INDUCTION INTO THE SOVIET ARMY/ ISSUE OF CLOTHES AND EQUIPMENT/FIELD TRAINING AND PRACTICES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600060245-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 1, 2011
• Sequence Number: 245
• Publication Date: August 26, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION CCrT,, EW.TAi.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQUIRED
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
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THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
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The
Yp~n!:1Ci'7llft :!?_:_...... 7ti_, a_L~.: O"C. `tai ..F G :i":.hdey to appear
.. __ .DO ! tc the
,n C.efore a conaieslon consist-
and 7,r:iary specialists. After
ra 'tart' specialists assigned
thn cst_..::a,ee ~.r:e :i... an,ues of the mil;.tary &nd. indicated the
faiev ?.e'r.. r.,:' .'1C.Ly. The udur+,rt s.nrende_ed
`y~.;sliit..,? .~i~.?. iLT., al .f .^.:.- t).1*n17^.4:. j..PperE, w,1c.lid n passport and birth
g_ren suF?.r! . is _ aed :car ~xaninatioa; 0hai* : ippe;;, and wa
afiue2 cl thing cf`:e: aWna:,ttfn to s ge*:rral d'_si.nfection~=xece,ved a
eet o'_' -ak;-flee -ed cnttz, un'erclothes. one gt?ee n o.-,irt =d one pair of
p>intSy 'G7'. ;,sces a' c:)t.or c' -th far 'rapplug V feet: in place of
a pair Sf '_'cota "c. r-. tt ir_r, ,oleE and ?,satz leggings, a '.eather
a .ac wa:k.. %p: e. a draustrkng, ruck pack, two
ti. :C{ bu .%et .es:-y woolen topcoat, and an
DATE DISTR. a.e Aug 1954
Induction int.; t:.'e Soviet Atziy/ Issue of Clothes 4 I 25X1
and Equipye.:t,/F: er(T Tr.>ininc and Pract_.ceE 25X1N0. OF PAGES
CLASSiF;1-- TiON ?uPZ Z1;3--14L
DISTRIBUTION
T
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25X1 army kettle. (At the time of induct_on, one very scl3om received the correct
clothing size. Later on after assi ent to a c the
25X1 s tc it that clothing fit . )
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Each soldier carried i;: hi_ pocket a capsule
which contained a paper giving his narIe and home address.
A soidi.er is rC 'ze to take >.
'v 0 .dwC [9,? ca:`? iS and tC IIL'''.ke mi?lOr
repairs. The Freer, uniforms were iceue: in alt ,`.nat:= yea-a, the heavy over-
coat once during military service, sr_,ee once a l*..ar. Sheets are laundered
and changed twice a month. underwear laundered and changed once a week. A
eold.'er is al...o issued two metal containers, fillsi respectively with oil
for oiling hit, rifle and a chem,:al f,_- .removing rust, and received periodic
supplies for these containers.
A Soviet soldier knows from his daily experience which grasses, berries,
roots, mushrooms are edible and this knowledge is utilized in some of his
field training. During certain summer maneuvers, rpe.cial three-day rations
ale issue... This package contains two lbs of dry bread, two -lb packages
of grits, 100 grams of sugar (not well packaged), two lbs of dried fish or
sardine., two lire of soup concentrate and one It of -azwe; beef. Soldiers
are usually fed, however.,, from field kii:.chcns while on nane::ver. Since a
So?riot soldier receives no pay. he is given each month a certain amount cf
rocket money, ranging fron &.` rubles to 21; rubles fur z: sergeant. Some-
times t_ibacco is distributed in `inaryint; 3unuitr, accx-3: ng to the soldier's
rank.
no special summer clothing is issued during parachute training. An es-
pecially warm coat with fur collax' or hood was used during the winter.
Some of these ocats were f ~o line,i, others cotton-lined. Quilted trousers
with cotton inner linings were worn over the standard-i.ss'ae green uniform.
Parkas with fur ear laps and chin straps; were also used. A parachutist was
issued a single blade knife similar to a US hunting knife and usually a
tummy-gun. Officers were given Tokaryev Tulski (TT) pistols. The soldier
who was responsible for the machine gun assigned to the unit was given a
TT pistol for his protection. Regular army boats were worn by parachu-
tists, but a special. type of woolen footwear. called valenki, was worn
during the coldest weather. The insignia of the paratroop corps was the
crossed wings and propellers and paratroop officers wore parachute insignia
on the left sleeve.
Two types of parachutes were used in training and actual ;;Klee operations.
They will be identified hereafter by their code letters, PD6 and PD41?.
PD6 has the following characteristics. it is a round, white silk para-
chute with a hole in the center, about 64 square meters, with a pull cord
and draw parachute. Other features are similar to those of the parachutes
used by the US Army. The hanging system is also similar to that found in
Ui l;a.achu':os? As an emergency measure during World War II when silk was
..,:s;ibiisbie, PD41 was made of percale and strengthened by strips of the
Ca11!'13XIQ'IAL-
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same mater.aI. it was a four-angled pa aaehute of approximately 70 squ&ee
meters with one angle much larger than any other. The parachute was so de-
signed for direction purposes. The parachutist faced the biggest angle and
was blown in that direction. The Pr41 was equipped with a pull cord for the
parachutist to manipulate. in addition the PD41 had at its.outside center
a short cord ties to a 7 - 1C i eer rope with metal hook attached. This
device was used as the parachutist .]Left the plane, the body weight breaking
the short cord and causing the parachute to open.
Little stress was :laced on cooking in the field. Reserve rations of-soup
concentrate, grits, and seat were supplied and the soldiers did their own
cooking over the fire. Sometimes during very bad weather, mobile kitchens
were in operation. Drinking water was taken usually from wells and streams
in the maneuver area. Occasionally water was treater chemically for drink-
ing purposes. During battle positions, field kitchens did issue drinking
water. Bedding-down in the field wi*e. nothing SAre.than lying down on the
ground. In very cold areas, the soldiers collected pine needles and bran-
ches for bedding-down purposes. Each soldier was supplied with a triangular
piece of heavy green canvas which could be used for cover or, when matched
with another, rs a tent.
Ithe supply division of each
army got; Its ,plies from a central de,,-+, or directly from the factories
and thereafter distributed them *..o the corps, civilian, regiment and
battalion levels. Each regiment had a 3peci.al supply officer with a finance
officer and accountant under him. Each batt-1111on had a supply platoon and
the :r.r_+ican*: `ffi e w56, : _atab th_ r_gimc ntal supply officer.
Norms were established for the naaber of months e. pair of shoes must be worn,
for example; and thus furnish a way of checking on supplies. Usually when
new uniforms or supplies were issued. ',"-e 31 1.1 were turned in. Checks
were also made when taker= twice a year. Concerning major
repair.;. the soldier reported to the master sergeant and through him to the
supply platoon oi3'icer and regiment supply officer. Repairs were usually
made at this level, if not at the d i -is _on rapair uhcp.
Burial procedures are ;:the simples`. in the USSR. Usually when a soldier is
killei, one of hie frien,s removes the Ident,fication capsule and all
letters and prr3onai papers before busying him on the battlefield. The
person Who auriea the soldier is esporsibie for notifying either the
thc company corm de_ ani for :amine over all docu-
ment,:; belonging tc.the deceased. Thr ec.mpany commander in turn sends all
Bach company infnrmat...nn and O:umpnta to the regimentsl officer who is
responsible for notifying the next of kin but usually dots not do it.
In oldie ion, each division has a special burial emit wh c . is pressed.
into service during heavy fighting. The unit collects the bodies of the
dead and buries them in mast graves, after iecccv_':7g all identification.
Gr a. es are n, usually :narked . if an ::it leer is kailed however, his
~y pve may sr,nst ?Lea b marked by star. =_irt awu e of
the .iatio-:al ceewt,=pies in *.r- :LS.R.
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no first aid equipment other than a tour
i
t
n
que
. There is a
medic or sanitar attached to each company. He has a few as
iri
d
p
ns an
medi-
cine in his kit and is a bit better prepared to car
f
e
or casualties requir-
ing first aid [:::~id not see any medical personnel in combat wearing Red
Cross bra:;sards. Red Cross signs s*e prominently displayel, however, on
the tops of ambulances.
There were only threes types of airplanes used - TB3, TB7, and PS84. The
TB3 and TB7 are fOur-WtOT' ports and each on
e can accommodate about
40
ar
t
P
a
roopers. the load capacity of the
heaviest type of equipment transported in these planes was the unassembled
cannon or machine gun with ammun:tt_on. This was packed in a cotton sack
and the various parts were intersticed with la re f -protective cotton.
Load parachutes were attached to the sacks. the weight of-such
a
k
see
to be about 500 kilograms. Food and ammunition was also transported
in this manner. The PS84 is a two-motor transport patterned after a
Douglas passenger plane. It is lighter and can accommodate 20 paratroopers
plus their equipment. Each paratrooper carried a ek's supply of food
,
amtun,.tion, Weapons, and a change of underwear. 7Id not use gliders
atm. Qnv ii..o
The Air Force was re
sponsible for dro
i
h
pp
ng
eavy equipment.
e;e
roppe
he
k
containin
-?
- - --
t
sac
s
g
unassembl
ed cannon. Soaetiaes en it was snowing
heavily, this
equipment or food pa
t
ckages cold be dropped without parachutes
, and with-
s
and the .act wit
ki
h the snow-covered earth. There were no e
quipment
ts dropped with th
e paratroops. The only supplies of this k
ind were
carried by the indiv
idna:. paratrooper and are given in-paragra
ph 9.
Horses are used to pull 45 millimeter and 76 millimeter cannon in coat
and to transport food and supplies from division to regiment and from
regiment to battalion.
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