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Military ranks of the Soviet Union (1943–1955)

(Redirected from Ranks and rank insignia of the Soviet Army 1943–1955)

Between 1943 and 1955, the ranks and insignia of the Soviet Armed Forces were characterised by a number of changes, including the reintroduction of rank insignia badges and the adoption of a number of higher ranks.

Changes

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In conjunction with the permanent increase of the manpower strength of the Soviet armed forces, the service branches and arms were formed by orders of the People' Commissariat of Defence, consisting of artillery, air force, air defence forces, signals corps, corps of engineers and the armoured corps. Major combat support units up to command level were established. This process was characterized by a need for well qualified command staff, in a suitable rank structure. The Soviet state – and party administration – responded to these challenges by the introduction of additional higher ranks, as well as by reintroducing the traditional Russian rank insignia.

A new rank group at OF-9 level (equivalent to the general of the branch in the Wehrmacht and the Imperial Russian Army) was introduced, named marshal of the branch or chief marshal of the branch.

In January 1943 the ranks of marshal of the air force, marshal of the artillery and marshal of the armoured corps came into existence.[1] In October 1943 it was followed by the additional ranks marshal of the communication troops, and marshal of the engineer troops, and the equivalent chief marshal of the branch ranks were added.[2]

Generalissimo of the Soviet Union

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The highest rank of Generalissimo of the Soviet Union (Russian: Генерали́ссимус Сове́тского Сою́за) was created in October 1943, as an individual award to Stalin, the Head of Government and party chief, and functioned as supreme commander on all Soviet armed forces. Promotion to this rank was limited explicitly to wartime. The instruction was conveyed by an order to the front commanders-in-chief on 26 June 1945,[3] however, Stalin refused to officially implement the rank.

Ranks and distinction insignia for the land forces and air force

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The introduction of new distinction insignia to the officer corps of the Red Army came by order of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on 6 January 1943.[4][5] Selected were two versions of shoulder straps or epaulettes, one for everyday uniforms and the second for field use (breadth 6 cm, length 14 to 16 cm, depending on body size). On 15 January 1943 the introduction of new uniforms was decided.[6]

Corps colours

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The corps colours that were introduced in 1935, remained in use with minor changes. The padding of the newly introduced shoulder straps were made from wool cloth, designed in branch of service colours with piping. Command staff wore silver or gold stars and characteristic metallic branch badges.

Enlisted men and non-commissioned officers

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The shoulder board padding indicated the appropriate corps colour of service branch, corps or special appointment, with coloured border piping.

Colour Branch
Padding Piping Field piping
Raspberry Black Raspberry Infantry (generic motorised rifles or motorised infantry)
Cobalt blue Black Cobalt blue Cavalry
Sky blue Black Sky blue Aviation troops and air force
Black Red Red Artillery & armoured corps
Dark green Red Dark green Medical troops, veterinarian service
Black Black Black Technical troops

Junior and senior officers

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Piping Branch
Cobalt blue Cavalry
Raspberry Army generic infantry, motorised rifles and logistics
Red Artillery, armoured corps, medical troops and veterinarian service
Sky blue Aviation troops and air force
Black Technical troops

General officers

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Piping Branch
Deep red ("general's red") Army generic infantry, motorised rifles and logistics
Sky blue Aviation troops and air force
Raspberry All other uses

Any other insignia

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Regimental numbers in gold lettering were placed on other ranks' shoulder straps along with the emblem of the armed service, branch, special troop, or appointment. For commanders of battle units or task forces the emblem was gold coloured, for others it was silver.

Enlisted men and non-commissioned officers

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Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
Parade uniform
Army[7]            
Air force            
Field uniform
Army            
Air force            
Старшина́
Starshyná 		Ста́рший сержа́нт
Stárshiy serzhánt 		Сержа́нт
Serzhánt 		Мла́дший сержа́нт
Mládshiy serzhánt 		Ефре́йтор
Efréĭtor 		красноармеец (Before 1946)[8]
Krasnoarmeyets
Рядово́й (After 1946)
Ryadovóy
Translation[7] Sergeant major Senior sergeant Sergeant Junior sergeant Corporal Red Army man
Private

Variations

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Field and service uniform as shown for Senior sergeant.

Insignia  
Artillery 		 
Armoured Troops 		 
Cavalry 		 
Chemical Troops 		 
Electrical Troops
Rank                    
Insignia  
Engineer Troops 		 
Medical Corps 		 
Motor-Car Units 		 
Pontoon Corps 		 
Railway Troops,
Military Communications
Rank                    
Insignia  
Road Troops 		 
Sapper Troops 		 
Signal Troops 		 
Survey Troops 		 
Veterinary Corps
Rank                    

Officers

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Marshals of the branch

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The rank of Army general was only awarded to officers of the army from the infantry branch directly, all other branches and services were promoted to the ranks of marshal and chief marshal of the branch.

Rank Chief marshal of the branch
Service uniform          
Field uniform          
Rank designation Главный маршал артиллерии
Glavnyy marshal artillerii 		Главный маршал авиации
Glavnyy marshal aviatsii 		Главный маршал бронетанковых войск
Glavnyy marshal bronetankovykh voysk 		Главный маршал войск связи
Glavnyy marshal voysk svyazi 		Главный маршал инженерных войск
Glavnyy marshal inzhenernykh voysk
Translation Chief marshal of artillery Chief marshal of aviation Chief marshal of the armoured troops Chief marshal of the signal troops Chief marshal of the engineer troops
Rank Marshal of the branch
Service uniform                
Field uniform                
Rank designation Маршал артиллерии
Marshal artillerii 		Маршал авиации
Marshal aviatsii 		Маршал бронетанковых войск
Marshal bronetankovykh voysk 		Маршал войск связи
Marshal voysk svyazi 		Маршал инженерных войск
Marshal inzhenernykh voysk
Translation Marshal of artillery Marshal of aviation Marshal of the armoured troops Marshal of the signal troops Marshal of the engineer troops

Commissioned officers

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Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers
Parade uniform
Infantry                        
Air force See above                    
Field uniform
Infantry                        
Air force See below                    
Маршал советского союза
Marshal sovetskogo soyuza 		Генерал армии
General armii 		Генера́л-полко́вник
Generál-polkóvnik 		Генера́л-лейтена́нт
Generál-leytenánt 		Генера́л-майо́р
Generál-mayór 		Полко́вник
Polkóvnik 		Подполко́вник
Podpolkóvnik 		Майо́р
Majór 		Kапита́н
Kapitán 		Старший лейтена́нт
Stárshiy leytenánt 		Лейтенант
Leytenant 		Mла́дший лейтена́нт
Mládshiy leytenánt
Translation[7] Marshal of the Soviet Union General of the army Colonel general Lieutenant general Major general Colonel Lieutenant colonel Major Captain Senior lieutenant Lieutenant Junior lieutenant
Variations
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Field, service and engineering uniform for various officers.

Insignia  
Armoured Troops 		 
Artillery 		 
Cavalry 		 
Chemical Troops 		 
Electrical Troops
Rank                            
Insignia  
Engineer Troops 		 
Legal Service 		 
Medical Corps 		 
Motor-Car Units 		 
Pontoon Corps
Rank                          
Insignia  
Quartermaster Corps 		 
Railway Troops,
Military Communications 		 
Road Troops 		 
Sapper Troops 		 
Signal Troops
Rank                            
Insignia  
Survey Troops 		 
Veterinary Corps
Rank          

Student officers

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Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
Parade uniform
Army[9]            
Air force            
Курсант старшина́
Kursánt starshyná 		Курсант ста́рший сержа́нт
Kursánt stárshiy serzhánt 		Курсант сержа́нт
Kursánt serzhánt 		Курсант мла́дший сержа́нт
Kursánt mládshiy serzhánt 		Курсант ефре́йтор
Kursánt efréĭtor 		Курсант
Kursánt
Translation Cadet sergeant major Cadet senior sergeant Cadet sergeant Cadet junior sergeant Cadet first class Cadet

Ranks and rank insignia of the Soviet Navy

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By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet on 15 February 1943 on "distinction insignia to the Soviet Navy" the introduction of shoulder straps and epaulettes took effect, marking the début of Imperial Russian Navy-style insignia to the Soviet Navy.[10][11] As the navy also had coastal services, ground ranks similar to the Red Army and Air Force were introduced with their respective insignia to be used by the coastal service personnel. These ranks were also used by the navy's medical corps and technical services. Shoulder rank insignia were in dark blue shoulder boards (gold on the dress uniform only for officers).

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Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers
Shoulder insignia
Regular[12][13]  
(1945–1955)[14] 		 
(1943–1945) 		                   
Engineers                    
Sleeve insignia
All[12][13]                      
Адмирал флота
Admirál flota 		Адмирал
Admirál 		Вице-адмирал
Vitse-admirál 		Контр-адмирал
Contre-admirál 		Капитан 1-го ранга
Kapitan 1-go ránga 		Капитан 2-го ранга
Kapitan 2-go ránga 		Капитан 3-го ранга
Kapitan 3-go ránga 		Капитан-лейтенант
Kapitan-leytenánt 		Старший лейтенант
Starshey leytenánt 		Лейтенант
Leytenánt 		Младший лейтенант
Mladshiy leytenánt
Translation[13] Admiral of the fleet Admiral Vice admiral Rear admiral Captain 1st rank Captain 2nd rank Captain 3rd rank Captain lieutenant Senior lieutenant Lieutenant Junior lieutenant
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Rank group Senior ratings Junior ratings
Shoulder board
to
service uniform 		           
Shoulder strap
to
service uniform 		       
Мичман
Mičman 		Главный старшина
Glavny starshina 		Старшина 1 статьи
Starshina 1 statie 		Старшина 2 статьи
Starshina 2 statie 		Старший краснофлотец
Starshina krasnoflotets 		Краснофлотец
Krasnoflotets

Ranks and insignia of naval ground and technical services

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Officers

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Designation Officers & commanders General officers
Shoulder strap
to
service uniform
(Coastal Services, incl. Naval Infantry and Coastal Defense Artillery) 		                   
Shoulder strap
to
service uniform
(Coastal Engineers) 		                   
Shoulder strap
to
service uniform
(Naval Aviation) 		                   
Shoulder strap
to
service uniform
(Naval Aviation engineers and technical staff) 		                   
Rank designation Junior lieutenant
(Младший лейтенант) 		Lieutenant
(Лейтенант) 		Senior lieutenant
(Старший лейтенант) 		Captain
(Капитан) 		Major
(Майор) 		Lieutenant colonel
(Подполковник) 		Colonel
(Полковник) 		Major general
(Генерал-майор) 		Lieutenant general
(Генерал-лейтенант) 		Colonel general
(Генерал-полковник)
Engineers rank designation Junior Technician Lieutenant
(Младший техник-лейтенант) 		Technician Lieutenant
(Техник-лейтенант) 		Senior Technician Lieutenant
(Старший техник-лейтенант) 		Engineer Captain
(Инженер-капитан) 		Engineer Major
(Инженер-Майор) 		Engineer-Lieutenant colonel
(Инженер-Подполковник) 		Engineer-Colonel
(Инженер-Полковник)

Other ranks

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Shoulder straps to
service uniform basic 		Enlisted men and non-commissioned officers of ground services
(Coastal Services and Naval Aviation)
Shoulder board
to
service uniform
(Personnel of coastal services) 		           
Shoulder board
to
service uniform
(Personnel of naval aviation) 		           
Shoulder strap
to
service uniform
(Personnel of coastal services) 		       
Shoulder strap
to
service uniform
(Personnel of naval aviation) 		       
Rank designation Seaman Senior seaman Junior Sergeant Sergeant Staff Sergeant Starshina

See also

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References

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Citations
  1. ^ Decree of the "Presidium of the Supreme Soviet" of 16 January 1943
  2. ^ Decree of the "Presidium of the Supreme Soviet" of 9 October 1943
  3. ^ Decree of the "Presidium of the Supreme Soviet" of 26 June 1945
  4. ^ "Ukaz Prezidiuma Verkhovnogo Soveta SSSR «O vvedenii novykh znakov razlichiya dlya lichnogo sostava Krasnoy Armii» ot 6 yanvarya 1942 goda" Указ Президиума Верховного Совета СССР «О введении новых знаков различия для личного состава Красной Армии» от 6 января 1942 года [Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR "On the introduction of new insignia for the personnel of the Red Army" dated 6 January 1942] (PDF). Vedomosti of the Supreme Council of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (in Russian). Vol. 2, no. 208. pp. 1–2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  5. ^ Decreel of the "Presidium of the Supreme Soviet" of 6 January 1943
  6. ^ Decree of the "Presidium of the Supreme Soviet" of 15 January 1943
  7. ^ a b c Rosignoli 1972, Plates 58–62.
  8. ^ Устав внутренней службы Вооружённых сил СССР, 1946 г.
  9. ^ Kharitonov 1993, Plate 101.
  10. ^ "Указ Президиума Верховного Совета СССР "О введении новых знаков различия для личного состава Военно-Морского флота СССР"" [Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR "On the introduction of new insignia for the personnel of the Navy of the USSR"] (PDF). Statements of the Supreme Council Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (in Russian). Vol. 7, no. 213. 19 February 1943. pp. 1–2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 November 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  11. ^ Decree of the "Presidium of the Supreme Soviet" of 15 February 1943
  12. ^ a b Mollo 1981, p. 177.
  13. ^ a b c Rosignoli 1983, Plates 12–13.
  14. ^ Vedomosti 1945.
References


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