"Order of the People's Commissar of Defense #0954
On the reorganization of the Main Automotive and Tank Directorate of the Red Army
December 14th, 1942
- Decree of the State Committee of Defense #2589s issued on December 7th, 1942, reorganized the Main Automotive and Armour Directorate of the Red Army (GABTU KA) into two directorates:
- Main Directorate of Formation and Training of Armoured and Mechanized Forces of the Red Army.
- Main Armour Directorate of the Red Army.
- Both directorates are led by a commander and the Military Council of Armoured and Mechanized Forces of the Red Army.
- All issues connected with organization of supply, use, and service of automobiles is factored out of the Main Automotive and Armour Directorate of the Red Army and passed onto the Main Automotive Directorate of the Red Army.
- All issues connected with organization of supply, use, and service of tractors, as well as training of personnel for them, have been factored out of the Main Automotive and Armour Directorate of the Red Army and passed onto the Directorate of the Commander of Artillery of the Red Army and the Main Artillery Directorate of the Red Army.
- The new structure of the reorganized Auto and Armour Directorate is set by the State Committee of Defense as follows:
- The Commander and the Military Council of Armoured and Mechanized Forces of the Red Army.
- HQ
- Personnel department
- Inspectorate
- Main Directorate of Formation and Training, consisting of:
- Directorate of Formation and Supply of Armoured and Mechanized Forces
- Directorate of Training of Armoured and Mechanized Forces.
- Directorate of Military Training Institutions of Armoured and Mechanized Forces.
- Main Armour Directorate of the Red Army, consisting of:
- Tank Directorate
- Tank Repair Directorate
- Tank Use Directorate
- Armoured Train and Armoured Car Directorate
- Scientific Research Proving Grounds
- Lieutenant-General of the Tank Forces, comrade Fedorenko is appointed the Commander of Armoured and Mechanized Forces.Major-General of the Tank Forces, comrade Korobkov is appointed as the First Deputy Commander of Armoured and Mechanized Forces.Lieutenant-General of the Tank Forces comrade Biryukov is appointed as a member of the Military Council of Armoured and Mechanized Forces.
I order for:
- The Commander of Armoured and Mechanized Forces of the Red Army must develop the TO&E and organization of the directorates of armoured and mechanized forces of the Fronts, districts, and armies and submit it to me for approval within 3 days.
- The military councils of fronts, districts, and armies must factor out all ongoing issues connected with the supply, use, or service of tractors out of their armoured directorates and pass them onto the artillery directorates with appropriate staff within a 10 day period.
Deputy People's Commissar of Defense, Colonel-General Ye. Shadenko"