Soon after the Soviet government decided that it would be necessary to construct your own tank. So in 1927, appeared MS-1, but it is still very similar to the Renault. These war machines even a little bit useful in the great Patriotic war, although it will age quite different technical solutions.
the Stalingrad tractor plant played a prominent role in tank. The company started operations in 1930, and three years later made the first T-26. Here too has not done without borrowing from Europe. This time from England. A Soviet tank was a close relative of “Vickers”. According to the Museum-reserve “Stalingrad battle”, until 1940, the factory workers made about 200 armored vehicles. After that started to assemble the legendary “thirty”. To the beginning of the war, Stalingrad was released for 300 tanks per month.
the Rapid advance of the Germans cut off the plants-partners in the Western part of the country. Ties broke. Had no to make accessories. During the war, then released and restored model T-34-76 and T-60, as well as artillery tractor STZ-5-NATI. In fact, the acronym in the title of the truck (the mass of the red Army – almost 10 thousand pieces) and refers to its creators: the Stalingrad tractor plant and capital Research auto-tractor Institute.
Already, there was a great battle, which began at don and moved to the Volga, and the company continued to produce and repair the tanks. For example, the plan in July, the factory workers exceeded, increasing the duration of the working day. Only 13 September 1942, when the enemy was literally at the entrance, production stopped.
Volgograd historians have calculated that in three and a half weeks of fighting for the plant for every square kilometer of its territory, the Nazis dropped two thousand bombs. All the shops were destroyed. The foreign press wrote that the company shall not be reinstated. However, as the city itself. A Soviet Commission came to the opposite conclusion. Before resuming production, the platform had to be clear of ammunition.
in Just half a year after the defeat of Paulus, June 12, 1943, from Stalingrad to the front sent the first echelon of the repaired T-34. In that year, the army received from Traktorozavodsky 750 tanks, housings 550 and 720 motors. On the armor of local artist displayed the inscription “Response of Stalingrad.”
