Inspection
"Issues that comrade Marshal Fedorenko, Commander of Armoured and Mechanized Forces, pays special attention to during inspection of units and formations.Preparation of vehicles:The Marshal considers...
View ArticleT-28 Successor
In 1935, even before the influence of the Spanish Civil War, the Red Army was looking to modernize its tank fleet. The objective of a fast moving convertible drive tank with a diesel engine was only...
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Tanks to Sleds
GKO decree #1958ss "On production of T-34 and T-70 tanks" was published on July 3rd, 1942. According to this decree, production of T-60 small tanks ceased as of July 5th. By this point these tanks were...
View ArticleIS Debut
"Military Council of Armoured and Mechanized Forces of the Red ArmyApril 1st, 1944#481904ssTo commander of the 2nd Ukrainian Front, Marshal of the Soviet Union, comrade KonevThe regiments of heavy IS...
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Artillery Wishlist
"Themes for research to inventors and technologists of small arms and artillery for 1943Develop an a muzzle brake for the anti-tank rifle that also acts as a flash suppressor.Design a suppressor that...
View ArticleStart of T-54 Development
"Order of the People's Commissar of Tank Production of the USSR #637sMoscowNovember 1st, 1944Factory #183 (comrade Morozov) developed a new T-54 medium tank with improved armour. The review of the...
View ArticleNew Machine Guns
"State Committee of Defense decree #6721sOctober 14th, 1944Moscow, KremlinOn the production of modernized light infantry and tank Degtyaryev machine gunsIn order to improve the fighting ability of...
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Heavy Tank Destroyers that Remained on Paper
The KV-14 (SU-152) SPG was accepted into service on February 14th, 1943. It was designed primarily to combat enemy fortifications, but its first use in combat pitted it against German tanks. Work on...
View ArticleT-43 Power Up
"To the Deputy Commander of the Armoured and Mechanized Forces of the Red Army, Lieutenant General of the Tank Forces comrade KorobkovOctober 20th, 1943According to your order given on October 4th of...
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Suggestion for Stalin
"To the Chairman of the Committee of Defense, comrade I.V. StalinIn June of 1941 the 23 mm aircraft gun designed by us passed trials in an airplane, showing good results firing both on the ground and...
View ArticleTiger II Intel
"SecretMilitary Mission in the USSRMoscowAugust 25th, 1944To the Chief of External Affairs of the NKO, Major General Mister V.N. YevstigneevWe have received a report on a new type of Tiger tank...
View ArticleTruck Proportions
There is a commonly held opinion that, without foreign aid, the Red Army would have hardly any trucks at all and would not be able to execute strategic offensives. Indeed, if you compare the amount of...
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Small Modernization of a Large Tank
Many tanks received significant upgrades after they first saw battle. Practice often trumps theory, especially during WWII where military vehicles quickly became obsolete. The IS-2 heavy tank was no...
View ArticleTanks in the 7th Guards Army
"To the Commander of the Armoured and Mechanized Forces of the 7th Guards ArmySummary of experience of using tank armament in the Patriotic War1. Range and means of fireA typical rate of fire for tanks...
View ArticleAPCR and HEAT Instructions
"Artillery HQ of the 25th Rifle CorpsMay 23rd, 1944#[illegible]378To artillery commanders of divisions. Copy personally for the 77th Guards Rifle DivisionI send out a copy of instructions issued by the...
View ArticleIdentification
"USSR NKOArtillery Staff of the 49th Guards Kherson Red Banner Order of Suvorov Rifle DivisionJanuary 19th, 1945#047To commanders of formations and unitsThe 1st Mechanized Corps that is operating in...
View ArticlePost-War Rearmament
"2611-1033ssJune 18th, 1949On the acceptance of new types of weapons into service with the Soviet ArmyThe Council of Ministers of the USSR decrees that:The Soviet Army accepts into service:The 7.62 mm...
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From Sky to Earth
The concept of an airborne tank appeared in the early 1930s. The creator of this concept was John Walter Christie, who presented a tank that was supposed to get to the battlefield over the air using a...
View ArticleTo The Death
"Order to the units of the Western Direction #07July 25th, 1941Acting ArmyOn all fronts, the Red Army is offering staunch resistance to the enemy, showing examples of heroism and bravery, delivering...
View ArticleT-54 Delays
"To the Chief of the GBTU TU, Engineer-Colonel comrade BlagonravovRE: preparing production of the T-54Order of the NKTP #217ss given in May 1945 instructed factory #183 to send blueprints of the T-54...
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