Ukrainian designer from Kharkov Konstantin Chelpan created the legendary tank engine for the T-34, which, with modifications, has been in service for eight decades. For this, the Soviet authorities first awarded Chelpan and then shot him.
The amazing history of the Kharkov diesel engine for V-2 tanks is worthy of a whole book. And the fate of its designer, shot in 1938, is worth a serious film vying for an Oscar.
An ordinary boy from the village of Cherdakli, Mariupol district (now the village of Kremenevka, Volodarsky district, Donetsk region), graduated from the Mariupol real school, and then from the Kharkov Institute of Technology. Subsequently, he worked at the famous KhTZ, a tractor factory that actually produced tanks.
In 1928, Konstantin Fedorovich Chelpan headed the engine-building department of the design bureau of the Kharkov Locomotive Plant, later the Transport Engineering Plant named after. IN. A. Malysheva
Since then, a new milestone begins not only in Chelpan’s biography, but also in the history of Soviet and world engine building. True, the young designer did not yet know that exactly 10 years later he would be shot in the dungeons of the Kharkov prison.
Even in modern tank engines, as in the photo from the factory named after. Malyshev, there are a lot of developments by Konstantin Chelpan. Photo: Ukrinform
They have good engines, but ours will be better
At first everything went great. The talented designer Chelpan was sent to a foreign internship, including in Europe. In them, he carefully studied modern internal combustion engines and observed the active introduction of diesel power units. Even then, he concluded that a diesel engine is more economical than a gasoline engine.
The Kharkov designer was prompted to work in this direction by the fact that diesel fuel is cheaper and, most importantly, it does not ignite as easily as gasoline.. Hence the conclusion: for military equipment in battle, diesel engine equipment is less fire hazardous. For almost a year, Konstantin Fedorovich studied the experience at factories in Germany, England, Switzerland – he looked closely, studied, borrowed useful things, and drew conclusions.
“We will design our own engine, in no way similar to foreign ones,” said Konstantin Chelpan at the design bureau he heads. Even the authorities did not object to the young designer – the country was expecting a breakthrough in its own engine building.
The BT-5 light tank had an aviation 12-cylinder V-shaped carburetor engine (400 hp), but with the advent of an experimental diesel engine, these vehicles went into parade with experimental Chelpan engines. Photos from open sources
In the spring of 1933, one of the developed engines was installed instead of an aviation one on the BT-5 high-speed tank. The tests gave good results. A year later, the improved engine was tested on the Voroshilovets heavy artillery tractor.. And here is luck.
The Voroshilovets artillery tractor with experimental diesel engines turned out to be better than a gasoline one, but there was not enough capacity to supply such equipment in series on the eve of the war.. Illustration: Іscientific-mhd.eu
Boldly and on the verge of impudence
The highest achievement of the designer is considered to be the V-2 engine made entirely of aluminum for the T-34 tank.. This was the pinnacle of engineering of that time – a new scheme, a new construction design, a new technology. From the standpoint of the present time, Chelpan Design Bureau can quite justifiably be called the founder and even the legislator of the diesel engine building school.
They would later write about the designed engine for the T-34: “In the world practice of diesel engineering, there was no analogue to the creation of a tank diesel engine at a factory, the skill and courage in the design was the limit of arrogance, but the problem was solved brilliantly.”
Graphic representation of the general view of the V-2 diesel engine developed by Konstantin Chelpan. Collage: Auto24
The author of the developments, the basics of which were used by almost all engine factories in Eastern Europe, as well as a number of world industrial giants, did not live to see the mass production of his V-2 diesel engine. Or rather, he was not allowed to live.
In two weeks it will be 86 years since the talented designer was arrested in the middle of the night (December 15, 1937) by the NKVD. The reason was invented based on the “Greek case” – counter-revolutionary, espionage and sabotage work against the authorities.
After a week of torture and blackmail, the already ill Konstantin Fedorovich Chelpan pleaded guilty, trying to divert trouble from his families. Did not help. His then and previous wife and children were deprived of their jobs and kicked out of the house.
A copy of the resolution on the arrest and detention of the outstanding world-class diesel engine designer K.F.. Chelpana. Photos from open sources
The V-2 engine was brought to production level by Konstantin Fedorovich’s students and junior colleagues. Two years before the mass production of tank diesel engines, on March 11, 1938, Chelpan was shot in a Kharkov prison.
The protocol clearly states: “Chelpan Konstantin Fedorovich – to be shot.”. There are no signatures of high officials; they are replaced by the signature of a certain Yankilovich, a junior lieutenant of the state security of the Kharkov region.
His wife was informed that he died on May 16, 1942 from a heart defect.. At this time, for two years already, starting in 1940, mass production of Konstantin Chelpan V-2 diesel engines, which powered the KV, T-34 and BT-7M tanks, was in full swing in the USSR.. There really were no analogues to this motor.
The Wehrmacht designers, having captured many Soviet T-34 tanks, dismantled Chelpan’s brainchild down to the last screw, but were unable to replicate the diesel engine for their own production.. Photos from open sources
Looking ahead, we can give examples of the memoirs of Colonel General of the Wehrmacht Heinz Wilhelm Guderian (1888-1954) in the book “Memoirs of a Soldier”. He wrote that the proposals of front-line officers to produce analogues of the T-34 from the designers did not find support due to “the impossibility of producing the most important parts of the T-34, especially the aluminum tank diesel engine, at the required speed.”
The developments outlived the author for decades
The works of the talented designer Konstantin Chelpan formed the basis for the engines of all subsequent generations of modern tanks. However, this basis also applies to the line of diesel engines for river boats, boats, and motorized tires.
Even during the Cold War, the “basic B-2 architecture with gradual improvements was used on heavy tanks T-54/T55 (B-54/55), T-62 (B-55B), T-72 (B-84) and even absolutely modern T90A and T-90M under the designation B-92.”
Memorial plaque on the house where the outstanding designer K.F. lived. Chelpan: On August 6, 1956, Konstantin Fedorovich Chelpan was rehabilitated by the Military Collegium of the Supreme Court of the USSR, but the truth about the execution became known only in 1988. Photos from open sources.
The Kharkov design bureau of Konstantin Chelpan was considered the center of the best scientific personnel in diesel engineering. Konstantin Fedorovich knew how to organize, unite and properly direct the work of the design bureau. Chelpan himself should be given credit for taking a rather bold step. It was Konstantin Fedorovich who proposed installing diesel engines on Kharkov tanks, which was unknown in world practice before.
The designer took a great risk with such a proposal, since failure could be regarded as sabotage or treason. However, the talented designer saw years ahead, if not decades.
In this story, the founder of the Kharkov school of diesel engineering could not foresee only one thing – the insidious plans of the Kremlin leaders and their repressive machine.