Could anyone tell me or point me in the direction of reading for the German usage of captured KV-2’s? I read that they originally were going to be used as part of an invasion force to capture Malta but was that also with the KV-1 with the 75mm gun that they modified? Knowing that Malta never fell what did they end up doing with these tanks, were they ever shipped to Italy or was that just the plan?
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There was one being used defending the Krupp factory in 1945.
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@ruzzaa thank you for the photos. I try to use the details that the kit provides and in this case it’s trumpeter. It’s the 3 tone camo for the Malta operation but places the tank in Russia.
@Reaper2020 now that’s interesting, is there any photographs of that tank or a link for it?
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More KV-2s from the Panzer-Kompanie z.B.V. 66
H.P.
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Operation Herkules was scheduled for mid 1942, not mid 1943. Three tone camouflage did not exist yet.
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@Frenchy thank you for the links and the pictures. That picture of the KV-2 on the rail car is interesting. That looks like a 50 railcar but not sure who makes a kit like that one. I’m assuming the three tone was late war on that KV-2. Can’t wait to read that thread.
@Damraska Thats why the trumpeter kit seems so off. It’s a three tone came but scalemates says it’s for operation Hercules. Would it have been in the original Soviet green or repainted German grey?
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Okay, here is what I remember of what I have read, which may be off:
The KV-2s intended for the Malta invasion were painted in German tropical colors.
Following the aborted invasion plans, they were shipped as is to the Eastern Front.
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I am not a subject matter expert and do not know how the KV-2s modified for Operation Herkules were painted. It seems extremely unlikely they were in German three color because the dates do not line up. The dates line up for both German two color tropical schemes. The dates line up for various custom paint schemes used in Russia.
In my opinion, the answer to the question is very probably lost to time.
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@M70 A tropical KV-2 would be kind of cool to see. I imagine after shipping to the eastern front again its paint began to chip away and reveal the base coat. If i remember correctly the Germans at one point had grey and desert tan panzers on the eastern front because of something similar.
@Damraska I believe you are correct, Three tone camo didn’t become a thing until 1943 if i remember correctly.
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The KV-2 that were originally intended for Malta are the ones in the camouflage that you see in these photos some may have had white painted on later but they all have the Panzer Coppola and the rear rack for ammunition
German lights were added on the left-hand side front and rear
They all went to the Russian front.
The Germans also used RUSSIAN captured KV-2 tanks.
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One of the Tropical colors.
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@ruzzaa thank you, that is a perfect picture to use! Your last sentence, using RUSSIAN KV-2 do you mean they didn’t add the cupola’s and all that ?
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@ruzzaa thank you for the clarification !
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Someone please explain to me how safe and smart it would have been to carry additional 152mm ammo externally.
