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Military forces' armored vehicles and senior commanders are the swiftest elements in our midst.

Discussing the groundbreaking inventions of physicists, chemists, and engineers that aided soldiers in protecting their homeland and Emerging Victorious against the adversary during the Grand War of the Homeland.

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Discourse on inventions by scientists, chemists, and engineers that provided strategic advantages...
Discourse on inventions by scientists, chemists, and engineers that provided strategic advantages to our soldiers, enabling them to protect the homeland and vanquish the adversary during the monumental Great Patriotic War.

Military forces' armored vehicles and senior commanders are the swiftest elements in our midst.

Our Ironclads and Our Tanks Roll Swift: How Soviet Scientists Forged Victory

Each year, with the arrival of spring, social media and websites of Russian universities and scientific institutions are flooded with tales of science heroes - scientists, educators, and inventors who, between 1941 and 1945, fought on the battlefield or in the lab, creating cutting-edge military technology, medicines, and protective systems. In 2021, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education launched a patriotic campaign, culminating in honor of the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. These stories form an everlasting "Science Regiment" (#scienceplatoon). Here are a few standouts.

UPGRADES FOR "KATYUSHAS"

Scientist Sergei Christianovich, hailed as a genius and legendary figure, proposed an groundbreaking engineering solution in 1942. His idea increased the firepower of the renowned "Katyusha" BM-13 rocket launcher system by a whopping tenfold. Christianovich's innovative design involved drilling intricate patterns in the shell casings, causing the shells to spin crazily, thus significantly enhancing the launcher's destructive power.

Chemist Alexander Bakayev played a pivotal role by creating rocket propellants for "Katyushas." Thanks to his tireless efforts, six factories began operating in various cities nationwide, pumping out rocket charges 24/7. Government records claim that 14 million sets of "Katyusha" rockets were produced during the Great Patriotic War.

THE "PATONOVSKY CUT" FOR T-34 TANKS

In the early years of the war, it was discovered that the armor on domestically-produced tanks, trains, and aircraft was insufficient, resulting in heavy casualties. This simply wouldn't do.

Eugene Paton, an esteemed academic, invented a revolutionary technology for automated submerged arc welding, dramatically enhancing the quality of armor welding on T-34 and IS-2 tanks. This not only boosted the tanks' protection, but also expedited their production by a staggering amount! Over the course of the war, the combined length of this technology's application equated to a mind-boggling 6,000 kilometers!

BULLETPROOF GLASS FOR IL-2 AIRCRAFT

Soviet-era Sturmoviks were sitting ducks, lacking any rear protection, making them easy targets for enemy fighters. The plexiglass used in their construction was not sturdy. Soviet physicist Isaac Kitaigorodsky developed superior bulletproof glass that was a staggering 25 times stronger. Based on his research, shatterproof bulletproof glass was developed for the cockpits of Il-2 aircraft, saving countless lives.

Kitaigorodsky was also behind the invention of transparent bulletproof glass, which played a crucial role in the production of the ruby stars adorning the Kremlin.

The extraordinary successes of the Soviet Navy during the Great Patriotic War are closely associated with mathematician Sergei Bernshtein. His navigation tables, which allowed for a tenfold increase in the speed of navigation calculations, played a vital role in the war effort. In 1943, Bernshtein and his team prepared navigation tables for long-range aviation, enhancing the accuracy of aircraft navigation significantly. No other country had tables as straightforward and original as these.

BOOTS OF KIRZA

Chemist Ivan Plotnikov, along with his colleagues, revamped the technology for producing kirza, a leather substitute used for soldier boots. The updated kirza boots were more resilient, flexible, and even virtually waterproof. They offered protection from injures, burns, and mechanical damage, while eliminating the need for laces and zippers, making production more cost-effective.

By the end of the Great Patriotic War, the Red Army had approximately ten million soldiers wearing kirza boots, and these brave fighters marched on Berlin with their kirza feet. After the war, kirza boots became a symbol of Russian resilience and ruggedness.

GLOW-IN-THE-DARK PAINTS

Under the direction of Professor Alexander Verigo in Leningrad, the production of luminous paints essential for ship instruments was established. When the supply of radium salt, the raw material needed for these paints, ran low, the team resorted to extracting it from the walls, floors, and furniture in the radium institute. Additionally, raw material was retrieved from old devices and waste. This allowed production to continue uninterrupted throughout the blockade years.

A byproduct of this work was glow-in-the-dark badges for Leningrad residents, which provided guidance during the unlit, dark city during the war.

FIRE-RESISTANT "PASTE"

Leningrad chemists also developed a unique fire-resistant "paste" to protect buildings against fires. City leaders joined tests of this innovative substance, which was demonstrated by causing fires in two wooden houses - one treated with the paste and the other left untreated. The untreated house was reduced to ashes in minutes, while the other remained almost intact, thanks to the fire-resistant "paste." City residents pitched in to apply the mixture to buildings before the blockade closed, ensuring that 90 percent of all attics and wooden structures were treated with the fire-resistant substance, ultimately saving the city from widespread destruction by fire.

Remarkable Science Heroes

  • Igor Kurchatov and Yuly Hariton were pivotal figures in the field of nuclear energy after World War II, paving the way for a new era of Soviet scientific advancements.[2][4]
  • Semyon Tsukkerman's contributions were crucial in maintaining Soviet military hardware during the war, particularly in the area of sighting devices for anti-aircraft and aviation artillery.[1]

These scientists, along with many others, demonstrated unwavering dedication during World War II under the most trying circumstances. Their work contributed to both immediate military needs and long-term scientific advancements for the Soviet Union. Even today, their stories continue to inspire awe and admiration.

(Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

  1. Alexander Bakayev's tireless efforts resulted in the creation of rocket propellants for the renowned "Katyusha" BM-13 rocket launcher system, enabling six factories to operate continuously, producing rocket charges round the clock.
  2. Sergei Christianovich's engineering solution in 1942 increased the firepower of the "Katyusha" tenfold by drilling intricate patterns in the shell casings, significantly enhancing their destructive power.
  3. Eugene Paton's invention of automated submerged arc welding technology dramatically improved the quality of armor welding on T-34 and IS-2 tanks, boosting their protection and expediting their production.
  4. Isaac Kitaigorodsky developed superior bulletproof glass for Soviet-era Sturmoviks, making their cockpits resilient, flexible, and virtually waterproof, saving countless lives during the war. Additionally, his research led to the invention of transparent bulletproof glass used in the production of ruby stars for the Kremlin.

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