T-60 for Dummies

"Brief directions regarding the use of T-60 tanks

The T-60 tank is a highly mobile combat vehicle armed with an automatic cannon.

The past snowy winter limited the mobility of these vehicles or in some cases completely stopped them from moving. This low effectiveness in the winter does not apply to any other seasons, especially in the spring and summer.

Long-Living Trophy

 Germany chose only four tanks from the heterogeneous fleet captured from France in 1940: the SOMUA S 35 cavalry tank, Char B1 bis battle tank, as well as the Renault R 35 and Hotchkiss H 39 light tanks. The Char B1 bis Renault R 35 soon fell far behind the front lines due to serious reliability issues. The two remaining vehicles, renamed Pz.Kpfw.35 S (f) and Pz.Kpfw.38 H (f) also rarely saw front line use, but remained in service for much longer. The military career of captured Hotchkiss tanks continued past the end of WWII.

American Steel

The USSR received a lot of American armour, both as a part of finished tanks and armour plates. Soviet representatives had some access to the American steel industry as a result, and specialists toured the American Car & Foundry Company in April of 1943 where they picked up some information on American steel manufacturing.

"This factory is the largest supplier of cemented armour in the USA. It began to supply cemented armour about 3 years ago and in these 3 years it improved and developed its process.

Armour up to 2 inches in thickness is cemented.

Today the factory makes about 5000 tons of armour per month, about 60% of it is cemented (out of accepted plates). About 18-20% of the production is discarded as byproducts, about 2-3% due to production defects.

There used to be a lot of cracks, but a lot of work was spent on this issue and now cracks are rare. Work was done to make welding more precise, maintaining gap tolerances, training welders (they have schools for this), protection of the places from carbonization by schoop-plating them with copper, changing the design (sharp angles were removed), etc.

This factory (unlike many others) has very strict military QA with well educated workers and managers.

Armour now comes from the Republic Steel Co., Jones and Laughlin, thin armour is now purchased from Armco. Earlier the armour came from Carnegie-Illinois but it is no longer ordered due to low quality (impure and heterogeneous steel)"

CAMD RF F.38 Op.11355 D.1791 L.22

Shashmurin's KV-4

1. Fighting characteristics:
1. Mass: 92 tons
2. Full length: 10 (9.5) m
3. Full width: 4 m
4. Full height: 3.25 m
5. Wheelbase: 3.15 m
6. Clearance: 0.55 m
7. Contact surface length: 6.2 (5.8) m
8. Ground pressure: 0.88 kg/sq.cm.
9. Diesel engine: M-40
10. Maximum engine power: 1200 hp
11. Top speed: 45 kph
12. Range: 200 km
13. Crew: 7

Gaining Weight

"NKSM Proposal

Regarding individual items in the Tactical Technical Requirements of the T-60* tank proposed by the GABTU

1. The combat weight of the tank is set at 26 tons.
2. The floor of the tank must be 20 mm thick in the front and 16 mm thick in the rear.
3. The roof of the tank must be 20 mm thick above the fighting compartment and 16 mm elsewhere.

Christie Progess

"New York

September 15th, 1930

Innokentiy Andreevich,

I consider it necessary to report to you on the progress of work on the Christie contract and my work here.

The work is in the following state. In addition to the progress described in my previous report (where I evaluated the completion as 40% at most) the following has been completed.

• The springs are assembled and installed.
• The gearbox is assembled.
• The bulkheads and joints are installed in the hull.
• The driver's port is cut.

A Bullpup for Occupants

In addition to German-made anti-tank rifles, the Wehrmacht and its allies used foreign anti-tank rifles in WWII. Some of them were captured, and some were built to German orders. The latter largely applies to Czechoslovakian designs, which were of interest to the Germans even before the annexation. The Czechs were working in two directions at once.

Stars and Stripes

"Identification markings for ground forces, tanks, armoured cars, and armoured vehicles of the Central Front

AP-I Bullets

"250th Rifle Division HQ

Artillery Supply Department

December 3rd, 1941

To Chiefs of Artillery Supply of Rifle Regiments of the 250th Rifle Division

Copy for only the 916th Rifle Regiment

I propose to you that you should instruct each of your troops via chiefs of supply and squad commanders regarding the use of BS-40 armour piercing bullets issued in your units. Issue 10 rounds to each soldier on the front line and ensure that they are kept well and used only against armoured targets.

Radios for All

"Order of the People's Commissar of Tank Production of the USSR #447

Moscow

July 28th, 1943

Presently, only 50% of T-34 tanks are equipped with radio receivers and transmitters. This reduces their combat qualities and makes controlling tanks in battle difficult.

To increase the combat qualities of T-34 tanks,  I order that:

1. Directors of factories #112 (comrade Rubinchik), #174 (comrade Zadorozhniy), and UZTM (comrade Muzrukov) must install 9-R radio receivers and transmitters on all T-34 tanks as of August 20th, 1943.