Authenticity Page 2
Mosin-Nagant M91/30 Rifle
Gear, Guns and Goodies
by Arkady Rodinko
So, you want to know what to wear, carry and pack eh, Comrades? O.K. here is the word from Uncle Arkasha:
Gymnastiorkas
You want to wear a good looking shirt, right? Well, too bad. This is the Red Army. You get what we give you, Comrade. Repro Summer issue Gymnastiorkas should be made from a heavy cotton twill and in any shade from olive drab through khaki tan. The early M35 (for lack of a better name) would be worn prior to and after summer 1943 and up til the end of the war. M35s might have 1943 style shoulder-boards attached to them.
In this photo at right, the soldier wears a Post War dated M43 gymnastiorka. These tunics are correct for wear after 1943 in limited numbers. The chest pockets are a carry-over from the M35 style. (NOTE: Not all M43s had pockets, just as not all M43s did not have pockets.Confused yet? Stick around...)
Two other items of note. One is that the pockets are internal to the tunic. This is a common feature but these could also be external pockets as well.
Second is the collar. There is no white lining sewn into this collar. Red Army soldiers were issued collar linings once a week. These were sewn into the collar by the soldiers themselves. One addition to everyones impression should be these white collar liners.
Katarina Ivanova
Sniper
62nd Guards
A crappy scan from the Mollo book but it does give you a good idea of the early war look with original stuff. GET THE MOLLO BOOK! (hint number one on uniform authenticity...)
This guy is an Artillery private. He wears an M36 helmet, M35 tunic with full color collar tabs with branch insignia, M35 Sharivari (trousers for you non-ruski-speakers), and ankle boots with puttees.
His waist belt hold up two Nagant Ammunition pouches and probably a canteen. Across his body is a gas-mask bag and suspended fromt the bag is a green army cup.
His weapon is probably the M91/38 carbine.
Above is a group from Cedars of Lebanon this last (1999) December. All wear the M43 Gymnastiorka in various shades. Notice that the trousers rarely match the tunics? Well, that's because they may have been worn longer, shorter, from a different 'batch' , or factory, or whatever. Odds are your stuff is never gonna match exactly. Odds are the original Red Army soldier couldn't get his to match either! (Note: the white rectangles are registration stickers, not some weird NKVD tracking device...)
PPsH-41 Sub-machine Gun
Winter Uniforms...
or: "But Mom, It's cold in Stalingrad!"
The Red Army wore greatcoats. These were for the enlisted guys a rough wool, usually a brownish, drabish, color.
These will keep you warm, comrades, and when they get wet, they weigh about 75 kilos...
You can get the modern enlisted type still. Simple cut off the buttons and the insignia. (These close with hook and eyes and the buttons are simply decoration...)
