Beginning 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 improving handling with the KV-1S was achieved.

The 8-speed gearbox works normally and provides reliable operation of the KV tank.

RES Anti-Tank Rifle Cost

"Calculations regarding the cost of development of the 14.5 mm anti-tank rifle for GAU
Order #40
Code 73-P

Item	Calculations	Total
Direct spending
Main materials	Steel, other materials	1,400
Purchased parts	3 barrels, 500 rub. Each	1,500
Salaries
Machinists	1650 man-hours*3.01	4,970
Millers	650 man-hours*3.10	2,020
Planers	350 man-hours*2.50	870
Tracers	50 man-hours*3.00	150
Metalworkers	1400 man-hours*3.15	4,410
Fitters	500 man-hours*3.57	1,790
Auxiliary plant workers	100 man-hours*3.30	330
Total		14,540
Engineering-Technician works
Lead Designer	5.5 man-months*2000	11,000
Designers	3 man-months*1000	3,000
Engineer-Technologist	1.5 man-months*1200	1,800
Senior Engineers	2 man-months*1200	2,400
Engineers	0.5 man-months*1000	500
Total		18,700
Design Department Workers
Drafter	3 man-months*400	1,200
Tracer	2 man-months*300	600
Total salaries		35,040
Total direct spending		37,940
Additional spending
Work at the plants		35,040
General factory spending		17,520
Special spending
Instruments and devices		1,000
Proving grounds and transport costs		600
Ammunition for preliminary trials	1000 * 25 rubles	25,000
Trips to trials		4,000
External services		260
Total		30,860
Total additional spending		83,420
Total factory spending		121,360
3% interest		3,640
Total cost		125,000

Lead designer Rashkov

Chief of the Planning and Production Department, Rodin"

Via kris-reid

Improved T-34-85 Armour

"To: comrade I.V. Stalin

In 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 turret is equal to 4800-4900 kg, as opposed to 4500 kg weight of the turret with 52 mm thick sides produced at factory #112. As a result, the mass of the T-34-85 tank with thickened armour is 32.3-32.4 tons as opposed to 32.0 tons for a T-34-85 tank with 52 mm thick turret armour.

World 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 expected. Most problems were faced by the 48th Tank Corps, which got stuck at the first Soviet line of defense on July 5th, 1943. Even 200 Panthers, thrown into battle near Cherkasskoye where Grossdeutschland division was spinning its wheels did not improve the situation.

Only late in the evening, having joined forces with the 3rd Tank Division, the German unit managed to enter Cherkasskoye. Soviet forces were fully expelled only by the next morning. The offensive had to be developed further, along the Belgorod-Oboyan highway, right through Lukhanino.

New Shells

"State Committee of Defense Decree #6434s
August 21st, 1944
Moscow, Kremlin

The People's Commissar of Armament (comrade Vannikov) must:

1. Produce a trial batch of 10,000 45 mm incendiary shells for the People's Commissar of the Navy according to NKV blueprints by November 1st, 1944.
2. Complete development of 100 mm incendiary and HE-I shells and perform trials before October 1st, 1944.
3. After satisfactory results with the 100 mm shells, develop 130 mm incendiary and HE-I shells by a deadline negotiated with the People's Commissar of the Navy.

Deputy Chair of the Committee of Defense, L. Beria"

RGASPI 644-2-377

Self Propelled Heavy Howitzer

"Tactical-Technical Requirements for Supreme Command Reserve Self Propelled Artillery

1. The main purpose of Supreme Command Reserve Self Propelled Artillery is the destruction of pillboxes and dugouts with direct and indirect fire, destruction of fortifications in settlements and railway stations, destruction of headquarters and concentrations of enemy personnel and vehicles.

IS-2 #1

"Shipment act #2
March 28th, 1943, Chelyabinsk

We 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 factory #100 OTK chief A.N. Kubintsev on the other side compose the current act to accept the IS-2 tank by the military representative of the GBTU TU and the surrender of the tank by factory #100 after factory trials.

76 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 tried on May 23rd at the Sofrino proving grounds.

During trials against a 50 mm cemented plate, half of all fired shots resulted in complete penetrations with a diameter of 30 mm against both a flat plates and plates angled at 30 degrees.

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 1941. Its distinguishing feature from other anti-tank rifles and cannons was its conical barrel, the caliber of which was larger at the breech than at the muzzle.

Officially, the gun was called 2,8 cm schwere Panzerbüchse 41 (2,8 cm s.Pz.B. 41). German nomenclature placed it into the small arms category, but both the Red Army GAU and the military ministries of Great Britain and the United States classified it as artillery. The difference in classification comes from the fact that this weapon has all the characteristics of a cannon: carriage (upper and lower), shield, mount with a recoil brake, but the aiming was done by hand, by moving the gunner's body and moving the barrel up and down.

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 be set up very quickly and it could be produced by the thousands. However, GABTU was seriously worried about the tank's armament. Trials of the 20 mm TNSh gun showed that its penetration was equal to the DShK high caliber machinegun. It is not surprising that the issue of improving its armament was raised even before the first prototype was built. This modernization went in several directions, one of which resulted in the T-45 tank.