Tuesday 10 April 2018

T-60's Future

"Minutes of a technical meeting discussing factory #37's proposal to equip the T-60 tank with a new turret with a 45 mm tank gun and thicker front armour

Present: regimental commissar comrade Vorovbyev, Engineer-Colonels comrades Alymov and Pavlov, Engineer-Lieutenant-Colonels comrades Rogachev, Kovalev, Nenarokov, and Solonin

Presenting: telephone message from Engineer-Colonel comrade Afonin containing factory #37's proposal.

Complaints: comrade Pavlov claims that the increase in the tank's mass will reduce the performance of the already strained transmission of the tank. The torque will be insufficient and the off-road performance will be insufficient.

Comrade Rogachev: an analogous variant was designed at factory #92 (comrade Grabin), and was rejected since the mass of the tank increased. As a result, the tank ends up with poor stability when firing the 45 mm gun. The armour of the proposed tank is less than that of the T-70.

Comrade Solonin: the T-60 is used on the front lines chiefly as to guard the HQ, since it has poor off-road performance. The proposal of factory #37 will result in a decrease of production of the T-70, a superior tank. It is pointless to perform trials of such a tank. The engine will be overloaded and will overheat.

Comrade Kovalev: The proposed T-60 tank has weaker armour than the T-70, and has inferior engine power, and therefore inferior mobility and average speed. There are serious concerns about the performance of the tank's components: the transmission and suspension. The engine temperature is already too high, and it will be raised even higher.

Comrade Nenarokov: the requirements for the gun are the same as on the T-70.

Comrade Alymov: All engineers have a negative opinion of the vehicle, and I will join in. The T-60's engine overheats in the summer. If the vehicle is overloaded, this will exacerbate the issue. Let us build an existing vehicle: the T-60 or T-70.

It was established that:
  1. The proposed T-60 tank with a 45 mm gun and reinforced front armour is inferior to the T-70 in armour, engine power, top speed, and mobility.
  2. Due to the increase in the T-60's weight, the already strained components (engine, transmission, suspension) will be strained even further.
The meeting considers trials of this tank to be senseless.
[Signatures]
May 10th, 1942" 

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