The 19th of January 1937, in a secret facility, in the woods near Vologda, 10am Moscow time
I received a note from 'Sem' ' explaining that tomorrow, the last of the trucks needed to replace the horses of 32 KD, and 9 KD's four cavalry brigades would be delivered. He pointed out that the factories had received demands for only half the amount of trucks in the follow-up order. Moreover 7. BAP's armoured cars will be completed on the 21st. New factories have also been readied for production. 'Sem' ' suggested that we start thinking about new production orders (to the tune of about 7-8.5 IC). So I took this to the committee, the secret one of course. This had to be decided before the Central Committee started real discussions about this topic, so Stalin could block unproductive proposals and know what to support.
Vladimir M. Orlov suggested building two, or at least one new Kiev-Class(III) Destroyer flotilla.
Yakov V. Smushkevich suggested a new wing of Sukhoi Su-2 'Ivanov' Close Air Support bombers
Both
Michail N. Tuchatjevskij, and
(ex-)Lt. General Belov proposed training and equipping Engineers to improve the versatility of our Armoured Collums, especially on bad terrain and when crossing rivers.
(ex-)Lt. General Strepuhov also proposed some engineers, but to supplement some infantry Divisions to help them deal with fortifications and rivers.
Finally
(ex-)Generals Eideman and
Primakov both cut short the discussion by suggesting that we build more factories(2 IC), preferably far away from all our borders, this to ensure supplies for our huge army even if all imports are cut off and part of our factories are out of order. They would have suggested improving infrastructure, but we don't have the knowhow for large scale infrastructure improvement yet.
The plan to build new factories was cheered as the wisest choice, and a good compromise, everyone realising that this would mean more usable production capacity in the long term. As no one expected us to go to war this year, and the factories could theoretically be ready by the end of November, the temporary loss of military production would be more than made up for. Primakov Calculated that with current build time and cost, and current industrial laws, the investment would be recuperated in approximately three years and six months after their completion. So by the end of May 1941, at the very latest, but probably a lot sooner with efficiency gains and new laws, the investment will have payed for itself production-wise.
By 1pm Stalin asked for advice on this very subject, and was quickly convinced of the need for more factories.
The 21st of January 1937,
After a long Central Committee meeting construction of new Industrial Complexes was started in both Kurgan, and Tjumen. The fact that it was freezing up to -10°C did not seem to bother anyone, not in Moscow nor on the new construction sites.
A photograph from the construction in Tjumen. Showing the heroic workers braving the cold to build our factories.
"Others merely adopted the cold winter. Siberian construction workers were born in it. Molded by it"