In th? ??ck???? ?? A???st 1941, th? st??? w?s s?t ??? ? ????n?????kin? ?v?nt ?s th??? imm?ns? S?vi?t ??m???s ?m???k?? ?n ? ???in? missi?n t?w???s ?n?m? t???it???. H?w?v??, th?s? w??? n? ???in??? ??m???s—th?? c???i?? ? s?c??t inn?v?ti?n th?t w??l? ????v?? ch?n?? ???i?l w??????: ?l?in? ?i?c???t c???i??s.

Th? ???st ??? ?n ????ctiv? s?l?ti?n t? th? mism?tch ??tw??n th? ???ch ?? h??v? ??m???s ?n? th? limit?? ?ist?nc? ?? ??il? ?i?ht??s h?? t????l?? ?vi?ti?n ?n?in???s ??? ????s. Whil? ??m???s c??l? v?nt??? ???? int? ?n?m? t???it???, th?i? ?i?ht?? ?sc??ts st????l?? ??? t? th?i? sh??t ?????ti?n?l ??n??. This v?ln????ilit? ??t?n l??t ??m???s ?x??s??, ??s?ltin? in si?ni?ic?nt l?ss?s.

Th? visi?n??? S?vi?t ?n?in???, Vl??imi? V?khmist??v, ?????s?? ? ??m?-ch?n?in? i???: wh? n?t h?v? th? ??m???s c???? th? ?i?ht??s? This ??v?l?ti?n??? c?nc??t w?s initi?ll? m?t with sk??ticism in ? milit??? c?lt??? ??c?s?? ?n sh??? n?m??ic?l st??n?th ??th?? th?n ?nt?st?? inn?v?ti?ns.

V?khmist??v ti??l?ssl? ch?m?i?n?? th? i??? ?? ?l?in? ?i?c???t c???i??s, hi?hli?htin? th?i? ??t?nti?l in s????????in? ??m???s, ?x?c?tin? ???cisi?n st?ik?s, ?tt?ckin? ?ist?nt n?v?l ?l??ts, n??t??lizin? ?nti-?i?c???t ????ns?s, ?n? ??t??llin? ??????s t? int??c??t ?n?m? th???ts.

Th? TB-1 ?n? TB-3, ?m?n? th? l????st ??m???s ?? th?i? tim?, s??v?? ?s th? ?l?t???m ??? V?khmist??v’s ???inchil?. D?si?nin? th? c?n?i????ti?n ??? th?s? ?l?in? c???i??s w?s ?n int?ic?t? ???c?ss, inv?lvin? m?lti?l? t?i?l-?n?-????? ?x???im?nts t? ??t??min? th? i???l ?l?c?m?nt ?? th? ?i?ht??s, wh?th?? ???v?, ??l?w, ?? s?s??n??? ???m th? ??m???s.

D????? “Zv?n?,” V?khmist??v’s c???ti?n sh?wc?s?? ??m??k??l? s?m?i?sis ??tw??n th? ??m???s ?n? th? ?i?ht??s. Th? ?i?ht??s, ???in? ?li?ht, n?t ?nl? im???v?? th? ??m???s’ ??????m?nc? ??t ?ls? ???w ???l ???m ???iti?n?l t?nks, ?n??lin? hi?h?? s????s, ????t?? ?ltit???, ?n? inc???s?? ???l??? c???cit?.

Whil? l??nchin? th? ?i?ht??s w?s ??l?tiv?l? st??i?ht???w???, th? ???c?ss ?? ????ckin? th?m with th? c???i?? ??s?? ? ????t?? ch?ll?n??, n?c?ssit?tin? ? t????z?-lik? s?st?m ??? ?????lin?. C?mm?nic?ti?n ??tw??n th? ?i?ht??s ?n? th? c???i?? ?cc????? th????h ? t?l??h?n? s?st?m, whil? li?hts m??nt?? in ???nt ?? th? ?i?ht??s’ ??nsi?hts c?nv???? vit?l c?mm?n?s.

Th? s?cc?ss ?? Zv?n? in th? ?i? c?nt??st?? with th? c?m?l?xiti?s ?n th? ????n?. L???in? th? ?i?ht??s ?nt? th? win?s ??m?n??? c????in?t?? ?????ts ???m m?ch?nics ?n? ????n? c?nt??ll??s, ??isin? ???sti?ns ????t th? ???ctic?lit? ?n? ??s? ?? s?ch m?n??v??s.

V?khmist??v’s ?l?in? ?i?c???t c???i??s ?????s?nt?? ? ??l? l??? in ?vi?ti?n, ?????inin? th? ??n?mics ?? ???i?l c?m??t. Whil? th?? ??s?? l??istic?l ch?ll?n??s, th?i? st??t??ic ??v?nt???s ?n? ??????m?nc? ?nh?nc?m?nts c??l?n’t ?? ?v??l??k??, l??in? th? ????n?w??k ??? ??t??? inn?v?ti?ns in ?i?c???t ???l??m?nt ?n? ?????ti?n?l c????iliti?s.