D-10 and IS-2
"To comrade L.P. BeriaOn installing the 100 mm D-10 gun produced by NKV factory #9 into the IS tank instead of the D-25 122 mm gun made by the same factoryIn March of this year, I reported to you that...
View ArticleVodka Audit
"To member of the Military Council of the South-Western Front, Major-General of the Intendant Service, comrade LayokReportAn inspection of the 200th Reserve Rifle Regiment showed illegal procurement...
View ArticleCanned Food
"On emergency reserve rations for tankers(Excerpt from special orders of the 13th Tank Division on December 6th, 1942The daily portion of the emergency reserve rations for tankers that is held at the...
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Airborne Scorpion
Anti-tank artillery calibers showed a steady growth in WWII. The US Army entered the war with 37 mm guns and ended it with 76 and 90 mm guns. The increase in caliber meant the increase in the weight of...
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Fabric to Metal
"Approved by the Commander of Artillery of the 57th Army, member of the military council, Major-General of Artillery, VreydoAugust 15th, 1944Instructions on using the German MG-34 handheld machinegun...
View ArticleGerman Ground Attackers
"Translated from GermanCombat use of ground attack aircraftMarch 1944...7. Anti-tank assault aircraftAnti-tank assault aircraft squads are independent units. They can be attached to assault aircraft...
View ArticleT-50's Growing Pains
"To the People's Commissar of Medium Machinebuilding, comrade MalyshevI report that the proving grounds trials of the experimental prototypes of the T-50 tank cannot be completed in the time set by...
View ArticleA Lesson in Trickery
"5. Enemy agentsExpect the enemy to drop agents via parachute in our rear as well as paratroopers. Our forces must be warned of this and maintain constant vigilance.Three Russians in the uniforms of...
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SKS: Experience is Experience
Having taken part in the 1944 tender for a self-loading carbine, the young Mikhail Kalashnikov suffered defeat. Another design went into production, and Sergeant Kalashnikov received nothing more than...
View ArticleTank Tactics
"Order of the People's Commissar of Defense #325On the combat use of tank and mechanized units and formationsOctober 16th, 1942The practice of war with German fascists showed us that we still have...
View ArticleSimplified T-60 Sight
"To the Chief of the 3rd Department of the BTUMoscow, Red Square, NKO house #2RE: trials of the tank sightFactory #237, on its own initiative, designed a simplified sight for the 20 mm TNSh gun and...
View ArticleGMC M10 in Combat
"ConclusionsIn pursuit of the enemy, the SPGs travelled over 500 km, expending 110 engine-hours.The expenditure of ammunition during completion of objectives did not exceed the expected parameters.M10...
View ArticleD-10 in the IS-2
"To the Commander of the Motorized and Mechanized Forces of the Red Army, Marshal of the Armoured Forces, comrade Ya.N. FedorenkoHaving examined the results of comparative trials of the 122 mm D-25 gun...
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Centurions in the Jungle
The participation of Australian forces in the fighting in South Vietnam in 1965-1971 is a relatively rarely explored part of history. Even rarely is it mentioned that Australia sent its tank forces to...
View ArticleAnti-tank Plans
"Directive of the Commander of Artillery of the 3rd Ukrainian Front #001931RE: anti-tank defenses of footholds on the DniesterMay 10th, 1944Commanders of artillery of the armies:Temporary defensive...
View ArticleWinding Down
"To comrade V. MolotovIn accordance with your decree on May 15th, 1943, on the letter from GAU Chief comrade Yakovlev regarding reducing the supply of tank guns for SU-122 and SU-76 SPGs in the second...
View ArticleNew Tracks
"Report #014Bureau 540May 21st, 1940On trials of cast Hadfield steel tracks on the A-34 tank...2. TrialsA set of tracks composed of track links cast from Hadfield steel was installed on the A-34 tank...
View ArticleSmall Arms Reconnaissance
"Translated from German206th Infantry DivisionDivision HQFebruary 19th, 1944Daily order #4The capture and delivery of Russian submachinegun 43 to Army HQ is considered a task of great importance. As...
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Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.E through F: The First Mass Medium
In the 1930s only the USSR and Japan managed to spin up mass production of medium tanks, producing several hundred of their respective types. In other armies the creation of medium tanks hit...
View ArticleZamulin on Losses
Zamulin: "For example, the talk of five tanks that the Germans lost on July 12th. Losses of both sides at Prokhorovka on July 12th is a significant and still unsolved mystery. The claims of Western...
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