138TH RIFLE DIVISION - IMPRESSION GUIDELINES

All Soviet Rifle reenactors will be portraying the 138th Rifle Division, 650th Rifle Regiment in defense of the Barricades Ordnance Factory on November 10-12, 1942. For most impressions, this will not require any serious alterations.

Guards badges and any awards, insignia, etc that wouldn’t fit the unit and scenario must be removed.

All participants must have correct glasses or wear contacts. Hair and facial hair must be of period correct style. All participants must be over the age of 18.

All uniforms and equipment must be original, corrected post-war, or a QUALITY reproduction

This year’s biggest change is that M35 shirts are REQUIRED with either subdued or no collar tabs. M43 tunics will NOT be permitted!

HEADGEAR

  • Helmet- SSh39, SSh40, SSh36 helmets are all acceptable.

    NOTE: NO COLD WAR HELMETS CONVERTED TO SSH39 WILL BE ALLOWED.

  • Pilotka (garrison cap): (NO nylon caps or staybright stars),

  • Ushanka (NO post war blue or staybright stars),

  • Visor caps (for appropriate ranks)

CLOTHING

  • M35 shirt

  • M35 trousers

    NOTE: N0 M43 SHIRTS ALLOWED. ALL SHIRTS MUST HAVE A COLLAR LINER

    Insignia:

    -Subdued or no collar tabs.
    -NO Colored collar tabs allowed.
    -Notes: Awards must be pre-Stalingrad.


    Raspberry tabs did show up in very small numbers almost exclusively on higher ranking officers. However, we have seen almost zero evidence of their use by enlisted men in Stalingrad.

    After the order to remove raspberry tabs came on August 1, 1941, The unit being portrayed at this event (138th Rifle Division) suffered heavy losses on the Crimean front and Operation Blue and went through two total overhauls before the Battle of Stalingrad itself began. They again suffered heavy losses in the city over a month of continuous combat before the time frame portrayed during the event. The average life expectancy of Red Army soldiers inside the city was less than 48 hours. This means most of the men at this point in the fighting were replacements. The likelihood that any raspberry tabs would have survived that time period is very slim. Not to mention the almost complete lack of photographic evidence of their use in the city itself.

    This event will have a functioning chain of command. You must have Event permission to portray an officer. If you have rank, you must have a realistic number of men under you. The reason for this is simple. Far too many people put on officers rank and show up thinking they can just tell people what to do. Very often they have no one, or far from enough men under them, to justify their rank. It is not only unrealistic, but it has been a pet peeve of many reenactors over the years because no one likes random officers barking orders at them. The event command is there to provide a good experience for all involved, a functioning chain of command helps ensure the event has a good flow.

FOOTWEAR

  • You must wear Soviet or German jackboots, or soviet/lend lease low boots. Cold War model jackboots are allowed but try to get wartime correct boots. Try to limit lend lease boots. Please no GI “roughouts”. They weren’t being produced yet.

  • Footwraps are recommended, but socks are acceptable. Please note that footwraps are more comfortable in Soviet boots and socks were very rare in the Soviet Union.

WINTER CLOTHING

  • Padded jacket and/or trousers

  • Overcoat

  • Sheep coat

  • Double breasted coat

EQUIPMENT

  • NO Kirza mosin pouches

  • NO f1 grenade pouches

  • NO metal grommet platsches.

  • NO vesh-meshoks (drawstring backpack with straps and a pouch on the outside)

  • It is recommended that you bring an entrenching tool.

WEAPONS

  • NO PPS43

  • NO M44’s

  • NO Thompsons

  • Gas guns should only be vehicle mounted or in a heavy weapons role

  • Grenades MUST look like the real thing. NO juice bottles or Easter

NOTE: WEAPONS MUST MATCH YOUR ROLE IN YOUR UNIT.

ENSURE ALL WEAPONS ARE UNLOADED PRIOR TO BRINGING THEM TO THE EVENT
There is to be absolutely NO gunfire between 20:00 and 8:00 (8PM to 8AM).