Ranks and insignia of the Red Army and

Navy 1918–1935
...

... OF5-OF9 1924–1935

In the period from 1918 to 1935 of the young Soviet Union any bourgeois military
thoughts were put under general suspicion by the communists, the new political
establishment. Among others, the Old Russian tradition to wear epaulets and shoulder
straps as rank insignia was rigorously abolished and was replaced with a new tradition
of rank designations and insignia for the new Red Army and the nascent Soviet Navy.

First rank insignia

In the early period of the October revolution new uniforms were used and new units
structured on the basis of the former Imperial Russian Army and Navy. The levelling of
military grades and neglecting of rank designation were symptomatic of the new order.
The first common rank designation throughout the Red Army was "Red Army man"
(Russian: kрасноармеец, translit. krasnoarmyeets) or, in the Workers' and Peasants' Red
Navy, "Red Fleet man" (Russian: kраснофлотец, translit. krasnoflotets).

Personnel designated to command a military unit were unofficially named "red

commander" (Russian: красный командир; krasnyi komandir, abbreviated краском;
kraskom). Commanders of major units (army or corps sized) were designated "army
commander" (Russian: командующий армией; komanduyushchy armyye; abbreviated
командарм; komandarm). For more detailed graduation komandarm I and komandarm
II were adopted.

Commanding officers of major units below army and corps level were known as:

 Commander of a division: komdiv (Russian:комдив)

 Commander of a brigade: kombrig (Russian:комбриг)

In the navy from December 1917 until 1918, naval officers of the Imperial Russian
Navy who joined its ranks were addressed by their tsarist rank with the addition of front
abbreviation "b.", which meant "former", while new officers had to wait till 1924 for
their rank designations to be issued.

With no formal Red Army insignia designated, red bows, cap peaks, sleeve patches and
the red soviet star were worn, first by the so-called Red Guard units, later by all other
Red Army units. In 1920 all the ranks and rank insignia of the Red Army and Navy
were regulated by the orders of the Defence Commissar, Leon Trotsky.

Red star

The first official emblem of the Red Army was a chest badge (red textile bend and oak
leaves twig, in the middle a star with sickle and hammer), introduced in April 1918.
From summer of the same year the cap cockade, in form of a five-pointed star with
hammer and sickle, was designated. At first two of the points were uppermost, before it
was directed that a single point of the star should face the 12 o'clock position.

By orders number 953[1] and 1691[2] of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Red
Army on structure and design of the cap cockade in shape of a red star, the official
design was introduced for use by all personnel of the Red Army.

Designation Chest badge & cap cockade of the Red Army in 1922

Chest badge, Badge as toOrder Badge as toOrder

Designation Soviet star(with Star-cockadecap № 953(from April № 1691(from July
plug & hammer in
13, 1922) 11, 1922)
the center)
Distinction insignia, ranks and uniform (ground forces)
By order from April 25, 1918 of the "People's Commissar for Military and Naval
Affairs" a temporary committee was established, to develop proposals pertaining to the
uniform of the Red Guards.[3] In November 29, 1918 the All-Russian Central
Executive Committee approved these proposals and agreed to the rank designations as
follows to be used, by both the Red Guards and the Red Army's ground forces as a
whole:[4]

Sleeve insignia to commanding personnel of the Red Army by order of the RMC № 116
from January 16, 1919.

 Red army soldier (original designation: Krasnoarmeez)

 Squad leader (Komandir otdeleniya – short: Komot/ Otdelyonnyi
komandir/Otdkom [picture 1])
 Assistant platoon leader (Pomoshtchnik komandir svoda – short:
Pomkomwsvoda [pic. 2])
 Company sergeant (Starshina roty), Battery sergeant (Starshina baterei), below
squadron sergeant (Starshina eskatrony) or Sotni (picture 3)
 Platoon leader (Komandir vsvoda – short: Komvsvoda [pict. 4])
 Assistant company comannder (Pomoshtchnik komandir roty – short:
Pomkomroty), Assistant squadron commander (Pomoshtnchik komandir
eskatrony – short: Pomkomesk) first of all as assignment only
 Company commander (Komandir roty – short: Komroty), Squadron commander
(Komandir eskatrony – short: Komesk [pict. 5])
 Assistant battalion commander (Pomoshtchnik komadir batalyona – short:
Pomkombat) - formerly an appointment
 Battalion commander (Komandir bataljona – short: Kombat [pict. 6])
 Regimental commander (Komandir polka – short: Kompolka [pict. 7])
 Brigade commander (Komandir brigady – short: Kombrig [pict. 8])
 Division chief (Nachalnik divisiy – short: Natschdiw [pict. 9])
 Corps commander (Komandir korpusa – short: Komkor) first of all as
appointment rank
 Army commander (Komanduyushtchi armiy – short: Komdarm [pict. 10])
 Front commander (Komanduyushtchi fronta – short: Komfronta [pict. 11])
In December 18, 1918, the "Revolutionary Military Committee" agreed upon the new
uniforms proposed and the ranks. Among other three versions of caps and various rank
insignia were adopted, in order to emphasize several appointments. It was followed by
the official approval by order number 116 of the "Revolutionary Military Committee"
from January 16, 1919 (see pictures 1 to 11). The ground forces of the Red Army and
the nascent Soviet Air Force used these ranks until 1924.

Distinction insignia, ranks, ratings and uniform (naval forces)

With the definite beginning of the rehabilitation of the Soviet Navy in 1923–24 came
the introduction of rank appointments for ratings and officers of the Navy. These ranks,
however, began to be used during the Civil War years and were sanctioned in 1921.

 Red Fleetman (original designation: Krasnoflotez)

 Boatswain/Starshina (Botsman/Starshina)
 Squad leader (Komandir otdeleniya – short: Komot/ Otdeljonnyj komandir)
 Group commander (Komandir gruppy – short: Komgrup)
 Combatant Commander (Komandir boyevoy chast – Kombocha)
 Assistant Ship Commander (Pomoshchnik komandira korablya – Pomkomkor)
 Senior assistant ship commander (Starshy pomoshchnik komandira korablya –
Stapomkomkor)
 Ship Commander (Komandir korablya – Komkor)
 Naval Battalion Commander (Komandir diviziona korabley – Komdivzkor)
 Naval Brigade commander (Komandir brigady korabley – Kombrikor)
 Naval Division chief (Nachalnik divisiy korabley – short: Nachdivkor)
 Chief of Naval Forces of the USSR (Nachalnik morskoi sily SSSR – Nachmorsi
SSSR)

Uniform insignia followed the traditions of the Imperial Navy but with sleeve insignia
for officers and all ratings, but the uniform itself remained the same as its Imperial
Russian predecessors.

Distinction insignia and ranks 1924–1935

The following ranks were used by the Soviet military from 1924 to 1935. The new
ranks came as a result of new People's Commisariat for Defense regulations concerning
military ranks and appointments.

Nat Designation of the assignmant in

io- the ...
NAT
nal
Rankgrou Oequ ... Army(as CollarbadgeAr Sleeveins
cat to order of
p leading i- my[5](infantry igniaNav
e- the RMC ... Air
personnel valen ... Navy ) y
gor USSR № 807 Force
t from June
y(K
) 20, 1924)

Red Army Red Red Fleet

No(enlisted OR1[ Man(красно No
no Man(красно Airman
men) 6] армеец, (красновозд флотец, insignia
krasnoarmeye ухоплавател krasnoflotetz
 ts) ь, )
krasnoboedu
khoplavately)
Group
Leader(ком
андир
группы,
Fireteam Junior komandir
Leader Engine gruppy)
(Kom Minder(мла Assistant
OR5 Zvena)(ком дший of Squad
андир звена, моторист, Leader(пом
komandir mladshy ощник
zvena) motorist) командира
отделения,
K1 pomoshnik
komandira
otdeleniya)
Squad
Squad Leader(ком
андир
Leader отделения,
(KomOt)(ко komandir
OR6 мандир tdeleniya)
отделения,
komandir
tdeleniya) Boatman(б
оцман,
botzman)
low
command Deputy
level Command
er of the
Battle
Assistant of Station(зам
Platoon еститель
Commande командира
боевой
r (PomKom Engine части,
Vzvoda)(по Minder(мот zamestitel'
OR7 мощник орист, komandira
командира motorist) boevoy
взвода, chasti)
pomoshchik
K2 komandira
vzvoda)
Senior
Boatman(с
тарший
боцман,
starshiy
botzman)

Company Senior Chief of

Quartermas Engine the Battle
ter Minder(ста Station(cта
OR8 рший ршина
(Rotny)(cта моторист, боевой
ршина роты, starshiy части,
starhina roty) motorist) starhina
 boevoy
chasti)

Chief
Boatman(г
лавный
боцман,
glavny
botzman)
Battle
Station
Command
er(командир
боевой
части,
komandir
boevoy
chasti)

Platoon Assistant
K3 Commander(командир of Ship
взвода, komandir vzvoda) Command
er 4th
rank(Помо
щник
командира
корабля 4-го
ранга,
pomosh'nik
komandira
korablya 4-
mediumco go ranga)
OF-
mmandlev
1[7]  assi
el
stan
t
com
pan
y
lead
er,
–
batt assistant
K4 ery, junior pilot watch
– officer
squ
adr
on
 inep
end
ent
plat
oon
lead
 er

 shi
p
co
mm
and
er
clas
s4
 sen
ior
chef or assi
commissar air detail sta
K5 – company, commande nt
– battery, – r shi
squadron p
co
mm
and
er
clas
s3
and
equi
vale
nts

 assi  shi
stan p
t co
com mm
man and
der/ er
com clas
mis s3
sar  sni
batt or
air flight assi
alio
OF2 K6 commande sta
n,
r nt
abte
ilun shi
g or p
squ co
adr mm
on and
 com er
man clas
der s2
and
inde equi
 pen vale
dent nts
com
pan
y

 batt
alio
n
com
man
der
air
 batt ship
squadron
OF3 K7 alio commande
commande
n- r 2nd rank
r
war
-
com
mis
sar

 assi
stan
t
regi
highercom
men
mandlevel
tal
com
commande senior
man assistant
r
der
independen ship
OF4 K8  com commande
t flying
man
(battalion r 1st rank
der and
sized) unit equivalents
inde
pen
dent
batt
alio
n

ship
air park commande
regimental
OF5 K9 commande r 1st rank
commander
r and
equivalents

 brig air naval/ship

topcomma K1 ade regiment brigade
OF6
ndlevel 0 com commande commande
man r r
 der
 assi
stan
t
divi
sion
com
man
der

air brigade squadron

K1 divisional
OF7 commande commande
1 commander
r r

 arm
y
cor
ps
com
man
der
 assi
stan flotilla
K1 t No
equivalent
commande
2 arm r
y
com
man
der
and
equi
vale
OF8 nts

 co
mm
and
er
of
assistant the
assistant
commande nav
commander
K1 r in chief y
in chief of
3 of the air  co
the military
force of the mm
district
Red Army and
er
in
chi
ef
of
 the
US
SR
nav
al
for
ces

 com
man
der-
in-
chie
f
mili
tary
dist
rict,
–
arm
y or commande
– r in chief
K1 fron of the air No No
OF9
4 t forces of equivalent equivalent
 me the Red
mbe Army
r
Rev
olut
iona
ry
Mili
tary
Cou
ncil
dist
rict

The rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union, created on September 1935, took first
precedence over all ranks since then. With the new Marshal rank being introduced, the
Council of People's Commissars began the process of phrasing out the 1924 rank
system.

See also

 History of Russian military ranks

 Ranks and rank insignia of the Russian armed forces until 1917
  Ranks and insignia of the Red Army and Navy 1935–1940 and ... 1940–1943
 Ranks and rank insignia of the Soviet Armed Forces 1943–1955 and ... 1955–
1991
 Ranks and rank insignia of the Russian Federation's armed forces 1994–2010
 Army ranks and insignia of the Russian Federation
 Naval ranks and insignia of the Russian Federation

References

1. Order number 953 of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Red Army from
April 13, 1922 on structure and design of the "Workers' and Peasants' Red
Army" cap cockade.
2. Order number 1691 of the Revolutionary Military Council of the Red Army
from July 11, 1922 on structure and design of the "Workers' and Peasants' Red
Army" cap cockade.
3. Order from April 25, 1918 of the "People's Commissar for Military and Naval
Affairs" on development of uniforms, to be worn by the Red Guards.
4. Decision of the "All-Russian Central Executive Committee" from November 29,
1918 on uniforms and rank designations of the so-called Red Guards.
5. Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR); Workers' and Peasants' Red Army
(WPRA); rank insignia 1924–1935 as to the order of the Revolutionary Military
Soviet of the USSR Nr. 1244 from October, 1924; here small collar patch
(raspberry-coloured with black piping) to tunic (infantry and generally other
army units and facilities).
6. The NATO abbreviation "OR" stands for "other ranks"
7. The NATO abbreviation "OF" stands for de: "officer"

Content from Wikipedia Licensed under CC-BY-SA.