The gun that will have to do
In 1939, the is seeking to strengthen the anti-tank defense of its infantry divisions. The small 45 mm gun in service fires rapidly and conceals well, but its penetration is already running out of steam against the armor that is growing thicker in Europe.
The design bureaus propose heavier calibers with greater penetration. But these new pieces would require new production lines, new tooling, time that industry may not have.
Should the bet be placed on a more powerful weapon that is slow to roll out, or should one rely on what the factories already know how to manufacture in bulk?
How can the infantry be equipped as quickly as possible with a mass-producible anti-tank weapon?
The USSR chose to modernize the 45 mm: the improved version (model 1937, then 1942) remained the infantry's standard anti-tank gun. The gamble on rapid production paid off, but in 1941 these guns proved inadequate against the frontal armor of the modernized Panzers, and anti-tank losses were heavy during the first year of Barbarossa.
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