The KV-II has such a great looking turret...but...What does it look like on the inside?????....I have a few books but none have interior schematics or cut away illustrations of this huge interior space... Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Drew i'am pretty sure that no interior photos or diagrams of the interior of the KV II exist at least thats what the response to similiar questions such as yours have been not unless some body opens up some old Russian vaults containing some blue prints i think you will have to fake it as far as an interior goes i will reccomend some excellent referance the Tankograd books on the KV series tanks good luck with your search !

I do not think there are any known photos of the interior of the KVII turret. Thus no aftermarket interiors for this tank. I believe the only surviver is at the Russian Army Museum at Kublinka and the turret is welded shut as it is an outside static display. I'm sure if someone plunked down 10K they'd break the welds and photograph it.

C.

This is one of the "Holy Grails" of modelling research -- along with these:

SdKfz 250/8 Stummel interior layout
WW2 era M4A1 76W HVSS
88mm armed Jagdtiger
WW2 era JS-3s
M4A3 converted to 17pdr US Fireflies


Often asked about -- no answers forthcoming

the closest I have seen was in a german book on the KV-2. there were some pics of knocked out KV2 with its turret on its side. You could see some interior detail..And Unfortuantely I didn't take stock of the title of the book as I have built this one and don't need any more reference material for it. Hopefully someone else knows the book I am referring to.

Sean

wow, what a bummer! Thanks for the input, I kinda figured it was still a mystery but was hoping something new showed up somewhere....I just started Tamiya's new lil' KV-II in 1/48 and the turret is just asking for some guts!...

Sean is right. There are only one or two known photos of the inside of a KV-II and these are combat photos, taken from a distance and in crummy light. I've seen on e of them and there is a barely recognisable breech visible in the mouth of the cavern of the turret on its side. And that's it. The rest of the interior is a black pit and the contrast is so high that no other details are visible.

However, there are some things that could be deduced from the exterior.

The periscopes and hatches would be the same or similar to those of other tanks, so you can add some detail to the interior as indicated by the exterior fittings.

The antenna is on the hull, so there is no radio inside the turret. What else is needed? Add a breech modelled from photos of the regular artillery version of the 152mm howitzer. I'd add racks for shells and charges along the inside of the rear bustle of the turret. There would be a bolt pattern for the rear access plate. After that add some lights, wiring, canteens and SMG magazine racks and you'll be well along. I think these were fitted with the DT MS in the turret roof hatch, so a rack for that and ammo would be needed. I don't know if there was an intercom system fitted, but if there was, add the wiring and junction boxes for that as well. All of a sudden, the interior is starting to fill up nicely. :-)

HTH

Paul