Reconstraction of the southeastern base of the soviet tank industry of the USSR in 1943-1944

Zapariy V., Melnikov N.

The article discusses the process of reconstruction of the South-Eastern base of the Soviet tank industry during 1943–1944, after the liberation of eastern territories of the Ukraine from the German occupation. In a short time, a new plant N 75 of the People's commissariat of the tank industry was established here, where the program for mass production of the newest soviet medium tank T-44 was transferred. The work illustrates the formation of a new production base for the production of medium tanks T-44, based on the recuperation of the tank-building capacities of the pre-war plants N 183 and N 75 that remained after the German occupation of Kharkov. Moderate destruction during the summer battles of 1943 and significant investment from the People's commissariat of the tank industry made it possible to launch the production of T-44 a year after the liberation of Kharkov from the invaders. The restart of armored production at the Mariupol Metallurgical Plant named after Ilyich, who ensured the production of cast and rolled armor for the needs of the revived tank production of plant N 75.

Keywords:Tank industry, USSR, plant N 75, South-East of the Ukrainian SSR, reconstruction, Great Patriotic War.