A gas mask was always worn over the right shoulder in a square bag with a wide adjustable shoulder strap. Pouches (two-piece, made of leather or tarpaulin-leather, with a fastener on tapered brass pins, for 6 rifle clips; or even a pre-revolutionary model - leather, with a forward-folding lid and side fasteners) were placed on both sides of the belt buckle. In the late 30s, improved ones appeared - with rings for the hooks of the backpack straps. They resembled three-section German Mauser pouches. A flask in a case hung behind the right pouch. Along with aluminum, glass with a rubber or wooden stopper was widely used - fragile, but cheap. Military uniform of the Soviet Red Army, winter 1940, infantryman equipment. Next, a small paddle was hung in a canvas case with a flap, which was fastened to a strap with a buckle.

Red Army uniform 1918-1945 (143 photos)

The top commanding staff of the Red Army wore, in addition to overcoats, sheepskin coats, with a clip-on lining made of sheared sheepskin, leather raglans, insulated budenovki, chrome boots with felt, felt boots, felt boots or white felt cloaks, gloves with fur lining. a quilted jacket-sweatshirt (called a pea jacket) was worn under the overcoat. Military uniform of the Soviet Red Army, quilted jackets In a quilted jacket, tied with a belt with pouches, a shovel and a flask, they fought without overcoats.

Attention

Quilted wadded trousers with knee pads were used to protect the feet from cold, these clothes are still used in winter. Cavalry wadded jackets mod. 1931, covered with cotton fabric or cloth, these jackets became the prototypes of simple wadded pea coats for the Red Army.

Aloban75

Tank helmet of the 1936 model of the year photo From the cylindrical vertical posts, the valves of the headphones moved back from the cylindrical vertical posts. The rollers were stuffed with hair (technical cotton was also used to fill the avisentovies).

The radio equipment was housed in enlarged bosoms and pockets with adjustable valves. The back piece could be folded back, the top was pulled together with a transverse strap.

The sides of the cap of the helmet, issued before the war, had ventilation holes with blocks. From the end of 1942, a significant part of tank helmets were equipped with aviation-type radio equipment - oval blackened metal cups for telephones, a laryngophone and connecting cords with connectors.
tank helmet 1936, materials were changed. Dark blue moleskin overalls for a tanker with patch pockets and a detachable back flap, the belt of which, which had a sliding buckle, was usually covered with a waist belt.

Piping trims the top and ends of the collar. On the collar of the uniform, at an equal distance from its upper and lower edges and 1 cm from the ends, buttonholes (without edging) are sewn from instrument cloth (color according to the type of troops) 8.2 cm long and 2.7 cm wide. the established form has one or two strips, sewn with gold or silver thread, intertwined with silver or gold thread: strips 5.4 cm long and 6.5 mm wide with a gap between them 0.5-1 mm.

The sleeves of the uniform are double-hemmed, with straight stitching cuffs, edged at the top and ends. On the cuffs of the sleeves, in accordance with the established form, there are two or one vertical buttonholes (columns) embroidered with gold or silver.

Leaves are sewn on the back toe, at the ends of which one large button is sewn. Edging along the edge of the port side, collar, leaflet and cuffs, color - according to the type of troops.

WWII 1941-1945 documentary photo (100 photos)

And how many small changes and nuances that followed, with the introduction of a new form, take, for example, gymnastics. For the gymnasts of the existing model, the following changes are introduced: The collars of the tunics of all models instead of the turn-down ones - standing, soft, fastened with through loops in the front on two shaped buttons of a small size.

Info

Shoulder straps of the established pattern are fastened on the shoulders. The sleeve insignia of the tunic are canceled. Red Army infantryman and lieutenant 1943-45 Red Army infantryman in the second half of the war.

Yes, 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, therefore, during the winter hostilities, the Wehrmacht's losses from frostbite exceeded the number of combat losses. The composition of the rear units and institutions, motor transport units of combat formations, as well as drivers of all branches of the military, instead of an overcoat, began to be given a double-breasted wadded jacket.

The great tension with the provision of clothing was due to the decline in the output of light industry products, some of whose enterprises had not yet established production in the evacuation, and those who remained in the field were experiencing difficulties with raw materials, energy and labor. For those who like to argue whose form or whose tanks and aircraft are the best, and so on, the answer is simple.
Transfer of a very large number of defense enterprises beyond the Urals, and their launch into the technological cycle in such a short time.

Summer uniforms of the red army for the period 1940-1943:

Large military stocks of food, weapons and clothing located in the border military districts fell into the hands of the enemy or surrounded. Red Army soldier, infantry 1941-43. The resources of uniforms for replenishment turned out to be significantly reduced, in connection with which, on July 13, 1941, it was decided to temporarily replace the cap with a cap, and the overcoat with a wadded jacket or quilted jacket for the period of training conscripts in spare parts. By the end of the sixth week of the war, the vulnerability of command personnel (primarily command personnel) and generals at the front became obvious due to their too noticeable differences. The commander of a rifle division of the Red Army 40-41 years old Division commander uniforms of the highest quality materials and tailoring. On the cap, a circular cockade was introduced for generals in 1940. Scarlet stripes, jacket sleeve cuffs with piping, colored buttonholes.
Waist belt introduced in 1935.

Oh, msbro!

Machine gunner in a raincoat, 1943-45 Scout in summer camouflage, 1943-45 Scout in summer camouflage, 1943-45 Scout in summer camouflage, 1943-45
Scout in autumn camouflage, 1943-45 Scout in autumn camouflage, 1945 Scout in autumn camouflage, 1945 Machine gunner in winter camouflage, 1943-45

Officer in winter uniform, 1943-45 Major in field uniform, infantry, 1943-45 Red Army in winter uniform, internal troops of the NKVD, 1943-1945

Guard senior sergeant, infantry, 1944 Partizan Pavel Lipatov, 1943-44 Senior Lieutenant, Internal Troops of the NKVD, 1943-45
Lieutenant Colonel in everyday uniform, internal troops of the NKVD, 1943-45 Shooter, penalties, 1943-45 Senior sergeant, Don Cossack cavalry units, 1943. Junior sergeant in winter uniform, road service, 1943-45. Red Navy, Marine Corps, 1943-44
The uniform of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA), which was a collection of items of military uniforms, equipment and insignia, differed sharply from all analogues that existed in the pre-war years. It was a kind of material embodiment of the abolition of the class division of citizens and civil (and then military) ranks, declared by the Soviet government in November 1917. The Bolsheviks believed that in the free army of the new state of workers and peasants they were creating, there could be no external forms that would indicate the power and superiority of some over others. Therefore, following the military ranks and ranks, the entire system of external insignia that existed in the Russian army was canceled - stripes, shoulder straps, orders and medals.
In the appeals, only titles by position have been preserved.
All buttons are shaped, brass. The color of the edging for infantry, quartermaster and military-legal services is crimson, for artillery, auto-armored forces, medical and veterinary services - red, for aviation - blue, for cavalry - light blue and for engineering troops - black. The color of the buttonholes for infantry, quartermaster and military legal services is crimson, for artillery and armored vehicles - black, for aviation - blue, for cavalry - light blue, for medical and veterinary services - dark green and for engineering troops - black. The color of sewing on buttonholes for the quartermaster, military-legal, medical and veterinary services is silver, for everyone else it is gold. Attached shoulder straps of the established pattern.

Female military uniform 1941 1945 photo

Pilot of naval aviation, 1941-45, rifle-gunner, mountain rifle units, 1942-43 On August 3, 1941, a new female uniform was installed (for non-combatant command personnel): a khaki beret, dress and coat. Dress cut sample 1937 from cotton fabric, later a similar dress appeared from woolen fabric. For women in command and combat positions, the tunic, skirt and overcoat were retained. On August 11, 1941, a secret order stopped the issuance of new clothing items to the personnel of the rear units and institutions of the Red Army. All free new uniforms by August 25 should have been transferred to the provision of units leaving for the front. artilleryman, summer 1941 Pilotka replaced Budenovka from the late 1930s, although most officers prefer traditional caps. The pilot was more comfortable in the field.

Women's military uniform 1941-1945 photo

It has no analogues in history, just in such volumes and at such distances, no one has ever moved the industry, and is unlikely to transfer it in the future, the largest industrial migration. So just for this feat, the rear officials need to build a huge, enormous monument. By the way, German industry was completely transferred to a war footing only in 1943, and before that, only 25% went to military needs of the total. For the same reason, the project on the introduction of new insignia, prepared for May 1942, was postponed, which assumed by October 1, 1942 to provide the entire Red Army with shoulder straps. Pilot of naval aviation 1943-45, tankman winter uniform 1942-44 And only in 1943, the order of January 15 of the People's Commissar of Defense I.

- SHINEL: Introduced by order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR No. 733 dated December 18, 1926. Single-breasted overcoat made of gray overcoat cloth. Turn-down collar. Hidden clasp with five hooks. Split welt pockets without flaps. Sleeves with stitched straight cuffs. The fold ends in a slot at the back. The strap fastens to the posts with two buttons.

The overcoat for the command and command staff was introduced by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR No. 005 dated February 1, 1941. The overcoat is double-breasted, with cut-off lengths on the chest. Overcoat clasp with five button loops. Floors with side grooves and two transverse slit pockets covered with flaps. Turn-down collar with buttonholes sewn at the ends. The collar is fastened with a crochet loop. The back has an opposing fold in the middle along its entire length. Columns with buttons are sewn along the waist line on the back, on which a strap is fastened. There is a slit (slot) in the middle of the back below the waist, which is fastened with four button loops. The sleeves are double-seam and end with straight cuffs.

№1 -Soldier in an overcoat of the rank and file; №2 -Sergeants in greatcoats, 1945; №3 -Illustration - single-breasted soldier's overcoat of the Red Army; №4 -Soviet officers in greatcoats. In the center is an officer in a rank-and-file overcoat. Outskirts of Zubtsov, 1942; №5 -Soviet officers in 1943 greatcoats; №6 -Illustration - a double-breasted officer's overcoat of the Red Army.

- WOODEN JACKET AND PANTS: The first example of this new type of winter uniform was. The jacket is made of tricot-diagonal mottled waterproof impregnation in khaki color. On each side of the jacket there are five through loops and five large uniform buttons. The turn-down collar fastens with one metal hook and loop. On the side of the lower collar there is a strap (spinner). The jacket has two side slanting welt pockets with straight flaps. There is a stitched yoke on the floors and backrest. The back is stachny. On the back, at the corners of the yoke to the bottom, two planks are sewn from the main material along the line of the strike. Holes are left on the slats at the waist level for passing the waist belt. One metal hook is sewn on the side seams to support the waist belt. The jacket has double sleeves without cuffs, with a half-strap sewn into the front seam of the sleeve, and is fastened with one loop and a large uniform button. The collar, sides, flaps, tops of the pockets, half-ribbed sleeves, stitching of the belts and the yoke were sewn at a distance of 0.5 cm from the edge. The bottom of the jacket is folded by 2.5 cm.

The next model was a quilted quilted jacket, introduced by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR No. 283 dated August 25, 1941. A jacket with a stand-up collar replaced the old quilted jacket worn under an overcoat. Now either a jacket or an overcoat was issued. The jacket has a straight stitch, quilted on cotton with parallel lines, and is fastened with five buttons. On the sides of the floor there are stitched pockets sewn into the side seams. There are two side loops at the waist to support the belt. The sleeves end at the bottom with a small slot and cuffs, fastened with one button with a belt loop sewn to the end of the outer half of the cuff.

Wadded trousers are also quilted with parallel stitches. Fastened with 4 buttons. Belt loops on the belt. At the bottom of the legs there are pull-down straps.

№1 -Wadded jackets arr. 1935 on tankers 116 Tbr. 1942; №2- Wadded jacket mod. 1942 (photo not available); №3 -Illustration - wadded jackets arr. 1935 and 1942; №4 -Scouts in quilted jackets; №5 -Young mortarman in a padded jacket with a turn-down collar; №6 - Illustration - wadded quilted jackets (quilted jackets).

- SINGLE SHIRT: Introduced by order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR No. 20 dated December 23, 1931. The short fur coat is made of tanned sheepskin and fastens with hooks *. The sheepskin coat has a long skirt, two vertical welt pockets with leaflets and steep reliefs on the back. The turn-down collar of a sheepskin coat is made of white sheepskin with the fur outside and fastens with one hook and a strap sewn from the inside of the collar.

* Since 1940, the sheepskin coat was fastened with external loops-straps made of basic leather with cut off fur and large light or uniform buttons.

- WINTER MITTENS: Three-fingered, textile.

№1 -Soviet officers in sheepskin coats, inspecting the German winter shoes for the sentry; №2 -Colonel A.I. Lizyukov talks with tankers in sheepskin coats. 1941; №3 -Illustration - short fur coats of the Red Army; №4 -Uniform sheepskin coat on the commander of the anti-aircraft crew. Stalingrad area; №5 - Major in a sheepskin coat. 1941; №6 -Officers of the 4th Airborne Corps in sheepskin coats, during the Vyazemsk airborne operation, winter 1942

Literature / Documents:

• Types of fabrics used for sewing Red Army uniforms (article, composition, color, application). ()
• Rules for wearing uniforms by personnel of the red army of January 15, 1943. (download / open)
• A typical list of clothing items of junior commanding officers and rank-and-file personnel of the Red Army for summer and winter for peacetime and wartime. Introduced by order of the NKO of the USSR No. 005 dated February 1, 1941. ()

In the early morning of June 22, 1941, German troops attacked the border of the Soviet Union on a wide front from the Baltic to the Black Sea - the Great Patriotic War began. Tank troops of the Wehrmacht and the Red Army by this time were the strongest and most numerous in the world. What did the people look like when they took their places behind the levers of combat vehicles on both sides of the front?

The abundance of samples of uniforms and equipment accepted for supply in the Red Army led to the fact that tankers, even within the same military unit or unit, could be equipped in different ways. The commanders of the light tanks of the Red Army and the Wehrmacht shown in the photo look like what thousands of tankmen looked like on the first day of the war. If possible, the most common options for uniforms and equipment are indicated in the descriptions, but, of course, the material cannot claim to be exhaustive.

Wehrmacht

1.Pilot.

In the summer of 1941, on the heads of German tankers, one could most often see a black cap (Feldmütze M34). This headgear replaced the special tank beret (Schutzmütze), introduced with the tank uniform on November 12, 1934.

The beret was made of black woolen cloth, equipped with an inner frame made of thick felt-fabric pillows and performed a protective function, protecting the head from blows inside the tank. However, wearing a beret with headphones turned out to be difficult, it did not look very nice on the head and was inconvenient in everyday life. All this led to the fact that the tankers did not like the beret and tried, at any opportunity, to replace it with a combined-arms cap.

Finally, on January 15, 1941, the berets were officially discontinued and replaced with a cloth cap for tank units. This did not apply to the crews of the Pz.Kpfw. 38 (t) tanks and the drivers of armored vehicles. Occasionally, the beret continued to be worn in other parts, but this was rather an exception.

The pilot for tankers completely repeated the cut of the usual Wehrmacht caps, but was made not from the gray-green fabric accepted for the army (Feldgrau), but from black cloth, which was used for the rest of the uniform of the tank troops. A round cockade in the colors of the national flag was sewn on the front of the cap, above it was a "corner" made of soutache according to the color of the branch of the military (Waffenfarbe), and on top was an eagle - the national emblem. For each branch of the army, the Wehrmacht used its own edging color, shoulder straps and soutache (the so-called instrument color). For tankers it was pink.

2. Safety glasses.

Often, the tank commander watched the battle, leaning out the hatch, while various goggles were used to protect the eyes. The photo shows one of the most common options - such glasses were called "chanterelles" for the shape of the glass. In them, an aluminum frame with triplex glass and rubber seals was held on the head by a tape with an elastic band.

2. Binoculars.

In the ground forces of the Wehrmacht, binoculars 6 × 30 (sixfold increase and a front lens diameter of 30 mm) became widespread. In military binoculars, a reticle was applied, which made it possible to determine the distance and size of objects on the ground. Binoculars were stored and carried in cases made of various materials: leather, bakelite, etc. The case could be worn on a belt, threaded through special loops, or on a shoulder strap. They could carry binoculars without a case, putting it on the neck.

In addition to German binoculars, trophies were often used - for example, the photo shows Soviet-made binoculars, which outwardly almost completely correspond to the German ones.

3. Shirt and tie.

Under the tank jacket it was necessary to wear a regular shirt (Heershemd) with a tie. For tankers, it was gray, with a turn-down collar. The shirt, worn over the head, was long, up to the middle of the thigh, had slits at the bottom on the sides and was fastened with buttons at the top. The buttons did not reach the bottom of the shirt. Sleeves - long, with cuffs, fastened with buttons. There were no pockets on the chest of the shirt. The tie was black, civilian options were allowed.

In the hot summer of 1941, in a combat situation, German tankers often took off rather warm tank jackets and remained in their shirts. Because of this, it was difficult to determine the rank of tankers - officers were distinguished only by the corresponding version of the cap. In rare cases, to eliminate confusion, officers sewed shoulder straps on their shirt on their own.

4. Tank jacket.

A special black tank uniform (Sonderbekleidung der Deutschen Panzertruppen) was introduced in the German army on November 12, 1934, to be worn by tank troops. It was used with minor changes until 1945. There is a legend that the then chief of staff of the motorized troops, Colonel Heinz Guderian, was involved in the development of the tank uniform, that it was he who chose the color and came up with the design with a fitted short jacket based on the popular ski suit of the time. The color black was chosen because it is less visible on dirt, soot, oil and gasoline drips, which are inevitably present in every tank or armored vehicle.

The tank jacket (Fieldjacke) was made of black woolen cloth. On the sides of the jacket, hooks were provided to support the waist belt. It had no protruding buttons or pockets that could catch on to something in the tightness of the tank, and the double smell on the chest protected well from wind or draft. In general, the jacket was similar to modern leather biker jackets, the famous "leather jackets". The upper two buttons of the jacket were not fastened when worn, the lapels were turned away. In case of bad weather, the jacket could be fastened with all the buttons, and the collar could be raised up and covered with the neck.

On the shoulders of the jacket through a belt loop and on a button, shoulder straps were fixed, on the right side of the chest since 1936, an eagle was sewn - the national emblem of Nazi Germany, on the left sleeve there were corner non-commissioned officer stripes-winkels. The edge of the wide collar had edging in the color of the military branch (Waffenfarbe), and on the collar were fastened buttonholes of tank troops with skulls.

The black cloth buttonholes of the German tank crews were in the shape of an oblique parallelogram. Along the perimeter, they got off with an instrument color, in the center was the emblem of the tank forces - a skull with crossed bones. Due to the similarity of the tank emblem with the skull from the cap of the SS troops, Panzerwaffe tankers were often mistaken for SS men with all the ensuing consequences for them. Until now, the black uniform and skull and bones easily mislead the inexperienced reader.

Iron Cross Ribbon.

On September 1, 1939, with the outbreak of the war, the Order of the Iron Cross was restored on Hitler's orders. In general, the overall appearance of the award repeated the design of its predecessor, but had some differences: a swastika in the center of the cross and the year the award was established in the Third Reich on the lower ray.
The lowest grade of the award was the Class II Iron Cross. Those awarded wore a ribbon in the colors of the flag of Nazi Germany, threaded into the second buttonhole of a field uniform or a tank jacket. Sometimes tankers took liberties in wearing the ribbon: in many photos it is threaded through the first buttonhole.

Breastplate "For a tank attack".

This badge for Panzerwaffe tank crews, established on December 20, 1939, has several names in Russian: "For a tank battle", "For a tank attack", "Assault tank badge". In German it is called more simply, but also not quite briefly - Panzerkampfwagenabzeichen (literally "tank badge"). To be awarded this badge, it was necessary to participate in three or more separate tank attacks, or to be wounded during a combat operation, or to show special courage during a combat operation, or to receive another award for bravery on the battlefield.
By June 22, 1941, there were two varieties of this sign: silver and bronze. The introduction of the bronze badge was required to award the servicemen of the tank forces, not belonging to tank crews: infantrymen of tank divisions, medics, crew members of assault guns, etc.

5. Waist belt.

A buckle belt (Leibriemen mit Koppelschloss) in the Panzerwaffe was the standard used for the rest of the Wehrmacht. By June 1941, two main types of soldier buckles were widespread in the ground forces, visually differing: with the Wehrmacht eagle and swastika and with the Reichswehr eagle.

The belt of privates and non-commissioned officers was made of a thick wide strip of leather, to which a hook and a strap with holes for the buckle teeth were sewn to adjust the fullness of the belt. The buckle was put on the belt, and its teeth entered the holes of the strap, after which the belt was fastened with a hook.

For tankers, the belt was not the basis for placing all the equipment, like for the infantry, and carried a more decorative function - the cut of the uniform made it possible to perfectly do without a belt, which can be seen in many historical photographs. The belt was needed on the formations, as well as for carrying personal weapons in a holster. In this case, the holster was placed on the left side or front left on the stomach.

6. Personal weapons.

Most of the German tankers were armed with one of two types of pistols chambered for 9 × 19 mm - "Luger" P08, aka the famous "Parabellum", or "Walter" P38 (pictured).

The Luger was developed at the beginning of the twentieth century, but has established itself as a powerful, reliable and accurate weapon. Due to its characteristics and recognizable appearance, it was a coveted trophy among the soldiers of the armies of the anti-Hitler coalition. "Walter" was a relatively new design, developed in 1938, and by the beginning of the war with the USSR, a large number of these pistols were in service with Panzerwaffe tank crews.

The pistol was carried in a holster, hanging on a waist belt either on the left side or shifted forward, on the left side of the abdomen. In the photo, the German tanker is armed with a Walther P38 pistol, under which two types of holsters were used: one massive, molded leather, often referred to among collectors as a "suitcase", the second simplified - it is shown in the illustration.

7. Tank pants.

Pants (Tuchhose) were added to the tank crew's beret and jacket on November 12, 1934. Just like the beret and the jacket, they were made of black woolen cloth.

The cut of the trousers was reminiscent of the ski trousers of the time, tightly wrapped around the waist and not restricting the movement of the legs, with wide, straight-cut trousers, gathering around the ankles. The trousers had two slant pockets with figured flaps in the front and two pockets with flaps in the back. All the valves were closed with buttons. Also, a small pocket for a watch was made in front. The trousers were fastened with buttons and pulled at the waist in front with the help of a strap sewn to the belt.

Trousers were sewn unchanged until 1945. Identical in cut, they were worn by all tankers, regardless of rank, from private to general, because no edging or stripes were provided.

8. Boots.

There were two main types of footwear for Panzerwaffe tankmen in the summer of 1941. The first is lace-up boots (Schnürschuhe). Tank trousers were gathered around their bootlegs and fastened with a button, covering the upper part of the boots and forming a characteristic silhouette.

Usually tankers used standard boots supplied by the Wehrmacht. However, service in the tank forces did not provide for long pedestrian crossings, so the traditional infantry iron spikes and horseshoes on toes and heels were used extremely rarely. In addition, boots or boots lined with iron slipped on the armor of tanks and armored cars, which posed an additional danger to the owner of the shoe.

In addition to boots, tankers wore ordinary marching boots (Stiefel) with wide, short tops, sometimes shortening them on purpose. The soles and heels of the boots, as well as the boots, tried not to knock out. If the tanker wore boots, the legs of the trousers were tucked into the boot and worn with slouch. Boots were more comfortable than boots: they did not require lacing, they could be quickly put on or removed. Historical photographs show that the wearing of boots was widespread in the Wehrmacht's tank forces.

Red army

9. Headset.

The RKKA tank helmet, developed in the mid-30s of the twentieth century, by virtue of its design, created the silhouette of a Soviet tanker, which is easily recognizable to this day. It turned out to be so successful that a similar design is still used in the Russian army both by the crews of tanks and other armored vehicles, and, with some simplifications, in the Airborne Forces as a jump helmet.

By 1934, the tank forces of the USSR were growing and actively developing, the number of tanks was already in the hundreds. There was a need to develop tank overalls, one of the elements of which was a headset. Headsets were sewn from strong and dense black material, which is sometimes called "tarpaulin" in documents (photo above), but in this case it is important not to confuse it with the material of soldiers' boots, with which the fabric has nothing in common. Another, rarer material was thin black leather (pictured).

The helmet was lined with a bike, on which rollers stuffed with horsehair, felt, cut cloth or technical cotton were sewn on. Opposite the ears, pockets with valves were made into which headphones could be inserted, and due to the straps on top and on the back of the head, it was possible to adjust the size of the headset to the tanker's head. The headset was fastened with a chin strap. Summer and winter versions of the headset were produced - the latter had a fur lining inside.

Protective glasses.

To protect the eyes of tankers from dust, branches and small stones during the movement, special safety goggles were relied on. Their designs were very different, but the photo shows the most common type, which can be found almost unchanged even now.

Points were awarded to all, without exception, crew members of tanks, transport vehicles, car drivers and their assistants, tractor drivers, mechanics, drill crews of auto parts, servicemen of military and auxiliary units of mechanized formations.

Structurally, the glasses were ordinary glasses in a frame, fixed on a leather or leatherette headband, which was kept from falling off by an elastic band with an adjusting buckle. Thanks to the design, the glasses were compactly folded and did not take up much space during storage.

10.Gymnast.

Until February 1, 1941, the uniform of the tankers, including the gymnast, differed from other branches of the armed forces in color: it was "steel". However, then this difference was eliminated, and in the spring of 1941, the tankers received a summer tunic and trousers of a single green color. By June 22, 1941, private and junior command personnel of the tank forces were dressed in soldier's uniforms of the 1935 model, on which tank buttonholes were sewn.

The gymnastics shirt of the 1935 model was introduced into the Red Army to replace the gymnast of the 1931 model. Two pockets were sewn on the chest, closed with buttons with buttons. It was also fastened with buttons hidden under the bar. Elbow pads were sewn on the elbows from an additional layer of fabric. Sleeves - with cuffs fastened with two buttons. Shirts were made of cotton melange fabric.

The gymnast had a turn-down collar, on which colored buttonholes with a field and edging according to the type of troops were sewn, in this case - black and red. In the corner of the buttonhole was attached the emblem of the branch of the military - a golden stylized silhouette of the BT tank. The tank emblem was introduced on March 10, 1936. Tank collar tabs were made of black velvet for senior and middle command personnel, for privates and junior command personnel there were cloth options.

11. Palette for cards.

For carrying and convenient use of topographic maps in the Red Army, a special double-leaf bag-pallet was used. It is this piece of equipment that is often called a tablet, often confused with a field bag. The palette was attached to the field bag and was worn inside or instead of it.

A palette was made of leather, closed on top with a valve. In order to prevent the valve from accidentally opening, two buttons were provided, and in order to prevent the entire bag from opening, a small strap with the same button was made in the lower right corner. Inside the palette was one large compartment that held a folded topographic map. For ease of use, the inner partition of the palette was made of transparent celluloid, which protected the card from rain and scratches.

When carried, the palette either clung to the couplings of the uniform 1932 camping equipment, or slung over the shoulder on a thin leather strap. After World War II, this piece of equipment was abandoned, making a compartment for cards inside the field bag.

12. Equipment of the sample of 1932 and 1935.

On July 1, 1932, a single marching equipment was introduced for the middle, senior and higher commanding personnel of the ground forces of the Red Army, often named after the year of acceptance for supply. The belt from this equipment is very similar to that used later in the Soviet and Russian armies. The main difference is in the material of the buckle: it was not brass.

Equipment was made of leather of various shades, from dark brown to brownish red or almost yellow. The set of equipment included a waist belt with a two-toothed buckle, on which two muffs with half rings at the top and bottom were put on. The ends of the shoulder straps were fastened to the upper half rings, a field bag and straps for the checker (by those to whom it was relied) were attached to the lower ones. In addition, the equipment included a holster for a revolver, a field bag and a card pallet.

In the field guard version, it was supposed to wear a whistle in a case with a cord on one of the shoulder straps, a flask in a case on the belt and binoculars in a case around the neck, and a gas mask in a bag was worn on top. Depending on the form of clothing and the type of troops, the uniform marching equipment was worn with one or two shoulder straps. The pilots wore only one shoulder strap.

On December 3, 1935, new uniforms and insignia were introduced for all personnel of the Red Army. The waist belt underwent significant changes, the buckle of which was made of brass with a slotted five-pointed star. He began to fasten with one pin, and the double shoulder straps were abandoned.

By 1941, the troops used both types of equipment for middle, senior and higher command personnel, tankers were not regulated to wear one or two shoulder straps. In addition, judging by the photographs and films, the uniform camping equipment of 1932 or 1935 could be worn by foremen and assistant political instructors.

13. Personal weapons.

The main personal weapon of the tank commander and driver was the Nagant revolver of the 1895 model with some minor changes made to the design in the USSR in the 1920s – 1930s.

One of the important reasons why the revolver was the main personal weapon of tankers was the presence in the turrets of tanks of special loopholes that could be closed from the inside, through which the crew, if necessary, could shoot back from the enemy. The main Soviet TT pistol was poorly suited for these purposes: its barrel could not be put into the loophole. Nevertheless, with a shortage of "revolvers" tankers were given exactly TT.

The revolver was carried in a holster on the right side. The holster (top photo) was used from a 1932 camping gear set, in which case the shoulder straps clung to the half rings on it. In another variant of wearing, the holster was simply worn on the waist belt of the 1932 or 1935 model.

Private and junior command personnel could wear a holster on a simple soldier's belt, but more often a version of a holster with a special shoulder strap was used. In this case, the waist belt pressed the holster strap to the body, excluding its swinging when moving. In 1940, a universal holster appeared for the TT pistol and the Nagant revolver (bottom photo). It was worn similarly to the early holster.

14. Field bag.

It was used by the command staff, first in the army of the Russian Empire, and later in the Red Army. In the 1920s, it underwent some design changes, and in 1932 it entered the uniform marching equipment of the command staff of the Red Army.

A bag was intended for storing and carrying documents, a compass, a curvimeter, a ruler, writing utensils and a tool. Often personal belongings were placed in it. A field bag was worn on a waist belt or on a special strap over the shoulder. It was closed with a flap, which was fixed with a strap through a buckle. The field bag was originally made of leather, but in 1941 some bags were made of dark green tarpaulin. After World War II, a significant change was made to the design of the field bag - they made a compartment for cards, covered with transparent celluloid to protect against moisture when used in the rain.

Compass.

The oldest military compass was designed in 1907 by V.N.Adrianov. It had a simple design and phosphorescent illumination of the hand and dial for night operation.

The compass body was made of bakelite, which was fitted with a rotating brass (later aluminum) ring. Inside the compass case, there was a circular dial-limb, divided into 120 divisions. For sighting local landmarks and taking readings on the compass scale, a sighting device is made on the outside of the rotating compass ring: a front sight, a rear sight and a readout indicator in the form of an arrow on the inner side of the ring. The compass could be worn on the hand, in the stowed position it was carried in a field bag. It was part of the 1932 uniform camping equipment. Used when working with a map and orienteering.

15. Overalls.

Overalls appeared as a type of special clothing for tankers in the 20s of the twentieth century. In the Red Army, overalls for tankers were accepted for supply in the next decade. Early examples of this garment were made from strong dark blue dyed cotton and were fastened with buttons. Later, a flap appeared at the back, a zipper was introduced. The main purpose of the overalls is to protect the uniform from dirt when riding in a tank and performing technical work.

The jumpsuit was a combination of a jacket and trousers, which make up one whole. A flap was made at the back of the waist. The collar of the overalls is turn-down, with a hook fastener. Sleeves are three-seam, with elbow pads and with drawstring straps for tightening the bottom of the sleeve, without cuffs. Two adjusting buttons for straps were sewn on the bottom of the sleeve. The legs at the bottom had straps for tightening, also fastened with adjusting buttons. Rhombus-shaped knee pads were sewn onto the front of the legs, and reinforcements-lei were sewn on the back.

The belt was sewn to the detachable flap at the back and tightened with a metal buckle at the front. On the sides of the jumpsuit, two hooks were sewn at the waist, onto which the metal loops of the valve were thrown, holding it in a buttoned position. The overalls had one pocket with a flap on the left half of the chest and one pocket on the right thigh, covered with a half-flap; the flaps of the pockets were fastened with a button.

Along with a zipper, overalls were also made with a button fastening covered with a strap. The color of the fabric of the jumpsuit was not necessarily dark blue - it could be gray, there are references to khaki jumpsuits. Black overalls appeared in the army only after the start of the Great Patriotic War. Buttonholes similar to gymnast ones could be sewn onto a turn-down collar of a jumpsuit. Historical photographs show jumpsuits with or without buttonholes.

16. Boots.

Initially, leather yuft boots were the only footwear of a Russian soldier: boots with windings were introduced only at the beginning of 1915, when the army dramatically increased in numbers and boots began to be in short supply. In the Red Army, boots were supplied to supply all types of troops.

In the mid-30s of the USSR, a material was invented, which is now commonly called "tarpaulin". Artificial sodium butadiene rubber with imitation of leather texture was applied to the fabric base. This material was used for the manufacture of individual pieces of equipment and for sewing soldiers' boots. The tank units of the Red Army received leather boots made of yuft or cowhide leather. Boots with windings or tarpaulin boots were not required for tankers.

The Great Patriotic War, which lasted four years, dramatically changed the Red Army, which, after the terrible defeats of 1941, by the spring of 1945, was able to turn the tide and win. However, the Soviet soldier not only gained experience, but also externally transformed. The special project Warspot for the next anniversary of Victory will help to figure out exactly how the uniform and equipment of the Red Army soldier changed during the years of the Great Patriotic War.

The interactive image shows two Red Army infantrymen: a regular army soldier on June 22, 1941 and a victorious sergeant on May 9, 1945. Even from the photo you can see how over time the uniform and equipment were simplified: something turned out to be too expensive to manufacture in wartime, something did not take root, something did not like the soldiers and was removed from supply. And some items of equipment, on the contrary, were spied on from the enemy or taken as a trophy.

Not everything in the placement of items of equipment in the photo is done according to the charter and instructions: for example, a 1941 soldier wears a 1939 model knapsack, and his cape-tent is not removed inside the knapsack. The 1945 soldier carries only one magazine bag for the submachine gun, although he was supposed to have two. Nevertheless, in reality, the soldiers of the described periods often looked like this.

To get information about each of the items of equipment of the Red Army, move the cursor over the red markers in the image and click on them. The arrow at the end of the equipment item description will help you quickly return to the main image after reading.

Belt. The soldier's waist belt is the basis for placing equipment and equipment. By 1941, the Red Army was using several types of soldiers' belts with a width of 35 or 45 mm. In addition to the width, the material from which they were made also differed: it was leather or braid with leather reinforcements (both types are shown in the photo). All types of soldier's belts were united by one thing - the design of the belt buckle. It was a single-toothed metal frame. When fastening the waist belt, the buckle had to be in the left hand.

1932 aluminum flask. Aluminum soldier's flasks have been produced in Russia since the beginning of the 20th century. At first, a rubber or cork stopper was used as a cap, which was plugged into the neck. On March 2, 1932, a new standard for metal flasks with a capacity of 0.75 and 1.0 liters was approved, which became mandatory on May 2, 1932. Flasks could be made of aluminum, tin or brass. The main difference between the new flasks was that they were closed with a screw plug with a fine thread, which had five turns. After the war, with the resumption of the production of aluminum flasks, the thread became larger by three turns.

In reality, aluminum flasks with a screw cap began to be produced in 1937. The main production was in Leningrad, at the Krasny Vyborzhets plant. In the fall of 1941, with the beginning of the blockade, production ceased, and again aluminum flasks for the Red Army began to be produced only in 1948. The flask was carried in a special case designed to be worn on a belt. There were several types of covers: sample 1937 with a drawstring on the side, a simplified 1937 cover without lacing, sample 1941 - just such a flask is shown in the photo.

Cartridge bag. The two-slot cartridge belt bag is sometimes called the 1937 sample bag. Unlike earlier designs, which had a box-like design, this bag had two separate pockets that were fastened with a strap behind a pin. By design, the bag resembled the version used in the Wehrmacht, differing in the number of sections: the Germans had three of them. On the back of the bag, in addition to the straps for threading the waist belt, a quadrangular ring was sewn for the front hooks of the backpack straps. Each infantry soldier armed with a 7.62 mm Mosin rifle was entitled to two cartridge belt bags.

Initially, each section of the cartridge bag was designed for 15 rounds - three clips or one cardboard box. Later, the wearable ammunition load was increased: they began to put one more clip with bullets up, but it was inconvenient to remove it. If the ammunition was issued in paper bundles, then one bundle and ten cartridges in bulk were placed in each nest of the bag. A cartridge bag was made of leather, but since February 1941, it was allowed to make the main sections of the bag from tarpaulin. Production continued throughout the war and for some time after it.

Steel helmet model 1936 (SSh-36). The first Soviet steel helmet, designated SSh-36, was created at the end of 1935. It was produced from 1936 to 1939, and since its inception, it has undergone several changes to the sub-body device and the methods of its attachment. Production unfolded with problems and a strong lag behind the plan, in addition, the SSh-36 revealed shortcomings, which gave impetus to further work to improve the shape of the helmet and the search for a new alloy.

In total, about two million SSh-36 helmets were produced. These helmets were used by the soldiers of the Red Army on Khasan and Khalkhin Gol, some were sent to Republican Spain, they were in all infantrymen during the Polish campaign, they were massively worn in the Soviet-Finnish war. By the beginning of World War II, SSh-36 was in the army in large numbers and was one of the main types of helmet. Some samples can be seen in photographs of 1945: many SSh-36s survived in the Far East at the time of the outbreak of the war with Japan.

Knapsack model 1939. To replace the duffel bag in 1936, a knapsack was adopted to supply the Red Army, which is structurally similar to the German one. However, military operation revealed some inconvenience in using it, so by the end of 1939 a new knapsack appeared. In front, it had hooks for hooking into cartridge bags, for which a metal quadrangular ring was sewn onto the latter. A strap with a hook was provided for fastening to the waist belt when carrying on the soldier's back at the bottom of the knapsack. In addition, there were two more straps running from the straps to the bottom of the pack, one of which could be quickly dropped. With the help of these straps, the satchel was adjusted according to the height.

In a knapsack, they carried linen, a towel, spare footcloths, hygiene items and clothes repair, a kettle with a mug and a spoon, rifle accessories, and a set of groceries. A raincoat-tent and accessories to it were attached from below, and a greatcoat roll was attached around the perimeter of the knapsack. In the stowed position, a helmet was also fixed on the knapsack. On January 31, 1941, by order of the NKO of the USSR, along with a grocery bag for infantry soldiers, a lightweight knapsack of the 1941 model was introduced, which was a reworked version of the 1939 knapsack. By June 22, the troops could see the satchels of all the listed samples, as well as the 1930 duffel bag.

A 1936 bowler hat. The name is not official, according to the date of adoption for the supply of a new set of equipment for an infantryman of the Red Army in 1936. There are many other names: oval, flat, etc. The pot was made by stamping from a sheet of aluminum with a handle made of steel wire at the Krasny Vyborzhets plant in Leningrad. The design was borrowed practically unchanged from a similar German bowler, but the Soviet-style lid was slightly higher and had a different number of rivets securing the lid handle.

The pot itself was intended for the first course, the second was given out into the lid. In the assembled position, the lid was held on the pot by a folding bar with a hook, which served as a handle when eating. Such a bowler hat was used in the Red Army along with earlier models, gradually replacing them by the beginning of the war. At the end of 1941, production was discontinued due to the outbreak of the blockade of Leningrad and the shortage of aluminum, resuming with minor differences only after the war.

Boots with windings. For the first time, boots with windings appeared in the Russian Imperial Army due to the shoe crisis in early 1915, when an acute shortage of boots was discovered. Cloth-wrapped boots were best suited for the mainstream army, as they took less leather to make and were cheaper. After going through the Civil War, boots with windings ended up in the Red Army, where they were used in infantry units along with boots. In technical units, cavalrymen, tankmen were relied only on boots.

The windings in black, gray or green khaki were made of cloth tape, usually 10 centimeters wide and about 2.5 meters long. The end of the winding was folded and stitched in the form of a triangle, into the top of which a lace or braid was sewn. Winding the windings required a certain skill - as, indeed, wrapping a leg with a footcloth. The windings were kept rolled up, while the lace was inside. The soldier was winding up the winding; the first turns were made the tightest and covered the upper part of the boot, the last ones almost reached the knee. The lace was tied at the top, hid under the upper turn and did not allow the winding to unwind. Boots with windings walked on the feet of the infantry until the victorious 1945 year.

7.62 mm rifle model 1891/30 Mosin systems. This five-shot magazine rifle chambered for 7.62 × 54 mm was adopted by the Russian Imperial Army on April 16, 1891. The design was based on the development of Captain S.I. The rifle turned out to be very successful and fought the Russo-Japanese, World War I and the Civil War.

In 1930, structural changes were made to the design. The receiver, sights and bayonet mount have been changed. The changes were not introduced immediately, and the rifle of the 1891/30 model acquired its final form only in 1935-1936. Other changes were also tested: for example, a new bladed bayonet instead of a needle bayonet or replacing the wood used in the production of the stock and butt with other materials.

Despite the Simonov AVS-36 automatic rifle adopted in 1936 by the Red Army, and then the Tokarev SVT-38 and SVT-40 self-loading rifles, the simpler and cheaper Mosin rifle remained the main small arms of the Red Army infantry in 1941 and later. After the outbreak of the war, its production remained at a high level until 1945, with the constant introduction of various kinds of simplifications into the design.

Model 1935 soldier's gymnast. It was accepted for supply in the Red Army to replace the earlier 1931 model of the gymnast. It was made of cotton melange fabric, fastened with buttons hidden under the placket. On the chest there are two pockets, on the elbows there are elbow pads made of an additional layer of fabric. The tunic had a turn-down collar, on which buttonholes with edging were sewn on according to the type of troops. The Red Army infantry had a crimson field of buttonholes and a black edging. In the upper part of the buttonhole, the emblem of the branch, introduced in July 1940, was attached - a target with crossed rifles.

By a resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of January 18, 1941, protective collar tabs were introduced for the personnel of the Red Army for wartime, and on August 1, 1941, by an order of the NKO, protective emblems and insignia were introduced. The same order canceled the wearing of colored collar tabs at the front and in marching units, but for a long time at the front, personnel infantry units were with colored collar tabs and insignia, unmasking the Red Army soldiers.

Adopted to supply the Red Army with the same order as the 1935 gymnast, the trousers remained unchanged throughout the Great Patriotic War. They were breeches with a high fit, well-fitting the waist, loose in the upper part and tight-fitting calves.

Small infantry shovel. For digging in, the soldier was supposed to have a small infantry shovel MPL-50 (the total length of the shovel is 50 cm; during sapper work and construction, it was also used as a measuring tool). By 1941, both pre-revolutionary shovels with a straight cutting edge and Soviet shovels were used in the Red Army, in which the front part had a pointed end to facilitate digging in, and the blade itself was pentagonal.

Structurally, the shovel consisted of a tray (blade) with bent upper edges, a front strand (extension of the tray), a lining with a rear strand, a crimp ring and a wooden handle. The lining with the rear strand was riveted to the tray with five rivets, after which the handle was inserted between the straps, tightened with a crimp ring, and then the strands were riveted together with the handle with rivets, one of which passed through the crimp ring. The shovel was carried in a case on a waist belt, for which loops were made on the case. They used either leather covers from pre-revolutionary stocks, or cloth covers, made of tarpaulin or canvas.

Spare cartridge bag. The fighter's wearable ammunition was placed not only in belt cartridge bags - a spare was also intended for this. Structurally, it was a rectangular bag made of harsh canvas with a flap-lid and long loops for hanging on a waist belt. It was closed with a button or a wooden boss-toggle, and an additional leather or rope loop was sewn to protect it from accidental unbuttoning.

A spare cartridge bag was worn on a belt and put on together with a left belt cartridge bag. Visually, it hung below the main one, hence the name, which is common in modern everyday life for all products intended for carrying equipment and equipment on a belt or a tactical vest - "pouch". The cartridges were carried in a spare bag in packs or clips. It contained two cardboard (30 cartridges) or three paper (60 cartridges) packs or eight clips in two rows (40 cartridges), two of which were stacked bullets up. In combat conditions, cartridges in a spare bag were often carried in bulk.

Pomegranate bag.

The bag contained two old grenades of the 1914/30 model or two RGD-33 (pictured), which were stacked with the handles up. Detonators lay in paper or rags. Also, four F-1 "lemons" could fit into the bag in pairs, and they were located in a peculiar way: on each grenade, the ignition socket was closed with a special screw plug made of wood or Bakelite, while one grenade was placed with the cork down, and the second up. With the adoption of new models of grenades during the war for the Red Army, placing them in a bag was similar to the F-1 grenades. Without significant changes, the grenade bag served from 1941 to 1945.

Grocery bag. It was accepted for supply to the Red Army by order of the NKO of the USSR on January 31, 1941, was part of the items of full and lightweight marching equipment for infantry soldiers. The bag was intended for storing and carrying in the field a pot with bread or breadcrumbs embedded in it, an emergency supply of food (concentrates or dry rations), a mug and a spoon. If necessary, an additional supply of cartridges could fit into it.

It was an oblong bag with a flap lid. The outer corners of the side walls were rounded, and lace ties were sewn on top of them. It was worn on a waist belt at the back, in the center of the back. Loops were sewn on the back of the belt for carrying. The bag was closed with two straps through special buckles. It was made of tent fabric with waterproof impregnation with a lining of harsh canvas. Relatively few grocery bags got into the troops: the piece of equipment is typical for infantry soldiers of 1941, it is found in photographs of 1942.

Gas mask bag sample 1936. An obligatory item of equipment for every fighter was a gas mask carried in a special bag. By 1941, the supply of the Red Army had several types of gas masks and filters for them. The photo shows a 1936 gas mask bag, which contained a mask, filter, hose, antipyretic cape, accessories for processing clothes, weapons and skin after a chemical attack.

The bag was made of canvas or tarpaulin, it had three compartments on the inside and two pockets on the outside. The back of the bag was encircled by a braid with a carabiner and a ring for fastening around the body in the "ready" position. In the stowed position, the cord was rolled up, and was worn inside the bag with the proviso "to have anti-chemical protection means ready in reconnaissance and in battle - always, and on the march and when resting - by order."

A gas mask bag was worn over the right shoulder on the left side, over an overcoat and the rest of the uniform. When using a ghillie suit, the bag was hidden underneath. The upper edge of the bag was supposed to be at the level of the belt - the height was adjusted due to the length of the belt. Gas mask bags of the 1936 model were sewn, according to a number of sources, until 1944.

Shoulder strap. It was included in the lightweight camping equipment, but was constantly worn along with the full camping equipment. The main purpose is to distribute the weight of the equipment placed on the waist belt on the shoulders of the fighter and prevent it from slipping or twisting. This problem was partially solved by wearing a knapsack of the 1936, 1939 or 1941 model, where hooks on the belt and cartridge bags were provided, but the soldiers did not always go with knapsacks.

Structurally, the shoulder strap is a Y-shaped webbing construction, through the loops of which the waist belt is threaded. The strap was used only at the initial stage of the Great Patriotic War, despite all its obvious benefits. Moreover, not some photographs show that captured straps were also used by German soldiers. Soviet soldiers, instead of using the straps, began to tighten the waist belt tighter, which only partially saved the equipment from warping and slipping. In many ways, this is why they went on the attack light, shoving grenades and ammunition into their pockets and a duffel bag.

Steel helmet SSh-40. Modernization of the SSH-39 helmet, accepted for supply to the Red Army in June 1939. The design of the SSH-39 eliminated the shortcomings of the previous SSH-36, but the operation of the SSH-39 during the Soviet-Finnish war of 1939-1940 revealed a significant drawback: it was impossible to wear a winter hat under it, and the standard woolen comforter did not save you from severe frosts. Therefore, the soldiers often broke off the SSh-39 under-body device and wore a helmet over a cap without it.

As a result, in the new helmet SSH-40, the underbody device was significantly different from the SSH-39, although the shape of the dome remained unchanged. Visually, the SSh-40 can be distinguished by six rivets around the circumference at the bottom of the helmet dome, while the SSh-39 has three rivets, and they are located at the top. The SSh-40 used a three-petal under-body device, to which shock absorber bags stuffed with technical cotton were sewn on the reverse side. The petals were pulled together with a cord, which allowed adjusting the depth of the helmet on the head.

The production of the SSh-40 began at the beginning of 1941 in Lysva in the Urals, and a little later in Stalingrad at the Krasny Oktyabr plant, but by June 22, the troops had only a small number of these helmets. By the fall of 1942, helmets of this type were made only in Lysva. Gradually, the SSh-40 became the main type of helmet for the Red Army. It was produced in large numbers after the war and was removed from service relatively recently.

Belt. Due to the fact that leather was expensive in processing and was often required for the manufacture of more durable and responsible items of equipment, by the end of the war, a waist belt made of braid, reinforced with elements of leather or split leather, became more widespread. This type of belt appeared before 1941 and was used until the end of the war.

Many leather waist belts, differing in details, came from the Lend-Lease allies. The 45 mm wide American belt shown in the photo had a single-toothed buckle, like its Soviet counterparts, but it was not made of round wire in cross-section, but was cast or stamped, with clear corners.

The Red Army soldiers also used captured German belts, which, due to the pattern with the eagle and the swastika, had to modify the buckle. Most often, these attributes were simply grinded, but if there was free time, the silhouette of a five-pointed star cut through the buckle. The photo shows another version of the alteration: a hole was made in the center of the buckle, into which a star from a Red Army cap or cap was inserted.

Glass jar. Glass flasks were widely used in many armies around the world. The Russian Imperial Army was no exception, from which this type of flask was inherited by the Red Army. While tin or aluminum flasks that were produced in parallel were more practical, cheap glass containers were good for a massive conscript army.

In the Red Army, they tried to replace glass flasks with aluminum ones, but they did not forget about glass either: on December 26, 1931, another standard was approved for the manufacture of such flasks with a nominal volume of 0.75 and 1.0 liters. With the beginning of the war, glass flasks became the main ones: the shortage of aluminum and the blockade of Leningrad, where most of the aluminum flasks were produced, affected.

The flask was closed with a rubber or wooden stopper with a string tied around the neck. Several types of cases were used for carrying, and almost all of them provided for carrying a flask on a strap over the shoulder. Structurally, such a cover was a simple fabric bag with rope ties at the neck. There were options for covers with soft inserts to protect the flask in case of impact - these were used in the Airborne Forces. The glass jar could also be carried in the belt pouch used for aluminum jars.

Bag for box magazines. With the advent of box magazines for the Shpagin submachine gun and the development of a Sudaev submachine gun with similar magazines, it became necessary for a bag to carry them. A magazine bag for a German submachine gun was used as a prototype. The bag contained three magazines, each of which was designed for 35 rounds. Each PPS-43 was supposed to have two such bags, but wartime photographs show that often submachine gunners carried only one. This was due to a certain shortage of stores: in combat conditions, they were consumables and were easily lost.

The bag was sewn from canvas or tarpaulin and, unlike the German one, was greatly simplified. The valve was fastened with pins or wooden toggle bosses, there were also options with buttons. Loops were sewn on the back of the bag for threading the waist belt. Shoulder bags were worn in front, which provided quick access to loaded magazines and stacking empty ones back. The stacking of magazines up or down with the neck was not regulated.

Duffle bag. This piece of equipment, nicknamed "sidor" from the soldiers, was a simple bag with a strap and a rope tie at the neck. He first appeared in the tsarist army in 1869 and without significant changes entered the Red Army. In 1930, a new standard was adopted, which defined the appearance of the duffel bag - in accordance with it, it was now called the "duffel bag of the Turkestan type", or the duffel bag of the 1930 model.

The bag had only one compartment, the top of which could be pulled with a rope. A shoulder strap was sewn to the bottom of the bag, on which two straps were put on for fastening on the chest. Three rope loops were sewn on the other side of the shoulder strap to adjust the length. A wooden toggle boss was sewn to the corner of the bag, to which the loop of the shoulder strap clung. The shoulder strap was folded into a "cow" knot, into the center of which the neck of the bag was threaded, after which the knot was tightened. In this form, the bag was put on and carried behind the fighter's back.

In 1941, there was a change in the appearance of the 1930 duffel bag: it became slightly smaller, the shoulder strap became narrower and received a lining inward on the shoulders, which required its stitching. In 1942, a new simplification followed: the lining in the shoulder strap was abandoned, but the strap itself was made wider. In this form, the duffel bag was produced until the end of the 40s. Due to the simplicity of manufacture, the duffel bag became the main means for carrying the personal belongings of the soldiers of the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War.

Yuft boots. Initially, the boots were the only footwear of the Russian soldier: boots with windings were accepted for supply only at the beginning of 1915, when the army dramatically increased in numbers and the boots were no longer enough. Soldier's boots were made of yuft and were supplied to the Red Army to supply all types of troops.

In the mid-30s in the USSR, tarpaulin was invented - a material with a fabric base, on which artificial butadiene - sodium rubber with an imitation of the texture of the skin - was applied. With the beginning of the war, the problem of supplying the mobilized army with footwear arose sharply, and "damn skin" came in handy - the boots of the Red Army soldier became tarpaulin. By 1945, a typical Soviet infantryman was shod in kirzachi or boots with windings, but seasoned soldiers were eager to get leather boots for themselves. The photo shows the infantryman boots with leather soles and leather heels.

The pot is round. A pot of a similar round shape was used in the army of the Russian Empire, made of copper, brass, tinned tin, and later of aluminum. In 1927, at the Krasny Vyborzhets plant in Leningrad, mass production of stamped aluminum round bowlers for the Red Army was launched, but in 1936 they were replaced by a new flat bowler.

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, in the fall of 1941, the production of round bowlers was again established in Lysva in the Urals, but from steel instead of the scarce aluminum. The return to the round shape was also understandable: such a bowler hat was easier to manufacture. The Lysva plant has done a tremendous job, which has significantly reduced the cost of production. By 1945, the total production of round army bowlers amounted to more than 20 million pieces - they became the most massive in the Red Army. Production continued after the war.

Submachine gun Sudaev, model 1943 (PPS-43). Many experts consider it to be the best submachine gun of the Great Patriotic War. The PPP combined simplicity of manufacture and maintenance, as well as reliability in operation in comparison with other samples. When developing the PPP, it was taken into account that mass weapons should be produced, including at non-core enterprises with not the best machine tools. The parts of the PPS that required complex machining were only the bolt and the barrel, everything else was made by stamping, flexible, riveting and welding.

PPS was equipped with a box magazine for 35 rounds of 7.62 × 25 mm. With a folding stock and a curb weight of a little over 3.5 kg, he was very fond of soldiers, especially tankers, paratroopers and scouts. The production of the first batches of PPS-42 was deployed in 1942 in Moscow, then in besieged Leningrad. In 1943, following the results of military tests and the deployment of production, a number of changes were made to the design. The resulting sample was adopted as a Sudaev submachine gun of the 1943 model, or PPS-43. After the end of World War II, it was produced in many countries, both the Warsaw Pact and in Finland, Germany and Spain.

Model 1943 soldier's gymnast. It was introduced by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR dated January 15, 1943, to replace the 1935 gymnast. The main differences were in a soft stand-up collar instead of a turn-down collar. The collar was fastened with two uniform buttons of a small size. The front placket was open and was fastened with three buttons through loops.

Attached shoulder straps were placed on the shoulders, for which belt loops were sewn. A soldier's gymnast had no pockets in wartime, they were introduced later. Pentagonal field shoulder straps were worn on their shoulders in combat conditions. For the infantry, the shoulder strap was green, the edging along the edge of the shoulder strap was crimson. The stripes of the junior command staff were sewn in the upper part of the shoulder strap.

Pomegranate bag. Each infantryman had hand grenades with him, which were regularly carried in a special bag on a waist belt. The bag was located at the back left, after the cartridge bag and in front of the grocery bag. It was a rectangular cloth bag with three compartments. Two large grenades were packed, the third, small - detonators for them. The grenades were brought into firing position immediately before use. The material of the bag could be tarpaulin, canvas, or tent cloth. The bag was closed with a button or a wooden boss-toggle.

Two old grenades of the 1914/30 model or two RGD-33s were placed in the bag, which were stacked with the handles up. Detonators lay in paper or rags. Also, four F-1 "lemons" could fit into the bag in pairs, and they were located in a peculiar way: on each grenade, the ignition socket was closed with a special screw plug made of wood or Bakelite, while one grenade was put with a stopper down, and the second up (grenades with a screwed-in fuse , as in the photo, of course, they did not put it in the bag). With the adoption of new models of grenades during the war for the Red Army, placing them in a bag was similar to the F-1 grenades. Without significant changes, the grenade bag served from 1941 to 1945.

Small infantry shovel. During the war, the MPL-50 small infantry shovel underwent a number of changes aimed at simplifying production. At first, the design of the tray and shovel remained generally unchanged, but the attachment of the lining with the rear strand began to be carried out by electric spot welding instead of rivets, a little later they abandoned the crimp ring, continuing to fasten the handle between the straps with rivets.

In 1943, an even more simplified version of the MPL-50 appeared: the shovel became one-piece stamped. In it, the lining with the rear cord was abandoned, and the shape of the upper part of the front cord became even (before that it was triangular). Moreover, now the front strand began to twist, forming a tube, fastened by riveting or welding. The handle was inserted into this tube, tightly hammered until it was wedged with a shovel tray, after which it was fixed with a screw. The photo shows a shovel of intermediate series - with strands, without a crimp ring, with a spot-welded lining.

Gas mask bag sample 1939. By 1945, no one removed the gas mask from the supply of the Red Army soldiers. However, four years of the war passed without chemical attacks, and the soldiers tried to get rid of the "unnecessary" item of equipment by handing it over to the train. Often, despite the constant control of the command, the gas masks were simply thrown away, and personal belongings were carried in the gas mask bags.

During the war, soldiers of even one unit could have different bags and gas masks of different types. The photo shows a gas mask bag of the 1939 model, released in December 1941. The bag, made of tent fabric, closed with a button. It was much easier to manufacture than the 1936 bag.

Scout knife HP-40. The scout knife of the 1940 model was adopted by the Red Army following the results of the Soviet-Finnish war, when there was a need for a simple and convenient army combat knife. Soon the production of these knives was established by the efforts of the Trud artel in the village of Vacha (Gorky Region) and at the Zlatoust Tool Factory in the Urals. Later, the HP-40 was manufactured at other enterprises, including in besieged Leningrad. Despite the common drawing, the HP-40 from different manufacturers differ in details.

At the initial stage of the Great Patriotic War, only scouts were armed with HP-40 knives. For the infantry, they were not a statutory weapon, but the closer to 1945, the more and more knives can be seen in photographs of ordinary machine gunners. Production of the HP-40 continued after the war, both in the USSR and in the countries participating in the Warsaw Pact.

Soldier's trousers of the 1935 model. Adopted to supply the Red Army with the same order as the 1935 gymnast, the trousers remained unchanged throughout the Great Patriotic War. They were breeches with a high fit, well-fitting the waist, loose in the upper part and tight-fitting calves.

Ties were sewn at the bottom of the legs. On the sides of the trousers there were two deep pockets, and another pocket with a flap, fastened with a button, was located in the back. At the belt, next to the codpiece, there was a small pocket for the mortal medallion. Pentagonal reinforcements were sewn on the knees. The belt was provided with loops for a trouser belt, although the ability to adjust the volume was also provided with the help of a strap with a buckle in the back. The trousers were made of a special double “bloomer” diagonal and were quite durable.

At the beginning of World War II, the cut of the uniform and the way it was worn was determined by Order No. 176 of December 3, 1935. There were three types of uniforms for generals: casual, day off and dress uniform. There were also three types of uniforms for officers and soldiers: casual, guard and weekend. Each type of uniform had two options: summer and winter.

In the period from 1935 to 1941, numerous minor changes were made to the uniform. The field uniform of the 1935 model was made from material of various shades of khaki. The main distinctive element of the uniform was a tunic, which in its cut resembled a Russian peasant shirt. The cut of the tunic for soldiers and officers was the same. The flap of the chest pocket on the officer's tunic had a complex shape with a protrusion in the form of the Latin letter "V". For soldiers, the valve was often rectangular. The lower part of the shirt collar for officers had a triangular reinforcing patch, while for soldiers this patch was rectangular. In addition, the soldier's tunics had diamond-shaped reinforcing stripes on the elbows and the back of the forearm. The officer's tunic, in contrast to the soldier's, had a colored edging. After the outbreak of hostilities, the color edging was abandoned.

There were two types of tunics: summer and winter. The summer uniform was made of cotton fabric, which was of a lighter color. The winter uniform was made of woolen fabric, which was distinguished by a richer, darker color. The officers were girded with a wide leather belt with a brass buckle decorated with a five-pointed star. The soldiers wore a simpler belt with a conventional open buckle. In the field, soldiers and officers could wear two types of tunics: everyday and weekend. The weekend tunic was often called a jacket. Some soldiers who served in the elite units wore tunics of a special cut, distinguished by a colored stripe running along the gate. However, such tunics were rare.

The second main element of the uniform of both soldiers and officers was harem pants, also called breeches. Soldier's trousers had rhombic reinforcing patches on the knees. As footwear, officers wore high leather boots, and soldiers wore boots with windings or tarpaulin boots. In winter, officers and soldiers wore an overcoat made of brownish-gray cloth. The officer's overcoats were of better quality than the soldier's, but they had the same cut. The Red Army used several types of headgear. Most of the units wore budenovka, which had a winter and summer version. However, the summer budenovka was everywhere superseded by the cap introduced in the late 30s. In the summer, officers preferred to wear caps instead of Budenovoks. In units stationed in Central Asia and the Far East, instead of garrison caps, they wore wide-brimmed panamas.

In 1936, a new type of helmet (created on the basis of the French helmet of Adrian) began to arrive to equip the Red Army. In 1940, noticeable changes were made to the design of the helmet. The new 1940 helmet replaced the 1936 helmet everywhere, but the old helmet was still widely used in the first year of the war. Many Soviet officers recall that the Red Army did not like to wear a helmet, believing that only cowards wear helmets. Officers everywhere wore caps, the cap was an attribute of the officer's power. Tankers wore a special helmet made of leather or tarpaulin. In the summer they used a lighter version of the helmet, and in the winter they wore a helmet with a fur lining.

The equipment of the Soviet soldiers was strict and simple. Some units still used a 1930 brown leather backpack, but such backpacks were rare in 1941. The more common was the 1938 canvas duffel bag. The base of the duffel bag was a rectangle of 30x10 cm. The duffel bag was 30 cm high. The duffel bag had two pockets. Inside the duffel bag, the soldiers wore footcloths, a poncho, and in their pockets were rifle accessories and personal hygiene items. At the bottom, poles, pegs and other devices for setting up tents were tied to the duffel bag. Loops were sewn on the top and sides of the duffel bag, to which the roll-up was attached. The prodmesh was worn on a waist belt, under the duffel bag. The dimensions of the bag are 18x24x10 cm. In the bag, the soldiers wore dry rations, a kettle and cutlery. The aluminum pot had a tight-fitting lid that was pressed by the handle of the pot. In some units, the soldiers used an old round cauldron with a diameter of 15 cm and a depth of 10 cm.However, the food bag and duffel bag of the 1938 model were quite expensive to manufacture, so their production was discontinued at the end of 1941.

Each Red Army soldier had a gas mask and a gas mask bag. After the outbreak of the war, many soldiers threw away gas masks and used gas masks as duffel bags, since not everyone had real duffel bags. According to the charter, each soldier armed with a rifle was supposed to have two leather cartridge bags. The bag could store four clips for the Mosin rifle - 20 rounds. Cartridge bags were worn on a waist belt, one on the side. The statutes provided for the possibility of carrying a large cloth cartridge bag that could hold six clips - 30 rounds. In addition, the Red Army could use a cloth bandolier worn over the shoulder. In the compartment of the cartridge belt, 14 rifle clips could be stowed. The grenade bag held two grenades with a handle. However, very few soldiers were equipped according to the regulations. Most often, the Red Army had to be content with one leather cartridge bag, which was usually worn on the right side. Some soldiers received small sapper blades in a cloth case. The scapula was worn on the right thigh. If the Red Army soldier had a flask, then he wore it on a waist belt over a sapper's shoulder blade.

During bad weather, the soldiers used raincoats. The raincoat-tent was made of khaki tarpaulin and had a ribbon with which it was possible to fasten the raincoat-tent on the shoulders. Cloak-tents could be connected in two, four or six and thus obtained tents, under which several people could take refuge. If the soldier had a duffel bag of the 1938 model, then the roll-up, consisting of a raincoat-tent and an overcoat, was attached to the sides and over the bag, in the form of a horseshoe. If there was no duffel bag, then the roll was worn over the shoulder.

The officers used a small bag, which was made of either leather or tarpaulin. There were several types of such bags, some of them were carried over the shoulder, some were hung from a waist belt. On top of the bag was a small tablet. Some officers wore large leather tablets that they hung from a waist belt under their left hand.

There were also several types of specialized uniforms. In winter, tankers wore black overalls and black leather jackets (sometimes black leather trousers were included with the jacket). Mountain shooters wore a special cut black overalls and special mountain boots. The cavalrymen, and primarily the Cossacks, wore traditional clothes instead of uniforms. The cavalry was the most variegated branch of the Red Army, since a large number of Cossacks and representatives of the peoples of Central Asia served in the cavalry. Many cavalry units used standard uniforms, but even in such units, Cossack uniforms were often found. Before the war, the Cossack troops were not popular, since many Cossacks during the Civil War did not support the Bolsheviks and went to serve in the White Army. However, in the 30s, the regiments of the Don, Kuban and Terek Cossacks were formed. The personnel of these regiments were outfitted with uniforms with many details of the traditional Cossack costume. The field uniform of the Cossacks during the Great Patriotic War was a combination of uniform items from the 30s, pre-revolutionary Cossack uniforms and uniforms from 1941/43.

Traditionally, the Cossacks are divided into two groups: steppe and Caucasian. The uniforms of the two groups varied considerably. If the steppe (Don) Cossacks gravitated towards the traditional military uniform, the Caucasians dressed more colorful. All Cossacks wore high hats or lower Kubanks. In the field, Caucasian Cossacks wore dark blue or black beshmets (shirts). The ceremonial beshmets were red for the Kuban Cossacks and light blue for the Terek Cossacks. Over the beshmet, the Cossacks wore a black or dark blue Circassian coat. Gazyrs were sewn on the chest of the Circassian. In winter, the Cossacks wore a black fur cloak. Many Cossacks wore caps of different colors. The bottom of the Kubanka was covered with cloth: for the Terek Cossacks it was light blue, and for the Kuban Cossacks it was red. On the fabric, two stripes passed crosswise - gold for officers and black for privates. It should be borne in mind that many soldiers recruited from the southern regions of Russia continued to wear a Kubanka instead of the earflaps required by the charter, even if they did not serve in the cavalry. Another distinctive feature of the Cossacks were dark blue breeches.

In the first years of the war, Soviet industry was deprived of significant production facilities, which ended up in the territory occupied by the Germans. However, most of the equipment was nevertheless managed to be exported to the east and new industrial enterprises were organized in the Urals. This decline in production forced the Soviet command to significantly simplify the uniforms and equipment of soldiers. In the winter of 1941/42, a more comfortable winter uniform was used for the first time. When creating this uniform, the sad experience of the Finnish campaign was taken into account. The Red Army men received quilted jackets, wadded trousers and hats with earflaps on synthetic fur. The officers were given sheepskin coats or fur coats. Higher officers wore hats instead of earflaps. The troops fighting in the northern sector of the front (north of Leningrad) were outfitted in special northern uniforms. Instead of sheepskin coats, some units used fur seal sakuis. As footwear, the soldiers wore special boots with dog fur or woolen lining. Earflaps for soldiers who fought in the north were made of real fur - a dog or a fox.

However, many units did not receive special winter uniforms and the Red Army soldiers froze in standard greatcoats, insulated with things requisitioned from the civilian population. In general, the Red Army was characterized by the widespread use of civilian clothing, this was especially clearly visible in winter. So, in winter, many Red Army men wore felt boots. But not everyone managed to get felt boots, so even in winter, most of the Red Army personnel continued to wear tarpaulin. The only advantage of tarpaulin boots was that they were loose enough so that they could be insulated with additional footcloths and newspapers, turning the shoes into winter boots. Soviet soldiers did not wear socks, only footcloths. Socks were too much of a luxury to be worn in loose boots. But the officers, if they managed to get a pair of socks, did not deny themselves the pleasure of putting them on. Some units were more fortunate - the personnel of these units received felt boots with galoshes, which was especially useful in the autumn and spring thaw. In 1942, the Red Army men were quite motley uniforms. Tankers wore black, gray, blue or khaki overalls. Synthetic leather and rubber were widely used in the manufacture of the uniform. Cartridge bags were sewn from tarpaulin or impregnated tarpaulin. Leather waist belts were being replaced by canvas belts.

Instead of blankets, the Red Army men used greatcoats and raincoats. In addition, the roll of an overcoat or a raincoat-tent successfully replaced a duffel bag for soldiers - things were rolled inside. To remedy the situation, a new duffel bag was introduced, similar to the one used in the tsarist army during the 1st World War. This duffel bag was a canvas bag with a neckline intercepted by a drawstring and two shoulder straps. In 1942, under Lend-Lease, the Soviet Union began to receive items of uniform from the United States and Canada. Although most of the uniforms that came from America were made according to Soviet patterns, there were also American uniforms. For example, the United States supplied the USSR with 13 thousand pairs of leather boots and one million pairs of soldiers' boots, and in Canada they sewed overalls for Soviet tank crews.

The uniform for women who served in the Red Army was determined by several documents. Before the war, a navy blue skirt and beret were the hallmarks of women's day off and dress uniforms. During the war, the order of women's uniforms was consolidated by orders issued in May and August 1942. The orders kept the wearing of a skirt and beret. In the field, these uniforms were made from khaki fabric, and the output uniform included a blue skirt and beret. The same orders largely unified the women's uniform with the men's. In practice, many female military personnel, especially those on the front lines, wore men's uniforms. In addition, women often altered many items of uniform for themselves using discarded uniforms.

The experience of fighting in Finland showed the need to have a white camouflage overalls in the troops. Such a jumpsuit appeared in 1941. There were several types of winter coveralls, as a rule, they consisted of pants and a jacket with a hood. In addition, the Red Army units were equipped with many camouflage summer overalls. Such overalls, as a rule, were received by scouts, sappers, mountain shooters and snipers. The overalls had a baggy cut and were made of khaki fabric with round black spots. It is known from photographic documents that the Red Army soldiers also used inverted camouflage overalls, which were green on the outside and white on the inside. It is not clear how widespread such jumpsuits were. A special type of camouflage was developed for snipers. A large number of narrow strips of fabric, imitating grass, were sewn onto the jumpsuit in a khaki color. However, such overalls are not widely used.

In 1943, the Red Army adopted a new uniform, radically different from the one used until now. The system of insignia was also radically changed. The new uniform and insignia largely repeated the uniform and insignia of the tsarist army. The new rules abolished the division of uniforms into casual, day off and ceremonial, since in wartime there was no need for a day off and ceremonial uniform. Details of the ceremonial uniform were used in the uniforms of the special-purpose units that carried the guard duty, as well as in the officer's uniform. In addition, the officers retained their dress uniforms.

Order No. 25 of January 15, 1943 introduced a new type of tunic for soldiers and officers. 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 soldiers on the tunic had no pockets, while the officer's tunic had two breast pockets. The cut of the trousers has not changed. But the main distinguishing feature of the new uniform was shoulder straps. There were two types of shoulder straps: field and everyday. Field shoulder straps were made of khaki fabric. On three sides, shoulder straps had a border in the color of the type of troops. On the officer's shoulder straps there was no edging, and belonging to the type of troops could be determined by the color of the gaps. Senior officers (from major to colonel) had two gaps on their shoulder straps, and junior officers (from junior lieutenant to captain) had one each. For doctors, veterinarians and non-combatants, the gaps were red with a brownish tint. In addition, a small gold or silver badge was worn on the shoulder straps near the button, indicating the type of troops. The color of the emblem depended on the type of troops. The shoulder straps of marshals and generals were wider than officers' shoulder straps, and the shoulder straps of military doctors, lawyers, etc. - on the contrary, narrower.

The officers wore a cap with a black leather chin strap. The color of the band of the cap depended on the type of troops. The crown of the cap was usually of a khaki, but the NKVD troops often used caps with a light blue crown, tankers wore gray caps, and the Don Cossacks wore gray-blue. The same order # 25 determined the type of winter headgear for officers. Generals and colonels had to wear hats (introduced back in 1940), while the rest of the officers received ordinary earflaps.

The rank of sergeants and foremen was determined by the number and width of the stripes on the shoulder straps. Typically, the stripes were red, only in doctors and veterinarians the stripes had a brownish tint. The foremen wore a stripe in the shape of the letter "T" on their shoulder straps. The senior sergeants had one wide stripe on their shoulder straps. Sergeants, junior sergeants and corporals had three, two or one narrow stripes on their shoulder straps, respectively. The edging of the shoulder straps was the color of the military branch. According to the regulations, the emblem of the branch of the military was supposed to be worn on the inside of the shoulder straps, but in practice, soldiers wore such emblems very rarely.

In March 1944, a new uniform for the Marine Corps was adopted, which was more convenient for use on land. Since the Soviet Navy spent most of the war in ports, many sailors took part in battles on land. The marines were especially widely used in the defense of Leningrad and the Crimea. Throughout the war, however, the Marines wore the standard naval uniform, complemented by some items of the land field uniform. The last order concerning uniforms was issued in April 1945. This order introduced a full dress uniform, the first time the soldiers put it on during the Victory Parade on Red Square on June 24, 1945.

Separately, it would be worth making out the colors of the arms of the troops in the Red Army. The type of troops and service were indicated by the color of the edging and insignia. The color of the buttonhole field indicated belonging to the branch of the army, in addition, a small badge in the buttonhole spoke of belonging to a certain branch of the army. The officers wore gold-embroidered or enameled badges, while the soldiers wore the color of the edging. The sergeants' buttonholes had edging in the color of the type of service, and they were distinguished from the soldiers by a narrow red stripe passing through the buttonhole. The officers wore piped caps, while the soldiers wore caps. The edging on the uniform was also the color of the military branch. Belonging to the branch of the army was determined not by any one color, but by a combination of colors on different parts of the uniform.

Commissars occupied a special position in the army. There were commissars in every unit from the battalion and above. In 1937, in each division (company, platoon), the position of political instructor was introduced - a junior political officer. The insignia of the commissars in general were similar to the insignia of officers, but had their own characteristics. Instead of chevrons on the sleeve, the commissars wore a red star. The commissars had the edging of the buttonholes in black, regardless of the type of troops, while the political instructors had the edging of the buttonholes in color.

Sources of:
1. Lipatov P., “Uniforms of the Red Army and the Wehrmacht”, Technology of Youth, 1996;
2. Shunkov V., "Red Army", AST, 2003;
3. Shalito A., Savchenkov I., Roginsky N., Tsyplenkov K., "Uniforms of the Red Army 1918-1945", 2001.