Many soldiers of the Red Army, who were awarded orders and medals during the war, had insignia on their chests next to these state awards, established during the Great Patriotic War, and for older, experienced soldiers, they also had pre-war insignia. These badges were not a military award, awarded for courage and feat in battle, but, nevertheless, they were also considered an honorary distinction, as they indicated the high level of training of the fighter, his professionalism.
The origin of the system of award insignia in the Soviet Armed Forces dates back to the early 20s. Then it was mainly designed for a peaceful period of development, so the vast majority of military insignia created in the 20-30s with the beginning of the Great Patriotic War ceased to be produced and awarded to the soldiers of the Red Army. Indeed, the awarding of such badges as “Excellence in the Red Army”, issued on the days of the Great October Revolution, on February 23 and May 1, for excellent service and discipline, or the badge “For excellent driving of combat vehicles,” became irrelevant in war conditions. And at a time when the conscript’s combat training was only two weeks, and the recruits went into battle, at best, having shot the classic “three trial, five test” cartridges, or even not knowing how to shoot or wield a bladed weapon at all, the presentation of badges “For excellent shooting”, “For excellent cutting” or “Sniper of the Red Army” would look like a complete mockery. That is why all of the above badges went into oblivion in 1941, although the soldiers who earned these badges in peacetime continued to wear them on their tunics.
However, even in the new, military conditions, some former “peaceful” insignia of fighters retained their relevance and continued to live, because the need for such a lower form of insignia was colossal. After all, the state level of the award system at the beginning of the war was very limited in the variety of military awards. As far as we remember, at that time there were only three orders and two medals for awarding military personnel, which, naturally, could not cover all manifestations of perseverance, courage and military valor, and therefore led to a certain leveling. This did not contribute to the development of the soldier’s fighting qualities. This forced the command to retain some signs and begin searching for new types of incentives.
The pre-war insignia, preserved during the war years, included the “Excellence in the Navy” badge, established in 1939, which was awarded to Red Navy men and fleet commanders who especially distinguished themselves in combat and political training, since on ships, due to specific conditions, there were more opportunities for training recruits. The badge “For excellent artillery shooting” has also been preserved, since even in wartime artillerymen underwent more in-depth military training - the specialty was too complex, and the importance of artillery in that war was great.
The next stage in the development of this form of reward for fighters dates back to the years of the Great Patriotic War. Although the use of pre-war signs practically ceased almost completely, since they did not work, the need for this form of distinction, as already mentioned, remained, which gave rise to the search for new types of encouragement. And one of the first innovations during the war was the birth, or rather, the revival of the guard. The Guards regiments, which appeared under Peter the Great, are elite units of the Russian army, famous in wars for their courage and heroism.
One of the most dramatic moments of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War was the Smolensk defensive battle, thanks to which the German plan for a lightning breakthrough to Moscow was thwarted. It was near Smolensk that Wehrmacht units first received Hitler's order to go on the defensive. In this battle, the Soviet troops covered themselves with glory, showing great tenacity and fortitude. The 100th, 127th, 153rd, and 161st rifle divisions especially distinguished themselves. For the heroism and courage shown on September 18, 1941, in accordance with the decision of the Supreme Command Headquarters by order of the People's Commissar of Defense I.V. Stalin No. 308 they were transformed respectively into the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Guards Divisions.
Naturally, the question immediately arose of how to distinguish the guards units from others, which should have had great educational significance. The simplest decision at that time turned out to be to determine material privileges: to establish a one-and-a-half salary for command and command personnel, and a double salary for privates. It was more difficult with external differences: it was impossible to introduce a special uniform with shoulder straps for the guards, as was initially assumed, under those conditions. Therefore, they made the only correct decision for that moment of the war - to establish a special breastplate for the guard. On April 12, 1942, its development began, and already on April 18, J.V. Stalin considered the design of the sign. On May 21, 1942, the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR “On the introduction of guards military ranks for military personnel of the guards units and formations of the Red Army and the Navy” was signed and published the next day, which, in particular, spoke of a special badge for guardsmen .
Badge "Guard"
The “Guard” badge, as a symbol of elitism, belonging to the best, most heroic units, was very highly valued among military personnel; the fighter who wore it was respected by the rest of the military. The “Guard” badge was always awarded in a solemn atmosphere, in a general formation, with the carrying out of the battle flag. The younger generation, assigned to guards units and formations, received this honor only after baptism of fire, and in aviation and the navy only after several combat missions or a campaign. This rule applied to both rank and file and officers. During the war and in the first post-war years, the “Guard” badge was worn even when the serviceman served further in a regular, non-guard unit. For example, Guard Colonel V.I. After the 3rd Guards IAD, Stalin took over the command of the regular 286th IAD, remaining, as before, a guardsman. Moreover, there were often cases when a unit became a guard, and someone left for a new duty station or due to injury. Then the “Guard” badge, along with the accompanying document, was sent to the guardsman at the place of new service or to the hospital. For example, Colonel General I.Kh. Bagramyan, who commanded the 11th Guards Army, was appointed commander of the 1st Baltic Front with the rank of army general, but, as expected, continued to wear the guards badge.
In May 1942, in addition to the elite “Guard” badge, the government established a whole series of badges for excellent students in the main specialties of private and junior commanding officers of the army and navy. They were intended for warriors who systematically showed high examples of excellent mastery of weapons and other technical means, and skillfully used them in battle, causing losses to the enemy. All these signs were made in the same style - in the form of a medieval Russian shield, framed by oak leaves, in the lower part of which images corresponding to this specialty were placed. On May 21, 1942, by decree of the government, in order to encourage particularly outstanding riflemen, machine gunners, mortarmen and other specialists from among the rank and file and junior command personnel, the badges “Sniper”, “Excellent machine gunner”, “Excellent mortarman”, “Excellent artilleryman”, “ An excellent tanker”, and also – for the Navy – “An excellent submariner” and “An excellent torpedoist”. These badges were worn on the right side of the chest, and commanders of formations from brigades and higher received the right to award them (later unit commanders received this right).
Subsequently, during 1942, the range of badges to reward excellent warriors was expanded. Thus, on August 19, the “Excellent Miner” and “Excellent Sapper” signs were approved; November 4 – “Excellence in the sanitary service”, December 21 – “Excellence in the Zheldorvoysk” (railway troops).
In 1943, the list of insignia increased even more: on March 10, the “Excellent Scout” badge was introduced, on April 3 and 5 – “Excellent Signalman” and “Excellent Pontooner”, on April 30 – “Excellent Air Defense” (air defense). On July 8, 1943, a whole series of signs followed: “Excellent cook”, “Excellent baker”, “Excellent driver”, “Excellent road builder”. These insignia were awarded to the best soldiers in the rear, who ensured the successful actions of the advancing front-line units. And the last, final badge of distinction was the “Excellent Tractor Driver” badge approved on September 10, intended for the best drivers of heavy artillery tractors and military builders.
During the war, soldiers who wore the “Insignia for a minor wound” and “Insignia for a severe wound” were especially honored - a person who shed blood for his homeland evoked universal respect. All military personnel who were wounded in battles with the enemy or wounded by the enemy while performing their official duties enjoyed the right to wear these signs. The distinctive sign for a wound was a rectangular (sometimes rhombic) shaped patch with a silk braid sewn onto it - red for a light wound and yellow for a severe one. Moreover, the number of braids had to correspond to the number of wounds received by the fighter in the war.
As insignia for the ranks of the Red Army, buttonholes were sewn onto the collars of tunics, tunics and overcoats. The rank was recognized by the shape of the geometric figures attached to the buttonholes, and the specific rank by their number. There were also additional insignia in the form of galloon charcoal chevrons sewn onto the sleeves between the elbow and the cuff.
The insignia of senior command personnel were rhombuses (by the beginning of the war, replaced by 5-pointed stars), for senior officers - rectangles or, as they were also called, “sleepers”, and for junior officers - squares or cubes (in common parlance, lieutenants were called “cubes”) . For non-commissioned officers - triangles.
And so, now specifically about titles.
MILITARY RANKS OF HIGH COMMAND STAFF:
Marshal of the Soviet Union - 1 large star between laurel branches
Army General - 5 little stars
Colonel General - 4 stars
Lieutenant General - 3 stars
Major General - 2 stars
The major general's two stars are apparently somehow connected with the abolished position-rank of "brigade commander", who wore one diamond on his buttonhole.
SENIOR TEAM AND MANAGEMENT STAFF:
Colonel - 4 sleepers
Lieutenant Colonel - 3 sleepers
Major - 2 sleepers
Captain - 1 sleeper
AVERAGE TEAM AND MANAGEMENT STAFF:
Senior Lieutenant - 3 dice
Lieutenant - 2 dice
Junior Lieutenant - 1 die
JUNIOR TEAM AND MANAGEMENT STAFF:
For all ranks (except for the Red Army soldier) there was a narrow strip along the buttonhole and a golden triangle was attached to the upper corner of the buttonhole. In addition, the sergeant major's buttonhole was trimmed with gold edging.
Petty Officer - 1 stripe and 4 triangles
Senior Sergeant - 1 stripe and 3 triangles
Sergeant - 1 stripe and 2 triangles
Junior Sergeant - 1 stripe and 1 triangle
RED ARMY MEMBERS:
Corporal - 1 lane
The Red Army soldier is an empty buttonhole.
In addition to the lapel insignia, as mentioned earlier, there were also braided sleeve stripes indicating a specific rank, and in some cases, rank.
So the chevron on the sleeves of ranks from major general to colonel general inclusive was the same. the chevron for major and lieutenant colonel was also the same, since the rank of lieutenant colonel did not exist in the Red Army until 1940. These stripes were present only for combat ranks, and they were absent for quartermasters, military technicians, doctors and military lawyers. All political instructors, regardless of rank, had a red star sewn on their sleeves with a crossed hammer and sickle embroidered on it with gold thread.
In 1943, there was a change in the insignia of the Red Army. Lapel insignia are replaced with shoulder straps.
ON THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW INSIGNIA FOR PERSONNEL OF THE RED ARMY
1. Satisfy the request of the People's Commissariat of Defense and introduce, instead of existing ones, new insignia - shoulder straps for Red Army personnel.
2. Approve samples and descriptions of new insignia for Red Army personnel.*
3. The People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR to establish the deadlines for the transition to new insignia and make the necessary changes to the uniform of the Red Army personnel.**
Moscow, Kremlin. January 6, 1943
ORDER ON THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW INSIGNIA AND ON CHANGES IN CLOTHING UNIFORMS
RED ARMY
No. 25 of January 15, 1943
In accordance with the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of January 6, 1943 “On the introduction of new insignia for the personnel of the Red Army”
I order:
1. Establish the wearing of shoulder straps:
field - military personnel in the active army and personnel of units preparing to be sent to the front;
everyday - by military personnel of other units and institutions of the Red Army, as well as when wearing full dress uniform.
2. All Red Army personnel should switch to new insignia - shoulder straps in the period from February 1 to February 15, 1943.
3. Make changes to the uniform of the Red Army personnel, according to the descriptions in appendices No. 1, 2 and 3.
4. Put into effect the “Rules for wearing uniforms by Red Army personnel” (Appendix No. 4).
5. Allow the wearing of the existing uniform with new insignia until the next issue of uniforms, in accordance with the current deadlines and supply standards.
6. Unit commanders and garrison commanders must strictly monitor compliance with the uniform and correct wearing of the new insignia.
People's Commissar of Defense I. STALIN
The shoulder strap is made of specially woven braid: for field shoulder straps - from khaki silk, for everyday ones - from gold wire.
And so, the insignia is as follows:
Shoulder straps and insignia of the Soviet Union Marshals and Generals.
The size of the stars on the shoulder straps of generals is 22 mm, on the shoulder straps of generals of the medical and veterinary services - 20 mm.
Number of stars by military rank:
Marshal of the Soviet Union is one big star;
General of the Army - four stars;
Colonel General - three stars;
Lieutenant General - two stars;
Major General - one star;
On February 4, 1943, by order of the NKO of the USSR No. 51 in addition to the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of January 6, 1943 “On the introduction of new insignia for the personnel of the Red Army,” changes were made to the shoulder straps of Marshals of the Soviet Union and shoulder straps were introduced for marshals of aviation and artillery and armored forces.
October 27, 1943 by order of the NKO USSR No. 305 on the basis of the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated October 9, 1943. Additionally, military ranks have been established for senior command personnel:
ORDER OF THE DEPUTY PEOPLE'S COMMISSIONER OF DEFENSE
WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE DECREE OF THE PRESIDIUM OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE USSR
“ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ADDITIONAL MILITARY RANKS FOR SENIOR COMMAND STAFF OF THE RED ARMY”
I announce for the leadership the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of October 9, 1943 “On the establishment of additional military ranks for the senior command staff of the Red Army.”
Deputy People's Commissar of Defense
Marshal of the Soviet Union VASILEVSKY
DECREE OF THE PRESIDIUM OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE USSR
ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ADDITIONAL MILITARY RANKS
FOR SENIOR COMMAND STAFF OF THE RED ARMY
In addition to the decrees of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 7, 1940 and January 16, 1943, to establish the following military ranks for the senior command staff of the Red Army:
Chief Marshal of Artillery,
Air Chief Marshal,
Chief Marshal of the Armored Forces,
Marshal of Signal Corps,
Chief Marshal of the Signal Corps,
Marshal of the Engineering Troops,
Chief Marshal of the Engineering Troops.
Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR M. KALININ
Secretary of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR A. GORKIN
Moscow, Kremlin. October 9, 1943
The changes at the end of 1943 resulted in the following:
Marshal of Soviet Soz - 1 large star and the state emblem above
Chief Marshal (branch) - 1 large star in a wreath and the emblem of the military branch above it
Marshal (army branch) - 1 large star
There were no changes to the generals' insignia.
Shoulder straps and insignia of SENIOR AND MIDDLE COMMANDS.
On the shoulder straps of the middle command staff there is one gap and silver-plated stars;
On the shoulder straps of senior officers there are two gaps and large silver-plated stars.
The stars on the shoulder straps are metal. From junior lieutenant to captain inclusive, the size of the stars from corner to corner is 13 mm, from major to colonel - 20 mm.
Number of stars on the chase - by military rank:
Colonel - three stars,
lieutenant colonel - two stars,
major - one star,
captain - four stars,
senior lieutenant - three stars,
lieutenant - two stars,
junior lieutenant - one star.
Shoulder straps and insignia of junior command and rank and file. Field of shoulder straps:
field - from khaki cloth,
everyday - from colored cloth according to the branch of service.
Stripes on field shoulder straps for junior command and command personnel:
narrow - 1 cm wide,
wide - 3 cm wide,
longitudinal patch on the sergeant's shoulder straps - 1.5 cm wide.
The shoulder straps of junior command personnel have stripes corresponding to their military rank:
foreman - narrow longitudinal and wide transverse stripes,
senior sergeant - wide transverse stripe,
sergeant - three narrow transverse stripes,
junior sergeant - two narrow transverse stripes,
corporal - a narrow transverse stripe.
With the Bolsheviks coming to power, all military ranks and insignia were abolished. However, the experience of the civil war soon showed the need for some way of allocating command personnel. Until the winter of 1919, the process of introducing insignia was not regulated by anyone. There were insignia in the form of red armbands with the inscription of the position, a different number of red stripes around the sleeve, a different number of stars on the sleeve, headdress, on the chest, etc. These insignia were introduced by the commanders of brigades, divisions, and regiments. On January 16, 1919, by order of the RVSR No. 116, insignia of the military branches in the form of colored buttonholes on collars and insignia of commanders in the form of stripes on the left sleeve above the cuff were introduced. With this order, insignia were introduced only for combatant commanders and their deputies. Political commissars, staff soldiers, and servicemen of auxiliary services did not have any insignia according to this order. The insignia were stripes made of red fabric in the form of triangles, squares and diamonds placed above the cuffs of an overcoat, jacket, jacket, jacket, tunic or other outerwear. Above these signs was a red star cut from the same fabric with a diameter of 11 cm. for commanders from squad to regiment; diameter 14.5 cm. from the brigade commander and above.
Junior command staff wore triangles:
One is the squad leader
Two - deputy platoon commander
Three - sergeant major of a company (division)
Middle and senior command personnel wore squares:
One - platoon commander
Two - company commander
Three - battalion commander
Four - regiment commander
The senior command staff wore diamonds:
One is the brigade commander
Two - division commander
Three - army commander
Four - front commander
Very quickly other military personnel began to wear these insignia. Most often, the corresponding commander's deputies wore one badge less than the commander's. Based on the approximate correspondence of their positions to the legal status of the commanders, other military personnel began to sew on the badges.
By Order of the RVSR No. 1406 of August 22, 1919, distinctive insignia on the left sleeve above the elbow in the form of rhombuses measuring 11x8 cm were introduced for military servicemen of the military communications service. and a red armband for military commandants of railway stations and piers with the same sign depicted on it.
Until September 1935, insignia corresponded only to the position held. With the introduction of a single headdress - budenovka - in 1919, the color of the sewn star began to indicate the type of military service
infantry.........crimson
cavalry......blue
artillery.....orange
aviation.........blue
sappers.........black
border guards..green
At the ends of the collar of an overcoat or shirt, buttonholes were sewn in the color of the star. In the infantry, it was prescribed that the regimental number be painted on the buttonholes in black paint.
In April 1920, sleeve insignia of the military branches were introduced. These signs are made of cloth and embroidered with colored silk. The signs are placed on the left sleeve of the shirt or caftan in the middle between the shoulder and elbow.
Let's remember about the Cheka-GPU-OGPU
06/13/1918 the Internal Troops of the GPU-OGPU were created as a corps of troops of the Cheka
05/25/1919, together with other auxiliary troops, the Internal Troops became part of the Internal Security Troops of the Republic (VOKhR)
09/01/1920 VOKhR, reinforced by a number of contingents, formed the Internal Service Troops (VNUS)
01/19/1921 Independent troops of the Cheka were again separated from the VNUS
02/06/1922 The Cheka troops were reorganized into the Internal Troops of the GPU-OGPU.
The protection of places of detention and escort were carried out by the Convoy Guard of the Republic. Until 1923, it was part of the structure of the People's Commissariat of Justice, but was operationally subordinate to the GPU.
In June 1934, all OGPU institutions were included in the all-Union People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs (NKVD), where the Main Directorate of State Security was formed. The Internal Troops were renamed the Internal Guard of the NKVD. The first uniform for the GPU bodies and internal troops was introduced on June 27, 1922. The items of clothing and equipment adopted by the GPU bodies and troops initially differed from the Red Army only in color and some details.
Uniforms and insignia underwent significant changes in 1934.
System of official ranks of the OGPU in 1922
GPU employee
Agent 3 rank...................1 triangle
Agent 2 rank...................2 triangles
Agent 1st rank...................3 triangles
Special assignment officer. 1 square
Beginning operational point.....2 squares
Beginning inspection department.........3 squares
Beginning investigative part......4 square
Military instructor of the inspection...............1 diamond
Beginning GPU departments............2 diamonds
Deputy Beginning department of the GPU............3 diamonds
Head of the GPU department......4 diamonds
The highest military rank of Generalissimo of the Soviet Union was established on June 26, 1945 and awarded to I.V. Stalin. On the dress uniform, instead of shoulder straps, epaulettes with the Coat of Arms and a star were used.
After receiving the rank of marshal in 1943, Stalin was given a special suit. It was a closed light gray tunic with a turn-down collar and four pockets of the same cut that Soviet generals wore before the introduction of shoulder straps. The tunic had shoulder straps of the Marshal of the Soviet Union and general's overcoat buttonholes - red with gold piping and buttons. The collar and cuffs were edged with red piping. The loose-fitting trousers with red stripes were made from the same fabric as the jacket. No one else wore such a suit. In it, J.V. Stalin was depicted in official portraits and posters. He became the only uniform of the Generalissimo of the Soviet Union.
Buttonholes were the insignia of NKVD workers. In general, like all paramilitary units in the pre-war period. However, in addition to the buttonholes, insignia were also located on the sleeves of tunics and service jackets. In addition, rank could also be determined by the appearance of the departmental patch on the sleeve. The rank insignia of NKVD workers differed from those accepted in the Armed Forces. This applied not only to operational personnel, but also to NKVD troops and border guards. For the first time in Soviet history, stars appear on insignia. In addition, all NKVD employees were assigned special ranks different from military ones.
Two red sleeve truncated triangles - state security sergeant;
- three red sleeve truncated triangles - junior lieutenant of state security;
- one sleeve star embroidered with silver - lieutenant of state security;
- two sleeve stars embroidered with silver - senior lieutenant of state security;
- three sleeve stars embroidered with silver - captain of state security;
- one sleeve star embroidered in gold - state security major;
- two sleeve stars embroidered in gold - senior major of state security;
- three sleeve stars embroidered in gold - State Security Commissioner of the 3rd rank;
- four sleeve stars embroidered in gold, one of them at the bottom is a commissar of state security of the 2nd rank;
- four sleeve stars embroidered in gold, one of them at the top is the Commissar of State Security of the 1st rank;
- one large star on the cuff of the sleeve - General Commissioner of State Security.
Actually, the same thing happened on the buttonholes. The commanding officers of the GUGB wore a longitudinal tourniquet on their buttonholes, namely:
silver cord - sergeant, junior lieutenant, lieutenant, senior lieutenant and captain;
golden tourniquet - major, senior major, state security commissioner of the 3rd, 2nd and 1st rank. Well, the General Commissioner of State Security, respectively.
In addition, a departmental emblem was sewn onto the left sleeve, also indicating the rank of the owner:
From GB sergeant to GB captain - the oval and sword are silver, the hilt of the sword and the hammer and sickle are gold,
From the GB major to the 1st rank GB commissar - the oval of the shield is golden, all other details are silver.
Appendix 4.13. Military ranks and insignia of the command and control personnel of the Armed Forces of the USSR in June 1941.
|
Command staff of the Ground Forces, Air Force, Coast Guard |
Navy command staff |
Political composition |
||||
|
Rank (by branch of service) |
Insignia |
Rank |
Sleeve insignia (gold) |
Rank |
Rank insignia in the buttonhole (red star on the sleeve) |
|
|
In the buttonhole |
On the sleeve |
|||||
|
Marshal of the Soviet Union |
Big star |
Wide golden and narrow red squares |
||||
|
Army General |
Wide angle and large star (golden) |
Fleet Admiral |
Large star, lower wide and 4 middle stripes |
Army Commissar 1st Rank |
4 diamonds and a small golden star |
|
|
Colonel General |
4 narrow squares and a small star (golden) |
Small star, lower wide and 3 middle stripes |
Army Commissar 2nd Rank |
|||
|
Lieutenant General, Corps Commander |
3 stars or 3 diamonds |
3 narrow squares and a small star (golden) |
Vice Admiral |
Small star, lower wide and 2 middle stripes |
Corps Commissioner |
|
|
Major General, Divisional Commander |
2 stars or 2 diamonds |
2 narrow squares and a small star (golden) |
Rear Admiral |
Small star, lower wide and 1 middle stripe |
Divisional Commissioner |
|
|
1 narrow golden square |
Brigade Commissar |
|||||
|
Colonel |
Wide red square and narrow golden square |
Captain 1st rank |
1 wide strip |
Regimental Commissar |
||
|
Lieutenant colonel |
3 wide red squares |
Captain 2nd rank |
4 middle stripes |
Art. battalion commissar |
||
|
2 wide red squares |
Captain 3rd rank |
3 middle lanes |
Battalion Commissar |
|||
|
1 wide red square |
Lieutenant Commander |
2 medium and 1 narrow stripes |
Senior political instructor |
|||
|
Senior Lieutenant |
3 narrow red squares |
Senior Lieutenant |
2 middle lanes |
Political instructor |
||
|
Lieutenant |
2 narrow red squares |
Lieutenant |
1 medium and 1 narrow stripe |
Junior political instructor |
||
|
Junior Lieutenant |
1 narrow red square |
Junior Lieutenant |
1 middle lane |
|||
|
NKVD and GB (except border troops) |
Military ranks |
Rank insignia only on buttonholes |
||||
|
Rank |
Rank insignia in buttonholes (on the sleeve - NKVD emblem) |
Military-economic and administrative composition |
Medical (veterinary) composition |
Engineering and technical staff |
Military legal composition |
|
|
GB Commissioner 1st Rank |
4 diamonds and a star |
Colonel General of the Quartermaster Service |
Armed military doctor |
Colonel General of Technical Troops |
Armmilitary lawyer |
4 stars or 4 diamonds |
|
GB Commissioner 2nd rank |
Lieutenant General of the Quartermaster Service |
Military doctor |
Lieutenant General of Technical Troops |
Corvoenurist |
3 stars or 3 diamonds |
|
|
GB Commissioner 3rd rank |
Major General of the Quartermaster Service |
Military doctor |
Major General of Technical Troops |
Divvoenurist |
2 stars or 2 diamonds |
|
|
Senior Major |
Brigintendant |
Brigade doctor |
Brigade Engineer |
Brigvoenurist |
||
|
Quartermaster 1st Rank |
Military doctor 1st rank |
Military engineer 1st rank |
Military lawyer 1st rank |
|||
|
Captain GB |
Quartermaster 2nd rank |
Military doctor 2nd rank |
Military engineer 2nd rank |
Military lawyer 2nd rank |
||
|
Senior Lieutenant GB |
Quartermaster 3rd rank |
Military doctor 3rd rank |
Military engineer 3rd rank |
Military lawyer 3rd rank |
||
|
Lieutenant GB |
Quartermaster technician 1st rank |
Senior military paramedic |
Military technician 1st rank |
Military lawyer |
||
|
Junior Lieutenant GB |
Quartermaster technician 2nd rank |
Military paramedic |
Military technician 2nd rank |
Junior military officer |
||
|
Sergeant GB |
Junior military technician |
|||||
Notes 1. Generals of the military branches, in addition to the infantry, cavalry and border troops of the NKVD, had a prefix to the rank of their branch of troops, for example: colonel general of artillery, lieutenant general of aviation, major general of tank forces, communications, and coastal service.
2. The color of the buttonholes for each branch of the army was different: infantry - crimson, artillery and armored forces - black, air force and airborne troops - blue, cavalry - blue, economic and administrative personnel - dark green. The marshal had bright red buttonholes. The NKVD and GB troops had: border guards - bright green, GB - dark blue, all others - crimson. The political composition was distinguished by the absence of a golden frame on the buttonholes and the emblems of the military branch. Sergeants majors and sergeants had triangles in their buttonholes: junior sergeant, sergeant, senior sergeant and sergeant major - 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. Rank insignia is read from top to bottom.
In 1943, the Red Army adopted a new uniform. The new tunic was very similar to the one used in the tsarist army and had a stand-up collar fastened with two buttons. The main distinguishing feature of the new uniform was the shoulder straps. There were two types of shoulder straps: field and everyday. Field shoulder straps were made of khaki-colored fabric. On the shoulder straps near the button they wore a small gold or silver badge indicating the type of military service. Officers wore a cap with a black leather chinstrap. The color of the band on the cap depended on the type of troops. In winter, generals and colonels of the Red Army had to wear hats, and the rest of the officers received ordinary earflaps.
And now more thoroughly:
Back in the summer months of 1941, preparations were launched to provide Red Army personnel with warm clothes for the winter. Basic warm clothes, primarily fur coats and felt boots, were searched for in various pre-war warehouses, collected as aid to the army from the population, and produced by industry at an accelerated pace with allowances for simplification and reduction in cost. As a result, the active army was completely satisfied with warm clothes. Which led to some diversity in color and cut in the winter of 1941/1942.
Air Force pilot 1943-45, senior sergeant, Don cavalry units 1943
By the way, German industry was unable to provide its army with winter uniforms, and needless to say that the blitzkrieg implied the capture of Moscow before winter; already in the fall it was clear that there was no smell of blitzkrieg. And the capture of Moscow did not mean the end of the war, nor did they go to the tropics, so somewhere the German quartermasters did not work properly, so during the winter fighting, Wehrmacht losses from frostbite exceeded the number of combat losses.
Members of rear units and institutions, motor transport units of combat formations, as well as drivers of all branches of the military began to be issued a double-breasted cotton jacket instead of an overcoat. Great tension with the provision of clothing was due to the decline in the output of light industry products, some of the enterprises of which had not yet established production in the evacuation, and those remaining locally experienced difficulties with raw materials, energy and labor. For those who like to argue about whose uniform or whose tanks and planes are the best, and so on, the answer is simple.
The transfer of a very large number of defense enterprises beyond the Urals, and their launch into the technological cycle in such a short time. It has no analogues in history, it’s just that no one has ever transferred industry in such volumes and over such distances, and it is unlikely that they will transfer it in the future, the largest industrial migration. So just for this feat, the rear troops need to build a huge, enormous monument. By the way, German industry was completely transferred to a military footing only in 1943, and before that only 25% of the total indicators went to military needs.
For the same reason, the project prepared for May 1942 on the introduction of new insignia, which envisaged providing the entire Red Army with shoulder straps by October 1, 1942, was postponed.
Naval aviation pilot 1943-45, tanker winter uniform 1942-44g.g.
And only in 1943, the order of the People's Commissar of Defense I. Stalin No. 25 of January 15 “On the introduction of new insignia and changes in the uniform of the Red Army” introduced new insignia, Military uniform of the Soviet Red Army 1943-1945, and here it is the change order itself.
I ORDER:
Establish the wearing of shoulder straps: FIELD - by military personnel in the Active Army and personnel of units preparing to be sent to the front, EVERYDAY - by military personnel of other units and institutions of the Red Army, as well as when wearing dress uniforms.
All Red Army personnel will switch to new insignia - shoulder straps from February 1 to February 15, 1943.
Make changes to the uniform of Red Army personnel according to the description.
Put into effect the “Rules for wearing uniforms by Red Army personnel.”
Allow the wearing of the existing uniform with new insignia until the next issue of uniforms, in accordance with the current deadlines and supply standards.
Unit commanders and garrison commanders must strictly monitor compliance with the uniform and correct wearing of the new insignia.
People's Commissar of Defense J. STALIN.
And how many small changes and nuances followed with the introduction of a new form, let’s take, for example, gymnasts. For tunics of the existing model, the following changes are being introduced: The collars of tunics of all samples, instead of turn-down ones, are stand-up, soft, fastened with through loops in the front with two small uniform buttons. Shoulder straps of the established type are fastened to the shoulders. Sleeve insignia for tunics are abolished.
Red Army infantryman and lieutenant 1943-45.
Infantryman of the Red Army in the second half of the war. M1940 helmet is olive green, 1943 tunic has a stand-up collar, no breast pockets, on the left is the medal for the “Defense of Stalingrad” established on December 22, 1942. The difference in shade between the elements of clothing is not significant; Tolerances in manufacturing and a large number of manufacturing plants have led to a wide range of khaki, or khaki as it is called. Glass water flask, bags for F-1 and PPSh-41 grenades with a drum magazine. On the back is a simple cotton backpack or duffel bag.
Lieutenant. The cap has a crimson edging, like the cuffs of the tunic. The tunic from 1943 has internal pockets with flaps, and still wears blue breeches. The belt buckle with two teeth was introduced in 1943, in a Tokarev or TT holster, with a rocket launcher behind the belt.
Red Army. Standard infantryman field uniform 1943
The tunics of commanding personnel, instead of patch pockets, have welt (internal) pockets covered with flaps. Tunics for privates and sergeants - without pockets. On August 5, 1944, breast welt pockets were introduced on the tunics of women privates and sergeants.
Red Army, medical staff uniform 1943
Most of the medical staff were women. Dark blue berets and skirts had been part of the dress uniform for the Red Army since the pre-war days, and khaki was assigned in May and August 1942, but most women used the standard men's uniform, or wore a mixture of clothing that was more comfortable.
76 women were awarded the title "Hero of the Soviet Union", many of them posthumously. From September 16, 1944, sergeants and Red Army soldiers were also officially allowed to have chest welt pockets, but only if they received an unwearable officer's uniform after putting it in order.
Major General Ground Forces 1943-44.
Combinations of uniforms from different time periods were quite common during the war. The 1935 tunic has a fold-down collar, but shoulder straps are sewn on, with hand-embroidered lace weaves in khaki color and silver stars. Khaki cap - widely used by all officer ranks in the second half of the war. A commander bag of this type is supplied under Lend-Lease.
Military uniform of the Soviet Red Army 1943-1945.
Camouflage clothing.
Camouflage clothing, Red Army 1943-1945
A large number of different colors of camouflages were produced during the war, and were used mainly by snipers, scouts, and also for mountain troops. The camouflages are designed to be loose so that they can be worn over any combination of uniform and equipment, with large hoods to cover the helmet.
From left to right. The most common camouflage pattern consists of two parts, but there were also one-piece overalls. The colors are varied, brown, black or dark green spots on a pale olive green background. Next is the simplest form of camouflage: garlands of grass, wrapping the body, equipment and weapons to break up the image of their visual structure.
Next. By the end of the war, an alternative type of suit was produced - although not in the same quantities. It was olive green, with a lot of little loops all over the surface that held tufts of grass. And the last type of robe was used by troops during the Winter War with Finland in 1939-40. and much more widely during the Great Patriotic War.
Some photos from that time show that some overalls were reversible, but it is not clear when this was introduced or how widely it was used.
Red Army reconnaissance officer, 1944-45
This camouflage suit, produced during the Great Patriotic War, first appeared in 1944, and, it seems, was not very widespread. Pattern complexity: paler background, sawtooth seaweed pattern, and interspersed with large brown spots to break up the look. The scout is armed with a PPS-43 submachine gun, the best submachine gun of the Second World War; the German MP-40 was not lying around. The PPS-43 is lighter and cheaper than the PPSh-41, which to some extent began to replace the latter during the last two years of the war. The box magazine was much more convenient and simpler than the complex round PPSh drum. Three spare magazines in a simple flap bag with wooden buttons. Knife model 1940, Helmet model 1940; laced Lend-Lease boots.
Junior lieutenant rifle units, winter uniform, 1944
A fur coat or short fur coat, made of sheepskin, was a popular item of winter clothing, produced in both civilian and military versions. Depending on the length, it was used both in infantry and mechanized units.
Captain of the NKVD border troops, ceremonial uniform 1945.
Officer's dress jacket, double-breasted, fitted skirt. It was introduced in 1943. The version of the border troops differed from other NKVD troops, only in the green piping and color of the crown of the cap, the color of the collar buttonholes and cuffs. On the chest is the “Order of the Red Banner”, established in August 1924; medals "For Military Merit" and "For Victory over Germany".
The cap has a gilded metal cockade and a V-shaped badge with hand embroidery. Blue piping on collar and cuffs. On the chest there is a medal for “For the Defense of Moscow”, established on May 1, 1944.
Lieutenant General, dress uniform 1945.
Dress uniforms were worn by marshals and generals, commanders of fronts and formations who took part in the parade in honor of the victory over Germany in Moscow on June 24, 1945.
Uniform introduced in 1943, but not issued until the end of the war.
Sergeant. Dress uniform 1945.
Uniform with a stand-up collar with buttonholes, flaps in the back skirt, scarlet piping on the collar, cuffs and pocket flaps. The uniform was sewn to everyone's individual measurements, more than 250 new-style ceremonial general uniforms were sewn, and in total, more than 10 thousand sets of various uniforms for parade participants were produced in factories, workshops and studios in the capital in three weeks. In his hands is the standard of a German infantry battalion. On the right side of the chest are the Orders of the Red Star and the Order of the Patriotic War, above the sign of the Guard. On the left chest is the Gold Star of the "Hero of the Soviet Union", and a block of awards. All fronts and fleets were represented by participants in the parade; participants were to be awarded orders and medals. That is, real selected front-line soldiers took part in the parade.
After passing with lowered banners and standards of Germany, they were burned along with the platform, and the gloves of those carrying banners and standards were also burned.
In February 1946, the People's Commissariats of Defense and Navy were merged and transformed into a single Ministry of the Armed Forces of the USSR, and the armed forces themselves acquired new names: “Soviet Army” and “Navy Forces”.
Since 1946, work on new forms has essentially begun.
You can also order WWII shoulder straps.
The entire period of the existence of the USSR can be divided into several stages based on various epoch-making events. As a rule, changes in the political life of the state lead to a number of fundamental changes, including in the army. The pre-war period, which is limited to 1935-1940, went down in history as the birth of the Soviet Union, and special attention should be paid not only to the state of the material part of the armed forces, but also to the organization of the hierarchy in management.
Before the beginning of this period, there was a kind of disguised system by which the military ranks of the Soviet army were determined. However, quite soon the question arose about creating a more advanced gradation. Although ideology did not allow the direct introduction of a structure similar to the one currently in use, for the reason that the concept of an officer was considered a relic of the tsarist era, Stalin could not help but understand that such a ranking would help clearly establish the boundaries of the duties and responsibilities of commanders.
The modern approach to the organization of army subordination has one more advantage. The activities of personnel are greatly facilitated, since it was possible to develop individual functionality for each rank. It should be noted here that the transition to the introduction of officer ranks has been prepared for several years. The very fact that such concepts as “officer” or “general” were returning into use was perceived critically by military leaders.
Military ranks of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army
In 1932, a resolution of the Council of People's Commissars was issued, according to which the previously existing division into conventional categories was abolished. By December 1935, the transition to ranks was completed. But until 1943, the ranks of privates and junior officers still included job titles. The entire contingent was divided into the following categories:
- command staff;
- military-political;
- commander;
- military-technical;
- economic or administrative;
- medical and veterinary;
- legal;
- private
If you imagine that each squad had its own specific ranks, it becomes clear that such a system was considered quite complex. By the way, it was only possible to finish off its remains closer to the 80s of the 20th century. Reliable information on this issue can be obtained from the edition of the military regulations of the Red Army Armed Forces dated 1938.
Stalin's strange decision
The totalitarian regime, which was especially pronounced during the Great Patriotic War, did not even allow thoughts contrary to the opinion of I.V. Stalin, and his decision to return shoulder straps and officer ranks to the Red Army was openly criticized not only in the foreign press, but also by the most prominent representatives of the Soviet command.
Reform in the army took place during the hottest stages of the war. At the beginning of 1943, the officers “returned” to their previous ranks and shoulder straps. Dissatisfaction was caused by the fact that the builders of communism had long ago renounced these archaisms.
By decision of the Presidium of the USSR Supreme Court, a corresponding Decree was adopted. Until now, historians consider such a decision somewhat strange.
- Firstly, only a person who clearly understands the ultimate goals can decide to reform the army during a period of active hostilities.
- Secondly, there is a certain risk that the soldiers will feel certain steps backward, which will significantly break their morale.
Although the end justifies the means, there is always a percentage probability of a positive outcome of the reform. Naturally, the Western press saw in this the first notes of the Soviet Union's loss in World War II.
It cannot be assumed that the new shoulder straps were an exact copy of the shoulder straps of Tsarist Russia, both the designations and the ranks themselves were significantly different. The lieutenant replaced the second lieutenant, and the captain replaced the staff captain. Personally, Stalin was the initiator of the idea of using stars on shoulder straps of different sizes.
For example, the highest ranks in the USSR army have since that time been designated by large stars (marshal - one star with a coat of arms). Only later did history reveal the real reason for the leader’s decision. At all times, the era of Peter's reforms was revered and evoked a feeling of patriotism. A return to that scheme establishing the rank of each soldier was supposed to inspire the soldiers of the Red Army. Despite the war, the USSR was preparing for the Great Victory, which means that Berlin had to be taken by officers whose ranks were consistent with the ranks of the allied countries. Was there a political motive to this? Definitely yes.
Military ranks in the 50s - 80s of the century
Shoulder straps and ranks in the army of the USSR were revised more than once until the end of its existence. Almost every decade in history has been marked by reforms. Thus, in 1955, the title “Admiral of the Fleet” was abolished, and the title “Admiral of the USSR Fleet” was established. Later, everything returned to its place with the interpretation “... for consistency between the ranks of senior officers.”
In the sixties, it was decided to designate education by adding the specialty of engineer or technician. The complete hierarchy looked like this:
- junior engineer lieutenant – engineer-captain;
- Major Engineer and further respectively.
- junior technical lieutenant - technical service captain;
- Major of Technical Services and further accordingly.
By the mid-eighties, the idea had matured to completely remove the previously existing line between command personnel, to equate the ranks of military personnel with different education levels, to establish a single training profile, and to bring the ranks of the ground forces and naval forces into line. Moreover, this correspondence does not consist only in consonance. The fact is that more and more often exercises are being carried out in which several types of troops are involved simultaneously. To effectively manage the army, the names of these branches began to be excluded from ranks. By a resolution of the Presidium of the USSR Armed Forces, military ranks in the Soviet army ceased to contain special articles.
Since 1969, the procedure for wearing military uniforms has been introduced. It is now divided into front, everyday, field and work. Work uniforms are required only for privates and non-commissioned officers undergoing military service. The shoulder straps of military personnel of the ground forces, air force and navy differ in color. For the category of sergeants, foremen, warrant officers and midshipmen, the following standard is established: SV - red shoulder straps, Air Force - blue, USSR Navy shoulder straps - black.
The corporal in pursuit wears a cloth stripe located across. The SV and Air Force shoulder straps contain the letters SA, which stands for “Soviet Army.” Navy shoulder straps are distinguished not only by color, but also by the presence of a gilded letter F. Since 1933, on the shoulder straps of a petty officer, the stripe has been located lengthwise, and before that it was supplemented by a transverse stripe, forming something like the letter “T”. Receiving the new rank of senior warrant officer since 1981 is accompanied by the addition of a third star on the shoulder strap.
By the way, in the modern army the warrant officer's stars are arranged transversely, and the senior warrant officer's stars form a triangle. During the Soviet era, these stars were lined up along the shoulder strap.
The shoulder straps for the officers' dress uniform were made in gold. The edgings and stripes had the same color differences as in the previous categories. Before the 1974 reforms, the army general wore shoulder straps with four stars. After the transformations, they were replaced by one large star together with the coat of arms of the USSR. The same can be said about Navy veterans.
Senior officers with the rank of marshal, in addition to the star on their shoulder straps, wore a special badge indicating the type of military service. Accordingly, it was added to the rank as an addition. This provision has been abolished only in the Russian army, which was formed in 1992. The highest rank in the Soviet Union is Generalissimo. Today the President of the Russian Federation is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, and the marshal is considered the second in importance in the hierarchy.