1942
By Zac Williams
1942 Gear Guide
In 1942, the Worker’s and Peasant’s Red Army had survived its largest test to date. The unmitigated disaster of the German attack in the summer of 1941 had been endured, and although severely wounded, the Red Army did not break. It was able to make good on its estimated 4.4 million casualties (including 2.3 million lost as prisoners of war). 1942 would be another trying year, but the initiative was beginning to shift to the Soviet side. Through more trials at Rzhev, Leningrad, and Stalingrad, the Red Army would suffer more casualties, more loss, but they would enter 1943 on the front foot, no longer merely responding to German attacks, but forcing them back.
The Soviet uniform in 1942 was largely dictated by the need to place even more men (and women!) in service. As such, we see simplifications and deletions of “extra” gear wherever necessary. Lowboots and puttees over jackboots, meshoki over rucksacks, and the almost complete disappearance of aluminum from the soldier’s kit. Wartime strain for resources and the isolation or destruction of industrial capital meant that substitutions had to be made. Overall, if you have a summer 1941 kit, a 1942 kit is very easy to switch to. Details below.
Clothing And Insignia
Model 1935 Gymnastyorka
A tricot pullover cotton tunic, with stand and fall collar and front buttons concealed by a fly front. Two pockets on the front. Also has elbow reinforcements. Can be cotton or wool, for winter use. A white strip of cotton, usually 3-5 cm wide, is sewn into the collar of the uniform to protect it from sweat. You need a collar liner in your tunic. Voin, Schuster, and Voenspec make excellent tunics.
Model 1935 Pilotka
A sidecap made from double twill cotton, same as the breeches. This would have been the issued headgear in the summertime, and on paper, would have been turned in for a ushanka in October. The cap had a 24 or 34mm enameled red star on the front, although this was supplemented by stamped tin stars, painted green, of 24mm size starting in the summer of 1942. The Other Hat Guy and Leningrad Hat Maker both make excellent pilotkas.
Model 1940 Ushanka
The famous Soviet winter cap, issued from October to April usually. It is a flapped cap, with a baika (flannel) body, edged in artificial fur. The fur should be short and almost carpet-like. Officers had real fur on their caps. Like the pilotka, it could have an enameled red star or a tinned green star. Schuster makes an acceptable copy, but the premier vendor is The Other Hat Guy on Facebook.
Underclothes
White cotton undershirts with either a rounded collar or a buttoned “V” collar as well as long white underpants were standard issue. Each soldier carried two sets. Winter weight underclothes were a heavier weight of cotton. Voin makes all variations of the shirt and pants, and Cold War sets are still available. They are largely identical.
Greatcoat
A woolen, double breasted coat, closed by hooks and eyes. On the collar, you should have Model 1941 insignia, or no insignia at all. Models appropriate for 1942 include the Model 1932, 1938, and 1941. Color should range from greyish white to steel gray to light brown. Try to avoid model 1969 “Brezhnev” coats. Voin and Schusters offer solid reproductions.
Model 1941 Insignia
This is a reenactor’s term for the “subduing” order issued on 1 August 1941. All combat troops would now wear a solid green coloured collar insignia, with no branch piping. These insignia were made from cotton flannel, tunic material, or more rarely, wool. Rank was still shown with enameled red triangles for NCOs, and squares, rectangles, and diamonds for officers. Diamond shaped patches were worn on the overcoat, in the same subdued colour. Voin, Schuster, and Red Guard Militaria (RGM) offer excellent tabs, while Voin and St. Petersburg artisans make the rank devices. (See above photo of 1935 tunic for example of 1941 insigina.)
Equipment
Model 1937 Rifle Pouches
One leather pouch for Mosin or SVT ammo was usually carried at this point in the war, on the front right of the belt. The Model 1937 pouch had many variations of its closure strap, but the basic design of a two celled box with a ring on the back remained constant. Do not use Kirza ammo pouches. RGM is the premier maker of reproductions, but for a cheaper option early East German examples can be used if properly darkened. RGM, Voin, and Schusters all make a variety of rifle pouches.
PPSh-41 Drum Pouch
With the mass issue of the new PPSh submachine gun in 1942, a cloth pouch for the drum magazine was issued and worn in the same spot as the rifle pouch. Only one pouch was issued. Soldiers generally had two drums for the gun, one kept in the pouch, and one in the gun. RGM makes excellent reproduction pouches and occasionally has original drum pouches for sale.
Shovel and Carrier
A Linneman style shovel (Obr.10), pointed or squared off, carried in a canvas carrier on the belt. An essential piece of kit, you can use any Linneman style of shovel, except for postwar Hungarian 50M shovels with their distinct short, humped, handle.
Canteen and Carrier
The surrounding of Leningrad meant that the Soviet Union had troubled access to its largest and most productive manufacturer of aluminum cookware, the Red Vyborger factory. The practical effect of this is that the Model 1932 canteen, with a screwtop, becomes scarcer in army inventory. As such, glass canteens emerge to fill the gap, and both can be used for 1942. East German reparations canteens are the closest non original item. Postwar canteens are acceptable if one has removed the paint, but try to avoid them if possible. It should be contained in a Model 1941 carrier, a cotton bag with a closure that goes over the top of the bottle. Leningrad Restoration Workshop restores and sells original Soviet canteens.
Mess Kit
As mentioned before, the difficulty of access to the products of the Red Vyborger factory meant substitution of products. This was the massive return of tinned steel pots to the army, and this model would dominate through the war. However, the existing stocks of the Model 1936 mess kit and older Model 1927 aluminum pots would be issued and used in 1942. Captured German Model 1931 mess kits are an option as well. Soldiers also carried a mug and spoon, and since they usually brought their own when they were mobilized, there is no standard model. Avoid modern graniteware cups, with their telltale exposed metal rim at the top. Leningrad Restoration Workshop restores and sells original Soviet mess kits.
Gasmask and Bag
In 1942, gasmask bags can still be seen in fairly widespread use. The Model 1940 , with its lack of side pockets, was the most common. Model 1936 models were rarer, as well as Model 1928s. Bags become rarer as 1942 goes on, and could no longer be considered essential by the end of the year. The main mask of the Red Army during this period was the ShM-1, a hood style mask that connected with a cloth covered hose to a MT-4 filter. The MT-4 is a flatish box filter, painted green and with ribs for reinforcement. Or you can use the mask bag as storage for items, as Red Army men did. RGM makes excellent Model 1940 bags.
Backpacks - Veshmeshok
A simple “pillow case with a strap”, the veshmeshok was a bag that entered Tsarist service in 1869, and continued in Soviet service until the 1980s. WWII models were the Model 1930 and 1941, which was slightly shorter to save on material. Both are acceptable for 1942 use. This should be your first choice for a 1942 impression as well as the rest of the war as the older obr. 36 and obr. 39 models were quickly replaced be the much easier to produce meeshok. RGM, Voin, and Schuster make excellent repros.
Helmets
SSH-36
Introduced in 1936, this model of helmet is iconic for it’s prewar use and blend of design influences. For 1941, the helm can have a star on the front or be left blank. Originals are out there, but IMA and W0rld War Supply make reproductions, with the WWS model being higher quality but only made in a smaller size (55-58cm head, although you can modify the liner to fit a 59). This helmet was seen in early 1942, but fades from use by the late summer. Shoot for a 39 or 40 for 1942.
SSH-39
In 1939, a new helmet was introduced to RKKA soldiers. Its domed shape would become the basis for most future Soviet helmets. These helmets had the same liner as the SSH36, which led to issues of winter use. Originals are very pricey, and no reproductions are made. Be weary of Czech Vz53 helmets modified to resemble the SSH-39, they are not correct, do NOT buy a modified Vz53. The SSH-39 should be your second choice for a 1942 impression.
SSH-40
A further modification of the SSh-39, with the intention of improving the helmet for winter use. A new three pad liner allows the wearing of winter headgear (balaclavas, ushanki) under the helmet with some comfort. These helmets were just entering production in early 1941, and started to make it to the front in large numbers by mid 1942. Thus, this should be your first choice for a 1942 impression. Originals and examples made postwar are common, and can be had cheaply. They were made in three sizes, with Size 1 being for 54-57 heads, Size 2 for 58-60, and Size 3 for 61+.
Footwear
Jackboots
Beginning in 1942, we see economization of this iconic piece of kit. Instead of all leather construction, we begin to see boots made with kirza shafts. Kirza is a type of artificial leather, made from impregnated canvas. The shaft still rises up to above the calf, and retain the distinct Soviet “stovepipe” shape. The soles could be smooth leather, or beginning this year, a rubber “dot” pattern emerges. Postwar dot soles are slightly different from wartime, but don’t let this stop you from buying dot soles for a mid-war impression. This is a hard piece of gear to get, as postwar examples that are correct have largely dried up, especially in bigger sizes. There were reproductions made, but they seem to have been all sold and are only encountered on the secondary market.
Low Boots and Puttees
In a economizing measure, low boots and puttees were reintroduced to the Red Army by 1938. These boots were very similar to German models, with 9 eyelet rows and a curved vamp. Soviet boots however were made from smooth side out leather. 1942 sees the rubber “dot” sole appear, and they are encountered on lowboots as well. Lend-lease models of lowboot can start to be used as LL began to arrive in large quantities in 1943. British Ammo boots would be the main foreign model, along with captured German examples. These were always worn with puttees, and in 1943, khaki and green puttees dominate. As with jackboots, this is a hard piece of kit to get, with repros and postwar usable examples disappearing from the market. Voenspec and Schuster make the puttees in all colors, though.
Footwraps
Soviet soldiers overwhelmingly used footwraps in their boots. They are a 45cmx90cm piece of flannel in the winter, and cotton in the summer. They are a pain to learn to wrap correctly, but it is worth the effort: boots tend to fit better with the added bulk of footwraps.
Impression Photos
-click to expand each photo-
