"Record of inspection of the T-34 tank prototype produced by NKSM factory #183 as ordered by the Committee of Defense within the Council of Commissars in decree #443 issued on December 19th, 1939
March 31st, 1940
Present:
From the People's Commissariat of Defense:
- People's Commissar of Defense, Marshal of the Soviet Union, K.E. Voroshilov
- Deputy People's Commissar of Defense, Army Commander 1st Class, G.I. Kulik
- Chief of the ABTU, Army Commander 2nd Class, D.G. Pavlov
From the People's Commissariat of Medium Machinebuilding:
- People's Commissar I.A. Likhachev
- Deputy People's Commissar A.A. Goreglyad
- Chief designer of factory #183 and the T-34 tank, Koshkin
It was established that:
- The T-34 tank, produced in complete adherence to decree #443 issued on December 19th, 1939, by the Committee of Defense within the Council of Commissars passed state trials and the Kharkov-Moscow march without any breakdowns or significant defects, and can be recommended for immediate production at factory #183 and STZ.
- Consider it necessary to increase the internal volume of the turret in order to ensure better positioning of the commander and gun crew in production. Increase the volume of the turret without altering the slope of the turret plates, the hull, or the turret ring diameter. Move the radio out of the turret.
- The State tank trials commission is instructed to approve T-34 blueprints for production in 1940 within 5 days' time.
People's Commissar of Medium Machinebuilding I.A. Likhachev"
Commander and gun crew? Seeing that the commander was also the gunner the gun crew was just a fancy way of saying loader. Don't get me wrong, the Soviet Union needed those T-34's right away.
ReplyDeleteIt's even better when tanks with two-man turrets have their loader called the "turret commander". I suppose the loader is in charge of the turret if the commander is killed, seeing as how he is the only one left in it...
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