Thursday 24 July 2014

Diesel for T-37

"From Tukhachevskiy
To comrade Stalin
June 28th, 1934

Currently, the construction of the Ufa Motor Factory is being completed, which will produce automobile and tractor engines of various types from 40 to 175 hp. The factory will have a diesel plant, which will produce 10,000 engines for heavy fuel per year. The diesel engine plant and its support plants are almost complete. 

The main task right now is supplying them with equipment. If this is done, diesel motors may start production in 1935. The issue of equipment at this factory was raised a number of times at the NKTP, but never received a positive answer, since it was explored only from the point of view of car and tractor engines. The Ufa factory has the potential to become a production base for modern tank engines.

The T-37 scout tank should be converted to a diesel motor. This motor, which is compatible with the T-37, is currently undergoing trials in Moscow in a truck. This is a Perkins motor, 50 hp, with the same size as the Ford motor, but only 100 kg heavier. 

If such a motor is installed on a T-37 tank, the higher power will result in much higher tactical qualities of the vehicle. 

The diesel plant of the Ufa factory can produce 500 motors of this type in 1935, if it is supplied with 110 units of domestic equipment and 45 units of imported equipment (costing 300,000 rubles).

The factory is not equipped at this time, and delays in solving this issue may result in no motors being produced in 1935. I ask that you listen to the issue of preparing the Ufa Motor Factory at the Defense Commission.

Deputy People's Commissar of Defense, Tukhachevskiy"
RGASPI 558-2-113

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