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Aviation History
1942
1942 - 0239.PDF
r attempt ti prob/into the statistics of the current produc tion. But cerJfein facts cast an unhesitating light on the vast human a/d material resources of Soviet Air Power. Resources ip stategic raw materials which form the foun dation oflar/aircraft industry are certainly not lacking in Russia, rir 1940 her steel output amounted to 18,400,000 tons, her pig iron to 16,900,000 tons, and h*f iron ore to 15,000,000 tons. Her production of- manganese ore Amounted to 41.3 per cent, of the total world output, while from her domestic resources she could cover 87 per cent, of her requirements in aluminium, 99 per cent, of zinc, and 77 per cent, of lead. With bauxite, chromium ore, zinc and lead-ore she is well supplied, but deficient in nickel, molybdenum, tungsten, vanad ium and rubber. Synthetic rubber pro duction is said, however, to have been sufficient to cover about 70 per cent, of her annual peacetime consumption. Centralised economic planning stretch ing over a period of years, wrai the emphasis placed on the increase of the war potential, has resulted in accumula tion of stocks of deficient raw materials, the development of substitute products and the exploitation of new mineral re sources. The increase of bombing range, the changed character of military strategy has been responsible for the steady de velopment of raw material resources and metallurgical production in the inner regions of the Soviet Union where vulner ability is considerably reduced. Thus This map shows Russia's new centres of raw materials and industries strategically situated in the far eastern regions of the country. tin-mining was being developed in Eastern Siberia and Central Asia, zinc working in the Urals and copper and chromium in Kazakhstan. Already 10 per cqrfi.. of the Russian pig-iron output comes from the new Kusnetzk basin, while the rich region of Magnitogorsk has been developed into an important centre of metallurgical production. The foresight displayed by Russian authorities in planning this eastward migration is already reaping rewards, for the existence of a potentially strong base of strategic raw materials in the depths of the country is of paramount value to the staying power of Russia's fighting forces. The aircraft industry, which has the advantage of such substantial domestic resources has, since its inception, COM. •'%
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