KV-4 (Object 224) Turchaninov

Soviet Union (1941)
Super Heavy Tank – Blueprints Only

The KV-4 was conceived in spring 1941 to deal with the rumors of new, powerful German heavy tanks. Its development process consisted of a design competition between several SKB-2 workers. One of these designs was made by the young engineer G.A. Turchaninov, heavily resembling an enlarged KV-3, which was being developed simultaneously. However, his design was not taken into consideration, and has been largely forgotten since.

Development

–Dear reader: A more detailed development analysis of the KV-4 program can be found in the KV-4 Dukhov article–

KV-4 designs

Placement	Name	Drawings	Mass (t)	Dimensions (m) (LxWxH)	Armament	Crew	Top speed (theoretical)	Armor	Reward /Rubles
1	Dukhov KV-4		82.5	8.150 3.790 3.153	107 mm ZiS-6 45 mm K-20 2x 7.62 mm DT machine guns	6	40 km/h	Front top plate: 135 mm Front bottom plate: 130 mm Side plate: 125 mm Top and belly: 40 mm	5000
2	Kuzmin, Tarotko, Tarapatin KV-4		88	9.26 3.78 3.175	107 mm ZiS-6 45 mm K-20 2x 7.62 mm DS-39 machine guns	6	36 km/h	Front: 125 mm Side: 125-100 mm Top and belly: 40 mm	3000
3	Tseits KV-4		90	8.85 4.03 3.62	107 mm ZiS-6 2x 7.62 mm DS-39 machine guns Unspecified flamethrower	7	45 km/h	Front hul upper plate: 50 mm Front hull bottom plate: 125 mm Turret:130 mm Side plate: 125 mm Top and belly: 50 mm	2800
4	Sychev KV-4		95 – 100	9.23 4.00 3.40	107 mm ZiS-6 (F-42) 45 mm 20-K 2x 7.62 mm DT machine guns	6	40 – 45	Turret: 135-125 mm Hull: 105 mm Top and belly: 40 mm	2000
4	Ermolaev KV-4		90	8.22 4.00 3.25	107 mm ZiS-6	6	35	130 mm
			95	8.52 4.00 3.25	107 mm ZiS-6 45 mm 20-K	6	35	130 mm	2000
5	Shashmurin KV-4		92	9.50 4.00 3.85	107 mm ZiS-6 (F-42) main cannon (112 or 102 rounds) 76 mm F-11 secondary cannon (120 rounds) 2x 7.62 mm DT machine guns (400 rounds) Unspecified flamethrower (hull)	7	35 km/h	Front top plate: 125 mm Side plate: 125 mm Top and belly: 50 to 40 mm	1500
6	Buganov KV-4		93	7.70 3.80 3.90	107 mm ZiS-6 45 mm 20-K	6	50 km/h	Front 125 mm	1000
6	Moskvin KV-4		101	9.573 4.03 3.74	107 mm ZiS-6 45 mm 20-K	6	40 km/h	Front 130 mm	1000
7	Pereverzev KV-4		100	9.5 3.8 3.82	107 mm ZiS-6 45 mm 20-K 2x 7.62 mm DT machine guns	6	39 km/h	Front: 125 mm	500
7	Bykov KV-4		98.6	9.5 4.03 3.65	107 mm ZiS-6 45 mm 20-K 7.62 mm DS-39 machine gun	8	36 km/h	Front 130 mm	500
7	Kalivod KV-4								500
N/A	Fedorenko KV-4		98.65	8.10 4.03 3.70	107 mm ZiS-6 45 mm M.1938 3x 7.62 mm DT machine guns Unspecified flamethrower	6	35 km/h	Front upper plate: 140 mm Side plate: 125 mm Turret: 125 mm Top and belly: 50 to 40 mm
N/A	Kreslavsky KV-4		92.6	9 4 3.225	107 mm ZiS-6 45 mm Mod.1937 20-K coaxial 3x 7.62 mm DT machine guns	6	45 km/h	Turret: 130 mm Front hull plate: 130 mm Front upper plate: 80 mm Side plate: 125 mm Rear plate: 130 mm Top /bottom: 50 -40 mm
N/A	Kruchenykh KV-4		107.7	9.13 4.03 3.78	107 mm ZiS-6 45 mm 20-K 4x 7.62 mm DT machine guns	9	30 km/h	Front: 130 mm
N/A	Mikhailov KV-4		86.5	9 3.6 3	107 mm ZiS-6 (F-42) 45 mm Mod.1937 20-K (hull-mounted) 3x 7.62 mm DT machine guns	6	50 km/h	Turret: 130 mm Hull: 130 mm Belly and belly: 50 – 40 mm
N/A	Marishkin KV-4		86.4	8.7 3.6 3.5	107 mm ZiS-6 45 mm 20-K	7	40 km/h	Front: 130 mm Upper frontal: 80 mm
N/A	Pavlov & Grigorev KV-4		91	8.5 4.0 3.6	107 mm ZiS-6 45 mm 20-K	6	45 km/h	Front: 100 – 125 mm
N/A	Turchaninov KV-4		89.5	9.8 4.0 3.0	107 mm ZiS-6 45 mm 20-K DT machine gun	7	35 km/h	Front: 125 mm
N/A	Strukov KV-4		92	8.6 4.0 3.8	107 mm ZiS-6 45 mm 20-K	6	50 km/h	Front: 80 – 130 mm
N/A	Unknown KV-4
N/A	Unknown KV-4

The KV-4 (Object 244) Soviet heavy tank program was initiated by the Soviet Union in response to the German expansion over Europe, despite the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. The program aimed to develop a new heavy tank to match the alleged German heavy tanks which were rumored to be in development. The KV-1 heavy tank, which was rushed into service due to Stalin’s requests, had significant quality, weight, and reliability problems. The most advanced heavy tanks in development at the time were the KV-150 and the KV-220, which had even more serious reliability issues and were still in the prototype testing phase. Thus, the GABTU set out to develop a new heavier tank to match the suspected German tanks.

The requirements for the new heavy tank were laid out on 21 March 1941, which included a 107 mm ZiS-6 gun, armor of 120 mm to 130 mm all-round, a weight between 70 to 72 tonnes, a M-40 diesel aviation engine with 4 TK-88 turbochargers for propulsion, a secondary 45 mm gun, at least three 7.62 mm machine guns, and a flamethrower. The development of the KV-4 took place at the LKZ (Kirov Leningrad Factory) SKB-2 design bureau, the same office responsible for all the previous KV tanks. The first prototype production was assigned to the Izhora plant based on LKZ drawings. Blueprint deadline was set for 17 July 1941.

The GABTU edited their request on 7 April, demanding a heavy upgrade of the KV-220, named KV-3 (Object 223), that would act as a stopgap until the heavier tanks were ready, and an even heavier tank named KV-5 (Object 225). To better fit the KV-4 between the two new vehicles, its weight threshold was lifted to at least 75 tonnes, and 125 mm of armor at the sides. The deadline was tightened to 15 June. Work on all 3 tanks commenced at SKB-2 design bureau, which was headed by J.Y. Kotin.

Kotin challenged his engineers to a design competition, and 24 designers entered the competition with equally as many different designs presented. The winners were announced on 9 May, with 13 designers having received monetary prizes. However, work on the KV-4 stagnated severely after the competition was ready. Most of the efforts shifted to the KV-5, which was developed based on knowledge from the KV-4. However, the KV-5 was in a very early stage when the German Reich began their invasion of the Soviet Union, and their quick advance into Soviet territory put great strain on the LKZ tank factory, which had to switch focus on optimization and repair of KV-1 and KV-2 tanks.

By September 1941, the German forces were advancing towards Leningrad, and the SKB-2 design bureau was ordered to evacuate to the ChTZ in Chelyabinsk. The KV-4 project was canceled due to the evacuation, and no prototypes were produced.

One of the designs submitted was by the young Military-Engineer G.A. Turchaninov, though he was not rewarded for his tank design.

G.A. Turchaninov

During his studies at the Military Academy of Motorization and Mechanization, Turchaninov worked on his undergraduate practice at the SKB-2 design bureau. He worked on the general design of the SMK tank, as well as a mine-clearing roller. Later, he was part of the design team of the KV tank, both in terms of general layout, but also the transmission. By 1940, he had finished his studies and began working at SKB-2 as a Military Engineer. With the outbreak of the war, he began work on crew training on KV-1 tanks and the fortifications of Leningrad.

Design

Unlike many of the other KV-4 tanks designs, Turchaninov’s design was very sensible in layout, without any extravagant features. It was very similar to the final KV-3 layout, with a rounded turret and standard hull layout, a stepped front portion, much like on the earlier KV tanks, central turret and fighting compartment, and powerplant and final drive in the rear.

The most bizarre feature, and likely a flaw in the design, was the mounting of the 45 mm 20-K secondary gun in the center of the front hull plate. While this option offered the maximum firing angle, its range was still inferior to that of competing KV-4 designs, which usually placed the secondary gun in a separate turret or coaxial to the main gun. However, the main problem with this layout was that there was no room in the hull for a designated gunner. Thus, the driver was forced to be its gunner.

The engine, as requested by the GABTU, was the experimental 1,200 hp M-40 aviation engine, capable of running on kerosene and diesel. It was boosted with four TK-88 turbochargers. The fuel tank was over the 5th roadwheel, underneath the ammunition stowage racks.

Crew

The tank’s crew was of 6, consisting of commander, main gunner, 2x main loaders, driver/secondary gunner, and secondary loader/flamethrower operator.

The gunner and commander were seated in the main turret, on the left side of the main gun, with the commander behind the gunner. The two loaders were on the other side of the gun, with one loading the shells in the gun and the other lifting them up from the hull stowage racks.

The driver was seated to the left side of the hull, but due to the central mounting of the secondary gun in the hull, the driver was also forced to aim and fire the gun. The loader was seated on the right side of the hull, loading the secondary gun but also firing the flamethrower, placed on the extreme right side of the hull.

Armament

The main armament used on all KV-4 proposals was the 107 mm ZiS-6 gun. It was developed by V.G. Grabin at Plant No.92, starting in December 1940 and finishing first prototype in May 1941.

The gun was an excellent anti-tank weapon, with a muzzle velocity of 800 m/s, and during trials, was able to penetrate 120 mm of armor angled at 30° from 1,600 m.

Secondary armament consisted of the older 45 mm 20-K, which was still the most widely used gun on armored vehicles at the time. Although it was completely dated for anti-tank use, it was still a cheap and readily available gun for soft-skin targets and infantry. The main problem in Turchaninov’s design was its position. While most designers placed it in an independent turret or coaxially to the main gun, Turchaninov placed it in the front hull plate, limiting its traverse to 30° in both directions.

For close-range infantry defense, the tank was equipped with three to four 7.62 mm DT machine guns. An unspecified type of flamethrower was mounted on the extreme right side of the front plate, with 30 shots.

Armor

Like most KV tanks, Turchaninov’s KV-4 had the same armor thickness all around, 125 mm. Only the turret’s roof and engine/hull’s deck plates were just 40 mm thick, while the hull’s belly was 50 mm thick.

The shape of the turret, clearly inspired by the KV-3’s (Object 223), is noteworthy. It is important to note, however, that this rounded shape would have been achieved via stamping the RHA plates, rather than casting. Soviet industrial technology severely lacked the ability to reliably cast such thick armor plates before the war, and this would be a continuous issue throughout the war.

Fate of the Project

By the end of May, the competition was over, the winning designs were announced, and their respective designers awarded accordingly. Unfortunately, Turchaninov was not amongst these. There are no documents regarding why certain designs won and others did not. We may only speculate based on the design looks and the engineers’ relation with factory director I.M. Zaltsman and head of SKB-2 J.Y. Kotin, the ‘judges’. Winner of the competition was N.L. Dukhov, who proposed an enlarged KV-220 design. After the competition ended, work on the KV-4 completely stalled, with focus shifting to the KV-3 and KV-5. Work progressed through summer 1941 and as with the start of the war, but was halted in September, when the SKB-2 design bureau was transferred from Leningrad to Chelyabinsk due to German forces advancing towards the city. Work on the heavy KVs never restarted.

Conclusion

The design path chosen by Turchaninov seemed like a fail-proof formula, heavily inspired by the KV-3, using the complex turret shape and standard hull layout. Despite this, the poor placement of the secondary armaments and lack of innovation likely put this design at a disadvantage and was not considered. As a whole, in spite of the efforts of Turchaninov and the other designers, the KV-4 program proved to be a failure, born from the impulsive acts of a disorganised military leadership, and killed by the realities of war.

KV-4 Turchaninov Specifications
Dimensions (L-W-H) (approx.)	9.8 x 4 x 3.82 m
Total weight, battle-ready	89.5 tonnes
Crew	6 (commander, main gunner, 2x main loaders, driver,, secondary loader)
Propulsion	1,200 hp diesel V-12 M-40 with 4 TK-88 turbochargers
Speed	38 km/h (hypothetical)
Armament	107 mm ZiS-6 (F-42) 45 mm 20-K 3-4x DT 7.62 mm machine guns Flamethrower (30 shots)
Armor	125 mm all around Top: 40 mm Belly; 50 mm
No. Built	0, blueprints only

Sources

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Supertanki Stalina IS-7 – Maxim Kolomiets
KV 163 1939-1941 – Maxim Kolomiets
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Tank Archives: ZIS-6 Characteristics – Peter Samsonov
Турчанинов Г.А. (famhist.ru)