"To: Deputy GABTU Chief, Major-General of the Technical Forces, Lebedev
CC: Deputy Chair of the Automotive and Armoured Vehicles Council South-Western Direction, Lieutenant-General of the Tank Forces, Tamruchi
April 5th, 1942
The 57 mm anti-tank gun installed on the Komsomolets tractor showed itself in battle as a fearsome weapon against all types and brands of enemy tanks.
Positive and negative sides were discovered during use in combat.
Positive:
- The gun is self propelled.
- The crew is protected from the front with the gun shield.
- The sights are precise.
- The mobility is good.
- The muzzle velocity is high.
- The point blank range against a tank sized target is 2-2.5 km.
- The rate of fire is 10-12 RPM.
One SPG from the 4th Guards Tank Brigade made 13 shots during a battle on March 17th, 1942, as a result of which 3 tanks were knocked out at 2 km and the rest turned back.
Negative:
- The recoil system and return gear breaks quickly.
- The engine is weak, especially when dealing with snow, mud, and steep hills.
A battery of 57 mm self propelled anti-tank guns was kept with the motorized rifle battalion of the 4th Guards Tank Brigade. The guns were used to support tanks on the offensive. Usually they moved behind the riflemen from one position to the next. Typically they supported the flanks. A convenient position was chosen, and enemy resistance that prevented tanks or infantry from advancing was destroyed.
During counterattacks, the guns were used to defeat attacking tanks or infantry.
In the defense, the guns were placed in tank-vulnerable directions, and sometimes placed ahead of the tanks. Since they fought with the motorized rifle battalion's tanks, their task was usually to cover the flanks. There were cases when the crews and the tractor were disabled by shells that exploded nearby. It is reasonable to install this gun on the T-60 chassis.
Deputy Commander of Automotive and Armoured Vehicles of the Southern Front, Lieutenant-General of the Tank Forces, Shtevnev
Military Commissar of Automotive and Armoured Vehicles of the Southern Front, Senior Battalion Commissar Valuyev"