Salzman biography

Who is he? Born on December 9 in the poor, a poor family of a tailor in the town of Tomashpol in Vinnitchina. Here he graduated from school, from childhood he earned on sugar plantations. Then the Komsomol work, study at the Odessa Polytechnic Institute, after which the direction to the Putilov plant in Leningrad. Over five years, the young master grew up to the director of this largest defense enterprise in the USSR, which produced tanks, artillery, turbines, engines for the production of such necessary weapons to protect the blockade city in the conditions of continuous raids and artillery at the enemy, the summer director of the Kirov plant in October was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor.

Stalin instructed him to evacuate this industrial giant in Chelyabinsk, where exactly Zaltsman created the famous tankograd based on a tractor with the participation of the Kharkov Diesel and Moscow machine -building factories. On the most difficult days of the battle of Moscow, it was Chelyabinsk that provided the front with so necessary tanks. And in early February, at four in the morning, Stalin called.

Having interrupted the meeting with the command staff, Saltsman expected the question that Stalin always raised: “How much did the factory send the tanks to the front yesterday? Of course, all of them were responsible to the Supreme for how the heavy Chelyabinsk tanks of yesterday’s release at the front line show themselves, but, sending them for the entrance, they already thought about the future program.

That is why, tenaciously holding the number of combat vehicles that already opened a semaphore at the output from the Ural ridge, the director now saw every section of the assembly workshop, every tank that begins to grow in details before his eyes. Just about this, the director thought at that moment, and at the same time another thought beat in his head: what to ask for the enterprise if such a case falls out in a conversation with the chairman of the GKO?

Surprisingly, Stalin did not ask about the implementation of yesterday's program. Outwardly, in a calm voice, although Salzman immediately caught his hidden pain and to some extent irritation, the Supreme first said: “I know that the Kirovites work well.” Thanks for both the diesel engineers, and for the square. He fell silent for a few seconds. I know that you love heavy tanks, but I ask you to transfer to me by the front commanders, tank generals and asked to increase the release of medium tanks.

They walk perfectly in deep snow, are very maneuverable - fly like swallows. A large carriage plant was built in Nizhny Tagil, one hundred and eighty -third plants from Kharkov were evacuated there, but already February, but there are no tanks. We took off the director of Maksarev, we will judge him. Try to be in Nizhny Tagil in the morning, take care of the plant as a director.

You have the right of deputy -commission, the Central Committee provides you with broad powers, take any measures with subsequent information of the Central Committee, but for the tanks T to begin to be produced in the near future. Systematically inform the Central Committee about the progress of cases, if necessary, contact me directly. That's all, goodbye. By the time of the arrival of I.

Zaltsman to Nizhny Tagil - he was already there two hours after a conversation with Stalin - the situation at the plant was extremely heavy. The details, the blanks brought from Kharkov, ended - it was from them in December the Kharkiv residents that 25 tanks T in the Urals, and in the workshops of the former car -building giant, the necessary production of everything necessary for the assembly of combat vehicles was only established.

The made did not correspond to the mass release. The supplier enterprises were strongly brought, there were not enough equipment. Instead of fully using the capacities and personnel for production, T, the Comintern produced front -in -law guns. In addition, by this time, the factory has not yet been organized properly by the food of workers and employees. All these and other difficulties created an extremely tense atmosphere.

It was necessary to immediately get out of it. First of all, Zaltsman proposed to Yu. Maksarev, who was also known for joint work in Leningrad, to take the position of chief engineer. Malyshev, the appointment of Yu. Together with him, other engineering and technical workers were revised and lightning speed were the contours of the organization of workshops based on mass production.

Saltsman went to Sverdlovsk to see which evacuated plants are on the railway tracks; A few days later, trains with the right equipment, as well as all personnel arrived in Nizhny Tagil. The equipment was placed in parallel with the construction of new buildings. The plant was released from the implementation of any orders not related to the release of tanks. In this regard, it is interesting to recall how it was possible to free themselves from the production of artillery fronts, over which the people of Beria spent on.

They released them several dozen pieces per day. Having called the addiction to B.Vannikov and learning that the army has in sufficient quantities, even for a rather long time, there would be no damage from the cessation of their production in Nizhny Tagil, Salzman ordered to temporarily suspend it, and the capacities and personnel to the manufacture of details for Tsalzman explained that Comrade Stalin ordered any measures to organize an immediate release tanks.

When this did not work, Salzman repeated: - Comrade Stalin gave me the powers yes, Comrade Stalin gave me an order to promote the production of tanks, and I will crush the caterpillars everyone who tries to interfere with me! He did not have time to calm down after the departure of uninvited guests: Beria called. From the very beginning - a continuous mat. Three minutes later, Saltsman managed to insert: - Comrade Stalin instructed me to configure the release of T Beria after these words hesitated, and Saltsman continued, using the pause: - Regarding the artillery fronts, I had already agreed with Vannikov to temporarily stop the production of them, while we will unfold with tanks.

And then we will release them not by units, but by hundreds a day in one of the first conversations with Stalin from Tagil, Saltsman promised that the Cominternzavod in four months would produce 20 tanks daily. With the then position, the task seemed to be not fulfilled, generally doomed to failure. What threatened him himself in case of non -fulfillment of her, the best, of course, represented Salzman himself.

And he used all his fantastic performance, merciless exactingness, enormous experience of the organizer. It is appropriate to say about such an episode. A new workshop was created, which urgently needed to install machines. The head of the Zelvyansky workshop demanded a week, no less.

Indeed, the volume of work was very large. But the director gave only two days. Naturally, Zelvyansky left him dumbfounded, wondering where to get people to do work. But as soon as they began, several hundred cadets of a military school arrived at the plant to help. Two days later, all machines have already given products so necessary for the production of tanks. Yes, many cool measures taken by Saltsman seemed unnecessary, but this leadership style was caused by a brutal necessity.

Giving subordinates the impossible tasks, the director at the same time always provided the conditions for their implementation. For example, several thousand collective farmers from Central Asia were seconded to the plant to use them in the production of combat vehicles. But most of them generally saw the tank for the first time - what kind of return could be from them?

They should still be taught the Russian language, the necessary specialties. And the tanks should be given to the front daily. The director went to military units that expected new tanks, and tomorrow's tankers appeared on the assembly conveyor - at the same time they studied thirty -four and helped workers to fulfill the program. And most importantly - tanks were produced faster, every day and more and more went off the assembly line.

Another example. The bosses of thermal workshops began the alarm: there is no fuel oil - in six hours they would be forced to stop their production. Stop thermal furnaces - stop the plant. And at such a time! He called L. Kaganovich’s premises: - In six hours, we will be forced to stop the plant - the echelon with fuel oil did not arrive in a timely manner. Saltsman thought: Kaganovich would look for Kaganovich, and he will be forced to stop the plant.

He called V. Molotov, who oversaw the tank industry: - Vyacheslav Mikhailovich, this Saltsman says, the director of the plant from Nizhny Tagil, we will stop the factory in six hours - the railway did not put the fuel oil. But we do not need a search for tanks, but fuel oil. Saltsman thought tightly again: what to do? And he decided to call I. Now this situation is formed when you can’t do without your help - we are forced to stop the plant in six hours.

After listening to the director carefully, Stalin asked: “Did you turn to the People’s Commissar Kaganovich?” There was no answer, since in the Kremlin office they hung up. But six hours later, the echelon with fuel oil was at the factory. Indeed, it was the time of the highest return for the collective of the Comintern. Already in March, he reached the pre -war level of production of combat vehicles.

And although it was still far from the needs of the front, there was a large shift in the work of a thousands of thousands. And this gave confidence that the victory would come to him - the plant would produce twenty tanks per day. Tomorrow fly to Moscow and present the best people to award. The next day I. Saltsman was already at a reception with Stalin. He carefully looked at the list for awarding, put his signature on each page: “I.

Not finding the name of the director in the list, he called Screbyshev and instructed to prepare the draft decree on the awarding of I. Saltsman by the Order of Lenin.