"KV-85 question" Topic

Here is what I think I know:

1) 130 built at Leningrad (location guess).

2) Deployed Oct/Sept 1943.

3) Most lost that year.

What I would like to know:

1) Where were they deployed?

2) What battles did they take part in?

Thanks,

Vince

Check out this site:
link

A great portion of the KV-85s in the guards tank breakthrough regiments ended up on the Southern Front (2nd formation), later the 4th Ukrainian Front, where they participated in the liberation of Ukraine and the Crimea. Because on the whole our tank was not superior to the German heavy tanks, battles were fought with varied success. The results depended primarily on the training of the crews of the opposing sides and on the tactics they selected for the engagement.
The 34th Guards Heavy Tank Breakthrough Regiment (TTPP) (total 20 KV-85 tanks), which together with the 40th Heavy Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment (TSAP) (total 9 SU-152s), fought in the area of the village Ekaterinovka on 20–25 November 1943 as element of the 28th Army of the 4th Ukrainian Front.
Along with the 19th Tank Corps, the 1452nd Separate Self-Propelled Artillery Regiment, which was equipped with 11 KV-85s, 5 KV-1S's, 6 SU-152s, and also 3 SU-76s, participated in the liberation of the Crimea.
The KV-85 rarely engaged enemy tanks and SP-guns during the liberation of the Crimea, and was employed primarily as a self-propelled gun for support of infantry.
The employment of the KV-85 against the German heavy tanks Pz. Kpfw VI Ausf. H occurred in the zone of combat actions of 38th Army, 4th Ukrainian Front, on 28 January 1944. During this battle Soviet tankers acted decisively and skillfully, not harboring any unfounded illusions regarding the training of the German tankers and the quality of their combat vehicles. An operations summary concerning the combat actions of armored and mechanised forces of 38th Army from 24 to 31 January 1944 to the 7th Independent Guards Heavy Tank Regiment (7th OGTTP) speaks to this. This regiment was covering the withdrawal of units of the 17th Rifle Corps, which had fallen into semi-encirclement as a result of a German counteroffensive.

That's great intel. Thanks

I love the assortment in the regiment.
Jon

It's not really an assortment – the KVs and SU152s are all on the same chassis.

A mix of KV-85 and SU-152 would definately ruin a Germans day!!

Agreed, the 85mm could IIRC shoot through the front of a Tiger at 500 metres' range. It seems to have been about comparable to a Tiger I itself.