UNIFORMS & EQUIPMENT 5

Left & Right: Infantry NCO, Russia 1943 - This well equipped Red Army Infantryman is wearing the Shlem Obr40 steel helmet, the Telogrieka padded jacket with the Plashe Platka rain cape around his shoulder, the meshok back pack with spare clothing and food.
He has his mess tin hanging from the gas mask bag which was used for food and extra ammunition once the gas mask was discarded, an aluminum cup is hanging from his water canteen.
He is armed with the standard issue 7.62x54 Mosin Nagant rifle with bayonet.

 

 

Right: Tank crew Mladshiy Serzhant, Germany 1944/45 - He is wearing the one piece black heavy cotton overalls issued to tank crews over his Obr43 uniform. His tankers padded helmet is hanging from his leather belt.
Right: Infantry Krasnoarmeyets, Russia 1941 - Dressed in belt order he is wearing the Obr35 gym with magenta collar patches. Sharrovari breeches and Sopogi boots.
Above: Infantry NCO, Germany 1944 Wearing the Shinel greatcoat with late war insignia. He is armed with the PPSh-41 sub machine gun and has a spare drum magazine in a pouch hanging from his leather belt.
Right: Infantry Krasnoarmeyets, Russia 1944 - The two piece white cotton snow suit covers his Telogrieka padded jacket underneath. The Ushanka 'fur' cap is devoid of the red or subdued large star. His fur lined mittens hang from his cuffs. The weapon is the PPSh-41 sub machine gun with the 35 round curved magazine.
Above: Artillery Senior NCO, Russia 1940/43 - This Artillery commander is wearing the Shinel greatcoat with coloured collar patches which was replaced for the green subdued version from August 1941. He is armed with the 7.62 Mosin Nagant Carbine as issued to Artillery troops. He is equipped and holding a military compass.
Above: Infantry Krasnoarmeyets, Finland 1938/39 - Wearing the early war light beige shinel greatcoat with Infantry magenta collar patches. He is carrying the 1938 pattern back pack with straps which are fastened to his leather belt. His ammunition for the 7.62mm Mosin Nagant rifle is held in the leather pouches on the belt. He has Valenki over boots on for snow conditions.
Above: Guards Infantry Krasnoarmeyets, East Prussia 1944 - This is the standard Red Army Infantry uniform for late war, and has been refereed to as the 'Victory Uniform'. The Obr43 pattern was worn well into the post war era. He is carrying the Meshok backpack and is wearing the canvas belt with ammo pouches and the water canteen hanging from it.
Above: Infantry Serzhant, Russia 1942 Dressed for winter this NCO is armed with the SVT40 semi automatic rifle, issued to NCO's and snipers. He is wearing the full padded suit with Valenki felt boots and the Ushanka 'fish fur' hat.
Hanging from his leather belt is a ammo pouch, SVT bayonet scabbard, Magazine pouch and around his shoulder is the gas mask bag.
Above: Infantry MG Gunner, Stalingrad 1942
Wearing the Obr35 pattern uniform with subdued collar patches. He is armed with the 7.62x54mm Degtyarev DP light machine gun which had a rate of fire of 500-600rnds/min. The drum magazine held 47 standard rifle rounds and the mag container held 5 drum mags.
Left: Sniper, Stalingrad & on all fronts 1942/45
Red Army woman were employed in various front line roles, along side the men. She is wearing the two piece amoeba suit which she has tucked the top half under the trousers and covered by the leather belt. The top had a hood which would cover the head, including any headwear being worn, and had a mesh vail to conceal the face.
She is armed with the snipers version of the 7.62x54 Mosin Nagant rifle. Both the weapon and the person would of been specially selected for this role.
Above: Guards Infantry Starshiy Serzhant, Ukraine 1944 Wearing the Obr43 pattern uniform, his rank is indicated by the wide dark red stripe on his shoulder boards. The Guards badge and white collar liner is clearly visible.
The weapons shown are the PPSh-41 on his knee, while the PPS-43 is behind him. A pouch for the Tokorov pistol, Pouch for F1 grenades and RDG hand grenades lay just besides him.
Above: Infantry Sapper, Ukraine 1944 He is wearing the two part amoeba suit for camouflage purposes and is also wearing a steel breast plate for added protection for his dangerous role on the front line.
The weapon is a DP light machine gun.
Left: Infantry MG Gunner, Latvia 1944
The gunner is wearing the Obr43 uniform with the canvas belt. His Shinel greatcoat is around his neck in typical Russian 'horseshoe' style. His round mess tin is attached to the end of his shinel. He is carrying the 7.62x54mm Maxim machine gun on his shoulder while carrying spare ammunition.
Above: Medic, East Prussia 1944
This young medic is wearing the Obr43 pattern uniform with the Telogrieka padded jacket which has no insignia. Only Serzhants and above were permitted to wear rank shoulder straps on this jacket.

Right: Infantry Officer, Kursk July 1943
The Leytenant waves his men forward and is wearing the Obr35 uniform and wearing the Pilotka (Side Cap). The belt is the officers early pattern with steel buckle with a 'Y' strap attached. Around his left shoulder hangs the gas mask bag, although the contents was abandened and was replaced with 'essentials'.
The Tokarov pistol and binnoculars complete his kit.

 

Above: Guards Infantry Officer, Kursk July 1943
He is wearing the standard Obr35 uniform with field collar patches which have the Infantry 'Rifles' insignia and red enameled rank insignia of a Kapitan. His cap is the subdued field furazhka with a red star badge but a subdued version could be worn.
The awards are from right to left; Guards Badge, Order of the Red Star and the Valient Battle Medal.

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Left: Guards Infantry Officer, Ukraine 1944 - He is wearing the Obr43 pattern dark green officers gym, and has retained the dark blue wool sharrovari with magenta piping down the seams.
The furazhka (Peaked cap) has the 'duck' shaped peak with magenta cap band and piping around the crown. The Red Star cap badge is the officers 2 part badge.
His rank of 'Kapitan' is indicated by the pogoni (shoulder Boards) He is also wearing the standard officers belt and leather boots.

Red Army Camourflage Suits - It is a misconseption that the Waffen-SS were the first to use comourflage uniforms as the Red Army made use of such clothing very early in the war, though not en-mass to all troops but was confined to Razvedchek (Scouts) for their operations behind enemy lines in gathering intelligence and German prisoners for interogation, known as 'Tongues' to the Russians.

Scout A is wearing 'green leaf' design comourflage which was introduced from 1943. Like all Razvedchek he carries the minimum while on a mission and is armed here with the German MP40 sub machinegun, he will also have a knife of some sort.

The next scout B is also wearing a pattern that was introduced in 1943. He is armed with the reliable PPs-43 sub machinegun.

Comourflage pattern C has an earlier design dating back to 1941 and was used till the end of the war. The green bits on his suit is material sewn into the suit, and like all camourflaged uniforms, was designed to break the outline of the wearer. He is also armed with the German MP40 sub machinegun.

The white snow suit that soldier D is wearing was the exception to the rule as far a scout issued camourflaged clothing goes, whole Regiments were issued with these suits early on in the conflict when in the defence of Moscow, the Red Army used it's reserve regiments of Siberian troops to counter attack the German offensive on the city resulting in the Germans being pushed back and and no longer able to advance on Moscow again.

 

A
B
C
D

Above: Infantry Officer, Moscow 1942
Wearing the standard officers double breasted Greatcoat. The collar patches are the pre and early war pattern which were replaced with the subdued version, though the coloured pattern still remained. They have the 'Rifles' insignia and the rectangle red enameled rank pips of a 'Kapitan'. They are also have gold lace around the top edge.

 

Left: NKVD NCO, Russia 1942
As a member of the much feared security forces, he wears the distinctive bright blue crowned furazhka with brick red cap band. On his Obr35 pattern uniform he has the NKVD collar patches with the rank triangle of a Mladshey Serzhant. The blue sharrovari are piped with magenta piping.
The arm badge is for Internal Security personel but is a bit misleading as it is usually worn on the left arm.

Right: Fighter Pilot Officer, Ukraine 1944
Female pilots were used later on during the war and proved effective with whole squadrons being piloted by woman pilots.
The famous of these were the 'Night Witches' which they became known as because of their exploits as night fighter pilots hunting down German night bombers.
This pilot is wearing the late war uniform with officers aviation arm badge and officers field shoulder boards.


Left: Guards Infantry Officer and NCO, Germany 1945 - A lovely posed photograph which shows an Infantry Serzhant, (3 dark red stripes on his shoulder boards) and Company commander, Kapitan. Red Army Ranks

Both are wearing the Obr43 uniform which was introduced mid/late 1943, and as typified by Red Armed Forces, they wore their awards and medals in parades and in combat.

The Serzhant the standard field uniform and wears the Combat Mertit Medal above his left breast pocket and the Guards Badge on his right. He is holding the 'Hammer & Sickle' flag which is made from cotten with the 'sickle' being sewn on both sides.

The Officer is wearing the subdued field 'Furazhka' peaked cap as well as a map case, pistol holder and binoculars.