T-50 Problems
"To the People's Commissar of Medium Machinebuilding, comrade MalyshevI report that the proving grounds trials of the T-50 produced at factory #174 cannot be completed in the timeframe allotted by your...
View ArticleFaster, Better, Longer
"April 13th, 1939#227064To: Director of the Kirov factory, comrade ZaltsmannCC: Military Representative of the AU at the Kirov Factory, Military Engineer 2nd Grade BuglakWork on producing an...
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Easy Modernization: T-45 and Others
GABTU had to reach a compromise on many issues when it accepted the T-60 tank for service. It was obvious that this tank is inferior to the T-50 in nearly all characteristics, but its production could...
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Schwere Panzerbüchse 41
In 1942, the Allies captured an interesting anti-tank weapon designed for the German army and actively used on all fronts of WWII since 1914. Its distinguishing feature from other anti-tank rifles and...
View Article76 mm Regimental Gun Penetration
"To the People's Commissar of Defense, comrade I.V. Stalin.I report that HEAT shells for the 76 mm mod. 1927 regimental cannon developed by the GAU Artkom on the basis of captured German shells were...
View ArticleIS-2 #1
"Shipment act #2March 28th, 1943, ChelyabinskWe the undersigned, Military Representative of the GBTU TU Engineer-Major I.P. Skriptsov on one side and OP-2 plant foreman of factory #100 Nosov and...
View ArticleSelf Propelled Heavy Howitzer
"Tactical-Technical Requirements for Supreme Command Reserve Self Propelled ArtilleryThe main purpose of Supreme Command Reserve Self Propelled Artillery is the destruction of pillboxes and dugouts...
View ArticleNew Shells
"State Committee of Defense Decree #6434sAugust 21st, 1944Moscow, KremlinThe People's Commissar of Armament (comrade Vannikov) must:Produce a trial batch of 10,000 45 mm incendiary shells for the...
View ArticleWorld of Tanks History Section: Battle at Lukhanino
The Voronezh Front, protector of the south flank of the Kursk salient, found itself in the way of a powerful German offensive. However, this scenario played out quite unlike what German commanders...
View ArticleImproved T-34-85 Armour
"To: comrade I.V. StalinIn order to increase the robustness of T-34-85 turrets, factory #183 developed a new turret design with thicker front and sides (90 and 75 mm vs 52 mm).The weight of the new...
View ArticleRES Anti-Tank Rifle Cost
"Calculations regarding the cost of development of the 14.5 mm anti-tank rifle for GAUOrder #40Code 73-PItemCalculationsTotalDirect spendingMain materialsSteel, other materials1,400Purchased parts3...
View ArticleBeginning of the KV-1S
"Preliminary conclusions on the KV-1S tank, equipped with the 8-speed gearbox, new turret with a commander's cupola, and reduced mass of 42.5 tons.The objective of raising the average speed and...
View ArticleRBG-82
"To comrade I.V. StalinA group of designers at SKB-36 of the People's Commissariat of Oil (comrades Ostrovskiy and Grigoryan), under orders from the GAU, designed and tested an 82 mm anti-tank rifle...
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Czech from Russia
By the end of the Second World War, T-34-85 tanks became one of the most common type of tank in the Czechoslovakian army. The first tanks of this type were received by the Czechoslovakian corps in...
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ZIK-20: Assault Alternative
On April 15th, 1942, the plenary assembly of the Artillery Committee of the GAU met to discuss further development of self propelled artillery. The decisions worked out in this meeting became key in...
View ArticleIron Discipline 2: Discipline Harder
"1st Mountain Infantry Division11th ArmyDivision headquarters, August 8th, 1941Divisional OrderBased on Corps order #47 issued on July 31st, 1941DisciplineSeveral times, I have witnessed the following...
View ArticleTank Improvements
"To comrade I.V. Stalincomrade V.I. MolotovIn accordance with State Committee of Defense decrees ##1878ss and 1879ss issued on June 5th, 1942, the Kirov factory and factory #183 completed trials of...
View ArticleT-40 Tow Hooks
"To the Chief Engineer of Ordzhonikidze factory #37, comrade KozyrevCC: BTU 3rd Department Chief, Military Engineer 1st Class AfoninRE: T-40 tow hooksThere has lately been an increased frequency of...
View Article70th Anniversary of Tanker's Day
70 years ago, on September 8th, 1946, elements of the 4th Guards Kantemirovka Tank Division drove across Red Square in the first Tanker's Day parade.In the documentary footage of the parade, all...
View ArticleWorld of Tanks History Section: Battle for Teploye
The Germans understood that the summer offensive against the Kursk salient will not be an easy one. German commanders took their time planning Operation Citadel, moving the start date several times....
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