Meet the KV-8, a variant of the KV-1 with a flamethrower and a 45 mm cannon, with excellent protection!
KV-8: A Premium Heavy Tank for the USSR at Rank II
At a glance:
- Excellent protection
- 45 mm cannon
- Flamethrower!
- Average mobility
Vehicle History
In 1941, Soviet designers were actively developing a flamethrower tank based on the heavy KV-1. Initially, the flamethrower was intended to be mounted in the hull, but in the fall of 1941, a project emerged in Chelyabinsk that would mount the ATO-41 automatic tank flamethrower directly in the turret. It was placed in a single mount alongside a 45 mm cannon and DT machine gun. This modification was designated the KV-8, and the first prototype was completed in December 1941, successfully undergoing trials near Moscow in late December and early January 1942.
Serial production of the KV-8 did not actually begin until April 1942. Over one hundred KV-8 flamethrower tanks were produced by September, after which the Kirov Plant switched to production of the lighter KV-8S modification, based on the KV-1S tank.
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Introducing the KV-8!
Today we’re taking a look at the KV-8, which is the vehicle reward in the Legend of Victory event that started today! The KV-8 features a flamethrower alongside a rapid-fire 45 mm cannon, plus good armor, allowing it to close in on enemies at very close range. Right, let’s get all the hot details!
The KV-8 is a truly unique modification in the Soviet heavy tank lineup. Its primary armament is the 45 mm 20-K cannon, well known to those who have played Soviet armored vehicles from the early-war period. Reducing the caliber of the KV-8’s gun was needed to make space in the turret for a flamethrower, which would have been impossible to do with a breech-loading 76 mm cannon. The cannon barrel is concealed by an external casing that mimics a 76 mm cannon, and the previous machine guns located on the right of the gun were replaced by the ATO-41 flamethrower mount. Space was also found on the left of the gun, allowing for a twin DT machine gun, allowing the cannon, flamethrower, and machine gun to be housed in a single turret mount.
Flamethrowers aren’t new to War Thunder, as they have appeared before. For those of you who don’t know, the flamethrower is only effective against lightly armored targets with open fighting compartments, and only at close range. This is where the KV-8’s excellent protection comes in handy. At ranks I and II, not many vehicles will be able to cope with the armor of the KV-8, so watch out! As with the Churchill Crocodile, which also has a flamethrower, the new KV-8 can enter flamethrower range relatively safely.
The KV-8’s weaknesses include its less-than-stellar mobility and the ineffectiveness of its 45 mm gun. While the tank’s ammo packs decent APHE and sub-caliber rounds for the 45 mm gun, you’re not invincible playing the KV-8. Tank destroyers and tanks with larger guns do pose a threat to the KV-8, so keep this in mind.
That’s it for this one! You can unlock the KV-8, two decals, and the unique “FOG-2” decoration rewards by completing stages in the Legend of Victory event, which started today. Happy Victory Day and we wish you good battles ahead!
Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.
