The main directions of scientific and technical activity of the Artillery Department (Main Artillery Directorate) in the field of small arms and artillery from 1917 to 1945

The subject of this research article is the activities of the Artillery Department (Main Artillery Directorate) in the field of scientific work, which is related to the development, design, and testing of samples of small arms and artillery. The role of organizationally oriented scientific and technical activities, which played a decisive role in the design of new samples of armaments and military equipment, is considered separately. Special attention is paid to the activities of the Artillery Committee (Artkom) in order to identify a number of leading trends in research activities (R&D) regulated by the Artillery Department. Two periods of activity are examined along with their features: from 1917 to 1941 and from 1941 to 1945. An overview of the activities of several testing grounds, as leading scientific testing centers, is provided. The complex of methods used included the processing of archival materials, historical and scientific analysis of fundamental works, and comparative-historical methods. The results of the research include the following findings: 1. New data from departmental archives (the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, the Scientific Archive of the Military Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops, and Communication Troops) have been introduced into scientific circulation. 2. The concept of military science has been clarified as any scientific developments and research aimed at improving military activities. 3. The main areas of activity of the Artillery Department (Main Artillery Directorate) in organizing scientific work in the framework of creating new samples of armaments have been identified: A) From 1917 to 1941, the Artillery Committee was for a long time the sole center for the development of artillery armaments; from the late 1920s, there were two centers – some experimental and design work was performed by civilian organizations subordinate to the people's commissariats, while some of such work remained under military authority. B) In the initial period of the Great Patriotic War, R&D was largely focused on improving the quality of serial production, as well as studying the properties of trophy and imported samples of armaments and ammunition. Subsequently, the subject matter took on a problem-oriented character (searching for ways to improve the quality and effectiveness of armaments, summarizing the experience of combat use of armaments and ammunition).