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History - Main Armored Directorate

For the development of technical reconstruction of the Red Army set up a special committee chaired by S.S.Kamenev, who concluded: "Given the scale of beginning construction in the area of mechanization and motorisation, the importance and novelty of this case, to recognize the indispensable rapid launch of a special Central Management People's Commissariat for Military and Naval Affairs in charge of all matters of motorization and mechanization."

This finding, announced at a meeting of the Revolutionary Military Council November 3, 1929, was the basis for the decision on the establishment of the Office of Mechanization and Motorization Red Army (Red Army UMM). From that time is counted the history of the Main Armored Directorate.

Regulations on UMM enacted by order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR on November 22, 1929 # 367/82. The new department was formed on the basis of the automobile department of the Military-Technical Department of the Red Army and sections of mechanization NTK GAU, as well as the automotive department and automotive section NTC WTU and Inspections armored units of the Red Army. The Chief was directly subordinate to the People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs, and he directed mechanized units and formations which are not part of the military districts, and for a special technical service - all mechanized forces of the Red Army. Office of Mechanization and Motorization of the Red Army until April 1934 was led by commander of the 2nd rank (later commander of the 1st rank) Khalepsky A. Innocent.

The head of the UMM RKKA was directly subordinate to the People's Commissar for Military and Naval Affairs. He directed mechanized units and formations which are not part of the military districts, and for a special technical service all mechanized forces of the Red Army. UMM Red Army under the leadership and A.Khalepsky and his deputy K.B.Kalinowski had done a great job of forming mechanized forces and the creation of armored vehicles, directed the implementation of the "Systems Tank tractors and auto-armored weapons" that identify and justify further the development of armored vehicles.

November 22, 1934 UMM Red Army was transformed into armored control (ABTU) existed prior to the reorganization - December 1942goda. In the history of management the 1930s occupy a special place. During this period, armored forces were created and implemented the order for the development and production of advanced at that time, of armored vehicles. In the period from 1929 to 1937 there were put on the mass production the first domestic tank MC-1, put into service in 1927. On the instructions of control designed tanks T-26, BT-2. In the thirties, they and their modifications were the main tanks.

On April 9, 1936 ABTU was under the Main Department of weapons and logistics, and after its abolition - July 26, 1937. - Reports directly to the People's Commissar of Defense. But on October 11, 1939 ABTU again passed into submission just re-organized by the Office of military logistics, though not for long.

The Red Army Tank-Automotive Management was headed by:

• from April 1934 to April 1936. - Commander of the 1st rank Innocent A. Khalepsky
• from April 1936 to June 1937 gg.- Divisional Bokis Gustavovich Gustav
• June 1937po June 1940's. - Army General Dmitri G. Pavlov

Already on 26 June 1940 ABTU transformed into the Main Tank-Automotive Directorate of the Red Army (GABTU CA), the new structure of four departments (training, armored vehicles, automotive and manage repair and maintenance) and three departments (mobilization and planning, finance and personnel). Head GABTU simultaneously was the head of the Red Army Tank-Automotive and related to that carried out by the Chief ABTV military districts. And August 24, 1940 Chief GABTU were additionally subject all the military academies that train specialists for ABTV, including the Military Academy of mechanization and motorisation, armored, tank-technical, automotive school, refresher courses. The Chief of the Red Army Tank-Automotive Management from the date of formation and until its reorganization was Lt. Gen. armored forces Yakov Fedorenko (from June 1940 to December 1942).

Since the beginning of the Great Patriotic War GABTU organizational structure is continuously improved, the changes dictated by the growth of its power and the number of armored forces and the number of motor vehicles. On 24 November 1942 the State Defense Committee adopted the Resolution "On the organization of the General Management of road (GAC) of the Red Army" composed of staff, management of supply and provision of machines, maintenance and management departments: technical, human and financial. But the spacecraft was formed GAU later - the order of 15 January 1943. The first chief was Major-General (later Colonel General) VE Belokoskov.

The 07 December 1942 Resolution of the GKO Main armored management SC reorganized into two main management: General Directorate of formation and combat training of armored and mechanized forces of the Red Army and the General Directorate of the Red Army armored. The creation of organizational GBTU completed the allocation of armored and mechanized forces into an independent branch of the Red Army.

The head of the two main offices was approved by the commander of the military council and the armored and mechanized forces of the Red Army. As a result of the reorganization of the Main Armored Directorate of the Red Army separated and transferred:

• all matters relating to the organization of the supply, maintenance and repair of motor vehicles and preparation of cadres of the Red Army - the main road management of the Red Army;
• all matters relating to the organization of the supply, maintenance and repair of tractors and training for them - the General Directorate of the Red Army artillery commander and the Main Artillery Directorate of the Red Army.

On April 23, 1943 the government transferred to the commander of the armored and mechanized forces of the Red Army's self-propelled artillery. In the following years, especially during the Great Patriotic War, there were minor changes in the management team of BT and MB, and this organizational structure of the management team and MB BT has existed virtually unchanged until the end of 1952.

Founded in 1950, the Office of the Chief Engineer disbanded. Its constituent management overhaul and logistics are included in GBTU and control operation and repair of army report directly to the commander of BT and MV. This structure did not last long - until April 1953, when the newly conquered GBTU commander of BT and MV. The first commander of BT and MV SC was appointed lieutenant-general of tank troops (later Colonel-General armored forces and Marshal of Armored Forces) Yakov Fedorenko (from December 1942 to April 1947). Next BT and MV was commanded from April 1947 to 1948 by Marshal Armored Forces Pavel S. Rybalko, and from 1948 to 1953 by Marshal of Armored Forces Semyon Bogdanov.

In 1952 the post of deputy minister for military armored vehicles was established, which is appointed by Lieutenant-General armored forces BG Vershinin, who held up the appointment as chief GBTU. In December of the same year the Main armored management was moved from the subordination of the commander of BT and MV and reports directly to the Deputy Minister for Military armored vehicles.

Due to changes in management tasks armored and mechanized forces in December 1953 as commander of BT and MV was eliminated, instead the post of chief of armored forces of the Armed Forces of the USSR. This organizational and staff structure of the Office of the Chief of armored troops without any changes persisted until November 1960. Chief of armored forces were: Lieutenant General (from 3.8.1953 Colonel General) Alexey Radzievskii (From 1953 until 1960), and Colonel-General armored forces Pavel Pavlovich Poluboyarov (from May 1954 to May 1960).

Due to the fact that by the early 1960s was established Main Command of the Land Forces, which moved to conducting questions manning and combat training, training of command staff, the Office of the Chief of Armored Forces in November 1960 was converted to Office of the Chief of armored forces. As such, the management of NTV with virtually no significant changes lasted until July 1980.

Colonel-General armored forces (later Marshal of Armored Forces) Pavel Pavlovich Poluboyarova, was appointed in 1960, and he retained this till May 1969 In the years 1969-1977 the chief of armored forces was the Marshal (later Chief Marshal) armored forces Hamazasp Khachaturovich Babajanyan. From 1978 to 1980. Office of the Chief of armored forces was led by Colonel-General Yury Potapov.

Having existed without significant changes over two decades, the Office of the Chief of armored forces in July 1980 was transformed into a main armored management (HBTU) Defense, which remained unchanged until December 1994, when there was an association GBTU and GLAVTU. After the reform of the Office of NTV GBTU Colonel General Yury Potapov,became the new chief of Glaucus, which he headed from 1980 to 1987. In 1987, the command of the Chief armored management was give3n to Colonel General Galkin Alexander. He was chief GBTU until 1995 - before the merger with GBTU GLAVTU and after the establishment of the new structure - GABTU.