"USSR NKO
160th Tank Regiment
January 11th, 1944
#60
To the Commander of Armoured and Mechanized Forces of the 63rd Army
RE: your letter #079 dated January 9th, 1944
The azimuth circle and clinometer installed on T-34 tanks for indirect fire were not used in practice by the regiment for the following reasons:
- Tank crews do not know how to fire indirectly as they were not trained to do it.
- It is unnecessary to use the tanks for indirect fire, as towed and self propelled artillery supporting the tanks' attack handles the mission perfectly well.
I consider it reasonable to simplify the fighting compartment of the T-34 tank by removing the azimuth circle and clinometer from the T-34 and removing them from service, as the devices have no practical use.
Commander of the 160th Guards Tank Regiment, Guards Major Belyakov
Chief of Staff of the 160th Guards Tank Regiment, Guards Captain Filonenko"