Book Description

HANDBOOK FOR INFANTRYMEN of the WORKERS and PEASANTS RED ARMY, VOLUME No.1, with 1938 Red Army Infantry Manual, Drill Positions, and The Duties of the Individual Soldier from The Infantry Combat Manual, 1942. by Igor Dobroff and Mark A. Sevigny, with English translation by Igor Dobroff, 2009. The R.K.K.A., The Workers and Peasants Red Army, was the army of the Soviet Union before and during the Second World War, a conflict known in the Soviet Union as the Great Patriotic War.This book is an English-language World War II re-enactor's and historian's field reference guide for Red Army Infantrymen.The manual is 95 pages long and includes over 30 drawings and diagrams from original Red Army manuals and is formatted to appear similar to WW2 Red Army manuals. The commands have been translated into English, but are also presented in their original Cyrillic and phonetic versions [to aid pronunciations] as well. Volume 1 of the Handbook for Infantrymen contains information on Red Army drill, rifle positions, marching, basic squad and platoon marching formations, and ceremonies. In this volume we have included detailed information and drawings on drill movements and formations as well as marching formations. The contents are translations and extrapolations from the 1938 Red Army Soldier's Manual, but with some material from the 1947 Soldier's Manual that reflect practices developed during the Great Patriotic War. We also have chapters relating to soldiers' duties, translated from the 1942 Infantry Combat Manual of the R.K.K.A., as well as some miscellaneous subjects from other R.K.K.A. sources. A brief synopsis of the contents are listed below. [ NOTE: Although this volume contains a page of basic combat commands and explanations of how to crawl and run, but it does not contain information on Red Army combat formations or tactics. For WW2 Red Army combat instructions and practices we highly recommend Charles Sharp's SOVIET INFANTRY TACTICS IN WORLD WAR II [1944]. Every serious Red Army re-enactor and historian should own a copy of Sharp's book in any case.] Chapters of this manual: I. DUTIES OF SOLDIERS AND COMMANDERS II. SPECIFIC DRILL COMMANDS AND MOVEMENT A. Drill and March Basics B. The Individual Soldier -Assembly, Turns, Marching C. Drill for Soldier with Weapons Weapons in Drill and March AssemblyRifle Drill Positions and Movement, including Order Arms Sling Arms, "Across the Back," Shoulder Arms, Combat Stance, Port Arms, "On Arm" [Parade stance], D Salute by Individual Soldier E. Rifle Salute F.-G. Meeting a superior officer H. TO CALL A SOLDIER FROM FORMATION III. MARCHING FORMATIONS A. Marching in the Field B. Squad in Single or Double Ranks C. Forming Platoon in Ranks D. Change to Column Formations E. Assembling a Squad as a March Column F. Assembling a Platoon into March Column G. Stacking Rifles IV. Movement Orders & Techniques: Lying Down, Standing Up, Running, Crawling V. FIELD GEAR OF A SOLDIER 1939-1941 and 1941-1945 A. Marching Gear of a Soldier ( Rifleman ) B. Method of Assembling the Combat Gear C. Assembling the 1938/1941-style Haversack D. Making the Overcoat Roll, the Skatka, E. Attaching Elements of Rain-cape, the Plash-Palatka F. Attaching Protective Stockings G. Attaching Steel Helmet H. Assembling the Rucksack, the Meshok I. Assembling and Wearing the Marching Gear J. Rules for the Proper Wearing of the Uniform VI. THE DUTIES OF THE INDIVIDUAL SOLDIER from The Infantry Combat Manual, 1942 VII. Basic Combat CommandsA. Field Commands to Prepare for Combat B. Common Combat CommandsC. Hand Signals VIII. MORNING ROUTINE1. Wake Up and Assembly2. Forming Unit for Assembly3. Regarding Assembling Multiple Units4. Commander's Morning Address IX. INSPECTIONS X. THE MILITARY OATH CEREMONY XI. AWARDS CEREMONY X. THE REGIMENTAL BANNER