"July 20th, 1942
To the director of Kalinin factory #8, comrade Fratkin
Sverdlovsk
CC: Chief of the NKTP Technical Department, Engineer Colonel Ginzburg
CC: Chairman of the NKTP Technical Council, Satel
RE: conclusion regarding installation of a 122 mm howitzer in a T-34 tank turret
The project of a T-34 tank with a 122 mm howitzer developed on factory #8's initiative that you sent attached to letter #1430s was reviewed by the GAU Artillery Committee.
The project consists of installing an experimental 122 mm tank howitzer into a T-34 tank with the condition of maintaining the existing turret ring.
As only two people fit in the fighting compartment in the current configuration, which is not enough to service the howitzer normally, this project is not of interest and must be declined.
Installing this howitzer into the roomier KV tank turret resulted in insufficient comfort of usage and rate of fire. The development of the project that you sent in is senseless.
In order to avoid unproductive wastes of resources and effort, the Artillery Committee considers it useful to get approval for grassroots projects from the GAU.
Deputy Chief of the GAU and Artillery Committee Chairman, Major General of Artillery Hohlov
Artillery Committee Military Commissar, Regimental Commissar Vasilyev"