Institute of History and Archeology, Ural branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Ekaterinburg, Russia):

N. N. Melnikov, Cand Hist., Associate Prof.
Vas. V. Zapariy, Cand Hist., Associate Prof.

Institute of metal Physics, Ural branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Ekaterinburg, Russia):
B. A. Gizhevskiy, Cand Phys.-Math.

Ural Federal University (Ekaterinburg, Russia):
V. V. Zapariy, Dr. Hist., Prof., Dept. of Gistory and Social relations, e-mail: vvzap@gmail.com

The application shortly overviews the technology of the armored hull production of Third Reich tanks, which participated in the battles during the Great Patriotic War. German tanks were the reflection of the best achievements of engineering and technical capabilities of their country. Researching of captured military vehicles, soviet engineers from the special institutes of the People’s Commissariat of the tank industry found out the basic mechanical qualities of the German tank armor and developed methods of striking this machines. The German tank industry used specially selected components for armored steel, a wide range of special metal-cutting equipment that allowed for multi-stage machining of parts of armored constructions, which, being combined with manual welding by highly qualified specialists, gave high levels of protection. This publication based with the data obtained by the team of authors during the chemical analyze of the armor at the Soviet self propelled gun SU-76I, built on the base of the German tank Pz-III, as well as using an analytical documents of the Central Armor Research Institute No. 48 (CARI N48).
The authors are deeply grateful to Emelyanov A. V., director of the UGMK Museum of Military Equipment; Ruzayev S. V., chief specialist of the said Museum, for his help in the work; Degtyarev M. V., Head of the Department of IMP UB RAS, for discussing the results; ELNK GROUP Ltd. for assistance
in conducting chemical analysis of samples.

The experimental part of the work was carried out within the framework of the budget theme “Spin” of IMP UB RAS, No. AAAA-A18-118020290104-2. The historical part of the study is done by. Zapary Vas. V. and Melnikov N. N. within the framework of the comprehensive program “Basic Research” of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences “Development of the military-industrial complex of the Urals and its basic industries in the Soviet period of Russian history” No. 18-6-6-17.

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