Telegram, Akopov to Cde. Stalin

to Cde. STALIN

I report:

1. All the new models of trucks have bodies (beds) which are wooden and cabs which are metal. An exception is the body (bed) of the vehicle produced by the Kutaisi plant which is to supposed to be produced of metal because of a lack of wood in neighboring regions. The switch to a metal cab (bed) at the Kutaisi plant will be accomplished after the startup of the sheet mill at the Tbilisi metallurgical plant.

2. The old models of the trucks of the Gor’ky and Moscow automotive plant had wooden bodies (beds), but the cabs at the Gor’ky Automotive Plant are metal, and at the Moscow Automotive Plant [they] are metal with a wooden frame. During the war the cabs were manufactured with a large use of wood because of a lack of metal.

3. The wide automotive sheet for the production of metal cabs and bodies of passenger vehicles is supposed to be acquired from the Zaporozhstal’ plant. Before the restoration of Zaporozhstal’ according to your 21 September instruction 10,000 tons of automotive body sheet were ordered in the US in the fourth quarter of 1945 and an order was given by Cde. Mikoyan about the inclusion in the credit plan of the purchase of an additional 50,000 tons of automotive body sheet. The quantity of metal indicated above ensures the production of the planned new models of vehicles in 1946.

In connection with the slow tempo of the restoration of the Zaporozhstal’ plant please give instructions about stepping up the work to restore the Zaporozhstal’ plant and shortening the deadlines for the startup of the light-gauge mill at it.

AKOPOV

22 October 1945

sent via VCh

[the handwritten original follows]