Destroyed Soviet KV-1 Heavy Tank in Raseiniai, 1941

September 4, 2025 - Reading time: 4 minutes

Completely destroyed Soviet KV-1 heavy tank blown apart in Raseiniai, summer 1941.

Destroyed Soviet KV-1 heavy tank of the 2nd Tank Division, blown apart by internal explosion, Raseiniai, Lithuania, summer 1941.

This dramatic photograph shows the wreckage of a Soviet KV-1 heavy tank completely destroyed during the battles near Raseiniai, Lithuania, in the summer of 1941. The tank, belonging to the 2nd Tank Division of the 3rd Mechanized Corps, 11th Army, was annihilated by a catastrophic internal ammunition explosion, leaving only twisted fragments of armor behind.

The Raseiniai battle was one of the first major clashes between German armored divisions and Soviet heavy tanks during Operation Barbarossa. While the KV-1 earned a fearsome reputation for being nearly invulnerable to early German anti-tank guns, this image demonstrates the devastating risks of internal explosions once ammunition storage was hit. A single strike could transform the tank into a fiery coffin for its crew.

German forces eagerly photographed such destroyed Soviet tanks, using them as propaganda to showcase supposed dominance over the Red Army’s most powerful armored vehicles. However, the Raseiniai battles also revealed the shocking resilience of Soviet armor: one lone KV-2 heavy tank reportedly held up an entire German division for more than a day, becoming a legend of armored warfare.

The destruction of this KV-1 highlights both the strengths and vulnerabilities of Soviet tank design in 1941 — thick armor and heavy firepower offset by poor crew ergonomics, unreliable logistics, and dangerous ammunition storage. Despite heavy losses in Lithuania, the Red Army would later adapt, with KV and T-34 tanks forming the backbone of Soviet armored power until victory in 1945.

Technical photo data:
📍 Location: Raseiniai, Lithuania, USSR
📅 Date: Summer 1941
📷 Photographer: Unknown