The SMK (named after Sergei Mironovich Kirov) was a prototype tank made to answer requirements for a successor for the T-35. The design team in Kirovski Works under Kotin came up with a design for heavy multi-turreted tank. It was armed with a 76.2mm cannon mounted in the rear turret and a 45mm one in the frontal turret. The armour was designed to be able to withstand direct hits from 45mm shells. The SMK Design together with T-100 and KV-1 was battle tested in the war with Finland. It is worth mentioning that the KV-1 design was derived from the SMK and it had many design features taken from it.
In War Thunder, the SMK will be available as a Soviet premium tank purchaseable through Golden Eagles.
Source – http://devblog.warthunder.com/2014/12/03/in-development-the-smk/?hl=en
War Thunder news The SMK aka Sergei Mironovich Kirov
References – S. J. Zaloga, J. Grandsen, Soviet Tanks and combat vehicles of World War 2, 1984 pp. 116-118.
From 1938 Russians needed a new generation tank to replace the T-35- The new project was developed between two team in Leningrad, Barykov’s OKMO team and Kirov’s team at the Kirovskiy Factory. In Kirov’s team was a veteran designer of T-28 and T-35, N. Tsiets. The heavy tank requirement called for an anti-tank vehicle with five turrets and armour anti-37mm gun at any range. Both team were opposed to 5-turrets idea. Two protoypes, OKMO design (T-100) and Kotin design (SMK), were displayed at a special meeting of SNK in May 1938. Both tanks were similar appearance. T-100 and SMK had a main turret on a long stalk with a 76,2mm gun and a small turret with 45mm gun. The first SMK prototype was finished in August, togheter with a KV proto. KV P. was equipped with a V-2 diesel engine and armed, at first, with a 76,2mm L-11. Otherwise, the SMK used an AM aircraft engine and the 76,2mm L-11. These three tanks were sent to the Finnish War. The Trials ended when KV. p. was damaged, the SMK was knocked out by a large mine. Here the KV performed far better than SMK and T-100 and it was accepted by Defence Council of SNK as RKKA’s new heavy tank. The disabled SMK was photographed by Finns. After Finland trials, the destiny of SMK and T-100 was signed and a new prototype, the SMK-2, was never completed.
- Il Sergei Mironovich Kirov o SMK era un prototipo di carro creato per rispondere alle richieste di un successore del T-35. Il team di progettisti di Kirov ne vennero fuori con un progetto di carro multitorretta. Era armato di un cannone da 76,2mm montato su torretta posteriore e un 45mm montato su torretta anteriore. La corazza era progettata per respingere colpi diretti di cannoni da 45mm. l’SMK , insieme con KV1 e T.-100, venne testato nella battaglia con la Finlandia. Inutile ricordare che il disegno del KV-1 derivava direttamente dall’SMK e che altri progetti partirono proprio da questo carro. In WT l’SMK sarà un carro premium acquistabile solo con aquile d’oro.
