Glorifying the victories of Russian weapons of all eras, historians, writers and poets have in mind, first of all, the valor of the sons of the Fatherland. However, this expression has another, direct and almost literal meaning.
Technical backwardness or superiority became the cause of the collapse or triumph of states in the twentieth century. World War II began long before September 1, 1939, and drawing boards of design bureaus became the field of invisible battles. The obvious inevitability of a global conflict was not hidden, the leaders of the countries spoke about it from high tribunes, and they began to prepare for it ahead of time.
After the attack of Nazi Germany on the USSR, the Soviet military doctrine has undergone significant changes. Until June 22, 1941, the official strategic ideology, written down in the charters of the Red Army, stated that military operations in the upcoming war would be carried out with "little bloodshed" and on "foreign territory." The reality turned out to be different.
The technical base required an urgent change. High-speed and amphibious tanks made in the USSR from the end of the 30s to 1941 turned out to be practically unsuitable for operations on their ownterritory, aircraft also did not fully meet the conditions under which air supremacy was only to be won. It was necessary to produce weapons of victory in huge quantities, and this was not easy, especially considering the loss in the first year of a significant part of European territory and a large share of industrial potential. It became clear to the leadership of the country that a long war was ahead.
Today it is clear to everyone what the weapon of victory was. T-34 and KV tanks, Il-2 attack aircraft, Lavochkin fighters, Katyusha guards mortars, PPSh assault rifles - all this was produced in huge quantities that history had not yet known. Everything was done for the front. At the same time, one should not forget about the ever-emerging need to modernize models of military equipment, while not reducing the plan for its release.
An example is the real weapon of victory, called the "black death" by the German invaders - the Il-2 attack aircraft. The uniqueness of its design lies in the bearing armored hull, which performed a dual function, it was both protection and a power frame at the same time. Initially conceived as a two-seater, before the war, the Il-2 was produced in a version that excluded the gunner who protected the rear hemisphere. After the first losses, they again began to equip it with a rear cabin, sometimes in the conditions of field repair shops. Eventually the two-seat variant was put back into production.
One more example. From 1940 to 1943, the T-34 medium tank was produced with a 76.2 mm turret gun. It was quite enough to effectively deal with any armored vehiclesenemy. The appearance of heavy tanks among the Germans required an urgent modernization of the T-34. The result was a real weapon of victory. The oversized cast turret and long-barreled 85 mm gun, combined with other fundamental advantages of the design scheme, made the Soviet tank one of the best in World War II.
In addition to combat vehicles, mass-produced in the rear and even in besieged Leningrad, the Soviet Army needed a lot of auxiliary, but no less necessary and important equipment. The delivery of ammunition, food, fuel, medicines, that is, everything without which it is impossible to conduct successful military operations, required transport. Wonderful US6 Studebaker trucks and Willys jeeps, at that time the best in the world, were delivered from the USA. Under the license of the Douglas company, before the war, the production of Li-2 transport aircraft began in the USSR. They were also the best, and we built more of them than in America, and this was also a weapon of victory.
This is how the sword that crushed Nazism was forged. Eternal glory to Soviet home front workers!
