▁concerned ▁not ▁only ▁t anks , ▁but ▁also ▁small ▁weapons , ▁and ▁was ▁personally ▁awarded ▁a ▁w rist ▁watch ▁by ▁Georg y ▁Zh uk ov . ▁Kal ash nik ov ▁served ▁on ▁the ▁T - 3 4 s ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 4 th ▁T ank ▁Regiment , ▁ 1 0 8 th ▁T ank ▁Division ▁station ed ▁in ▁S try i ▁before ▁the ▁regiment ▁retre ated ▁after ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Bro dy ▁in ▁June ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁He ▁was ▁wounded ▁in ▁combat ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Bry ansk ▁in ▁October ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁and ▁hospital ised ▁until ▁April ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁In ▁the ▁last ▁few ▁months ▁of ▁being ▁in ▁hospital , ▁he ▁over he ard ▁some ▁fellow ▁soldiers ▁bem o an ing ▁their ▁current ▁rif les , ▁which ▁were ▁pl ag ued ▁with ▁reli ability ▁issues , ▁such ▁as ▁jam ming . ▁As ▁he ▁continued ▁to ▁over he ar ▁the ▁compla ints ▁that ▁the ▁Soviet ▁soldiers ▁had , ▁as ▁soon ▁as ▁he ▁was ▁dis charg ed , ▁he ▁went ▁to ▁work ▁on ▁what ▁would ▁become ▁the ▁famous ▁A K - 4 7 ▁assault ▁rif le . ▁ ▁See ing ▁the ▁draw back s ▁of ▁the ▁standard ▁inf antry ▁weapons ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁he ▁decided ▁to ▁construct ▁a ▁new ▁rif le ▁for ▁the ▁Soviet ▁military . ▁During ▁this ▁time ▁Kal ash nik ov ▁began ▁design ing ▁a ▁subm achine ▁gun . ▁Although ▁his ▁first ▁subm achine ▁gun ▁design ▁was ▁not ▁accepted ▁into ▁service ,