The plant of the military-industrial complex is located in a newly developed area, 20 kilometers north of the city of Novosibirsk, which is some distance from the city and avoids too much industrial pollution to the citizens. Pen, fun, and www.biquge.info

The factory area surrounded by forests is located in a private location. In addition, it is heavily guarded, surrounded by walls, and a large number of sentry posts, which greatly improves the security of the military-industrial complex.

The military-industrial complex, consisting of five different factories that produce artillery, firearms, transport and armored vehicles (including armored vehicles and tanks) and electronic equipment (radars, radio stations), is named after five Soviet figures: Kirov, Stalin, Lenin, Dzerzhinsky and Svidlov.

At that time, the construction of the various factories was still not completed, only the Svidlov plant for the production of radar and radio communication equipment was fully operational, and the Stalin plant for the production of firearms and the Kirov plant for the production of artillery were only partially operational, and the DP light machine gun and 85-mm anti-aircraft guns were respectively put into operation.

The other two factories that produce vehicles have not started operation because "the construction of the plant has not been completely completed, and the production equipment is not fully prepared". In fact, the main reason why the tank factory failed to put into production was not these so-called "technical problems", but because of Kulik's obstruction.

As mentioned earlier, Kulik, the Deputy People's Commissar of Defense in charge of ordnance, has always opposed the production of tanks, so he has done everything possible to use his power and influence to block the production of tanks in Novosibirsk.

However, the armouring of troops has always been the state policy of the Soviet Union, and Kulik's obstruction can only serve to stall for time. When the T-34 tank appeared, Stalin made up his mind to mass-produce the new medium tank, and the Dzerzhinsky tank plant in Novosibirsk was included in the list of factories in the production plan.

As for the factories that produce transport vehicles, they have not been able to put into production because of the lack of machine tools and equipment, and they have lost technical assistance from the Americans. However, the specialists of the Novosibirsk State Technical University, together with the engineers of the Novosibirsk State Machine-Building Complex and the specialists of the mechanical department, soon developed a better quality and more technical alternative, and it is estimated that in a week or two a sufficient number of machines will be ready for production.

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Manturov drove to the military-industrial complex, walked around different factories, inspected the production progress of the factories that were put into production, and the progress of the construction of factories that were not yet put into production.

"Comrade Director," Manturov said to Smirnov, the director of the Kirov Artillery Plant, "I have just seen that the construction progress of the new plant is quite good, and the establishment of the production line is also doing well. So according to your estimates, when will the plant be fully operational? ”

Smirnov wore a suit, but his demeanor was not gentle. The wrinkled white shirt and the leather shoes with the upper of the shoes peeling off made him look undignified, like an ordinary worker in a suit.

However, such a "worker" is quite decent when he speaks, and he also has a professional degree that ordinary workers do not have.

"In about two months, the plant will be fully operational. Now we are already producing 85-mm anti-aircraft guns. This gun, not only an anti-aircraft gun, can also be used as a tank gun and anti-tank gun.

Just yesterday, the 183 plant in Kharkov ordered some 85mm anti-aircraft guns for trial installation on a prototype of an improved version of the T-34 tank. ”

Smirnov's words brought a message that encouraged Manturov.

Isn't the T-85 with an anti-aircraft gun mounted on the 34-mm anti-aircraft gun an improved version of the T-34, the T-34-85 tank?

Historically, work on the T-34-85 began only in 1943, and production began only in February 1944. However, under the influence of Manturov, Koshkin began work on the T-34/85 in January 1940.

If it had been developed and put into production before the start of the Great Patriotic War, and if the army had been armed, the German armored forces would have faced a formidable opponent.

At that time, the T-34 was already one of the most advanced tanks in the world. Compared to the German No. 4 tank, the T-34 medium tank outperformed its opponents in terms of firepower, mobility, and protection.

If Koshkin could really be modified according to Manturov's intentions, replacing the T-34 tank with an 85mm gun and thickening the original armor, this medium tank, which had already terrified the German fascists, would have been like a tiger, and it was not until 1942, when Germany put into the Tiger tank, that the T-34/85 would meet its opponent.

"Have you been getting a lot of orders lately?" Manturov looked at the busy workers on the production line and already knew the answer.

"Many, now in addition to the anti-tank forces, even the anti-tank units will be equipped with this anti-aircraft gun with anti-tank effect.

In previous tests, the anti-aircraft gun showed amazing armor-piercing capabilities. An 85-mm anti-aircraft gun loaded with armor-piercing shells can penetrate 105 mm of armor at a distance of 1000 meters, and 80 mm of armor at a distance of 2000 meters. This is a pretty good result. ”

What does the result of penetrating 2000 mm of armor at a distance of 80 meters mean? This meant that the Soviet T-34/85 medium tank could penetrate the frontal armor of the German No. 4 tank at a distance of 2,000 meters.

And the fourth tank, even at a distance of 100 meters, could not penetrate the frontal armor of the T-34/85.

In case the T-34/85 really managed to be developed and put into production before the Great Patriotic War. This would be a powerful weapon against the German armoured clusters, and the Germans would not have been able to occupy large areas of land so easily, at least at a greater cost, in order to achieve the same result.

But with better tanks, better anti-tank guns do not mean anything. Historically, at the beginning of the war, the Soviet army did not have a disadvantage in armored forces.

The Soviet tanks, both in quantity and quality, were superior to the German armored vehicles, but it was a pity that the Soviet army's tactics were inappropriate, the combat experience and ability of the officers and men were insufficient, the troops in the early stage were insufficient, and the communication and liaison conditions were backward.

The main reason is that the Soviet air force is too poor, and the German army has seized air supremacy, resulting in many tanks and fortifications of the Soviet army being blown up by the Luftwaffe, so the German army can achieve a greater victory with fewer casualties.

Manturov was not able to change the two points of insufficient combat experience and insufficient troops. However, the problem of communication and liaison conditions, the Manturov Electronic Equipment Plant named after him has alleviated the quantitative and qualitative problems, and the problem of the lack of combat experience in the Air Force, which he is unable to solve, but he has found an opportunity to remedy the backwardness of fighters.