Born from a design project involving the twin turreted SMK (Sergey Mironovich Kirov) at the Kirovsky Tank Factory in Leningrad during October 1938, the KV-1 (Klim Voroshilov) Soviet heavy tank shared many features of the SMK, including hull components, optics and engine. The prototype, completed 1 September 1939, was equipped with two main guns, a 45mm and an L-11, 76.2mm, as well as a hull 7.62mm DT machine gun. Scheduled for tests at the Leningrad proving grounds, after a brief inspection tour in Moscow, The KV-1 Prototype, along with the SMK and T-100 were instead sent to serve in the 1st Tank Battalion, 20th Heavy Tank Brigade to be tested under combat conditions during the Winter War. By the time the KV appeared at the front, the 45mm gun had been replaced with a coaxial 7.62mm DT machine gun, and the rear turret machine gun has been added as well. The KV out performed both the SMK and T-100, and went into production 19 December 1939. The KV tank underwent additional testing at Kublinka and Leningrad where serious shortcomings in the transmission were discovered. In typical Soviet style, since the order had already been signed to start the production run, the chief engineers offer to halt production to deal with the design issues was declined! Up gunned to the F-32 main gun and an engine replacement at the end of 1940, and then an up armoring in the spring of 1941 created the KV-1 Model E or "ekranirovaniy" meaning with shields. Evolution of the design continued with the replacement of the F-32 main gun with the more powerful F-34, the main gun of the T-34, and replacement of the welded turret with a thicker cast version. The final version of the 76.2mm armed KV tanks was the KV-1S, or fast version, which sacrificed armor protection for speed.
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