"Comrade Koshkin, it seems to me that the T-34 is irreplaceable. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info it has the flexibility and mobility that the KV tank lacks, and the firepower and protection that the T-50 light tank lacks, whether it is the KV heavy tank or the T-50 light tank, it cannot replace your work. "Manturov truthfully told Koshkin what he thought. Molotov, who was on the side, also nodded in agreement.

"This comrade is quite right." Koshkin confidently said: "It was precisely with the needs of the country in mind that we developed this medium-sized tank with low cost, but world-leading in terms of performance, firepower and defense." ”

Manturov smiled humbly and said: "Comrade Koshkin, you are the most outstanding engineer I have ever met, and it is a pleasure to talk with you today. ”

"I don't dare to be, I'm just using my knowledge to contribute to the country. Besides, this tank is not the work of me alone, but the result of the research of our entire Kharkov 520 Design Bureau, and the results of the research should be attributed to all the comrades who participated in the work.

By the way, I'm a little embarrassed that I don't know what to call you after talking about it for so long. ”

"Comrade Koshkin," Manturov politely stretched out his right hand and introduced himself: "you just call me Vladimir." ”

"Hello, then you can call me Mikhail." Mikhail Ilyich Koshkin shook Manturov's hand and asked in a friendly tone: "Which unit are you from?" ”

"I was building the People's Commissariat of Construction, and Comrade Ginsburg sent me to see how the T-34 tank was being tested, after which we will develop a plan for the commissioning of new T-34 production lines outside Kharkov in order to increase the production of tanks.

I think you also know that not long ago, the People's Commissariat of Defense, in accordance with Comrade Stalin's instructions, studied the experience of combat operations of the German tank army and the motorized army on the Western Front, and re-studied the recently adopted program for tank (mechanized) armies.

In the future, it is possible that the Ministry of Defense will create a large number of mechanized troops, which will require a large number of tanks. However, our country now has only two tank production centers in Kharkov and Leningrad, which cannot produce a sufficient number of tanks in large quantities and efficiently, so it is necessary to set up more tank production lines outside Kharkov and Leningrad. ”

Manturov said a lot of things, but he never said his position in the People's Commissariat of Construction, let alone all the scope of his work, apparently to avoid "revealing his identity".

"Yes, tanks are growing in importance and in greater demand. It is undeniable that the role of the tank as a weapon has changed to the present day since the 1910s. In the First World War, tanks were nothing more than weapons used to support infantry operations, but by now the Germans have turned them into the main attacking force.

The reason why they were able to advance quickly through Poland in such a short period of time was because of their strong armor. And we also need to develop a strong armored force in order to keep up with them. ”

Molotov did not speak in the process, but just nodded blindly. But the nod is only superficial, what this old political driver is thinking in his heart, what medicine is sold in the gourd, Manturov has not been able to guess. But on the whole, Molotov still agrees with Manturov and Koshkin.

"Vladimir, you're quite right. By the way, Vladimir, are you the First Deputy People's Commissar for Construction, the Political Commissar of the 2nd Army, the Hero of Socialist Labor, the Hero of the Soviet Union - Vladimir Fedorovich Manturov? Koshkin still recognized Manturov's identity.

"Yes, Misha." At this time, Manturov also thought of the reason why he was recognized. What he was wearing at that time was not the suit and tie that he was used to, but a regular uniform of the political commissar of the second-class group army.

There was only one person in the entire Soviet Union who worked in the Ministry of Construction, but at the same time had the rank of political commissar of the second-class army -- and that was Manturov. There is only one person who received this rank in his twenties, and that is Manturov.

Koshkin patted Manturov on the shoulder and said politely: "Comrade Manturov, Vorodya, it's a pleasure to meet you. ”

"Misha, I'm also glad to be able to talk to you, you're the best engineer I've ever met, and there's a lot to learn from me."

"You have more to learn from me." Koshkin also said quite politely.

"By the way, Misha," Manturov said after almost finishing the set, "the design of this tank is undoubtedly excellent, but I find that there are some areas that could be improved. ”

"I'll look into it, though." Koshkin is quite serious about his work and pursues excellence.

"The caliber of the main gun can be increased to 85 mm, the armor can be a little thicker, the frontal of the hull, it can be increased to 65 mm, and the frontal turret can be increased to 90 mm." Manturov said what he proposed, in fact, the parameters of the 1943 T34 improved version, the T-34-85.

"There's nothing wrong with thickening the armor, but as for the main gun, we don't have an 85mm tank gun right now, so I'm afraid we need more time to study it.

In addition, in terms of armor, the current armor thickness of the T-34 tank is actually enough to withstand the fire of most tank guns, and there is no need to thicken it. ”

"Misha, we are not without 85-mm guns," Manturov said about his thoughts as a traverser, "Last year, Mikhail Nikolayevich Lotinov, the designer of the Kalinin Artillery Plant, designed an 85-mm anti-aircraft gun. This anti-aircraft gun has a muzzle speed of 792 meters per second.

If it is changed to a tank gun, or an anti-tank gun, it is believed that it will be a new tank killer, with an armor-piercing ability of more than 100 mm at a distance of 1000 meters, and can penetrate the 80 mm frontal armor of the No. 4 tank.

And just now, as you have seen, the existing F-34 tank gun of the T-34 tank is not enough to penetrate 80 mm of steel plate at a distance of 1000 meters, and if you replace this gun, the firepower and power can also increase a lot.

In addition, the T-34 adopts a two-man turret, and the commander is responsible for the work of loading shells in addition to searching for the enemy and commanding, which is too heavy, and the combat efficiency of the whole vehicle will not be too high, and the command and firing efficiency will also be out of balance, and it is difficult to give full play to the power of the artillery.

If the turret can be redesigned to a three-player turret (commander, gunner, and loader) and add a loader position, I believe the efficiency of the battle will be greatly improved.

As for the armor, the design of the turret armor increased to 90 mm is indeed an exaggeration, which can be ignored for the time being.

Finally, if possible, minimize the production steps of the tank, as well as the cost of production. If possible, the production of parts should be simplified to less than 750 pieces, and the production cost should be controlled in the range of 200,000 rubles, which is more suitable for mass production. ”

Koshkin nodded, agreeing with the other party's opinion and admiring Manturov's "military wisdom".

This young man not only put forward the areas that need to be improved in the design of the T-34 tank, but also proposed specific improvements to the turret and main gun. In the unlikely event that Koshkin really did follow Manturov's suggestion and improve the design of the T-34, the well-known T-34-85 would have appeared in advance, of course, in a thinner armored version.

At that time, in front of the T-34-85, the German No. 4 tank was completely powerless, whether it was firepower, defense, or mobility, it would be far away from the Soviet T-34-85 until the Tiger tank appeared.

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