Decree of the USSR Council of Ministers, 'Questions of Reactive Weaponry'

Nº 1017-419ss

13 May 1946

TOP SECRET
(special folder)

Considering the creation of reactive weaponry and the organization of scientific-research and experimental work in this field to be a very important task the USSR Council of Ministers DECREES:

I.

1. Create a Special Committee for Reactive Technology^[1] under the USSR Council of Ministers composed of:

Cde. Malenkov, G. M. – Chairman;

Cde. Ustinov, D. F. – Deputy Chairman;

Cde. Zubovich, I. G. – Deputy Chairman (release him from work in the Ministry of the Electrotechnical Industry);

Cde. Iakovlev, N. D. – Committee member;

Cde. Kirpichnikov, P. I. - Committee member;

Cde. Berg, A. I. - Committee member;

Cde. Goremykin, P. N. - Committee member;

Cde. Serov, I. A. – Committee member;

Cde. Nosovskii N. E. - Committee member;

2. Charge the Special Committee for Reactive Technology:

a) with observing the development of scientific-research, design, and practical work on reactive weaponry, considering and submitting plans and programs, the development of scientific-research and practical work in this field directly for the approval of the Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers, and also determining and approving the quarterly needs for budget allocations and material and technical resources for work in reactive weaponry;

b) with monitoring of the fulfillment of the tasks of the USSR Council of Ministers by ministries and departments to carry out scientific-research, design, research and engineering, and practical work on reactive weaponry;

c) with the adoption of rapid measures to ensure the timely performance of these tasks jointly with the appropriate ministers and leaders of departments.

3. The Special Committee has its own staff (apparat).

4. Establish that the work being done on reactive weaponry by the ministries and departments is monitored by the Special Committee for Reactive Weaponry. No institutions, organizations, or persons have the right to interfere or demand information about work on reactive weaponry without the special permission of the Council of Ministers.

5. Hold the Special Committee for Reactive Weaponry responsible for getting the approval of the Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers for the plan of scientific-research and design work for 1946-1948, defining as the first priority task the reproduction with the use of Soviet materials of the FAU-2 [V-2] type missiles (a long-range guided missile) and the Wasserfall (a guided anti-aircraft missile).

II.

6. Determine [the following] to be the lead ministries for the development and production of missile weaponry:

a) the Ministry of Armament – for rocket projectiles with liquid [propellant] engines;

b) the Ministry of Agricultural Machinebuilding – for rocket projectiles with solid [propellant] engines;

c) the Ministry of the Aviation Industry – for reactive flying bombs.

7. to determine that the main ministries for related production which are entrusted with performing scientific-research, design, and experimental work, and also the production on order from the lead ministries approved by the Committee, are:

a) the Ministry of the Electrotechnical Industry – for ground and on-board radio control equipment, selection equipment and television mechanisms, and radar stations for detecting and determining target coordinates;

b) the Ministry of the Shipbuilding Industry – for hydroscopic stabilization equipment, resolvers, shipboard radar stations for detecting and determining target coordinates and the distance to the projectile, shipboard launcher stabilization systems, reactive projectile homing warheads for firing on submerged targets, and instruments;

c) the Ministry of the Chemical Industry – for liquid fuels, oxidizing agents, and catalysts;

d) the Ministry of the Aviation Industry – for liquid [propellant] reactive engines for long-range missiles and the production of aerodynamic research and missile testing;

e) the Ministry of Machinebuilding and Instrumentmaking – for installations, launch equipment, various compressors, the hoses and the apparatus for them, and also other equipment components;

f) the Ministry of Agricultural Machinebuilding – for some fuses, equipment, and powder.

III.

8. In order to perform the tasks entrusted to the Ministries create:

-- in the Ministries: of Armament, Agricultural Machinebuilding, and the Electrotechnical Industry – Main Directorates for Reactive Technology;

-- in the Ministry of the USSR Armed Forces - a Directorate of Reactive Weaponry in the GAU [Main Artillery Directorate] and a Directorate of Reactive Weaponry in the Navy;

-- in the Ministries of the Chemical Industry, the Shipbuilding Industry, Machinebuilding, and Instrumentmaking - a Directorate for Reactive Technology ;

-- in Gosplan of the USSR Council of Ministers - a Department for Reactive Technology headed by a Deputy Chairman of Gosplan.

9. Create the following scientific-research institutes, design bureaus, and test ranges for missile technology in [the following] ministries:

a) in the Ministry of Armament -- a Scientific-Research Institute of Reactive Weaponry and a Design Bureau based on Plant Nº 88, removing other tasks from it, placing these tasks in other plants of the Ministry of Armament^[2];

b) in the Ministry of Agricultural Machinebuilding – a Scientific-Research Institute of Solid [Propellant] Reactive Projectiles based on the GTsKB-1 [State Central Design Bureau-1],^[3] a Design Bureau based on Branch Nº 2 of NII-1 of the Ministry of the Aviation Industry^[4], and a Scientific-Research Test Range of Reactive Projectiles based on the Sofrinsk Test Range;

c) in the Ministry of the Chemical Industry – a Scientific-Research Institute of Chemicals and Propellants for Reactive Engines;

d) in the Ministry of the Electrotechnical Industry - a Scientific-Research Institute with a conception-design bureau for radio and electric instrument guidance of long-range and anti-aircraft reactive projectiles based on the telemechanics laboratory of NII-20 and Plant Nº 1 of the Ministry of Armed Forces^[5] so that the performance of the program of this plant is entrusted to the Ministry of the Electrotechnical Industry;

e) in the Ministry of the USSR Armed Forces – a Scientific-Research Rocket Institute of the GAU^[6] and a State Central Test Range of Reactive Technology^[7] for all ministries dealing with reactive weaponry.

10.  Hold [the following] ministries responsible: Armament (Cde. Ustinov), Agricultural Machinebuilding (Cde. Vannikov), the Electrotechnical Industry (Cde. Goregliad), Machinebuilding and Instrumentmaking (Cde. Parshin), Aviation Industry (Cde. Khrunichev), the Chemical Industry (Cde. Pervukhin), and the USSR Armed Forces (Cde. Bulganin) with approving the structures and staffing of the directorates, NIIs, and design bureaus of the corresponding ministries.

IV.

11. Consider the following work in reactive technology in Germany first-priority tasks:

a) the complete restoration of the technical documentation and models of the long-range FAU-2 guided missile and the Wasserfall, Rheintochter, and Schmetterling anti-aircraft guided missiles:

b) the restoration of the laboratories and test stands with all the equipment and instruments needed to conduct testing and experiments on the FAU-2, Wasserfall, Rheintochter, Schmetterling, and other missiles;

c) the training of Soviet specialists who would take possession of the design of FAU-2 rockets, guided anti-aircraft missiles and other rockets, testing methods, and the technology of the production of parts, components, and the cluster of missiles.

12. Appoint Cde. Nosovskii the leader of the work in reactive technology in Germany on his arrival in Germany. Release Cde. Nosovskii from other work unconnected with reactive weaponry. Appoint Cdes. Kuznetsov (of the GAU) and Gaidukov as Cde. Nosovskii’s assistants.

13.  Hold the Committee for reactive technology responsible for selecting the necessary number of specialists of the various specialties from the appropriate ministries and sending [them] to Germany for study and work in reactive weaponry, intending that Soviet specialists be attached to each German specialist with the goal of obtaining experience.

14.  Prohibit ministries and departments from recalling their workers who are in Germany working in commissions to study German reactive weaponry without the knowledge of the Special Committee.

15.  Within a month the Ministries of Armaments, Agricultural Machinebuilding, the Aviation Industry, the Electrotechnical Industry, the Chemical Industry, Machinebuilding and Instrumentmaking, and the USSR Armed Forces are to prepare and submit for the approval of the Special Committee for reactive technology specific plans for design, scientific-research, and experimental work on reactive weaponry in Germany, establishing tasks and deadlines for each design bureau.

Assign Cdes. Ustinov, Iakovlev, and Kabanov to Germany with a group of specialists for a period of 15 days for familiarization with the work being done on reactive weaponry in Germany in order to prepare plans for impending work.

16.  Charge the Ministry of the USSR Armed Forces (Cde. Bulganin) with forming a special artillery unit in Germany to master, prepare, and launch rockets of the FAU-2 type^[8].

17.  Decide in advance the question of transferring design bureaus and German specialists from Germany to the USSR by the end of 1946.

Hold the Ministries of Armaments, Agricultural Machinebuilding, the Electrotechnical Industry, the Aviation Industry, the Chemical Industry, and Machinebuilding and Instrumentmaking responsible for preparing bases to house the German design bureaus and specialists. Within a month the Special Committee for reactive technology is to submit proposals on this question to the USSR Council of Ministers.

18.  Permit the Special Committee for reactive technology to establish an increased wage for the German specialists enlisted in work on reactive technology.

19.  Hold the Ministry of the USSR Armed Forces (Cde. Khrulev) responsible for allocating [the following] for the support of all the Soviet and German specialists engaged in reactive weaponry work in Germany:

• 1000 free daily rations per norm Nº 11
• 3000 additional daily rations per norm Nº 2
• 100 automobiles and 100 trucks
• and supply [the above] with fuel and drivers.

20.  Hold the USSR Ministry of Finance and the Soviet Military Administration in Germany responsible for allotting 70 million marks for the financing of all work being done by the Special Committee for reactive technology in Germany.

21.  Permit the Special Committee for reactive technology and the ministries to order various special equipment and apparatuses in Germany against reparations for the laboratories of the Scientific-research institutes and the State Central Test Range of Reactive Weaponry. Charge the Special Committee together with Gosplan and the Ministry of Foreign Trade with determining the list of goods and the timeframes for their delivery.

22.  Charge the Special Committee with submitting proposals to the USSR Council of Ministers on sending a Commission to the USA to place orders and purchase equipment and instruments for the laboratories of the Scientific-research institutes for reactive technology, making provisions in these proposals for granting the Commission the right to purchase $2 million on open license.

23.  Hold Cde. Serov, the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs, responsible for creating the necessary conditions for the normal operation of the reactive technology design bureaus, institutes, laboratories, and plants in Germany (food supply, housing, vehicle transport, etc.)

The Ministry of the USSR Armed Forces (Cde. Khrulev) and Cde. Sokolovskii, the Commander-in-Chief of the SVA [Soviet Military Administration], are to give Cde. Serov the necessary assistance.

V.

24. Hold the Special Committee for reactive technology responsible for accounting for all the equipment, instruments, apparatuses, and also the materials and models of reactive technology exported by the various ministries and departments, and redistributing them between the appropriate ministries and departments in accordance with the tasks assigned to them.

25.  Hold the Ministry of the USSR Armed Forces (Cde. Bulganin) responsible for submitting proposals to the Council of Ministers on the site and construction of the State Central Test Range for reactive weaponry.^[9]

26.  Hold the Special Committee for reactive technology responsible for submitting to the Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers for approval a regulation on awards of bonuses for the development and creation of reactive weaponry, and also suggestions on increased salaries for especially skilled workers in reactive technology.

27.  Permit the Special Committee for reactive technology to place Scientific-research institutes and the Design bureau for reactive weaponry newly-created by the Ministries of Armaments, Agricultural Machinebuilding, the Aviation Industry, the Electrotechnical Industry, Machinebuilding and Instrumentmaking, the Chemical Industry, and the USSR Armed Forces on the same footing as the scientific institutions of the USSR Academy of Sciences with respect to wages and the supply with manufactured and food goods in accordance with USSR Council of Ministers Decree Nº 514 of 6 March 1946.^[10]

28. Hold the Ministry of the Aviation Industry (Cde. Khrunichev) responsible for transferring 20 specialists in engines, aerodynamics, aircraft construction, and other things to the Ministry of Armament.

29.  Hold the Ministry of Higher Education (Cde. Kaftanov) responsible for organizing the training of engineers and scientific workers in reactive technology in higher educational institutions and universities, and also the retraining of students of higher courses of other specialties in the specialty of reactive weaponry, ensuring the first graduation of no less than 200 specialists in reactive weaponry from higher technical educational institutions and  no less than100 from universities by the end of 1946.

30.  Charge the Special Committee for reactive technology together with the Ministry of Higher Education with selecting 500 specialists from the scientific-research organizations of the Ministry of Higher Education and other ministries, retraining them, and sending [them] to work in the ministries dealing with reactive weaponry.

31.  in order to provide housing for the German specialists in reactive technology being transferred to the USSR charge Cde. Voznesenskii with providing for 150 prefabricated Finnish houses and 40 eight-apartment log buildings in the distribution plans before 15 October 1946 per allocation of the Special Committee for reactive technology.

32.  Consider the work to develop reactive technology a most important state task and hold all ministries and organizations responsible for fulfilling the assignments in reactive technology as [their] first priority.

Chairman

of the USSR Council of Ministers                                        I. Stalin

Administrator of Affairs

of the USSR Council of Ministers                                        Ia. Chadaev

ARCHIVE LOCATION: State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF), f. r-5446, op. zas. d. 21, ll. 215-224.

FIRST PUBLISHED IN: I. D. v, ed., Khronika osnovnykh sobytii istorii raketnykh voisk strategicheskogo naznacheniia (Moscow: TsIPK, 1994), 227-233.

^[1] USSR Council of Ministers Decree Nº 1454-388ss of 10 May 1947 changed the name of the Special Committee for Reactive Technology under the USSR Council of Ministers to simply “Committee Nº 2.” The Committee was headed by N. A. Bulganin. The Committee was eliminated on 28 August 1949 and the duties of the committee distributed to the military.

^[2] This was the Scientific-Research Institute No. 88 (NII-88) created in the Moscow suburb of Kaliningrad (now, Korolev). The institute is now known as the Central Scientific-Research Institute of Machine Building (TsNIIMash).

^[3] The new institute on the basis of GTsKB-1 was called the Scientific-Research Institute No. 1 (NII-1) and is now known as the Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology.

^[4] The design bureau on the basis of Branch No. 1 of NII-1 was known as Design Bureau No. 2 (KB-2) and later, NII-642. It is now known as the Vympel Experimental-Design Bureau (OKB Vympel).

^[5] This institute was known as the Scientific-Research Institute No. 885 (NII-885) and is now the Scientific-Research Institute of Space Instrument Building (NII KP).

^[6] This institute was called the Scientific-Research Institute No. 4 (NII-4). It is now known as the 4^th Central Scientific-Research Institute of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

^[7] This was the State Central Test Range No. 4 (GTsP-4) which is now known as the 4^th State Central Intervariant Range of the Russian Federation (4 GTsMP).

^[8] By 15 August 1946 the organization of the first missile formation of the Soviet Army, a Special Purpose Brigade of the Reserve of the Supreme High Command, was concluded on German territory (around the city of Sondershausen).

^[9] Decree Nº 2642-817ss of 26 July 1947 “On the Construction of the State Central Test Range of the Ministry of the USSR Armed Forces” set the location of the test range at the village of Kapustin Iar in Astrakhan Oblast’.

^[10] This refers to the USSR Council of Ministers Decree Nº 514 of 6 March 1946 “The Increase of the Salaries of Scientific Workers and an Improvement of Their Material and Everyday Conditions.”