PS: If you want to hear more of your voices and receive more of your opinions, search for the WeChat public account "qdread" now and pay attention to it to give more support to "Heavenly Soldiers in 1917"!

Project 54 turned out to be a complete look, and according to Konstantin, it will take at least another year to solve all of the above problems. That is, the reduced version of the T-54 will not be put into production until 1936 at the earliest. And this is simply unacceptable for Li Xiaofeng, from 1936 to the outbreak of the war is not a few years, such a short time is not enough to produce a sufficient number of T-54s.

But Konstantin made it clear: "The reliability and longevity of the engine and transmission system are questionable, and for the time being they can only play 75% of their effectiveness, and for a 'heavy' tank with a total weight of more than 36 tons, it is easy to overheat and break down." We need to spend a lot of time to improve the level of process technology, and we can't improve the ...... in a short period of time."

In fact, this is tantamount to a death sentence for Project 54, the maximum power of the engine is only stored on paper, and now after the transmission is passed, the maximum power that can act on the driving wheels is actually only 350 horsepower. And this little power is undoubtedly not enough for a tank of more than 36 tons, which means that the off-road speed of the No. 54 engineering prototype is a bit miserable.

"It's not bad to see the speed!" Konstantin quipped, "In fact, the suspension system also has a zài problem, in the alloy process of the torsion bar suspension is very immature, and the torsion bar suspension manufactured today can hardly afford the long-term off-road driving of a 36-ton tank, especially the pair of torsion bar suspension of the first pair of load wheels." Because the frontal armor was too thick. It's very stressful. In the 1000 hours of off-road practice, there were breaks. ”

Anyway, Li Xiaofeng understands that the No. 54 project may not be able to continue, and it is almost impossible to ensure the original technical performance, either to reduce weight or to solve all the problems from the engine, transmission to torsion bar suspension. Of course, Konstantin has already said that this is impossible and will take time.

So in late June 1934. After some contemplation and painful entanglement, Li Xiaofeng proposed a plan to build a shrinking No. 54 project, maintain the overall design and layout of the No. 54 project, keep the original power system unchanged, weaken the armor, reduce the geometric size of the chassis, and achieve lightweight. To put it bluntly, this is a certain immortal who remembered the Type 62 light tank made by the T-54 of the Celestial Empire, since Project 54 can't be done, it's too heavy, so let's make do with the lightweight 62 first!

Konstantin thought someone was crazy at first. But soon after Guò researched him, he found out that this could really be done like this. After some tinkering, the T-54 medium tank, which came to be known as Project 35S, stepped off the drawing board.

And he quickly stepped off the drawing board, and at the beginning of 1935, after passing through the cold zone, he was on the production line of North Industry in mid-February of that year. By mid-May, NORINCO had produced about 50 vehicles and sent them to EO for trial. According to this year's production plan, production will be further accelerated from July to reach the target of 30 vehicles per month, and 300 vehicles must be produced by the end of the year.

Li Xiaofeng originally planned to let EO's troops in the Vyborg Special Administrative Region receive these tanks, but now Voroshilov is competing with mechanized troops for BT-2, so he has to let Project 54S enter service with the Red Army ahead of schedule.

So what did this Project 54S, later known as the T-35 medium tank, look like? To put it bluntly, it is a copy of the 62 type, but the speed and cross-country ability are worse than the 62 type, the reason is also very simple, the 12V150-3 engine of the 62 has a power of 430 horsepower, and the B2 engine produced by North Industry Although the paper has 500 horsepower, but the actual use is 350 horsepower, and the decline in unit power naturally leads to a decrease in maneuverability. Moreover, the chassis of the 54S project is longer and slightly taller than that of the Type 62, and the reason is naturally that the longitudinal engine and engine cooling accessories are still in the old B2-34 model, not the later B54 engine model.

Of course, overall, the engineering performance of the 54S is still good, the total combat weight is close to 21 tons, the crew is four, it is equipped with a 45 mm tank gun, the maximum road speed is 55 kilometers per hour, the maximum range is 450 kilometers, the turret armor frontal shield is 45 mm, and the armor on the head of the hull is 35 mm, and please note that this is only the vertical thickness, after counting the inclination, the equivalent armor is actually thicker!

To be honest, in the weight of more than 20 tons, it is simply a miracle to have the current performance, anyway, the EO company tank crews who tried the 54S project are full of praise for it, and have a strong request to quickly equip more.

However, Li Xiaofeng was not particularly satisfied, mainly dissatisfied with the firepower, the performance of the 45mm anti-tank gun used in the BT series tanks and T-26 was really average, only a little stronger than the 37 gun. And the original 62 can carry the T-34-85 gun, even if there are no 85 guns available now, at least 76 guns have to be used, right?

The problem is that the infantry units of the 76 artillery Red Army also rushed to change their equipment, and with the help of some bureaucrats, the 76 exported to North China Industry was stopped, and it was these 45 guns that Li Xiaofeng obtained by virtue of his face and connections.

Of course, NORINCO was not idle, and also began to improve the 54S project, such as replacing it with a larger caliber artillery, such as replacing it with an artillery stabilizer, and even having a plan to transform it into a self-propelled gun.

None of this is important, what is important is that Li Xiaofeng finally got the 54S project through a political deal, which was later called the T-35 medium tank, and later the 62 copycat version of the T-62 light tank, into service with the Soviet Red Army. You know, it's not easy. Because a part of the top leadership, including Stalin and Trotsky, was very opposed to the introduction of products from NORIN, which had been suppressed throughout the thirties, and this time it would be an unprecedented breakthrough.

When the T-35 medium tank entered service with the mechanized corps of the Red Army, Voroshilov quickly regretted it, compared with the BT-2 that he had stolen. The T-35 is too tall. On defense the two tanks are not at all of the same magnitude. The T-35 can wrestle with the early T-34. For the 37-mm anti-aircraft guns, which were widely equipped in various countries around the world at that time, it was almost impossible to penetrate the T-35. Even after being replaced with 76 mm or 85 mm guns, the T-35 caught up with the world's mainstream level in terms of firepower, which was too sour for the reconnaissance units of the Red Army, which later widely received the T-35!

And the T-35 is different from the shoddy BT, and the craftsmanship of NORINCO is much stronger than that of Maozi China, especially since each T-35 is equipped with a radio, which is for the commander. It's a boon.

Anyway, the mechanized army was quite happy, and even after the BT-7 was put into production, they refused to accept the BT-7, and still strongly demanded to equip the T-35, and even at one point the T-35 almost forced the T-34 to be laid off and unemployed. If it weren't for Trotsky and Stalin's desire to support their country's military industry, under the joint strangulation of the T-35 and T-54, the T-34 would probably not have survived at all, and even dismounted with some KV and IS heavy tanks.

This is a later story, leaving aside for the time being, after Stalin Songkou allowed the introduction of the T-35. There are still many problems in front of the main leadership level of the Central Military Commission, such as the issue of adjusting the establishment of the troops, such as the problems exposed by the equipment of the troops.

Let's start with the first issue of compilation. The strong demand for tanks in the cavalry units was a major change, which meant that the cavalry faction, led by Stalin and Voroshilov, began to loosen and began to realize that modern warfare really had no way for cavalry to survive. Even if there is industrial pressure to replenish each cavalry division with a tank regiment, it is a good thing in the long run and worth advocating.

In fact, compared with the adjustment of the establishment of the cavalry, the adjustment of the establishment of the mechanized infantry corps is a big problem, from the perspective of the battle at this stage, the establishment of the mechanized infantry corps is unreasonable, there are too many tanks, too few infantry, especially the mechanization of the infantry is very low, resulting in a series of coordination problems on the battlefield.

"I think that the mechanized units must be adjusted, the mechanization of the infantry must be strengthened, and the development of infantry vehicles capable of accompanying tank operations is already urgent," Ubolevich said. ”

After some debate, in 1935 the wartime quota No. 010/20 was issued, and the mechanized infantry corps was renamed the mechanized corps, and its basic establishment was two tank divisions, one mechanized infantry division, one army aviation brigade, one automobile regiment and several auxiliary units.

Among them, the tank division has a capacity of 10,940 people, with 375 tanks, 95 armored vehicles, 36 field guns (in fact, it is an artillery regiment, divided into three battalions: 12 152 grenades, 12 122 grenades, 12 rocket artillery), 12 37-mm anti-aircraft guns (that is, a battalion), and 4 76-mm anti-aircraft guns.

Each tank division contains two tank regiments, one mechanized infantry regiment, and one howitzer regiment. Each tank regiment consists of four tank battalions, including two medium tank battalions (armed with T-34 or T-35), one rapid tank battalion (armed with BT tanks), and one Spitfire tank battalion.

Each mechanized infantry regiment consisted of three mechanized infantry battalions, each of which had three infantry, a machine-gun company, and a mortar company.

As for the divisional auxiliary units, they include: a reconnaissance battalion, a motor transport battalion, an engineer battalion, a maintenance battalion, a communications battalion, an antiaircraft artillery battalion, a traffic management company, and a political department.

Tank divisions have been adjusted, but the magnitude is not large, the really large adjustment is the mechanized infantry divisions, each mechanized infantry division includes two mechanized infantry regiments, a tank regiment and an artillery regiment, a reconnaissance battalion, an anti-aircraft artillery battalion, an anti-tank battalion, with a rated personnel of 11,650 people.

Note that the mechanized infantry divisions are equipped with different artillery units, with a significantly strengthened artillery regiment consisting of four artillery battalions (12 152 grenades, 12 122 grenades, 12 rocket launchers, and 12 76.2 mm cannons).

Its anti-tank battalion was divided into four companies: 8 + 8 + 8 45 mm anti-tank guns (three companies), 8 76.2 mm F22.

The anti-aircraft artillery battalion was armed with two companies of 37-mm anti-aircraft guns (eight each), four 76.2-mm anti-aircraft guns and a considerable number of 14.5-mm anti-aircraft machine guns.

The most important change in the mechanized infantry division was manifested in the mechanization of the program, which began to be massively equipped with BA-20 armored vehicles, even in accordance with the requirements of the general armament. The development of new tracked and half-tracked vehicles capable of accompanying tank operations began.

This is the tracked armored transport vehicle of the MT-LB36 type, which will be mentioned soon. Don't look at the prefix MT-LB in this car. But it really doesn't have much to do with the MT-LB armored transport vehicle that the Soviets got in the 1970s. This tracked armored transport vehicle produced by NORINCO is actually a copycat version of the Celestial Empire Type 63 armored transport vehicle. It's almost identical!

In fact, for NORINCO, which has completed the 54S project, there is no difficulty in getting a tracked armored transport vehicle based on ready-made technology. Off-the-shelf torsion bar suspension, even less difficult because of its low weight. Ready-made engines, remove half of the cylinders from the B2-34 and change to an in-line model.

Of course, the defense of such an armored transport vehicle, with a total weight of no more than 13 tons, is naturally not very good, that is, the level of resistance to machine-gun shells. Battlefield survivability is relatively limited. But the MT-LB36 is an ideal vehicle for half-track vehicles, and even for infantry who are constantly worried about accidents while crouching on tanks.

Unfortunately, the industrial capacity of the Soviet Union was so limited that even the shortage of heavy trucks could not be filled, and the cost of full-tracked vehicles was more expensive, so the MT-LB36 could only be used by mechanized troops and a small number of Guards troops. It was not until the end of World War II, when the mechanized units began to be equipped with infantry fighting vehicles that could really accompany tank assaults, that the MT-LB36 entered the use of motorized infantry units.

The most widely used by the Soviet Red Army in World War II was armored vehicles, such as the half-track vehicles widely used in the German and American armies. It began production in 1938, after equipping part of the motorized units of the Red Army. In a brutal battle. Soon Maozi gave up this kind of off-road ability, which is not as good as MT-LB36, but the cost is much more expensive than ordinary armored cars.

The change of the army is not only reflected in the new tanks, new tracked transport vehicles, but more importantly in the mechanization of artillery, in the outbreak of this conflict, even if it is an ace unit like the First Mechanized Infantry Army, its artillery is tracked tractors as towing tools, and even many are pulled by trucks, as for what self-propelled artillery? Unheard.

With the entry of the MT-LB36 into active service, the situation began to change, first the regimental mortar was mounted on the chassis of the MT-LB36, and then the 122 grenade was also equipped on the chassis of the MT-LB36, realizing a very primitive self-propelled gun. Even command vehicles, medical vehicles, and communication vehicles based on the MT-LB36 chassis began to be popularized, which greatly changed the support capability of the Red Army's mechanized troops under field conditions.

The Red Army, which tasted the sweetness of the MT-LB36 chassis modification, was not satisfied with this achievement, and in 1939 launched the design of the second-generation tracked universal chassis, preparing to develop a universal chassis that can dominate the world, this chassis will include tracked transport vehicles, tracked infantry fighting vehicles, 122 mm and 152 mm self-propelled guns, and rocket artillery launch platforms.

According to the Red Army's plan, this second-generation general-purpose chassis will be replaced with all the mechanized and motorized units of the Red Army, giving full play to the power of large-depth operations. Unfortunately, the sudden outbreak of World War II disrupted the Red Army's plans, and the refitting work had just begun, and the brutal fighting forced the Red Army to continue to maintain the backward equipment production line until 1943, when the battlefield environment was greatly improved, and the re-outfitting work was restarted.

Of course, it was a bit early to talk about this in 1935, after all, none of the MT-LB36 was in service. And compared with the army aviation brigade with a sudden increase in mechanized military strength, the MT-LB36 does not seem so tall. According to Rokossovsky's proposal, this army aviation brigade will be equipped with 18 armed helicopters, of course, S11 for the time being, and there will be great development in the future.

It was after this series of changes was submitted to the Military Commission for discussion that the problem arose: the main issues of contention were the popularization of the Comintern's tracked traction platform and the replacement of Air Force fighters.

What do you ask about these two questions? It's very simple, first of all, the crawler tractor involves the production capacity of the tractor, and the performance of this tracked tractor based on the modification of the T-24 tank chassis is still good (at least it can meet the requirements of the Red Army artillery), but the factory in order to complete the industrial task, that is, to ensure the progress of collective farming, agricultural tractors are a priority project.

Stalin even agreed with Trotsky on this point, opposing the Comintern tractors crowding out the share of agricultural tractors, even arguing that such tracked tractors were too expensive and that the Red Army should use them.

In the end, it is still shy in the pocket and the Soviet infrastructure construction is too poor, look at the British, Americans, French have too much interest in tracked tractors? No, a half-track vehicle is enough for them.

But the poor transportation and infrastructure of the Soviet Union made the artillery of the Red Army face a mess, there were too few high-grade roads, and on the muddy dirt roads in the field, the towing work of heavy artillery was really fatal, not to mention that there were no trucks or half-track tractors.

This is deeply touched by the Germans who fell into a pit in the Soviet Red Army, and only they understand why the Red Army artillery is so keen on a full-track tractor, even if it is only a tractor, is better than a well-made Mercedes-Benz truck!

Fortunately, in this controversy, Li Xiaofeng gave Voroshilov a lot of face and gave priority to meeting the requirements of the Red Army cavalry for tanks, which made Stalin have to return this favor, and on the issue of tractors, he did not make too many difficulties for a certain immortal, and agreed to produce a large number of Comintern tractors in 1935, and also stipulated a target - the output should not be less than 2,000 units.

This made Trotsky half angry, and it also made the man angry on the question of the air force: "From these twenty days of fighting, we can see that the long-range aviation is of little use, and it is not able to carry out the task of destroying enemy aircraft on airfields, and it is useless for the close support tasks related to the front-line battle. I have to doubt the role of long-range aviation, our finances are very tight, every penny has to be well spent, and on long-range aviation I don't see such value at all...... That being the case, I have to ask, is it necessary to continue to invest in long-range aviation? For example, the plan to import B17 bombers from the United States is very inappropriate, and this expensive four-engine bomber is not necessary at all in my opinion! ”

Trotsky attacked not only the B17 project, but also the I-16 and I-20 projects: "The I-16 is very bad, the pilots have a lot of bad reviews about it, and this monoplane with poor performance seems to me to be a mistake. The Air Force should keep its eyes on biplanes, and only a reliable aircraft like the I-15 could defend the Soviet sky. The technical requirements of the I-20 project should be immediately revised, and the development of more advanced biplanes should be changed instead! (The novel "Heavenly Soldiers in 1917" will have more fresh content on the official WeChat platform, and there will also be a 100% lottery gift for everyone!) Open WeChat now, click on the "+" sign in the upper right corner to "add friends", search for the official account "qdread" and follow, hurry up! (To be continued......)

PS: Bow and thank you to Comrade Feng Piaoyingdong, Tangyuan 0212, hzwangdd and Juventus!