Soviet KV-2 tank No. B-4754 destroyed in the battle for Ostrov in summer 1941, showing severe damage and the fate of its crew and commander.
Knocked-Out Soviet KV-2 Tank No. B-4754 (Summer 1941):
This wartime photograph shows Soviet heavy tank KV-2 No. B-4754, knocked out during the battle for the town of Ostrov in the summer of 1941. The tank belonged to the 6th Tank Regiment of the 3rd Tank Division, 1st Mechanized Corps.
The vehicle bears clear signs of intense combat: multiple impact marks on the armor, a shattered right side from a large-caliber shell, and a pierced gun barrel. On the hull lies the body of a fallen tanker. According to surviving records, this is very likely Captain Ivan Ivanovich Rusanov, the tank commander.
Photo Information:
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Location: USSR
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Date: Summer 1941
What the Photo Shows:
The image captures a destroyed KV-2 immobilized and abandoned on the battlefield. Visible details indicate:
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Heavy shell impacts across the armor
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Severe damage to the right side of the hull
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A disabled main gun with a damaged barrel
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A fallen crew member lying on the tank’s armor
This is not simply a wrecked vehicle — it is a frozen moment of a desperate and deadly fight during the first weeks of the war.
The Battle for Ostrov:
From 1 July 1941, the 3rd Tank Division of the 1st Mechanized Corps fought in the area of the town of Ostrov in the Pskov region. These battles took place during the chaotic and brutal opening phase of the German invasion.
Units were:
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Under constant pressure from advancing enemy forces
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Suffering from shortages of fuel, ammunition, and spare parts
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Often forced to fight in isolation or retreat under fire
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Losing many vehicles not only to enemy action, but also to encirclement and logistical collapse
The KV-2 No. B-4754 was one of the tanks lost in this desperate struggle.
How the Tank Was Lost:
According to surviving write-off reports, the fate of KV-2 No. B-4754 was as follows:
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The tank was hit and its track was broken, causing it to come off
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A shell penetrated the side armor of the transmission, damaging control linkages and side clutches
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The tank became immobile and could not be turned or withdrawn
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The road and bridge were blocked by burning and destroyed vehicles, making retreat impossible
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The battalion commander ordered the crew to leave the tank
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Captain Rusanov remained inside to disable the vehicle so it could not be used by the enemy
The battlefield was soon occupied by enemy forces, making evacuation of the tank impossible.
The Fate of Captain Rusanov:
According to archival records, Captain Ivan Ivanovich Rusanov of the 6th Tank Regiment was killed on 5 July 1941. With a high degree of probability, the fallen tanker seen on the armor of the KV-2 in this photograph is Captain Rusanov himself.
His final act — staying behind in a disabled tank to ensure it could not be captured — reflects the extreme conditions and personal sacrifices of the first months of the war.
The Crew of KV-2 No. B-4754:
The crew of the tank consisted of:
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Commander: Captain Rusanov
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Driver-mechanic: Zhivoglyadov
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Gun commander: Osipov
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Radio operator: Volchkov
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Loader: Khantsevich
According to the records, the rest of the crew managed to return to their unit, while the commander was killed during the final moments of the tank’s loss.
The KV-2 in 1941:
The KV-2 was a massive and heavily armored assault tank, armed with a powerful 152 mm gun. In 1941 it had:
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Very strong armor for its time
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Enormous firepower against fortifications
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Extremely poor mobility and reliability
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High vulnerability when immobilized
Once disabled, such a heavy vehicle was almost impossible to evacuate under combat conditions, especially during a retreat.
Why This Photograph Matters:
This image is important because it shows:
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A specific, identified combat loss, not an anonymous wreck
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The human cost of early-war fighting
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The brutal reality of the 1941 battles
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The fate of heavy tanks when mobility and logistics failed
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The personal sacrifice of a commander who stayed with his machine to the end
It turns statistics about losses into a concrete, human story.
Historical Significance of the Image:
The photograph documents:
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The desperate defensive battles of summer 1941
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The vulnerability of even the heaviest Soviet tanks in chaotic conditions
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The collapse of front-line positions and communications
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The individual courage and tragedy of crews caught in impossible situations
It is a stark reminder of how the war began — with retreat, destruction, and enormous human losses.
Conclusion:
The image of KV-2 No. B-4754 knocked out near Ostrov in the summer of 1941 is one of the most powerful testimonies of the war’s opening phase. It shows not only a destroyed tank, but also the fate of its commander and crew, the chaos of retreat, and the brutal price paid in those first weeks.
This photograph preserves the memory of a specific battle, a specific machine, and a specific man — Captain Ivan Ivanovich Rusanov — whose last fight ended on the armor of his own tank.