True to her words, the Reich Marshal soon leads the Rusviet delegation to another Leman Russ, parked inside a concrete hangar. When the Rusviets see the second metallic behemoth, they notice technicians and engineers performing external work on the tank. Some are calibrating the engine block, and others are applying a new coat of paint to the vehicle. Regardless of their tasks, they do add credibility to the Leman Russ design, thus reinforcing the idea that the Reich is Hellbent on mass-producing the armored beast in the mind of the foreign delegation. Unlike the prior Leman Russ which was explained to be a Breakthrough Pattern with heavy weaponry, this Leman Russ is designated an Assault Pattern. Armed with a generous amount of automatic weapons, the Assault Pattern can shred anything but the most heavily armored targets.
Instead of the 150mm howitzer of the Breakthrough Pattern, the Assault Pattern features twin 75mm long-barrelled cannons in the turret, with a pair of MG-35s for the tank commander. Down in the hull, the 57mm gun taken from the Panzer III M is replaced with a pair of 37mm autocannons. The same can be said for the side sponsons which are now fitted with a pair of 37mm autocannons and a MG-35 machine gun each.
When Rokossovsky was first introduced to the Leman Russ, he could imagine a potential infantry ambush might be able to overwhelm the tank with accurate use of AT weapons. However, such a tactic has a significantly lesser chance of success when an infantry unit faces the Assault Pattern Leman Russ. The amount of suppression this Leman Russ variant can dish out is just too great for anything short of a heavily armored unit to counter. Even then, an armored unit may not be able to counter any Leman Russ the Belkans will field, owing to its absurd protection and firepower on all of its variants. The only thing Rokossovsky can see that should work to a certain extent is overwhelming artillery fire or airstrike. Throw enough firepower into a problem, and pray it might be solved. It's a solution that worked when the first tank ever graced the battlefield, hopefully, it still holds up against the behemoth the Belkans are constructing... Is this really what Rokossovsky should be thinking about right now though? Unless something seriously goes off the rails, Belka and Rusviet will be best of buddies for the foreseeable future. Even with his ambition, Stalin is not that oblivious to Belka's strength and its necessity in his grand vision.
... Rokossovsky hopes he hasn't jinxed himself.
Still, when it comes to the Leman Russ, the Marshal allows them to closely inspect the tank while she is suddenly needed elsewhere. As the Rusviets start to mingle with the Belkan mechanics under supervision, Rokossovsky and his more knowledgeable subordinates notice an interesting lineup. By the sides of the hangar are damaged metal plates, held aloft by trolleys and steel frames with numerous scribbles on the plates describing armor thickness and the cause of damage. What catches Rokossovsky's attention is the armor plates that are angled at a 60-degree slope with thickness ranging from 45mm to 60mm, all of them are cleanly penetrated through with holes of varying sizes. While it may be a stretch, or it's just Rokossovsky's paranoia acting up, the Rusviet General thinks that the plates are arranged in a very specific manner, very much akin to a program that is being developed in the Union. The T-34 Affordable Universal Tank program. If his suspicion is proven true...
Rokossovsky needs to verify the veracity of his suspicion, but he will need to do this subtly. From what he has seen so far, this place is a military proving ground, and the hangars around him are where the Belkans store their projects and materials for testing. It may be a risky move to gain access to the other hangars, but Rokossovsky is confident in some of his men's subterfuge. It also helps that there's a sudden onset of rain that occurs in the area, it will help mask any act that's about to be committed. The Rusviet General needs to distract the Belkan guards somehow...
-------------------------------------------------------------
"Seriously, raining?"
"Well, since you already slackened the security around the hangars to invite the Rusviets into making a move, I figured why not help facilitate it?"
"Heh, if Rokossovsky and his men manage to fuck up their covert actions with your subtle help, I won't even know whether to laugh or cry."
"We shall see then, my dear. Are the guards there instructed with anything?"
"They're on a standard guard command, I can't just make it too easy for them by telling the guards to ignore everything."
"Heh... I can see where you're coming from."
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
------------------------------------
That was quite lucky of them.
When the rain arrived, Rokossovsky managed to convince the guards to join them inside the Leman Russ' hangar, if only to not let themselves be soaked. The Rusviet General then had some of his men gather around and share their cigarettes and stories with the Belkans, creating a distraction that lasted just long enough for two of his men to sneak out the side door of the hangar.
Now that these two Rusviets are outside, they realize something they missed earlier. It's raining, and they will be drenched the moment they step beyond the cover provided by the hangar. If these two Rusviets are soaked when all of them are supposedly still inside the somewhat busied Leman Russ hangar, a brief questioning will be the last of their concerns. Thinking fast, one of the Rusviets searches around the area, seeing what seems to be a waterproof tarp covering a waste disposal area. The man motions to his buddy, with the latter gritting his teeth before pulling on the dirty tarp and holding it over their heads. Together, the pair dashes straight to the hangar across after ensuring the coast is clear. Ducking in the shadow of the building, the Rusviets huddle together, with one of them pulling out a lockpicking set while another is trying to peer through the viewing slit on the door.
"You always bring a set with you?"
"It's my good luck charm, never fails me when I need it." Their conversation occurs in hushed whispers. Seconds later, the Rusviets unlock the door with a soft click, allowing them entry into the first hangar.
Coming inside, the first thing the two Rusviets see is a stack of boxes with Belkan markings. One of them tries to read the labels on the boxes but ultimately gives up when he doesn't understand the Belkan classifications. It's also unwise to pry open these boxes so the best thing they can do is to maneuver around them. After walking ten steps, they reach the corner of the hangar where a workstation is set up. On it are papers and instruments, with the former being what the Rusviets have a keen interest in. One of them moves closer, reaching out into their pocket for a Minox subminiature camera, something that was given to him stealthily by Rokossovsky. When the Rusviet begins the process of photoing the papers, he also gleans their contents, feeling disturbed by what he is seeing.
"What in tarnation...?
"Luchenko, you may wanna take a look at this..."
Turning around, the one holding the camera is shocked when his friend pulls down a tarp, thus revealing a tank that is coated in a distinct Rusviet military green. On instinct, the former snaps an immediate photo of the tank while the latter comments in a shocked whisper.
"What the Hell... Isn't this...?"
"The T-34. Fucking Hell the Belkans somehow acquired one." The cameraman comments while his partner moves to touch and inspect the tank in disbelief.
"... Damn it. This is a legit tank. The armor seems solid enough and the tracks are used well enough if we go by the mud that is still on them. Heck, there's even some on the driver's hatch and whatever the Belkans did, there are gun residuals on the barrel."
"Since when did you become a tank expert."
"Since the tank still needs to roll through mud and dirt like us, dumbass. Unless you think it's better to try and force the hatch open for the interior?"
The cameraman shakes his head before snapping pictures of the details listed by his friend. "Better not risk it, the last time we saw one in action back home, the hatch groaned like a bitch."
"Yeah... We might have missed the significance of this finding if General Rokossovsky hadn't brought us to one of the T-34's trials. The General won't like this news, Luchenko."
"Neither will Moscow, comrade. Just the Belkan Leman Russ will get the capital's pants in a twist, imagine just how devastating this news will be. I won't be surprised if we see someone or an entire group, being axed for this. The T-34 is too big, too obvious for an undercover act of any kind, unless..."
"The Belkans received help to get a whole operational unit down here... Fuck."
"Fuck... Come on, I think we have overstayed our welcome at this point. Let's just double back and don't risk it any further. This intel is too hot to hold on for long."
"Agreed."
Making their way out silently while covering their track, even making sure the door is relocked, the pair of Rusviets rejoins the delegation surprisingly without any hitch. General Rokossovsky has been covering for them real nicely, so for now, none of the Belkans seem any wiser. The pair breathes a suppressed sigh of relief when the sky clears up and their tour is resumed normally. Covertly, the Rusviet cameraman passes the Minox to Rokossovsky, thus ensuring the contents are in safer hands. Though none of them are looking forward to unveiling the photos inside any time soon.
------------------------------------------------------------------
"For some reason, I can't help but feel bad for Mikhail Koshkin, the man just wanted to build tanks."
"Stealing his blueprint is much easier than stealing a tank. All we need is to build the tank up from scratch and create the illusion that we stole their tank wholesale, something that is quite unheard of. This way, Stalin's paranoia will be acting up in full swing."
"Thus canceling the Rusviet's acquisition of T-34 tanks at the very least, worse, Koshkin's team will even face the firing squad."
"Hopefully, it won't be to such an extent. Koshkin is a rare talent, after all, his gift is better off used elsewhere."