Military ranks of the Soviet Union (1940–1943)

Georgy Zhukov in 1941, wearing the insignia of a Soviet army general

Ranks and rank insignia of the Red Army 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.

Change of military rank insignia

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. The following general officer ranks were introduced:

• High level force commanding staff — major general, lieutenant general, colonel general and general of the army
• Artillery commanders — major general of the artillery, lieutenant general of the artillery and colonel general of the artillery
• Air force commanders (including naval aviation) — major general of the air force, lieutenant general of the air force, and colonel general of the air force
• Armoured corps commanders — major general of the armoured corps, lieutenant general of the armoured corps, and colonel general of the armoured corps
• Communications troops commanders — major general of the communications troops, lieutenant general of the communications troops and colonel general of the communications troops
• Engineer troops commanders — major general of the engineer troops, lieutenant general of the engineer troops and colonel general of the engineer troops
• Commanding staff of other troops (including: chemical, railway, transport and military cartography) — major general of the technical troops, lieutenant general of the technical troops, and colonel general of the technical troops
• Leading staff of the commissariat service — major general of the commissariat service, lieutenant general of the commissariat service, and colonel general of the commissariat service
• Flag officers of the Soviet Navy — rear admiral, vice admiral, admiral, and admiral of the fleet
• Generals of the Soviet Navy on coastal service — major general of the coastal service, lieutenant general of the coastal service, and colonel general of the coastal service
• Engineer flag officers of the Soviet Navy — rear admiral engineer, vice admiral engineer, and admiral engineer

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:

• Gorget patch: One large star in gold embroidery, on the lower part two round laurel twigs and the hammer & sickle emblem.
• Sleeve: One large star in gold embroidery, red piping, below a red coloured chevron in gold embroidery, surrounded by two gold laurel-twigs with red piping.

The rank of marshal of the Soviet Union, established in September 1935, remained unchanged. 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).

Ranks and rank insignia

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.

Corps colours, emblems

Gorget patches 1943

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:

• Marshal of the Soviet Union and generic force commanders and commanding generals: deep red trouser stripes
• Artillery and armour generals: black gorgets with red piping and deep red trouser stripes
• Air force: Blue gorgets
• Generals of communication troops, engineer troops, technical troops and the commissariat service: Crimson gorgets

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:

• Infantry: Raspberry
• Artillery and transport troops: Black
• Air force and air defence: Blue
• Cavalry: Dark blue
• Rear services (supply, maintenance, transport, medical, etc.): Dark green
• Ministry of the interior and state security:
  • Border troops: Light green
  • State security: Blue
  • All others: Chestnut-brown

Rank insignia land forces 1940–1943

Generals

Designation		Commander in chief, higher commanders and top appointments
Rank insignia	Gorget insignia
	Sleeve		Five-pointed small stars in gold embroidery, piping in corps colour, below an embroidered gold chevron
Corps colour			Land forces (generic), infantry & motorized rifles			Air Force			Armoured corps	Generic
Rank designation		Marshal of the Soviet Union	General of the Army	Colonel general	Lieutenant general generic	Colonel general of the Air Force	Lieutenant general of the Air Force	Major general of the Air Force	Major general of the armoured corps	Major general (generic)
(Russian)		(Маршал Советского Союза)	(Генерал армии)	(Генерал-полковник)	(Генерал-лейтенант)	(Генерал-полковник авиации)	(Генерал-лейтенант авиации)	(Генерал-майор авиации)	(Генерал-майор танковых войск)	(Генерал-майор)
OF-equivalent		OF10	OF9	OF8	OF7	OF8	OF7	OF6

Officers

Designation		Higher commanders and unit commanders
Rank insignia	Gorget insignia (land forces)
	Gorget insignia (Air force)							File:OF1-AF F1c-Ml-leytenant 1943h.png
	Gorget insignia (Armoured corps)						File:RA A-arm OF1b 1943h.PNG
	Sleeve
Rank designation		Colonel	Lieutenant colonel	Major	Captain	Senior lieutenant	Lieutenant	Junior lieutenant
(Russian)		(Полковник)	(Подполковник)	(Майор)	(Капитан)	(Старший лейтенант)	(Лейтенант)	(Младший лейтенант)
OF-equivalent		OF5	OF4	OF3	OF2	OF1

Lower commanding staff and enlisted men

Designation		Sub-subunit leaders and enlisted men
Rank insignia	Gorget							Land forces (generic)
								Cavalry
								Air Force
	Sleeve	No insignia
Rank designation		Starshina	Senior sergeant	Sergeant	Junior sergeant	Corporal	Red Army soldier
(Russian)		(Старшина)	(Старший сержант)	(Сержант)	(Младший сержант)	(Ефрейтор)	(Красноapмеец)
OR-equivalent		OR8	OR7	OR6	OR5	OR2	OR1

Rank insignia of the Soviet Navy 1940–1943

Flag officers

Designation	Commander in chief, higher commanding flag officers and senior appointments
Sleeve insignia
Rank designation	Admiral of the fleet	Admiral	Vice admiral	Rear admiral
(Russian)	(Адмирал флота)	(Адмирал)	(Вице-адмирал)	(Контр-адмирал)
OF-equivalent	OF9	OF8	OF7	OF6
	coastal services and other branches
Rank designation	no equivalent	Colonel general	Lieutenant general	Major general
(Russian)		(Генерал-полковник)	(Генерал-лейтенант)	(Генерал-майор)

Naval officers

Designation	Commanding officers, commanders and sub-unit commanders
Sleeve insignia
Rank designation	Captain 1st rank	Captain 2nd rank	Captain 3rd rank	Captain lieutenant	Senior lieutenant	Lieutenant	Junior lieutenant
(Russian)	(Капитан 1 ранга)	(Капитан 2 ранга)	(Капитан 3 ранга)	(Капитан-лейтенант)	(Старший лейтенант)	(Лейтенант)	(Младший лейтенант)
OF-equivalent	OF5	OF4	OF3	OF2	OF1
	coastal services and other branches
Rank designation	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel	Major	Captain	Senior lieutenant	Lieutenant	Junior lieutenant
(Russian)	Полковник	(Подполковник)	(Майор)	(Капитан)	(Старший лейтенант)	(Лейтенант)	(Млаший лейтенант)

Lower commanding staff and enlisted ratings

Designation	Lower commanding staff and specialists				Enlisted men
Sleeve insignia						small red star (without yellow border)
Rank designation	Michman	Glavny starshina	Starshina 1st stage	Starshina 2nd stage	Senior red fleet man	Red fleet man
(Russian)	(Мичман)	(Главный старшина)	(Старшина 1-й статьи)	(Старшина 2-й статьи)	(Старший краснофлотец)	(Краснофлотец)
OR-equivalent	OR8	OR7	OR6	OR4	OR2	OR1
	coastal services and other branches
Rank designation	Stashina	Senior sershant	Sershant	Junior sershant	Senior red fleet man	Red fleet man
(Russian)	(Старшина)	(Старший сержант)	(Cержант)	(Младший сержант)	(Старший краснофлотец)	(Краснофлотец)

The 1940 regulations reinstated ground force-style ranks to the coastal services of the Navy.

See also

• History of Russian military ranks
• Ranks and rank insignia of the Russian armed forces until 1917
• Ranks and rank insignia of the Red Army 1918–1935 and ... 1935–1940
• 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