Uniform of the Red Army 1918 1945. Military uniform of the Red Army (1936-1945)

New uniforms and insignia were introduced for the Ground and Air Forces of the Red Army, and insignia for the Naval Forces of the Red Army, respectively. For the command staff of the Ground and Air Force, personal military ranks were established: lieutenant, senior lieutenant, captain, major, colonel, brigade commander, division commander, corps commander, army commander 2 and army commander 1st rank. For military personnel of other branches of the military and types of service activities, the corresponding ranks are:

  • for the military-political personnel of all branches of the military: political instructor, senior political instructor, battalion commissar, regimental commissar, brigade commissar, divisional commissar, corps commissar, army commissar of 2nd and 1st ranks;
  • for military-technical personnel of all branches of the armed forces: military technician of the 2nd and 1st ranks, military engineer of the 3rd, 2nd and 1st ranks, brigade engineer, divisional engineer, coring engineer, arming engineer;
  • for military-economic and administrative personnel of all branches of the military: technical quartermaster 2nd and 1st ranks, quartermaster 3rd, 2nd and 1st ranks, brigintendant, divintendant, corintendent, armintendant;
  • for military medical personnel of all branches of the military: military paramedic, senior military paramedic, military doctor of 3, 2 and 1 ranks, brigade doctor, divisional doctor, corvette doctor, army doctor;
  • for military veterinary personnel of all branches of the military: military veterinary assistant, senior military veterinary assistant, military veterinarian of 3, 2 and 1 ranks, brigade veterinarian, divisional veterinarian, corvet veterinarian, army veterinarian;
  • for the military legal staff of all branches of the military: junior military lawyer, military lawyer, military lawyer of 3, 2 and 1 ranks, brigade lawyer, divisional military lawyer, military lawyer, army lawyer.

The same decree introduced the title of Marshal of the Soviet Union.

In order to popularize and attract more people willing to serve in the Automotive Armored Forces and the Air Force of the Red Army, their own uniform colors were adopted for them - steel and dark blue, respectively.

For the command and command staff (from middle to senior inclusive) of all branches of the military, except the Air Force, a khaki-colored cloth cap was introduced for the summer period (for the Automotive Armored Forces - steel color) with a band and piping of instrument cloth in the color of the branch of service, and a cap with edging of the same color. On the front of the commander's and command staff's caps was an additional star made of cloth of the same color with piping, on which a red enamel Red Army star was superimposed. The edges of the sewn fabric star protruded beyond the edges of the enamel Red Army star by about 2 mm.
In the Air Force of the Red Army, for all personnel (including privates), the cap was replaced by a cap: dark blue for command and command personnel (from middle to senior inclusive), and khaki for junior command (junior command) and private personnel, with blue edging and a sewn-on fabric star of the same color - with a Red Army star superimposed on top.
For the junior command (junior commander) and rank and file of the Ground Forces of the Red Army, the same cap was introduced as for the command and command personnel, but not cloth, but cotton. In addition, for these compositions of all branches of the Red Army troops, including the Air Force, there was also a khaki cap without edging and a sewn-on fabric star, with a red enamel Red Army star - for combined wear with a steel helmet. In winter, everyone should wear it with a steel helmet Red Army servicemen a gray woolen balaclava was worn, its cut reminiscent of a “balaclava”.

For command personnel, starting from middle and above, a double-breasted overcoat was introduced: steel color for the Armored Forces, dark blue for the Air Force, and dark gray for everyone else. On the overcoats of senior command personnel, along the edge of the collar and cuffs there was piping in the color of the branch of service, and on the overcoats of marshals of the Soviet Union, commanders of the 1st and 2nd ranks, piping also ran along the sides.

A single-breasted closed jacket (with closed lapels) in khaki color was supplied to the Red Army Ground Forces (except for the Armored Forces and the Air Force). Along the edge of the collar and cuffs there was a piping in the color of the military branch. Buttonholes were sewn on the collar of the jacket. Loose-fitting trousers of the same color with a French jacket and breeches were installed - blue for the Cavalry and Horse Artillery and dark blue for all other branches of the military. Both trousers and breeches had colored piping according to the type of service.
A single-breasted open jacket (with open lapels), respectively, steel and dark blue in color - with red or blue piping along the edge of the collar and cuffs - was supplied to the command staff of the Automotive Armored Forces and the Air Force. The French jacket was worn with a white shirt, black tie and untucked trousers (under boots) of the same color as the French jacket, or breeches (under boots) of the established colors for the corresponding branch of the military, with colored piping according to the type of service.

For everyday wear in the ranks, for command personnel of all branches of the military, a khaki-colored tunic was approved, along the cuffs and edge of the collar with piping in the color of the military branch and with buttonholes on the collar. The gymnast was worn with a cap.

With the exception of the headdress, the uniform of junior command and rank and file remained the same.

New equipment was introduced for command and control personnel: a waist belt with a five-pointed star, long and short shoulder straps made of brown leather.

New insignia were also established, both in the Ground Forces and in the Navy, determined by buttonholes and for command and political personnel - by sleeve insignia.

Also in 1936, lapel emblems of the military branches were approved, in the amount of 17 varieties.

By order of the NKO of the USSR No. 67, in 1936, a special uniform was established for Terek, Kuban and Don Cossacks. For the first two, the uniform consisted of a kubanka, a beshmet, a Circassian coat with a hood, a burka, trousers and Caucasian boots. The uniform differed in color: for example, the Terek Cossacks had a light blue top of the Kubanka, while the Kuban Cossacks had a red top, etc. The Don Cossacks wore a hat, a Cossack jacket, trousers and boots. Another, special uniform was established for the personnel of the cavalry brigade of mountain nationalities. The everyday uniform, with the exception of the Caucasian shirt, generally did not differ from the usual cavalry uniform, and the dress uniform included a fur hat, a Caucasian shirt, trousers, a Circassian coat with a hood, a cloak, boots, equipment with a dagger and a Caucasian saber.
In the same year, a unified uniform for the military communications service (VOSO) was introduced. The uniform items were army-wide, but had their own instrument colors, emblems, and armbands.

A special uniform was introduced in 1936 for command and teaching staff and students of the Academy of the General Staff of the Red Army. They were provided with a khaki cap with a crimson band and white piping, a double-breasted dark gray overcoat, a woolen single-breasted jacket and a khaki tunic. All items of clothing had a turn-down collar made of black velvet, on which there were rectangular crimson buttonholes with golden edging (diamond-shaped on overcoats). Trousers untucked were made from khaki woolen fabrics, breeches from dark blue woolen fabrics. Both trousers and breeches had crimson stripes and white piping along the seams.

In March 1938, partial changes were made to the uniform of the Red Army: command staff were allowed to wear a jacket with dark blue trousers untucked, and for units stationed in the south, a khaki cotton Panama hat was adopted as a summer headdress. In 1940, special buttonholes were introduced for cadets of military schools and regimental schools.

In July 1940, new ranks were introduced: lieutenant colonel and senior battalion commissar, new insignia were introduced accordingly, and in November 1940, new military ranks and insignia were established for privates and junior commanding officers.

In January 1941, full marching infantry equipment was introduced for Red Army soldiers. It consisted of a belt, a shoulder strap, a cartridge bag, a spare fabric cartridge bag, a grenade bag, a shovel case, a food bag, a food bag, a canteen case, a fabric backpack, a cover for tent accessories, and a pouch for gun accessories.

With the beginning of the war, some items and details of clothing that unmasked military personnel (insignia, stars, buttons, varnished visors and harnesses on caps) were replaced with the same ones, but in a khaki color. Sleeve insignia were abolished, colored bands and piping according to the type of service were abolished, and for generals and above, khaki-colored tunics and trousers without stripes were introduced for everyday wear.
Many women were drafted into the Red Army and a special uniform of clothing was introduced for them. In addition to the usual overcoats and tunics, women were supplied with a beret in the summer, a coat and a khaki-colored woolen dress.

In 1942, personal military ranks were introduced for the engineering and technical personnel of the Air Force, artillery and armored forces. The uniform was similar to the command staff, but special emblems were sewn on the left sleeve. In April 1942, special ranks were introduced for the quartermaster service; the uniform of the military personnel did not differ; the emblem introduced for the generals of the quartermaster service was used. In May 1942, guards military ranks were introduced and guardsmen were given a special badge common to all branches of the military. The exception was the military personnel of the Guards ships, for whom their own special Guards badge was established. In addition, for the rank and file, a rep orange-and-black guards ribbon was installed on the visor. In July 1942, stripes for wounds were introduced: dark red for a light wound and golden for a severe wound.

The most radical changes to the uniform followed on January 6, 1943, when shoulder straps were introduced.

Shoulder straps were divided into field and everyday. Their difference for the shoulder straps of the command staff was that the field of the field shoulder straps, regardless of the type of troops, was always protective in color, while everyday ones were golden or silver (for quartermasters, military lawyers, doctors and veterinarians). The shoulder straps were framed with piping in the color of the branch of service; the gaps on field shoulder straps were burgundy (for quartermasters, military lawyers, doctors and veterinarians, brown), on everyday shoulder straps - the colors of the branch of the military. On the field and everyday shoulder straps of generals and marshals there were no emblems of the military branch (with the exception of quartermasters, military lawyers, doctors and veterinarians); there were also no emblems on the shoulder straps of all infantry personnel. There were emblems on the shoulder straps of officers of other branches of the military. The field shoulder straps of privates and junior officers were also khaki, with piping in the color of the branch of service and with burgundy stripes (brown for the medical and veterinary services). Everyday shoulder straps of privates and junior command personnel were the colors of the branch of service, edged with black (infantry, aviation, cavalry, technical troops) or red (artillery, armored forces, medical and veterinary services) edging, with golden stripes (for medical and veterinary services, silver ). On everyday shoulder straps, the emblem of the military branch (except for infantry) was attached and numerical and alphabetic codes for the names of military units were applied. For cadets of military institutions, only everyday shoulder straps were installed, which differed from the everyday shoulder straps of privates and junior command personnel by the presence of golden (for quartermasters, military technicians, doctors and veterinarians, silver) braid along the entire edge of the shoulder strap.
Also, ceremonial and everyday shoulder straps were introduced for the personnel of the Navy, while maintaining sleeve insignia only for the middle, senior and senior command and control personnel of the Naval Service, and without sleeve insignia for the Coastal Service. The ceremonial shoulder straps of admirals, generals and officers were made of gold (floating personnel) or silver (coastal units of the Navy) braid, with colored edgings and stars - silver on gold braid and vice versa. Everyday shoulder straps were made of black cloth. The shoulder straps of privates and junior officers were also made of black cloth. A shoulder strap was worn on the shirts - a shortened shoulder strap. Emblems were placed on the shoulder straps of military personnel of the naval engineering, engineering, technical, medical and veterinary services.

Along with the shoulder straps, the buttonholes were changed. As for the buttonholes on the overcoat, they were only of two varieties according to the form of clothing - field and everyday, and two varieties in composition - buttonholes for marshals and generals and buttonholes for the rest of the Red Army. The field buttonholes of both were khaki. At the same time, a button was sewn at the top of the buttonhole: for marshals and generals with the Coat of Arms of the Soviet Union, for everyone else with the star of the Red Army. Marshal's and general's buttonholes were trimmed with gold (in the medical and veterinary service, silver) edging; for all others, with edging of the military branch. Everyday buttonholes were exactly the same, but for marshals and generals the field of the buttonhole was: red for marshals and generals, black for artillery and tank generals, blue for aviation, crimson for quartermaster and technical services, dark green for medical and veterinary services. All the others had the field of the buttonhole in the color of the branch of service.

The buttonholes on the uniform were different for marshals, generals, senior command and command personnel, middle command and command personnel, junior command and command personnel and privates. The Marshal of the Soviet Union had a double gold edging on the collar of his ceremonial uniform and embroidered gold oak leaves, which were also embroidered on the cuffs. The generals had a double gold (silver for the medical and veterinary services) piping and embroidered gold (silver) laurel leaves. On the cuffs of the generals, three gold (silver) buttonholes - "columns" - were embroidered. In the everyday uniform, there was no sewing or buttonholes, but there was piping in the color of the military branch on the collar and cuffs.

Senior command staff in full dress uniform wore buttonholes on the collar in the form of two gold stripes intertwined with silver thread and located on a parallelogram in the color of the branch of service. The collar was trimmed with piping in the color of the military branch. The buttonholes of servicemen of the engineering, technical, military-legal, medical and veterinary services were silver, intertwined with gold thread. Two gold (silver) buttonholes - "columns" - were embroidered on the cuffs of the uniform. In the everyday uniform, there were no sewing and buttonholes, but there was piping in the color of the military branch on the collar and cuffs; in the field uniform, there were no buttonholes and piping.

The buttonholes and badges on the cuffs of the middle command and command staff were based on the same principle, however, there was one stripe on the buttonholes, and there was also one badge on the cuff.

The buttonholes of junior command and command personnel and privates were the same shape and color as those of the officers. On the buttonholes of junior command personnel one longitudinal golden stripe was sewn (for commanders - a silver one); The privates' buttonholes were clean. Buttonholes were worn only in full dress uniform.

By Order No. 25 in 1943, types of uniforms were introduced for different categories of military personnel: dress and casual for formation and out of formation, field, which in turn were divided into winter and summer.

The field uniform was intended to be worn during combat operations, exercises, maneuvers and field training. The everyday formation uniform was worn during guard and escort duty and during drills. Casual uniforms outside the formation were worn during class activities, meetings, during free time from classes, on vacation and layoffs. The ceremonial uniform for the formation was intended for parades and reviews, guards of honor, and official receptions. The ceremonial uniform, when not in formation, was intended for gala evenings, official dinners, congresses and the performance of deputy duties.

The winter uniform remained unchanged, except for the appearance of shoulder straps and buttonholes, as well as the introduction of a hat as a headdress for colonels. In order to speed up and reduce the cost of production in 1942, the cotton jacket of the 1935 model for the rear units of the Red Army underwent minor changes - the new cotton jacket of the 1942 model no longer had a “yoke”. Subsequently, after the introduction of shoulder straps on January 6, 1943, the buttonholes were also removed from it - instead of them, shoulder straps began to be attached as insignia.

In February 1943, new military ranks of marshals of the military branches were introduced (in 1944 also marshals of the engineering and signal troops) and soon the ranks of chief marshals of the military branches were introduced. This required changes in the shoulder straps: on the shoulder straps of the Marshal of the Soviet Union the Coat of Arms of the Soviet Union appeared above the star, emblems appeared on the shoulder straps of the marshals of the military branches, and on the shoulder straps of the chief marshals there was also a laurel wreath around the star. Also in February 1943, the ceremonial uniform for marshals and chief marshals of some military branches changed slightly: cuffs and a collar appeared in blue cloth for air marshals and black cloth for marshals of artillery and armored forces. For all marshals, the “Marshal Star” insignia was installed, the same shape as that of the Marshal of the Soviet Union, but without diamonds. The color of the moire ribbon on which the badge was worn was defined as golden for the marshal of artillery, blue for aviation, burgundy for armored forces, crimson for engineering troops, and blue for communications.

In March 1943, new emblems were introduced for the chemical troops and topographic service. In April 1943, a cape and a summer coat were included in the uniform set for senior, senior and middle personnel. In May 1943, a special uniform was adopted for military commandants of railway sections, stations, and piers. It included a cap with a black band and a red top, a tunic and khaki riding breeches. All the piping on the clothes and cap were light green, the collar was black velvet. There was a VOSO sign on the cap and jacket. In September 1943, a uniform was introduced for students of the Suvorov and Nakhimov schools.

Despite the fact that naval marine units existed in the USSR even in pre-war times, no special uniform was established for them and the marines wore uniforms of the Red Army Ground Forces with insignia corresponding to the branches of troops and services adopted for units of the Red Army. After the start of the war, when the newly formed units and formations of the Marine Corps (MC) began to be replenished with Red Navy personnel transferred from the crews of ships and coastal defense units, as well as cadets of naval schools, in MP units it was possible to see military personnel in the same formation both in the land and and in naval uniforms, and often in mixed ones - when an army tunic was worn over a vest and a white uniform, while the blue sailor collar of the uniform was straightened out through the unbuttoned collar of the tunic, and as a headdress - either an army cap or a helmet, or a naval one cap or cap, or other options for mixing shapes. Only on March 23, 1944, by Order of the NK of the Navy No. 138, a uniform was established for the Marine Corps of the USSR Navy. It was also divided into everyday and field, as well as summer and winter. The field uniform of the Marines corresponded to the uniform of the Red Army Ground Forces, while the everyday uniform corresponded to the uniform of the USSR Navy.
The field uniform of privates and sergeants consisted of a cap, a vest, a khaki cotton tunic and summer khaki cotton trousers, boots, a belt, and camping equipment. In winter, the set was complemented by a black naval hat with earflaps, a woolen balaclava, winter khaki cloth trousers and a padded jacket with cotton trousers. The everyday uniform consisted of a peakless cap or cap, a vest, a dark blue flannel jacket and a white uniform with a blue sailor collar, worn under the flannel jacket (the sailor collar extended outwards), black trousers, a belt, shoes and boots. In winter, the everyday uniform was complemented by a black naval overcoat, a hat with earflaps and a pea coat.
The field uniform set of marine officers consisted of a cap, cotton and cloth khaki tunics, khaki cotton and cloth trousers, boots, camping equipment for commanders and army commanders (in winter, an additional black naval earflap, a woolen balaclava, a cotton padded jacket and cotton trousers). The everyday uniform consisted of a black cap with white piping, a dark blue jacket with untucked black trousers and boots. In winter, a black naval overcoat with earflaps was worn. The daily uniform of the Marines, as for all military personnel of the USSR Navy, was also the dress uniform.

There were no other changes in uniform until the end of the war.

Sign of injury

In the USSR, the badge for wounding was introduced by GKO Decree No. 2039, dated July 14, 1942.

Wounded soldiers, commanders and political workers, returning to the active army after recovery, serve as an example of courage and fearlessness for new recruits. Announcing for strict execution the Regulations on the distinctive insignia of wounded Red Army soldiers on the fronts of the Patriotic War, approved by the State Defense Committee, I order that this Regulation be introduced from the day the Patriotic War began.

The badge was a rectangular patch made of fabric in the color of the uniform, 43 mm long, 5-6 mm wide, with a strip made of silk galloon of dark red color (for a slight wound) or golden (yellow) (for a severe wound).

In this case, the length of the rectangle corresponds to the length of the strips, and its width depends on the number of the latter. The gaps (distances) between the strips are 3 mm; the strips themselves are sewn from bottom to top in the order of injury.

The badge is worn on the right sleeve of the upper items of naval uniform, at a distance of 10 cm from the shoulder seam to the bottom stripe, and the stripes are located across the sleeve. On items of work and inventory special clothing issued for short-term use, the number of wounds sign is not worn.

The badges were sewn on the right side of the tunic (tunic) at the level of the middle button, and if there was a pocket, above the right chest pocket. After the war, it was worn on all forms of clothing on the right side of the chest 8-10 mm above orders and medals, and in the absence of the latter - in their place.

Military personnel of the USSR Armed Forces who were wounded in battle or in the line of duty by the enemy had the right to wear a wound badge.

For persons of the commanding staff of the Red Army, notes on the right to wear award badges of wounding were entered in section 3 “Awards and special rights assigned to the owner of the certificate” of the identity cards of persons of the commanding staff of the Red Army, certified by the signature of the commander of the unit (institution) and the seal of the unit (institution).

An excerpt characterizing the Military uniform of the Red Army (1936-1945)

And the feeling of energy with which the troops went into action began to turn into annoyance and anger at the stupid orders and at the Germans.
The reason for the confusion was that while the Austrian cavalry was moving on the left flank, the higher authorities found that our center was too far from the right flank, and the entire cavalry was ordered to move to the right side. Several thousand cavalry advanced ahead of the infantry, and the infantry had to wait.
Ahead there was a clash between the Austrian column leader and the Russian general. The Russian general shouted, demanding that the cavalry be stopped; the Austrian argued that it was not he who was to blame, but the higher authorities. Meanwhile, the troops stood, bored and discouraged. After an hour's delay, the troops finally moved further and began to descend down the mountain. The fog that dispersed on the mountain only spread thicker in the lower areas where the troops descended. Ahead, in the fog, one shot was heard, then another, at first awkwardly at different intervals: draft... tat, and then more and more smoothly and more often, and the matter began over the Goldbach River.
Not expecting to meet the enemy below the river and accidentally stumbling upon him in the fog, not hearing a word of inspiration from the highest commanders, with the consciousness spreading throughout the troops that it was too late, and, most importantly, in the thick fog not seeing anything ahead and around them, the Russians lazily and slowly exchanged fire with the enemy, moved forward and stopped again, not receiving orders from the commanders and adjutants, who were wandering through the fog in an unfamiliar area, not finding their units of troops. Thus began the case for the first, second and third columns that went down. The fourth column, with Kutuzov himself, stood on the Pratsen Heights.
At the bottom, where the matter began, there was still a thick fog, at the top it had cleared, but nothing was visible from what was happening ahead. Whether all the enemy forces, as we assumed, were ten miles away from us or whether he was here, in this line of fog, no one knew until the ninth hour.
It was 9 o'clock in the morning. The fog spread like a continuous sea along the bottom, but near the village of Šlapanice, at the height at which Napoleon stood, surrounded by his marshals, it was completely light. Above him was a clear, blue sky, and a huge ball of the sun, like a huge hollow crimson float, swayed on the surface of a milky sea of ​​fog. Not only all the French troops, but Napoleon himself and his headquarters were located on the wrong side of the streams and the bottoms of the villages of Sokolnitz and Shlapanitz, behind which we intended to take a position and begin business, but on this side, so close to our troops that Napoleon could in our army to distinguish horse from foot. Napoleon stood somewhat ahead of his marshals on a small gray Arabian horse, wearing a blue overcoat, the same one in which he fought the Italian campaign. He silently peered into the hills, which seemed to protrude from a sea of ​​fog, and along which Russian troops were moving in the distance, and listened to the sounds of shooting in the ravine. At that time, his still thin face did not move a single muscle; the shining eyes were motionless fixed on one place. His assumptions turned out to be correct. Some of the Russian troops had already descended into the ravine to the ponds and lakes, and some were clearing those Pratsen heights, which he intended to attack and considered the key to the position. He saw, in the midst of the fog, how, in a depression made up of two mountains near the village of Prats, Russian columns, all moving in one direction towards the hollows, bayonets shining, disappeared one after another into the sea of ​​fog. According to the information he received in the evening, from the sounds of wheels and footsteps heard at night at the outposts, from the disorderly movement of the Russian columns, from all assumptions, he clearly saw that the allies considered him far ahead of them, that the columns moving near Pratzen formed the center of the Russian army, and that the center is already weakened enough to attack it successfully. But he still hadn't started the business.
Today was a solemn day for him - the anniversary of his coronation. Before the morning he dozed off for several hours and, healthy, cheerful, fresh, in that happy mood in which everything seems possible and everything succeeds, he mounted a horse and rode out into the field. He stood motionless, looking at the heights visible from behind the fog, and on his cold face there was that special shade of self-confident, well-deserved happiness that happens on the face of a loving and happy boy. The marshals stood behind him and did not dare to distract his attention. He looked first at the Pratsen Heights, then at the sun emerging from the fog.
When the sun completely emerged from the fog and splashed with a blinding brilliance across the fields and fog (as if he was just waiting for this to start the job), he took off the glove from his beautiful, white hand, made a sign with it to the marshals and gave the order to start the job. The marshals, accompanied by adjutants, galloped in different directions, and after a few minutes the main forces of the French army quickly moved towards those Pratsen heights, which were increasingly cleared by Russian troops descending to the left into the ravine.

At 8 o'clock Kutuzov rode out on horseback to Prats, ahead of the 4th Miloradovich column, the one that was supposed to take the place of the columns of Przhebyshevsky and Langeron, which had already descended. He greeted the people of the front regiment and gave the order to move, indicating that he himself intended to lead this column. Having reached the village of Prats, he stopped. Prince Andrey, among the huge number of people who made up the retinue of the commander-in-chief, stood behind him. Prince Andrei felt excited, irritated and at the same time restrainedly calm, as a person feels when a long-desired moment has arrived. He was firmly convinced that today was the day of his Toulon or his Arcole Bridge. How this would happen, he did not know, but he was firmly convinced that it would happen. The terrain and position of our troops were known to him, as far as they could be known to anyone from our army. His own strategic plan, which, obviously, now there was no need to even think about putting into execution, was forgotten by him. Now, already entering into Weyrother's plan, Prince Andrei pondered the contingencies that could occur and made new considerations, ones that might require his quick thinking and decisiveness.
To the left below, in the fog, gunfire could be heard between invisible troops. There, it seemed to Prince Andrei, the battle would be concentrated, there an obstacle would be encountered, and “there I will be sent,” he thought, “with a brigade or division, and there, with a banner in my hand, I will go forward and break everything that comes before me.” .
Prince Andrei could not look with indifference at the banners of the passing battalions. Looking at the banner, he kept thinking: maybe this is the same banner with which I will have to go ahead of the troops.
By morning, the night fog had left only frost on the heights, turning into dew, while in the hollows the fog still spread out like a milky white sea. Nothing was visible in that ravine to the left, where our troops descended and from where the sounds of shooting came. Above the heights there was a dark, clear sky, and to the right a huge ball of the sun. Ahead, far away, on the other side of the foggy sea, protruding wooded hills were visible, on which the enemy army should have been, and something was visible. To the right the guards entered the area of ​​fog, sounding with clatter and wheels and occasionally flashing bayonets; to the left, behind the village, similar masses of cavalry approached and disappeared into the sea of ​​fog. Infantry moved in front and behind. The commander-in-chief stood at the exit of the village, allowing troops to pass by. Kutuzov seemed exhausted and irritable that morning. The infantry marching past him stopped without orders, apparently because something ahead delayed them.
“Finally, tell them to form into battalion columns and go around the village,” Kutuzov angrily said to the general who drove up. “How can you not understand, Your Excellency, dear sir, that it is impossible to stretch out along this defile of the village streets when we are going against the enemy.”
“I intended to line up outside the village, Your Excellency,” answered the general.
Kutuzov laughed biliously.
- You will be good, deploying the front in sight of the enemy, very good.
- The enemy is still far away, Your Excellency. By disposition...
- Disposition! - Kutuzov cried out biliously, - who told you this?... If you please, do as you are ordered.
- I’m listening s.
“Mon cher,” Nesvitsky said in a whisper to Prince Andrei, “le vieux est d”une humeur de chien. [My dear, our old man is very out of sorts.]
An Austrian officer with a green plume on his hat and a white uniform galloped up to Kutuzov and asked on behalf of the emperor: has the fourth column set out?
Kutuzov, without answering him, turned away, and his gaze accidentally fell on Prince Andrei, who was standing next to him. Seeing Bolkonsky, Kutuzov softened the angry and caustic expression of his gaze, as if realizing that his adjutant was not to blame for what was happening. And, without answering the Austrian adjutant, he turned to Bolkonsky:
– Allez voir, mon cher, si la troisieme division a depasse le village. Dites lui de s"arreter et d"attendre mes ordres. [Go, my dear, see if the third division has passed through the village. Tell her to stop and wait for my order.]
As soon as Prince Andrei drove off, he stopped him.
“Et demandez lui, si les tirailleurs sont postes,” he added. – Ce qu"ils font, ce qu"ils font! [And ask if the arrows are posted. “What are they doing, what are they doing!],” he said to himself, still without answering the Austrian.
Prince Andrei galloped off to carry out the order.
Having overtaken all the battalions in front, he stopped the 3rd division and became convinced that, indeed, there was no rifle chain ahead of our columns. The regimental commander of the regiment in front was very surprised by the order given to him from the commander-in-chief to scatter the riflemen. The regimental commander stood here in full confidence that there were still troops ahead of him, and that the enemy could not be closer than 10 miles. Indeed, nothing was visible ahead except a deserted area, sloping forward and covered with thick fog. Having ordered on behalf of the commander-in-chief to fulfill what had been missed, Prince Andrei galloped back. Kutuzov stood still in the same place and, senilely slumped in the saddle with his corpulent body, yawned heavily, closing his eyes. The troops no longer moved, but stood at gunpoint.
“Okay, okay,” he said to Prince Andrei and turned to the general, who, with a watch in his hands, said that it was time to move, since all the columns from the left flank had already descended.
“We’ll still have time, Your Excellency,” Kutuzov said through a yawn. - We'll make it! - he repeated.
At this time, behind Kutuzov, the sounds of regiments greeting each other were heard in the distance, and these voices began to quickly approach along the entire length of the stretched line of advancing Russian columns. It was clear that the one they were greeting was traveling quickly. When the soldiers of the regiment in front of which Kutuzov stood shouted, he drove a little to the side and looked back with a wince. On the road from Pratzen, a squadron of multi-colored horsemen galloped along. Two of them galloped side by side ahead of the others. One was in a black uniform with a white plume on a red anglicized horse, the other in a white uniform on a black horse. These were two emperors with their retinue. Kutuzov, with the affectation of a soldier at the front, commanded the troops standing at attention and, saluting, drove up to the emperor. His whole figure and manner suddenly changed. He took on the appearance of a commanding, unreasoning person. With an affectation of respect that obviously struck Emperor Alexander unpleasantly, he rode up and saluted him.
An unpleasant impression, just like the remnants of fog in a clear sky, ran across the emperor’s young and happy face and disappeared. He was, after ill health, somewhat thinner that day than on the Olmut field, where Bolkonsky saw him for the first time abroad; but the same charming combination of majesty and meekness was in his beautiful, gray eyes, and on his thin lips, the same possibility of varied expressions and the prevailing expression of complacent, innocent youth.
At the Olmut show he was more majestic, here he was more cheerful and energetic. He became somewhat flushed after galloping these three miles, and, stopping his horse, sighed with repose and looked back at the faces of his retinue, just as young and as animated as his. Chartorizhsky and Novosiltsev, and Prince Bolkonsky, and Stroganov, and others, all richly dressed, cheerful, young people, on beautiful, well-groomed, fresh horses, talking and smiling, stopped behind the sovereign. Emperor Franz, a ruddy, long-faced young man, sat extremely straight on a beautiful black stallion and looked around him with concern and leisurely. He called one of his white adjutants and asked something. “That’s right, what time did they leave,” thought Prince Andrei, observing his old acquaintance, with a smile that he could not contain, remembering his audience. In the retinue of the emperors there were selected young orderlies, Russian and Austrian, guards and army regiments. Between them, beautiful spare royal horses were led by riders in embroidered blankets.
It was as if, through the open window, the smell of fresh field air suddenly came into the stuffy room, so the gloomy Kutuzov headquarters smelled of youth, energy and confidence in success from these brilliant young people who had galloped up.
- Why don’t you start, Mikhail Larionovich? - Emperor Alexander hastily turned to Kutuzov, at the same time looking courteously at Emperor Franz.
“I’m waiting, Your Majesty,” answered Kutuzov, leaning forward respectfully.
The Emperor lowered his ear, frowning slightly to indicate that he had not heard.
“I’m waiting, your Majesty,” Kutuzov repeated (Prince Andrei noticed that Kutuzov’s upper lip trembled unnaturally while he said this, “I’m waiting”). “Not all the columns have assembled yet, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor heard, but apparently did not like this answer; he shrugged his stooped shoulders and glanced at Novosiltsev, who stood nearby, as if with this glance he was complaining about Kutuzov.
“After all, we are not in Tsaritsyn Meadow, Mikhail Larionovich, where the parade does not begin until all the regiments arrive,” said the sovereign, again looking into the eyes of Emperor Franz, as if inviting him, if not to take part, then to listen to what he speaks; but Emperor Franz, continuing to look around, did not listen.
“That’s why I’m not starting, sir,” Kutuzov said in a sonorous voice, as if warning against the possibility of not being heard, and something trembled in his face once again. “That’s why I’m not starting, sir, because we’re not at the parade or in Tsarina’s meadow,” he said clearly and distinctly.
In the sovereign's retinue, all the faces, instantly exchanging glances at each other, expressed murmur and reproach. “No matter how old he is, he should not, in no way should speak like that,” these persons expressed.
The Emperor looked intently and carefully into Kutuzov's eyes, waiting to see if he would say anything else. But Kutuzov, for his part, bowing his head respectfully, also seemed to be waiting. The silence lasted for about a minute.
“However, if you order, Your Majesty,” said Kutuzov, raising his head and again changing his tone to the previous tone of a stupid, unreasoning, but obedient general.
He started his horse and, calling the head of the column, Miloradovich, gave him the order to attack.
The army began to move again, and two battalions of the Novgorod regiment and a battalion of the Absheron regiment moved forward past the sovereign.
While this Absheron battalion was passing, the ruddy Miloradovich, without an overcoat, in a uniform and orders and with a hat with a huge plume, worn on one side and from the field, the march march jumped forward and, with a valiant salute, reined in the horse in front of the sovereign.
“With God, general,” the sovereign told him.
“Ma foi, sire, nous ferons ce que qui sera dans notre possibilite, sire, [Really, Your Majesty, we will do what we can do, Your Majesty,” he answered cheerfully, nevertheless causing a mocking smile from the gentlemen the sovereign's retinue with his bad French accent.
Miloradovich turned his horse sharply and stood somewhat behind the sovereign. The Absheronians, excited by the presence of the sovereign, with a valiant, brisk step, kicking their feet, passed by the emperors and their retinue.
- Guys! - Miloradovich shouted in a loud, self-confident and cheerful voice, apparently so excited by the sounds of shooting, the anticipation of battle and the sight of the brave Absheronians, even his Suvorov comrades, briskly passing by the emperors that he forgot about the presence of the sovereign. - Guys, this is not your first village to take! - he shouted.
- Glad to try! - the soldiers shouted.
The sovereign's horse shied away from an unexpected cry. This horse, which had already carried the sovereign at shows in Russia, here, on the Champs of Austerlitz, carried its rider, withstanding his scattered blows with his left leg, pricking up his ears at the sounds of gunshots, just as he did on the Champ de Mars, not understanding the meaning of either these heard shots, not the proximity of the black stallion of Emperor Franz, not everything that was said, thought, felt that day by the one who rode her.
The Emperor turned to one of his entourage with a smile, pointing to the fellows of Absheron, and said something to him.

Kutuzov, accompanied by his adjutants, rode at a pace behind the carabinieri.
Having traveled half a mile at the tail of the column, he stopped at a lonely abandoned house (probably a former inn) near the fork of two roads. Both roads went downhill, and troops marched along both.
The fog began to disperse, and vaguely, about two miles away, enemy troops were already visible on opposite hills. To the left below the shooting became louder. Kutuzov stopped talking with the Austrian general. Prince Andrei, standing somewhat behind, peered at them and, wanting to ask the adjutant for a telescope, turned to him.
“Look, look,” said this adjutant, looking not at the distant army, but down the mountain in front of him. - These are the French!
Two generals and adjutants began to grab the pipe, snatching it from one another. All the faces suddenly changed, and everyone expressed horror. The French were supposed to be two miles away from us, but they appeared suddenly, unexpectedly in front of us.
- Is this the enemy?... No!... Yes, look, he... probably... What is this? – voices were heard.
Prince Andrey with a simple eye saw below to the right a dense column of French rising towards the Absheronians, no further than five hundred steps from the place where Kutuzov stood.
“Here it is, the decisive moment has come! The matter has reached me,” thought Prince Andrei, and, hitting his horse, he rode up to Kutuzov. “We must stop the Absheronians,” he shouted, “Your Excellency!” But at that very moment everything was covered with smoke, close shooting was heard, and a naively frightened voice two steps from Prince Andrei shouted: “Well, brothers, it’s a Sabbath!” And it was as if this voice was a command. At this voice, everything started to run.
Mixed, ever-increasing crowds fled back to the place where five minutes ago the troops had passed by the emperors. Not only was it difficult to stop this crowd, but it was impossible not to move back along with the crowd.
Bolkonsky only tried to keep up with her and looked around, perplexed and unable to understand what was happening in front of him. Nesvitsky with an embittered look, red and not like himself, shouted to Kutuzov that if he did not leave now, he would probably be captured. Kutuzov stood in the same place and, without answering, took out a handkerchief. Blood was flowing from his cheek. Prince Andrei pushed his way up to him.
-Are you injured? – he asked, barely keeping his lower jaw from trembling.
– The wounds are not here, but where! - said Kutuzov, pressing a handkerchief to his wounded cheek and pointing at the fleeing people. - Stop them! - he shouted and at the same time, probably making sure that it was impossible to stop them, he hit the horse and rode to the right.
The newly surging crowd of fleeing people took him with them and dragged him back.
The troops fled in such a dense crowd that, once they got into the middle of the crowd, it was difficult to get out of it. Who shouted: “Go! Why did you hesitate? Who immediately turned around and fired into the air; who beat the horse on which Kutuzov himself was riding. With the greatest effort, getting out of the flow of the crowd to the left, Kutuzov, with his retinue, reduced by more than half, rode towards the sounds of close gun shots. Having emerged from the crowd of those running, Prince Andrei, trying to keep up with Kutuzov, saw on the descent of the mountain, in the smoke, a Russian battery still firing and the French running up to it. The Russian infantry stood higher up, moving neither forward to help the battery nor back in the same direction as those fleeing. The general on horseback separated from this infantry and rode up to Kutuzov. Only four people remained from Kutuzov’s retinue. Everyone was pale and silently looked at each other.
– Stop these scoundrels! - Kutuzov said breathlessly to the regimental commander, pointing to the fleeing; but at the same instant, as if in punishment for these words, like a swarm of birds, bullets whistled through Kutuzov’s regiment and retinue.
The French attacked the battery and, seeing Kutuzov, fired at him. With this volley, the regimental commander grabbed his leg; Several soldiers fell, and the ensign standing with the banner released it from his hands; the banner swayed and fell, lingering on the guns of neighboring soldiers.
The soldiers began to shoot without a command.
- Oooh! – Kutuzov muttered with an expression of despair and looked around. “Bolkonsky,” he whispered, his voice trembling from the consciousness of his senile impotence. “Bolkonsky,” he whispered, pointing to the disorganized battalion and the enemy, “what is this?”
But before he finished these words, Prince Andrei, feeling tears of shame and anger rising in his throat, was already jumping off his horse and running to the banner.
- Guys, go ahead! – he shouted childishly.
"Here it is!" thought Prince Andrei, grabbing the flagpole and hearing with pleasure the whistle of bullets, obviously aimed specifically at him. Several soldiers fell.
- Hooray! - Prince Andrei shouted, barely holding the heavy banner in his hands, and ran forward with undoubted confidence that the entire battalion would run after him.
Indeed, he only ran a few steps alone. One soldier set off, then another, and the whole battalion shouted “Hurray!” ran forward and overtook him. The non-commissioned officer of the battalion ran up and took the banner, which was shaking from the weight in the hands of Prince Andrei, but was immediately killed. Prince Andrei again grabbed the banner and, dragging it by the pole, fled with the battalion. Ahead of him, he saw our artillerymen, some of whom fought, others abandoned their cannons and ran towards him; he also saw French infantry soldiers who grabbed artillery horses and turned the guns. Prince Andrei and his battalion were already 20 steps from the guns. He heard the incessant whistling of bullets above him, and soldiers constantly groaned and fell to the right and left of him. But he didn't look at them; he peered only at what was happening in front of him - on the battery. He clearly saw one figure of a red-haired artilleryman with a shako knocked on one side, pulling a banner on one side, while a French soldier was pulling the banner towards himself on the other side. Prince Andrey already clearly saw the confused and at the same time embittered expression on the faces of these two people, who apparently did not understand what they were doing.
"What are they doing? - thought Prince Andrei, looking at them: - why doesn’t the red-haired artilleryman run when he has no weapons? Why doesn't the Frenchman stab him? Before he can reach him, the Frenchman will remember the gun and stab him to death.”
Indeed, another Frenchman, with a gun to his advantage, ran up to the fighters, and the fate of the red-haired artilleryman, who still did not understand what awaited him and triumphantly pulled out the banner, was to be decided. But Prince Andrei did not see how it ended. It seemed to him that one of the nearby soldiers, as if swinging a strong stick, hit him in the head. It hurt a little, and most importantly, it was unpleasant, because this pain entertained him and prevented him from seeing what he was looking at.
"What is this? I'm falling? My legs are giving way,” he thought and fell on his back. He opened his eyes, hoping to see how the fight between the French and the artillerymen ended, and wanting to know whether the red-haired artilleryman was killed or not, whether the guns were taken or saved. But he didn't see anything. There was nothing above him anymore except the sky - a high sky, not clear, but still immeasurably high, with gray clouds quietly creeping across it. “How quiet, calm and solemn, not at all like how I ran,” thought Prince Andrei, “not like how we ran, shouted and fought; It’s not at all like how the Frenchman and the artilleryman pulled each other’s banners with embittered and frightened faces - not at all like how the clouds crawl across this high endless sky. How come I haven’t seen this high sky before? And how happy I am that I finally recognized him. Yes! everything is empty, everything is deception, except this endless sky. There is nothing, nothing, except him. But even that is not there, there is nothing but silence, calm. And thank God!…"

On Bagration’s right flank at 9 o’clock the business had not yet begun. Not wanting to agree to Dolgorukov’s demand to start the business and wanting to deflect responsibility from himself, Prince Bagration suggested that Dolgorukov be sent to ask the commander-in-chief about this. Bagration knew that, due to the distance of almost 10 versts separating one flank from the other, if the one sent was not killed (which was very likely), and even if he found the commander-in-chief, which was very difficult, the sent one would not have time to return earlier evenings.
Bagration looked around at his retinue with his large, expressionless, sleep-deprived eyes, and Rostov’s childish face, involuntarily frozen with excitement and hope, was the first to catch his eye. He sent it.
- What if I meet His Majesty before the Commander-in-Chief, Your Excellency? - said Rostov, holding his hand to the visor.
“You can hand it over to your Majesty,” Dolgorukov said, hastily interrupting Bagration.
Having been released from the chain, Rostov managed to sleep for several hours before the morning and felt cheerful, courageous, decisive, with that elasticity of movements, confidence in his happiness and in that mood in which everything seems easy, fun and possible.
All his wishes were fulfilled that morning; a general battle was fought, he took part in it; Moreover, he was an orderly under the bravest general; Moreover, he was traveling on an errand to Kutuzov, and perhaps even to the sovereign himself. The morning was clear, the horse under him was good. His soul was joyful and happy. Having received the order, he set off his horse and galloped along the line. At first he rode along the line of Bagration’s troops, which had not yet entered into action and stood motionless; then he entered the space occupied by Uvarov’s cavalry and here he already noticed movements and signs of preparations for the case; Having passed Uvarov's cavalry, he already clearly heard the sounds of cannon and gunfire ahead of him. The shooting intensified.
In the fresh morning air, two, three shots, and then one or two gun shots were heard, no longer as before at irregular intervals, and along the slopes of the mountains, in front of Pratzen, the rolling sounds of gunfire were heard, interrupted by such frequent shots from guns that sometimes several cannon shots were no longer separated from each other, but merged into one common roar.
It was visible how the smoke of the guns seemed to run along the slopes, catching up with each other, and how the smoke of the guns swirled, blurred and merged with one another. Visible, from the shine of the bayonets between the smoke, were the moving masses of infantry and narrow strips of artillery with green boxes.
Rostov stopped his horse on a hill for a minute to examine what was happening; but no matter how hard he strained his attention, he could neither understand nor make out anything of what was happening: some people were moving there in the smoke, some canvases of troops were moving both in front and behind; but why? Who? Where? it was impossible to understand. This sight and these sounds not only did not arouse in him any dull or timid feeling, but, on the contrary, gave him energy and determination.
“Well, more, give it more!” - He turned mentally to these sounds and again began to gallop along the line, penetrating further and further into the area of ​​​​the troops who had already entered into action.
“I don’t know how it will be there, but everything will be fine!” thought Rostov.
Having passed some Austrian troops, Rostov noticed that the next part of the line (it was the guard) had already entered into action.
"All the better! I’ll take a closer look,” he thought.
He drove almost along the front line. Several horsemen galloped towards him. These were our life lancers, who were returning from the attack in disordered ranks. Rostov passed them, involuntarily noticed one of them covered in blood and galloped on.
“I don’t care about this!” he thought. Before he had ridden a few hundred steps after this, to his left, across the entire length of the field, a huge mass of cavalrymen on black horses, in shiny white uniforms, appeared, trotting straight towards him. Rostov put his horse into full gallop in order to get out of the way of these cavalrymen, and he would have gotten away from them if they had kept the same gait, but they kept speeding up, so that some horses were already galloping. Rostov heard their stomping and the clanking of their weapons more and more clearly, and their horses, figures, and even faces became more visible. These were our cavalry guards, going into an attack on the French cavalry, which was moving towards them.
The cavalry guards galloped, but still holding their horses. Rostov already saw their faces and heard the command: “march, march!” uttered by an officer who unleashed his blood horse at full speed. Rostov, fearing to be crushed or lured into an attack on the French, galloped along the front as fast as his horse could, and still did not manage to get past them.
The last cavalry guard, a huge, pockmarked man, frowned angrily when he saw Rostov in front of him, with whom he would inevitably collide. This cavalry guard would certainly have knocked down Rostov and his Bedouin (Rostov himself seemed so small and weak in comparison with these huge people and horses), if he had not thought of swinging his whip into the eyes of the cavalry guard's horse. The black, heavy, five-inch horse shied away, laying down its ears; but the pockmarked cavalry guard thrust huge spurs into her sides, and the horse, waving its tail and stretching its neck, rushed even faster. As soon as the cavalry guards passed Rostov, he heard them shout: “Hurray!” and looking back he saw that their front ranks were mingling with strangers, probably French, cavalrymen in red epaulets. It was impossible to see anything further, because immediately after that, cannons began firing from somewhere, and everything was covered in smoke.
At that moment, as the cavalry guards, having passed him, disappeared into the smoke, Rostov hesitated whether to gallop after them or go where he needed to go. This was that brilliant attack of the cavalry guards, which surprised the French themselves. Rostov was scared to hear later that out of all this mass of huge handsome people, out of all these brilliant, rich young men on thousands of horses, officers and cadets who galloped past him, after the attack only eighteen people remained.
“Why should I envy, what is mine will not go away, and now, perhaps, I will see the sovereign!” thought Rostov and rode on.
Having caught up with the guards infantry, he noticed that cannonballs were flying through and around them, not so much because he heard the sound of cannonballs, but because he saw concern on the faces of the soldiers and unnatural, warlike solemnity on the faces of the officers.
Driving behind one of the lines of infantry guard regiments, he heard a voice calling him by name.
- Rostov!
- What? – he responded, not recognizing Boris.
- What is it like? hit the first line! Our regiment went on the attack! - said Boris, smiling that happy smile that happens to young people who have been on fire for the first time.
Rostov stopped.
- That's how it is! - he said. - Well?
- They recaptured! - Boris said animatedly, having become talkative. - You can imagine?
And Boris began to tell how the guard, having taken their place and seeing the troops in front of them, mistook them for Austrians and suddenly learned from the cannonballs fired from these troops that they were in the first line, and unexpectedly had to take action. Rostov, without listening to Boris, touched his horse.
- Where are you going? – asked Boris.
- To His Majesty with an errand.
- Here he is! - said Boris, who heard that Rostov needed His Highness, instead of His Majesty.
And he pointed him to the Grand Duke, who, a hundred paces away from them, in a helmet and a cavalry guard's tunic, with his raised shoulders and frowning eyebrows, was shouting something to the white and pale Austrian officer.
“But this is the Grand Duke, and I should go to the commander-in-chief or the sovereign,” said Rostov and started to move his horse.
- Count, count! - shouted Berg, as animated as Boris, running up from the other side, - Count, I was wounded in my right hand (he said, showing his hand, bloody, tied with a handkerchief) and remained in the front. Count, holding a sword in my left hand: in our race, the von Bergs, Count, were all knights.
Berg said something else, but Rostov, without listening to him, had already moved on.
Having passed the guards and an empty gap, Rostov, in order not to fall into the first line again, as he came under attack by the cavalry guards, rode along the line of reserves, going far around the place where the hottest shooting and cannonade was heard. Suddenly, in front of him and behind our troops, in a place where he could not possibly suspect the enemy, he heard close rifle fire.
"What could it be? - thought Rostov. - Is the enemy behind our troops? It can’t be, Rostov thought, and a horror of fear for himself and for the outcome of the entire battle suddenly came over him. “Whatever it is, however,” he thought, “there’s nothing to go around now.” I must look for the commander-in-chief here, and if everything is lost, then it’s my job to perish along with everyone else.”
The bad feeling that suddenly came over Rostov was confirmed more and more the further he drove into the space occupied by crowds of heterogeneous troops, located beyond the village of Prats.
- What's happened? What's happened? Who are they shooting at? Who's shooting? - Rostov asked, matching the Russian and Austrian soldiers running in mixed crowds across his road.
- The devil knows them? Beat everyone! Get lost! - the crowds of people running and not understanding, just like him, what was happening here, answered him in Russian, German and Czech.
- Beat the Germans! - one shouted.
- Damn them - traitors.
“Zum Henker diese Ruesen... [To hell with these Russians...],” the German grumbled something.
Several wounded were walking along the road. Curses, screams, moans merged into one common roar. The shooting died down and, as Rostov later learned, Russian and Austrian soldiers were shooting at each other.
"My God! what is this? - thought Rostov. - And here, where the sovereign can see them at any moment... But no, these are probably just a few scoundrels. This will pass, this is not it, this cannot be, he thought. “Just hurry up, pass them quickly!”
The thought of defeat and flight could not enter Rostov’s head. Although he saw French guns and troops precisely on Pratsenskaya Mountain, on the very one where he was ordered to look for the commander-in-chief, he could not and did not want to believe it.

Near the village of Praca, Rostov was ordered to look for Kutuzov and the sovereign. But here not only were they not there, but there was not a single commander, but there were heterogeneous crowds of frustrated troops.
He urged his already tired horse to get through these crowds as quickly as possible, but the further he moved, the more upset the crowds became. The high road on which he drove out was crowded with carriages, carriages of all kinds, Russian and Austrian soldiers, of all branches of the military, wounded and unwounded. All this hummed and swarmed in a mixed manner to the gloomy sound of flying cannonballs from the French batteries placed on the Pratsen Heights.
- Where is the sovereign? where is Kutuzov? - Rostov asked everyone he could stop, and could not get an answer from anyone.
Finally, grabbing the soldier by the collar, he forced him to answer himself.
- Eh! Brother! Everyone has been there for a long time, they have fled ahead! - the soldier said to Rostov, laughing at something and breaking free.
Leaving this soldier, who was obviously drunk, Rostov stopped the horse of the orderly or the guard of an important person and began to question him. The orderly announced to Rostov that an hour ago the sovereign had been driven at full speed in a carriage along this very road, and that the sovereign was dangerously wounded.
“It can’t be,” said Rostov, “that’s right, someone else.”
“I saw it myself,” said the orderly with a self-confident grin. “It’s time for me to know the sovereign: it seems like how many times I’ve seen something like this in St. Petersburg.” A pale, very pale man sits in a carriage. As soon as the four blacks let loose, my fathers, he thundered past us: it’s time, it seems, to know both the royal horses and Ilya Ivanovich; It seems that the coachman does not ride with anyone else like the Tsar.
Rostov let his horse go and wanted to ride on. A wounded officer walking past turned to him.
-Who do you want? – asked the officer. - Commander-in-Chief? So he was killed by a cannonball, killed in the chest by our regiment.
“Not killed, wounded,” another officer corrected.
- Who? Kutuzov? - asked Rostov.
- Not Kutuzov, but whatever you call him - well, it’s all the same, there aren’t many alive left. Go over there, to that village, all the authorities have gathered there,” said this officer, pointing to the village of Gostieradek, and walked past.
Rostov rode at a pace, not knowing why or to whom he would go now. The Emperor is wounded, the battle is lost. It was impossible not to believe it now. Rostov drove in the direction that was shown to him and in which a tower and a church could be seen in the distance. What was his hurry? What could he now say to the sovereign or Kutuzov, even if they were alive and not wounded?
“Go this way, your honor, and here they will kill you,” the soldier shouted to him. - They'll kill you here!
- ABOUT! what are you saying? said another. -Where will he go? It's closer here.
Rostov thought about it and drove exactly in the direction where he was told that he would be killed.
“Now it doesn’t matter: if the sovereign is wounded, should I really take care of myself?” he thought. He entered the area where most of the people fleeing from Pratsen died. The French had not yet occupied this place, and the Russians, those who were alive or wounded, had long abandoned it. On the field, like heaps of good arable land, lay ten people, fifteen killed and wounded on every tithe of space. The wounded crawled down in twos and threes together, and one could hear their unpleasant, sometimes feigned, as it seemed to Rostov, screams and moans. Rostov started to trot his horse so as not to see all these suffering people, and he became scared. He was afraid not for his life, but for the courage that he needed and which, he knew, would not withstand the sight of these unfortunates.
The French, who stopped shooting at this field strewn with the dead and wounded, because there was no one alive on it, saw the adjutant riding along it, aimed a gun at him and threw several cannonballs. The feeling of these whistling, terrible sounds and the surrounding dead people merged for Rostov into one impression of horror and self-pity. He remembered his mother's last letter. “What would she feel,” he thought, “if she saw me now here, on this field and with guns pointed at me.”
In the village of Gostieradeke there were, although confused, but in greater order, Russian troops marching away from the battlefield. The French cannonballs could no longer reach here, and the sounds of firing seemed distant. Here everyone already clearly saw and said that the battle was lost. Whoever Rostov turned to, no one could tell him where the sovereign was, or where Kutuzov was. Some said that the rumor about the sovereign’s wound was true, others said that it was not, and explained this false rumor that had spread by the fact that, indeed, the pale and frightened Chief Marshal Count Tolstoy galloped back from the battlefield in the sovereign’s carriage, who rode out with others in the emperor’s retinue on the battlefield. One officer told Rostov that beyond the village, to the left, he saw someone from the higher authorities, and Rostov went there, no longer hoping to find anyone, but only to clear his conscience before himself. Having traveled about three miles and having passed the last Russian troops, near a vegetable garden dug in by a ditch, Rostov saw two horsemen standing opposite the ditch. One, with a white plume on his hat, seemed familiar to Rostov for some reason; another, unfamiliar rider, on a beautiful red horse (this horse seemed familiar to Rostov) rode up to the ditch, pushed the horse with his spurs and, releasing the reins, easily jumped over the ditch in the garden. Only the earth crumbled from the embankment from the horse’s hind hooves. Turning his horse sharply, he again jumped back over the ditch and respectfully addressed the rider with the white plume, apparently inviting him to do the same. The horseman, whose figure seemed familiar to Rostov and for some reason involuntarily attracted his attention, made a negative gesture with his head and hand, and by this gesture Rostov instantly recognized his lamented, adored sovereign.
“But it couldn’t be him, alone in the middle of this empty field,” thought Rostov. At this time, Alexander turned his head, and Rostov saw his favorite features so vividly etched in his memory. The Emperor was pale, his cheeks were sunken and his eyes sunken; but there was even more charm and meekness in his features. Rostov was happy, convinced that the rumor about the sovereign’s wound was unfair. He was happy that he saw him. He knew that he could, even had to, directly turn to him and convey what he was ordered to convey from Dolgorukov.
But just as a young man in love trembles and faints, not daring to say what he dreams of at night, and looks around in fear, looking for help or the possibility of delay and escape, when the desired moment has come and he stands alone with her, so Rostov now, having achieved that , what he wanted more than anything in the world, did not know how to approach the sovereign, and he was presented with thousands of reasons why it was inconvenient, indecent and impossible.
"How! I seem to be glad to take advantage of the fact that he is alone and despondent. An unknown face may seem unpleasant and difficult to him at this moment of sadness; Then what can I tell him now, when just looking at him my heart skips a beat and my mouth goes dry?” Not one of those countless speeches that he, addressing the sovereign, composed in his imagination, came to his mind now. Those speeches were mostly held under completely different conditions, they were spoken for the most part at the moment of victories and triumphs and mainly on his deathbed from his wounds, while the sovereign thanked him for his heroic deeds, and he, dying, expressed his love confirmed in fact my.
“Then why should I ask the sovereign about his orders to the right flank, when it is already 4 o’clock in the evening and the battle is lost? No, I definitely shouldn’t approach him. Shouldn't disturb his reverie. It’s better to die a thousand times than to receive a bad look from him, a bad opinion,” Rostov decided and with sadness and despair in his heart he drove away, constantly looking back at the sovereign, who was still standing in the same position of indecisiveness.
While Rostov was making these considerations and sadly driving away from the sovereign, Captain von Toll accidentally drove into the same place and, seeing the sovereign, drove straight up to him, offered him his services and helped him cross the ditch on foot. The Emperor, wanting to rest and feeling unwell, sat down under an apple tree, and Tol stopped next to him. From afar, Rostov saw with envy and remorse how von Tol spoke for a long time and passionately to the sovereign, and how the sovereign, apparently crying, closed his eyes with his hand and shook hands with Tol.
“And I could be in his place?” Rostov thought to himself and, barely holding back tears of regret for the fate of the sovereign, in complete despair he drove on, not knowing where and why he was going now.
His despair was all the greater because he felt that his own weakness was the cause of his grief.
He could... not only could, but he had to drive up to the sovereign. And this was the only opportunity to show the sovereign his devotion. And he didn’t use it... “What have I done?” he thought. And he turned his horse and galloped back to the place where he had seen the emperor; but there was no one behind the ditch anymore. Only carts and carriages were driving. From one furman, Rostov learned that the Kutuzov headquarters was located nearby in the village where the convoys were going. Rostov went after them.
The guard Kutuzov walked ahead of him, leading horses in blankets. Behind the bereytor there was a cart, and behind the cart walked an old servant, in a cap, a sheepskin coat and with bowed legs.
- Titus, oh Titus! - said the bereitor.
- What? - the old man answered absentmindedly.
- Titus! Go threshing.
- Eh, fool, ugh! – the old man said, spitting angrily. Some time passed in silent movement, and the same joke was repeated again.
At five o'clock in the evening the battle was lost at all points. More than a hundred guns were already in the hands of the French.
Przhebyshevsky and his corps laid down their weapons. Other columns, having lost about half of the people, retreated in frustrated, mixed crowds.
The remnants of the troops of Lanzheron and Dokhturov, mingled, crowded around the ponds on the dams and banks near the village of Augesta.
At 6 o'clock only at the Augesta dam the hot cannonade of the French alone could still be heard, who had built numerous batteries on the descent of the Pratsen Heights and were hitting our retreating troops.
In the rearguard, Dokhturov and others, gathering battalions, fired back at the French cavalry that was pursuing ours. It was starting to get dark. On the narrow dam of Augest, on which for so many years the old miller sat peacefully in a cap with fishing rods, while his grandson, rolling up his shirt sleeves, was sorting out silver quivering fish in a watering can; on this dam, along which for so many years the Moravians drove peacefully on their twin carts loaded with wheat, in shaggy hats and blue jackets and, dusted with flour, with white carts leaving along the same dam - on this narrow dam now between wagons and cannons, under the horses and between the wheels crowded people disfigured by the fear of death, crushing each other, dying, walking over the dying and killing each other only so that, after walking a few steps, to be sure. also killed.

At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the cut of the uniform and the method of wearing it were determined by Order No. 176 of December 3, 1935. There were three types of uniforms for generals: everyday, weekend and dress. There were also three types of uniforms for officers and soldiers: everyday, guard and weekend. Each type of uniform had two options: summer and winter.

Numerous minor changes were made to the uniform between 1935 and 1941. The field uniform of the 1935 model was made of fabric of various shades of khaki color. The main distinctive element of the uniform was the 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 breast pocket on the officer's tunic had a complex shape with a protrusion in the shape of the Latin letter "V". For soldiers, the valve often had a rectangular shape. The lower part of the collar of the tunic for officers had a triangular reinforcing patch, while for soldiers this patch was rectangular. In addition, soldiers' tunics had diamond-shaped reinforcing stripes on the elbows and back of the forearm. The officer's tunic, unlike the soldier's, had a colored edging. After the outbreak of hostilities, color edging was abandoned.

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

The second main element of the uniform of both soldiers and officers were trousers, also called breeches. Soldiers' trousers had diamond-shaped reinforcing stripes on the knees. For footwear, officers wore high leather boots, while soldiers wore boots with windings or tarpaulin boots. In winter, officers and soldiers wore an overcoat made of brownish-gray cloth. Officers' overcoats were of better quality than soldiers' overcoats, but had the same cut. The Red Army used several types of hats. Most units wore budenovki, which had a winter and summer version. However, the summer budenovka was everywhere replaced by the cap, introduced in the late 30s. In the summer, officers preferred to wear caps instead of budenovkas. In units stationed in Central Asia and the Far East, wide-brimmed Panama hats were worn instead of caps.

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

The equipment of Soviet soldiers was strict and simple. Some units still used a brown leather backpack from the 1930 model, but such backpacks were rare in 1941. More common was the 1938 model canvas duffel bag. The base of the duffel bag was a rectangle 30x10 cm. The height of the duffel bag was 30 cm. The duffel bag had two pockets. Inside the duffel bag, the soldiers wore foot wraps, a raincoat, and in the pockets there were rifle accessories and personal hygiene items. At the bottom of the duffel bag, poles, pegs and other devices for setting up tents were tied. There were loops sewn onto the top and sides of the duffel bag, to which the roll was attached. The food bag was worn on the waist belt, under the duffel bag. The dimensions of the sack are 18x24x10 cm. In the sack the soldiers carried dry rations, a bowler hat and cutlery. The aluminum pot had a tight-fitting lid that was pressed down by the handle of the pot. In some units, soldiers used an old round pot 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 produce, 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 war began, many soldiers threw away gas masks and used gas mask bags as duffel bags, since not everyone had real duffel bags. According to the regulations, every soldier armed with a rifle was required to have two leather cartridge bags. The bag could store four clips for a Mosin rifle - 20 rounds. Cartridge bags were worn on the waist belt, one on each side. The regulations provided for the possibility of wearing a large fabric cartridge bag that could hold six clips - 30 rounds. In addition, the Red Army soldiers could use a cloth bandolier worn over the shoulder. The compartments of the cartridge belt could accommodate 14 rifle clips. The grenade bag held two grenades with a handle. However, very few soldiers were equipped according to regulations. Most often, Red Army soldiers 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 fabric case. The shoulder blade was worn on the right hip. If a Red Army soldier had a flask, he wore it on his waist belt over his sapper blade.

During bad weather, soldiers used raincoats. The raincoat-tent was made of khaki-colored tarpaulin and had a ribbon with which the raincoat-tent could be secured to the shoulders. Raincoat tents could be connected in groups of two, four or six and thus obtain awnings under which several people could hide. If a soldier had a duffel bag of the 1938 model, then a roll, consisting of a raincoat and an overcoat, was attached to the sides and on top of the bag, in the form of a horseshoe. If there was no duffel bag, then the roll was carried over the shoulder.

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

There were also several types of specialized uniforms. In winter, tank crews wore black overalls and black leather jackets (sometimes black leather trousers were included with the jacket). Mountain shooters wore specially cut black overalls and special mountain boots. Cavalrymen, and primarily Cossacks, wore traditional clothes instead of uniforms. The cavalry was the most variegated branch of the Red Army troops, 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 items of Cossack uniform were often found. Before the war, Cossack troops were not popular, since many Cossacks did not support the Bolsheviks during the Civil War and went to serve in the White Army. However, in the 30s, regiments of Don, Kuban and Terek Cossacks were formed. The personnel of these regiments were equipped 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 1930s, pre-revolutionary Cossack uniforms and uniforms from the 1941/43 model.

Traditionally, Cossacks are divided into two groups: steppe and Caucasian. The uniforms of the two groups differed significantly from each other. If the steppe (Don) Cossacks gravitated towards the traditional military uniform, then the Caucasians dressed more colorfully. All Cossacks wore high hats or lower kubankas. In field conditions, Caucasian Cossacks wore dark blue or black beshmets (shirts). 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 coat. In winter, Cossacks wore a black fur cloak. Many Cossacks wore bashlyks of different colors. The bottom of the Kubanka was covered with material: for the Terek Cossacks it was light blue, and for the Kuban Cossacks it was red. There were two stripes running crosswise on the material - 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 regulations, even if they did not serve in the cavalry. Another distinctive feature of the Cossacks were dark blue riding breeches.

In the first years of the war, Soviet industry lost significant production capacity, which ended up in German-occupied territory. However, most of the equipment was still transported 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, more comfortable winter uniforms were used for the first time. When creating this uniform, the sad experience of the Finnish campaign was taken into account. The Red Army soldiers received padded jackets, cotton trousers and hats with earflaps made of synthetic fur. Officers were issued sheepskin coats or fur coats. Higher officers wore hats instead of earflaps. The troops fighting on the northern sector of the front (north of Leningrad) were equipped with special northern uniforms. Instead of sheep's sheepskin coats, some units used seal sakuis. For footwear, soldiers wore special boots made of dog fur or lined with wool. Ushankas for soldiers who fought in the north were made from real fur - dog or fox.

However, many units never received a special winter uniform and the Red Army soldiers froze in standard overcoats, insulated with items 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 soldiers wore felt boots. But not everyone was able to get felt boots, so even in winter most of the Red Army personnel continued to wear tarpaulin ones. The only advantage of tarpaulin boots was that they were loose enough that they could be insulated with additional foot wraps and newspapers, turning the shoes into winter boots. Soviet soldiers did not wear socks - only foot wraps. Socks were too much of a luxury to wear 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 luckier - the personnel of these units received felt boots with galoshes, which was especially useful during the autumn and spring thaw. In 1942, the Red Army soldiers were dressed in rather colorful uniforms. The tankers wore black, gray, blue or khaki overalls. Synthetic leather and rubber were widely used in the manufacture of uniforms. Cartridge bags were made from tarpaulin or impregnated tarpaulin. Leather waist belts were everywhere replaced by canvas ones.

Instead of blankets, the Red Army soldiers used overcoats and raincoats. In addition, a roll of an overcoat or raincoat 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 by the Tsarist army during the 1st World War. This duffel bag was a canvas bag with a neck secured by a drawstring and two shoulder straps. In 1942, uniform items from the USA and Canada began to arrive in the Soviet Union under Lend-Lease. Although most of the uniforms coming from America were made according to Soviet designs, American uniforms were also found. For example, the USA supplied 13 thousand pairs of leather boots and one million pairs of soldier’s boots to the USSR, 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, the distinctive details of women's dress and dress uniforms were a dark blue skirt and beret. During the war, the order of women's uniforms was fixed by orders issued in May and August 1942. The orders maintained the wearing of a skirt and beret. In the field, these uniform items were made of khaki-colored fabric, and the exit uniform included a blue skirt and beret. These same orders largely unified the women's uniform with the men's. In practice, many female military personnel, especially those serving on the front lines, wore men's uniforms. In addition, women often altered many uniform items for themselves, using discarded uniforms.

The experience of fighting in Finland showed the need to have white camouflage overalls in the troops. This type of overalls appeared in 1941. There were several types of winter overalls, usually consisting 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-colored fabric with round black spots. It is known from photographic documents that the Red Army soldiers also used reversible camouflage overalls, which were green on the outside and white on the inside. It is not clear how widespread such overalls were. A special type of camouflage was developed for snipers. A large number of narrow strips of material imitating grass were sewn onto the khaki-colored overalls. However, such overalls are not widely used.

In 1943, the Red Army adopted a new uniform, radically different from that previously used. The system of insignia was equally 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 daily, weekend and dress uniforms, since in wartime conditions there was no need for weekend and dress uniforms. Details of the ceremonial uniform were used in the uniform of special forces units performing guard duty, as well as in officer uniforms. In addition, the officers retained their dress uniform.

By Order No. 25 of January 15, 1943, a new type of tunic was introduced 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' 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 the shoulder straps. There were two types of shoulder straps: field and everyday. Field shoulder straps were made of khaki-colored fabric. On three sides, the shoulder straps had a border in the color of the branch of service. There was no piping on the officer's shoulder straps, and the branch of the military 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. 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 branch of the military. The color of the emblem depended on the type of troops. The shoulder straps of marshals and generals were wider than those of officers, and the shoulder straps of military doctors, lawyers, etc. - on the contrary, narrower.

Officers wore a cap with a black leather chinstrap. The color of the band on the cap depended on the type of troops. The crown of the cap was usually a khaki color, but the NKVD troops often used caps with a light blue crown, tank crews wore gray caps, and Don Cossacks wore gray-blue caps. The same order No. 25 determined the type of winter headdress for officers. Generals and colonels had to wear hats (introduced back in 1940), while other officers received regular earflaps.

The rank of sergeants and foremen was determined by the number and width of the stripes on their shoulder straps. Usually the stripes were red, only doctors and veterinarians had a brownish tint. Petty officers wore a T-shaped stripe on their shoulder straps. Senior sergeants had one wide stripe on their shoulder straps. Sergeants, junior sergeants and corporals had three, two or one narrow stripe on their shoulder straps, respectively. The edging of the shoulder straps was the color of the branch of service. According to the regulations, the emblem of the military branch 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 remained in ports for most of the war, many sailors took part in battles on land. The marine infantry was used especially widely in the defense of Leningrad and in the Crimea. However, throughout the war, Marines wore the standard Marine uniform, supplemented by some items from the ground field uniform. The last order concerning uniforms was issued in April 1945. This order introduced the dress uniform; soldiers first wore it during the Victory Parade on Red Square on June 24, 1945.

Separately, it would be worth examining the colors of the military branches in the Red Army. The types of troops and services were designated by the color of the edging and insignia. The color of the field of the buttonholes showed belonging to the branch of the military; in addition, a small badge in the buttonhole indicated membership in a certain branch of the military. Officers wore gold-embroidered or enamel badges, while soldiers used colored edging. The sergeants' buttonholes had a border in the color of the branch of service, and they were distinguished from the soldiers by a narrow red stripe running through the buttonhole. Officers wore caps with piping, while soldiers used caps. The edgings on the uniform were also the colors of the military branch. Belonging to a branch of the military 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, the position of political instructor - junior political officer - was introduced in each unit (company, platoon). The insignia of commissars was generally similar to the insignia of officers, but had its own characteristics. Instead of chevrons on the sleeve, the commissars wore a red star. Commissars had black edging on their buttonholes, regardless of the type of troops, while political instructors had colored edging on their buttonholes.

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

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 forces 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 combat 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 differently. The commanders of the 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. Whenever 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. Cap.

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

The beret was made of black woolen cloth, equipped with an internal frame of thick felt-fabric pillows and performed a protective function, protecting the head from impacts 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 to wear. All this led to the fact that the tankers did not like the beret and tried to replace it with a general-purpose cap at any opportunity.

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

The cap for tank crews completely repeated the cut of a regular Wehrmacht cap, but was made not from the gray-green fabric (Feldgrau) accepted for army personnel, but from black cloth, which was used for the rest of the uniform of tank forces. On the front of the cap was sewn a round cockade in the colors of the national flag, above it was a “corner” of soutache in the color of the branch of the military (Waffenfarbe), and on top was an eagle - the national emblem. For each branch of troops in the Wehrmacht, their own color was used for the edging of shoulder straps and soutache (the so-called instrument color). For the 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 his eyes. The photo shows one of the common options - such glasses were called “chanterelles” due to the shape of the glasses. In them, an aluminum frame with triplex glass and rubber seals was held on the head with an elastic band.

2. Binoculars.

In the Wehrmacht ground forces, 6x30 binoculars (sixx magnification and front lens diameter 30 mm) became widespread. Military binoculars had a reticle that 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 around their neck.

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

3. Shirt and tie.

Under the tank jacket it was necessary to wear a regulation shirt (Heershemd) with a tie. For tankers it was gray, with a turn-down collar. The shirt, worn over the head, was long, reaching 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. The sleeves are long, with cuffs, fastened with buttons. There were no pockets on the chest of the shirt. The tie was black; civilian versions were allowed.

In the hot summer of 1941, in a combat situation, German tank crews often took off their rather warm tank jackets and remained in just 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 onto their shirts themselves.

4. Tank jacket.

The special black tank uniform (Sonderbekleidung der Deutschen Panzertruppen) was introduced into 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 makes dirt, soot, oil and gasoline drips, which are inevitably present in every tank or armored vehicle, less visible.

The tank jacket (Fieldjacke) was made of black woolen cloth. There were hooks on the sides of the jacket to support the waist belt. There were no protruding buttons or pockets that could get caught on something in the cramped tank, and the double wrap on the chest provided good protection from wind or drafts. In general, the jacket was similar to modern leather biker jackets, the famous “leather jackets”. The top two buttons of the jacket were not fastened when worn, and the lapels were turned down. In case of bad weather, the jacket could be fastened with all the buttons, and the collar could be pulled up and covered the neck.

Shoulder straps were attached to the shoulders of the jacket through a belt loop and a button; since 1936, an eagle, the national emblem of Nazi Germany, was sewn on the right side of the chest; corner non-commissioned officer Winkel patches were placed on the left sleeve. The edge of the wide collar had piping in the color of the military branch (Waffenfarbe), and the buttonholes of tank troops with skulls were attached to the collar.

The black cloth buttonholes of German tank crews had the shape of an oblique parallelogram. Along the perimeter they were finished in instrument color; in the center was the emblem of the tank forces - a skull and crossbones. 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 crossbones easily mislead the inexperienced reader.

Iron Cross Ribbon.

On September 1, 1939, with the outbreak of war, the Order of the Iron Cross was restored 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 of the establishment of the award in the Third Reich on the lower ray.
The lowest level of 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 tankers took liberties in wearing the ribbon: in many photos it was 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”, “Breast 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 participate in three or more separate tank attacks, or to be wounded during a combat operation, or to show special bravery 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 military personnel of tank forces not related to tank crews: infantrymen of tank divisions, medics, crew members of assault guns, etc.

5. Waist belt.

The waist belt with a buckle (Leibriemen mit Koppelschloss) in the Panzerwaffe used the standard one adopted for the rest of the Wehrmacht. By June 1941, two main types of soldier's buckles were common in the ground forces, differing visually: 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 teeth of the buckle were sewn to adjust the fullness of the belt. The buckle was put on the belt, and its teeth went into the holes of the strap, after which the belt was fastened using a hook.

For tankers, the belt was not the basis for placing all the equipment, like the infantry, and had 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 belt was necessary in 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 side of the stomach.

6. Personal weapons.

The majority of German tank crews were armed with one of two types of pistols chambered for 9x19 mm - the Luger P08, also known as the famous Parabellum, or the Walter P38 (pictured).

The Luger was developed at the beginning of the twentieth 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. The 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 the waist belt either on the left side or pushed forward onto the left side of the abdomen. In the photo, the German tankman is armed with a Walther P38 pistol, for 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.

On November 12, 1934, trousers (Tuchhose) were introduced along with the beret and jacket of tank crews. Just like the beret and jacket, they were made of black woolen cloth.

The cut of the pants was reminiscent of the ski pants of the time, hugging the waist tightly without restricting the movement of the legs, with wide, straight legs that gathered around the ankles. The trousers had two slanted pockets with figured flaps in the front and two pockets with flaps in the back. All valves were closed with buttons. There was also a small pocket on the front for a watch. The trousers were fastened with buttons and tightened at the waist in front using a strap sewn to the belt.

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

8. Boots.

There were two main types of footwear for Panzerwaffe tank crews in the summer of 1941. The first is lace-up boots (Schnürschuhe). Tank trousers gathered around their tops and were fastened with a button, covering the top of the boots and forming a distinctive silhouette.

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

In addition to boots, tankers wore ordinary marching boots (Stiefel) with wide short tops, sometimes specially shortening them. The soles and heels of the boots, like those of the boots, were tried not to be tampered with. If a tanker wore boots, the trouser legs were tucked into the boot and worn slouchily. Boots were more comfortable than boots: they did not require lacing and could be quickly put on or taken off. Historical photographs show that the wearing of boots was widespread in the Wehrmacht tank forces.

Red Army

9. Headset.

The Red Army tank headset, 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 is a need to develop tank protective clothing, one of the elements of which is a headset. Headsets were made from durable and dense black material, which in documents is sometimes called “tarpaulin” (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 in common. Another, rarer material was thin black leather (pictured).

The helmet had a lining made of flannel, onto which were sewn rollers stuffed with horsehair, felt, cut cloth or technical wool. Opposite the ears, pockets were made with flaps 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 tank driver’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 while driving, special safety glasses were used. Their designs were very different, but the photo shows the most common type, which can still be found almost unchanged today.

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

Structurally, the glasses were ordinary glasses in a frame, mounted 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. Tunic.

Until February 1, 1941, tank crew uniforms, including tunics, differed from other branches of the military in color: it was “steel.” However, then this difference was eliminated, and in the spring of 1941 the tank crews received a summer tunic and trousers of the same green color. By June 22, 1941, privates and junior command staff of the tank forces were dressed in soldier's tunics of the 1935 model, onto which tank buttonholes were sewn.

The tunic of the 1935 model was introduced into the Red Army to replace the tunic of the 1931 model. Two pockets were sewn on the chest, closed with flaps and buttons. It was also fastened with buttons hidden under the placket. Elbow pads made of an additional layer of fabric were sewn onto the elbows. The sleeves have cuffs fastened with two buttons. The gymnasts were made from cotton melange fabric.

The tunic had a turn-down collar, onto which colored buttonholes with a field and piping were sewn according to the branch of service, in this case, black and red. The emblem of the military branch was attached to the corner of the buttonhole - a golden stylized silhouette of a BT tank. The tank emblem was introduced on March 10, 1936. Tank buttonholes were made of black velvet for senior and middle command personnel; among ordinary and junior command personnel there were cloth versions.

11. Card palette.

To carry and conveniently use topographic maps, the Red Army used a special double-leaf pallet bag. It is this piece of equipment that is often called a tablet, often confused with a field bag. The palette was included with the field bag and was worn inside or instead of it.

The palette was made of leather and closed with a flap on top. To prevent the valve from opening accidentally, two buttons were provided, and to prevent the entire 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 into which a folded topographic map fit. 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 a single 1932 camping outfit, or was slung 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 of the 1932 and 1935 model.

On July 1, 1932, unified field equipment was introduced for the middle, senior and senior commanding personnel of the ground forces of the Red Army, often referred to 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, onto which two couplings with half rings were put on at the top and bottom. The ends of the shoulder straps were fastened to the upper half-rings, and the field bag and saber straps (by those who were entitled to it) were attached to the lower half-rings. In addition, the equipment included a revolver holster, a field bag and a map palette.

In the marching guard version, it was necessary to carry 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 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 has undergone significant changes, the buckle of which began to be made of brass with a slotted five-pointed star. It began to be fastened with one pin, and double shoulder straps were abandoned.

By 1941, the troops used both types of equipment for middle, senior and senior command personnel; tank crews were not regulated to wear one or two shoulder belts. In addition, judging by photographs and films, the uniform field equipment of 1932 or 1935 could have been worn by foremen and assistant political instructors.

13. Personal weapons.

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

One of the important reasons why the revolver was the main personal weapon of tank crews was the presence in the tank turrets of special loopholes that could be locked from the inside, through which the crew, if necessary, could fire back at the enemy. The main Soviet TT pistol was poorly suited for these purposes: its barrel could not be placed in the loophole. Nevertheless, when there was a shortage of revolvers, tankers were given TTs.

He wore a revolver in a holster on his right side. The holster (top photo) was from a 1932 field kit, in which case the shoulder straps hooked onto the half-rings on it. In another wearing option, the holster was simply worn on a 1932 or 1935 model waist belt.

Privates and junior officers could wear a holster on a simple soldier's belt, but more often a holster version with a special shoulder strap was used. In this case, the waist belt pressed the holster strap to the body, preventing it from swinging when moving. In 1940, a universal holster for the TT pistol and Nagan revolver appeared (bottom photo). It was worn similarly to the early holster.

14. Field bag.

It was used by command personnel 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 field equipment of the Red Army command staff.

The bag was intended for storing and carrying documents, a compass, a curvimeter, a ruler, writing instruments and tools. Often personal items were placed in it. The field bag was worn on a waist belt or on a special shoulder strap. It was closed with a flap, which was secured with a strap through a buckle. The field bag was initially made from leather, but in 1941 some bags began to be made from dark green tarpaulin. After the Great Patriotic War, a significant change was made to the design of the field bag - they made a compartment for maps, covered 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 needle and dial for operation at night.

The compass body was made of bakelite, onto which a rotating ring made of brass (later aluminum) was placed. Inside the compass body there was a circular dial scale, divided into 120 divisions. To sight local landmarks and take 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 and carried in a field bag when traveling. It was part of the uniform marching equipment of 1932. Used when working with a map and navigating the area.

15. Jumpsuit.

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

The overalls were a combination of a jacket and trousers, making up one whole. There was a flap at the back of the waist. The collar of the overalls is turn-down, with a hook closure. The sleeves are three-seam, with elbow pads and drawstrings for tightening the bottom of the sleeve, without cuffs. Two adjustment buttons for the straps were sewn along the bottom of the sleeve. The legs at the bottom had straps for tightening, also fastened with adjustable buttons. Diamond-shaped knee pads were sewn onto the front of the trouser legs, and lei reinforcements were sewn onto 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, two hooks were sewn into the waist, onto which metal valve loops were placed, holding it in the fastened position. The overalls had one pocket with a flap on the left side of the chest and one pocket on the right thigh, covered with a half-flap; The pocket flaps were fastened with a button.

Along with a zipper, overalls were also made with button closures 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 army only after the start of the Great Patriotic War. Buttonholes similar to tunic buttonholes could be sewn onto the turn-down collar of the overalls. In historical photographs you can see overalls both with and without buttonholes.

16. Boots.

Initially, leather yuft boots were the only footwear for the Russian soldier: boots with tapes were introduced only at the beginning of 1915, when the army sharply increased in numbers and boots became scarce. The Red Army supplied boots to all branches of the military.

In the mid-30s of the USSR, a material was invented that is now commonly called “tarpaulin”. Artificial sodium butadiene rubber was applied to the fabric base to imitate the texture of leather. This material was used for the manufacture of individual parts of equipment and sewing soldiers' boots. Tank units of the Red Army received leather boots made from yuft or cowhide. Tankers were not allowed boots with tapes or tarpaulin boots.

— SUMMER GYMNASTER OF THE RED ARMY COMMAND AND MANAGEMENT STAFF: 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 khaki cotton fabric with a turn-down collar fastened with one hook. At the ends of the collar, khaki-colored buttonholes with insignia are sewn.

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

— THARS OF COMMAND AND MANAGEMENT STAFF 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 pattern without edging. Summer bloomers are made of khaki cotton fabric, and winter ones are made of wool blend fabric of the same color. The bloomers consist of two front and two back halves, have two side welt pockets and one back pocket, a waist cuff at the back and a strip at the bottom. The bloomers are fastened with five buttons and one hook.

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

Summer shirt of the 1928 model for the ground and air forces of the Red Army. The shirt is made of cotton fabric (tunic), dark khaki color, 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, in the color assigned to the branch of the military; Insignia of position and established encryption are placed on the buttonholes. The shirt is fastened 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 where they are sewn to the cuffs, the sleeves have two folds, located 7-8 cm apart from each other. Letrubes are made in six sizes.

Red Army cloth shirt arr. 1928 for the ground and air forces of the Red Army. The shirt is made from khaki-colored merino or coarse wool cloth with a stand-up collar, fastened in the middle with two metal hooks and having buttonholes at the ends, in the shape of a parallelogram, with sides 8 cm X 3.5 cm in the color assigned to the branch of the military; Insignia of position and established encryption are placed on the buttonholes. The shirt is fastened 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. Buttons on the shirt must be metal, oxidized, small in size with a star, of the type established by order of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR of 1924 No. 992.

Summer shirt with elbow pads, model 1931, for all branches of the military. The letrubah [type A] is made from a tunic (cotton diagonal) khaki color with two patch breast pockets covered by flaps, a turn-down collar fastened with one uniform button, and sleeves with cuffs. The waist of the shirt is sewn at the sides and at the shoulders in two parts: front and back. The front part of the waist from the neck to the bottom of the pockets has a cut covered with strips. The straps are located in the middle of the waist and are fastened with one button onto the loop of a piece of fabric hemmed on the inside of the top strap. The upper ends of the straps near the collar are fastened with one small uniform button, sewn at the top of the lower strap onto the through transverse loop of the upper strap. The collar does not have hooks and, under certain conditions provided for 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 patched elbow pads. On both sides of the collar, edged buttonholes are sewn in the color of the cloth assigned to the branch of the military. The buttonholes have the shape of a parallelogram with a finished length of 8 cm and a width of 3.25 cm, including the edging. The transverse ends of the buttonholes should be parallel to the bevel of the front ends of the collar. The established metal insignia for positions and badges according to the established encryption are placed on the buttonholes. […]

Basically, the flying jacket of type B […] differs from the flying jacket of type A in that the flying jacket of type B has an elongated strap in all heights by 4 cm; a hook and loop for fastening the collar and three through loops on the top placket […]. Three small general-army buttons are sewn onto the bottom placket 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. The cloth shirt consists of the following parts: the front part, which has a placket in the middle, 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 flaps of the breast pockets, fastened to the Red Army shirt button, sleeves without folds at the bottom with cuffs fastened with two loops on two Red Army buttons. Flap welt internal pockets.

Canceled by order of the People's Commissar of Defense of the USSR No. 25 of January 15, 1943. All Red Army personnel will 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 deadlines and supply standards.

№1 -Private soldiers in tunics. 1941; №2 -Private soldiers in tunics. 1942; №3 №4 -St. a lieutenant in a tunic with everyday insignia; №5 -An officer in a tunic with field insignia; №6 -Illustration of an officer’s tunic from 1940-43.

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

— GYMNASTERS: 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 presented the same tunics of the existing model with the following changes:

The collars of tunics of all types, instead of turn-down ones, are stand-up, soft, fastened with through loops in the front with two small uniform buttons.

The top placket is located in the middle and is fastened with three small uniform buttons with through loops.

Shoulder straps of the established type are fastened to the shoulders.

Sleeve insignia (officer's sleeve triangles) on tunics are abolished.

Instead of patch pockets, the tunics of commanding officers have welt (internal) pockets covered with flaps. No elbow pads.

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

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

On September 16, 1944, sergeants and Red Army soldiers were also officially allowed to have chest welt pockets, but only in case of receiving an unwearable officer's uniform after putting it in order. Throughout 1943, one could find old-style tunics with a turn-down collar, which were allowed to be worn until new uniforms were issued.

№1 -Privates in soldiers’ tunics (on the left is 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 uniform; №3 -Illustration of soldiers' tunics arr. 1943; №4 -Soviet and American officers during a meeting on the Elbe; №5 -St. Sergeant in an officer's tunic; №6 -Illustration of officer's tunics mod. 1943

— PARTY UNITED: Senior and middle command and command personnel of all branches of the military

The uniform is single-breasted, with a detachable bodice, fastened at the left side with five large buttons. The collar is rigid, standing, fastened with two or three hooks and loops. The upper 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 branch of service) 8.2 cm long and 2.7 cm wide. On the buttonholes, respectively 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 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, according to the established form, there are two or one vertical buttonholes (columns) embroidered in gold or silver. On the tail of the back there are sewn leaves, at the ends of which one large button is sewn. Piping along the edge of the left side, collar, leaf and cuffs, color - according to the branch of service. All buttons are shaped, brass.

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

The color of the buttonholes for the infantry, quartermaster and military legal services is crimson, for artillery and auto-armored forces - 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 the buttonholes for the quartermaster, military-legal, medical and veterinary services is silver, for all others - gold. Shoulder straps of the established type.

№1 -Lieutenant-artilleryman in full dress uniform; №2 -Servicemen of the 150th Idritsk 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 storming of the Reichstag, escorting 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 (06/20/1945); №3 -Illustration of a ceremonial uniform mod. 1943

Literature/documents:

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

In 1943, the Red Army adopted a new uniform. The new tunic was very similar to the one used in the tsarist army and had a stand-up collar fastened with two buttons. The main distinguishing feature of the new uniform was the shoulder straps. There were two types of shoulder straps: field and everyday. Field shoulder straps were made of khaki-colored fabric. On the shoulder straps near the button they wore a small gold or silver badge indicating the branch of the military. Officers wore a cap with a black leather chinstrap. The color of the band on the cap depended on the type of troops. In winter, generals and colonels of the Red Army had to wear hats, and the rest of the officers received ordinary earflaps.

And now more thoroughly:

Back in the summer months of 1941, preparations were launched to provide Red Army personnel with warm clothes for the winter. Basic warm clothes, primarily fur coats and felt boots, were searched for in various pre-war warehouses, collected as aid to the army from the population, and produced by industry at an accelerated pace with allowances for simplification and reduction in cost. As a result, the active army was completely satisfied with warm clothes. Which led to some diversity in color and cut in the winter of 1941/1942.

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

By the way, German industry was unable to provide its army with winter uniforms, and needless to say that the blitzkrieg implied the capture of Moscow before winter; already in the fall it was clear that there was no smell of blitzkrieg. And the capture of Moscow did not mean the end of the war, nor did they go to the tropics, so somewhere the German quartermasters did not work properly, so during the winter fighting, Wehrmacht losses from frostbite exceeded the number of combat losses.

Members of rear units and institutions, motor transport units of combat formations, as well as drivers of all branches of the military began to be issued a double-breasted cotton jacket instead of an overcoat. Great tension with the provision of clothing was due to the decline in the output of light industry products, some of the enterprises of which had not yet established production in the evacuation, and those remaining locally experienced difficulties with raw materials, energy and labor. For those who like to argue about whose uniform or whose tanks and planes are the best, and so on, the answer is simple.

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

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


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

And only in 1943, the order of 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 it is the change order itself.

I ORDER:

Establish the wearing of shoulder straps: FIELD - by military personnel in the Active Army and personnel of units preparing to be sent to the front, EVERYDAY - by military personnel of other units and institutions of the Red Army, as well as when wearing dress uniforms.

All Red Army personnel will switch to new insignia - shoulder straps in the period from February 1 to February 15, 1943.

Make changes to the uniform of Red Army personnel according to the description.

Put into effect the “Rules for wearing uniforms by Red Army personnel.”

Allow the wearing of the existing uniform with new insignia until the next issue of uniforms, in accordance with the current deadlines and supply standards.

Unit commanders and garrison commanders must strictly monitor compliance with the uniform and correct wearing of the new insignia.

People's Commissar of Defense J. STALIN.

And how many small changes and nuances followed with the introduction of a new form, let’s take, for example, gymnasts. For tunics of the existing model, the following changes are being introduced: The collars of tunics of all samples, instead of turn-down ones, are stand-up, soft, fastened with through loops in the front with two small uniform buttons. Shoulder straps of the established type are fastened to the shoulders. Sleeve insignia for tunics are abolished.


Red Army infantryman and lieutenant 1943-45.

Infantryman of the Red Army in the second half of the war. M1940 helmet is olive green, 1943 tunic has a stand-up collar, no breast pockets, on the left is the medal for the “Defense of Stalingrad” established on December 22, 1942. The difference in shade between the elements of clothing is not significant; Tolerances in manufacturing and a large number of manufacturing plants have led to a wide range of khaki, or khaki as it is called. Glass water flask, bags for F-1 and PPSh-41 grenades with a drum magazine. On the back is a simple cotton backpack or duffel bag.

Lieutenant. The cap has a crimson edging, as do the cuffs of the tunic. The tunic from 1943 has internal pockets with flaps, and still wears blue breeches. The belt buckle with two teeth was introduced in 1943, in a Tokarev or TT holster, with a rocket launcher behind the belt.


Red Army. Standard infantryman field uniform 1943

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


Red Army, medical staff uniform 1943

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

76 women were awarded the title "Hero of the Soviet Union", many of them posthumously. From September 16, 1944, sergeants and Red Army soldiers were also officially allowed to have chest welt pockets, but only if they received an unwearable officer's uniform after putting it in order.


Major General Ground Forces 1943-44.

Combinations of uniforms from different time periods were quite common during the war. The 1935 tunic has a fold-down collar, but sewn shoulder straps, with khaki hand-embroidered lace and silver stars. Khaki cap - widely used by all officer ranks in the second half of the war. A commander bag of this type is supplied under Lend-Lease.

Military uniform of the Soviet Red Army 1943-1945.

Camouflage clothing.


Camouflage clothing, Red Army 1943-1945

A large number of different colors of camouflages were produced during the war, and were used mainly by snipers, scouts, and also for mountain troops. The camouflages are designed to be loose so that they can be worn over any combination of uniform and equipment, with large hoods to cover the helmet.

From left to right. The most common camouflage pattern consists of two parts, but there were also one-piece overalls. The colors are varied, brown, black or dark green spots on a pale olive green background. Next is the simplest form of camouflage: garlands of grass, wrapping the body, equipment and weapons to break up the image of their visual structure.

Next. By the end of the war, an alternative type of suit was produced - although not in the same quantities. It was olive green, with a lot of little loops all over the surface that held tufts of grass. And the last type of robe was used by troops during the Winter War with Finland in 1939-40. and much more widely during the Great Patriotic War.

Some photos from that time show that some overalls were reversible, but it is not clear when this was introduced or how widely it was used.


Red Army reconnaissance officer, 1944-45

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


Junior lieutenant rifle units, winter uniform, 1944

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


Captain of the NKVD border troops, ceremonial uniform 1945.

Officer's dress jacket, double-breasted, fitted skirt. It was introduced in 1943. The version of the border troops differed from other NKVD troops, only in the green piping and color of the crown of the cap, the color of the collar buttonholes and cuffs. On the chest is the “Order of the Red Banner”, established in August 1924; medals "For Military Merit" and "For Victory over Germany".

The cap has a gilded metal cockade and a V-shaped badge with hand embroidery. Blue piping on collar and cuffs. On the chest there is a medal for “For the Defense of Moscow”, established on May 1, 1944.


Lieutenant General, dress uniform 1945.

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

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


Sergeant. Dress uniform 1945.

Uniform with a stand-up collar with buttonholes, flaps in the back skirt, scarlet piping on the collar, cuffs and pocket flaps. The uniform was sewn to everyone's individual measurements, more than 250 new-style ceremonial general uniforms were sewn, and in total, more than 10 thousand sets of various uniforms for parade participants were produced in factories, workshops and studios in the capital in three weeks. In his hands is the standard of a German infantry battalion. On the right side of the chest are the Orders of the Red Star and the Order of the Patriotic War, above the sign of the Guard. On the left chest is the Gold Star of the "Hero of the Soviet Union", and a block of awards. All fronts and fleets were represented by participants in the parade, participants should be awarded orders and medals. That is, real selected front-line soldiers took part in the parade.

After passing with lowered banners and standards of Germany, they were burned along with the platform, and the gloves of those carrying banners and standards were also burned.

In February 1946, the People's Commissariats of Defense and Navy were merged and transformed into a single Ministry of the Armed Forces of the USSR, and the armed forces themselves acquired new names: “Soviet Army” and “Navy Forces”.

Since 1946, work on new forms has essentially begun.

You can also order WWII shoulder straps.

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