What did the army need to succeed in the battles for Kyiv in 1943

80 years ago, in the summer of 1943, the State Defense Committee (GKO, GOKO), based on the experience of the Battle of Kursk, adopted a number of resolutions to phase out certain types of military equipment and start or increase the production of others; along with the acceleration of the production of encryption devices and the predecessors of loitering ammunition – one and a half kilogram cumulative anti-tank bombs – “exceptional importance” was attached to production, which turned out to be extremely difficult to increase.

From a note from a member of the State Defense Committee, People’s Commissar of Internal Affairs of the USSR, General Commissar of State Security L.P. Beria, People’s Commissar of Ammunition of the USSR B.L. Vannikov and Head of the Main Artillery Directorate (GAU), Colonel-General of Artillery N.D. Yakovlev to the Chairman of the State Defense Committee I.V. Stalin, July 17, 1943.

… The planned increase in the production and supply of 122 mm shells by 242 thousand pieces per month and 152 mm shells by 70 thousand pieces (in September compared to the July plan) is associated with an additional need for shell blanks in the amount of 11,000 tons and gunpowder in the amount of 1139 tons with a lack of metal and raw materials for gunpowder for the July program.

In connection with the serious difficulties experienced in the supply of metal and raw materials for gunpowder, as well as in connection with the lack of production capacity and labor, it is envisaged:

a) temporary suspension of production (for 2-3 months):

cases of 122 and 152 mm chemical projectiles …

cases of 122 mm and 152 mm lighting and agitation projectiles …

cases of 76 mm shells … in the amount of 150 thousand pieces per month;

b) reduction in the production of MX-13 shells … to 7 thousand pieces per month.

We consider it possible to temporarily reduce the production of chemical projectile shells, since the stocks of such shells are in the GAU KA and GUVGMCH KA (Main Directorate for Armament of Guards Mortar Units of the Red Army.— “Story”) on 1.VII-43 are:

122 mm chemical shells – 800 thousand pieces

152 mm chemical shells – 200 thousand pieces

MX-13 chemical projectiles – 150 thousand pieces …

From GKO resolution No. 3736ss, July 18, 1943.

Attaching exceptional importance to the production of 122 and 152 mm shells and their provision to the Red Army, the State Defense Committee decides:

1. To oblige Narkommunitions (comrade Vannikov) to increase the complete supply of GAU KA:

a) 122 mm howitzer shells in August up to 540 thousand pieces and in September up to 640 thousand pieces;

b) 152 mm cannon-howitzer shells in August up to 360 thousand pieces and in September up to 380 thousand pieces …

(The proposed reduction in the production of chemical cannon and rocket projectiles was also approved.— “Story”).

6. To oblige NCOs (comrade Shchadenko) to send 3,000 workers to the Narkommunitions factories for a period of 3 months within five days …

Tov. Shchadenko to personally monitor the implementation of this task of the GOKO and report on the implementation within a week …

8. To oblige the People’s Commissariat for Tank Industry (Comrade Malyshev) to immediately transfer 162 metal-cutting machines from the Stalingrad Tractor Plant, suitable for restoration from among the shells and fuses previously engaged in the production of shells and fuses, with distribution to the factories of the People’s Commissariat of Forests and the People’s Commissariat of Ammunition …

12. Oblige comrade. Mikoyan A.I. (member of the GKO, deputy chairman of the Council of People’s Commissars, People’s Commissar for Foreign Trade of the USSR.— “Story”):

a) to reserve 126,000 deciliters of alcohol from the stocks of the UGMR (Office of State Material Reserves) for the powder factories of the Narkommunitions— “Story”) and ensure their shipment before July 25;

b) transfer 92,000 decaliters of alcohol from the residues at the factories of the People’s Commissariat of Food Industry to the gunpowder factories of the Narkommunitions and ensure the shipment of this alcohol before July 25;

c) to take under personal supervision the supply of alcohol to the gunpowder factories of the People’s Commissariat of Munitions, preventing henceforth interruptions in the supply of alcohol to the gunpowder industry.

13. Taking into account the particular importance for the army of the task of the ammunition industry established by this resolution for the production and supply of 122 mm and 152 mm shells, the State Defense Committee obliges the supplying people’s commissariats: People’s Commissariat of Chermet (comrade Tevosyan), Narkompischeprom (comrade Pronina), Glavsnabugol (comrade. Kurmashev), Glavneftesnab (comrade Shirokov), Glavsnabless (comrade Lopukhov) to ship metal, fuel, alcohol and capping to factories manufacturing elements for 122 mm and 152 mm shells out of turn.

Prohibit supplying enterprises from shipping metal, fuel, alcohol and capping to any other consumers before the completion of orders for deliveries to factories producing elements of 122 mm and 152 mm shells.

14. Assign personal responsibility for ensuring the fulfillment of the task established by this resolution for the production of cases of 122 mm and 152 mm shells according to the People’s Commissariat of Ammunition to comrade. Vannikova, according to the People’s Commissariat for Cherry Metallurgy on comrade. Tevosyan, according to the People’s Commissariat for Comrade. Arutyunov, according to Narkomsredmash on comrade. Akopova, according to the People’s Commissariat for Forests of the USSR on comrade. Saltykov.

To oblige comrades Vannikov, Tevosyan, Arutyunov, Akopov, Saltykov to approve the daily schedule for the production of elements of 122 mm and 152 mm shells and report daily to the GOKO on its execution.

16. … To equate all workers and engineers employed in the production of 122 mm and 152 mm shells for the supply of food products to the workers of enterprises on a special list.

17. Oblige the secretaries of the regional committees of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks and the heads of the UNKVD … to personally provide daily assistance to factories manufacturing elements of 122 mm and 152 mm shells …

From a note by L.P. Beria, B.L. Vannikov, People’s Commissar of Mortar Weapons of the USSR P.I. Parshin and Deputy Commander of the Red Army Air Force Colonel-General of Aviation F.Ya. Falaleev to I.V. Stalin, July 7, 1943.

… At present, the combat consumption of air bombs of the most scarce large and medium calibers significantly exceeds the production of cases of these air bombs …

If now the necessary measures are not taken to sharply increase the production of aerial bomb cases of the indicated calibers, then their stocks may be used up and aviation will experience interruptions in the supply of ammunition …

(August 8, 1943, the State Defense Committee adopted Decree No. 3893ss, “On increasing the production of bomb cases”).

From a note by L.P. Beria, A.I. Mikoyan and B.L. Vannikov to I.V. Stalin, August 21, 1943.

We present for your consideration the draft Resolution of the GOKO “On measures to provide explosives and chemical raw materials for the further development of the production of ammunition.”

Scheduled by the Decrees of the GOKO dated July 18 with. No. 3763ss and dated August 8, p. 3893ss, an increase in the production of 122 mm, 152 mm artillery shells and especially aerial bombs, will require a sharp increase in the consumption of explosives and gunpowder in the fourth quarter of 1943 and in 1944.

The cost of equipping ammunition and the production of peaceful explosives will be (on average per month):

TNT – 13,000 tons

ammonium nitrate – 24.000 tons

gunpowder – 15,000 tons

Meanwhile, the domestic industry (nitrogen and pyrolysis plants), in terms of their capacities and resources of raw materials, will not be able to provide the production of the indicated quantities of explosives and gunpowder with completely chemical raw materials …

In order to prevent the disruption of a further increase in the production of artillery shells and aerial bombs, scheduled by the State Defense Committee, the proposed project provides for the following measures:

1. Import order prior to other orders of 2,200 tons of toluene and 4,000 tons of TNT per month (of which 1,000 tons of TNT to partially fill the deficit in ammonium nitrate and 3,000 tons to make up the deficit in TNT).

2. Measures to speed up the construction and ensure the commissioning in the first quarter of 1944 of the Gubakha nitrogen-fertilizer plant of the People’s Commissariat of Chemical Industry with a capacity of 2,500 tons of ammonia per month.

3. An order for the import of equipment for the construction in 1944 of two nitrogen plants with a capacity of 3,000 tons of ammonia per month, which will make it possible to get rid of the import of TNT and gunpowder at the end of 1944 …

From GKO resolution No. 3981ss, August 28, 1943.

…1. Instruct Comrade Mikoyan A.I.:

a) urgently start negotiations on the order of TNT and ensure, preferentially before other import orders, the delivery of at least 2,200 tons of toluene for the People’s Commissariat of Ammunition in the second half of 1943 and the first half of 1944 and from October 1943 to July 1, 1944 monthly 4,000 tons of TNT;

b) start negotiations on the urgent import of equipment for the construction in 1944 of 2 nitrogen plants for the production of ammonia and ammonia products with a capacity of at least 3,000 tons of ammonia per month.

2. To oblige the People’s Commissar for Construction Comrade Ginzburg and the People’s Commissar of the Chemical Industry Comrade Pervukhin, under their personal responsibility, to take all necessary measures to ensure that during 1943 the completion, and in the first quarter of 1944, the launch of the Gubakhinsky nitrogen plant NKHP with a capacity of 2,500 tons of ammonia per month.

3. Oblige comrades Ginzburg and Pervukhin to go to the construction of the Gubakha plant to take urgent measures on the spot.

4. To equate the construction of the Gubakhinsky nitrogen plant of the NKHP in terms of priority in providing materials with the construction of the gunpowder industry …

From GKO resolution No. 5655ss, April 18, 1944.

1. Due to the lack of material resources, allow the People’s Commissariat of Chemical Industry and the People’s Commissariat of Construction to temporarily suspend the construction of the Gubakha nitrogen-fertilizer plant until a special order from the Government …

2. To oblige the People’s Commissariat of Construction to transfer to the restoration of the Gorlovsky nitrogen-fertilizer plant of the People’s Commissariat of Chemical Industry workers, engineers and technicians, vehicles and technical equipment received … for the construction of the Gubakhinsky nitrogen-fertilizer plant.

From the memoirs of the Deputy People’s Commissar for Armaments of the USSR V.N. Novikov, 1988.

… Energetic measures were taken to increase the production of the main explosive – TNT. The factories quickly mastered the scientific “reserve” in the intensification of the process of obtaining TNT, created in the prewar years. A group of specialists from the oldest explosives plant, whose director was A. Ya. Bykov, was awarded the State Prize for a radical improvement in the method of preparing TNT and a sharp increase in its output. However, throughout the war, in the production of TNT, there was an acute shortage of toluene, nitric and sulfuric acids, soda ash and caustic, as well as a number of other necessary chemical products. Therefore, the capacities of TNT production were not fully loaded, and the release of TNT was determined by the supply of raw materials.

And although, in general, its output increased, the amount of TNT received did not meet the needs of equipment factories and the army in the field.

(According to the 1947 publication “The Ammunition Industry of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945”, in 1942–1944, 95,865 tons of domestic-produced toluene and 64,000 tons of imported toluene were used for the manufacture of TNT in the USSR. As a result, the Soviet industry produced 273,193 tons of TNT In addition, the Allies delivered 88,525 tons of TNT to the Soviet Union.— “Story”).

From GKO resolution No. 9093ss, June 20, 1945.

1. Oblige the People’s Commissariat for Chemical Industry (Comrade Pervukhin) to remove the equipment:

a) from the chemical plant for the production of methanol and toluene “I. G. Farbenindustry “in the city of Waldenburg – to the site of the Gubakhinsky nitrogen-fertilizer plant under construction in Molotovskaya (now – Perm.— “Story”) areas…

4. To oblige the head of the Main Trophy Directorate of the Red Army, Comrade Vakhitov, to begin dismantling and shipping the equipment specified in paragraph 1 of this resolution no later than June 25 and complete no later than August 1, having allocated for this purpose the necessary amount of manpower and vehicles.

Publication by Evgeny Zhirnov