I have just purchased the MasterClub KV-1s resin individual link track set. The detail is top notch and the pin system produces strong assembly. They are very labor intensive as all the holes have to be drilled out.
My concern is the link pattern that is represented. They do not have the square portion on the very edges of each link, which is present on all of the KV/JS tracks I have seen in scale and photos.
Does anyone know if this pattern is accurate?

Hi David,

Yes and no. I have seen several photos of KV-1S vehicles carrying the track pattern depicted by the Masterclub tracks, but not in service. The photos are credited as having been taken at Kubinka in 1943.

Judging from photographs, most KV-1S in service carried the narrow pattern split link tracks with the square ends as depicted by Fruil's ATL-51.

Cheers,

Neil

Hi David, hi Neil,

if we are talking about KV-1s tracks like this ones: http://www.miniarm.com/miniarm/img/armor/DSC00241.jpg , purchased by miniarm too, they are much more widespread in scale drawings (and inherited from that very often ;-)), than on real tanks pics.
But that said they CAN be found on pics of real tanks:

1.) KW (issue #168) from militaria (poland) pg. 36, lower pic. Same pic as in tankograd, KV-1 late variants, pg. 36 upper pic.

2.) KW (issue #168) from militaria (poland) pg. 63 upper pic.

3.) Lwy Stalina (issue 272) from militaria pg. 57

All depicted vehicles are of "in action" tanks, not of prototypes or museum-vehicles (although some pics seem to be a little staged;-))

HTH

Volker

Hi Volker...good catch. I have Wydawnictwo Militaria 168 and the Tankograd books, and hadn't caught the tracks on that vehicle. As you say, they are quite rare in photographs of "real" vehicles.

As for the photographs appearing staged, remember that the only Soviet troops carrying cameras were official photographers, so photos were very often staged.

Neil