By the beginning of World War II (WW2), the Red Army (RKKA, the largest at the time) had suffered the loss of many of its generals, including veterans of the Spanish Civil War (SCW), who had been eliminated by Iósif Stalin. So that experience was of little use when Germany invaded the Soviet Union in 1941.
Combat instruction at a RKKA military academy before the start of WW2 (National Library of Spain)
However, the Soviet military was well equipped: their armored vehicles were fast and well-built, and their aircraft, although inferior to German models, were maneuverable and capable of engaging them due to the experience of their pilots. The ground forces comprised 80% of the troops and the rifle units were the primary and most iconic. They bore the brunt of operations from the summer of 1941, as evidenced by the 4,000,000 casualties in the first five months. A disaster of such magnitude that it seems unimaginable to us today.
T-26 tank. Propaganda images show modern equipment like this one, which had been widely used in the SCW and in the conflict with Finland (National Library of Spain).
The Soviet infantryman at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War was well-trained and primarily of Slavic origin. The Mosin-Nagant rifle was a reliable and robust, but excessively long, which led to the adoption of a shorter model. Later, whole units would be armed with PPSh submachine guns. Their equipment included a shovel (malaya pehotnaya lopata), pouches for ammo and grenades, straps, a rucksack (ranyets rioksak), a water canteen, a gas mask bag, a plashch palatka or a M35 greatcoat and a SSh-36 or 39 helmet.
RKKA soldiers in an ambush. The Degtyarov DP-27/DP-28 machine gun was a light and effective weapon (National Library of Spain).
The M35 uniform was made of cotton or linen and consisted of trousers (sharovari) and a vest (Gimnastyorka). The greatcoat and the plashch palatka were worn in a roll or over the backpack. The cap, known as pilotka, was introduced in 1935. Beginning on September 18, 1941, the best divisions began to be awarded the title of Guards Riflemen, which meant improvements in equipment and pay. Finally, we invite you to see our comrade Iker's really good impression on his YouTube channel.
Watch short on YouTube