Wednesday 13 May 2015

Factory #183 Production Problems

"To Military Engineer 2nd Class, comrade Makarov

I report on the progress of completion of the production quota for February 1940 at factory #183 and the predictions on completing the quarterly quota in March of this year.

1. Department 100

The quota for January for A-7M vehicles was 38% complete. Instead of 105 vehicles agreed upon, 40 vehicles were made.

The cause was described in my report in January in detail. The problems discussed in the report have not been solved in February. The factory still receives insufficient metal and subcontracted parts. Additionally, not all design defects of the A-7M have been resolved. Currently, the support platform for the gear train is being redesigned. It needs to be raised by 40 mm. For correction of this defect, 40 tanks have been disassembled, and this part is being redone on all hulls. As a result, instead of completing the quota for February and covering the deficit for January, the quota for February will be 56% complete (60 vehicles instead of 105). The quota for January and February will be only 47.6% complete, instead of 210 vehicles, only 100 vehicles will be made.

In January and February, spare parts for A-5 and A-7 vehicles were produced according to the Committee of Defense decree 20s/s issued on January 8th, 1940. Before the end of February, 9 million rubles worth of spare parts will be ready for ABTU and repair factories.

In March, the factory plans on completing the quota for the first quarter completely, or produce 225 vehicles. Considering the supplies of hulls, turrets, V-2 engines, metal and subcontracted parts, and the capacity of production plants, the factory is only capable of producing 150 tanks in March, and 40 vehicles will be in the process of assembly on April 1st, 1940.

Under these conditions, no more than 3.5 million worth of spare parts will be produced in March. The figures of 150 completed vehicles, 40 vehicles in assembly, and 3.5 million worth of spare parts are achievable under the condition that no additional orders are given to the department.

2. Department 200

In February, the Voroshilovets tractor department will not finish a single tractor. In March, the department plans on completing the quarterly quota completely, or producing 75 tractors. 55 tractors can be considered a realistic number, of 75% completion.

Spare parts for KIN and Voroshilovets are being produced, and the quota will be fully met.

3. Department 500

The department is producing an initial batch of A-34 vehicles, repairing T-35s, and is producing spare parts for A-2, A-5, and A-7 vehicles, as well as working in cooperation with departments 100 and 200 to complete the quota.

In March, the department should assemble two A-34 tanks of the initial batch. Currently, a significant amount of parts has not started production, as blueprints are not ready. It can be assumed that no vehicles will be ready until April 10th.

The department was ordered to repair 3 T-35 vehicles in the first quarter of 1940. Only one will be repaired. Out of 170,000 rubles worth of spare parts for the T-35, only 35,000 worth will be produced. Quotas for production of A-2, A-5, and A-7 parts will be met.

4. Supplies of metal and subcontracted parts

The insufficient supplies are the root cause of failure to meet quota. I will give you some examples:
  1. Track strips, chromansil steel, 192x35x10, supplied by Kuybishev factory in Kramatorsk. We need 800 tons this quarter, we received only 80 tons.
  2. Chrome-nickel steel from Red October and Electrostal factories:
    1. KhN-4: 0-120 mm. Ordered: 195 tons, delivered: 5 tons
    2. KhN-4: 0-130 mm. Ordered: 70 tons, delivered: 0 tons
    3. 18KhNV: 0-90 mm. Ordered: 100 tons, delivered as of February 23rd, 1940: 17 tons
  3. Bazhma: required: 1.5 tons. Received: 0
  4. Tin: the factory, including the locomotive factory, needs 25 tons. Just for A-7M production, 4.5 tons is needed. So far we received 4.9 tons. There are no funds to receive more,
  5. 09-3 disks from HTZ. Required this quarter: 60 thousand. Received: 5390.
  6. Wheel disks from Hammer and Sickle. Required this quarter: 10700 units. Received: 597 units.
These factories lack the metals to complete quarterly quotas.

5. Measures taken by factory #183 and the Military Acceptance Apparatus
  1. Use of all factory metal reserves.
  2. Use of replacements without lowering the quality of production.
  3. Changes to the assembly process caused by not having parts at the appropriate times.
  4. Re-election at the factory party organization is done with the issue of meeting quarterly quotas as the main issue.
  5. Socialist competitions between individual departments, plants, brigades and machinery crews for completion of quarterly quotas were started.
I personally gathered the military representatives for a meeting as soon as I returned from Moscow where I was summoned to report to you, and communicated all requirements given to me and the military acceptance apparatus by ABTU command. The entire acceptance apparatus, including myself as a member of the factory party organization, fights to complete the quarterly quota. Additionally, I selected a group of comrades headed by Military Acceptance Assistant comrade Kiselev that are tasked with issues of supply and will assist the Supply and Control department with its work.

Senior ABTU Military Representative, Military Engineer 2nd Class, Kozyrev"

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