ILLUSTRATED HANDBOOK SOVIET MILITARY, AIR FORCE, NAVAL, KGB AND MILITIA UNIFORMS AND INSIGNIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-02646R000400360001-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 21
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 4, 1998
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: January 1, 1961
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 1999/08/24: CIA-RDP78-02646R000400360001-4
101
ILLUSTRATED HANDBOOK
--I
M
Z
00
Air Force, Naval, KGB and '?'
Soviet Military, I
Militia Uniforms and Insignia
1 January 1961
Approved For Release 1999/08/24: CIA-RDP78-02646R000400360001-4 I
 Approved For Release 1999/08/24: CIA-RDP78-02646R000400360001-4
FOREWORD
This handbook has been compiled from the latest Soviet sources
available to the author. Although by no means all inclusive, it never-
theless contains the most useful and important information on this
subject.
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 Approved For Release 1999/08/1iI&RDP78-02646R000400360001-4
OFFICERS
Colonel (Artillery)
Summer: service
Summer: field Summer: service Summer: service
Service un4PP V uf,QfeRPI Ao19%94=s24Iso,Q,Au Pd7~r;Q2646RO00400360001-4
 Approved For Release 1999/08/24: CIA-RDP78-02646R000400360001-4
PART I-GENERAL. DESCRIPTION. Uniforms, Insignia,
Identification of Branch of Service.
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NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS and ENLISTED MEN
Sgt.-Major, Infantry (extended enlistment) Senior Sgt., Air Force
Summer: dress, semi-dress Summer: dress, semi-dress
Private, Military Construction
Battalions. Summer: semi-dress
Summer: field uniform Summer: 2nd type uniform* Summer: 3rd type uniform
the so C, tX~ec~?~gr a e, ; ,s'~ Q$1,24r;6~ % DP78-02646R000400360001-4
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Approved For Release 199 ji C%N F 78-026468000400360001-4
non-commissioned officers' and
enlisted men's shoulderboards
non-commissioned officers' and
enlisted men's cap
MILITIA (CRIMINAL AND TRAFFIC POLICE)
serv c'eer dr oved Foe l I 999/08 Xme :IA-RDP78- i 00040 36fl
HONOR GUARD (usually (usually mustered for arrival of Chiefs of State)
Non-commissioned officers
& enlisted men
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Metallic insignia worn by Military and Naval personnel and KGB, on shoulderboards and/or .collar tabs
Insignia worn only in the Navy
Military Transportation
Service
Engineering-Techinal Services
(for officers serving on ships and
fleet head uarters)
999/08/24 CIA-RDP78-02646R000400360001-4
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cone Fl r1CoDn A Dnc
OFFICERS: DRESS/SEMI-DRESS
branch of service insignia are olive drab. Rank stripes are red.
NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND ENLISTED MEN
DRESS/SEMI-DRESS. Army, Air Force, Border Guard and KGB: Background in color of Branch of
Navy: Same as for dress/semi-dress.
Militia: Same as for dress/semi-dress. Rank stripes white.
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Army, Air Force, Border Guard and KGB: Background either of gold or silver
thread. Branch of service insignia is. gold, except for the administrative, quarter-
master and veterinary services in which case it is silver. General officers and
lower ranking officers have shoulderboards with either gold stars on a silver back-
ground or silver stars on a gold background. Piping and longitudinal stripes are
as follows: a) for the Army: red, magenta, sky-blue or black, b) for the Air Force:
always sky-blue, c) for the KGB: royal blue, d) for the Border Guard: dark green.
Navy: Background either of gold or silver thread. The branch of service insignia
is either silver on gold shoulderboards or gold on silver shoulderboards. Silver
stars on a gold background or gold stars on a silver background denote officers
of Captain 1st Rank or below. On certain types of uniform the shape of the
shoulderboard is as shown in Fig. 2.
Militia. Always silver background with red piping and longitudinal stripes.
Army, Air Force, Border Guard and KGB: Background is olive drab. Stars and
buttons are gold. Branch of service insignia is gold or silver as for dress/semi-
dress shoulderboards. Marshals and. General officers shoulderboards have
piping, other ranks have only longitudinal stripes colored according to their
branch of service.
Navy: Same as for dress/semi-dress but shaped according to Fig. 2.
Militia: Some as for dress/semi-dress.
Army, Air Force, Border. Guard and KGB: Background is olive drab. Stars,
buttons and insignia are olive drab for all ranks. Marshals and General officers
shoulderboards have piping, other ranks have only longitudinal stripes colored
according to their branch of service.
Navy and Militia: Same as for dress/semi-dress.
Service. Buttons are gold. Insignia and rank stripes are gold except for admin-
istrative, technical, medical and veterinary services when they are silver. Some
non-commissioned officers of extended service wear shoulderboards shaped as
in figs. 1 and 3.
Navy: Background black or sky-blue. Stripes as for Army.
Militia: Red background with silver rank stripes.
FIELD. Army, Air Force, Border Guard and KGB: Background is olive drab.
 l gABS 7A-Ng2 5g08F p?R%0001-4
Appr%vA%jcFBirs g J?fi N i 1I?
SENIOR
OFFICERS
ARMY, AIR FORCE AND NAVY, KGB and MILITIA
HIGH,
RANKING OFFICERS
NOTE: ALL SHOUL.DERBOARDS:
OF HIGH:: RANKING, OFFICERS ::
HAVE PIPING.
-RDP78
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 rovea i-or Keiease i JJJ/Ut$1Z4 : C:IA-KUI'/t$-UZb4bK0004UUSbUUU1-
k4
HERE TO LOOK FOR BRANCH OF SERVICE IDENTIFICATION INSIGNIA AND COLOR
NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND ENLISTED MEN
Army, Air-Force and KGB
Summer
cap
999/08/24: CIA-RDP78-02646R000400360001-4
Service uniforms
(for Sergeants of extended enlistment)
Note: Winter overcoat as for officers.
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W [o"q ?8ke@ph WpW*lt9I8 TIFIZR lWMiopn M~f
SUMMER FIELD UNIFORM
Army, Air Force and KGB
Branch of service insigni
roved For Release
Non-commissioned officers and
Seamen
999/08/24: CIA-RDP78-02
Non-commissioned officers and
enlisted men
Winter
Cyrillic letters unit designators
0004 0001-4
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MISCELLANEOUS
Officers' cap devices
non-commissioned officers' and enlisted men's cap devices
Army, Air Force and Navy
Senior Petty Officers (Navy)
Collar Ornamentation on Officers' uniforms
Generals' service coat
Air Force
dress/semi=dress
Militia
dress and service
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Naval Officers
dress and service
Navy
dress and service
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OFFICERS SHOULDERBOARDS
(All ranks not shown)
DRESS/SEMI-DRESS
Marshal Marshal of Col. General
Colonel Lt. Col. Major
(Infantry) (Infantry) Air Force
Captain Senior It. Junior Lt.
Air Force Air Force Border Troops
Captain Senior It. Lieutenant
Air Force (Infantry) (Artillery)
NOTE: MILITIA OFFICERS always wear shoulderboards of silver thread background with red longitudinal stripes and pi ing. On tunics with standing collar, hex-
agonal sh?A pr sporcReIease 1999/08/24: CIA-RDP78-02646R00d400360001-4
Captain Senior Lt. Junior It.
(Infantry) (Technical (Military
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PART II-ARM', AIR FORCE, BORDER GUARDS, KGB AND MILITIA
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General Officers,
Air Force
Tabs for officers' overcoats and for overcoats and dress/semi-dress uniforms of non-commissioned officers of extended enlistments,
Tabs for standing collars of dress/semi-dress uniforms of enlisted men, non-commissioned officers and officer candidates:
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COLLAR TABS
TABS ON OVERCOATS OF HIGH RANKING OFFICERS
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NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS and ENLISTED MEN
SHOULDERBOARDS
.......................
MILITIA: DRESS and SERVICE (Rank stripes are in silver or white)
Sgt. Major Senior Sgt. Sergeant Junior Sgt.
Jr. Sgt.
Students of Suvorov
Military Schools
OFFICERS' CANDIDATES and STUDENTS OF SUVOROV MILITARY SCHOOLS
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NAVY - SHOULDERBOARDS, OFFICERS
(All ranks not shown)
DRESS/SEMI-DRESS
HIGH RANKING OFFICERS
Approved Fo ` bt%dg*e1999/08/24
Admiral of the Fleet Admiral
of the Soviet Union
CIA-RDP78-02646R000400360001-4
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NAVY - SHOULDERBOARDS, PETTY OFFICERS AND SEAMEN*
DRESS/SEMI-DRESS, SERVICE AND COMBAT
NAVAL CADETS and NAKHIMOV SCHOOLS
Ship and Ship Engineers Other than ship and ship engineers
Students of Nakhimov
Schools
Petty officers and enlisted men wear either the regular shoulderboards or the short shoulderboads, depending on the type of uniform.
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NAVAL AIR FORCE AND SHORE BASED PERSONNEL (AII ranks not shown)
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SLEEVE INSIGNIA WORN BY LINE AND LINE ENGINEER NAVAL OFFICERS
Fleet of the Soviet
Union
Vice-Admiral
Rear-Admiral
Special insignia worn on right breast
Submariner's badge
Captain
1st Rank
Dirk worn by officers and some petty-officers with dress uniform
Captain
2nd Rank
999/08124 CIA-RDP78-026468000400360001-4
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SPECIALTY BADGES WORN BY PETTY OFFICERS AND SEAMEN ON LEFT UPPER SLEEVE
Boatswain Rigger Musician Storekeeper Hospital Corpsman
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