Yuri Pasholok: A Prominent Figure in Russian Tank Engineering Who Remained in the Shadows
Marking the 125th anniversary of the birth of I.S. Ber, an outstanding figure in Soviet tank engineering who, for a number of reasons, remains little known
Throughout history, it often happens that people who played a very important role end up in the shadows. In this sense, tank manufacturing is by no means an exception. Even in Soviet tank engineering—which is much more transparent in terms of the individuals involved—there are plenty of people who have been unjustly forgotten or whose contributions have been significantly underestimated. As a result, these people are known only to a narrow circle of tank history specialists, even though, in some cases, their role was actually pivotal. They include both lead vehicle engineers and those who headed entire development divisions.
The name I.S. Ber is not very well known among Soviet tank designers, but he actually accomplished a great deal
One such key figure is Iosif Solomonovich Ber. It’s not as if his name is completely unknown. In particular, he is mentioned in connection with tanks such as the T-35 and T-34M. But in reality, he was a highly skilled specialist who was highly regarded at the very top. It’s no coincidence that Joseph Solomonovich headed extremely critical departments, including his role as chief designer at Glavtank. Researchers have yet to fully uncover just how versatile a specialist he was. Much of what Ber did after the war remains classified to this day. January 18 marks the 125th anniversary of his birth; it is worth remembering this man who contributed so much to Soviet tank engineering.
The Berov family before the revolution. Joseph Solomonovich and his brother received an excellent education
Although Iosif Solomonovich did not leave any memoirs behind, some information has nevertheless survived. And it differs somewhat from the more or less well-known accounts, including his autobiography. There are reasons for this. I.S. was born on January 18, 1900, in the town of Smorgon (now part of the Grodno Region of Belarus). Iosif Solomonovich’s father worked in Vilno (now Vilnius) in the development department of the Baltic Railway. And his mother was by no means a housewife, as stated in his 1960 autobiography. She spoke two languages and gave piano lessons. They were members of the middle class, the intelligentsia of that time, in the best sense of the word.
The Sulzer 4S47 marine diesel engine—taming it was Ber’s first major project
A good education played a huge role at that time. Joseph Solomonovich’s father invested considerable funds in his children’s education. This enabled him to enroll in (and graduate with honors from) the Imperial Gymnasium in Vilnius. Then World War I broke out, and the family moved to Kharkiv. There, he enrolled in the Kharkiv Practical Technological Institute (later the Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute). He graduated as a specialist in power systems. He then began working at the Kharkiv Locomotive Plant. His first success came from his work on the Sulzer 4S47 marine engine. It was Ber who managed to tame the marine diesel engine, which many experts had found too difficult to handle. He received his first award for this work.
Award for the Development of a Foreign Marine Diesel Engine
In 1931, the Diesel Department of the Kharkiv Machine-Building Plant (KhPZ) was established, where Ber initially worked (with success) on marine engines. But in 1932, development began on a diesel engine intended for installation in a tank. This was the BD-2, the very engine that would later be called the V-2. Joseph Solomonovich played a direct role in the creation of the BD-2, serving as one of the leading specialists. At the same time, Ber held the position of deputy chief designer at the T2K Design Bureau of the Tank Division at the Kharkiv Machine-Building Plant (HPZ). In other words, the refinement of the BT-2 and the creation of the BT-5 were also his achievements. And if we look at Ber’s subsequent career, it is clear that he was assigned to the most critical and complex tasks.
The BD-2 engine was developed with Ber’s direct involvement
One such task was the development of the T-35 heavy tank at the Kharkiv Tank Plant. The vehicle, which had been designed in Leningrad, was nothing more than a semi-finished product that still needed to be transformed into a production-ready tank. To this end, the T-35-K Design Bureau was established on February 1, 1933, headed by I.S. Ber. In fact, he became the lead engineer for the vehicle, while the design of the production tank (T-35A) was developed by a team led by Iosif Solomonovich. In 1936, the department was renamed Design Bureau 525. Work was underway to modernize the tank; in particular, plans called for equipping it with an AN-1 engine.
The production T-35 was also developed thanks to Beru. From 1933 to 1937, he served as the tank’s chief engineer
Bera was not spared the full brunt of the repressions. He was the subject of two denunciations, and in the spring of 1937, he was accused of “praising the Hitler regime.” It is possible that this was related to the fact that German specialists at the time wanted to work exclusively with him. During interrogations, all his teeth were knocked out. Bera was saved by Pyotr Klymentyevich Voroshilov, the adopted son of K.E. Voroshilov. The “First Marshal” himself played a very important role in Bera’s fate, pointing out that such a specialist was urgently needed for work on new technology. Bera was able to return to work in 1939, heading a new unit within Design Bureau 520. It was called the New Design Group, and it was tasked with solving the most complex and unusual problems.
The most interesting thing is that the first tip-off actually came from Bondarenko, the director of Plant 183
The first such project was a detachable tracked power unit for the ZIS-5 truck. It was developed at the request of N.S. Khrushchev. An attempt to develop a similar power unit at the design bureau affiliated with the industrial department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine proved unsuccessful. The drive unit created by Ber proved to be more successful. It was put into mass production, and the truck equipped with this drive unit is known as the ZIS-33. Among similar designs, this was the most successful, but the standard ZIS-5 engine proved insufficient for a tracked vehicle. The ZIS-33 is often criticized, but the ZIS-22, with a tracked undercarriage developed by NATI, turned out to be no better. The problem was the same—the engine. It was successfully resolved on the ZIS-42M, which was equipped with a supercharged engine.
A-33 (ZIS-33), Ber’s first project as head of the new design team
A far more important task was the development of a thoroughly modernized T-34; the new design team began this work in late 1940. At the same time, the team was studying the German Pz.Kpfw.III tank, which had been transferred to Plant No. 183 for review. The T-34M (sometimes mistakenly referred to as the A-43) was the brainchild of I.S. Ber and his team. In addition, under his leadership, a new heavy tank was being designed, designated the T-44. According to plans, the T-34M was supposed to replace the T-34 in production in the second half of 1941. Alas, the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War prevented this from happening. Nevertheless, a number of successful technical solutions implemented on the T-34M were later incorporated into the T-34.
The T-34M is also his brainchild
In October 1941, Ber found himself in Gorky, at the Krasnoye Sormovo plant (Plant No. 112). There, production of the T-34 was being launched, and a group of designers led by Joseph Solomonovich provided significant assistance in this effort. At his new post, Ber served as deputy chief designer. At that time, Plant No. 112 was not only working on mastering tank production but was also conducting a number of experimental projects. The factory was the first to develop and implement armor shielding; furthermore, starting in April 1942, handrails were installed on the T-34s produced at Plant No. 112 to facilitate troop disembarkation. Ber played a very active role in Plant No. 112’s transition from M-17T engines to V-2 engines. Experiments in underwater driving and the installation of a flamethrower on the T-34 were also part of his responsibilities. Ber worked in Gorky until August 1942.
From the fall of 1941 through August 1942, Ber served as deputy chief designer at Plant No. 112
On August 9, 1942, I.M. Salzman, who was then People’s Commissar of the Tank Industry, signed Order No. 177. According to the order, I.S. Ber was transferred to the People’s Commissariat of the Tank Industry (NKT), where he was appointed deputy chief designer. A man with such a vast store of knowledge and organizational skills was needed at the People’s Commissariat—and above all by Zh. Ya. Kotin. Ber knew him well. If one carefully examines the correspondence of the NKTP from 1942 to 1945, one can often see the familiar signature of Iosif Solomonovich. It should be noted that during the Great Patriotic War, the NKTP became a true think tank. Without this organization, the Red Army would not have received self-propelled artillery, since the GABTU and the GAU were unable to reach an agreement with one another.
He then ended up at the NKTP
The fact that I.S. Ber’s career continued to rise after the end of the Great Patriotic War speaks to the important role he played within the NKTP. After the war, the NKTP was first reorganized into the People’s Commissariat for Transport Engineering, and in 1946 into the Ministry of Transport Engineering (Mintransmash). Within this structure, Ber took the position of deputy chief designer at Glavtank, as the Main Directorate for the Production of Armored Vehicles was known. On August 1, 1947, he became chief designer of Glavtank. He held this position through 1949.
Here, he also worked on important and promising areas
The failure of the R-39 floating tank project, developed by Plant No. 112, cut short his career at Glavtank, but a specialist like I.S. Ber was in high demand in other fields as well. Exactly what he worked on remains to be discovered by researchers. His list of projects also included hovercraft. In the 1970s, after he had already retired, he lectured at MADI as a leading expert in the field of internal combustion engines. Until his death, Ber participated in meetings of the USSR Ministry of Medium Machine-Building as an expert. People who knew him always spoke of him as an outstanding specialist.
As Chief Designer at Glavtank
In conclusion, it’s worth noting that the topic of “it wasn’t this person but someone else who designed that tank” often comes up. We must recognize that complex machines—such as tanks—aren’t built by a single person. Someone oversees the overall process, while someone else leads the project as the chief designer. But at the same time, we shouldn’t forget about people like I.S. Ber. Yes, he wasn’t the lead engineer on any particularly significant combat vehicle. But his contribution was truly enormous. It was precisely people like him who made the T-34 and a number of other combat vehicles possible.
The author would like to express his deep gratitude to Yevgeniya Iosifovna Kamenskaya, daughter of I.S. Ber, for her assistance in writing this article and for the materials she provided.
List of Sources:
-
-
- RGVA
- Central Archives of the Russian Federation
- RGAE
- E.I. Kamensky Archive
-
