Soviet purchase programs, logistics and everything, alternatives and realities 1937-43

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Tank engagements were seldom tank on tank duels. A company that can engage/destroy more enemy tanks per minute can often overcome initial odds.

Soviet tanks suffered their main losses from anti-tank artillery, not from enemy tanks. It was much more important for the Soviets to provide anti-tank artillery (and divisional artillery in general) with tractors and trucks than to improve the ballistics of the guns.

 

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You do know that F-34 and F-22 used the ammo with same outward dimensions, right?

Initially F-22 prototype had a larger chamber for a new cartridge - the same way as the Germans afterwards. F-22 was created as an universal gun with AA capabilities which were never used, it had numerous flaws which made it inappropriate for the Soviets. The Germans had enough chassis to produce AT self-propelled units - it was reasonable to use the captured guns, however only with the the improved AP-round. When the Soviets were able to produce enough chassis for the self-propelled artillery, they had already 85-mm gun which was even more efficient! In 1941, even the 57-mm ZIS-2 proved to be overpowered as AT gun - the need for it appeared only in the second half of 1942. And a weak HE shell was considered to be the major disadvantage of the ZIS-2.