Wednesday 20 November 2019

Industrial Accident

"Unscheduled report of an extraordinary event
Unit: GBTU Scientific Research Proving Grounds
Region: MVO
Event: wound during trials
Time: 10:00 August 8th, 1944
Location: shooting range of the NIBT Proving Grounds, Kubinka station, Western Railroad
Victims:

Rank and position
Name
Year of birth
Nationality
Education
Social status
Party affiliation
Place of birth
Nature of wound
Sergeant Loader
Toldykin, Fedor Pavlovich
1924
Russian
7 grades
Kolkhoz farmer
VLKSM
Sorochkinsk, Chkalov oblast
Ragged forehead wound
Sr. Sergeant Gunner
Butorov, Ilya Innokentivich
1922
Russian
5 grades
Worker
VLKSM
Bysherovo, Buryat Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic
Minor head bruise
Description of the event:

On August 8th, 1944, at 10:00 when testing the effect of the D-25 122 mm gun (#266-44) installed on an experimental ISU-122 #249 against armoured hulls, the gun fired unexpectedly when loaded during the fourth shot, as a result of which the recoil of the gun wounded the loader Sergeant Toldykin (ragged forehead wound) and gunner Senior Sergeant Butorov, who received a minor bruise on the forehead."

2 comments:

  1. No that it had anything to do with this accident, but5 and 7 years of education are a pretty good example of the problems the Soviet Union faced. German enlisted assigned to a research establishment would probably have had 10 years of education; Americans would likely have had 12. (Could have been less for Americans who grew up during the Great Depression, but a 5th grade education would land a soldier peeling potatoes.) The fact that the RKKA did as well as it did with these handicaps is impressive.

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  2. It could be a translation issue and not necessarily mean the same thing.

    For example, in my country we sometimes call the school you go to between 12 and 18 year old "high school" wich obviously is not college or whatever you guys call it.

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