Short answer
Soldiers in the Second World War wore a range of uniform types. Field dress was worn for daily duty and combat, service or dress uniforms for parades and formal duty, and greatcoats and padded clothing for cold weather. Headgear, boots and webbing completed the set. The exact pieces depended on the country, branch, rank, season and year.
Common uniform types across armies
Most armies used the same broad categories:
- Field dress. Tunics or jackets and trousers for daily duty and combat.
- Service or dress uniform. Worn for parades and formal duty, often with more insignia.
- Overcoat. A long coat for cold weather, usually wool.
- Headgear. Caps for everyday use, with helmets for combat.
- Footwear. Boots, sometimes with wraps or gaiters in place of socks.
- Equipment and webbing. Belts, pouches and carriers for ammunition and kit.
- Winter and camouflage clothing. Padded or insulated layers, and snow covers in some armies.
For how these categories looked in other armies, see WWII German uniforms and equipment, US WWII standard issue uniforms and British and Canadian WWII uniforms.
What Soviet soldiers wore
Soviet soldiers wore the following main items:
- Gymnastyorka (tunic). A pullover-style tunic, worn with a belt.
- Galife breeches. Wide-hipped breeches, usually worn tucked into boots.
- Pilotka. A folding side cap, widely worn in the field. For how to check one, see Soviet pilotka field caps: identification guide.
- Ushanka. A fur-trimmed winter cap with ear flaps. For winter headgear, see Soviet ushankas and winter headgear of WWII.
- Steel helmet. The SSh-40 was the standard combat helmet in the later war. See World War 2 military helmets for identification.
- Greatcoat (shinel). A long wool overcoat issued across the army.
- Padded clothing (vatnik) and snow smocks (mashkhalat). Used in cold and snowy conditions.
- Boots and footwraps. Leather boots (sapogi) with footwraps (portyanki). Felt boots (valenki) were worn in winter.
- Webbing. Belts, pouches and gas-mask bags.
How uniforms changed during the war
Soviet dress changed during the war. Before the war, the M35 uniform had bright collar tabs that showed branch and rank group. During the early and middle war, insignia was reduced and many items moved to muted tones. Shoulder boards (pogony) were reintroduced in January 1943. Colours varied a great deal across the war, partly because of dye limits and partly because of the materials available. For the full phases, see Soviet WWII uniforms and insignia.
Differences by branch and role
Uniforms also varied by branch and role. Officers wore different dress and insignia from enlisted men. Cavalry, tank crews, naval personnel and irregular forces had their own variations, as they did in other armies (compare the German panzer crew uniform). Partisans in occupied areas often wore a mix of issued and civilian clothing. Because of this variety, a single “standard” outfit rarely describes every soldier.
Identifying uniform types in collections
- Compare the cut and the parts. Check whether a tunic, breeches and cap belong together by period.
- Check labels and markings. They can help place a piece in time, though reproductions often copy them.
- Look at wear. Wear that matches the rest of the item is more convincing than uniform distress.
- Be cautious with complete outfits. Many sets are assembled from different periods or sources.
Related guides
- Soviet commissar uniforms of WWII covers political officers’ dress.
- Soviet ushankas and winter headgear of WWII covers winter caps in more detail.
- Soviet Army uniforms of the Cold War covers the uniforms that followed.