Friday 9 September 2022

Swords to Plowshares

 "Report to Marshal of the Soviet Union N.A. Bulganin

#00810675

November 17th, 1947

Armoured and Mechanized Forces are in possession of 1185 foreign tanks, broken down as follows:

  • 889 functional (including 756 M4A2 and 54 Valentine)
  • 146 need medium repairs
  • 57 need major repairs
  • 93 are unserviceable
They are located:
  • 849 in regular units
  • 95 in training units
  • 239 in reserve facilities
  • 2 at repair factories
Despite your orders prohibiting the transfer of foreign tanks to agriculture and to instead use them for building airstrips, roads, etc. the tanks are still being transferred to agricultural organizations.
For instance, there are standing orders to transfer:
  1. 10 Valentine tanks (MK-3) to the Ministry of Machinebuilding and Instrument Building (Council of Ministers order #13394 issued on September 16th, 1947)
  2. 50 Valentine tanks (MK-3) to the Ministry of Transport Machinebuilding (Council of Ministers order #162571 issued on November 4th, 1947)
I consider it senseless to transfer foreign tanks to agriculture. Instead, they should be used in the armed forces for training and for building airstrips, roads, etc instead of missing tractors.

I ask for your resolution.

Acting Commander of the Armoured and Mechanized Forces, Marshal of the Armoured Forces, S. Bogdanov"

2 comments:

  1. This is THE Semyon Bogdanov? (Formerly 2nd Guards Tank Army?)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Almost certainly. Lots of high profile officers remained in service after the war.

      Delete