Saturday 17 January 2015

SU-76I Improvements

"Minutes of a technical meeting at factory #37 on April 29th, 1943, regarding the changes and acceptance of SU-76I vehicles produced in April and acceptance of subsequent vehicles until the approval of working blueprints by GBTU.

Considering the fact that changes approved during technical meetings on March 27th, April 1st, and April 9th required experimental testing, preparation of production, and adjustment to external orders, as a result of which, it is impossible to meet established deadlines, pointless to perform some changes, and necessary to make other changes in greater numbers than anticipated. It was established that:
  1. The introduction of a spring which fixes the gun on marches and an indicator that shows the position of the gun is cancelled.
  2. It is acceptable to replace the leather belt on the hand trigger with a tarpaulin one.
  3. The HEAT shell ballistics table should be moved to the central lamp, attached to the roof. Make these changes on all approved vehicles.
  4. An experimental horizontal German-style ammunition rack is to be designed by May 15th, and implemented on all vehicles 15 days after approval.
  5. A holder for helmets and the portable lamp will be installed on every vehicle starting with the 10th one. A holder for TPU wires will be installed on every vehicle starting with the 27th.
  6. Instead of having a lampshade, the lamp will be moved to the left wall, behind the gunner's seat, on every vehicle starting with the 8th.
  7. The commander will have a foot rest on every vehicle starting with the 27th.
  8. The gunner's foot rest is cancelled.
  9. Tarpaulin cases for the ammunition rack will be included with every vehicle starting with the 8th.
  10. Rims for roof hatches will be included on every vehicle starting with the 11th.
  11. An additional gun mantlet will be installed on all vehicles no later than May 3rd, starting with the 1st vehicle.
  12. External gasoline tanks no less than 100 L in capacity will be added no later than May 3rd, starting with the 8th vehicle.
  13. A panoramic backlight will be added to every vehicle.
  14. A port for the PPSh will be included in the rear hatch in every vehicle starting with the 11th.
  15. Protective glass for vision slits is cancelled, as trials have shown it to be unsatisfactory.
Consider all changes approved at the March 27th, April 1st, and April 9th meetings fulfilled.

Since the factory lacks a drinking water container for the SU-76I that is on blueprints, approve the use of another, flat drinking water container, change the mount, and move it to the engine compartment wall. The medical kit that is currently there should be moved near the horizontal ammunition rack. Make these changes on all vehicles, starting with the first.

Since most PzIII tanks received lack air filters, and since air-oil filters are not being produced, modify the SU-76I to accept dry mesh filters from the ZiS-5 truck produced by MKZ in the month of April."

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