"Order of the People's Commissar of Tank Production of the USSR #131-M
Moscow
April 10th, 1942
In order to preserve ferromanganese in T-34 and T-60 track links and improve production of steel in electric furnaces, I order that:
- NII-48 director comrade Zavyalov must assemble two brigades of the best specialists of the Institute in order to resolve the issue of creating a new type of steel to use in track links, sending one brigade to factory #183 and the other to factory #37.
- NII-48 director comrade Zavyalov must develop a plan for experimental work on the T-34 track link with factory #183 chief engineer comrade Maksarev and for the T-60 track link with chief engineer of factory #37 comrade Matrirosov, including the following variants and requirements:
- 1st variant: cast track link from a new type of steel with minimal alloying elements with similar properties (lifespan, toughness, fracture properties) as Hadfield steel.
- 2nd variant: stamped tracks
- For the T-34: composed from three different parts (cast middle with tooth, stamped sides)
- For the T-60: one piece stamped track linkTrack links made from new metal must be compatible with existing track links produced by factories #183 and #37.
- Begin work at once. The brigades must depart by April 14th, 1942. A plan must be ready by April 16th, 1942. The first stage of work (including trials) must be done by June 1st.
- Chief engineers, chief metallurgists, and chief designers of factories #183 and #37 must provide necessary conditions for the completion of this task by personally participating and assisting the brigades in any organizational or technical issues.
Authorized representative of the People's Commissar of Tank Production, Popov"
I suspect the Russian's were impressed by the long life of the tracks on Vickers Tanks.
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