SU-76 and SU-122 Production

This is quite a wide-reaching decree, dealing with three tanks: the rise of the SU-35 (SU-122) and SU-12 (SU-76), and the end of the T-70, as the SU-76 was replacing it as a cheap infantry support method. Also, it lists the large (very, very large) amount of steps and people involved in manufacturing a new tank.

"State Committee of Defense Decree #2559ss

December 2nd, 1942
Moscow, Kremlin

On the production of SPGs at the Uralmash factory and factory #38

The State Committee of Defense decrees that:

1. NKTP (comrade Zaltsmann) must arrange for:
1. Beginning of production of self propelled SU-35 guns on the T-34 chassis with 122 mm M-30 howitzers at the Uralmash factory. 
2. Beginning of production of the SU-12 SPGs on the T-70 chassis with the 76 mm ZiS-3 gun, and removal the T-70 from production at factory #38 (city of Kirov).
2. Establish the following production schedules for the T-34 and T-70 tanks, and SU-35 and SU-12 SPGs.
1. Uralmash
1. T-34
1. December 1942: 100
2. January 1943: 100
3. February 1943: 110
4. March 1943: 135
2. SU-35
1. December 1942: 25
2. January 1943: 100
3. February 1943: 100
4. March 1943: 100
2. Factory #38
1. T-70
1. December 1942: 200
2. January 1st, 1943: remove the T-70 from production
2. SU-12
1. December 1942: 25
2. January 1943: 150
3. February 1943: 200
4. March 1943: 300
3. Establish the following schedules for production of tank hulls in December of 1942:
1. Uralmash: T-34 hulls: 650
2. Uralmash: SU-35 hulls: 35
3. Factory #38: T-70 hulls: 120
4. Allow the NKTP (comrade Zaltsmann) and factory directors (comrade Muzrukov from Uralmash and comrade Yakovlev from factory #38) to arrange production of 125 SU-35s and 175 SU-12s based on prototype blueprints.
5. GAU KA (comrade Yakovlev) must confirm the blueprints at the end of trials for mass production of the SPG.
6. The People's Commissar of Medium Machinery (comrade Akopov) must ensure that factory #38 produces the following spread out evenly over 5-day periods:
1. GAZ-202 engines with a shielded 12-volt electrical network and a gearbox for the SU-12 in the following amounts:
1. December 1942: 120
2. January 1943: 340
3. February 1943: 460
4. March 1943: 600
2. Supply factory #38 with hot and cold stampings, cast gray and malleable iron in the amounts negotiated for the T-70, as well as cold stampings and malleable iron components for the new SU-12, from the Gorkiy factory.
3. Produce for factory #38, and deliver evenly over month-long periods, the following, according to factory #38 and NKTP specifications.
1. 200 devices
2. 100 stamps for cold stamping
3. 300 special cutting tools
7. People's Commissariat of Armament (comrade Ustinov) and GAU KA (comrade Yakovlev) must ensure the supply of M-30 howitzers, ZiS-3 guns, and optics for them, completely suitable for mounting in an SPG, and matching the technical specifications of the Uralmash and #38 factories, in the following amounts:
1. M-30
1. Before December 15th, 1942: 25
2. Before December 20th, 1942: 30
3. January 1943: 100
4. February 1943: 100
5. March 1943: 100
2. ZiS-3
1. December 1942: 75
2. January 1943: 175
3. February 1943: 250
4. March 1943: 300
8. The People's Commissariat of Rubber Production (comrade Mitrohin) must provide rubber for road wheels and deliver it in accordance with goals set by the NKTP.
9. The People's Commissariat of Electric Plants (comrade Shimerin) must set a daily limit for factory #38: 3500 kW for December 1942, and 4000 kW for the first quarter of 1943.
10. The People's Commissariat of Tool Production (comrade Efremov) must produce 20 special assembly tools for factory #38 in the first quarter of 1943, for production of road wheels, balancers, winches, and torsion bars, billed to the NKTP.
11. The People's Commissariat of Ferrous Metals (comrade Tevrosyan) must provide armour plates for SPGs according to special instructions and dimensions given by Uralmash and factory #38, billed to the NKTP.
12. The People's Commissariat of Heavy Machinery (comrade Kazakov) must provide 18000 cubic meters of oxygen to Uralmash per day.
13. The Chief of Military Production in the USSR Council of Commissars (comrade Shapiro) must produce a proving grounds at factory #38 by February 1st, 1943 for SPGs.
14. The Kirov regional committee must provide land for factory #38's proving grounds.
15. The People's Commissariat of Finance (comrade Zverev) must issue 5 million roubles from the reserve funds of the USSR Council of Commissars for the preparations for production of SPGs in December of 1942 and first quarter of 1943.
16. The Committee for Accounting and Distribution of Workforce in the USSR Council of Commissars (comrade Shvernik), the Kirov regional committee (comrade Ivolgin) and Kirov regional party committee (comrade Lukyanov) must:
1. Mobilize 1000 women before February 1st, 1943, for factory #38 from the surrounding region.
2. Issue 4000 square meters of living space to factory #38, obtained by increasing density.
17. NKPS (comrade Hrulev) must issue a cargo train to factory #38 on the North-Pechorskiy line for the first quarter of 1943.
18. Comrades Saburov, Malyshev and Zaltsmann, must, as soon as possible, present GOKO with a proposal for new production resources for the T-70 tank to replace factory #38, considering the availability of grounds of the Mytishi train factory (factory #592) and elements of factory #8.
19. Consider points 3 and 4 of GOKO decree #2429ss from October 19th, 1942, to be superseded by the current decree, and order NKTP and NKSM to cease production of 45 mm and 37 mm SPGs. 
20. Uralmash director and chief engineer, comrades Murzukov and Umnyagin, as well as director and chief engineer of factory #38, comrades Yakovlev and Terentyev must know that GOKO tasks them with a special responsibility of completing this decree on time.
21. The control of fulfilment of this decree is given to comrade Petrosyants.

Chairman of the State Committee of Defense

I. Stalin."

RGASPI 644-2-113

Ultimately, neither vehicle went on to become very successful. The SU-76 ceased production in 1943 due to poor reliability, replaced by the SU-76M. The SU-122 was replaced with the SU-85 in 1943 as well. As for the T-70, no additional production resources were found, and its production also ceased in 1943.