Heavy Tank Decree

"Decree #231s for the People's Commissariat of Heavy Machine-building
April 9th, 1941

1. On the KV-3 tank:
1. Altering Decree #548-232ss of the USSR SNK and Central Commitee of the VKP(b) issued on March 15th, 1941, I order that:
1. The front hull armour of the KV-3 must be 115-120 mm, the front turret armour must be 115 mm.
2. The KV-3 will be armed with a ZiS-6 107 mm gun with a muzzle velocity of 800 m/s.
2. Stamp KV-3 turrets for 107 mm guns with armour slopes of no less than 30 degrees, for which the director of the Kirov factory, comrade Zaltsmann, must:
1. Produce blueprints for the new turret and hull jointly with Izhor factory and provide Izhor factory with the blueprints by April 15th, 1941.
2. Produce a turret model jointly with the Izhor factory and present it to the NKO by April 25th, 1941.
3. Factory #92 must provide Kirov factory with a 107 mm ZiS-6 gun with a mount and develop a gun mantlet jointly with Kirov factory.
4. Factory #92 must provide the following amounts of 107 mm ZiS-6 guns to Kirov factory:
1. July: 45
2. August 80
3. September: 110
4. October: 110
5. November: 110
6. Before December 15th: 65
2. On the KV-4 tank:
   Director of Kirov factory, comrade Zaltsmann must:
1. Design and produce a KV-4 tank (with a lengthened chassis) according to tactical-technical characteristics approved by the USSR NKO with a ZiS-6 gun and main armour 125-130 mm thick, with the possibility of increasing some armour to 140-150 mm.
2. Assemble one experimental prototype by October 1st, 1941, for which:
1. Turret and hull blueprints must be produced and provided to Izhor factory.
2. A model and a technical project must be provided to the NKO for approval.
3. Izhor factory must finish the KV-4 hull and turret and provide it to Kirov factory by August 15th, 1941.
3. On the KV-5 tank:
   Director of Kirov factory, comrade Zaltsmann must:
1. Design and produce a KV-5 tank by November 10th, 1941. Design the hull and turret jointly with Izhor factory designers, based on the following main characteristics:
1. Armour: 170 mm front, 150 mm side, 170 mm turret.
2. Armament: 107 mm ZiS-6 gun.
3. Engine: 1200 hp diesel.
4. No more than 4200 mm in width.
   Keep the requirements for transporting the tank on the railroad in mind.
2. Provide Izhor factory with blueprints for a hull and a turret by July 15th, 1941.
3. Provide a model and a technical project to the NKO and GABTU for approval by August 1st, 1941.
   Izhor factory must finish the KV-5 hull and turret and provide it to Kirov factory by October 1st, 1941."

M. Svirin, Bronevoy Schit Stalina. Istoriya Sovetskogo Tanka (1937-1943)