Tetrarch Delivery

"Contents: delivery of supplies to the USSR by the south route

December 27th, 1941

To: General Panfilov

CC: General Fedorenko

I received a report that the light tanks which we delivered through Persia arrived in Zanjan, where they are being transferred to Soviet authorities.

I am being told that training of Soviet personnel with these tanks will happen in Zanjan. I am also being told that an officer of the British Mission in Tbilisi is being sent to Zanjan to help.

I would like to know if everything is going well or if you have some issues that demand my attention.

Lieutenant General [signature]

British Military Mission

Moscow"

CAMD RF 38-11355-648

On the Way to the SU-122

"To factory #8 director comrade Fratkin

CC: Chairman of the NKV Technical Council, regional GAU KA engineer at factory #8, Engineer-Colonel Kascheev

RE: development of self propelled howitzers.

Regarding the issue of designing a 122 mm self propelled M-30 or U-11 howitzer on the T-34 chassis, in accordance with the NKTP, I report that:

1. The turret platform of the T-34 tank can be extended to span the length of the hull, and the sloped sides can be placed vertically.
2. The fuel tanks can be located in the engine compartment. As a last resort, the shape of the fuel tanks can be changed
3. It is not permitted to change the hull of the T-34 tank or  the layout of the engine and transmission.

French Tanks in German Service

"Use of French Armoured Vehicles by Germany

A series of low altitude photographs of large tank parks at Gien and La Brosse gave valuable information regarding the types of French armoured vehicles in use by Germany.

Soviets vs M48 Patton

Fig. 2 Tactical diagram of complete penetration and satisfactory penetration limits when firing at an M48 tank with domestic 85 mm sharp tipped capped armour piercing shells.

Muzzle velocities higher than stock were tested at 100 meters with an increased charge.

1. Complete penetration limit of the lower front hull.
2. Rear plate integrity limit of the lower front hull.
3. Complete penetration limit of the upper side of the hull.
4. Rear plate integrity limit of the upper side of the hull.
5. Complete penetration limit of the lower side of the hull.
6. Rear plate integrity limit of the lower side of the hull.

T-60 From Stalingrad

The T-34 tanks built in Stalingrad became one of the symbols for the battle there. The last tanks produced where went straight into battle from the factories, crewed by factory workers. T-60 tanks were less noticeable contributors to the breaking of the backbone of the German blitzkrieg. At the outskirts of the city, in Krasnoarmeysk, the T-60 tank remained in production at factory #264 for less than half a year. However, by volume of production, this "unplanned" factory was second only to the Molotov GAZ.

T-60 in Difficult Times

On July 20th, 1941, the State Committee of Defense (GKO) passed decree #222ss "On the production of 10 thousand light tanks". Interestingly enough, the tank that was supposed to be built did not exist even on paper. The tank, later named T-60, was designed in a little over a week. The first tanks were built in September of that year, and full fledged mass production began in October. The Molotov Gorkiy Automotive Factory (GAZ), Kharkov Tractor Factory (HTZ), and factory #37 were tasked with producing these tanks. Meanwhile, reports coming in from the front indicated that the tank was in need of modernization. What problems did the tankers reveal, and how did Soviet engineers try to solve them?

The One Without the Rifle Follows

"Moscow, Kremlin
To Comrade Poskrebyshev

Operational group of the Western Front HQ, Kransodar
#0702/op
December 21st, 1941, 11:30

I ask you to report to the People's Commissar that out of all the weapons bought in Iran (10 million rounds, 100,000 rifles, 600 handheld and 300 mounted machineguns as of December 21st), 21,600 rifles and one million rounds of ammunition arrived to Qazvin.

The shortage of arms on the Western Front, including the three newly forming divisions and one brigade, is 126,000 rifles, 4,750 handheld machineguns, and 2,460 mounted machineguns.

I ask that all weapons bought in Iran be left for the Western Front, which will allow us to arm the newly forming divisions and brigade with domestic weapons and equip rear line units with Iranian weapons.

D. Kozlov
Shamanin"

Via kris_reid.

ZIS-5, Take One

"May 30th, 1941
To the Central Committee of the VKP(b)
Comrade Zhdanov

According to USSR SNK and Central Committee Decree #1216-502 issued on May 5th, 1941, two experimental T-44 tanks built by factory #183 are supporsed to be armed with the 76 mm ZIS-5 or 57 mm ZIS-4 gun. The main characteristics of these guns is shown in the following table:

Gun model	Caliber in mm	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Shell mass, kg	Penetrates armour
				At 0 degrees		At 30 degrees
				Thickness in mm	Distance in m	Thickness in mm	Distance in m
F-34	76.2	662	6.3	60	Up to 1000	50	Up to 1000
ZIS-5	76.2	813	6.5	90	Up to 1000	70	Up to 1000
ZIS-4	57	992	3.14	90	Up to 1000	70	Up to 1000

Torsion Bar Trials

"Methodology of Torsion Bar Trials

The trials were split into stages:

• Motion trials of torsion bars.
• Lab tests of materials (static and spring fatigue).
• Lab static destruction tests of torsion bars (by twisting).
• Analysis of various layouts of torsion bar suspensions and issues connected with them.

KV Gun Upgrades

"The following work is necessary to perform trials of KV tank armament and improvement of blueprints:

1. Install the F-34 gun instead of the F-32 gun into the KV-1 tank at factory #92 by March 1st, 1941.
   A commission composed of representatives from ChTZ, the Kirov factory, GABTU, and GAU must perform trials and approve blueprints by March 5th, 1941. Factory #92 received a KV tank with a 76 mm F-32 gun on February 2nd, 1941.
2. Install the 107 mm F-42 gun instead of the M-10 gun into the KV-2 tank by May 1st, 1941. Perform trials and work on blueprints, presenting them to the NKO no later than May 15th, 1941. Factory #92 received a KV tank with a large turret on January 29th.