with a heavy howitzer, intended to deal with concrete bunkers, in support of the regular KV-1 units. But instead of choosing a more pragmatic solution of a traditional SPG, the Soviet engineers tried to get the best of both worlds in a hurry, while using the same turret ring to accommodate a fully traversable, redesigned turret to house the gargantuan howitzer. This gave the KV-2 an unmistakable profile, with its huge, towering turret, which was only accessible by a ladder. An obvious target which was also top heavy, compromising the lateral stability of the tank while crossing a sloped terrain. The 152mm howitzer packed a powerful punch against armored vehicles, but it was an impractical weapon that was more well suited for the anti-position role, but it proved quite ineffective at that as well. One slightly amusing problem with the KV-2 was that the gun could not fire in every direction due to the fact that the recoil could jam or completely destroy the turret ring. Only 334 were built in all from late 1939 to mid-1941.

Description
The KV-2 was a self-propelled gun, also classified as a heavy tank, used by the Soviet Union. It was based on the chassis of the KV-1 Heavy Tank, with a large 152mm Howitzer replacing its main gun. During the winter war in in Finland the Soviet general staff demanded a specially equipped version fitted with a heavy howitzer, intended to deal with concrete bunkers, in support of the regular KV-1 units. But instead of choosing a more pragmatic solution of a traditional SPG, the Soviet engineers tried to get the best of both worlds in a hurry, while using the same turret ring to accommodate a fully traversable, redesigned turret to house the gargantuan howitzer. This gave the KV-2 an unmistakable profile, with its huge, towering turret, which was only accessible by a ladder. An obvious target which was also top heavy, compromising the lateral stability of the tank while crossing a sloped terrain. The 152mm howitzer packed a powerful punch against armored vehicles, but it was an impractical weapon that was more well suited for the anti-position role, but it proved quite ineffective at that as well. One slightly amusing problem with the KV-2 was that the gun could not fire in every direction due to the fact that the recoil could jam or completely destroy the turret ring. Only 334 were built in all from late 1939 to mid-1941.