Gaining Weight
"December 20th, 1940#SO6913To GABTU Regional Engineer, Military Engineer 2nd Class, comrade KozyrevRE: your letter #652s dated November 19th, 1940A cast turret weighs 2035 kg.A rolled turret weighs...
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HMC M8: Quick Support for Light Tanks
The idea of a specialized SPG for supporting tank and infantry units came to the Americans in the early 1930s. However, attempts to build such a vehicle ended up with nothing. As a result, the US Army...
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T-34s in England
Russia, of all places, recently had to import a number of T-34-85 tanks from Laos, due to a shortage of functional ones to show off in parades and shows. Interestingly enough, when I was in England...
View ArticleLimiting Reactant
"February 11th, 1941#144613To the Chairman of the Committee of Defense of the USSR SNK, Marshal of the Soviet Union, comrade K.E. VoroshilovFactory #183 under-supplied the GABTU with 1086 friction...
View ArticleTorsion Bars for the T-34
"December 30th, 1940#18239ssTo the Chair of the Committee of Defense of the Council of Commissars, Marshall of the Soviet Union, comrade VoroshilovIn carrying out the Committee of Defense decree #428...
View ArticleMaster of Disguise
"Translated from German11th Infantry DivisionCounterintelligence dept. #9/44Top Secret!Division HQ, January 3rd, 1944RE: combat against enemy agents and partisansAs mentioned in telephone dispatches...
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Kalashnikov's Predecessors
A boom of intelligence about the enemy's weapons came during the summer of 1943. Compared to captured German aircraft and tanks, an "automatic carbine" captured at Kholm, as it was called in the...
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Book Review: German Self-Propelled Artillery Guns of the Second World War
Artillery in general is often left by the wayside in discussions of armoured tank-on-tank clashes, but the importance of artillery in warfare cannot be overstated. The history of German mechanized...
View ArticleT-44 Prototype #2 Rate of Fire Trials
"Results of firingFiring from standstill at an angle of 0 degrees. TargetRange# shots# direct hits# of hits within 30 metersTime spentRate of fireNotesPanther. Aiming was done using manual...
View ArticleReuse and Recycle
"January 17th, 1945To commanders of corps artilleryTo commanders of army artillery unitsTo commanders of fire support unitsA large amount of guns and ammunition has been captured during offensive...
View ArticleFrom Each According to Ability...
"To the Chief of the Armoured Forces of the 7th Guards Cavalry CorpsCC: Commander of the 16 Guards Cavalry DivisionI report that out of 10 MK-2 (Matilda) tanks received by the regiment, only two were...
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From the Pickelhaube to the Stahlhelm
Many years after the World Wars, the infantry helmet has become a symbol of war. A descendant of bronze and iron helmets used by legionnaires, gladiators, knights, and other warriors of the past, the...
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T-34 Shipments
"To GABTU Regional Engineer at factory #183, KharkovI send you the directions for shipping T-34 tanks, which are to be strictly followed.Until June 1st, 1941, you delivered the following T-34...
View ArticleArmour Order
"To Washington#7835Sent: 9:00 August 7th, 1941Copy 1CC: comrade Stalin, comrade Molotov, comrade Mikoyan, 10th dept.New YorkPriorityWe are in great need of armour plates for tanks. They are needed more...
View ArticleT-34 with Torsion Bars
"Decree #___Committee of Defense of the USSRMoscow, KremlinOn the transition to T-34 tanks with a torsion bar suspensionInstruct the USSR NKSM (factory #183) to produce two experimental T-34 tanks by...
View ArticleReinheitsgebot
"Translated from German44th Infantry RegimentRegiment HQTo the quartermaster company of the 44th Infantry RegimentDue to an incident that occurred recently, I must order that:All personnel are...
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The Second Generation of the Stahlhelm
After WWI, the role of infantry changed. Trench warfare was left behind, mobility increased, and new requirements were demanded of the infantry helmet. This resulted in the development of a new...
View ArticleTank Destroyer Ace
"Award OrderName: Kurochkin, Viktor AleksandrovichRank: LieutenantPosition and unit: SU-85 commander, 1893rd Fastov Self Propelled Artillery RegimentIs nominated for the Order of the Red Banner.Year of...
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SU-76M Successor Requirements
"Tactical-technical requirements for the design of experimental light SPGs with a rear fighting compartmentA. Main requirementsType of SPG: tracked, rear fighting compartmentWeight: no more than 25...
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SU-57
"Decree of the Committee of Defense #_____ September 1944MoscowContents: acceptance of the SU-57 57 mm SPG1. Accept the 57 mm SPG produced on the chassis of the SU-76M SPG into service with anti-tank...
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