What Stalin Should have done, What the USSR should have done

Part 3

Ground Vehicles

All tanks are to use diesel engines and look into the possibility of having all trucks use diesel as well. Diesel is less flammable than gasoline and diesel can be stored longer than gasoline. Diesel engines handle cold weather better than gasoline engines.

All new tanks must be able to handle a burning flammable liquid being thrown onto the tank.

Tanks should have a ”basket” that rotates with the gun so that the crew in the turret always have the controls in front of them, unless a better design is invented.

Each person in the tank should only have to do ”his” job, so a tank commander should only have to command not for example also be the loader, an exception can be made if radio technology advances so that the commander also becomes the radio operator as was done in later vehicles.

All tanks must have a 2 way radio receiver/transmitter and no tank without a working radio may be sent into battle. Those tanks can however be used for training but not for combat.

The tank commander should have a commanders cupola.

The tank gunner should only have to fire the gun and not reload it himself.

Crew ”comfort” is to be looked at so that the crew can stay ”fresh” for longer. So look at better suspensions for the vehicles and the crew ”chairs” so that going over bumpy terrain does not affect the crew as much. Even consider making the tank a bit taller and wider, one needs to look at the whole picture not only making the smaller tank that is harder to hit which increases the tanks survivability, but also how one can keep the crew fresh for longer periods of time which would increase survivability as well. Look into research and development of shock absorbers.

Tank sights are to use ”binoculars” or something else that uses 2 eyes, the sight itself may be a long tube however at the end where the operator looks through should have binoculars so that the operator uses 2 eyes, it has been shown that this increases both accuracy and speed because when only looking with 1 eye, less of the brain is being used then when looking with both eyes. Of course if the sights are wide enough for a person to look throw them with both eyes, there is no need to add binos.

Medium tanks should have a minimum of 50kmph speed and heavies a minimum of 25. These are guidelines and not strict requirements.

Medium tanks can weigh up to 45 metric tonnes and heavies can weigh up to 70 metric tonnes. These are guidelines and not strict requirements and mediums CAN weigh 45 metric tonnes, they do not HAVE to.

The medium tank program can start with the 76.2mm Model 27/32 or KT-28 or what ever 76.2mm gun works best, the barrel is to be made longer to maybe 5-6 meters if this increases penetration and/or accuracy and/or range. In the original timeline the T-34 76 F-34 version had a barrel length of 3.162 meters

This however does not mean that the field gun version of the 76.2mm is not be tried and modified, what ever version that works best is to be used for each specific branch, all the branches do not need to have the exact same type of gun. And maybe the development of the ZIS-3 will happen here in this timeline as well.

All tanks should have some degree of sloped armor.

As soon as possible request a medium tank be designed with a 3 man turret with a commanders cupola, sloped armor and the specifications above, a gun that is at least 76.2 millimeters and the tank should have a top speed of 50km/h under ideal conditions on a paved road . This new tank is to be built in modest numbers 10-20 as soon as possible and be tested thoroughly. As of Jan 1st 1938 what ever functioning design that is ready, build 1000 tanks of that design, they are to be sent to the far east for training and deployment against the Japanese. As each tank is completed it is to be transported, maybe in batches of 10-20, the transport numbers are to be decided by the specialists in this field themselves.

Up until Jan 1st 1939 these tanks are to be driven under their own power from the factories to the Far East to further help the development of the model. Along the way the tanks are to be maintained and repaired as is required so that as many as possible reach the final destination. This will also give the soldiers experience in handling and maintaining the vehicles. This can be part of the final exam of the crews for the vehicles. The crews will be transported from the training schools to the factories, and then will have to drive the vehicles to the new training center. By Jan 1st 1939 this is to end in the far East and Jan 1st 1940 in the rest of the country, and the vehicles are to be moved by train or ship. The vehicles can be driven to the train stations and from the train stations to the deployment centers. But they are not to drive under their own steam the whole way from the factories to the deployment centers.

A specific way which they should drive should be set up so that they can resupply and repair their vehicles when needed. A ”maintenance center” is to be set up at what ever distance it is expected for the vehicle to be able to make in 8-10 hours however the people in charge of the project have the final say, if possible use existing military training areas or military schools. Each vehicle is also to carry a towed trailer that contains spare parts, fuel, food, water, a tent for the crew and a long range radio incase the crew gets stuck, and the tanks radio does not work, so that they can contact the nearest maintenance center, this is even to be included if the vehicle itself already has a radio. As they reach each pit stop they can resupply as needed. All is to be recorded how much they use, what breaks how long it lasts and all the information is to be provided to the designers and engineers of the vehicle.

Testing and development of new tanks designs is to continue and on Jan 1st 1939 what ever functioning design that is ready up to 5000 tanks of that design is to be built, and be sent to tank training schools around the country, not just the far east, so that the students are training and educated on this design. Each tank as it is completed and passed factory trials is to be sent or maybe in batches of small numbers 10-20 but not however have them waiting until all are completed. These tanks are the ones that will be in the invasion of Romania.

Information from the training and driving is to be collected and engineers and designers are to go over some of the tanks to see what improvements can be made, these improvements are to be gradually installed. For example if some problems with the engines are discovered then that is to be addressed. Or if there are problems with the transmission or any other part of the tank, those problems are to be addressed.

More research is to go into making the communication system between crew members better, and to avoid unclear or static sounds in the headphones or microphones.

Move all factories that produce the T-26 to the east of the Urals, and have them only build spare parts, no more new T-26s are to be built, focus is instead to be on the new light, medium and heavy programs.

Request the development of an armored personnel carrier, it should preferably at least have some tracked parts. Maybe even using the T-26 production lines to build these apcs.

Artillery tractor production is to be increased and the new management system is to be tested there. The ”Komitern” artillery tractor is to be increased in production and when the STZ5 becomes ready that is also to be greatly increased in production. A goal should be to have 10,000 artillery tractors by Jan 1st 1939 and have 5,000 of those in the far east.

All field artillery are to be designed with mobility in mind so they should have wheels on them, which can handle cross country performance and not get easily stuck in mud. For example having wider wheels which have a greater distribution of weight instead of the standard ”narrow” wheels that might work great on the concrete floor of a factory but not as well outside in nature.

/r/history Thread