The ranks and rank insignia of the Red Army and Red Navy between 1940 and 1943 were characterised by continuing reforms to the Soviet armed forces in the period immediately before Operation Barbarossa and the war of national survival following it. The Soviet suspicion of rank and rank badges as a bourgeois institution remained, but the increasing experience of Soviet forces, and the massive increase in manpower all played their part, including the creation of a number of new general officer ranks and the reintroduction of permanent enlisted ranks and ratings.
From May 1940 the introduction of general ranks in the Red Army and flag officer ranks in the Soviet Navy was officially sanctioned, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet.[1] The following general officer ranks were introduced with corresponding insignia:
On 4 June 1940, the first promotions to the newly established ranks were made. First to be promoted to the rank of army general were Zukov, Meretskov and Tyulenev. The rank insignia that characterized it were as follows:
The rank of marshal of the Soviet Union, established in September 1935, remained unchanged.[2] What would become a future rank system started to take shape with the promotion of the first Marshal of Artillery in early 1943, with the collar patch of a Marshal but in black.
With the new rank regulations came the reintroduction of the Yefreytor rank to the Army and Air Force and the introduction of new ratings for the Navy: Leading Red Fleet Man (naval services) and Yefreytor (coastal services).
The general intention of rejecting traditional rank insignia (as opposed to the epaulettes and shoulder boards of Imperial Russian forces) was maintained. The large gorget patches were modified. The rhombic patches previously used by generals were replaced by one five-pointed golden star. A new emblem, the symbol of a particular branch of service, was added. The general's star remained slightly smaller than the marshal's star.
The small gorget patches, mounted on the tunic (or gymnastyorka), remained unchanged, but they were made in the corps colour and contained an emblem to indicate the branch of service or special appointment. The previously- used gold coloured rank chevrons for general ranks were retained with small modifications.
The corps colours of 1935 were maintained, with minor changes.
Trouser stripes, gorget rank insignia and cap piping was given to general officers and marshals of the Soviet Union:
The rank of general of the artillery, of armoured troops, of the air force, of communication troops, of engineer troops, of technical troops and of the commissariat service wore on the gorget the appropriate emblem of their branch of service, special force, or assignment.Corps colour, typical to the branch of service were:
| Designation | Commander in chief, higher commanding flag officers and senior appointments | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeve insignia | ||||||||||||||
| Russian: Адмирал флота Russian: [[Admiral of the fleet (Soviet Union)|Admiral flota]] | Russian: Адмирал Russian: [[Admiral (Russia)|Admiral]] | Russian: Вице-адмирал Russian: [[Vice admiral|Vitse-admiral]] | Russian: Контр-адмирал Russian: [[Counter admiral#Russia and other former communist countries|Contre-admiral]] | |||||||||||
| Russian: Генера́л-полко́вник Russian: [[Colonel general#Russia|Generál-polkóvnik]] | Russian: Генера́л-лейтена́нт Russian: [[Lieutenant general|Generál-leytenánt]] | Russian: Генера́л-майо́р Russian: [[Major general#Russia|Generál-mayór]] | ||||||||||||
| US equivalent | Admiral | Vice Admiral | Rear Admiral | |||||||||||
| Designation | Commanding officers, commanders and sub-unit commanders | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeve insignia | ||||||||
| Russian: Капитан 1-го ранга Russian: [[Captain 1st rank|Kapitan 1-go ranga]] | Russian: Капитан 2-го ранга Russian: [[Captain 2nd rank|Kapitan 2-go ranga]] | Russian: Капитан 3-го ранга Russian: [[Captain 3rd rank|Kapitan 3-go ranga]] | Russian: Капитан-лейтенант Russian: [[Captain lieutenant|Kapitan-leytenant]] | Russian: Старший лейтенант Russian: [[Senior lieutenant|Starshey leytenant]] | Russian: Лейтенант Russian: [[Lieutenant|Leytenant]] | Russian: Младший лейтенант Russian: [[Junior lieutenant|Mladshiy leytenant]] | ||
| Russian: Полко́вник Russian: [[Colonel (Eastern Europe)|Polkóvnik]] | Russian: Подполко́вник Russian: [[Lieutenant colonel (Eastern Europe)|Podpolkóvnik]] | Russian: Майо́р Russian: [[Major (rank)|Majór]] | Russian: Kапита́н Russian: [[Kapitan (rank)#Russia|Kapitán]] | Russian: Старший лейтена́нт Russian: [[Senior lieutenant#Russia|Stárshiy leytenánt]] | Russian: Лейтенант Russian: [[Lieutenant#Russia|Leytenant]] | Russian: Mла́дший лейтена́нт Russian: [[Junior lieutenant#Russia|Mládshiy leytenánt]] | ||
| US equivalent | Captain | Commander | Lieutenant commander | Lieutenant | Lieutenant (junior grade) | Ensign | ||
| Designation | Lower commanding staff and specialists | Enlisted men | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeve insignia | |||||||
| Russian: Мичман Russian: [[Michman|Mičman]] | Russian: Главный старшина Russian: [[Glavny starshina]] | Russian: Старшина 1 статьи Russian: [[Starshina 1st stage|Starshina 1 statie]] | Russian: Старшина 2 статьи Russian: [[Starshina 2nd class|Starshina 2 statie]] | Russian: Старший краснофлотец Russian: [[Red Fleet man|Starshiy krasnoflotets]] | Russian: Краснофлотец Russian: [[Red Fleet man|Krasnoflotets]] | ||
| Russian: Старшина́ Russian: [[Starshina|Starshyná]] | Russian: Ста́рший сержа́нт Russian: [[Senior sergeant#Russia|Stárshiy serzhánt]] | Russian: Сержа́нт Russian: [[Sergeant#Russian Federation|Serzhánt]] | Russian: Мла́дший сержа́нт Russian: [[Junior sergeant#Russia|Mládshiy serzhánt]] | Russian: Старший краснофлотец Russian: [[Red Fleet man|Starshiy krasnoflotets]] | Russian: Краснофлотец Russian: [[Red Fleet man|Krasnoflotets]] | ||
| US equivalent | Fleet/force master chief petty officer | Senior chief petty officer | Chief petty officer | Petty officer second class | Seaman | Seaman recruit | |