KV-1

The KV-1 design was named after Soviet Marshal Klementy Voroshilov. At the time of it's appearance in 1941, the KV-1 was the most formidable tank in the world. Designed to withstand armour piercing rounds, yet for a heavy tank, it's mobility was not sacrificed. Like the T-34/76, the KV-1 posed serious problems for the German army. While both tanks were superior to the German armour of the day, better trained crews and tactics kept the Wehrmacht rolling eastward.

Some good points worth mentioning

1. The torsion bar suspension was ingenious to the point that not only did the design follow subsequent Russian tanks but also to some extent it was copied by other countries, especially the resilient steel-rimed bogies.
2. Storage of a generous amount of rounds, 111 in all.
3. Extra armour was added later bring the frontal armour up to 110mm
4. Reliable, nicely powered diesel engine.
5. Easily mass produced.
6. Rear mounted mg in the back of the turret to help deter tank destroying soldiers.
7. Wide tracks to help deduce ground pressure.
8. According to another source, it states the KV-1 had a range of over 200 miles.

Just a couple drawbacks worth mentioning;
no commander's cupola and
complexity of the sighting gear hampered fast and accurate shooting.

Until the Germans had better tanks rolling out of their factories to deal with the latest Russian armour, they improvised by deploying the deadly 88mm dual purpose gun with advanced guards. This could only be a temporary measure due to the fact that the 88 was towed and slow to deploy. It also lacked sufficient protection for the crews against enemy fire.
Another quick answer, though again temporary, came by using a small panzer chassis, which was already obsolete by this time, as an anti-tank gun platform. A lot of the guns mounted on these platforms were actually Soviet 76.2mm guns that were captured earlier in the campaign then converted to fire German rounds.

With all this said, it is a clear testimony of the impression the Russian armour made on the Germans. It also shows how the German army was able to improvise to over-come a disadvantage and win battles. A reputation they will all to often be familiar with as they ended up numerically inferior in men and material more and more as the war progressed.

SPECIFICATIONS: KV-1

KV-2

Unlike the T-34/85 which was an improved follow up of a good design in the T-34/76. The KV-2 was a poor follow up of a good design in the KV-1. Mounting an impressive 152mm gun resulted in the turret being just to big making the vehicle clumsy, to tall, and presenting itself as a clear target. The bearings used in traversing the turret were poorly designed as well and hindered the tanks ability to rotate the turret when the tank wasn't level. In all, the tank couldn't fire on the move. Up against a highly mobile German army, the KV-2 had to many inadequacies and were phased out by the end of 1941. However, after 1941, the KV-1 remained a formidable tank though in the autumn of 1942 the German's Tiger 1 made it's appearance and the KV-1 met more than it's match.

The KV-1's evaluation remained in progress as the forthcoming Joseph Stalin series of heavy tanks would incorporate many of its features.

SPECIFICATIONS: KV-2