Unexpectedly, the iron cavalry medium main battle tank provided by Zhang Xuewu turned out to be an enlarged version of the T-34, and Koshkin has always advocated the use of KV series of large turrets and multi-machine gun towers to improve the survival rate of tanks in positional warfare and street battles.

However, Koshkin also realized some problems in the drawings provided by Zhang Xuewu, the most important thing is that the 31-ton hull plus at least 29 tons of turret, and the Soviet Union now does not have any engine that can provide 900 horsepower, so the maneuverability of the iron horse must be greatly reduced, and the design of the iron load-bearing wheel is not reasonable, but these Koshkin do not plan to tell Kirov, Kirov can only be regarded as a master of things in terms of technology, and it is not clear to tell him, but it may delay things, So Koshkin decided to conceal the facts, and there were a lot of irrationalities in the new tank, which is a very normal thing, Zhang Xuewu has to take care of the battle and take care of production, so there must be flaws in its design, and it is normal to be busy on the horse, and in the face of his own thin-skinned small cans, the iron horse can indeed reduce everything.

However, the concealment of the concealment, the inquiry of the inquiry, Koshkin proposed to Kirov that, according to the intelligence fed back by the experts, the Iron Cavalry medium main battle tanks equipped on the Rehe side are all with small turrets? Why were the drawings provided to the Soviet side for the large turret?

Kirov immediately visited Zhang Xuewu at night with questions, and Zhang Xuewu smiled at Kirov's question: "Dear Comrade Kirov, the steel output of our Baotou industrial base is extremely limited, and the output of alloy armor is even less, so we have to constantly reduce the turret to achieve the purpose of saving materials. ”

Zhang Xuewu's reason can be said to have persuaded Kirov, and Koshkin's explanation of Rehe can only say that the Chinese are too hasty, and dare to design a horse production operation with a drawing? This is extremely irresponsible, and there is a price to pay on the battlefield in blood.

Seeing Koshkin's excited look, Kirov said with amusement: "The Chinese have no industrial base, we know everything about what their Baotou can produce, they have no choice at all, it is already a miracle of miracles to be able to assemble such a patchwork tank and repel myself!" ”

Kirov looked at Koshkin and said, "Do you think the data of this Iron Cavalry Tank is really helpful to us?" If we follow the data of the Iron Cavalry medium tank to develop and equip it, I wonder if our tank has an advantage over the Germans such as the Jackal and Leopard tanks? ”

Koshkin took a deep breath and said: "Comrade Kirov, I can tell you responsibly, I'm afraid that within three to five years we will not be able to create a tank with absolute superiority in technology, after all, the Germans have already taken the lead, and they are not standing still, the design idea of the Iron Cavalry medium main battle tank is likely to come from the German side, and the Germans regard us as an imaginary enemy, so there will be such a design for Zhang Xuewu, Otherwise, I don't think that Zhang Xuewu's Baotou Tank Armor Design Institute can have the qualifications for reading power design. ”

Kirov frowned slightly and said: "Comrade Koshkin, you are now directly responsible to Comrade Stalin, what do you mean that you will not be able to surpass the level of the Germans in three to five years?" Can't take the absolute technical advantage? Is this what you are going to say to our great Comrade Stalin? You're not responsible, you know? ”

Kirov then lowered his voice and said: "If this is the case, Comrade Stalin is furious, my dear Comrade Koshkin, you and your whole family may have to go on vacation to Siberia!" I hope you understand the stake! ”

Koshkin took out a handkerchief with a slightly trembling hand and wiped his sweat, and said nervously: "My dear Comrade Kirov, I definitely didn't mean that, I hope you can understand, I mean that the design and ideas of the Germans and the level of industrial manufacturing are indeed world-class, even if I say to the great Comrade Stalin that we surpass the Germans and occupy the advanced world, will Comrade Stalin believe it?" It is possible to create a tank that can surpass the Germans, but it is not possible to calculate the cost paid, even if it is installed, the surname of an ordinary vehicle cannot reach the level of a prototype, if Comrade Stalin learns about it, it will affect you and my dear Comrade Kirov, but the level of manufacturing of the Germans is really high, but our design is not bad, the most important thing is that our tanks are low-cost, simple to do, it is no exaggeration, A peasant who has never learned how to drive a tank can learn how to drive a T34 tank in a few days, which can only be illustrated by miracles, if we go to war with the Germans, our losses can be quickly compensated, but the German Seiko-made tanks cannot make up for it, and when the quality and quantity reach one to six, the quality of the Germans will be overwhelmed by our quantity! ”

Kirov looked at Koshkin in surprise and said, "So you mean that the drawings provided by Zhang Xuewu are very meaningful and valuable?" ”

Koshkin smiled slightly, shook his head, and said, "No! My dear Kirov, I don't care about the drawings, I care about what else they have to look forward to for me! ”

Kirov also excitedly poured two glasses of wine, handed Koshkin a glass and said: "I wish our great leader, dear Comrade Stalin, good health!" ”

When Kirov and Koshkin repeatedly analyzed, Zhang Xuewu was also looking at a set of drawings, Zhang Xuewu did not deny that the T34 tank was the main battle tank of the Soviet Union in World War II, and in the historical data, its surname can be superior to the surname in actual combat can play a certain role, the most critical point is that the T34 tank is very simple, it is no exaggeration to say that a farmer who has never learned to drive a tank can learn how to drive a T34 in a few days? This is undoubtedly a miracle in the history of warfare? Compared with those German armored troops who needed to be trained for two to three years, the advantages in wartime were self-evident.

In the Battle of Stalingrad, the workers in the factories in the city were working hard to make T34 tanks, whenever the Germans came, the workers of the tank repair shop drove the T34 tanks to fight the Germans, the Battle of Kursk was the largest tank decisive battle in World War II, the Soviet Union lost more than 6,000 armored vehicles, and the main reason for its losses was the serious lack of pre-war training of tank crews. Such a simple tank, the rapid production can quickly replenish the combat losses, but the tankman needs time, but this simple and easy-to-build tank is still loved by all countries. Especially in those small countries with low productivity, the key problem is that although the German tanks are precisely designed but not produced enough, the German army has always been in a disadvantageous position in terms of the number of tanks in a large number of battles.

The Prokhorovka tank battle is therefore considered the largest tank battle in the history of human warfare, and it is famous all over the world and has become a legend.

With the passage of time in later generations, the declassification of a large number of materials, especially the end of the Cold War, and the disclosure of information from the former Soviet Union, made people find that the scale of this tank battle was much smaller than originally thought, and the tanks and self-propelled guns directly involved in the war on both sides were only about 600, of which less than 200 were in the German army and about 400 in the Soviet army. The 76-mm guns of the Soviet T34 tanks could not pose a threat to the Germans at the same distance, and a large number of Soviet tanks were destroyed by the Germans beyond the combat distance.

However, Zhang Xuewu also knew that the design of the T34 alone could not shock the Soviets, so he copied a copy of the famous German chariot design in history, which was very in line with the surname of the Soviets.

Zhang Xuewu is also very clear, but anyone with a little strategic vision will be very clear, the power of the tank is one of the most important factors, in the design of the main battle tank, all countries before World War II seem to be facing two difficult problems, defense and firepower, defense is to improve the battlefield survival rate of the combat vehicle, and firepower output is the absolute hard index of the main battle tank, so some people put forward the development idea of heavy and even super heavy tanks, but undoubtedly because of power, gearbox, transportation, cost and other problems and stranded, Just as the navies of various countries in the world debate whether to develop aircraft carriers to speed up the construction of naval aviation, or to build super battle columns, fast tanks cannot be used in the final decisive battle on the road, which is already the consensus of tank design and production.

A tank of more than a hundred tons is undoubtedly a giant battle fortress that moves? But what about the mobile surname of the fortress? How many roads are suitable for its travel? How is it transported by rail? How does the bridge pass? Obviously, these are fatal problems, but Zhang Xuewu gambled on Stalin's great achievements, and the Soviets did not have a decent navy, because the Soviet Union was not a sea power country at all, and the main interests of the Soviet Union were in Europe, so it was necessary to ensure its huge army in the first place, which was the opposite of the original one.

It can be said that the Land Cruiser prepared by Zhang Xuewu for Stalin can almost be called a super weapon, the Dopped duplex technology made of Mia alloy, this technology is applied to the American-made MA1 main battle tank in later generations, and the gearbox of the tank is only a part of the tank transmission system, which is used to change the torque and speed on the tank's driving wheels in a large range, so as to realize the tank's backward driving and cut off the power, unlike the car, the tank's transmission system has both steering and braking functions.

It can be said that Zhang Xuewu dug a big hole for the Soviets in the gearbox!

(To be continued)