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The KV-8 flamethrower tank saw the main gun of the KV-1 replaced with a flamethrower. It entered production, but only in relatively small numbers and thus had a brief front line career.
During the Winter War the Soviets had used flamethrower tanks based on the T-26 light tank. However they were obviously flamethrower tanks, which made them a high priority target for the enemy, while the thin armour of the T-26 made them very vulnerable. In response flamethrower versions of the T-34 and KV-1 were developed. The T-34 became the OT-34, which carried its flamethrower in the hull, replacing the machine gun.
On the KV-8 the 45mm ATO-41 flamethrower replaced the main gun. In order to hide this the flamethrower was installed inside an armoured sleeve. This was mounted on the right side of the gun mantlet. In order to give the tank some firepower once the flame fuel had run out a 45mm Model 32/38 gun was mounted in place of the 76mm gun. This was mounted inside a 76mm tube to make it look like a standard gun tank. The KV-8 carried 92 rounds of 45mm ammo and 960 litres of flamer fuel, enough to fire 96 bursts. It could fire three bursts every three seconds. Normal kerosene had a range of 60-65m, a mix of kerosene and oil 90-100m. It carried five times more fuel than the OT-34.
The KV-8 was shown to Stalin in December 1941 and was approved for production. This began in 1942. The KV-8 was issued to dedicated flamethrower tank battalions, also known as chemical tank battalions. These had ten KV-8s organised into two companies and eleven OT-34s in one company. They were normally used to support infantry attacks on bunkers, but were also used in a wide range of other roles. Later in the war the KV-8s were withdrawn from these units because not many of them had been produced.
There were two main production versions of the KV-8. First was the original KV-8, armed with the ATO-41 flamethrower and a machine gun. 102 of this version were produced.
Second was the KV-8S. This had the ATO-42 flamethrower, which could fire four to five bursts of flame every ten seconds, each burst using 10 litres of fuel. Range was 60-120 meters depending on the mix of fuel. It was based on the KV-1S, but the first 25 used the standard KV-8 turret. The last 10 used a KV-1S turret, but the lack of space meant these had no machine guns.
Two examples of the KV-8M, armed with two flamethrowers, were built but the type didn’t enter production.