KV-7(U-13) KV-1E and KV-1B Are they a bit overkill at 4.0?

[Veraldrisz]

Just curious what you guys think! All my engagement against these beasts have proven to be a loosing battle for me with my 4.0 such as M4A2 or my Churchill III.

[khyden999]

I don't know if they are overkill, but would you please explain how you engage KV tanks so others will understand what you are saying?

[Veraldrisz]

Originally posted by khydenedwards999:

I don't know if they are overkill, but would you please explain how you engage KV tanks so others will understand what you are saying?

Engage, Mean the term of taking the initiative by flanking and hitting them first before they realise it.

[Veraldrisz]

Originally posted by khydenedwards999:

I don't know if they are overkill, but would you please explain how you engage KV tanks so others will understand what you are saying?

Also ever seen a herd of 4-5 KV-1E storming your spawn point? I did, 3 times today actually.

[khyden999]

Originally posted by Veraldrisz:

Originally posted by khydenedwards999:

I don't know if they are overkill, but would you please explain how you engage KV tanks so others will understand what you are saying?

Engage, Mean the term of taking the initiative by flanking and hitting them first before they realise it.

You can flank and hit them first before they realise it, but I want to know where you hit the KV part (any KV variant that you hit from the front, side, or back) because your M4A2 is a straightforward target to kill on the side of the armour rather than the front hull.

[Tommy's New Shoes]

The only "reliable" spot to shoot KV-1E's with M61 from the short 75 in the front is the drivers hatch, and turret ring, and it's a dice roll thanks to volumetric for both. They're on sale, so if you're struggling, either flank or avoid 3.0 - 5.0 for the time being. Best vehicle to abuse right now is the Obj 211 in China. The 85mm will LOLpen KV-1Es from stupid angles they don't expect to pen, so you can punish and bully the dingleberries that think they're invincible and over commit.

[Chaoslink]

If you're shooting the KV-1E from the front using the M4A2, you have a few options. The driver hatch works, but you have to hit the lower flat part of it and it can be a tricky shot, but when it does work your shell basically explodes inbetween their whole crew and leads to a one shot. Otherwise there's a really tough spot at the top of the turret where there isn't added armor that works similar the the turret cheek on a normal KV-1, but it can be a tough shot as well. Typically, I try to hit the gun barrel if I have to fight them frontally, then track them so I can spend all the time I need getting a perfect shot. If you can, the back of the turret has a rounded bit you can pen or the lower side hull works too, down under the tracks below the added armor.

Don't have too much experience fighting KV-7s but being casemates, its just a matter of flanking. They're just more dangerous than usual because of the volume of fire they can put down. They're definitely a bit low in BR for what they are, but Gaijin hasn't done anything about it in years, so it probably won't happen. They could put the SAV 2012 or whatever it is with its autoloader up to 4.7 where it belongs while they're at it.

[Lucky_Star_Fan]

Shermans and T-34s can frontally pen all of them. Just shoot the plate seam or LFP on the KV-7 and just shoot the KV-1s right in the mantlet. MG ports also.

[Chaoslink]

Originally posted by Lucky_Star_Fan:

Shermans and T-34s can frontally pen all of them. Just shoot the plate seam or LFP on the KV-7 and just shoot the KV-1s right in the mantlet. MG ports also.

In my experience, the mantlet shot on the KV-1E(B) is VERY inconsistent with the Sherman 75mm. Most of the time it doesn't even pen and when it does, it'll barely yellow the breach or might take out a single crew. The driver port is a far more consistent shot in my experience.

[Franss the Coffee Addict]

Originally posted by Veraldrisz:

Originally posted by khydenedwards999:

I don't know if they are overkill, but would you please explain how you engage KV tanks so others will understand what you are saying?

Engage, Mean the term of taking the initiative by flanking and hitting them first before they realise it.

"just flank bro" mf when they still fail to pen side armor of kv tank or the shell gets absorbed by the fuel tanks causing nothing

[Lucky_Star_Fan]

Originally posted by Chaoslink:

Originally posted by Lucky_Star_Fan:

Shermans and T-34s can frontally pen all of them. Just shoot the plate seam or LFP on the KV-7 and just shoot the KV-1s right in the mantlet. MG ports also.

In my experience, the mantlet shot on the KV-1E(B) is VERY inconsistent with the Sherman 75mm. Most of the time it doesn't even pen and when it does, it'll barely yellow the breach or might take out a single crew. The driver port is a far more consistent shot in my experience.

Sometimes it takes 3 shots, but 90% of my kv-1e deaths are turret face shots. If you don't fully pen and kill you usually take the breach out. Shermans have much better gun handling and reload rate so you'll usually get the first shot. Also the kv-1E/B gun struggles with sherman hulls. Even the cast hull can bounce unless they angle it and the 76 struggles to pen the A4's driver hatches sometimes.

[FizzyElf]

Originally posted by Veraldrisz:

Originally posted by khydenedwards999:

I don't know if they are overkill, but would you please explain how you engage KV tanks so others will understand what you are saying?

Also ever seen a herd of 4-5 KV-1E storming your spawn point? I did, 3 times today actually.

This is actually super common during events, the worst one I remember was the hordes of Moderna's that would smash through everything and then hose the spawn down with autocannon fire or lock down the exits of spawns like the ones for advance on the Rhine, can't push them and you only had a short chance to kill all of them before you got killed after spawning in and the insane levels of ERA protection made rockets and ATGM's far less effective than they would be against normal T-72's or basically all western tanks at 10.0 (release BR).

Thankfully the most common premium players at the time were russian so most of the players fighting the moderna's were a bit more experienced than the players who get shafted by KV-1E's and other similarly effective vehicles in low tier matches during events.

[French Cat]

The KV-1E being at 4.0 is DIABOLICAL lmao.

[FirstToDie]

Originally posted by Franss the Coffee Addict:

Originally posted by Veraldrisz:

Engage, Mean the term of taking the initiative by flanking and hitting them first before they realise it.

"just flank bro" mf when they still fail to pen side armor of kv tank or the shell gets absorbed by the fuel tanks causing nothing

This, by far, is my biggest gripe. Side shots from my M4A2 do nothing to the KV-1E. They don't even seem to track the things.

You either have to be facing the business end of the tank to disable their breach, or hope they are dumb and square up so you can hit their drivers port (not an easy shot considering the tiny section you have to hit, often hidden behind some sequoias growing from the turret), or somehow get directly behind them.

It doesn't help that with and entire forest on most of them, you don't realize what you are fighting until you are screwed.

[Chaoslink]

Originally posted by FirstToDie:

Originally posted by Franss the Coffee Addict:

"just flank bro" mf when they still fail to pen side armor of kv tank or the shell gets absorbed by the fuel tanks causing nothing

This, by far, is my biggest gripe. Side shots from my M4A2 do nothing to the KV-1E. They don't even seem to track the things.

You either have to be facing the business end of the tank to disable their breach, or hope they are dumb and square up so you can hit their drivers port (not an easy shot considering the tiny section you have to hit, often hidden behind some sequoias growing from the turret), or somehow get directly behind them.

It doesn't help that with and entire forest on most of them, you don't realize what you are fighting until you are screwed.

If you side shot it, don't do so unless you have a relatively flat angle, then shoot the side armor under the tracks, but shoot low as there's an extra plate on the upper half that will eat your shot. If the turret isn't looking at you, you can also shoot the darker rounded part of the back of the turret and it should go through. There's extra plates on the side armor to protect the crew area, but you can hit the engine if you need to give it pause as it puts out the fire.

[FirstToDie]

I think it is just the sheer quantity of the incredibly difficult to kill Russian tanks now at 4.0.