The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was a reluctant ally in WW2

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The German 'blitzkrieg' invasion led to some staggering early defeats for the Russians. In the first 5 months they lost 4 million men or 80% of their army at the time. Yet they held on. They steadily rebuilt their military and after smashing the German offensive at the battle of Kursk they never again took a backward step.

• Kapitan in the Red Army (USSR)

Stalin struggled for years with the difficult question of how to reconcile the fundamental Communist doctrine of a classless society with the Soviet military's practical need for uniforms and insignia that differentiate the various ranks of officers and men. 

In the late pre-war era, after decades during which "tsarist" uniform trappings such as shoulder-boards, high collars and the red trouser stripes identifying Generals were banned, Stalin finally began to see the realistic necessity of these things for military order and started authorizing changes.  

The transition was complete with the introduction of a new, more traditional Russian military dress uniform pattern in 1943.

On his left breast he wears the Order of Glory 3rd class, Partisan Medal 1st class, and the Defense of Moscow campaign medal.  Over his right pocket are the Order of the Red Star, awarded for outstanding service, and the Order of the Red Banner, for courage and bravery. He had served as a young man in the Soviet contingent in the Spanish Civil War. They were awarded no medals at that time but many years later a medal was struck and he was retrospectively awarded one, even though by then he was an old man.

His brother, who was not in the military for medical reasons, won the Order of the Red Banner of Russian Labour in 1943 and, later, the Order of Labour Glory .

• Kapitan Red Army wearing "Telogreika" jacket & M40 helmet

The quilted "telogreika" combat jacket is a Russian innovation that provided warmth without bulk.  It featured a banded collar and painted metal buttons.  

This Kapitan also wears a field-green M40 steel helmet with leather chin strap and red Communist star stenciled on the front. The yellow and red bands on his right chest are wound stripes -- yellow for "light" wounds, red for major ones.  

Beneath these is the badge he wears as a member of the Red Guards, a paramilitary strike force that grew out of the armed workers of the Communist revolution to become the foundation of the Red Army. 

The ribbon bar on his left breast shows the Medal for Valiant Labor, a high award related to his service in the Red Guards; the Medal for Valor in recognition of personal courage and valor in the defense of the socialist Homeland;  the Medal for Distinguished Service in Battle, and the campaign medal for the Defence of Leningrad.  He was later awarded the Medal for the Capture of Berlin. After the war, in 1965, he was awarded the 20th Anniversary of Victory over Germany medal, the first of the commemoratives.

His weapons are the celebrated 7.62-mm Mosin-Nagant M44 carbine, for which he wears the standard-issue twin leather ammunition pouches on his belt; and a double-action (officers' issue) Nagant model 1895 revolver, which he carries in a shoulder holster with a built-in ammunition pouch under its flap.

The Battle of Leningrad began in July, 1941. As usual, the Russians were out-numbered but they held strong in order to protect one of their most important cities. By September, the Germans had taken the railroads, cutting Leningrad off from the rest of Russia, and the only sources of supplies and reinforcements were by air dropping or by crossing Lake Ladoga. Thus began a nearly year-long siege in which over 600,000 people died of starvation. 

Fortunately for the remaining citizens, Russian counter-offensives at Stalingrad drained the Germans of the necessary resources to carry out their planned final assault on Leningrad. Finally, in November 1942, the Soviets laid a roadway across Lake Ladoga's ice by which supplies and support began to flow into the city and half a million civilians were evacuated. Though the Germans would never take Leningrad, the defense of the city would be one of the costliest of the war for Russia.

• Kapitan, Red Army, winter camouflage

This Kapitan of the Red Army is prepared to help defend Stalingrad from the Germans in the winter of 1942-3.  

He's wearing a snow-white camouflage smock under his quilted  white "ziletka," or waistcoat. 

His hat is a Soviet original, the M-40 "ushanka" fur cap with the Red Star badge of the Soviet Army on the front.  As an officer, he is entitled to wear a white fleece version of the ushanka, but these were seldom seen at the battlefront.  

In this officer's case it is because he has elected to keep his old cap as a memento of his enlisted roots after receiving a battlefield promotion.  

While his medals are not worn in this uniform he was awarded several including the 1st Class (gold) and 2nd Class (silver) Medals for Distinguished Military Service, and ones for the Defence of Sevastopol,  Victory over Fascism,  Liberation of Warsaw and  Victory over Japan. In 1985 he received the Order of the Great Patriotic War 2nd Class and 7 more celebration medals were awarded over the years.

A shy man, he felt his medal rack was getting a bit too ostentatious until he ran into his old commander, a Lt Colonel, at a reunion one day and on seeing that Officer's medal rack his mind was put at ease about his own.

Another big advantage was the weapon this Kapitan wields, the famous PPSh-41 submachine gun, which is credited by many with turning the tide in favor of the Soviets at Stalingrad. (Detail) . Over his shoulder is a special webbing pouch containing a spare 71-round magazine of 7.62-mm ammunition for the PPSh.

• Kapitan Red Army Air Force

This uniform is a 1940-model "gimnasterka" style tunic, made of heavy cotton fabric and piped in Air Force cornflower-blue, with matching collar tabs.

The single red enameled collar bar shows the Kapitan's rank, and the winged-prop Air Force insignia behind it, similar in design to that of the U.S. Army Air Forces, verifies his branch of service.  

The red chevrons near the cuffs also display the Kapitan's rank. 

Russian Air Force Pilot's Wings were of cloth, not metal, and were worn almost halfway down the left sleeve as shown.

On his belt he wears a pistol holster that carries his 1933 model Russian made Tokarev pistol. The Tokarev design is almost a straight copy (slightly smaller) of the M1911 Browning. The only significant difference is the lack of a safety which required that for safety reasons the pistol always had to be carried with an empty chamber.

To mark the 20th anniversary of Victory he was presented with a "Polyot" wristwatch in 14 K gold, a special issue to Heroes of the Soviet Union.  Engraved on the back, "To Hero of the Soviet Union", his name and  "from the Central Committee of the Communist Party and the USSR Government". On the back it shows the number "584", a 14 K gold hallmark and a stamped maker mark.

• Kapitan, Red Army Sniper Corps

More than any other nation in World War 2, the Soviets made highly-trained snipers a major part of their wartime strategy. 

During the Winter War of 193/40 the Russians learned from the Finns through bitter experience the value of snipers. Simo Hdyhd, a farmer, is credited with the killing of over 500 Russian soldiers in fifteen weeks with his Model 1928 Mosin-Nagant rifle. 

As a result, the Russians began to place more emphasis on their sniper training programme. 

Snipers were the eyes and ears of their units, as well as a key element in defensive efforts to slow down and demoralize the advancing Germans.  

Responding to such criticism of the SVT-40, this Kapitan dryly quipped, "Никакой инструмент не будет правым инструментом если вы не умеете как использовать их."  ("No tool is the right tool for the job if you don't know how to use it.")
 
Clearly he knows how to use it well.  The decoration on his left breast is the Bravery Medal, awarded to snipers who have recorded at least 40 kills. This bought with it the title "Noble Sniper". At that stage his personal tally was 218. His end of war tally exceeded 390.  It is estimated that the 28 snipers he had trained killed more than 3,000 enemy soldiers. 

Under the Soviet system, snipers were fielded in teams of two with a sniper and an observer. Both team members were qualified snipers and changed roles after each kill. The sniper was to provide both scouting duties as well as point and indirect fire to disrupt enemy activities and communications. The observer assisted in spotting potential targets, provided security and recorded and confirmed kills.

Next to it is the medal for Defence of Sevastopol, where valiant Russian Snipers were instrumental in delaying the eventual German victory over the city for an 8-month period in 1942. Here the Soviets dropped the 2 sniper team concept and the observer became just and only that.

On his right breast is his coveted Sniper badge.  Next to it, closer to his heart, is a pre-war Marksman target-shooting award which announces that the wearer is "An excellent shooter, like [legendary Soviet Marksman Marshal] Voroshilov."

As he was often moved to hot-spots and to train new men his paper work was often well behind him. When it did catch up with him he had been awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union, not once but twice, and also the Order of Lenin.

Post war he worked in and later managed a tractor factory. As a result he was awarded the Veteran of Labor Medal as well as the 30 year Anniversary Victory over Germany Medal and 50 year Anniversary Victory over Germany Medal. He died at age 76 in Kiev. He was buried with full military honours.

"...await the right moment for one, and only one, well-aimed shot"
Noble Sniper Vassili Zaitsev

Thanks to Ade Stevenson for the SVT-40 image used in this portrait.

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