Militia Armour

Soviet militia units had a pretty colourful arsenal, and this spread to armour as well as small arms. As a result, there wasn't really a way to reach any kind of standardization; the unit would have to beg for scraps at some warehouse or repair base and then retroactively have those vehicles assigned to themselves.

"To the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR, comrade Stalin

By the initiative of the divisions and regional committees of the VKP(b) in Moscow, tankette units were formed in infantry divisions of the 32nd Army.

1. 2nd Infantry Division has a tankette company of 13 T-27 tanks.
2. 8th Infantry Division has a tankette company of 16 T-27 tanks and 2 T-37 tanks.
3. 13th Infantry Division has a tankette company of 57 T-27 tanks, 2 T-37 tanks, and one BA-6 armoured car.

I ask, as an exception, to officially assign one tankette battalion of 30 small tanks to each infantry division in the 32nd Army according to TO&E 010/85.

Deputy Chief of GABTU, Major-General Lelyushenko

GABTU Military Commissar, Army Commissar Birykov

September 17th, 1941."

TO&E 010/85 describes an independent tank battalion consisting of three tank companies, one medium and two light, which these obsolete vehicles could not pass as, but at least they were better than nothing.

In GKO decree #686s, Stalin approved this formation.