The form of the Soviet army 1941 1945. Uniform and equipment of the Red Army. Military uniform of the USSR, the form of the Great Patriotic War

- SUMMER GYMNASTERI OF THE COMMAND AND COMMANDING STRUCTURE OF THE RED ARMY: Introduced by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR No. 005 of February 1, 1941.

The summer tunic is made of a khaki cotton fabric with a turn-down collar fastened with one hook. At the ends of the collar, khaki buttonholes with insignia are sewn on.

The tunic has a chest strap with a three-button fastener and two chest stitched pockets with flaps on one button. The sleeves have cuffs with two buttons. The buttons of the tunic are metal of the established pattern.

— SHAROVARYS OF THE COMMAND AND COMMANDING STRUCTURE OF THE RED ARMY: Introduced by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR No. 005 of February 1, 1941.

Bloomers of the existing sample without fringing. Summer harem pants are made of khaki cotton fabric, and winter trousers are made of half-woolen fabric of the same color. Harem pants consist of two front and two back halves, have two side welt pockets and one back pocket, a waist drawstring at the back and a drawstring at the bottom. Bloomers are fastened with five buttons and one hook.

- SHIRT OF THE PRIVATE AND JUNIOR OFFICIALS OF THE RKKA: Introduced by order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR No. 190 of July 19, 1929.

Summer shirt sample 1928 for the land and air forces of the Red Army. The shirt is made of cotton fabric (tunic), dark khaki, with a turn-down collar, fastened in the middle with one metal hook and having buttonholes at the ends, in the shape of a parallelogram, of the color assigned to the military branch; on the buttonholes are placed insignia by position and the established encryption. The shirt fastens with three buttons, parallel to which there are two patch pockets on the chest, covered with flaps fastened with one button. The sleeves end with cuffs fastened with two buttons, and at the place of sewing to the cuffs, the sleeves have two folds, located one from the other by 7 - 8 cm.

Red Army cloth shirt arr. 1928 for the land and air forces of the Red Army. The shirt is made of khaki cloth of merino or coarse wool with a stand-up collar, fastened in the middle with two metal hooks and having buttonholes at the ends, in the form of a parallelogram, with sides of 8 cm X 3.5 cm of the color assigned to the military branch; on the buttonholes are placed insignia by position and the established encryption. The shirt fastens with three buttons, parallel to which there are two patch pockets on the chest, covered with flaps fastened with one button. The sleeves end with cuffs fastened with two buttons.

Note. The buttons on the shirt must be metal, oxidized, small size with a star, the sample established by order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR of 1924 No. 992.

Summer shirt with elbow pads of the 1931 model for all branches of the military. Letrubakha [type A] is made from a khaki-coloured tunic (cotton) diagonal with two patch chest pockets covered by flaps, with a turn-down collar fastened with one uniform button, and sleeves with cuffs. The camp of the shirt is sewn from the sides and in the shoulders from two parts: front and back. The front part of the camp from the neck to the bottom of the pockets has a slit covered with slats. The slats are located in the middle of the camp and are fastened with one button on the loop of a piece of fabric, hemmed from the inside of the upper slat. The upper ends of the slats at the collar itself are fastened with one small uniform button sewn at the top of the lower slat onto the through transverse loop of the upper slat. The collar does not have hooks and, under certain conditions provided for by wearing the uniform, can be opened with the top button undone. The sleeves at the cuff sewing have two folds. At the back of the sleeves over the elbow seam there are overhead elbow pads. On both sides of the collar, edged buttonholes are sewn in the color of the cloth assigned to the military branch. Buttonholes have the form of a parallelogram with a finished length of 8 cm and a width of 3.25 cm, counting with piping. The transverse ends of the buttonholes should be parallel to the bevel of the front ends of the collar. Installed metal insignia for positions and badges according to the established encryption are placed on the buttonholes. […]

Basically, the type B flypipe […] differs from the type A flypipe in that the type B flypipe has an elongated bar in all heights by 4 cm; hook and loop for fastening the collar and three through loops on the top placket […]. Three small all-army buttons are sewn onto the lower bar in the places corresponding to the loops. A hook is sewn into the right end of the collar, and a loop into the left end.

Cloth shirt with welt pockets, model 1931 for all branches of the military. Cloth shirt consists of the following parts: the front part, in the middle having a strap, fastened with three through loops on three metal buttons with a Red Army star, a back, a stand-up collar, fastened in the middle with two metal hooks, two chest pocket flaps, fastened to a Red Army shirt button, sleeves without folds at the bottom with cuffs fastened with two loops on two Red Army buttons. Valves pro-carved internal pockets.

Canceled by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR No. 25 of January 15, 1943. The entire composition of the Red Army to switch to new insignia - shoulder straps in the period from February 1 to February 15, 1943. Allow the wearing of the existing uniform with new insignia until the next issue of uniforms in accordance with the current terms and supply standards.

№1 - Privates in gymnasts. 1941; №2 - Privates in gymnasts. 1942; №3 №4 -St. a lieutenant in a tunic with everyday insignia; №5 -Officer in a tunic with field insignia; №6 -Illustration of the officer's gymnast, 1940-43.

Summer uniforms of the Red Army for the period 1943-1945.

- GYMNASTERKI: A new type of gymnasts was introduced by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR No. 25 of January 15, 1943.

They represented the same tunics of the existing sample with the following changes:

The collars of the tunics of all samples, instead of the turn-down ones, are standing, soft, fastened with through loops in front with two small-sized shaped buttons.

The upper bar is located in the middle and is fastened with three small-sized uniform buttons through loops.

Straps of the established sample are fastened on the shoulders.

Sleeve insignia (sleeve officer triangles) for tunics are cancelled.

Military tunics of the commanding staff instead of patch pockets have welt (internal) pockets covered with flaps. No elbow pads.

Uniforms for privates and sergeants - without pockets. With elbow pads - ().

On August 5, 1944, breast welt pockets were introduced on the tunics of women of privates and sergeants.

On September 16, 1944, sergeants and Red Army soldiers were also officially allowed to have breast welt pockets, but only if they received officer uniforms unfit for wear after putting them in order. Throughout 1943, it was possible to meet old-style tunics with a turn-down collar, which were allowed to be worn until new uniforms were issued.

№1 - Privates in soldier's tunics (on the left, a private in an officer's tunic), 1944; №2 - Two sergeants. On the left - in a soldier's tunic, on the right - in an officer's; №3 -Illustration of soldier's gymnasts arr. 1943; №4 -Soviet and American officers during a meeting on the Elbe; №5 -Senior sergeant in an officer's tunic; №6 -Illustration of officers' gymnasts arr. 1943

- COURT UNIFORM: Senior and middle command and command staff of all military branches

The uniform is single-breasted, with a detachable bodice, fastened with five large buttons on the left side. The collar is stiff, standing, fastened with two or three hooks and loops. The top edge and ends of the collar are trimmed with piping. 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. On the buttonholes, respectively the established form has one or two strips embroidered 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 of 0.5-1 mm. The sleeves of the uniform are two-seam, with straight stitched cuffs, edged along the upper edge 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 tail of the back, at the ends of which one large button is sewn. Kant along the edge of the left side, collar, leaflet and cuffs, color - according to the type of troops. All buttons are shaped, brass.

The color of the edging for the infantry, quartermaster and military legal services is crimson, for artillery, armored forces, medical and veterinary services - red, for aviation - blue, for cavalry - light blue and for engineering and technical troops - black.

The color of buttonholes for infantry, commissary and military legal services is crimson, for artillery and armored forces - black, for aviation - blue, for cavalry - light blue, for medical and veterinary services - dark green and for engineering and technical troops - black. The color of sewing on the buttonholes for the quartermaster, military legal, medical and veterinary services is silver, for all the rest - gold. Shoulder straps of the established sample.

№1 - Lieutenant-artilleryman in parade uniform; №2 -Servicemen of the 150th Idritskaya SD against the background of their assault flag, hoisted on May 1, 1945 over the Reichstag building in Berlin (Victory Banner). In the photo, participants in the assault on the Reichstag, who escorted the flag to Moscow from the Berlin Tempelhof airfield on June 20, 1945 (from left to right): Captain K.Ya. Samsonov, junior sergeant M.V. Kantaria, Sergeant M.A. Egorov, senior sergeant M.Ya. Soyanov, captain S.A. Neustroev (20.06.1945); №3 -Illustration of the ceremonial uniform arr. 1943

Literature / Documents:

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

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 of events and win. However, the Soviet soldier not only gained experience, but also changed outwardly. The Warspot special project for the next anniversary of the Victory will help you figure out exactly how the uniform and equipment of the Red Army soldier has changed during the years of the Great Patriotic War.

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

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

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

Belt. A soldier's waist belt is the basis for placing equipment and equipment. By 1941, the Red Army was using several types of soldier's 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 frame metal single-tooth. When fastening the waist belt, the buckle should be in the left hand.

Aluminum flask, model 1932. 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 lid, which was used to plug the neck. On March 2, 1932, a new standard was approved for metal flasks with a capacity of 0.75 and 1.0 liters, which became mandatory from 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 cap 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, screw cap aluminum flasks began to be produced in 1937. The main production was in Leningrad, at the Krasny Vyborzhets plant. In the autumn of 1941, with the beginning of the blockade, production was stopped, 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 the belt. There were several types of cases: a sample of 1937 with a lace on the side, a simplified case of 1937 without lacing, a sample of 1941 - this is exactly the flask shown in the photo.

Cartridge bag. The two-socket ammo belt pouch is sometimes referred to as the 1937 pattern pouch. Unlike earlier samples, which had a box-shaped design, this bag had two separate pockets, fastened with a strap by a peg. 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 reverse side 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 infantryman armed with a 7.62-mm Mosin rifle was supposed to have two cartridge belt bags.

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

Steel helmet of the 1936 model (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 has undergone several changes to the underbody device and how it is attached. Production unfolded with problems and a strong lag behind the plan, in addition, the SSH-36 revealed shortcomings that gave impetus to further work to improve the shape of the helmet and 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 in Khasan and Khalkhin Gol, a certain amount was sent to Republican Spain, all infantrymen had them during the Polish campaign, they were massively worn in the Soviet-Finnish war. By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the SSH-36 was in the army in large numbers and was one of the main types of helmet. Individual samples can also be seen in the photographs of 1945: many SSH-36s were preserved in the Far East at the time of the start of the war with Japan.

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

Linen, a towel, spare footcloths, hygiene and clothing repair items, a bowler hat with a mug and a spoon, gun accessories, and a set of products were carried in the knapsack. A cape-tent and accessories to it were attached from below, and an overcoat 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 NPO of the USSR, along with a grocery bag for infantrymen, a lightweight satchel of the 1941 model was introduced, which was a revised version of the 1939 satchel. By June 22, the troops could see the knapsacks of all the listed samples, as well as the duffel bag of the 1930 model.

Kettle of 1936 model. This name is not official, according to the date of acceptance 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 bowler hat was made by stamping from aluminum sheet with a steel wire handle at the Krasny Vyborzhets plant in Leningrad. The design was borrowed almost unchanged from a similar German kettle, 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 dish, the second was given out in 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 stopped due to 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 crisis with shoes at the beginning of 1915, when an acute shortage of boots was discovered. Cloth-wrapped boots were best for the mass army, as they required 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 the technical units, cavalrymen, tankmen, only boots relied.

Windings of black, gray or green protective color were a 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, at the top of which a cord or braid was sewn. Winding windings required a certain skill - as, indeed, wrapping a foot in a footcloth. The windings were stored rolled up in a roll, while the lace was inside. The soldier wound the winding from the bottom up; 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, hidden under the top coil and did not allow the winding to unwind. Boots with windings walked on the feet of the infantry until the victorious 1945.

7.62 mm rifle model 1891/30 Mosin systems. This magazine five-shot 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. Mosin with changes and additions borrowed from the Belgian Nagant rifle, as well as improvements at the suggestion of members of the commission responsible for choosing a rifle for the army, and other officers. The rifle turned out to be very successful and fought through the Russo-Japanese, World War I and Civil Wars.

In 1930, structural changes were made to the design. The receiver, sights and bayonet mount have changed. 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 for the production of the stock and butt with other materials.

Despite the Simonov ABC-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.

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

By a decree of the Council of People's Commissars of January 18, 1941, protective buttonholes were introduced for the personnel of the Red Army for wartime, and on August 1, 1941, by order of the NPO, protective emblems and insignia were introduced. The same order canceled the wearing of colored buttonholes at the front and in marching units, however, for a long time at the front, regular infantry units were with colored buttonholes and insignia that unmasked the Red Army.

Adopted for the supply of the Red Army by the same order as the tunic of 1935, bloomers remained unchanged throughout the Great Patriotic War. They were high-waisted breeches, well-fitting at the waist, loose at the top and tightly fitting the calves.

Small infantry shovel. For digging in, the soldier relied on the MPL-50 small infantry shovel (the total length of the shovel was 50 cm; during sapper work and construction, it was also used as a measuring tool). By 1941, the Red Army used both pre-revolutionary shovels with a straight cutting edge, and Soviet ones, 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), which had bent upper edges, advances, a front cord (continuation of the tray), an overlay with a rear cord, a crimp ring and a wooden handle. The lining with the rear cord was riveted to the tray with five rivets, after which the handle was inserted between the cords, tightened with a crimp ring, and then the cords were riveted together with the handle with flush rivets, one of which passed through the crimp ring. The shovel was carried in a case on the waist belt, for which loops were made on the case. They used either leather covers from pre-revolutionary stocks, or cloth, tarpaulin or canvas.

Spare ammo bag. The fighter's wearable ammunition was located not only in the waist cartridge bags - a spare was also intended for this. Structurally, it was a quadrangular 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 toggle, and to protect against accidental unfastening, an additional loop of leather or rope was sewn on.

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

Pomegranate bag.

Two old grenades of the 1914/30 model or two RGD-33 (pictured) were placed in the bag, which were stacked with the handles up. The detonators lay in paper or rags. Also, four F-1 "lemons" could fit in pairs in a bag, and they were located in a peculiar way: on each grenade, the ignition nest 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 types of grenades during the war by the Red Army, putting them in a bag was similar to the F-1 grenades. The grenade bag served without significant changes from 1941 to 1945.

Grocery bag. It was accepted for the supply of the Red Army by order of the NPO of the USSR on January 31, 1941, was part of the items of full and lightweight marching equipment for infantry fighters. The bag was intended for storing and carrying in the field a bowler hat with bread or crackers in it, emergency food supplies (concentrates or dry rations), mugs and spoons. If necessary, an additional supply of cartridges could fit into it.

It was an oblong bag with a lid-valve. The outer corners of the side walls were rounded, with ribbon ties sewn on top of them. Worn on a waist belt at the back, in the center of the back. For carrying on the belt, loops were sewn on the reverse side. The bag was closed with two straps through special buckles. It was made of waterproof impregnated tent fabric lined with harsh canvas. Relatively few grocery bags got into the troops: the item of equipment is typical for infantry fighters of 1941, it is found in photographs of 1942.

Gas mask bag model 1936. A mandatory piece of equipment for each 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 gas mask bag of the 1936 model, in which a mask, filter, hose, anti-salt cape, accessories for processing clothing, weapons and skin after a chemical attack were placed.

The bag was made of canvas or tarpaulin, it had three compartments inside and two pockets outside. At the back of the bag was a braided cord with a carabiner and a ring for fastening around the body in the “ready” position. In the stowed position, the cord was folded, and was worn inside the bag with the reservation "to have anti-chemical protection equipment at the ready in reconnaissance and in combat - 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 the overcoat and the rest of the uniform. When using the 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 part of the lightweight camping equipment, but was worn constantly along with 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 warping. Partially, this problem was solved by wearing a knapsack of the 1936, 1939 or 1941 model, where hooks for 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 design, through the loops of which a waist belt was 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 German soldiers also used trophy straps. The Soviet soldiers, instead of using the straps, began to tighten the waist belt more tightly, which only partly saved them from warping and slipping of the equipment. In many ways, this is why they went on the attack lightly, stuffing grenades and ammunition into their pockets and duffel bag.

Steel helmet SSH-40. Modernization of the SSH-39 helmet, accepted for supply to the Red Army in June 1939. In the design of the SSH-39, the shortcomings of the previous SSH-36 were eliminated, however, 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 a regular woolen balaclava did not save from severe frosts. Therefore, soldiers often broke out the SSH-39 under-the-shoulder device and wore a helmet over a hat without it.

As a result, in the new SSH-40 helmet, the under-shoulder 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 in the lower part 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 made it possible to adjust the depth of the helmet on the head.

The production of the SSH-40 began to be deployed 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 autumn of 1942, helmets of this type were made only in Lysva. Gradually, the SSH-40 became the main type of helmet of the Red Army. It was produced in large quantities after the war and was withdrawn from service relatively recently.

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

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

The Red Army soldiers also used captured German belts, in which, because of the pattern with an eagle and a swastika, they had to modify the buckle. Most often, these attributes were simply ground off, 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 punched in the center of the buckle, into which a star from a Red Army cap or cap was inserted.

Glass flask. Glass flasks were widely used in many armies of the world. The Russian Imperial Army was no exception, from which this type of flask was inherited by the Red Army. While the tin or aluminum canteens produced in parallel were more practical, the cheap glass containers were good for the mass draft 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 aluminum flasks were produced, affected.

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

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

A bag was sewn from canvas or tarpaulin and, unlike the German one, was greatly simplified. The valve was fastened with pegs or wooden toggles, there were options with buttons. On the back of the bag were sewn loops for threading a waist belt. Bags were worn on a belt in front, which provided quick access to equipped stores and stacking empty ones back. Laying stores up or down the neck was not regulated.

Duffel bag. This item of equipment, nicknamed "sidor" by the soldiers, was a simple bag with a strap and a rope neck tie. It first appeared in the tsarist army in 1869 and ended up in the Red Army without significant changes. In 1930, a new standard was adopted that determined the look of the duffel bag - in accordance with it, it was now called the "Turkestan type duffel bag", or the duffel bag of the 1930 model.

The duffel 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 jumpers were put on for fastening on the chest. On the other side of the shoulder strap, three rope loops were sewn to adjust the length. A wooden toggle was sewn to the corner of the bag, for 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 back of the fighter.

In 1941, there was a change in the appearance of the duffel bag of the 1930 model: it became slightly smaller, the shoulder strap became narrower and received an inner lining 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 ease 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, 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 sharply increased in numbers and boots were no longer enough. Soldier's boots were made of yuft and in the Red Army were supplied to all branches of the military.

In the mid-1930s, tarpaulin was invented in the USSR - a material with a fabric base, on which artificial butadiene was applied - sodium rubber with an imitation of leather texture. With the beginning of the war, the problem of supplying the mobilized army with shoes became acute, and the “damn skin” came in handy - the boots of the Red Army soldier became tarpaulin. By 1945, the typical Soviet infantryman was shod in kirzachi or boots with windings, but experienced soldiers sought to get leather boots for themselves. The photo on the infantryman shows yuft boots, with leather soles and leather heels.

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

With the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, in the fall of 1941, the manufacture of round bowlers was again established in Lysva in the Urals, but from steel instead of scarce aluminum. The return to the round shape was also understandable: such a bowler hat was easier to manufacture. The Lysvensky plant has done a great job, significantly reducing 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 Sudayev model 1943 (PPS-43). Many experts consider it the best submachine gun of the Great Patriotic War. The PPS combined ease of manufacture and maintenance, as well as non-failure operation in comparison with other samples. When developing the teaching staff, it was taken into account that mass weapons should be produced, including at non-core enterprises with not the best machine equipment. The PPS parts that required complex machining were only the bolt and barrel, everything else was made by stamping, bending, riveting and welding.

PPS was equipped with a box magazine for 35 rounds of 7.62 × 25 mm. Having a folding butt and a curb weight of just over 3.5 kg, he was very fond of soldiers, especially tankmen, paratroopers and scouts. The production of the first batches of PPS-42 was launched 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 the Sudayev submachine gun of the 1943 model, or PPS-43. After the end of the Great Patriotic War, it was produced in many countries, both the Warsaw Pact and in Finland, Germany and Spain.

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

Attached shoulder straps were placed on the shoulders, for which belt loops were sewn. The soldier's tunic had no pockets in wartime, they were introduced later. On the shoulders in combat conditions they wore pentagonal field epaulettes. For infantry, the epaulette field was green, the piping along the edge of the epaulette was crimson. Badges of junior officers were sewn on the top of the epaulette.

Pomegranate bag. Each infantryman carried hand grenades, which were regularly carried in a special bag on the waist belt. The bag was located on the left rear, after the cartridge bag and in front of the grocery bag. It was a quadrangular fabric bag with three compartments. Grenades were placed in two large ones, and detonators for them were placed in the third, small one. The grenades were brought into combat position immediately before use. The material of the bag could be tarpaulin, canvas or tent fabric. The bag was closed with a button or wooden toggle.

Two old grenades of the 1914/30 model or two RGD-33 grenades were placed in the bag, which were stacked with the handles up. The detonators lay in paper or rags. Also, four “lemons” F-1 could fit in pairs in a bag, and they were located in a peculiar way: on each grenade, the ignition nest 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 (grenades with a screwed fuse , as in the photo, of course, they did not put it in the bag). With the adoption of new types of grenades during the war by the Red Army, putting them in a bag was similar to the F-1 grenades. The grenade bag served without significant changes 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 the shovel as a whole remained unchanged, but the fastening of the lining with the rear cord began to be made by electric spot welding instead of rivets, a little later they abandoned the crimp ring, continuing to fasten the handle between the cords with rivets.

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

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

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

Scout knife NR-40. The reconnaissance 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 launched by the Trud artel in the village of Vacha (Gorky Region) and at the Zlatoust Tool Plant in the Urals. Later, HP-40s were also manufactured at other enterprises, including those in besieged Leningrad. Despite a single drawing, HP-40s 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 authorized weapons, but the closer to 1945, the more and more knives can be seen in photographs of ordinary submachine 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. Accepted for supply to the Red Army by the same order as the tunic of 1935, bloomers remained unchanged throughout the Great Patriotic War. They were high-waisted breeches, well-fitting at the waist, loose at the top and tightly fitting the calves.

Drawstrings were sewn on the bottom of the trousers. There were two deep pockets on the sides of the trousers, and another pocket with a flap fastened with a button was located in the back. At the belt, next to the codpiece, was a small pocket for a death medallion. Pentagonal reinforcement pads were sewn on the knees. Loops for a trouser belt were provided on the belt, although the ability to adjust the volume was also provided with the help of a strap with a buckle in the back. Bloomers were made from a special double "harem" diagonal and were quite durable.

Red (Soviet) Army 1941 - 1945 The uniform of the Workers 'and Peasants' Red Army (RKKA), which was a collection of military uniforms, equipment and insignia, was sharply different from all analogues that existed in the prewar 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 they were creating of the new state of workers and peasants, there could be no external forms that would indicate the power and superiority of one over the other. Therefore, following the military ranks and titles, the entire system of external insignia that existed in the Russian army - stripes, shoulder straps, orders and medals - was canceled. Only titles by position were preserved in appeals. Initially, two forms of address were allowed: citizen and comrade (citizen battalion commander, comrade platoon commander, etc.).

but soon the accepted form of address was "comrade". During the formation of the first units and formations of the Red Army, the stocks of uniforms stored in the warehouses of the Russian army demobilized in 1918 were widely used. Therefore, the Red Army soldiers and commanders were dressed in military shirts of the 1912 model approved by Tsar Nicholas II, khaki, trousers of the same color, tucked into boots or windings with boots, as well as caps. They differed from the servicemen of the Russian and White armies created during the civil war only in the absence of shoulder straps, a badge and a red star on the cap band. To develop a new Red Army April 25, 1918

a special commission was established, which already in December of the same year submitted for approval to the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic (the Revolutionary Military Council - the body that managed the military construction and combat activities of the Red Army during the Civil War) a new type of headgear - the famous "Budyonovka", distinctive signs for officers and insignia of the main branches of the military They were approved on January 16, 1919 and became a kind of starting point for a rather long process of creating a uniform that was used during the Great Patriotic War.

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Even in the summer months of 1941, preparations were launched to provide the personnel of the Red Army with warm clothes for the winter. The main warm clothes, first of all, fur coats and felt boots, were searched for in various pre-war storage warehouses, collected as help from the population for the army, and were produced at an accelerated pace by industry with tolerances towards simplification and reduction in price. As a result, the active army was completely satisfied with warm clothes. Which led to some diversity in color and cut of uniforms in the winter of 1941/1942.

Air Force pilot 1943-45, senior sergeant, Don cavalry units 1943

By the way, the German industry was unable to provide its army with winter uniforms, and it is not necessary to say that the blitzkrieg assumed the capture of Moscow before winter, already in the fall it was clear that the blitzkrieg did not smell. 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 were underworked, therefore, during the winter hostilities, the losses of the Wehrmacht from frostbite exceeded the number of combat losses.

The composition of the rear units and institutions, motor transport units of military formations, as well as drivers of all branches of the armed forces, instead of an overcoat, began to issue a double-breasted wadded jacket. The great tension with the provision of clothing was due to a decline in the output of light industry, some of whose enterprises had not yet established production in evacuation, and those remaining in the field experienced difficulties in raw materials, energy and labor. For those who like to argue whose uniform or whose tanks and planes are the best and so on, the answer is simple.

transfer of a very large the number of defense enterprises beyond the Urals, and their launch into the technological cycle in such a short time. Unparalleled in history, just in such volumes and over such distances, no one has ever transferred industry, and it is unlikely to transfer in the future, the largest industrial migration. So just for this feat, the rear men need to build a huge, enormous monument. By the way, German industry was completely transferred to the war footing only in 1943, and before that, only 25% of the total went to military needs.

For the same reason, the project prepared for May 1942 on the introduction of new insignia was postponed, which intended to provide the entire Red Army with shoulder straps by October 1, 1942.

Naval aviation pilot 1943-45, tanker winter uniform 1942-44

And only in 1943, the order of January 15 of the People's Commissar of Defense I. Stalin No. 25 "On the introduction of new insignia and changes in the uniform of the Red Army" introduced new insignia, Military uniform of the Soviet Red Army 1943-1945, and here is the change order.
I ORDER:

1. To establish the wearing of shoulder straps: FIELD - by military personnel in the Active Army and personnel of units being prepared for dispatch to the front, EVERYDAY - by military personnel of other units and institutions of the Red Army, as well as when wearing dress uniforms.
2. The entire composition of the Red Army to switch to new insignia - shoulder straps in the period from February 1 to February 15, 1943.
3. Make changes to the uniform of the Red Army personnel according to the description.
4. To put into effect the "Rules for wearing uniforms by personnel of the Red Army."
5. Allow the wearing of the existing uniform with new insignia until the next issue of uniforms, in accordance with the current terms and supply standards.
6. Commanders of units and chiefs of garrisons should strictly observe the observance of uniforms and the correct wearing of new insignia.

People's Commissar of Defense I. STALIN.

And how many small changes and nuances that followed, with the introduction of a new form, let's take, for example, a tunic. For gymnasts of the existing sample, the following changes are introduced: Collars of gymnasts of all samples, instead of turn-down ones, are standing, soft, fastened with through loops in front with two small uniform buttons. Straps of the established sample are fastened on the shoulders. Sleeve insignia for gymnasts are abolished.

Red Army infantryman and lieutenant 1943-45

An infantryman of the Red Army in the second half of the war. M1940 helmet olive green, 1943 gymnast has a stand-up collar, no chest pockets, on the left the medal for the "Defense of Stalingrad" was established on December 22, 1942. The difference in shade between the elements of clothing is not significant; production tolerances and a large number of manufacturers have led to a wide range of khaki, or as it is called protective color. Glass water flask, bags for F-1 and PPSh-41 grenades with a drum magazine. On the back is a simple cotton backpack or duffel bag.
Lieutenant. The cap has a crimson edging, as well as the cuffs of the gymnast. Gymnastka 1943 inner pockets with flaps, still wears blue breeches. With two prongs, the belt buckle was introduced in 1943, in a Tokarev or TT holster, a rocket launcher behind the belt.

Red Army. Standard field uniform of an infantryman 1943

Military tunics of the commanding staff instead of patch pockets have welt (internal) pockets covered with flaps. Uniforms for privates and sergeants - without pockets. On August 5, 1944, breast welt pockets were introduced on the tunics of women of privates and sergeants.

Red Army, medical staff uniform 1943

Most of the medical staff were women. Navy blue berets and skirts had been part of the dress uniform for the Red Army since the pre-war days, with khaki being assigned in May and August 1942, but most women used the standard men's uniform, or wore mixed clothing that was more comfortable.

76 women were awarded the title "Hero of the Soviet Union", many of them posthumously. From September 16, 1944, sergeants and Red Army soldiers were also officially allowed to have breast welt pockets, but only if they received officer uniforms unfit for wear after putting them in order.

Major General, Ground Forces 1943-44

Combinations of uniforms from various time periods were quite common during the war. Gymnastka 1935 with a fold-down collar, but shoulder straps are sewn on, With khaki hand-embroidered lace weaves and silver stars. Khaki cap - widely used by all officer ranks in the second half of the war. A commander's bag of this kind supplied under Lend-Lease.

Military uniform of the Soviet Red Army 1943-1945.

Camouflage clothing.

Camouflage clothing, Red Army 1943-1945

A large number of different colors of camouflage were produced during the war, and were used mainly by snipers, scouts, and also for mountain troops. The camouflages are made loose to be worn over any combination of uniforms and gear, with large hoods to cover the helmet.
From left to right. The most common camouflage, consists of two parts, but there were also one-piece overalls. The colors are varied, brown, black or dark green blotched on a pale olive green background. Next up is the simplest form of camouflage: grass garlands, wrapping around the body, equipment, and weapons to break up the image of their visual structure.
Next. By the end of the war, an alternative kind of costume was produced - although not in the same quantities. It was olive green, with lots of small loops all over the surface, on which tufts of grass were attached. And the last type of dressing gown was used by the troops during the Winter War with Finland in 1939-40. and much more widely during the Great Patriotic War.
Some photographs from that time show that some suits were reversible, but it is not clear when this was introduced or how widely used.

Scout of the Red Army, 1944-45

This camouflage suit, produced during the Great Patriotic War, first appeared in 1944, and, it seems, was not very widespread. The complexity of the pattern: a paler background, a sawtooth "seaweed" pattern and inclusions of large brown spots to destroy the image. The scout is armed with a PPS-43 submachine gun, the best submachine gun of the Second World War, the German MP-40 did not lie around. The PPS-43 is lighter and cheaper than the PPSh-41, which to some extent began to replace the latter during the last two years of the war. The box magazine was much more convenient and simpler than the complex round PPSh drum. Three spare magazines in a simple wooden button flap bag. Model 1940 knife, Model 1940 helmet; laced Lend-Lease boots.

Junior lieutenant of rifle units, winter uniform, 1944

A sheepskin coat or sheepskin coat was a popular item of winter clothing, produced in both civilian and military versions. Depending on the length, it was used both in the infantry and in the mechanized units.

Captain of the border troops of the NKVD, parade uniform, 1945

Officer's ceremonial tunic, double-breasted, fitted skirt. It was introduced in 1943. The version of the border troops differed from other NKVD troops, only in green edging and the color of the crown of the cap, the color of the collar tabs and cuffs. On the chest "Order of the Red Banner", established in August 1924; medals "For Military Merit" and "For the Victory over Germany".
On the cap there is a cockade made of gilded metal, a V-shaped badge hand-embroidered. Blue piping on collar and cuffs. On the chest is a medal for "For the Defense of Moscow", established on May 1, 1944.

Lieutenant General, ceremonial uniform 1945

The parade uniform was worn by marshals and generals, commanders of fronts and formations who took part in the parade, in honor of the victory over Germany, in Moscow on June 24, 1945.

Uniform introduced in 1943 but not issued until the end of the war.

Sergeant. Ceremonial uniform 1945

Uniform with a stand-up collar with buttonholes, flaps in the back of the skirt, scarlet piping on the collar, cuffs and pocket flaps. The uniform was tailor-made for each individual, more than 250 dress uniforms of a new standard were sewn, and in total, more than 10,000 sets of various uniforms for the parade participants were produced in factories, workshops and ateliers of the capital in three weeks. In the hands of the standard of the German infantry battalion. On the right side of the chest of the Order of the "Red Star" and "Patriotic War", above the sign "Guard". On the left chest is the Gold Star of the "Hero of the Soviet Union", and a block of awards. At the parade, participants represented all fronts and fleets, participants should be awarded orders and medals. That is, real selected front-line soldiers took part in the parade.

After passing with the lowered banners and standards of Germany, they were burned along with the platform, the gloves of those who carried the banners and standards were also burned.
In February 1946, the People's Commissariats of Defense and the Navy were merged and transformed into a single Ministry of the Armed Forces of the USSR, and the armed forces themselves acquired new names: "Soviet Army" and "Naval Forces".
Since 1946, in fact, work began on new uniforms.

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. The 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 who took their places behind the levers of military vehicles on both sides of the front look like?

The abundance 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 light tanks of the Red Army and the Wehrmacht shown in the photo look like thousands of tankers looked on the first day of the war. If possible, the most common variants of uniforms and equipment are indicated in the descriptions, but, of course, the material cannot claim to be exhaustive.

Wehrmacht

1. Pilotka.

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

The beret was made of black woolen cloth, equipped with an internal frame of thick felt and fabric cushions 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 to replace it with a combined arms cap at any opportunity.

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

The cap for tankers completely repeated the cut of the usual Wehrmacht cap, but was made not from the gray-green fabric (Feldgrau) accepted for the army, but from the black cloth 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 type of troops (Waffenfarbe), and an eagle was placed on top - the national emblem. For each type of troops in the Wehrmacht, a different color of piping and soutache was used (the so-called instrument color). For tankers it was pink.

2. Safety glasses.

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

2. Binoculars.

In the ground forces of the Wehrmacht, binoculars 6 × 30 (sixfold magnification and a front lens diameter of 30 mm) became widespread. In military binoculars, a targeting grid 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 wear binoculars without a case, putting it around their neck.

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

3. Shirt and tie.

Under the tank jacket, it was supposed to wear a charter 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 in the upper part. 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 their 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 shirts 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 that time. The black color was chosen because it is less visible dirt, soot, oil and gasoline drips, which are inevitably present in every tank or armored vehicle.

Tank jacket (Fieldjacke) was sewn from 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 something in the tightness of the tank, and the double pleat on the chest protected well from wind or drafts. In general, the jacket was similar to modern biker leather jackets, the famous "leather jackets". The top 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 turned up and covered the neck.

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

The black cloth buttonholes of the German tankers had the shape of an oblique parallelogram. Along the perimeter they were trimmed with instrument color, in the center was the emblem of the tank troops - a skull and crossbones. Due to the similarity of the tank emblem with a 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 crossbones easily mislead the inexperienced reader.

Ribbon to the Iron Cross.

On September 1, 1939, with the outbreak of the war, the Order of the Iron Cross was reinstated at the direction of Hitler. In general, the general 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 beam.
The lowest level of the award was the Iron Cross II class. Those awarded them wore a ribbon in the colors of the flag of Nazi Germany, threaded into the second buttonhole of a field uniform or tank jacket. Sometimes the tankers took liberties in wearing the ribbon: in many photos it is threaded through the first buttonhole.

Badge "For a tank attack".

This badge for crews of Panzerwaffe tanks, 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 (lit. "tank badge"). To be awarded this badge, it was necessary to take part 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 versions of this sign: silver and bronze. The introduction of a bronze badge was required to reward tank troops who were not tank crews: infantrymen of tank divisions, doctors, crew members of assault guns, etc.

5. Waist belt.

The waist belt with a buckle (Leibriemen mit Koppelschloss) in the Panzerwaffe was used as standard, adopted for the rest of the Wehrmacht. By June 1941, two main types of soldier buckles were common in the ground forces, which differed visually: with a Wehrmacht eagle and a swastika and with a Reichswehr eagle.

The belt of privates and non-commissioned officers was made of a thick wide strip of leather, to which, to adjust the fullness of the belt, a hook and a strap with holes for the teeth of the buckle were sewn. The buckle was put on the canvas of 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 the infantry, and carried a more decorative function - the cut of the uniform made it possible to do without a belt, as can be seen from many historical photographs. The sling was needed on 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 weapon.

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

The Luger was developed at the beginning of the 20th century, but has proven itself to be a powerful, reliable and accurate weapon. Because of 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 to the left side of the abdomen. In the photograph, a German tanker is armed with a Walter P38 pistol, under which two types of holsters were used: one massive, made of molded leather, often called a “suitcase” among collectors, the second simplified - it is shown in the illustration.

7. Tank pants.

Trousers (Tuchhose) were introduced on November 12, 1934, complete with a beret and tank jacket. Just like the beret and jacket, they were made of black woolen cloth.

The cut of the pants was reminiscent of the ski trousers of the time, tightly clasping the waist and not hindering the movement of the legs, with wide straight-cut legs gathering around the ankles. The trousers had two slant pockets with shaped flaps at the front and two pockets with flaps at the back. All valves closed with buttons. There was also a small pocket for a watch on the front. Pants were fastened with buttons and pulled down at the waist in front with a strap sewn to the belt.

Trousers were sewn without changes until 1945. Identical in cut, they were worn by all tankers, regardless of rank, from private to general, because no piping or stripes were provided.

8. Boots.

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

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

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, just like the boots, tried not to tamp. If the tanker wore boots, the trouser legs were tucked into the tops and worn with a slouch. Boots were more comfortable than boots: they did not require lacing, they could be quickly put on or taken off. Historical photographs show that the wearing of boots was widespread in the tank troops of the Wehrmacht.

Red Army

9. Headset.

The tank helmet of the Red Army, developed in the mid-30s of the twentieth century, due to its design created the silhouette of a Soviet tankman that 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 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 helmet. Headsets were sewn from durable and dense black matter, which is sometimes called “tarpaulin” in documents (photo above), but in this case it is important not to confuse it with the material of soldier’s boots, with which the fabric has nothing to do. Another, rarer, material was thin black leather (pictured).

The helmet had a lining made of a baize, on which rollers stuffed with horsehair, felt, chopped cloth or technical cotton were sewn. Pockets with flaps were made opposite the ears, 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 head of the tanker. 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 movement, special safety goggles were relied upon. Their designs were very different, but the photo shows the most common type, which can be found almost unchanged now.

Points were relied on by all, without exception, crew members of tanks, transport vehicles, car drivers and their assistants, tractor drivers, mechanics, combat 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 adjustable buckle. Thanks to the design, the glasses folded compactly and did not take up much space when stored.

10. Gymnast.

Until February 1, 1941, the uniform of tankers, including the tunic, differed from other branches of the military in color: it was “steel”. However, later this distinction was eliminated, and in the spring of 1941, the tankers received a summer tunic and trousers of the same green color. By June 22, 1941, the rank and file and junior commanders of the tank troops were dressed in soldier's tunics of the 1935 model, on which tank buttonholes were sewn.

The gymnast 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 flaps with buttons. It also fastened with buttons hidden under the placket. Elbow pads were sewn on the elbows from an additional layer of fabric. Sleeves - with cuffs fastened with two buttons. The gymnasts were made of cotton melange fabric.

The tunic had a turn-down collar, on which colored buttonholes with a field and piping 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 military branch - a golden stylized silhouette of the BT tank. The tank emblem was introduced on March 10, 1936. Tank buttonholes were made of black velvet for senior and middle command personnel, cloth options were found for private and junior command personnel.

11.Palette for cards.

For carrying and convenient use of topographic maps in the Red Army, a special double-leaf pallet bag 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.

The palette was made of leather, closed on top of the valve. In order to prevent the valve from accidentally opening, two buttons were provided, and in order to prevent the whole bag from opening, a small strap with the same button was made in the lower right corner. Inside the palette there was one large compartment in which a folded topographic map was placed. 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 muffs of the uniform 1932 camping equipment, or was thrown over the shoulder on a thin leather strap. After the Great Patriotic War, this piece of equipment was abandoned, making a compartment for maps inside the field bag.

12. Equipment sample 1932 and 1935.

On July 1, 1932, for the middle, senior and senior commanding staff of the ground forces of the Red Army, a single marching equipment was introduced, often called by the year of acceptance for supply. The belt from this equipment is very similar to the one 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 from leather of different shades, from dark brown to brown-red or almost yellow. The set of equipment included a waist belt with a two-pronged buckle, on which two clutches with half rings were put on at the top and bottom. The ends of the shoulder straps were fastened to the upper half rings, a field bag and straps for checkers (by those to whom it was supposed to) were attached to the lower ones. In addition, the equipment included a revolver holster, a field bag and a map palette.

In the marching-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 was put on top in a bag. Depending on the uniform and the type of troops, 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 on one peg, they refused double shoulder straps.

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

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 the tankers was the presence in the tank turrets of special loopholes that closed from the inside, through which the crew, if necessary, could shoot back from the enemy. The main Soviet TT pistol was ill-suited for these purposes: its barrel could not be put into the loophole. Nevertheless, with a shortage of revolvers, it was the TT that was issued to the tankers.

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

Ordinary and junior command personnel could wear a holster on a simple soldier's belt, but more often a variant of a holster with a special shoulder strap was used. In this case, the waist belt pressed the holster strap to the body, eliminating its swinging when moving. In 1940, a universal holster for a TT pistol and a Nagant revolver appeared (bottom photo). It was worn similar 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 became part of the uniform marching equipment of the command staff of the Red Army.

A bag was intended for storing and carrying documents, a compass, curvimeter, ruler, writing utensils and tools. Often personal items 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 valve, which was fixed with a strap through a buckle. The field bag was originally made of leather, but in 1941 some bags began to be sewn from dark green tarpaulin. After the Great Patriotic War, a significant change was made to the design of the field bag - a card compartment was made, closed with transparent celluloid to protect it from 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 case was made of bakelite, on which a rotating ring made of brass (later aluminum) was put on. Inside the compass case was placed a circular scale-limb, divided into 120 divisions. For sighting at 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 reading indicator in the form of an arrow on the inside 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 uniform marching equipment of 1932. It was used when working with a map and orienting on the ground.

15. Jumpsuit.

As a type of special clothing for tankers, overalls appeared in the 20s of the twentieth century. In the Red Army, overalls for tankers were accepted for supply in the next decade. Early samples of this clothing were sewn from durable dyed dark blue cotton fabric and fastened with buttons. Later, a flap valve appeared at the back, a zipper was introduced. The main purpose of the overalls is to protect uniforms from dirt while riding in a tank and carrying out technical work.

The jumpsuit was a combination of a jacket and harem pants that make up one whole. A flap was made at the back at the waist. Collar overalls - turn-down, with a hook fastener. Three-seam sleeves, with elbow pads and long straps for tightening the bottom of the sleeve, without cuffs. Two adjustment buttons for straps were sewn along the bottom of the sleeve. The trouser legs at the bottom had straps for tightening, which were also fastened with adjusting buttons. Knee pads in the shape of a rhombus were sewn onto the legs in the front, and amplifiers-leys 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 overalls at the waist, two hooks were sewn in, onto which metal valve loops 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 semi-flap; pocket flaps fastened with a button.

Along with a zipper, overalls were also made with a button closure, covered with a placket. The color of the fabric of the overalls was not necessarily dark blue - it could be gray, there are references to khaki overalls. Black overalls appeared in the troops only after the start of World War II. Buttonholes, similar to gymnasts, could be sewn onto the turn-down collar of the overalls. In historical photographs, you can see overalls with and without buttonholes.

16. Boots.

Initially, leather yuft boots were the only footwear of the Russian soldier: boots with windings were introduced only at the beginning of 1915, when the army drastically increased in numbers and there were not enough boots. In the Red Army, boots were supplied to all branches of the armed forces.

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