Individual rank insignia to the (Army) ground forces and (Navy) naval forces (1935–1940) were established by orders 2590 and 2591, effective from September 22, 1935.Rank insignia and sequence of ranks of the “Workers' and Peasants' Red Army” as to order number 2590 of the “USSR Central Executive Committee” and “Council of People's Commissars” from September 22, 1935. Other solutions to ground forces and navy of the “Workers' and Peasants' Red Army” were disposed by order 2591.
This was mainly directed to supreme commanders, commanding officers, and personnel in charge to exert command and control in the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, published by order number 176 of the USSR People's Commissariat of Defense, dated from December 3, 1935.Order number 176 of the „People's Commissar of Defence of the USSR” from December 3, 1935 pertaining individual military ranks of the land forces and the Navy of the “Workers' and Peasants' Red Army”.
Situation in 1935 According to these new orders, new insignia of command personnel should indicate: Branch of service (e.g. Army, Air Force, or Navy), or special troops Qualification, professional responsibility, specific knowledge Rank insignia, operational/ tactical responsibility, e.g. level of military command, formation, unit, or sub-unit.
The top military rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union was created by order of the USSR Central Executive Committee and the “Council of People's Commissars” from September 22, 1935, onward, before the new ranks were issued.
Military ranks The military ranks created as a result of the joint decision of the “USSR Central Executive Committee” and the “Council of People's Commissars” from November 21, 1935, are contained in the table below. These replaced the ranks used from 1924.
Land forcesAir Force Naval forces equivalent in GUGB/NKVD Enlisted men & junior leading staff Red Army Man Red Fleet Man(from 1943: Matros) No equivalent Otdeljonnyi komandir Junior commander No equivalent Starshina Commanding staff Lieutenant Sergeant of the state security Starshy leytenant Mladshy leytenant of state security Kapitan Captain lieutenant Lieutenant of state security Major Captain 3rd rank Starshy leytenant of state security Polkovnik Kapitan 2nd rank Kapitan of state security Kombrig Kapitan 1st rank Mayor of state security Komdiv Flag officer 2nd rank Starshy mayor of state security Komkor Flag Officer 1st rank Commissioner of state security 3rd rank Komandarm 2nd rank Fleet Flag Officer 2nd rank Commissioner of state security 2nd rank Komandarm 1st rank Fleet Flag Officer 1st rank Commissioner of state security 1st rank Marshal of the Soviet Union No equivalent State Security Commissioner general
Additional regulations The same orders mentioned above provided for separate ranks for the Political commissars and military specialists, as in the table below.
Military-political staffall service branches Military-technician staff Military-administration and support all service branches Military-medical service all service branches Military-veterinarian all service branches Military-legal service all service branches Land forces &Air Force Naval forcesNo rank established Military technician 2nd rank Technical intendant 2nd rank Army-surgeon Veterinarian army-surgeon Junior military jurist Political leader Military technician 1st rank Technical-intendant 1st rank Senior army-surgeon Senior veterinarian army-surgeon Military jurist Senior political leader Military engineer 3rd rank Intendant 3rd rank Military physician 3rd rank Military veterinarian 3rd rank Military jurist 3rd rank Battalion commissar Military engineer 2nd rank Intendant 2nd rank Mil-physician 2nd rank Mil-vet-physician 2nd rank Military jurist 2nd rank Regimental commissar Military engineer 1st rank Intendant 1st rank Military physician 1st rank Mil-vet-physician 1st rank Military jurist 1st rank Brigade commissar Brigade engineer Engineer Flag officer 3rd rank Brig-intendant Brig-physician Brig-vet-physician Brig-mil-jurist Division commissar Division engineer Engineer Flag officer 2nd rank Div-intendant Div-physician Div-vet-physician Div-mil-jurist Corps commissar Corps engineer Engineer Flag officer 1st rank Corps intendant Corps physician Corps vet-physician Corps military-jurist Army commissar 2nd rank Army engineer Fleet Engineer Flag officer Army intendant Army physician Army veterinarian Army military-jurist Army commissar 1st rank No equivalent ranks created
1937 More regulations were established in 1937, following general instructions of the Red Army. According to paragraph 10 of this instruction, the following subdivision of personnel was made: Leading staff: Military officers and heads of departments, military administration and commissariat, medical service, veterinarian service, military legal service Commanding staff: Personnel with the ranks commander in chief and commander Junior commanding staff Enlisted men/ratings
Paragraph 14 of this instruction contained the individual ranks and rank designations according to the order of September 22, 1935, and thus officially sanctioned the additional established OF-1c ranks (Junior lieutenant and Junior military technician), taking effect on August 5, 1937.
1939 By decision of the extraordinary session of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (end of August until early September 1939) the law on universal compulsory service took effect, and the new OF4-ranks of Podpolkovnik and Battalion commissar were introduced as a result of the amendments to the rank regulations of 1935. An equivalent OF4-rank for the Soviet navy was not established, however.
Rank designations
In addition to individual ranks the establishment of defined rank insignia was made in December 1935 as well. From this time military staff, including political commissars, military administration, commissariat, medical service, veterinarian service, and military legal service of the Red Army wore rank insignia as follows: Rank insignia chevron: on both sleeves (short above the cuff) Rank insignia big: on both collar-edges of the uniform coat Rank insignia small: on both collar-edges of the battle jacket (Gymnastjorka)
However, naval military staff wore sleeve insignia (stripes and stars) on both sleeves of the uniform.
Commander in chief, higher commanding officers and top appointments OF10 to OF6
Rank insignia, big (overcoat): on a rhombic padding, gold coloured border, one to four rhombic red enameled badges, gold coloured Soviet star small/ big Rank insignia, small (Gymnastjorka): on rectangle padding, gold coloured border, one to four rhombic red enameled badges Sleeve insignia (overcoat): one to four gold colored chevrons, Soviet star small/ big, one red coloured extra chevron OF10
Commanding officers and unit leaders OF5, OF3 and OF2
Rank insignia big (over coat): on rhombic padding, gold coloured border, one to three red enameled rectangle badges Rank insignia small (Gymnastjorka): on rectangle padding, gold coloured border, one to four red enameled rectangle badges
Subunit leader OF1
Rank insignia big (over coat): on rhombic padding, gold coloured border, one to four red enameled square badges Rank insignia small (Gymnastjorka): on rectangle padding, gold coloured border, one to four red enameled square badges
Sub-subunit leader and enlisted men OR8 to OR1
Sub-subunit leader Rank insignia big (over coat): on rhombic padding, gold coloured border, one to three red enameled triangular badges Rank insignia small (Gymnastjorka): on rectangle padding, gold coloured border, one to four red enameled triangular badges Enlisted men: simple rank insignia big (over coat)/ simple rank insignia small (Gymnastjorka)
Table of rank insignia land forces and Air Force 1935–1940
Higher commanders Designation Higher commandersRankinsignia Coat-collar Gymnastjorka Sleeve chevron Russian English Marshal of the Soviet Union Army commander 1st class Army commander 2nd class Corps commander Divisional commander Brigade commander Rank designation after 1940Marshal of the Soviet Union(Chief marshal of the branch)General of the Army(Marshal of the branch) and Marshal of the Soviet Union(Chief marshal of the branch)Colonel general and General of the Army(Marshal of the branch) Colonel general Lieutenant general Major General
Middle and senior commanders Designation Senior commandersMiddle-level commandersRankinsignia Coat-collar Gymnastjorka Sleeve chevron Russian English Colonel Major Captain Senior lieutenant Lieutenant Junior lieutenant
Junior commanders and enlisted men Designation Junior commandersEnlisted men Rankinsignia Coat-collar Gymastjorka Russian English Starshina Junior platoon commander Section commander Red Army man Rank designation after 1940 No change Senior sergeant Sergeant No change
Table of rank insignia for the navy 1935–1940 The following ranks and insignia were used by the Soviet Navy from 1935 to 1940.
Flag officers Designation Commander in chief, higher commanders and top appointments Sleeve insignia Russian English Flag officer of the fleet1st grade Flag officer of the fleet2nd grade Flag officer1st grade Flag officer2nd grade Rank designation after 1940 Admiral of the Fleet Admiral Vice admiral Counter admiral
Officers Designation Commanding officers and unit leaders Sleeve insignia Russian English Captain 1st grade Captain 2nd grade Captain 3rd grade Captain lieutenant Senior lieutenant Lieutenant Junior lieutenant
Sub-unit leader and enlisted men Designation Sub-unit leaders, specialists & enlisted men Sleeve insignia Russian English Chief Boatswain Starshina Squad commander Red Navy man Rank designation after 1940 Midshipman Chief Petty Officer Petty Officer 1st Class No change
See also History of Russian military ranks Ranks and insignia of the Imperial Russian Armed Forces Military ranks of the Soviet Union (1918–1935) Military ranks of the Soviet Union (1940–1943) Military ranks of the Soviet Union (1943–1955) Military ranks of the Soviet Union (1955–1991) Ranks and rank insignia of the Russian Federation's armed forces 1994–2010
References Citations
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